There is no doubt in our mind that in todays real estate market you should use a Realtor® when considering buying a home. There is absolutely no reason not to because:

1. Realtors' services are FREE to a buyer. Their commission is paid by the seller.

2. Realtors have access to all the properties for sale in your desired area via computer and word of mouth. "For Sale" signs, newspaper ads and even the Internet are not always a true reflection of everything that is on the market. Multiple listing service data entry can take from one to ten days for a variety of reasons. By the time a home is posted on the Internet it could already be sold. The Internet, especially in a hot sellers market may not have the most current inventory. However, good real estate agents tell each other about newly listed property.

3. Realtors lower your risk by understanding the complexity of the transaction. Less than a decade ago, a home could be bought with a two-page contract. Now, consumer-mandated seller's disclosures, environmental and structural reports, and other legal documents have turned the home transfer into a potential minefield. Realtors work with contracts daily, and can fully understand which points are harmful and/or beneficial to you. From helping you make a reasonable offer, to providing for the discovery and disclosure of material facts, your agent can also correctly interpret information for you. If you found out the neighbor next door to the house you are buying is building a new fence, would you know to get a new survey ordered? Your Realtor will make sure that the new fence doesn't encroach on your new property.

4. Realtors work for you, and the transaction, to give you the best opportunity to get a contract accepted at a fair price. Your agent not only represents your interests, but also works on behalf of the transaction. Does that seem like a conflict of interest? It isn't. Buyers and sellers are natural adversaries. You want to buy for the least price, and the seller wants the most. Agents must be skilled negotiators to keep pride, ignorance, or stubbornness from getting in the way of a fair deal for both sides. As the buyer, remember that you are the one in control. You can instruct your agent how far to go in negotiations on your behalf. One day, you'll be glad your agent helped you keep your cool when the seller refused to leave that old chandelier.

5. Realtors understand the current market. Real estate professionals have invaluable house-by-house, street-by-street and market-by-market experience which can't be learned overnight. Realtors who have weathered the pendulum swing between buyers' markets and sellers' markets know that the real estate market can turn abruptly. Rising and falling interest rates affect the number of available homes for sale and their prices within weeks or days. All it takes is the entrance or exit of a major employer, and hundreds of homes in a neighborhood can be affected. As neighborhood experts, experienced brokers and agents can help you with home buying strategies and proposals that will get the right house at the best price and terms.

These are 5 great reason why you should work with a Realtor®. It is extremely important that you have an advocate when purchasing a home. Without someone representing you interests, how will you ever know if you've found the right home at the right price? It is important that you hire a good Realtor. If you don't know one, I work with a number of top Realtors in this area and would be happy to recommend one to you.

Purchasing real estate has become a very complicated procedure. A Realtor® can make the home buying process as hassle free, as stress free, and as risk free as possible for you.