Do you even need a realtor?

Like most industries the real estate industry is changing fast. The amount of information available to the public is increasing rapidly and automation is transforming the traditional real estate model. Buyers and sellers have a ton of options available to them, none of those options can take the place of an experienced local realtor. 

Who even needs an agent with all that info available? You can watch YouTube and figure it out. All the information you would ever need to learn to market, prep, list or buy a house is easily available. You can even get the forms online. Isn’t there an app for that? It’s all pretty basic, any amateur can easily do it right? 

Umm, not so much. It’s true the traditional real estate model is changing quickly, but realtors still play a critical role in the process. Buying and selling real estate is a complex, involved process. There is a lot at stake if you don’t have the right person to take you through it. Whether you are planning to buy or sell connecting with a local real estate agent should be your first step. 

5 Top Reasons to Work with a Local Realtor

1. Nobody knows it better

The obvious first reason is that they know the area. Not just from the perspective of someone who has worked there or sold some houses there. A local realtor will know the businesses in the area as well as the schools. They will know the best dog parks and the special places where the locals like to hang out. A local realtor will not only be able to tell you the best cycling routes and running trails they will know the people in the community and have an intimate understanding of the unique nuances you cannot find out about online. 

If you are selling your house a local realtor can sell the lifestyle along with the house. A local realtor may have even sold your home 2 or 3 times before. They know the proximity to amenities and have the knowledge and experience to answer any question a buyer can throw at them. A local agent can market your home to the right demographic of buyers maybe its first-time buyers, a family with children or a downsizer. 

2. They are invested in the community 

Maybe you have a cousin who lives on the other side of the city and he just got into real estate, you know he is happy to travel to your neighbourhood and help you buy or sell. Maybe you’re thinking about calling that person your mom really wants you to call so you can hire her friend’s daughter. They both may be really great realtors, but you are not ever going to see them in your neighbourhood. You will not bump into them at the local coffee shop or buying groceries. You will never bump into them when you are dropping your kids off at dance or cheering for the soccer team.  

Your local realtor is also your neighbour. They invest in the community to ensure it is a better place for everyone. Your local realtor is likely a large supporter of all things local, hospitals, sports teams, social events, even homeless shelters and art installations. Your local realtor is a huge part of what makes your community great. As such your local realtor has a huge incentive to make sure that they provide you with the very best service and ensure the very best outcome for your purchase or sale that is possible. Even if you are moving away from the neighbourhood they are still going to be there and will ensure that they maintain the best possible reputation because a realtor’s success is largely built on referrals. Your mom’s friend’s kid and your cousin may be good at what they do but they are not invested in the community you are buying or selling in and therefore have less incentive to provide you with service excellence. 

3. They’re connected

If you have ever been through the buying or selling process you know how often you may run into a glitch and quickly need a professional to give you a hand. Real estate transactions are a big deal, with tight timelines encompassing everything from landscaping to legal advice. Mortgage specialists, appraisers, interior designers, stagers, electricians, plumbers, home inspectors, insurance agents, all have a role to play. A local, experienced realtor will have invested heavily in building solid relationships with trustworthy professionals. They will have all the connections you will ever need during the process and after your closing.

4. Trendsetters

An experienced local realtor knows the trends. There are so many variables that factor into a real estate transactions, the local economy, the larger economy, the unemployment rate, popular design trends, local market factors, and things like days on the market, list to sale ratios. There is so much data your agent will need to know and use to personalize your particular buying or selling experience. Your local agent will recognize the trends before the media even publishes them because they are so immersed in the local market they can feel the changes as they happen and steer you in the right direction quickly. 

There is a ton of information available online but on top of the mountain of other tasks involved in the buying and selling process don’t you want a realtor who doesn’t require additional time to access, analyze and verify data? Few people have either time or inclination to do it… and besides there is a lot of fake news out there. Trust a local realtor who actually lives it. 

5. They take the stress out of the process

A local experienced realtor knows the value. They have seen the comparable properties personally and they have an excellent strategy to price your home competitively to sell for the most money. If you price your home too low you risk losing out on tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, price it too high and you risk losing out on motivated qualified buyers while it sits for months on the market. The worst-case scenario is the agent who prices too low then refuses offers and then raises the price. Losing face, respect and reputation by wasting their colleagues time and infuriating buyers along the way. 

A local experienced agent will help you prepare your property to show its best. You will get support and resources for painting, staging, cleaning and even landscaping. Your home will be priced right and show its best. It will be more appealing to buyers than other listings in your neighbourhood, they will help you get the very most money possible when you sell your house with a local experienced realtor. 

On the buyers side the experience of the local relator can go a long way to helping a buyer know what the best offer would be, how strong the other offers may be in a competitive offer scenario based on the experience of the other agents. Your local experienced realtor will have the connections and the inside scoop to often know if there is a similar house coming to market the next week, or if an investor has purchased adjacent properties to develop them. Your local relator will know the ins and outs of many of the players and be very confident in negotiating your purchase for the lowest price possible.