Buying or selling a home is usually done with the services of a real estate agent because it can be a complicated process involving many legal and financial decisions. Agents are experienced in many real estate transactions whereas most clients only buy or sell a home a few times in their life. Agents provide multiple services ranging from listing homes to hosting open houses to negotiating the best deal. But agents can – and very often do – do much more than that. Read on, then, to discover 4 things you didn’t know your Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas real estate agent could do.
1. Help You Get Preapproved
For buyers, getting preapproved is an important first step in the process. Buyers who have been preapproved for a mortgage loan will be perceived by sellers as serious buyers and, as a result, will have more negotiating leverage. And your Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas real estate agent can help you get preapproved.
You should be aware of the difference between preapproval and prequalification. Preapproval means that your lender has reviewed your credit, income, and employment and issued a preapproval letter showing that they will in fact lend you a certain amount. Prequalification, on the other hand, is only based on what a potential buyer has told the lender. There has been no 3rd party verification. A preapproval letter carries more weight than a prequalification letter.
As a Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas real estate agent we are not a financial officer at your bank, but we are in frequent contact with bankers, lenders, and other professionals involved in the buying process. When you’re ready to start house-hunting, we can assist you in finding a great loan officer to work with.
Potential sellers in the Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas will not accept an offer without a preapproval letter attached. If you would like to discuss who we recommend you work with or have other mortgage-related questions just call 917-608-7277.
2. Help Select an Inspector and Attend the Inspection
The inspection is an integral and necessary component in a real estate transaction. It helps buyers better gauge the condition of the home and should highlight issues an untrained eye would likely miss. But the difficulty lies in the fact that, as with any service provider, some inspectors are much better than others.
In the Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas we can help you find a qualified inspector who will best meet your needs. You can expect your home inspection to include testing the major systems including heat, A/C, and electrical in the home. In addition, the inspector will check the roof and highlight safety issues in the home. Most inspectors also include termite inspection and radon testing.
When inspection day arrives the buyer should plan on being there along with your real estate agent. The inspector will provide a comprehensive report but there is no substitute for being present during the inspection.
3. Negotiate Repair Requests
Another inspection-related service your Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas real estate agent can provide – one that is valuable to both buyers and sellers – negotiating repair requests. When the inspector sends the report we can help you review it and along with your attorney determine what issues need to be addressed.
The inspection may discover repairs that need to be made before the sale can go through. An agent can assist buyers by getting the seller to make the repairs or reduce the price. And the agent can assist sellers by bringing to bear her negotiating expertise to ensure that they don’t concede too much.
Our role along with the attorney is to help buyers and sellers come to a mutually acceptable agreement so that the deal can move forward.
4. Assist With Staging
Surveys and studies have shown time after time that staged homes sell faster and at a better price than homes that haven’t been staged. Staging is critical then, and that’s another thing we can help sellers within the Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas.
“While most real estate agents are not interior designers or professional stagers, they’re well aware of the subtle touches that have been proven to attract or turn off potential buyers. For example, they know that staging practices like removing family photographs, clearing away clutter, and rearranging furniture make it easier for buyers to picture themselves living in the house and increase the likelihood that they’ll make an offer. Plus, We work with great local stagers who can work within your budget and make your home pop.
Find a Great Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas Real Estate Agent
So, in addition to the standard things like listing, showing, and negotiating price, we can do many other valuable things for you that you may not have been aware of. In short, whether you’re a buyer or a seller, it pays to have an experienced agent on your side. Contact us to take advantage of these services in the Westfield, Cranford, Clark, Scotch Plains, Fanwood and Mountainside Areas today at 917-608-7277.