Technology has revolutionized the way we do things completely. Humans are dependent on their phones to do everything, from shopping, having meetings to getting the direction of their next destination.
The beauty of the internet is that it provides us with massive information. When you are looking to buy, rent or sell a property, the first place that you would start your search is on your phone.
Despite how useful the internet is, the truth of the matter is that it comes with its own demerits, the major one being that the master con artists are online too. If you are seriously considering buying or selling a property, this is one of the major reasons you should hire a real estate agent.
If you do your research well, you will hear horror stories of people who tried house hunting on their own through the internet and they were so frustrated by the whole ordeal. To make your life easier, here are 15 reasons why you should hire a professional real estate agent.
1. It’s All About The Money
I would be lying if anyone said it isn’t. You have something that I want which is money. On the other hand, I have a property that you want to call home. A real estate agent who acts as a middle man between the buyer and the seller wants his commission.
Whichever way, you look at it, it’s all about the money.
In case you are having other thoughts right now; I completely agree with you. Money isn’t everything, but it sure is up there with oxygen.
When it comes to the sale of the property, both buyers and sellers are on opposite sides of the fence. Everyone wants to get the best deal possible out of the transsaction. Normally, what one is trying to achieve is dramatically opposite to what the other wants to see happen.
For example; The buyer wants a pretty good deal from the house, whereas the seller wants to get the best possible value for their property, and yet they both share the ultimate goal which is they want a sale.
Both parties can benefit significantly from hiring a real estate agent. S/he will assist them in the purchase process. Though the initial reason for hiring an agent would be different for both parties.
2. Not Everyone Can Save Money.
If you are buying a house then you shouldn’t have much problem using a real estate agent to help you look for a property. Since the property seller will have to pay the agent a particular commission percentage of the sale of the property, the cost is not for you to bear but the property owner’s.
If you are the owner of the property then it’s critical to look at all the benefits that the real estate agents give you, such as high-quality prospects that are ready to buy the property.
Then you should be willing to pay the agreed amount to appreciate an agent for helping you sell your property quickly.
My personal opinion is that the world is a much happier place when we all have a little joy to spread around, in this case, it’s money. Spread the joy by appreciating the people who make your life easier.
Selling a property isn’t an easy task and when an agent handles everything well and is able to close a deal in a short time, saying thank you should be your least of bothers. Plus, it will make the agent happy and willing to bring more clients your way.
3. Save Yourself The Hustle and Headache
The full-time job of a real estate agent is to work as a liaison between the buyers and the sellers. Unless you literally don’t have something else more valuable with your time, it saves you a lot of time and effort to work with an agent.
If we consider that time is money, then all those hours you will spend on the phone, all the fuel and time you will need to drive around looking for the right property, and the hard work of negotiating. If you sum all that up, you will have spent a considerable amount of money.
As a property owner, answering countless calls from interested parties can be daunting. Answer the buyer’s questions regarding all the details about the property over and over again can drive one nuts. If you have other business to attend to, you must make appointments on when they will be available to view the property. This is still a direct cost.
There are important things to keep in mind if you’re considering selling your property by yourself.
- It is going to be a big hustle trying to get your schedules to match the prospects
- Potential buyers are likely to move on if you tend to be busy and fail to respond quickly to their enquirers.
To make it worse, there are days that you might cancel all your plans simply because you have a prospect who was coming to view your property.
The day ends with no one showing up.
There are days you find yourself rushing to the property because someone had confirmed that they are going to see the property in the evening after work and the prospects simply don’t show up because of one reason or another.
Considering the fact that it’s an agent’s full-time job to deal with all this drama, it’s much better to simply hire one and save yourself the hustle and headache.
4. Specialized Knowledge.
A real estate agent has specialized knowledge when it comes to the real estate industry. They know more than you do when it comes to the buying and selling of properties. S/he has done it over and time again and knows all the ins and outs.
When it comes to selling/buying a home it is not as easy as A B C. It requires that you become familiar with a dozen forms, reports, disclosures, encumbrances, processes and other technical documents.
The truth of the matter is it will be impossible to learn everything about real estate before selling or buying a property.
Using an agent who is equipped with specialized knowledge that will prepare you for the best deal and avoid delays or costly mistakes.
5. Superior Negotiating Skills.
I personally do not enjoy the negotiation process; it crawls under my skin and makes me feel super uncomfortable. While buying simple things on the street, I hate bargaining for things that probably could be attributed to the Luo in me.
I would rather give the asked amount and move on with my life. It could be part of the reason why I prefer shopping online. On the other hand, I have a sister who’s a lawyer by profession. I love going shopping with her, cause when the bargaining process starts, she will go on and on for hours till we get the item at half the price.
Unless you a professional negotiator, mediator, attorney, politician, or a real estate agent, then I take it that you, might be as uncomfortable as me when negotiating.
A good real estate agent is trained to negotiate well, they have the industry knowledge and know-how to get that perfect deal. They know what works and what does not work.
6. They Help You See Things Clearer
The other benefit of working with a real estate agent is that they are not emotionally invested in the deal, so they are bound to notice things you might not.
For example: if you were a buyer, you are looking at a beautiful house being offered for Ksh. 50 million and it looks like exactly what you want as your dream home. But you get into the kitchen and the sink is leaking, all of a sudden you don’t want the house anymore, you change your mind simply because you do not like a leaking kitchen sink.
For a seller, you might not like the brash attitude of a potential buyer. And feel that you don’t want to sell to them, no matter what. I know that is something that my churchy friends would say, ‘’their spirit felt off or there was just something about them that I can’t point my fingers to but I just know that I do not like them.’’
The thing is that emotions tend to cloud our judgment. Having a neutral entity that isn’t so invested in the transaction will ensure that both parties get what they want.
Whereas there are people who might prefer working directly with the buyer and seller, especially if it’s a for sellers by owners’ type of deal. In such a situation, people might prefer dealing directly with the buyers and sellers since they feel more is to be gained.
It’s important to note that it’s the duty of a real estate agent to get you the best possible deal, regardless of what side you are on
7. Objective Opinions and Proprietary Information
You can never know a new neighborhood more than s/he does. An agent knows all the ins and the outs, the good the bad, and everything that happens in between in a neighborhood.
Whatever queries that might need in regards to security and how ‘fun’ the place is or how quiet are neighbors they will give you pretty good information on whatever it is that might need to know.
Also, they can show you other properties that you might consider and allow you to compare before you make a purchase.
On top of that, an agent will provide you with the local information on utilities, schools, churches, and any other public utilities that might matter to you as a new buyer, regarding the new neighborhood that you will be living in.
8. Property Marketing Power.
Real estate agents have a gold mine of information in their hands. You might think that you were able to sell your property due to the advertisement that the agent put in place.
That could be very far from the case, most of the sales in real estate come from the referrals that they probably got from the previous clients they worked with. This is cause happy clients do recommend other clients.
Therefore, if you are a property owner, you might want to consider using a real estate agent. They will definitely give you a smooth and easy time in finding buyers for your property
9. Price Guidance.
Most property buyers in Kenya tend to think that property pricing is determined like this;
- That real estate agents would set different prices for the buyers and sellers.
- They would inform the seller that the house is being sold at XXX amount of money
- Go to the buyer and tell them that the house is being sold at XXXX amount of money
- Then keep X amount of money as profit
- Still, go home with their commission.
Well, from professional experience, even though there are unscrupulous agents who normally do that, the due process to determine the real value of a property has to involve a registered property valuer. A professional real estate agent will recommend the services of a registered property valuer to ensure a fair price for both the purchaser and the seller.
This is because they understand there are many factors that dictate the price of the property. He would advise the house owner on the best price that they should list the property for putting all other factors into consideration.
10. Negotiation Strategy
When a client is interested in a property, the agent will advise them on the negotiation strategy that they should use.
Going with the example we used above, a leaking sink is a good opportunity to negotiate a price discount equivalent to the work needed to fix it, as opposed to being a deal-breaker.
The agent will show the potential purchaser similar properties in the same location to give a benchmark for price comparison. This not only builds a client’s confidence that they are getting a good deal, but also provides for a fair negotiating ground for all parties involved.
11. Representative Skills.
As a property seller, the real estate agent is not just a middle ground person. His main job is to represent the clients’ offer in the best way possible that way they ensure that there is a deal. This particular skill plus the experience they have acquired over the years makes them completely indespensible. If not for any other thing you should hire one cause of this particular reason.
12. Up-to-date Experience.
You might have sold or helped a friend go through a sale or bought a new property a couple of times in your life.
The truth of the matter is that the industry keeps on changing.
Considering the fact that agents handle multiple transactions more than you have.
They are likely to be more alert with the laws and regulations regarding the industry and if they change they do adjust accordingly.
13. Your Rock During Emotional Moments.
I do not know about you, but I tend to get overwhelmed at times, especially when I have to make big decisions.
Probably because I am a woman, and I have to make a thousand and one other decisions ensuring that my family’s interests are best-taken care of.
When it comes to the purchase of a new home. It’s more than just the roof and the four walls it’s not just another purchase that you can change like a cloth.
Well, actually you can if you are filthy rich but that not the case for most people. A home is one of the biggest purchases you will ever make. When you have unaddressed concerns regarding the new property. A third party, who isn’t emotionally invested like you are will help you stay focused on the issues that are important for you, and most critical, you get the perfect home for your family.
14. Information Filtering.
In this current advanced digital world where we are boomeranged with information right left and center. We probably know more than we are supposed to know, and the last thing that you need in the ever-busy fuzzy life is information that you do not need.
Considering the number of jargons that is being used in the real estate industry you might end up being more confused and it might make the process of home purchase even tougher for you. If you love to learn, then all the best have a blast.
If you are a home seller a real estate agent filters out all the information and phone calls and presents you with offers from serious potential buyers and this will present you with a good stepping stone from where to start the closing process.
15. A Guide For Other Professionals.
After the deal is done, that not the end of everything. You might still find an agent helpful.
He might redirect you to other professionals who have solutions or provide useful services. Experienced property agents have worked with almost everyone in the industry through their span of life.
They know the best of the best designers, so when you want to make changes to your home, they can direct you to the best designers or even plumbers and fundis that they know who are also budget-friendly.
On top of that, they can also decide to give you background information on the different service providers and you get to decide the person whom you want to work with.
16. Attention to Paperwork.
Handling all the required paperwork is probably one of the worst and still most critical parts when it comes to the selling or buying of a property.
You might not be in the right mental state when it finally comes to reviewing the paperwork. Especially after the kind of hustle you might have had to go through and all the houses you had to let go of simply because they weren’t within your budget.
When it comes to reviewing and understanding the multiple documents that are required in closing a real estate deal. You are required to have a thorough understanding of what you are getting yourself into.
Regardless of whether you are buying or selling beauty is that real estate agents handle the paperwork on a daily basis. They would know every document that needs to be analyzed closely and it would help you to know what and where to look for something important.
Plus you would sleep better at night knowing that everything is set. Consider this if you’re still thinking about saving money and hire a real estate agent. Some mistakes or omissions in these documents can cost you as much as that commission you were trying to avoid paying.
17. Questions and Solutions.
Sometimes everything does not end after the signing of the paperwork is done. I wish it did.
The reality of the matter is that problems might arise afterward. It could be KRA or NCA or just people coming to put an X on your property or even family members coming back to claim a share of their property.
You never know, but confusion can arise from everywhere and if the unnecessary question that can kill your enthusiasm for owning a new home.
Simply making a simple call to your agent can provide you with an instant solution that will make you feel better once the confusion is solved.
The Bottom Line
Henry Ford once said that it proves that you’re smarter when you hire people who are smarter than you. The trick is to recognize when you need help and to find the right property agent for the work.
Mkaazi Real Estate is here to help you get the best property deal every time. Feel free to contact us.
