For those of you who’ve been reading my newsletters for awhile, you know behind the tongue-in-cheek self-aggrandizement I try to provide you with genuine value, writing what I hope to be useful information and not just cut-and-paste Realtor marketing. That said, in the wild-and-crazy market of 2022, your Realtor matters, and can be the difference between buying/selling and not.
There have been sellers markets during which you could just stick a sign in your yard and wait for offers to roll in; in all markets you can approach a seller or their Realtor and submit an offer without a Realtor of your own. It’s worth repeating that I tip my hat to anyone who is able to represent themselves buying and selling, and does so to save money and not just to satisfy their ego. Unfortunately this market is different. One of the reasons you hire a Realtor is to understand norms, and by that I don’t mean which boxes to check or what to fill in on the contract. You also need to know to the velocity of the market and from the perspective of people who experience the market every day.
Regarding sellers, an enormous part of my job now is not just orchestrating marketing, compiling offers and negotiating the best terms, but to find which buyer has the best chance of showing up to closing. Sounds ridiculous, but when a seller signs a contract it’s almost like a blood-pact. It has precious few outs and no easy fixes if the buyer doesn’t perform. Buyers remorse is at an all-time high and they are more squirrelly than I’ve ever seen them. If you get left at the closing table it could cost you thousands and demolish your immediate plans.
For buyers, if you’re making a move on on a hot property with a seasoned agent who understands the market, you’re at least the running. If you don’t have an agent who knows what it takes to be competitive – like a relative who’s “trying real estate” or “sells a couple houses a year”, you’re facing an almost impossible battle. If you’re being “savvy” and representing yourself, unless you have an angle you don’t stand a chance.
Work with a full-time, full-service agent who can competently represent you.