Why Do I Need An Agent?

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, you might be thinking to yourself “why do I need an agent in this current market?”. Well, the answer is simple – to protect your biggest asset or investment. There are a number of reasons why it is imperative to spend time researching and finding a local, credible & capable agent to represent and protect you in this market.

This blog will help highlight the key factors that are typically overlooked when selling or buying your next home. 

Why can’t I sell my house on my own?

The answer is – of course you can! But here’s why it’s worth the money to pay for an agent to protect you and your biggest asset. 

What should I list it for?

Is the biggest question, whether you’re doing it alone or using the guidance of an expert agent. The big difference is, your expert agent has the skills, knowledge and experience to tell you what to list it for and why. On top of this – they have researched and saved comparable sales (and NO, you can’t use a neighbor’s house who is way over priced and still sitting on the market as a comp!) to help with the appraisal battle later down the road.

We’re selling “As-is”

… that’s great, but you still need to make sure the necessary repairs are done. This is where our DeGolian Agents come to the rescue! Not only do they have a strong network of client recommended vendors but also the knowledge to know what is crucial and what not to waste your money on. Even in a hot market, in order to get you the maximum profit, you want to present your house in the best light possible.

How do I pick the best offer?

Another reason for using a realtor, we really are worth our weight in gold! And here is the biggest reason, so that YOU can cash in on the best and most secure offer. As things start returning to a normal-ish market, we are still seeing multiple offers on houses that are priced to sell. In which case – the next reason to use a realtor is to get each offer presented with the highlights you need to be aware of. You may think the highest offer price is the best, but that isn’t always the case!! Our agents can guide you through various elements that improve an offer and will give you peace of mind and security in the end.  Remember – just because it sparkles, doesn’t mean it’s a diamond!

Scary Inspection!

Never fear – an experienced and knowledgeable agent will be able to determine whether the value of repairs being asked to complete matches up to what they’re asking in either closing cost contributions or off the sales price entirely. As the market shifts a little, buyers are able to ask for items that they weren’t a month or two ago! It’s happening! So you’d better be ready to handle those requests – if this all sounds too much, you know where we are and we’d LOVE to help you!

What if it doesn’t appraise?!

Well now, here is the big kicker – an agent in your corner can and WILL dispute a bad appraisal! You may think this is a joke, but we recently received an appraisal back that was $200,000 BELOW purchase price!! Yikes – imagine receiving this with no backing from a trusted agent? Scary! Never fear with a DeGolian agent, as in this case, the appraisal was immediately disputed, with comparables that should have been used sent over. Pretty quickly, the appraisal was overturned using the comparables obtained by our agent and the value came back $50,000 ABOVE purchase price!! How can this be?! Only with the diligent work of an agent who has YOUR best interest at heart… that’s how!

And if this hasn’t convinced you to reach out and at least have a conversation with one of our many expert agents before putting your house on the market – then GOOD LUCK!! Perhaps we can bring you a buyer instead!

“I don’t need an agent to buy a house…”

Famous last words, right before wishing you had proper representation with someone exclusively in YOUR corner! These days with Zillow, Trulia and other home searches in the palm of your hand, you may feel like going straight to the listing agent is the best idea. 

Well, to put it simply – it’s NOT! And here’s why…

Access to Off-Market or Coming Soon listings

Don’t do it alone, Realtors are professionals for a reason. They have exclusive access to a whole search category that you do not – “Coming Soon”. These are listings that agents put into the multiple listing service to give other agents a heads up of what is coming and when. Why is this a neat tool? Because although you can’t technically view these houses during that status, it allows you to vet them, and be among the first to schedule a showing as soon as it becomes active. That way you’re not scrambling to get off work and see a property that went live a day or two ago and already has 5 offers on – sound familiar?!

Write a Winning Offer

Some may be under the impression that going with the listing agent is an automatic win. However, working with an agent in YOUR CORNER will prevent you from overpaying and underasking. What do we mean by this? A realtor writing an offer will advise you on what a good offer amount looks like – whether that’s offering above or below asking price. Alongside this, when you have an agent exclusively in your corner, they will be able to guide you through what you should be asking for as a part of your offer. Is the property on septic? Should you ask for it to be pumped? What about a termite clearance letter? Let your experts guide you – don’t get fooled!

Inspection – what should I ask for?!

Now here’s the true kicker – you may see an inspection report once every 5-10 years when you buy or sell. But your agent is deciphering inspection reports weekly or monthly! We also have close relationships with those inspectors giving us an extra insight into reading and understanding certain key ticket items. Just because something is being sold As-Is does not mean you can’t ask for severe items to be addressed or compensated. This is your chance to make sure you are happy with everything (and we mean EVERYTHING!) that house has to offer – good or bad! 

You may be thinking, but if I go directly to the listing agent, why can’t they help me with all of the above? Simply – they can’t ethically and legally represent you fully as a client while making sure they have their seller’s best interest at heart. They would only be allowed to physically write what you tell them in offers or amendments, and open the door! And guess what – you don’t pay any extra for using your own agent to help you through this process. 

Getting a LOT more without paying ANYTHING extra! It’s a no brainer! 

If you’re looking to buy or sell in this market (or any for that matter!), do the smart thing and find an agent who will work for you!