Picture this: you’re in Markham or its surrounding regions, within the GTA – one of North America’s busiest population centers – and you’re planning a move. Whether you’re moving in or out, you’re probably wondering to yourself or have in the past, whether or not you truly need a realtor to streamline the process. You’ve probably spoken to friends, family, relatives, colleagues, and you’ve likely heard an entire world’s worth of opinions on the subject. In today’s blog post, we want to set the record straight and clear the air on this one: you will only make your life easier with the help of a real estate agent.
Let Markham’s very own SuperStars Realty help guide you through this conundrum!
The simple and core truth of it is that it is not mandatory to work with a realtor to sell or purchase a home. You might be hesitating to work with one because you’ve heard a bad story or two about Realtor fees, but it is not common practice to saddle the buyer with a real estate agent’s commission — that actually falls on the sellers.
Realtors are a guiding hand.
Many homebuyers use a Realtor to act as their guide through the process of purchasing a home and to walk them through the multi-stage process of legal hoops, transferrences of documentation, and even zoning details.
Real estate agents are professionals that are licensed through the Province. Most sellers will have a real estate agent working for them — a listing or seller’s agent — so as a buyer, it’s prudent to have someone on your side who has your back in negotiations and can help to navigate the best strategies in putting forth an offer toward your future home.
Before deciding on whether or not to work with a Realtor when you purchase a home, let’s go over and pros and cons:
– Find homes that match your criteria. Real estate websites only offer you a glimpse of what’s available on the market, but you’ll need the insider knowledge that a Realtor has in order to determine whether or not the asking prices run parallel to the going rates of a given area.
– Getting the facts on a particular neighborhood or area, including ones that a seller might be disinclined to disclose with you which could be important later down the line. Your Realtor can share insight into things you might not have thought to ask as well.
– Negotiate an offer, including the price and other clauses and contingencies in the purchase agreement.
– Lead you through the home inspection, and negotiate repairs or credits with the seller.
– Deciphering paperwork that could be filled with intentionally complex jargon and terms that a layman would not be privy to.
– Request and review seller disclosures. You might not know what to ask for or what sellers in your province are required to disclose.
The bottom line:
If you’ve been through the process of purchasing a home on your own in the past, you might be able to navigate the market confidently on your own. However, with the steep learning curve that comes with this field of study, for the average person, it is best to leave the tricky business in the hands of trained professionals.
If you have been – or currently are! – thinking about making the call, then now is probably the right time. Even if you aren’t planning to actually make the move within the next six months, sellers should call earlier than buyers, sometimes even a year out to begin the planning phase.
It’s best to contact your agent whenever you have a question or need assistance – it’s what we’re here for!
Let our Markham realtors be your peace of mind.