Have you ever found yourself asking, “Why should I hire someone to help me with this process?”
In this day and age of the Internet with resources such as Zillow and Trulia, is there a right answer or business model?
For most people, buying a home will be the largest financial investment they will ever make. It may be the only time you can say you went shopping and spent a quarter of a million dollars (or more). So shouldn’t you work with a real estate agent to get the best advice possible for that investment?
Despite the economic and financial challenges young adults have braved since the recession, the millennial generation, those 34 and younger, represented the largest share of recent buyers, according to the 2015 National Association of Realtors Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends study.
Homeowners rely on agents to help them find the most qualified buyer and to navigate the home selling processes. Rules regarding home sales are always changing, and it is the real estate agent’s job to stay on top of those market dynamics and pass along their expertise to their clients.
Agents direct their home-buying clients to the best financing options for their situation, and they can help their clients make better decisions in preparation for the home-buying or -selling process.
One of the real estate agent’s most important roles is to be the unbiased voice of reason. The agent is the objective set of eyes in the transaction who can help sellers see outside their personal connection to a property, and they help buyers stay level when faced with a multiple-bid situation.
An agent also can help a buyer save money and help a seller make the most money. Because they go through the homebuying and selling process daily, they can warn clients of potential dangers and looming changes in regulations and processes.
This rings true even in an area like La Plata County. Having an expert that can get you from point A to Z is invaluable.
Jerome Bleger is the 2015-16 president of the Durango Area Association of Realtors and a broker for The Wells Group and can be reached at Jerome@wellsgroupdurango.com and 970-375-7004. Chrystal Caruthers and the National Association of Realtors contributed to this report.
