buying a home? get the answers to your questions

4 Compelling Reasons To Hire A Real Estate Broker Instead Of An Agent

If you're looking to buy a home, there's a good chance you're thinking about hiring a real estate agent to help you find the home of your dreams and negotiate a fair price with the sellers. What you may not realize is that a real estate agent isn't your only option when it comes to real estate professionals who can help you on your home-buying journey. In fact, in many cases, hiring a real estate broker may be in your best interests for a number of reasons.

Access to More Choices

Many real estate agents and even Realtors have specific affiliations with different listing agencies. As such, they may be more limited in showing you properties that fall within their affiliations. A real estate broker, on the other hand, doesn't have any affiliations. He or she will thus have a wider array of listing options available to you, which could increase your chances of finding your dream home.

Additional Education/Experience

Real estate brokers also have more formal education and training than your typical real estate agent. Therefore, if you're looking for a real estate professional who is going to act in your best interests and who has had extensive training and education, a broker is the way to go.

Extensive Relationships

Many real estate brokers have deep connections with others in the real estate industry. Therefore, they may be able to save you some time and hassle by making recommendations when it comes to appraisers, inspectors, title lawyers, and any other professionals you may need to hire before your home purchase can be finalized. Real estate brokers are known for networking across the industry, so this can be a great perk for you to take advantage of.

Focused Areas of Expertise

Finally, many real estate brokers have very specific areas of expertise. For example, if you're interested in buying a foreclosure or short sale in a particular neighborhood, there's a good chance you can find a broker who specializes in foreclosures/short-sales in that particular area. Some real estate agents will have general areas of expertise, but if you're looking for something very specific, then a real estate broker is probably your best best.

As you can see, there are many benefits to hiring a real estate broker to help you find your dream home. Not to mention, if this is your first time buying, you don't have to worry about paying a commission, as the seller typically pays these.