Buyers beware of falling under the misunderstanding that you are saving money if you purchase your next piece of real estate on your own. Buyers that THINK they are saving money by choosing not to be represented in real estate transactions are actually taking a very PRICEY RISK! When buyers go unrepresented they are taking a huge gamble and risking time, money and their best interest. All buyers should be represented and when they choose to use a real estate agent it’s FREE! The buyer never pays the agent, the seller does and the payment of commission has been agreed upon before the listing was ever marketed. Meaning the seller is going to pay a predetermined amount (usually 7%) regardless if the buyer has an agent or not. A real estate agent is not the only person that can help, an attorney can also get the job done for around $250- $600. But why pay the extra money when you can get a trained real estate professional to do it free?
Most people do not have the negotiating skills and or market knowledge and may end up paying more for real estate than if they had an agent negotiating for them. Thus costing them money that could have better been used to furnish their new home, office or build on their new land. The Market is always fluctuating. Real estate professionals are constantly in the know, they know of the next roadway construction, new builds, community projects and more. Buyers often rely on their naked eye and sometimes are not always current on the markets events. The real estate market is affected by many things and it’s a Realtors duty to rely the message to their clients.
Time is money! Agents do the leg work for buyers and sellers. Realtors are equipped with the most up to date information that is not even available to the public yet. Most have been networking for a long time and they know of the next greatest property. They have technology that keeps them from spending the same amount of relentless hours on the internet surfing real estate sites like most buyers do. Real Estate is their job; let them spend the working hours researching for buyers, instead of buyers trying to fit it around their busy schedule.
Real Estate agents have fiduciary duties to their clients. They always put their client best interest before anything else. They’re like a buyer’s security blanket and they allow the buyer to rest soundly…because someone’s watching out for them. Sometimes, especially newer buyers aren’t aware of the questions to ask or the concerns they should have. A good agent will inform them of things maybe they hadn’t even considered. An agent is the go to person for professionalism and answers. Utilize the agent for all the answers, they won’t charge you per minute like some attorneys. Real Estate professionals provide this service for free, so don’t go unprotected; it’s a very costly mistake.