How to Help Your Real Estate Agent

There is a lot written about the responsibilities of real estate agents. For example, whether they are supposed to act on behalf of the buyer or the seller, or what they should and should not say or do. What is not often talked about is the home buyer's responsibilities. Believe it or not, home buyers have responsibilities too. Think about it. For a real estate transaction to be successful, everyone associated with the sale of the home must cooperate. If you want to close on a house faster and with fewer hiccups along the way, you need to know how to help your real estate agent so that they can better help you.

 

One of the first things you will want to do is get pre-approved for a mortgage by a lending institution. By doing so you will not be wasting your time or the agent's time looking at houses you cannot afford. Also, when you finally find the house you want to buy, your agent will be able to present a more appealing offer to the seller since you have proof that you can truly buy the home and will not have to make your offer conditional upon obtaining financing.

 

Next, you should seriously consider what you want and need out of a home. Since it is often difficult to find the perfect house that meets all of your specified criteria, you will need to appraise your wants and needs and decide which things are most important to you. Once you have decided what you can and cannot do without, you need to convey this information to your agent.

 

Since an agent is working to help you find a home, be honest with him or her. Let the agent know if you are working with multiple seller's agents so that their efforts do not overlap and waste everyones time. Also, it should go without saying, but do not ask your real estate agent or realtor to do anything illegal. This includes making requests that are in direct violation of fair housing issues or that might relate to deception or fraud.

 

Most importantly, be sure to cooperate with your agent. For instance, after you have chosen some of the houses that you would like to see, allow your agent to make a few choices also. He/she may be familiar with a property that may be just right for you. Remember, when looking at listings do not use multiple listing service (MLS) sheets as the final determination as to whether or not you will view a home. If you do, you will likely miss out on a great house.

 

Also, just becasue you may not like the exterior of a house, do not refuse to keep a listing appointment. Doing so will likely result in an unfriendly attitude from your agent. Be courteous and do the walk-through. You may find that the house's interior more than makes up for its exterior deficiencies. If you find that the house's interior is just as lacking as its exterior, do not feel obligated to spend a lot of time in the house. Explain to your agent what you do not like about the house and then reconvey to him/her your wants and needs in a home.

 

Finally, be present and responsible. Keep appointments and meet with parties, such as your loan officer, as required. Have all the necessary paperwork needed to process your loan available and in order. Don't let contracts that need to be signed linger. It is important that you attend the home appraisal, home inspection, and pest inspection so that you can hear and see things firsthand, ask questions, and get explanations.

 

Knowing how to help your real estate agent will help you close on a house faster and with fewer snags along the way. For a real estate transaction to be successful, everyone involved with the sale of the home must be responsible and cooperative.
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