Why use a REALTOR®?

As a life-long learner and professional information addict, I discover another exciting mobile or online product to market real estate every day. While revolutionizing the instant access to data and the dissemination of information, innovative marketing tools like drone photography and virtual walk-throughs have developed a level of independence with consumers in the home buying and selling process.With the increased availability of information to the public, the perceived need for a real estate professional has changed and a false sense of self-reliance has developed. Often in an attempt to save money, consumers underestimate the long term effects and risks of overseeing the process without the assistance of a REALTOR®.
It is essential to understand and identify the significant value of the real estate professional to the process when it comes to the most important financial decision that most people make. That being said, what makes the use of a REALTOR® significant?

1. REALTORS® possess an expertise of the issues, disclosures, documents and lending processes that are unique to real estate. They know the matters that should be discovered, addressed and negotiated that affect the consumer’s safety, financial investment and process of getting the transaction to the closing table. REALTORS® can request documentation and information that may impact the property’s value for years down the road.
2. REALTORS® serve as an advocate and intermediary between the parties to the transaction.
   One of the most frequent issues that “for sale by owners” experience is that the face-to-face responses from the other party are inhibited. By utilizing real estate professionals in the transaction, the difficult job of communicating concerns, offers or counteroffers directly is eliminated and can be negotiated on your behalf.
3. REALTORS® have access to proprietary information and access to more properties. Because of their license and their Multiple Listing membership, they are able to acquire information not readily available to the public such as sold prices, comparable market analysis and showing availability.
4. REALTORS® do the work for you. They know the people and places to go to find out vital information related to your property sale or search. They can do the leg work and deal with the immense logistical issues involved in marketing or closing your property. In addition, transactions negotiated and supervised by REALTORS® have a higher incidence of successful closing.
5. REALTORS® adhere to the Code of Ethics. Not all real estate licensees are REALTORS®. Those who have membership are not only members of their local REALTOR® association, but are also members of their state association as well as the National Association of REALTORS®, the largest professional trade association in the United States. With over 1.3 million members, REALTORS® adhere to a strict code of conduct that guides the transaction process that doesn’t necessarily guide the process for consumers.