Negotiating a Sale

The Importance of a Realtor

When purchasing your first home, a friendly, knowledgeable realtor can be an undeniable asset.

A good realtor is client-focused, results-oriented, and in good standing with the National Association of Realtors®. The right realtor can make your first home buying experience a pleasant one.

You'll want your realtor to be a consummate professional who understands the current housing market, knows you unique style and financial capability, and above all else, keeps your best interests in mind!

How to Find a Realtor

Referrals

Ask friends, family members and co-workers if they can recommend a good realtor. Word of mouth is perhaps the most valuable referral you can get in regard to a good real estate agent. Also, ask your potential realtor if he or she gets a lot of work from referrals.

Attend an Open House

Use the Internet to find a location in an area you want to live. At the open house, you can engage in a one-on-one conversation with a solo realtor to get the scope of his or her career stripes.

Attend a Home Buying Seminar

You'll see a number of real estate agents in action, and can ask questions of many, evaluating which agent's communication style works best with yours.

See a "Neighborhood Specialist"

Some realtors hang their shingle on a specific neighborhood or section of town. They know the area's history of the homes, how long homes have been listed, and other real estate agents in the neighborhood who will share "insider" information about local trends.

What to Expect from a Realtor:

After you have been pre-qualified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender, your realtor should meet with you to discuss your requirements for a new home. He or she will set up house showings and will work with you until you have found one that suits your needs (and matches your budget).

A Realtor Should Assist you as a Homebuyer by:

Completing a Market Analysis, ensuring the house is reasonably priced
Negotiating the offer with the seller
Working as a friendly "go-between" for buyer and seller
Drawing up the purchase contract for all parties to sign
Delivering your purchase contract and earnest money to your mortgage lender and the title company
Coordinating inspection
Walking through the property with you

Happy closings mean both parties (buyer and seller) leave the table feeling like they've struck a fair deal. A realtor with the right "can-do" attitude will act as a friendly conduit between the buyer and seller in house purchase negotiations, keeping his or her clients' interests in mind.

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