What Your Real Estate Agent Can Do For You
ShareWhen you are thinking of selling your home, you might be wondering if you really need to hire a real estate agent to help. After all, you can list your home for sale on the MLS through a listing service and give showings yourself. While it is true that technology has made it easier for homeowners to sell their own homes, there are other things a real estate agent can help you with that you might not have considered before.
Here are some things your real estate agent can do for you to help your home sell faster.
Help With Staging Your Home
One of the most important aspects of showcasing your home is the staging of it. It needs to be organized in the right manner to show off its space and features so potential buyers don't miss out on everything your home has to offer. It can be easy to overlook certain aspects of staging if you are too close to the overall design and decor of your home.
This means you might think that those family pictures or collectibles look great, but a real estate agent knows they can distract potential buyers from envisioning their own belongings and pictures there. A real estate agent can help with staging your home so it will appeal to a wider audience. This can make your home sell to the right buyer faster.
Help You Get A Loan
It's a good idea before you go house hunting to get pre-approved for a loan. A real estate agent can help you get pre-approved for a mortgage. They also can figure out how much you can afford to spend on a home without going over your budget. They can work with you before you even start looking for a house to determine how much you can afford based on your income and all other expenses you already have.
They can get you in touch with lenders, banks, and even accountants to work with you to evaluate your finances so you can comfortably pay for a home, but also help you get pre-approved for that mortgage by putting you in touch with their contacts and helping you organize all relevant information a lender would need to see.
Help You Find A Home Inspector
It's important that you get a home inspection done on any home you are considering buying. There could be potential problems that might be hidden from you but that a professional can find and identify. When you know all the potential extra costs you might have to pay to repair problems in the home, you can negotiate a better price or move on to a different home.
A real estate agent can help you find the right home inspector for your needs. Your agent most likely has contacts in this area too and can suggest the right professional based on the type of home, for example, a condo or a townhouse, to make sure you aren't surprised by any issues once you move in.