Real Estate: Using an experienced agent can make a significant difference in home buying

By Lisa DiBiase

When you are in the market to buy a house, or need to sell your current home, that is the time to use an experienced Realtor®. An inexperienced agent can cost you time and money, and unfortunately maybe even put you at risk of losing out on your dream home.

Searching home listings and scheduling viewings is something anyone can do on the internet. An experienced Realtor® works in local markets on a day-to-day basis and can provide the kinds of nuanced information and advice unlikely to be found through online real estate searches.

• Rapport with Other Agents: Experienced Realtors® know other agents in the community, which can expedite home sales. By this, they can get a heads up on homes for sale or interested buyers ahead of time. 
• Pulse on the Market: Experienced Realtors® can efficiently identify and even predict trends. They can tell you which neighborhoods are trending up or down and why. They can advise you when you should act and when you should wait.
• Negotiation Experience: Negotiating the best price is an art form best honed by doing it frequently. Knowing who you're dealing with also helps. An experienced Realtor® often has insight into people’s motivation and can negotiate accordingly.
• Knowledgeable Referrals Buying or selling a home typically requires working vendors such as mortgage lenders, title companies, home inspectors, appraisers, and general contractors. Experienced Realtors® know who to trust and who to avoid.
• Community Connections: Experienced agents have contacts at City Hall and in the local industry. If someone's pushing a zoning amendment that will impact specific neighborhoods, they often can let you know before it's even in the news.
• Having the right Realtor® means having an agent who is committed to helping you buy or sell your home with the highest level of expertise in your local market. This means also to help you in understanding the complex steps of the buying or selling process.

Having the right Realtor® means having an agent who is committed to helping you buy or sell your home with the highest level of expertise in your local market. This meals also to help help you in understanding the complex steps of the buying and selling process.

One last thing to consider, what exactly is the difference between a Realtor® and a real estate agent? A Realtor® can be a real estate agent, a broker-associate, a managing broker, or an exclusive buyer's agent, and this is just the beginning of the list.  A Realtor® must subscribe to the Realtor® Code of Ethics for membership, which includes 17 articles. The 17 Articles of the Code of Ethics contain various underlying Standards of Practice.  This raises the level of service required for Realtors® beyond that of a licensed real estate agent. Make sure to ask if you are working with a Realtor®!

This article provided by Lisa DiBiase, Owner of Landing Real Estate located in Portland and Windham  207-653-0823. <