Experience and Education
You wouldn’t want to represent yourself in a court room would you? Then why would you ever want to represent yourself in a real estate transaction? Having an agent who is dedicated to you and working in your best interest is not only comforting, but it can also save you a lot of time and money. Real Estate Agents have spent numerous hours studying and experiencing the ins and outs of real estate transactions. By hiring a real estate agent you will be much less stressed and have much more enjoyable time on your hands.

Market Conditions
An active agent will have inside knowledge on current trends and data. They will have much needed access to comparable properties that have sold, are pending, and currently active. Data such as average price per square foot of comparable homes, average days on market, ratios of list to sold prices, and median and average sales prices, among many other factors, will be provided to you and play an instrumental part in your decision making.

Negotiation Skills and Confidentiality
Good agents are great at negotiating. They are not just messengers delivering information back and forth but are skilled negotiators. Agents are trained to work in your best interest and present your situation to the other parties involved in a way that will benefit you, while holding client information confidential from competing interests.

Professional Networking
Real estate agents have many relationships with other professionals who provide services that you will need to buy or sell your home. Having relationships and access to other realtors with listings or buyers is critical to buying or selling your home due to the fact that the majority of clients who are buying or selling have representation.

Price Guidance
Price is very important when buying or selling a home. When you are selling your home, you want to make as much money as possible and when buying your home you want to save as much money as possible. An agent has access to supply and demand data and will provide you with a price range recommendation of where they believe your home should be priced or at what the home you are buying should be purchased. From there, a negotiation strategy will be devised by your agent and will work in your best interest.