Would you perform your own surgeries or dental work? If your answer to the question is “no”, then I have a follow-up question. Do you trust professionals with expertise in a specific topic? If your answer is “yes”, then next time you are assessing real estate, I highly recommend hiring a REALTOR.
Professional of all types cost money
Professional of all types cost moneyProfessionals do not work for free. Have you ever visited your doctor and expected the trip to be pro bono? Of course not. REALTORS are no different. The principle advantage is exposure. Hiring a REALTOR allows your property to be exposed to the largest network of real estate professionals in the world. Zillow works great, but in the end, it’s still a people business. Many deals occur over text, phone, casual conversation, and personal emails. REALTORS expose your property to this underground, super highway network.
But if you are a buyer, you can still get free advice from a REALTOR
It also may be helpful to know that for any one real estate transaction, there is typically a buyer agent and a seller agent. With regard to commission, it might be helpful to know that sellers typically pay commission. Therefore, in the case of a buyer agency, buyers can use REALTORS for free since the buyer’s agent is paid by the seller.
Moreover, why would a buyer choose to use the listing agent? The listing agent is bound adhere to the best interests of the seller not the buyer. It’s a potential conflict of interest that you can avoid by selecting your own representation. In addition, if you are interested in viewing a for sale by owner, it’s also wise to ask your agent if he/she will show the property. Most of the time, the seller will agree to compensate the agent and the buyer can benefit from the care and skill of the agent. This way, the agent can verify that the transaction is fully completed with all disclosures made.
What if the buyer decides to wait? No problem! Life happens and we understand. While we do not condone revisiting properties we have shown you, I have no problem allowing any buyer to be released from an agreement if the timing is no longer right.