Why You Really Need to Talk with a Real Estate Agent Before Buying or Selling
Having dreams about real estate at night or in a drive around town? The kids are grown, and that basketball half court is lonely out there. Or, the baby and the dog are creating chaos while colliding in that narrow hallway. Or, life on a waterfront home is your idea finally, for a year round haven.
Whatever your Wisconsin real estate needs, here are 10 compelling reasons to partner with a professional real estate agent before buying land, buying a house or selling a house.
- Market knowledge.Real estate agents are well-versed in current market conditions, including land for sale and the pre-owned or new construction housing market. They have knowledge of which real estate is moving quickly, and for what price – often long before it is listed publicly.
- Sales experience.Wisconsin realtors are qualified to represent interested buyers AND owners selling a house. Because of their experience on both sides of a sale, they can provide valuable information about the real estate process, and advise you about what to expect with everything from locating land, to title searches and the appraisal process.
- Networking.Real estate agents have their finger on the pulse of local properties, talking amongst other realtors about availability, including waterfront property for sale or homes for sale on Rice Lake or in Chippewa Falls WI, for example.
- Access to comprehensive listings.Realty databases provide detailed property specifications, such as lot size, room dimensions, homeowners association fees and other real estate considerations not often listed in ads or consumer web sites. These statistics are not always accurate on sites such as Zillow or Trulia.
- Negotiations.An enormous benefit to partnering with a real estate agent is in leveraging their ability to place your offer on a house for sale, or to counter-negotiate an unacceptable offer if you are selling a house. A realtor protects your anonymity – an important plus, if the negotiation is tricky.
- Character matching.An effective real estate agent will take the time to learn what you want. If you are interested in buying a home on a lake, for example, are you willing to look at land for sale as an option? Are you seeking seclusion, or a waterfront property where it’s busy and vibrant? Before you even visit, they can match suggested real estate with your preferences.
- Meeting your timeframe.Do your circumstances, such as a job relocation or significant change in family size warrant purchasing a home immediately? I you are selling a home, are you willing to accept a potentially lower sale price over keeping it listed in the available housing market? A realtor works for you, offering knowledge of seasonal market fluctuations of a waterfront home, for example.
- Relocation services.If you are looking to sell a summer house on Rice Lake WI, for example, from your home in Minneapolis, while moving and buying a home for your new job in Delaware, a realty companies can provide comprehensive services to help you buy, sell and relocate around the same time. They can also represent your interests remotely, alleviating much of the burden of selling a house from a distance.
- Legal Advice.Real estate agents are not usually attorneys, but their licensure guarantees their familiarity with your rights. Whether it’s conducting a title search or teaching you the intricacies of closing costs, a realtor provides guidance through every step.
- Home value estimation.Have you ever noticed that asking prices on homes for sale in your own neighborhood can fluctuate wildly – or barely? That’s because a chicken soup of factors come into play. Schools, shopping, real estate taxes and square footage all converge. Realtors are likely to be well versed in pricing logic, and can point you in the right direction within the housing market thresholds. They can also weigh in on whether or not it’s cost effective to remodel before selling, or, if buying a home, whether the asking price allows you to redesign on your own.