It’s no secret that sometimes real estate agents have not ranked high in public esteem. But a couple of other facts tell a different story.
The first is that while some people give low marks to the profession, they actually give high ones to their own Realtors. Surveys show this situation to be truer in 2014 than ever before. The second point to note, though, is the upheaval in the industry following the housing crisis of 2008. Realtors’ focus has shifted.
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Realtors have always been sales people. While what they had to sell has traditionally been houses, the emphasis now is on professional service. The process of buying or selling a house is an enormous transaction involving not just market analysis, but navigation through pages of legal documents, home inspections, and other situations, all completed with top flight customer service.
And Realtors who don’t do it well quickly find themselves out of work.
If you’re selling a home in Philadelphia or anywhere else, you need a Realtor to price it properly. Realtors not only have access to the same data residential appraisers use, but they have market proficiency updated in real time. They also have access to technology platforms not available to the average person to competently help you buy or sell a home.
And since Realtors view tons of homes, they also understand how to advise sellers on condition, home staging, and other practices necessary for a rapid sale at the highest possible price.
Zillow and other online portals have made the work of house hunting easier than ever before. Buyers can locate homes for sale in Philadelphia within the price range and area they prefer, but they can’t verify the accuracy of information. Stories of buyers finding homes online that were for sale a year ago, but no longer, happen daily. A Realtor’s know-how is really useful in not just verifying data on a home, but learning its history.
Working through home inspections, title reports, or dealing with multiple offers can be difficult for most people, but it’s what Realtors do for a living. Just as most people hire a lawyer to represent them in court, homebuyers and sellers use a Realtor to represent their property interests.
To learn more about why you should choose to work with a local Philadelphia real estate agent, or have questions about the home buying or selling process, contact AGENT LADY today!
About Agent Lady: Cherise Wynne is a leading real estate agent in Philadelphia, helping home buyers and sellers navigate the City of Brotherly Love, with a special focus on first time home buyers. To chat about getting started with your first time home buying experience, click here.
