Buying a House? 10 Reasons Why You Should Use a Buyers Agent

Buying a house is probably the most significant financial decision you will make in your lifetime. It is an exciting time, but also one that comes with uncertainty and a bit of stress. The best thing you can do is educate yourself about the home buying process, the market you are buying in, and most importantly, hire a Buyers Agent to ensure the best possible outcome. There is nothing more calming than working with someone who has the experience and the know-how to anticipate your needs and any potential issues thus making it much easier to navigate this crazy market. There are so many reasons to hire a local Buyers Agent when you decide it’s time to buy, but I chose the 10 that I believe are most important to talk about in this post.

1) Local Knowledge: Location is the single most important factor when buying a home. You want to find a home in a location that is specific to your needs, whether its a particular school system, close to work or town or near the recreational activities you love. This is where a Buyers Agent steps in and makes the process so much easier. Hiring an agent who is local to the area will focus their knowledge and skills to hone in on exactly what you are looking for...and make sure the price is right too!

2) It's free: 99% of the time a Buyers Agent fee is paid by the seller. The only time this isn't true is with a For Sale By Owner. So, if you are a buyer, why wouldn't you take advantage of having the services of a professional working for you, at no cost? Nothing is more important than making the right decision when buying a home. Having an experienced Realtor helps you make rational, informed decisions and stay focused on your goal rather than acting emotionally or driven by stress.

3) Investment Purposes: It's easy to fall in love with a house at first sight. You picture your family living there and sharing good times with friends, but what you aren't seeing are potential issues that a Realtor can spot. Your Buyer Agent's experience makes it easy to pick up on red flags and will be there to ask the right questions ensuring your money is safe in the home you will purchase. Remember: a home is a liability until you sell it. At that point you hope it turned out to be an investment, and a good one at that!

4) Network: In a competitive market, or any market for that matter, having the inside scoop and extensive market knowledge is critical to finding the right property. An experienced Buyers Agent will have a network of agents and industry insiders who they share information with regarding listings that will be hitting the market as well as give them the ability to contact them directly to ask specific questions about listings that are already on the market. This kind of information is so important in your home buying search and puts you in a great position to find the perfect home.

5) Local Resources: Your Buyers Agent has contacts and referrals they can share to help with the purchase of your new home. They can share mortgage lender information, home inspectors, licensed contractors in all fields as well as suggestions for restaurants, local events, doctors, you name it! A good Buyers Agent has the network you need to make your purchase an easy one and life in your new home so much easier once you get your keys.

6) Schedule Showings: Quite simply, scheduling appointments for showings can get time consuming and frustrating! Your Buyers agent will make those appointments and schedule them in the best order according to location as well as importance. You just find time when you are free and a great agent will create a showing schedule that works for you. In a hot market having an experienced Realtor can sometimes get you a showing that another agent can't simply due to relationships and local connections. What a huge advantage!

7) Emotional Control: It is easy to lose control of your emotions in high stress situations. During the home buying process, it's inevitable! After all, this is a huge decision with enormous financial consequences. A Buyers Agent will ensure that your emotions are kept in check and will prevent you from making a bad decision in the heat of the moment. They will be your voice of reason in all situations.

8) Experience with Contracts: Paperwork! It is a huge part of the home buying process. A lot of reading, initialing, signing and explaining. Wondering what 'Contingent' means? Your Buyer Agent knows...along with everything else you may be confused about. They will walk you through the contracts and explain them in verbiage you understand, pointing out potential problems and offering solutions and advice. You will never regret having an experienced agent by your side.

9) Negotiating: Something every homeowner is guilty of, including agents, is overvaluing their home. The emotional ties we have, cloud our judgement and make it hard to be objective. A Buyer Agent will be able to help you negotiate the right price for a home by performing a comparative market analysis as well as using their own experience selling in particular locations. They know the market value and they can also spot the repairs or features that will help them to pinpoint the correct purchase price and then use their negotiating skills to make it happen for you. This can end up saving you thousands of dollars on your purchase... money you can use on new furniture!

10) Communication: I don't want to be redundant, but...buying a home can be a stressful situation. There are so many moving parts: Lenders, showing appointments, offers, negotiations, inspections, purchase and sale agreements, closing attorneys…and on and on and on. A great Buyers Agent communicates with all parties and will share what's needed and necessary with you while working behind the scenes to make sure everything is moving along as it should, in a smooth and efficient way. There may be hiccups and some problems, but solutions are the specialty of a Buyers Agent.

Now that you now the “why’s” get out there and find the “who”! Your Buyers Agent will be the person you are most thankful for throughout the home buying process. Find someone you are comfortable with, who has experience and knows your local market and you will reap the rewards.