According to the National Association of Realtors, over 85% of home buyers started their search on the Internet. While this is a great starting point to learn more about a specific community, a neighborhood or even look at the general overview of a particular home, buying without the representation of a buyer's agent can be a major mistake.
I haven't always been in real estate. As a matter of fact when Jake and I were first married we were both in completely different lines of work--his-landscaping--mine-videography/editing. We chose Kernersville to settle down and to raise our family and at the time renting seemed to be the way to go until we decided where in Kernersville we wanted to purchase.
Endless weekends and weeknights of driving around, grabbing fliers, cussing at empty flyer boxes and plenty of calling agents and leaving voicemail, just hoping to attain the basics on a particular property--price, square footage, # of baths, etc. You get the picture...times have changed! Now, you just pop on the Internet, go to your favorite company or agent's website http://www.brookecashion.com/ and BOOM!
You have every listing from every company right there! Including information on the one you are sitting in front of. You may even have it pulled up on your iPhone. You think, "not only do I know all of the basic details, but with programs like TateMapping, Trulia, Zillow and the like, I now know the tax value, the last time it was sold, if its a "HOT" area, and probably more than I care to know. I can view the home from any angle, from the street, previous MLS photos, bird's eye view, winter, summer and so on." You love the house! You love the interior pictures! You love the pool! Next step-call the agent on the sign, make an appointment to see it right then and there and you know what's next---MAKE AN OFFER! This is the ONE!
STOP RIGHT THERE!
The agent that you are about to call can help you, no doubt about that. A reputable, successful agent can work as a dual agent and usually without any discord from either buyer or seller.
However, if you had a choice, to have your own personal advocate to walk you through the home at YOUR leisure, tell you both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE, look up what the other homes in the area have really sold for and if concessions were given, advise you on financing options that benefit you specifically, tell you about future growth/developments, clue you in on road projects and noise cones that may affect the property's future resell, allow you to see other properties in the same price range that offer the same amenities AND work exclusively for YOU at no cost--would you do it? Surely, your answer is YES!
Not having a buyer's agent represent you can cost you dearly in both money and time. In North Carolina buyer's agent are paid by the seller when they list the home. At the time of listing the listing company agrees to "share" the commission with agents who bring the buyer. You pay nothing out of pocket to have your choice of agent represent you. Of course they can still show you their personal listings, their companies listing and yes, even FSBO's.
US News and World Report recently published an article that stated that buying on the Internet without proper representation can have many downsides such as:
-Looking too narrowly at one area and searching from only one site. i.e. only using Realtor.com, or Zillow.com
-If you are only on the Internet with no "human" representative you can sometimes miss the for sale by owners, which most agents do not mind showing because a large number of fsbo's don't mind compensating a buyer's agent
-You could be viewing fake listings in a site's attempt to cull leads
-Online buyers sometimes put too much stock in home valuations online without having any knowledge of an area...having a seasoned real estate veteran nixes this problem in the bud! http://www.brookecashion.com/ (shameless huh?)
Those are just a few reasons why having a buyer's agent represent you in your next purchase regardless of it being an investment, your first home or primary/secondary residence--is crucial!
"If you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait till you hire an amateur" - Red Adair
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