Is it worth having a buyer's agent?
Resoundingly, yes!
Here’s why.
Number 1: save time
Time can be measured in hours and in weeks / months / years.
The average person takes about 200 hours to find a home. That includes searching online, dealing with agents, travel to inspections, time at inspections, wasted time on dud properties or homes that sell for more than your budget and son on. What is the cost of your time? 200 hours is 5 full-time weeks of work. What will you earn in that time? What will you save by engaging a buyer’s agent?
The next measure is the weeks / months / years that it takes the average person to purchase, and how much the market will go up n that time. Taking too long to purchase can mean that you’re priced out of the market you started in, and will in fact be making an inferior purchase. What will you save by engaging a buyer’s agent?
Number 2: save money (many, but not all clients)
Many clients save more on their property purchase than the cost of a buyer’s agent. This is a very powerful statement. What can you use that saving for? A renovation to further increase the value of your new purchase? A much-needed holiday to re-charge and invest in your own well-being? Private school fees for your child? Or simply the cost of day-to-day living. Money is precious and any money saved is excellent! NB not all clients will save money using a buyer’s agent, but many do.
Number 3: safeguard your interests
Buyer’s agents are trained professional property purchasers. We do it all the time and know the process back-to-front and inside out. We know the traps that the average buyer falls into and how to avoid them. We know how to deal with selling agents, how to position an offer, how to project manage the purchase and what sort of due diligence to complete - and how to complete it. Most purchasers rely on the selling agent to guide the way. That’s like the husband relying on the wife’s lawyer to steer him through the divorce. That notion would be absurd to most people! Yet, a similar set-up happens all the time in property purchase. Don’t rely on the seller’s agent. A buyer’s agent is on your team, there to safeguard your interests.
Number 4: correct property selection and evaluation
Many would-be purchasers take oooooddddles of time incorrectly selecting properties, inspecting, attending auctions, making offers and so on. The average buyer might inspect at least 20 “dud” properties before finally finding one they actually like and want to buy. They inspect homes that are woefully unsuitable because they have no choice than to rely on incomplete, inaccurate information from online listings. A buyer’s agent is trained to evaluate homes with a critical eye. We don’t just search online as you would: we use subscription-only data combined with strong analytic skills to thoroughly assess every home on the market. It’s this information that completes the true picture of each home and ensures that only the best are inspected, saving you time and leaving the “duds” to the others.