- Share
Any time a home changes owners, there is a huge task list to cover for both buyers and sellers. Inspections, consultations, appraisals, and negotiation all have to take place before the final handshake. Not to mention writing and filing all the necessary paperwork. First-time homeowners, in particular, often get overwhelmed with the logistical tasks of home buying which is why it's important to work with a trustworthy mortgage broker and a realtor or real estate agent who is ready to walk you through the process.
Here at First Savings Mortgage, we encourage every homeowner to find a realtor who can help you tackle the logistical details of real estate, from negotiating smartly with your sellers to taking care of the title check. So today, we are helpfully offering a few pointers on how to find a realtor or real estate agent who can provide everything you need for a smart and rewarding home purchase.
Here is our guide to working with a realtor to buy a house.
Your Realtor Should:
Share Your Vision
Partnering with a realtor can be a very personal choice, especially for buyers. A realtor is helping you to find your next home. You want to work with someone who understands what you value in a home and what you're looking for. Look for a realtor who can quickly show you a few examples that match exactly the kind of house you want, or help narrow down your priorities in price, function, and appearance so that all your options are potentially smart home buying choices.
Know the Area
Real estate is a highly regional industry. In order to find the perfect house, realtors become deeply familiar with the homes in the area. Including important details for your choices like the age of each neighborhood, how good the schools are, and even which homes will get the best sun for solar panels. You want to work with a realtor who can give you a vivid snapshot of what your life might be like living in each house, neighborhood, and school district.
Provide Strategic Guidance
Whether you are buying or selling, you should have a strategy when approaching the real estate industry. For example, real estate is highly seasonal. Your realtor will almost inevitably ask you what your timeline looks like for buying or selling. Are you in a hurry, are you just investigating your options? That will determine whether you need to be jumping on opportunities or waiting for the right one. And whether you'll be working within the buying season or waiting for the season when prices are highest/lowest.
Your realtor should be able to explain what your strategy is or offer tips on the strategy you're already working with.
Create a Tempting List of Homes
One of the primary purposes of a realtor is to help buyers and sellers find what they're looking for. As a buyer, you're looking for a dream-home or a functional house that suits your alternate plans. A realtor, realty office, or personal real estate agent should be able to do some research and come up with a tempting list based on your priorities, strategies, and what is currently available.
Share Their Helpful Contacts
It's also important to know that realtors can have some amazing contacts and information through their constant work in the real estate industry. Realtors who assist buyers will have worked alongside many of the local home inspectors and appraisers. Therefore, your realtor should be able to provide some recommendation on who to call when it's time for inspections, appraisals, and title checking when the time is right.
Your realtor may also have other useful contacts from their past experiences that are uniquely useful to your situation like restoration plumbers, roofers that can repair rare shingle types, or local storage options to smooth over your moving process.
When planning to buy a home, your choice of realtor or real estate agent matters. Both in finding the right home to buy and in negotiating smartly to get the best possible deal, you will need a partner who understands your goals and will help you get exactly the home and deal you want.
Once you have found the right house, First Savings Mortgage would be happy to help you get the financing you need to purchase. Contact us today to find out more about making the smartest home buying decisions for you and your household.