Buying a home is one of the largest transactions you can make in your lifetime. Considering the high sale prices of homes in Dallas, making a mistake in this real estate market can put you back thousands of dollars.
As such, many people will partner with a buyer's broker or Agent to help guide them through the home buying process. Some folks forgo a real estate agent, thinking it can save them money. But in the long run, having a real estate professional can help you avoid overpaying or losing out on the home of your dreams.
Whether you’re an experienced homeowner or a first-time home buyer, you want to ensure the home is a good fit and feels comfortable. So why risk your hard-earned capital by buying a house without representation?
To outline the benefits provided, the team at Prevu Real Estate put together the top reasons why people choose to work with a buyer's agent in Dallas.
Why you need a buyer’s agent in Dallas
- Local expertise for your search
- Guidance through property tours
- Financial savings via commission rebates
- Advocacy for your interests as a buyer
- Organization during negotiations
Local expertise for your search
Dallas is a storied city with a lot of history, which is represented in the homes for sale. If you want to move into one of those historic homes from the turn of the century, you'll want to make sure you're working with an expert to help you find the perfect place to search.
While you may have heard of the expansive housing stock in Junius Heights, an agent can tell you about other historic areas like Kessler, where you can find a charming Colonial home near the City Center District. Beyond helping to move along the real estate transaction, they can connect you to home inspectors well-versed in older homes.
If you're looking for a new turnkey condo in Uptown, but are getting beat out by other buyers, your agent can find comparable lofts and other spaces in places like Deep Ellum or the Bishop Arts District.
Having the help of an agent to buy a home is great as they can augment your search with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This data source helps the agent break down housing information to get accurate valuations and price ranges for any properties you are interested in. Plus, an agent should know the seasonal market trends to ensure you get the best deal on your home.
Guidance through property tours
Through the Prevu platform, you can schedule a property tour of that home on White Rock Lake in moments and relax, knowing an agent will join you.
Whether you're checking out a newly built home in South Dallas or touring a turn-of-the-century Italianate home in Bluffview, you want an expert who can detect hard-to-find issues. It is easy to get swept up in the excitement of touring houses, which can lead people to miss critical details like checking a home's foundation for cracks or a water stain on the bathroom ceiling.
Having an agent at your side means an extra set of eyes looking for these dangers. Plus, your buyer's broker can help you with the math involved in determining square footage or property taxes.
Additionally, your agent can craft a list of questions for you to ask sellers, like when the roof was last serviced, what renovations have been done, and how old the plumbing and other elements are. You’ll also want to ask when the roof was last replaced and how old the electrical infrastructure is.
Financial savings via commission rebates
Any agent worth their salt can help you find properties, tour them, and craft an offer strategy. But only some agents in The Big D can provide a commission rebate.
Advancements in how people search for homes have buyer’s agents act more as advisors to homebuyers who help quarterback the transaction process. As such, this allows modern brokerages like Prevu Real Estate to pass savings onto the buyer through a commission rebate, which can help them save thousands of dollars. The value of the commission rebate goes up as the sale price of the home increases.
These savings can go a long way, sometimes totaling tens of thousands of dollars depending on the home's price. New homeowners can use the capital for remodeling, furnishings, or rebuilding savings after a costly down payment and other fees.
Advocacy for your interests as a buyer
As a buyer, you may meet a listing agent when going to an open house, but it is important to remember that they are not your agent.
While the listing agent can tick off details about the property, share stories about the area, and help you find the quickest way back to the Tom Landry Freeway, they are not representing your best interests. Listing agents have a fiduciary duty to their employer, the seller, not you.
If you share any material information about your buying journey with them, they must share it with the seller, putting you at a disadvantage.
This is why you want to work with a buyer's agent. Beyond providing you with a list of homes to check out and even a buyer's rebate after closing on a home, your agent is your trusted partner, who can help you determine whether or not to put an offer out on a home.
Organization during negotiations
While some buyers can navigate the home search and tour process independently, many need help negotiating and placing offers.
You want to ensure you're wooing sellers with an attractive offer on their home, but you don't want to overpay for a property. An agent can help you create a purchase agreement, including all terms related to the sale of the property.
They'll help you determine a fair offer price, figure out what contingencies to employ, and then create a counteroffer strategy just in case the seller balks at your initial bid.
Your agent should also be able to use the state of the home as a negotiating tool. For instance, if you find an older house in Cedars that you love but needs a new roof, your agent can help you create a strategy offering that the seller pays for repairs, or you buy the house as it is with a price reduction.
With an agent at your side, you can breathe easier, knowing you have an expert in your corner.
