With everything available online these days, people frequently ask, “Why should we hire a real estate agent?” They are curious if they couldn’t buy or sell a home through the web without a licensed broker. While some non-brokered transactions work out, many don’t. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider hiring a professional real estate broker:

1. Education & Experience You don’t need to know everything about buying and selling real estate if you hire a real estate professional who does. A good broker will only bring qualified buyers to your home if it is for sale. On the buyer’s side, he or she will spend time learning about what you are looking for in a home and comb through the MLS listings to find places that are worth your time to review.
2. Neighborhood and Regulatory Knowledge Our agents know every neighborhood on the Central Oregon Coast. They can identify comparable sales for you, in addition to providing you with information on the community. For example, you may know that a home down the street was on the market for $359,000, but your broker will know all the details — if it had any upgrades and that it ultimately sold for $297,000 after 93 days on the market and two price drops.The Central Oregon Coast offers a multitude of neighborhoods and locations each with it’s unique appeal. Our properties range from the right on the beach ocean fronts to mountain vista homes. In between are many on rivers, bays and lakes. Each home or building site is evaluated for view, with ocean front, bay front and river front being generally higher in value.Along with the great views are the challenges. Anywhere near the water there may be building restrictions and cautions. Lower lying areas may be subject to periodic flooding and require special home owners insurance or may be considered not build able by County regulations. The closer to the ocean the higher the maintenance of the home due to high winds and salt air. Certain geological hazards do exist in certain areas, such as slides caused be unstable ground. The flood issues and geological hazards are clearly identified by County and State officials. Getting timely and accurate information to a Buyer is the job of a well trained real estate broker. Water services are another area of concern. The Coastal cities all have regulated water systems. In unincorporated areas between the larger towns, community water systems serve and are monitored much like the municipal providers. Water wells are common in areas not served by public systems. These vary in style, cost and reliability. Again it is the job of your broker to help determine the quality and function of the well through the use of professional inspectors. Larger towns have municipal sewage treatment plants to serve the residents. The other 40% of homes in Lincoln County are served by on-site-sewage disposal systems (septic). This is one of the greater challenges here on the Coast. Soil conditions, square footage of land and topography all play a part. Your real estate broker practicing on the Coast is well versed in the regulations and is a key player in developing accurate information on septic systems using licensed contractors. Local knowledge is critically important when Buying or Selling on the Oregon Coast.
3. Price Guidance Contrary to popular belief, brokers do not select prices for sellers or buyers. Instead, a broker guides his or her client to make the right choices for themselves. Selling agents will provide buyers with all the data (average per square foot cost of similar homes, median and average sales prices, average days on market and ratios of list-to-sold prices, etc) to help them choose a price. Then based on market supply, demand and the conditions, the broker will devise and discuss a negotiation strategy.
4. Negotiation Skills Top producing brokers negotiate well because, unlike most buyers and sellers, they are skilled at removing themselves from the emotional aspects of the transaction. Good brokers are not messengers, delivering buyer’s offers to sellers and vice versa. They are professionals who are trained to present their client’s case in the best light and agree to hold client information confidential.
5. Paperwork Today’s purchase agreements run 10 pages or more. That does not include the federal- and/or state-mandated disclosures nor disclosures dictated by local custom. One tiny mistake or omission could land you in court or cost you thousands.

Learn more about how Windermere West Coast Properties approaches selling real estate on the Oregon coast. And get in touch with any questions you may have.