There are some homebuyers and sellers who chose to ignore the services of a professional realtor, in order to save paying commission. What they don’t realize is that they are making what could be potentially the most important financial decision of their lives, and the amount they spend on commission is money that will ensure that the deal goes through unhindered.
A real estate transaction has many moving parts, and a real estate agent does a lot more than just help you search for a home. From finding you a home that will fit your budget, to negotiating contracts and filling out paperwork, a real estate professional is one of the hardest working individual a homebuyer can work with.
A professional real estate agent can:
- Help you assess how realistic your dream home is, and how it fits your lifestyle.
- Find you your right home at the price you can afford.
- Give you access to more homes than are available to the public using databases and other technologies that are not readily available to the public.
- Give you a good insight on the schools, communities, best restaurants and amenities in the neighborhood you are considering.
- Determine whether you are paying a fair price for your home, by comparing what similar homes have sold for in the neighborhood recently.
- Help you determine if your new home qualifies for a first time homebuyer $5,000 non-refundable income tax credit.
- Advise you whether you need to use the Home Buyer’s Plan (HBP) to withdraw up to $25,000 from your RRSPs.
- Coordinate with their team of professionals – mortgage specialists, lawyers, home inspectors and more to keep the home buying process running smoothly.
- Act as the go-between for you and the seller’s agent, keeping you in the loop on price and contract negotiations, making an offer, inspector required repairs and your final move-in date.