I absolutely love the Internet.

Last month I was looking for a birthday present for a family member. I decided to buy a portable stereo so they can easily take it with them through the house while cleaning or doing other things. I spent an hour or so online learning the differences between my options, and then I went to the store to buy it.

When I got there, I was ready. I didn't need any help, but the sales person insisted that I look at a specific stereo. I didn't even consider the idea of a stereo with wireless speakers. Wireless speakers really worked better
than my original idea and the stereo was on sale so I save some money too.

What's the moral of the story? Even though I can, and should educate myself online, there are still experts out there that will guide me to make better decisions. This is even truer with real estate.

Buyers and sellers can try it themselves, but the truth is that working with an expert with experience is always worth the cost. Here are a few reasons that you should use a Realtor when looking to buy or sell real estate.

1. Knowledge
Realtors work with real estate every day. Good Realtors spend most of their time thinking about the industry and educating ourselves on the market and latest real estate trends. If you're looking to buy a home without a Realtor you may miss out on an opportunity that a Realtor could identify that you won't. We also can help speed up the home buying process.

Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com Guide, writes, "For example, you may know that a home down the street was on the market for $350,000, but an agent will know it had upgrades and sold at $285,000 after 65 days on the market and after twice falling out of escrow."

2. Network
Experienced Realtors have a professional network of service providers to help with the home buying and selling process. This includes everything from reputable vendors to retail outlets that offer the best pricing for home decorations.

3. Negotiation
This is one thing that your Realtor should be really good at (and
one more reason that you need an experienced Realtor). It can be difficult to negotiate because you're invested in the outcome. An experienced Realtor will represent your needs and still stay emotionally removed enough to ensure the best outcome. This is the most important part of your transaction and it will benefit you to have a skilled negotiator to help you.

4. Pricing and value
While Realtors don't determine what buyers should pay for a home, they can show you the best value based on the price point. Experienced Realtors should have visited many more homes than most buyers and sellers because this is our job. We're in the market daily and know when a home has recently been reduced or fallen out of escrow.

5. Paperwork
If you've ever bought a home then you know the paperwork is enormous. If you've never purchased one, get ready because it can be overwhelming. Using a Realtor helps you to understand what the paperwork is, when it needs to be in, and its importance in the transaction.

The bottom line is that while we live in a do-it-yourself world, we still need experts to help us make good decisions. You can do it yourself, but it you do you need to recognize that you may be leaving a lot on the table.

For all of your Real Estate needs
The Evelyn Bruder Team is here to assist you.
Evelyn Bruder, CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO, Las Cruces' Only Cyberstar

Visit our comprehensive one-stop website for all the Real Estate Information you are looking for. For information about The Evelyn Bruder Dream Team, what we do and how we can provide all of your real estate needs, visit our real estate services page.