With websites such as Zillow.com, Trulia.com and Realtor.com, some people are thinking that buyer agents are no longer needed. The thought is that with all of the information that is already out there, there is no need and they can just work with the agent listing the property.
However, that isn’t always the case. As a matter of fact, I would argue that real estate agents are needed now more than ever. Here are three reasons why real estate agents aren’t going away any time soon.
- Pocket Listings: More and more agents are getting sellers to list their homes off market. Websites such as Zillow.com and Realtor.com will not have these properties. The only way to find them is through the agent networks. An example is the Top Agent Network. This website is only for the top 10% of producing agents in their locations. There, agents exchange valuable pocket listings.
- Negotiations: I recently negotiated a $200,000 price reduction, then, once in escrow, negotiated all of my Buyers’ closing costs to be covered by the Seller and lender, and then a second price reduction as a result of key focused specialty inspections. I also asked the lender to reduce their interest rate on behalf of my client, and they did. That takes experience and unique negotiating skills that not everyone has.
- Real Estate Knowledge: Know how to pull permit history? Know how to evaluate a home to determine if it is a good value? An experienced agent will know how to do this and more. This information is invaluable and important in the purchasing of a home. The other thought is that there is too much information out there, buyers need someone to sift through the data to determine what is and is not important.
This only scratches the surface on why buyer agents aren’t going anywhere. For buyers to be successful, they need a great agent to represent them. No website or artificial intelligence can substitute for this.
No responses yet