8 Reasons to Buy a Home Using a Realtor

You’ve watched enough HGTV and scrolled daily through Zillow. Now you’re ready to take the dive to buy a home. But before you decide if you need that extra bedroom for a home office or decide on the perfect area for your growing family, you’ll need to decide if you will venture in buying a home by yourself or use the help of a real estate professional.

Real Estate Agent vs Realtor

So what exactly is a real estate agent? A real estate agent is a licensed professional that represents individuals in the real estate business. And while it’s become common in our terminology today to refer to all real estate agents as Realtors, these terms are not synonymous. Realtors are real estate agents that have taken an additional step to join the National Association of Realtors which holds them to higher standards of ethics and practice.

Reasons to Buy A Home Using a Realtor

Now that you know what a real estate agent and Realtor is, let me be abundantly clear – you do not need an agent of any kind to buy a home. However, you really should get one! This is likely the biggest financial decision of your entire life, and you need a Realtor if you want to do it right. Here’s why! And spoiler alert, I think the last reason is definitely the best for homebuyers. Be sure to read to the end!

#1 We’ll Get You The Best Deal

You want to make every dollar count when you buy a home. It’s likely going to be one of the biggest purchases of your entire life. Ideally you want this purchase to be an investment you’ll get a return on if you choose to sell in the future.

As real estate agents we are trained and experienced to make sure the asking price of the homes are reasonable. We’ll also be the ones advising and handling negotiations for you to make sure everything is in your best interest.

#2 We Save You Time

Have you ever walked into a grocery store, known exactly what you want, but have no idea where to find it? You end up spending the majority of your time trying to find the right aisle without really knowing where to look. This becomes overwhelming and makes you want to give up. This turns your 20 min trip into over an hour.

Typically when looking for a home, you have an idea of what you want but you often don’t even know where to begin looking. As professionals that spend everyday focused in this market, we’re like that helpful employee at the grocery store that can lead you directly to finding the exact item you were looking for.

Your money is valuable but so is your time (arguably more valuable.) We make sure that you don’t spend a second more than you need to find the right home. Which leads us to our next point…

#3 We Have Access To Even More Options

I love all of the new technology that has made house hunting for the average consumer accessible. But did you know there are plenty of homes available that may not show up on even the most popular platforms? And sometimes those platforms also don’t provide the most up-to-date or accurate information as well?

Real estate agents have access to resources and relationships that make us aware of options that may not have hit the market yet and contain the most reliable information. We can get you under contract before that home even goes active on the market.

As you can see we can deliver a lot of value in finding a great home. However, the truth is, finding a home is really just the beginning. But don’t worry, we’re only on reason 3!

#4 We do the Hard Work

When you’ve dreamt of finding the home you’re looking for, you likely weren’t dreaming about putting in an offer that gets countered, negotiations, appraisals, scheduling home inspections, and communicating with multiple parties throughout the process.

Well the truth is, it’s not exactly dreamy. But this is where our skills really shine. We do the heavy lifting for you.

We’re connected with lenders, appraisers, inspectors – we know the paperwork and the legalities during this process… we are knowledgeable about everything that’s happening during this process. Whatever we don’t handle we know who to refer you to during the process.

We become your one-stop shop, in every step of the way. We handle and help you understand all the complicated steps along the way.

#5 Code of Ethics

Not only are we doing the hard work throughout this process, we are responsible to do everything ethically. Many people are afraid that they’ll get taken advantage of. The truth is, without proper representation, this is a real risk.

Being a licensed professional makes us accountable to our sponsoring broker, Real Estate Commission, and clients to make sure everything we do is in your best interest, according to law and best practices.

We are committed to providing you honesty, transparency, and confidentiality.

This is also why I’ve chosen to not just be a real estate agent, but a Realtor. This assures you that I’m holding myself to the highest standard of service a real estate agent can deliver.

#6 Knowledge of the Market

I’ve already touched on some of this earlier, but I wanted to elaborate on a few more things regarding knowledge of the market.

As knowledgeable professionals in this field of work we are able to help predict upcoming changes in the market. We can help you understand if it’s a buyer’s market, a seller’s market, if interest rates on mortgages are at a high or low. We can help you consider different loan options you possibly weren’t aware of.

Also, if you plan on upgrading to another home in the future, we can help you choose locations, homes, and features that are likely going to increase in value.

We also know what’s typically available and the price points you can expect those to be. We can help you get a good idea if what you’re looking for fits your budget.

#7 We Stay Motivated

As we get near to the end of this (and don’t worry I’m saving the best for last) you can see there’s a lot that goes into buying a home.

Imagine trying to juggle all of this on your own while still working your full-time job, taking care of your family, keeping up with your hobbies, and indulging in some leisure!

As exciting as it can be to buy a home it can also become very overwhelming. It’s my job to take the stress out of it.

As Realtors, we love what we do because we get to serve you! This keeps us motivated to make sure that when you sign your last document at the closing table you are happy and excited about your home!

#8 It Costs You Nothing

I’ll be clear, buying a home isn’t cheap! There’s down payments, closing costs, inspections, deposits, etc. to consider. But one of the best things about working with an agent to purchase a home is that it does not cost you anything!

We are compensated by a commission from the seller of the home you purchase. That means you’re not getting charged by the hour, the phone call, the showing, etc. We are available to you essentially whenever you need us at no additional cost to you.

It doesn’t get better than that.

Told you I was saving the best for last.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, you don’t need to work with a licensed agent in order to buy a home but I’ll go ahead and tell you I absolutely think you should. It’s a relationship I believe you can only gain from. If you’re looking for a Realtor that can serve you in the Greater Baton Rouge area, I’d love to show you how I can help. My contact information is below. Reach out to me today so we can get you in the perfect home.

Mallory Jenkins, Realtor®
Craft Realty
225-202-4744
malloryjenkinsrealtor@gmail.com
malloryjenkins.craft.realty
9114 Jefferson Hwy Baton Rouge, LA 70809