Do I Really Need a Realtor to Buy a House?

Why would I want to work with a Realtor to find a house when I have the web?

This real estate article is for those looking to purchase a home in Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and Ventura County, CA, and is part of the Home-Buyer Tips series titled, “Do I really need a realtor to buy a house?”

Owning a home embodies stability and security earned by hard work and saving. In short, it’s the actualization of the American Dream.  

But in order to own a home, you have to first buy a home.  Which means you have to first find a home.

With the number of websites out there that allow you to find just about every house on the market with a click of a button, it begs the question - do I really need a real estate agent to buy a house?  

The point of this post is not to answer that question.  Instead, I’m going to share some major differences between a web-based search and what an professional realtor can provide, and hopefully helps you answer that question.

The Difference Between Surfing the Web and Searching with a Professional Realtor

As I said earlier, it’s super easy to use the internet to find homes that are on the market.  However, partnering with a real estate agent to help you hunt for a house truly is the most efficient way to search.

2 reasons house hunting with a realtor is the way to go:

1. A website will certainly show you the houses that match your search criteria, today.  However, the website will only show you houses that are currently on the market.  A realtor on the other hand will be able to set you up on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) Portal, and that portal will send you live updates on the homes that match your criteria as they enter the market.  In other words, today’s search results may show you 25 houses, but by tomorrow or next week that number will change and unless you’re working with an experienced agent you’ll have to keep checking the internet  to find out what’s on the market.
2. Remember, computers (and websites) only really know what we tell them.  A home-seller’s real estate agent is the person that posts homes for sale online for all to see.  But did you know that agents are constantly sharing information?  And did you know that it is not uncommon for a seller’s agent to contact other agents before they post to the web to see if they have any home-buyers they are working with?  When you work with an expert realtor you benefit from what we call old-fashioned, people-to-people networking.  There are many homes that get sold without ever ‘entering the market’. Remember, sellers are not employers and homes are not jobs - they do not have to be posted for all to see.  And in fact, when the sale of a home is brokered directly between seller and buyer agents before it ‘hits the market’, it can often go for a very competitive price.

Looking for more tips?  Sign up to get my home-buyer tips sent directly to you via e-mail.

Looking for a house?  Send me an e-mail and let me know what you’re looking for.  I would love to put my experience and expertise on finding great homes for sale to work for you.

Margie Noble

Broker/Realtor
Noble Real Estate
BRE License 01859419
www.venturacountyre.com
Phone: 805.844.6257
E-mail: mnoble4re@verizon.net