1. A professional will help you navigate the process. From location the best property and submitting an offer to handling the inspections and getting the deal closed, a knowledgeable expert will help you avoid delays or costly mistakes.
2. A professional will guide you through the paperwork process. Buying a home requires detailed paperwork including disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multi-page settlement statements.
3. A professional will translate everything. Real estate has it’s own language full of terms and phrases. It’s important to work with a professional who is immersed in the industry, knows the real estate language, and can translate everything into easy to understand layman terms.
4. A professional will find the best property for you. Looking at houses is not the same as finding the right house. Finding the right home requires extensive research and investigation by a knowledgeable professional who knows the market and not just the properties listed in the MLS.
5. A professional will give you objective information and opinions. A qualified real estate professional can provide helpful information about individual properties and areas including property values, utilities, zoning, schools, future development plans and more.
6. A professional will negotiate the best deal possible. Having an expert negotiator on your side is critical. There are many items that have to be negotiated in a home purchase including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession, repairs, and inclusion or exclusions.
7. A professional will protect your interests. Your agent can advise you as to which inspections are recommended or required and insure the purchase agreement provides a period of time for you to complete appropriate inspections and investigations.
8. A professional offers invaluable experience. Most people buy and sell only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years in between each purchase. A qualified real estate professional will handle hundreds of real estate transactions over the course of their career.
9. A professional will provide emotional support. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you stay focused on your goals and objectives and not let the emotional issues distract you from what is most important to you.
10. A professional handles the problems. Buying a new home is a complex transaction with lots of areas for potential problems. A trained professional will handle any problems so you will be free to focus on completing a successful move into your new home.