Buyers and Sellers: Check These Items Off Your List Before Hiring a Real Estate Agent

Whether it’s time to buy or time to sell, a real estate agent can be your biggest advocate. For sellers, a good agent can help you make sure your home is ready to sell and for buyers, the right real estate agent can help you land a home in a neighborhood that excites you. No matter your level of experience from those in the market for the very first time or people who have bought and sold property several times before, there are several things to check off your list before bringing on an agent. 

You should research agents, know where you want to live (and what agents serve that area), approach a lender so you know what you can afford, and create a top-10 list of wants and needs. 

Talking to lenders and getting pre-approved for a mortgage is a great way to kick off your house hunting. When you know the amount you’re pre-approved for, you are better able to narrow down your search. Establishing a partnership with your lender in the beginning clears the way for these other important steps: 

1. Visit Open Houses: Popping by a few open houses before you start seriously looking will help you better understand what you want and don’t want in a new home. You’ll be able to prioritize things you can live with and, more importantly, want to live without.
2. Know Your Budget: Find out how much you can afford so that your monthly budget doesn’t get stretched too thin. Think about how much you pay each month for car payments, student loans, child care, credit cards and other debts so that you find a price range that is manageable for your lifestyle.
3. Research Homes and Neighborhoods: Help your agent start showing you potential winners right away by doing a little leg work ahead of time. Decide which neighborhoods you want to buy in. Do you want to be near a park, good schools, or nightlife? Then, research homes for sale in that area. Take note of those that fall within your price range.

Sellers should be interested in similar activities, but for different reasons and with different focal points. Sellers should walk through the home and do a thorough assessment of who would want to buy the home. You can also ask friends and family to do the same and get their opinion on what they would change if they bought the home. 

It’s important for sellers to understand the market they are joining. Largo homes spend a median of eight days on the market and sell for a median price of $275,000. With an average of less than two months between listing and selling, as a homeowner, you want to make sure to:

1. Visit Open Houses: Take a peek at homes for sale in your area to get an idea of what is attracting buyers. Look not only at how the homes are staged during the open house, but watch the potential buyers’ reactions.
2. Talk with Your Network: Ask your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers if they recommend any real estate agents they have worked with. 
3. Make Repairs: The best way to sell your home is to help the buyer imagine it is already theirs. White or beige walls and organized, decluttered spaces are one of the easiest ways to accomplish that. Try to depersonalize the space, if possible. Make it inviting and welcoming, but not too lived in.

Whether buying or selling, when you do your research, you can inform your agent of your goals and priorities, hopes and dreams from the very start. Checking these items off your list before hiring an agent will allow you both to hit the ground running. 

Ready to repair, remodel, or renovate your home? Call 727-596-2390 to connect with the pros at Rose Building Contractors today!