When you’re beginning your home search or thinking of selling your home, you may begin to wonder – what does a real estate agent do? Well, it all depends on if you’re purchasing or selling a home!
What does a Real Estate Agent do: For Buyers
When it comes to buying a home, the role of your real estate agent should be an advisor and a guide! This whole home-buying process is new to you and we are here to help you make educated and informed decisions.
How a real estate agent helps buyers:
- We help find your new home! While Zillow and other apps are great for finding a home – your real estate agent goes in and out of houses all week long. They might have a couple of specific places in mind that you would have overlooked.
- Having an eagle eye. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of home buying that you might miss a few things while walking through a home. As your real estate agent, we are looking past the cute decor and honing in on the things that might not be as obvious to you.
- Writing contracts. When it comes time to make an offer on a house, you need a really good real estate agent to write a tight contract. We want to make sure you are protected!
- Negotiations. Whether you need closing cost assistance or just want all the appliances to stay, your real estate agent is fighting to get you what you need. We’d like to think that we will help you sell this home later down the line – so we don’t want you to buy a lemon!
- Referral Partners. Home inspectors are not created equal. Neither are title companies. Having an experienced real estate agent who can recommend the very best people is key for you getting what you want.
- Lagniappe. Homeowner’s insurance, answering all the questions, guiding you through inspection negotiations, reminding you to order flood insurance, checking for open permits, sending utility info, meeting inspectors, calling your lender for updates, communicating with the listing agent, ordering the appraisal – the list goes on and on. Your real estate agent should be like your right hand during the entire transaction.
What does a Real Estate Agent: For Sellers
Most people hire a real estate agent to sell their home because they trust the advice of a professional. Your REALTOR® should know your neighborhood and be able to guide you on price. But, there is much more.
How a Real Estate Agent helps sellers:
- Pricing. Your Zestimate may say your house is worth a lot more money than your real estate agent does. Why is that? Because Zillow does not have access to the same information that we do.
- Marketing. So much of what a real estate agent does is marketing. How they plan to put your house out the masses matters. They should have a strategy.
- Professional Photos, etc. When you hire an agent, their professional fees should include photos, videos, 3D tours, flyers, etc. your home photos should never be taken with a cell phone.
- Contract Negotiation. Your real estate agent should be helping you meet your goals. those goals may be getting the most money or just selling as quickly as you can. Whatever that goal may be, an iron-clad contract will help keep a deal together.
- Inspections & Appraisal. After you’ve accepted an offer on your home, there are home inspections, inspections negotiations, and the appraisal to all deal with. Your professional real estate agent will navigate those waters with you.
- Lagniappe. Calling the buyer’s lender to make sure the loan is on track, meeting the appraiser and offering comps to help justify our price, meeting home inspectors, open houses, reaching out to agents you think might have a buyer for your property, etc. The list of what your agent does is neverending and changes with each transaction.
No matter if you’re intending on buying or selling a home, enlisting the help of a trusted New Orleans real estate agent is key. Don’t be afraid to interview a few to make sure who is a good fit! We aren’t all created equal.
Ready to buy or sell your New Orleans home? Text or email us!