|
The way home
Buyers find homes has changed drastically in the
past few years.
In the 20th
century, the agent had all of the information about
available homes. You would tell your agent what
you liked and the agent would pick homes for you
to see.
Some Buyers
still like to do it this way. Relocation Buyers
(people moving from another
area who know little about the desitnation city)
still benefit from this approach. Some Buyers still
want this service from their agents and don't have
countless hours to spend on the Internet or touring
open houses.
A
good agent can still save you time and energy in
your search.
If
you have connected with an experienced, full time
real estate professional who knows the neighborhoods
that interest you, he/she WORKS FOR YOU and can
narrow your search significantly.
However, in
2010 there are so many ways for anyone and everyone
to obtain volumes of information about homes for
sale that this is no longer the most common course
of action when buying a home.
For the most
part, real estate agents today no longer "find"
homes for their clients. The Buyer often finds the
home and tells the agent about it, or asks the agent
for an opinion and advice about a home or a list
of homes the Buyer has found.
The best course
of action once you have narrowed your list or found
a particular home that interests you, is the same
in 2010 as it was in 2000, 1990 or 1950:
Let
your agent help you here.
Although you
can easily find a great deal of information about
a home or a list of homes on your own (some
would say you can find so much that you can be on
information overload) your agent has
still more information that the public can not see.
Ask your agent
for advice
on the homes you have picked out. The agent you
met at the open house has probably been hired by
that home's Seller to sell THAT HOUSE, and has no
responsibility to look out for
YOUR
BEST INTEREST.
Your agent may
know of a home nearby that has many of the same
features as the one you've picked out, but has been
badly marketed by a discount agent so it might be
obtainable at at a lower price or with better terms.
Your agent might
also be able to give you a more objective confirmation
that the home you've picked out really is a great
choice.
Be sure to let
your agent know what your wants and needs are, and
what you like or dislike about each listing you
see.
The more your
agent knows about your unique set of likes, dislikes,
wants and needs, the more time and wasted energy
he/she can save you.
Your agent may
know of an ideal home for you, tucked away with
no sign or advertising, that is ideal for you. You
may have overlooked it because it had bad photos
on the Internet placed there by a poor listing agent
or a naive by-owner seller.
Again, your
best course of action is to have your own experienced,
full time real estate professional with expertise,
experience and knowledge in the neighborhoods that
interest you, looking out for your
best interest.
See Also:
Where
do I start?
What are the financial implications of home ownership? |