by : Paige Martin

Realtors can greatly help with a home transaction. Whether buying or selling, a realtor can provide expert advice and support when making one of the biggest decisions you will make in life. It is important to know that only those that are licensed with the National Association of Realtors can be called a Realtor. These individuals will provide full honesty in any home transaction, and remain true to their code of ethics, ensuring full professionalism in any sale or purchase.

When buying a home, a Realtor will be able to help you determine how much you can afford to spend on a house. They will review your savings with you, as well as any other income or debt and will work with you to provide a reasonable price that you can pay. They can also help you work with any lenders and may be able to suggest one that will be able to suit your needs.

A Realtor also has access to just about every home on the market, even if they are not being aggressively advertised. This will help further your search and provide resources that you would not have if you were going it alone.

Often buyers are "swept off their feet" by a certain property. This can be good but a Realtor can also objectively provide information to help you make a decision as to whether the home is really what you want. For instance, a home not being in a school zone may not be a problem if you don nt have children but it will affect the home's resale value and the Realtor is there to point these things out. Along with this information, the Realtor can also help with utility information, zoning information, and other various items that a buyer does not necessarily have access to, or think about.

There are many negotiations to be made in any real estate transaction and a Realtor can assist with these. Just a few of these negotiations could be financing, inspections, or the price of a home. A Realtor will have the insight and the knowledge to make these negotiations on their client's behalf.

A Realtor can also provide, or finding appropriate professionals to provide, pertinent property information. This could include finding home inspectors, sewer inspections, and termite inspections. Again, these are just a few and a Realtor will know what needs to be looked at and evaluated. Realtors will also provide the title during this process and explain the many confusing terms.

Finally when buying a home, a Realtor will help coordinate the closing process and ensure that there are no surprises. They will help everything move slowly, and get you into the home you have chosen as quickly as possible.

A Realtor is an invaluable resource when selling your home as well. They can give accurate and up-to-date information regarding the condition of the marketplace, and what other comparable properties are being listed for.

A Realtor can also greatly assist with marketing your home. They will not only place it on MLS but they also have other resources available to them that will get your home sold as quickly as possible. They will advertise not only to the public, but to other agents as well. Speaking to other agent's will significantly increase the chances of your home being sold quickly. A Realtor will also advise you on any repairs that need to be made to the property. A Realtor also has the knowledge of how to sell the property and to whom. They will then assist and are present for any showings, saving the seller the hassle of needing to be available and walking strangers through their home.

Once offers are made on the property, a Realtor will walk the seller through any offer to help them determine if it's in their best interest. They can also help negotiate and speak to the prospective buyer and that buyers agent to get the best sell for their client.

And lastly, a Realtor will also ensure that the closing process goes smoothly for the seller. They will help with the paperwork and suggest any last minute repairs that need to be completed. They will work with you to make sure that the closing process goes as quickly as possible.