CHAPTER 1 How Real Estate Agents Help Home Buyers
WHY HOME BUYERS NEED A REAL ESTATE AGENT
Technology has changed the way homes are sought and bought today. In this “Information Era,” most buyers are first introduced to the home they eventually purchase via the internet, using sites such as; Zillow, Trulia, Yahoo, Homes, Realtor.com, Redfin or one of hundreds of other real estate websites. So that means there’s no real need for a buyer’s real estate agent, right? Or the only reason to use a real estate agent is to find a home and show homes that are available for sale, right? If a buyer can find and visit a home on the web all on their own, why involve another party? Ah, not so fast, friend. The reasons to use a real estate agent today are as valid as yesterday. The ease of online transactions and proliferation of services to assist buyers in handling their own real estate transactions came about recently, throughout the last decade. This has caused buyers to wonder if using a real estate agent is no longer necessary or if it's an expense that can be avoided. While doing the work yourself can save you money if you buy a “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) house and the seller agrees to reduce the price by 3% (half of what a listing agent would receive), for many, a do-it-yourself home purchase might be pricier than a real estate agent’s commission in the long run. On most home sales, there is a listing agent (the agent engaged by 2
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