Buyer Beware

Cindy Abraham, Keller Williams Realty Professionals

Root canals can take time and the process may be painful, but they don’t seem to be particularly difficult. I would wager you can get enough info on the internet to do your own and save the expense of hiring a dentist.

Buying a home or condo is the same.  Why pay a professional Realtor to help you buy a home when you can get the info on the internet and go it alone?  Plus the extra time it takes for the search, price negotiations and navigating all the legal requirements more than makes up for the expense of a hiring a licensed Realtor.

Oh wait, I forgot – the BUYER doesn’t pay the Realtor, the seller does.  So basically you are entering into a business transaction with a professional who is representing the other side.  Doesn’t seem to work for divorces but…

Frankly, I understand why someone would start their search on the internet.  It gives you a good idea of what is out there, which neighborhoods would be best for you (you can check schools and crime rates), how much you can afford…etc.  I get it.  But do you know that the info you get on Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and others is NOT always accurate?  The only accurate data for what is really available on the market is in the MLS.  I give my buyers two chances (‘cause I am a patient woman) to tell me they found something on Realtor.com or one of those other sites that I “missed”.  Then when I find out – like I always do – that the property is off the market or already under contract or worse – not how it looks in the pictures – they finally realize that I probably have access to a more complete picture of the market than they do.

Realtors are professional consultants and salespeople.  If you are searching for a property, a Realtor knows the right questions to ask you to find exactly what you want and find it in the shortest amount of time; and they are TRAINED in the art and science of negotiation.  A professional Realtor will not start showing you properties until s/he has completed a formal consultation including a signed buyer broker agreement, and will also require a loan pre-approval and/or proof of funds for the down payment and closing costs.  There is nothing worse than finding a property you love and then realizing that you cannot afford it. 

            I had one buyer who did not want to take my advice on a Real Estate matter because his dentist advised him differently.  I offered to do his next root canal.

Allow me to paraphrase a favorite adage: “A home buyer who chooses to represent him/herself has a fool for a client.”  Amen.