Once you have decided to buy a home, you may decide you want to work with a broker or an agent. Brokers and agents provide a variety of services to home buyers. These include education, legwork and guidance.

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The good news about buying a home is that you don’t have to go it alone. You can work with a broker or a real estate agent. They come in different shapes, sizes and more importantly – personalities.

I’m Ilyce Glink and welcome back to Expert Real Estate Tips dot net. Today we’re talking about how why it’s generally a good idea to use a real estate agent when you buy a house.

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The best part about using a real estate agent or broker is that he or she can be your eyes and ears and monitor what’s going on in your neighborhood of choice.

Great agents will evaluate homes that go on the market to see if they meet your needs. That way, you don’t waste time.

Your agent will guide you, make appointments for you to see homes, chauffeur you around and provide helpful information about school districts, local neighborhoods, and other demographic data.

When you do find the right house, your agent will help you put together the offer, negotiate the deal, and provide assistance in setting up your home inspection.

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The whole point of using an agent is to have someone knowledgeable help you through the process of buying. If you’ve never bought a house before, it’s a big, expensive decision. Having a great agent along for the ride can only help.

While I think using an agent is generally a good idea, it’s not necessarily the cheapest way to go. You may want to use a discount agent or an internet company that will refund part of the commission back to you when the deal closes.

What you never want to do is try to buy a house unrepresented. Then, either you’ll be on your own completely, or the seller’s agent will become a dual agent and represent both you and the seller at the same time.

For more information about buying and selling a home, visit my Web site, Expert Real Estate Tips dot Net. I’m Ilyce Glink.