What are the reasons you should use a buyer’s agent?
With more resources available on the Internet, you may be considering buying a home without using the services of a professional real estate agent. After reviewing these 50 services an agent would typically perform for their clients, you may want to reconsider! Remember, agents don’t get paid until the home purchase is complete. It is their job to do the best they can to help you through a smooth experience, save you money and achieve your goal of buying a home.
Here are some of the many reasons to use a buyer’s agent:
- Analysis of your real estate needs and determine what housing areas and options might work best
- Research properties. As an expert in the area, the right buyer’s agent can get you detailed information about properties you’re interested in. Having a realtor that understands the differences between El Camino Village, Bodger Park and the surrounding areas of Hawthorne, Gardena and Lawndale can make a big difference.
- Send you listings that match your needs – the right agent understands what you’re looking for in a home and can send you custom email alerts whenever a new home in El Camino Village or Bodger Park, or other areas hits the market.
- Provide information pertaining to your move or relocation and short-term stay options
- Educate you about home buying processes. Buying a home has a lot of moving pieces…adding to an already stressful emotional and financial process. A good agent can guide you through the process
- Provide information on market conditions, schools, communities, employment, and more
- Discuss your financing needs and options
- Recommend qualified mortgage brokers
- Make appointments and show properties that works around your schedule. Open houses are great, but not every listing has them and sometimes a private tour is more beneficial
- Provide timely and professional disclosure and research on homes, markets and neighborhoods
- Home tour review: pros & cons of each property
- Point out important items while showing that buyer’s may overlook
- Follow up of loan application with your selected mortgage broker
- Help cleaning up your credit if needed
- Analyze purchasing timeline and needs once property is located
- Free Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of a property in order to make an educated offer
- Call listing agent to get updates on property including interest, offers, etc.
- Create and send draft of the offer and prepare paperwork
- Research tax and title records
- Explain all paperwork before signing
- Collect proof of funds from buyer, preapproval letter, personal letter to seller(if warranted)
- Generate estimate of closing costs
- Write offer, send out for electronic signatures, provide verification to listing agent
- Review and explain final contract
- Submit contract and follow up with listing agent to confirm receipt and follow up questions
- Negotiate contract until mutually agreeable. Working with and expert negotiator can make all the difference
- Set deadlines for final acceptance by all parties
- Send the escrow company the executed contract and help get escrow opened upon acceptance
- Schedule and attend the home inspection
- Schedule and attend the termite inspection
- Recommend insurance agents to you
- Verify loan process has begun
- Obtain all seller and listing agent disclosures and explain documents to buyers
- Perform agent “visual” inspection of property
- Review home inspection findings with you. A home inspection (and the results!) can be scary especially for first time home buyers. A good agent can walk you through the report and explain the differences between thinks that need to be repaired or addressed, and updates and upgrades that buyer’s might like, but sellers may not consider
- Negotiate repairs if needed
- Help order an appraisal
- Assist to meet finance deadline
- Monitor and manage contingencies and contingency periods – financing, home inspection, appraisal, etc.
- Check on homeowners insurance
- Verify that the title agency has all necessary documents
- Follow up with the lender on all aspects of closing process
- Get information on utilities
- Schedule closing: time and place
- Review escrow and lender closing statement
- Arrange and attend a final walk-through
- Ensure that escrow has determined the funds to be brought to closing
- Coordinate between lenders and title company to determine amount needed
- Explain everything that happens at closing
- Arrange closing and access
- Give you the keys to your new home!
- Follow up after closing – homestead info and insuring that everything is going well in your new home and that you’re a happy homeowner!
