With all of the tools and services that have made their way to the online world, you may be wondering if using a real estate agent is needed in this day and age. Most of us prefer to make our travel arrangements solo these days instead of calling up a travel agent, so has the experience of buying a house shifted as well? The short answer is no. Buying or selling a home is a major financial and emotional task, that is much more complicated than booking a cruise to the Caribbean. Here are 3 of the many benefits of having a real estate agent that you may want to consider:

 

Better Access

 

Searching for or selling a home can be a full-time job, one that the average person will have trouble taking on in addition to their own busy lives and schedules. When you can entrust this huge undertaking to someone who will literally make it their full-time job, you reap the benefits. Not only will handing off your home search allow you to focus on your many priorities, but it will also mean that the job is done better and more efficiently. Both buyer’s agents and seller’s agents work full-time and can use their real estate connections to ensure that you get the best deal. Without their expertise and availability, you might find yourself playing phone tag, and missing out on the perfect home or a potential buyer.

 

Experience with Negotiations

 

One of the most popular reasons to find a real estate agent is to avoid tricky negotiations! Emotions often run high during the home selling/buying process, and that can make the buyer-seller relationship tense. A real estate agent provides a perfect buffer. For example, working through a real estate agent allows you to express your dislike of an outdated, orange bathroom, and negotiate a discount, without ruffling any feathers.

 

Contractual Expertise

 

Contracts in the home selling and buying process are ultimately in place to protect you, but can often be confusing. Unless you’ve moved every year for the past 20 years, employing an experienced agent means that you now have someone who deals with contracts and conditions regularly. They are very familiar with how to use them, and how they can protect you best.

Buying and selling a home is a big process, that doesn’t always go to plan. Having an experienced real estate agent on your side allows you to step into the ring with confidence.