Are buyerʼs agents becoming obsolete?

By: Melissa Sims, The Boutique Real Estate Group

In todayʼs digital age, buyers have incredible amounts of information at their finger tips,

literally. I have had buyers walk into an open house, smartphone in hand, not needing

information from me because they already know exactly how many square feet there

are in the home, what school district it is in, and what the asking price is. Most of these

buyers were not represented by an agent, so it begs the question: are buyerʼs agents

becoming obsolete? Am I worried, as a Realtor, that this will affect my career?

The answer to both questions is an astounding NO. While buyers have information at

their finger tips, many of the avenues in which they get that information are notorious for

inaccuracy. Information can be incomplete and outdated, and sometimes, just plain

incorrect.

However, I absolutely applaud buyers that have done their homework. It makes my job

smoother and easier. But, the property search function is a very small part of the entire

process. Regardless of how educated buyers are, most do not know the ʻins and outsʼ

of a real estate transaction. The amount of paperwork alone is enough reason to hire

an agent. And, if you happen to enter into a transaction where the selling agent isnʼt

aware of the disclosures needed, you could find yourself unprotected. In addition, when

you walk into a transaction without an agent, you are automatically hiring the sellerʼs

agent. Whose best interest does that agent protect? By law, it is supposed to be both

of yours. But in reality, that may not always be the case. Protect yourself.

With all of the new master-planned communities being built in the next few years,

bringing a licensed real estate agent with you when touring the properties for the first

time is the way to ensure that you are the most prepared you can be for the one of

biggest financial decisions of your life. We are here to be your advocate, your

negotiator and your friend through the process. We are here to guide you through the

contract process, inform you of your rights, and be the go-between for uncomfortable

scenarios that often arise.

You can search on You Tube for “how to perform an appendectomy” and it will give you

step-by-step instructions on removing an appendix. So are you going to go out and buy

some surgical tools and do it yourself? We certainly hope not! When making such a

huge financial decision, wouldn’t it make sense to use every tool available to you?

Especially when the tool is free to you?

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

To reach Melissa Sims directly please email her at Melissa.Sims@TheBoutiqueRE.com or 714-616-6442 or visit her at www.TheBoutiqueRE.com/Melissa-Sims