A real estate agent has access to MLS which is a LARGE database of houses that are listed for sale on the market (houses that are for sale by Realtors, not usually for sale by owners). This allows them to put in the exact information that you are looking for in a home, including price range, city, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc... and pull up the appropriate list of homes for sale instantly. Also, this service is usually free to you the buyer. A real estate agent will be able to get inside homes that have lock boxes and set appts. easily with the listing agent on the homes you are interested in. This saves you the time and trouble of trying to do these tasks yourself also. A real estate agent will also be able to look over you purchase contract with you and answer any questions you may have about it along with help you negotiate a bidding price on the home.
If you are going to buy a home, there is almost no reason to not use a real estate agent. It is usually free for you, and you know you have somebody working on your side to make sure you get the right home for you, at the right price.
As well as the fact that a real estate agent is involved in alot of work that most untrained buyers would not be able to handle. They will also keep your best interests at hand, and look out for the pitfalls that might be hiding under the surface of your transaction.
Real estate agents will save you a lot of time when looking for a new home. In many cases you can give the agent an idea of what you are looking for and they can narrow down the search for specific homes that match your criteria. If you have limited time, you can then go out with the Agent and target the properties you would most likely be interested in.
Real estate agents negotiate real estate contracts for a living. If you don't hire one and something goes wrong, you will wish you had. If you do hire one and something goes wrong, you may never even know about it.
The real estate agent is trained to follow the transaction from offer to purchase through
Real Estate Agents will help with the explanation of all the legal terms associated with buying a home. With all the disclosures related to real estate, having an advocate on your side will help understand your rights and the rights of the seller.
Make sure to interview as many realtors as necessary until you find someone who is a good personality match for you. It is important to have a good working relationship with your realtor.
