Recently I have been writing about the sale of your home. How to prepare, list and actually get your home sold. Of course whenever a home is sold there must be a buyer so today I am writing about buying a home and the role of a buyer’s agent. Hiring a realtor to work as your buyer’s agent can be very similar to the process that a seller goes through to choose their listing agent and can have similar advantages.

It is a constant surprise to me how many people set out to purchase a home without interviewing realtors to act as their agent, especially considering that to the buyer this service is essentially free. Some people even choose the house before they choose a realtor! It is my suggestion that you sit down with a realtor and discuss how to go about finding your home. Your realtor’s experience, skills and tools will make your home shopping experience easier and more effective. In the following paragraphs I will discuss a few ways that I can help you.

First let’s consider the realtors database, the MLS system or Multiple Listing Service. Using this system we can narrow down our search to the properties that match your needs regarding location, price and features and plan a schedule of visits. Doesn’t that sound better than spending your Sunday afternoons visiting open houses that may not even match your needs? The historical data archived within the MLS also allows us to identify neighborhood trends and historical sales data. With this information we can be aware of what range of values there are within a neighborhood so that you can make your buying decision with confidence.

Next, let’s talk about your realtor’s experience. I have lived in Kitchener-Waterloo for most of my life. I know most of the neighborhoods in town and have some favorites and others that I really don’t like. How does this help you? With the experience that I have I can generally have an idea of what neighborhood a prospective buyer will like. An active dog walking family will want to live in a different area than a raconteur who like bars, cafe’s and restaurants and there are many variations in-between.

Lastly, let’s consider your realtor’s insight in to current market trends. If you were to pick up a newspaper or listen to the news during the past year you would receive many very different and often contradictory opinions on what is happening in the marketplace. Add to this the fact that most articles deal with the Toronto, Vancouver and very rarely the Montreal markets it can be difficult to discern what is happening locally. As your realtor I am your source for that information and opinion.

I have only scratched the surface of this subject and have not touched upon the responsibilities and obligations that arise from the agency relationships involve in the buying or selling of a home. Perhaps that will come in a future article. Please share any comments that you may have and if you have any question i will, of course answer them for you. I would also like to offer a free real estate consultation at my office or your home. Fill in the contact form on this site and we can set up an appointment.

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