Don Walker: Let a REALTOR® handle your home deal

Are you aware of the services that a REALTOR® can provide when buying or selling real estate? You might be surprised to find that these professionals know just about everything you will need to make buying or selling a home a smooth event.

One of the most important things a REALTOR® can bring to both buying and selling aspects is knowledge of the current market in real estate. They can tell you current cost of homes that have just been sold, where these homes are located and whether it was a good buy for both sides of the transaction. REALTORS® know the facts of the transactions that occur daily.

They know the value of the properties that are for sale. They also have the facts that protect a buyer or seller of similar homes. The Multiple Listing real estate system was invented to foster facts buyers or sellers can rely on when making such a major decision.

REALTORS® have many marketing tools that can tell their client the good and not-so-good points of a property for sale. They track the latest information that can tell if the prospective buyer is getting a good buy at the asking price.

New listings and sales occur every day and your choice of an expert to aid your search is part of the service a buyer or seller receives. This information is available via computers that provide daily information about the home for sale.

Through the Multiple Listing Service of the Spokane Association of REALTORS®, a property listed with one real estate firm is available to all members via computers. This provides fast information about the properties. This can make a difference in who finally purchases the home that several people are hoping to buy. Wait too long and the sought after home may be sold before you can react.

Both buyers and sellers often need someone to talk to. A knowledgeable third person who knows the real estate business can often be a valuable source of information and save a sale.

Newspaper advertising by the various real estate companies provides a large number of homes that may be just what the buyer would be seeking.

If you are selling, chances are that a REALTOR® you decide to hire to find a buyer will have it sold shortly. Timing is very important. Find a REALTOR® you wish to negotiate the transaction for your sale. They know what they are doing. Experience will make all the difference in your transaction.