Why use a Realtor?

Why it Pays to Work with a Local REALTOR®
By Rives Bailey, President Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS®

In today's hot real estate market, some home sellers have decided they don't need a professional REALTOR® to sell their house. Most are finding out there is a lot more to selling a house than putting a sign in the yard and running an ad. If that's all there was to it, then everyone would sell their own home. Instead, a vast majority of homeowners use a professional REALTOR® when it is time to sell. Most homebuyers also use a professional REALTOR® when they want to buy a home. A typical family will purchase less than five homes in their entire life. Having a professional REALTOR® as an advisor is the best way to handle such an important and complicated transaction.

1. Time is money! REALTORS® take away the time consuming burden of buying and selling homes. You have a life, REALTORS® let you live it.

2. REALTORS® are in tune with recent changes in development and zoning issues, disclosures, agency and fair housing laws, regulatory issues, financing options, and much more.

3. REALTORS® use state of the art technology to assist their clients. REALTORS® invest millions of dollars every year in high-tech tools to make the buying and selling process efficient. REALTOR.com and CAAR.com empower REALTORS® and their clients to take advantage of the Internet.

4. Pricing a property correctly is the most important part of selling real estate. There is great value in a REALTOR'S® knowledge of the market and trends in the industry.

5. Professional REALTORS® are committed to ongoing education. Many REALTORS® have made the commitment to obtain professional designations to further their knowledge of the complex real estate industry.

6. It is not a good idea to let just anyone in to your home. REALTORS® know their clients and bring quality buyers to see your home.

7. Buying or selling a home is an emotional process. It is critical to have a REALTOR® coordinate the negotiations to make sure the transaction is handled professionally. When you take advantage of a REALTORS®' expertise, you can feel more confident in your decisions. Let's face it, real estate is what they do -- real estate is their life.

8. REALTORS® are specialists! There are many types of real estate - residential, commercial, land, farms, etc - and there are trained REALTORS® ready to fill every niche market.

9. REALTORS® have a strict ethical Code they must follow to ensure your interests are protected. Don't just use a real estate agent - use a REALTOR®.

10. REALTORS® have set up a secure lockbox system to protect your property while allowing other REALTORS® to show your home to potential buyers.

The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics.