5 Things Your Realtor® Wants You to Know

There’s no way around it — the process of buying and/or selling a home requires you to get personal with your Realtor®. With time, conversation, and plenty of leaning on your Realtor® for their professional expertise, you’re bound to build a relationship that’s beneficial for both parties. To jumpstart that process, here are five things every Realtor® would want you to know.

1.Get pre-approval before starting the home shopping process.

Timing is often crucial to snagging the home of your dreams, but when buyers start looking before securing mortgage pre-approval, they could be wasting valuable time — for themselves and their Realtor®. Before you start shopping, you’ll need to know your exact budget and have a pre-approval to include with any offer letter.

Once this information is secured, not only will your Realtor® be able to hit the ground running, but they’ll have what they need to start the offer process the moment you find the home of your dreams.

2. A Realtor® gets paid when they find you a home.

Most Realtors® work on a commission basis, meaning they get paid — by the seller — when their client closes on a property. Even if it takes seeing 100 houses before finding and closing on the right one, your Realtor® will see the process through without payment until they earn a commission on the sale. This means that as the buyer, you lose nothing (and gain a treasure trove of skill and help!) when you reach out to and hire a Realtor®.

3. Prioritize location.

Any Realtor® will encourage you to make a list of well-defined wants and needs for a future home — and at the top of that list needs to be location. You can always remodel bathrooms and improve landscaping, but location is perhaps the *one* thing that can’t be altered.

Get serious about your non-negotiable neighborhoods and school districts and then keep to those areas as you search and see homes. A “perfect” house in a neighborhood you don’t like or feel comfortable in will never be your dream home.

4. Your Realtor® is a wealth of information — so if you don’t know something, just ask.

Truly, your Realtor® is there to serve you — and they have an incredible amount of insight, experience, and expertise to offer. If at any point you’re unsure about a home, your Realtor® is there to offer their advice. If you don’t understand the details of escrow or option periods or any number of other processes, there is no silly, small or “dumb” question you could ask. They know the ins and outs on neighborhoods, resale values, school districts, and other fun facts about the area where you’re looking or trying to buy.

Along with your satisfaction in finding a home that fits your wants and needs, your Realtor® cares about helping you make a decision that will benefit you for the long-term. Ask questions, lean on their expertise, and trust that they have your best interests at heart.

5. Realtors® work less typical hours, but they still have personal lives.

Many Realtors® will list a flexible schedule and less traditional hours among the perks of their profession, but that doesn’t mean they’re available to clients 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Just like everyone else, Realtors® juggle work, time with friends, family responsibilities, hobbies, and more.

While a typical Realtor® will make themselves available to clients outside “normal” business hours, it’s not fair to expect them to answer every call, text or email immediately. As you build a relationship with your Realtor®, understand that their off time will ultimately make them more equipped to perform their job with excellence and care.

We’re Here to Be Your Champion

How else can we convince you that your local Realtor® is here to champion you in your search for a new home? The members of the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors® are ready to be of service, so let’s get started today.

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