Blog
What Do Real Estate Agents Do?
Posted by: CENTURY 21 Northwest
Date: June 01, 2017
Despite whether you are a new home buyer or an experienced one, you may be asking the question “what do real estate agents do?” Real estate agents are an integral part of the business communication between the seller, buyer, loan officer, escrow officer, and title companies. You can’t have the practice of selling and buying real estate itself without an agent helping the process along with their professional knowledge and guidance. It should be noted that not every agent puts in the same amount of effort or time into their practice, but at CENTURY 21 Real Estate, our agents hold themselves to high expectations. So what do real estate agents do? Pretty much everything, but here are the basics that every good realtor should cover:
Why Use a Real Estate Agent?
Aside from wondering “what do real estate agents do?”, another common thought among buyers and sellers is “should I use a real estate agent?” The short answer is absolutely! Your agent should be your go-to for any questions regarding the complicated process of buying or selling a home. Real estate agents have to become licensed and attend classes for a reason; so they can provide their insight on how to negotiate real estate contracts. They are incredibly necessary for making appointments and keeping communication between you, the other agent, the bank, and any others involved in the transaction. A great agent will be able to advise you on the value of the house, appliances, neighborhood, and overall area that you are buying or selling. So if you’re thinking of going in on a deal alone, reconsider how using a real estate agent could truly benefit your buying or selling experience.
Agent Roles in Buying a Home
To expand on what real estate agents do during the process of buying a home, there’s a set amount of procedures they have to follow to make a successful transaction. Upon meeting their client, a real estate agent has to get a good sense of what the client is looking for, what neighborhoods suit their interests best, and what their ideal budget will be. A real estate agent will have access to MLS, which provides much more accurate information on current listings than websites like Zillow or Trulia do. After putting in an offer on a house you like, your buying agent will help you set up appointments for home inspection and appraisal. This is to ensure that you know any potential issues with the house and whether the seller’s price for the house is fair or not. Once any final or counter-offers are completed, an agent prepares the closing date, move-in date, Home Owners Warranty, and any tax documents you may need as a new homeowner.
Agent Roles in Selling a Home
A listing agent’s role in selling a home can be even more challenging than the buyer agent’s. When you ask an agent to list your home, they have a long series of steps to follow to make sure everything goes smoothly for you and the potential buyer. To begin, they have to list your house on MLS with all the proper details and justifiable price, provided by a property disclosure form that you must fill out with them about the age of your appliances, roof, air conditioning, and pipes. Once this is done, they have to market your house in whatever way helps draw people in. This could include online marketing, making flyers, getting professional pictures taken, setting out signs around the neighborhood, and even hiring a home stager to decorate for an open house. Once the listing agent has received offers from prospective buyers, they negotiate on your behalf to get you the best arrangement possible. After all the chaos has passed, a real estate agent will keep communication for you on the closing until it’s all done.
Read Chapter 2: What’s the Difference Between a Commercial vs Residential Real Estate Agent?
What Makes a Good Real Estate Agent?
To conclude, we can now answer the question “what do real estate agents do?” As you can see, real estate agents have a lot on their plate, and truly work hard to earn their commission. However, it’s no surprise that many of you have probably across problematic real estate agents that don’t take their jobs seriously. While this is unfortunate, it shouldn’t scare you away from using a more reliable real estate agent, like those here at CENTURY 21 Northwest Realty. Our real estate agents take pride in knowing the area they are licensed in and working together with their clients to make the best deal possible happen. If you’re looking for an AZ real estate agent to buy or sell in the Glendale AZ or Tempe AZ area, give one of our team members a call at 623.299.2148.
