Reasons for buying a house with a Realtor’s help

Nebraska Realty agents are professionals who work on your behalf and advocate for your interests. In most cases, sellers have a real estate agent working for them so you want someone on your side who has your back in negotiations and can help you understand the complex lingo in contracts, for example. 

Paul Vojchehoske, a licensed Realtor with Nebraska Realty in Omaha, says that unless you’ve been through the process of buying property before, it’s a better idea to go with a Realtor than not. Even experienced property buyers should use a realtor's help.

“There are too many legal loopholes and fancy terms that can get overwhelming and confusing for someone who’s not well-versed in the real estate business,” Vojchehoske says. “It seems too risky, considering real estate agents are there on a daily basis to help people make decisions, using their experience and continuing education requirements.”

Here’s what you’ll have to do yourself if you buy a house without a Realtor:

  • Find homes that match your budget and needs. Property search sites give you a sampling of what’s available, but you’ll have to research whether asking prices are justified based on comparable home sales in the area.
  • Dig up facts on a neighborhood, including ones that a seller might not disclose that could be important to you.
  • Negotiate an offer, including the price and other clauses and contingencies in the purchase agreement.
  • Navigate the home inspection, and negotiate repairs or credits with the seller.
  • Decipher paperwork that could be filled with complex jargon and terms you don’t understand.
  • Request and review seller disclosures. You might not know what to ask for or what sellers in Nebraska are required to disclose.

Horror Stories

If you’re not careful, you could end up paying thousands of dollars more for a home going it alone. One of a Realtor’s key tasks is to run a comparable sales analysis (called “comps” in real estate speak) of homes that are similar in size, condition, and age to the home you want to buy.

A Nebraska Realty agent will evaluate the prices of homes that are currently on the market and those that have sold in recent months to determine whether a seller’s asking price is in line with market data. Otherwise, you could end up overpaying for a home.

You could also wind up with a home that has serious issues, having to sink money into repairs without help from the seller because you didn’t have an inspection contingency in place or, worse yet, skipped the inspection altogether.

Save Time & Headaches

There are a lot of moving parts that go into buying a house, so you’ll want to ensure you have all the details down. Using an agent from Nebraska Realty can save you time and possible headaches down the road. After all, the buyer’s remorse and money lost if you make mistakes will be more painful.