With the information at your fingertips, it may seem like you buy a house all by yourself. I mean, how hard could it be, right? Find a house, buy a house! You may have even found the perfect house yourself – you went to open houses to see all the houses you were interested in…no need to have an agent take you around to show you any more houses. Maybe, you think, “I don’t need an agent at all!” Well, you do, and you deserve one.
The first hurdle becomes, how do you submit an offer? Some people may want to call up the agent who is selling the house and tell them to write up an offer, or to show you the house. But then that agent begins working for you, the seller and also for the buyer. Whose interests is that Realtor looking out for? As a Realtor representing both parties – the buyers and the sellers, it is the duty of the agent to be a fiduciary to both parties. But that is a difficult task to be a fiduciary to both sides. Not impossible, but sometimes difficult.
The truth is, you want an agent working for you. While it is not the Buyer who traditionally pay the agents for their expertise, the Buyers are still entitled to expert representation. The Sellers are willing to pay 2 agents to represent themselves and the Buyers. Agents work for you to provide you information, provide guidance, to walk you through the whole home buying process, fill out the paper work and negotiate with the Listing Agent.
Hiring an agent saves you a lot of time and stress. Your agent will:
β’ Show you houses of interest
β’ Submit offers for you
β’ Fill Out All Paper Work
β’ Deliver all Contracts, Addendums and Disclosures
β’ Ensure all Disclosures are Signed and Delivered
β’ Negotiate with the Listing Agent/Sellers
β’ Answer all questions about your transactions
β’ Work together with your lender to keep your home purchase on track
β’ Work with the Title Company to make sure the transaction moves along
β’ Be at the closing if you need them
Keep in mind, when you go to an open house without having already hired an agent, the agent at the open house will want you to become their client. This is how many homeowners first meet their agents. If you have a friend who is an agent that you plan on working with, or someone you have met before that you plan on using, be honest with the agent at the open house and tell them you are already working with an agent. They will still be happy to sell you the house.
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