Features

Finding your Agent

When someone decides it is time to sell their home, they interview several Realtors from different companies to determine which one is best for them. They want someone who will represent them and someone they feel will do an effective job at marketing their home. However, when someone decides to buy a home, they usually end up with their Realtor through sheer accident. Why don't home buyers search for a Realtor the same way that home sellers do?

Instead, home buyers usually end up with a Realtor as a result of answering an advertisement. The advertisement will give a brief summary of a home available for sale along with the price, but it says nothing at all about the Realtor.

So... ...does it really make a difference?



Listing Agents and Selling Agents You see, there are two "sides" to every sale. The listing side and the selling side. Most deals have an agent representing each side, so there are generally two agents involved The seller's side is represented by the listing agent. The buyer's side is represented by the selling agent (also known as the buyer's agent). Agents can deal with both buyers and sellers, but the majority tend to focus their efforts on one or the other. Some even exclusively handle either buyers or sellers.
So what should you do?

We simply recommend that you take as much care to hire a real estate agent as you would for any other professional. Ask questions. Ask about education, experience, and focus. After all, buying your next house is probably the biggest purchase you've ever made in your life. Does it make more sense to find your agent by accident...or by design?

 Buying a Home with Resale Value
There are many things that should be considered when buying a home. Since most home buyers expect to buy a bigger and better home someday in the future, resale value is an important factor in decision-making. You use the proceeds from selling one home to buy the next one. While no one can guarantee that your home will grow in value, there are steps you can take that maximize your potential gain. 

"Location! Location! Location!!!" 

This is a common and almost hackneyed phrase in real estate literature. Your agent may even throw it at you when you ask for advice about buying a home. 

However, what does location actually mean? Why repeat it three times? Mostly, "location" is repeated to emphasize that it is extremely important to the resale value of your home. 

The idea is to buy a house that will appeal to the largest number of potential future home buyers. 

A careful choice of location can minimize potential negative influences on future resale value, and maximize positive influences. 

Focusing on resale value requires you to make several different "location" choices. 

The first choice you have to make is "which community?" At the very least, you should narrow your choice down to just a few local communities.


No comments: