Realtors....Are They Really Necessary?

This is a question every buyer and seller must ask themselves at some point in the decision to buy or sell a house. As relative new commer to the professional world of real estate the points made in this article by Realtor.com are right on. The issues are varied, complex, legally binding, and no place for the uninformed. All you have to do is go thru the finance process or sign 20 pages plus at the closing as you hand over your cashiers check to understand the need for a trusted professional to help keep you out of trouble. I have always thought that the best definition of a profession is that thru their education and expiriance they able to anticipate the issue or problem before it occures so that it can be avoided or so that a well thought action plan is already in place. Think of a pilot that must alway know what a plane is going to do before it happens.
This has always been the case with real estate, but in todays very difficult economic climate, a real estate pro is not an option.



Why Consumers Need Proper Representation from Real Estate Professionals | REALTOR.com® Blog



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Why Consumers Need Proper Representation from Real Estate Professionals
Posted: 15 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST
Our belief – one of our CORE beliefs – is that consumers are best served through proper representation from a licensed professional.
For most, buying or selling a home is an infrequent transaction with enormous financial and emotional considerations.
It’s stressful, emotionally-charged and high-stakes. Having a real estate professional central to the process of pricing, listing, selling and purchasing a home is important; real estate is not entertainment, and it’s not a game – bad data, inaccurate “value estimates,” and inflating inventory levels on websites creates confusion about what’s really happening in a market.
We understand that serious consumers want the real facts about a market. And we understand that these consumers also want to find a professional who can clearly articulate what these facts mean to their personal situation.
That’s why REALTOR.com® works tirelessly to be the most accurate site with the largest database of homes for sale. And that’s why we update most listings every 15 minutes.
Consumers know they can trust the data; the quality and accuracy of the listing content is second to none.
But searching for homes and researching the market is just the beginning. Market conditions vary from city-to-city and neighborhood-to-neighborhood. So when consumers move forward and take their search from online to real-life, we help them with the next step:
Connecting with a local real estate professional that can help.
A professional that’s immersed in local trends. Well versed in neighborhood nuances. Someone who can take the science of real data and apply it to the art of local real estate.
For sellers, this professional is someone who can navigate changing markets deftly and help price a home appropriately. Someone that helps ensure a smooth ride all the way from contract acceptance to settlement.
For buyers, this professional is a sounding board during their search, and their advocate during contract negotiations all the way to the first day in a new home.
Ultimately, there is a lot more than search to consider throughout the course of a transaction.
Pricing. Negotiations. Offers. Counter-Offers. Contracts the size of novellas. Addenda. Financing. Contingencies. Walkthroughs. Punch Lists. The list goes on and on and on. Navigating all of this takes skill and determination, and licensed real estate professionals are just the folks that can help.
After all, it’s what they do for a living, 24-7, 365.