Quite frankly, a real estate agent knows more about the real estate market than you do. You might have some knowledge, and have even done your due diligence with extensive research. However, real estate agents are spe cifi cally trained to understand all the ins and outs of the real estate market — it’s literally their specialty. Just like mechanics know more about automobile repair than the average person, and doctors have more medical knowledge than their average patients, real estate agents will know more about the housing market. Th ey even have particular knowledge of local neighborhoods and conditions. An agent will also have better access to the housing market, because that’s the fi eld in which he/she works and because he/she works as a full-time liaison between buyers and sellers. Buyer’s and seller’s agents know how to put good deals together for the bene fi t of their clients. An agent will also have readily available access to other properties listed by other agents, and can track down homes that meet your criteria, contact the listing agents, and secure appointments for viewing the homes. Navigating all this on your own is much more complicated and diffi cult, and will also take a lot longer without an experienced agent on your side. NEGOTIATION EXPERTISE Even if you’re well known by family, friends, and colleagues as an expert negotiator, when it comes to negotiating for home prices it’s a whole diff erent ball game. Th is is where the negotiation skills of a real estate agent come in handy. Sometimes, the home search and home-buying process can become emotional and even heated, but a real estate agent knows how to keep the transaction dispassionate and “at arm’s length,” so to speak, in order to keep clashing personalities, emotions, frustrations, and arguments at 23
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