Did you know that not every real estate agent is a Realtor®? There is a big difference. A real estate agent is anyone who has a real estate license. A Realtor®, however, is a real estate agent who is a member of the National Association of Realtors®. Here’s why that distinction is important to you as you buy or sell a home:
- Realtors® follow a strict code of ethics and standards of practice. This includes giving full disclosure of problems with a property and being truthful in advertising.
- A Realtor® belongs to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) which has more than 1.1 million members as of Sept. 30, 2015, giving NAR a strong voice between industries and consumers and their government.
- Buying a home is probably the largest financial investment you’ll ever make. When you work with a Realtor®, you’ll get the best professional advice available.
- An experienced Realtor® can help you navigate the home buying or selling process, which can be complex, time consuming and frustrating at times.
- A trained Realtor® is a client advocate, a marketing expert, sales person, customer service rep, data analyst and a master negotiator all rolled into one. She wears many hats, but all of those roles work to serve YOU and your best interests!
- Your Realtor® will help you find the most qualified buyer for your home and help you negotiate the best offer for your home.
- A good Realtor® will be able to refer you to other professionals you’ll work with during the home buying or selling process: mortgage lenders, insurance agents, home appraisers, home inspectors, closing company staff, and more.
- One of a Realtor’s most important roles is to be an objective observer, to help sellers see beyond their personal connection to their home, and to help buyers stay calm and reasonable during the home buying process.
- A Realtor® can save a buyer money by knowing how to negotiate and what to look for in a home, and a Realtor® can help sellers get the most for their home.
- A Realtor® is customer-focused. Regardless of what obstacles come up or details that must be worked through, your Realtor® will focus on you and your needs.
Sure, you can sell your home yourself (though we don’t recommend it) or you can work with a real estate agent – but wouldn’t you rather work with a Realtor® who is always working for YOU?