Before you buy your home sweet home, you have to tread a long road that involves detailed planning and years of savings. In-depth research and ample amount of time have to be devoted.
A good real estate agent is all it takes to make the journey smooth. For this, it is essential to choose the right person.
However, how can you know that your broker is taking care of your interests and not playing tricks that will benefit only him/her?
Brokers rely a lot on persuasive skills. As a salesperson, he/she will chart everything you want to listen, and in case it doesn’t work then create a fear of price rise so that you panic and take a quick decision.
How about we find out what it is like to buy a house with and without a broker
| With Real Estate Agent | Without Real Estate Agent | |
| Area/Neighbourhood | Agents are well aware of the neighbourhood; Nearby schools, hospitals, restaurants are all known to them. Apart from places, the people in that area, communities, crime rate and even any adverse history associated with the area will be under an agent’s eye for sure. | In today’s age, you don’t need a crystal ball to know about a place. Make the internet your ally and spend hours together for better results. Moreover, you can always take help of colleagues or ask a bit around. |
| House/Developer/USPs | An agent will go through databases of different builders, take printouts of prospective homes, collect current market info and prepare different folders for prospective buyers. | You will have to sit and research local trends, market values and other vital info. It’s a tedious task, but your own research always has its perks. You will get unadulterated data and precise information. |
Cost/Paper Work |
Agents know taxes, fees, charges and most importantly people who perform all these. They can clarify all the clauses, contingencies and help you fast forward the whole process. | Here you will need help! Hire an attorney to help you out with all the paperwork. Buying a house is a pretty big deal (literally), so having someone on your side to make sure everything is legit is always a good idea. |
| Commission | Many agents argue that they more than justify their commission with their knowledge and negotiation skills. However, most of the times, the decision comes to brokerage or commission. Though it varies around a standard rate of 3 to 8% (depending on the services), it always makes a hole in your pocket. | No brokerage means you can save hell lot of money. |
As you can see, you don’t need a Real estate agent to buy a home, but having one can significantly streamline and simplify the home-buying process.
Now, if you have decided to buy a house on your own, without a Realtor, you’ll have to do the house-hunting yourself. So the first thing which you definitely need is a home buyer’s checklist. It will help you tremendously to shortlist your priorities and put you in a better position to make an informed decision.
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