Tara O'Brien's Minneapolis Real Estate Update: 4 Reasons Consumers STILL Need a Real Estate Agent

In a world where the Internet makes marketing miracles possible and home data seems to flow free, every once in a while you’ll hear of someone attempting to buy or sell without an agent.

While some stories speak of success, they also reveal the time, expertise, and energy that go into a sale and the indisputable benefits of having an agent. Marketing and managing a home is a time-consuming undertaking and why now, more than ever, smart consumers need to use a real estate agent.

1) Online marketing takes time and expertise
Online marketing works, however, it takes hours of effort and knowledge of the successful websites to use in order to maximize exposure. It is also good to know the difference between third party aggregators and broker reciprocity in order to be using the most accurate and true data from the real MLS source in your area. Most sellers don’t have this level of expertise or the time to spend on the effort.

2) A home’s information alone is not enough – every home lives in a market
Most sellers think this, “I know my house better than any agent. Who better to sell the house than me?” This comment is typical of someone who doesn’t realize that knowing about a home is just the first step. The real key to moving a listing is knowing how that home fits into the market – and only a professional brings that kind of focus and real experience.

3) Showings and connections sell homes
Most real estate agents are already tapped into a network of people buying and selling. They are also constantly in contact with other professional real estate agents who they know in the same area that may have a buyer or seller that may match as well. Some real estate companies like Edina Realty have a network of homes that are not listed on the public MLS and can only be seen by and sold to other Edina agents who have access to them pre-market.

4) Even the smartest use an agent for expertise
There are many more factors that come into play when selling a home. Marketing a home is only the beginning. There are multiple forms needed, inspections required, title work that needs to be done and many more things. Realtors are the people in the transaction that make sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed. They will get you all the way through closing to make sure nothing is missed and you are taken care of.

If you are a buyer and wondering the same thing, "should I use a real estate agent?" The answer is still YES!!! Buyer agents in Minnesota work for you at no cost to you. You should have someone in your corner with expertise in negotiation, inspection and paperwork so you dont have to be the expert yourself. You will want someone working for you in your best interest, after all, the seller has someone working for them, shouldn't you?

www.TaraOBrien.com