commission fee.
Real estate agents know the ins and out of the housing market and can help you find a home that you would never have found on your own. They can also advise against certain properties that don’t meet your criteria or fail certain home inspections, negotiate on your behalf, and help with the sometimes- complicated closing process. Note: Don’t just hire the first buyer’s agent whose advertisement you see online or on a bench, or the first one your friend recommended. Do your due diligence to make sure you hire someone experienced, qualified, professional, and knowledgeable.
Step 8: Make an Offer
Once you’ve found the home that you and your agent are sure is the one — it falls within your price range, it’s in the right area and neighborhood, it meets all your needs criteria and maybe most of your wants, it’s been thoroughly inspected and examined — it’s time to make an offer. This is the first step to actually purchasing a specific property. “Making an offer” essentially means proposing a price to buy the property, and depending on the seller, the listing agent, your own agent, and the current housing market, that proposal could be equal to, less than, or more than the asking price. Further, a “spoken deal” means nothing; many legal requirements and written documents, such as the Residential Purchase Agreement, are involved in officially making an offer on a home, and this is another area where you truly need the expertise of a good real estate agent.
If you choose to work without an agent, especially if you’re a first-
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