Whether you’re planning to buy a new home or sell your current one, working with a real estate agent is a good idea. These professionals know the market and can offer valuable guidance as you move through the buying and/or selling process. But choosing a real estate agent isn’t always an easy task.

If you’ve never worked with a real estate agent before, you may not be sure what you should expect. For the fees they’ll collect from the transaction, what should they be doing for you? Depending on whether you’re a buyer or a seller, the answers vary slightly.

Choosing a Real Estate Agent: Buyer vs. Seller

A Buyer’s Real Estate Agent

Finding and comparing homes for sale is often a challenging process, but it’s one that’s made easier when you have a professional to guide you along the way. Here are the things that, as a buyer, you can expect from your real estate agent.

Connect with the best lender. Your real estate agent will likely have a relationship with local lenders and will be able to point you in the best direction for your financing needs. They can walk you through the process of getting pre-approved, which is important because a pre-approval letter may be requested by the seller’s agent in certain circumstances.

Help find the perfect home. An experienced realtor will be familiar with the pros and cons of the neighborhood of the house you’re considering buying. They’ll also be knowledgeable about the homes currently on the market and can guide you towards the best choice, whether you’re purchasing real estate as an investment or for personal use.

Negotiate an offer. After finding the best home to suit your needs, your real estate agent will work as your advocate when negotiating an offer. They’ll look at price comparisons in the area as well as the overall market to help you arrive at a fair price.

Walk you through the inspection process. With an offer extended, the next step is to get the home inspected. Your realtor can help you find a good inspector and be present on inspection day to make sure everything goes as planned. They can also help negotiate which repairs the seller should address before the transaction closes.

Help you understand and complete paperwork. The closing of a property comes with a pile of paperwork, and your real estate agent is experienced not only in what it all means, but also in helping you understand it before you sign on the dotted line. 

A Seller’s Real Estate Agent

Selling your home can be an emotional rollercoaster. You might feel sad and attached to your current home yet thrilled and excited about what comes next. As fraught with emotion as the process is, it is a business transaction – which is why it helps to have a professional on your side to walk you through it. Here’s what you can expect from a seller’s agent.

Pricing your home. As mentioned above, selling a home is an emotional process. Due to this, sellers often feel that their home is worth far more than the market says it’s worth. A real estate agent can work with you to arrive at an asking price for your home that is acceptable as well as realistic for the home and the market.

Preparing your home for sale. When you’ve lived in a home every day, it can be hard to see it through the eyes of a potential buyer. A real estate agent will create a to-do list of items necessary to make your home sales-ready, from making repairs necessary to pass inspections to staging a home to raise its appeal.

Marketing your home. Selling a home involves far more than simply putting up a sign. Your real estate agent will kick things off by taking professional photos that show your home in the best light. Next comes creating a marketing strategy that will likely involve putting your home online, advertising it in brochures, and possibly even holding open houses so potential buyers can check it out at their leisure. As the home gets shown, your realtor will be able to screen potential buyers by asking the right questions or even demanding a pre-approval letter.

Negotiate the sale and complete all paperwork. Just as when a realtor works on the buyer’s side of the transaction, a seller’s agent will also help negotiate a price that’s acceptable for both parties. They will also help sellers navigate all of the paperwork involved in listing and selling a home.

From arriving at the right price and ensuring the proper repairs to climbing mountains of paperwork, letting real estate agents do what they do best certainly pays off for buyers as well as sellers. Now that the task of choosing a real estate agent is easier, it’s time to get started buying or selling!