SPECIAL SECTION: REAL ESTATE
GET REAL...
A REAL
ESTATE
AGENT!
When you’re ready to make the biggest purchase of
your life, or sell your biggest investment, it would be silly
to go it alone. Having a real estate agent by your side
means having your biggest ally ready to work for you.
Armed with knowledge of area neighborhoods, the local
housing market, and buyers and sellers ready to make
moves, a real estate agent can help guide you on the
journey to a new home.
Whether you’re moving to a brand-new town, or just
one town over, real estate agents are familiar with the
surrounding community. They can inform you of the local
school districts, shops and restaurants, or even petfriendly
neighborhoods—whatever aligns with your needs
and wants. Be sure your agent has a list of your musthaves
and your wish list for a new home, as this will help
him/her understand exactly what you’re looking for in a
new home and may even expand the search beyond what
you thought you had available to you.
Having someone who is privy to insider community
information is definitely a perk, but not the only thing
agents have to offer. They also provide valuable access
to the multiple listing service (MLS), other real estate
professionals, mortgage lenders, home inspectors,
attorneys and title companies, allowing a streamlined
process for home buying or selling. Access to information
that isn’t often public on home listings, such as square
footage, seller disclosures and HOA regulations, is also
something a real estate agent can offer.
With a wealth of information from past experiences,
colleagues and connections in the field, and access to
the MLS, real estate agents are able to provide you with
a concrete foundation for making your home purchase or
sale. They’ll be able to identify whether something seems
too good to be true, or if you’re getting all the facts. You
can also count on them to develop an offer or listed price
that reflects market value, to negotiate on your behalf, and
interact with the other party’s agent.
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