Why use a real estate agent in Seattle? The facts speak for themselves: According to the National Association of Realtors, 89% of sellers were assisted by a real estate agent when selling their home. Furthermore, 88% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker.

Why Use A Seattle Real Estate Agent When Selling…

When you are thinking of selling your home in the Seattle area, you may be wondering if it makes sense to use a real estate agent or just sell your property yourself. Some of the reasons why you should use a real estate agent are:

• Strategic Pricing Based On Market Conditions: Consult with an expert to gain valuable insights on how your property compares to others in the market and at what price it needs to be listed in order to sell quickly and profitably. If you just list it for the “zillow price” you may be leaving money on the table… or overpricing the property, causing it to stagnate and lose appeal. A computer program can’t evaluate the unique characteristics of your home or set a strategy to sell based on current market dynamics.
• Curb Appeal, Look and Feel: Find out how your home looks to an “unbiased observer” who will let you know kindly but directly what improvements are best made to maximize your returns (and what improvements may cost more than they’re worth).
• Market Exposure – All Potential Buyers Know About Your House: Typically, a real estate agent will help you with marketing the property well, so you can get it sold for the highest price. You need to have your property in front of a lot of potential buyers and presented in an appealing manner.
• Speed and Ease of Transaction: Typically to get the best price, you want your property to make a splash the moment it goes on the market. Spending time listing your home with the wrong price or poor appearance can make an otherwise great home a dud when it comes to sales. Your real estate agent should be a marketing expert who knows how to SELL your home, not just “list” it. This is extra important when you need to move quickly or don’t want to pay the costs of an extra mortgage after you have vacated the property.
• Make Paperwork A Breeze: Real Estate Agents use standardized forms that make getting through the paperwork much easier for both buyers and sellers. With electronic document signing, negotiations can be done with the click of a button from your phone or laptop.
• Successful Buyer Negotiation: Depending on market dynamics, there are times to push hard in negotiations, and there are times to make compromises to ensure the deal gets done. I love negotiating, but many people do not and this can be one of the hardest and most emotional parts of the process. Without knowing the facts in the real estate marketplace, it can be harder to have a well-formed opinion about the strength of your position. this is where a well-informed real estate agent can help.

These are just some of the reasons why it may be best to use a real estate agent to help sell your home in Seattle. If you have further questions, you may contact our office.

Why Use A Real Estate Agent When Buying A Home In Seattle:

As a real estate Buyer, you have the advantage that almost all home sellers have the expectation that you will be using a buyer’s agent to represent you and they will pay for it! The cost of your buyer’s agent services are already built into the seller’s listing agent with his real estate agent. (Seller’s typically agree to compensate a buyer’s agent and their seller’s agent when they list their homes for sale with a real estate agent.) When you look at it this way, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t use a Seattle real estate agent to help you in your transaction.

A buyer’s agent will help you with the entire home buying process:

• Find The Right Home: Help you identify strengths and weaknesses of a subject property relative to your goals and budget.
• Pricing: Is This A Good Deal? Provide information about pricing of similar homes so you can make a realistic offer that is likely to get accepted and reduces the risk of overpaying because you are “emotionally involved.”
• Get Under Contract: Navigate The Choppy Waters During a Seller’s Market It can be extremely difficult to get your foot in the door in a competitive seller’s market where homes are getting multiple offers.
• Negotiations: Defend Your Perspective Representing you and your needs during property negotiations, including the initial purchase contract and later in regard to contingencies such as inspection, financing and the possible sale of a prior home.
• Paperwork: Real Estate Contracts That Will Protect Your Interests Facilitate all the paperwork needed for a smooth transaction.
• Get It All Done: Coordinate Tasks During Contract Period Help you stay on track with the items you’ll want to take care of on your end, including arranging for a property inspection, getting qualified for your loan, coordinating your move-in dates and other closing -related details.
• Trouble shooting: Although the occasional unicorn deal goes off without a hitch, most real estate transactions have some sort of hang ups. Whether it’s something nasty that came up on repairs, a glitch on underwriting the loan, or a complicated contingency sale of your prior home, there are many moving parts and sometimes they go wrong. Having a real estate agent on your side when these things occur can mean the difference between the deal falling apart, and staying in the deal so you can close on the home of your dreams!

If you are still wondering why use a real estate agent to buy a home, you may contact us with further questions.

When Not To Use A Real Estate Agent:

The above notwithstanding, there are times when it might not be to your advantage to use a real estate agent. If you’re wondering “why use a real estate agent?” and you’re in the following circumstances, the surprising answer may be: Don’t!

• If you have no equity in your home (you owe almost as much (or more) than the home is worth and cannot afford to come out of pocket to pay your real estate agent. In this case, consider selling as FSBO, renting out your home or selling to an investor who can take over payments on your property.
• Your home is in poor condition, facing foreclosure or for other reasons will not sell well to the “retail” market comprised primarily of home buyers looking for houses in move-in-ready condition. Although there are some buyers who may be interested in purchasing probate, fixer-upper, foreclosure property and the like, chances are these types of property will go to investors who will need to pay less for the property so they can fix it up and still make a profit. If this is the case for you, consider our real estate investor program.
• You need to sell the house in less than 30 days. A good real estate agents can get your property on the market quickly help you get an offer on your home quickly, but many buyers will need to get a loan to purchase the property which can take 30-45 days. If you want a “fast cash sale” working with an investor who specializes in that may be your best option. Sometimes a “We Buy Houses” investor can get you cash for your equity in 7-10 days. You may net less from the sale overall, but at least the transaction will be taken care of quickly. This can be advantageous if you have medical bills you need to pay, are settling a divorce, or are liquidating an estate and the heirs are not getting along.
• You are not committed to selling, or not sure you want to sell. In some cases, you may decide you want to sell if the “price is right” but are not sure yet that you really want to move. If you are testing the waters and just “seeing what you could get” for the property, then you may not want to list your home with a real estate agent. Once you have hired the real estate agent, you are committed to paying her a commission when she brings a ready, willing and able buyer to purchase your home at the terms you’ve indicated, EVEN IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO SELL at that time. So don’t list until you’re sure you want to sell. That being said, if you are just curious what your home will sell for, we can help you do the research on that with no obligation to sell.
• You are not willing to abide by Fair Housing Guidelines. All real estate agents are bound by a legal code of ethics which requires we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, disability, etc. when it comes to facilitating a real estate transaction. If you’re note willing to sell to or buy from someone a protected class, we will NOT be able to work with you.
• You are not able to qualify to buy a home. There’s not doubt about it, homes in Seattle can be pricey, and it seems like they keep getting more expensive over time. If you do not have two years worth of stable income or do not earn enough to qualify for a loan, it may not yet be time to start working with your buyer’s agent. However, there are many lending programs which can help lower income folks qualify for a home with low-down payment programs. If this is you, contact our office tfor a referral to lenders who may be able to assist you or help you plan for the day when you can afford your home.
  

Why Use A Real Estate Agent: A Knowledgeable Advocate Who Presses Your Advantage For Profit, Ease and Speed

The facts are clear. When you are looking to buy or sell your Seattle home, going with a trusted real estate agent makes sense. Let’s face it, buying a house is one of the biggest decisions you will make in your life. Unfortunately, buying or selling a home isn’t always clear-cut or easy. That’s why having an expert like HomePro Associates at your side to navigate the paperwork and nuances of buying or selling your house makes sense.