Working With a Real Estate Agent to Find Your New Home

Should you hire a real estate agent to help you buy a home? While it might seem simpler and more affordable to do it alone, the home buying process can be made much easier and more rewarding by hiring a real estate agent. Here are some of the major benefits of hiring an agent to help you buy a home:

Find More Properties

One major reason to work with a real estate agent on buying a home is that they can help you find more listings. Because agents have access to their local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), they're able to search and browse thousands of listings that you might not find on other home search sites. Agents can also use this knowledge of the MLS to hone in on your priorities and find the listings that meet your specific needs.

Get the Best Price

Real estate agents don't work for free, but they can save you money on a home's purchase price and other expenses. Agents can use their connections and access to the MLS to find listings you wouldn't otherwise find on major websites, some of which are going for well below market value. Real estate agents are also professional negotiators and can often help you get either a lower purchase price, or save you money on closing costs. An agent will work within your budget and comfort level to get the best price for the perfect home.

Leverage Market Knowledge

With its constant changes, the real estate market can be tricky to navigate. Things like prices, mortgage rates and inventory can fluctuate significantly and sometimes without discernable reason. Here is another way a real estate agent can help you: by using their vast knowledge of the market and how it works. They can give you information about what recent changes mean for your specific search and also help with price negotiations once you find an option.