When searching for a new home in Georgia, you may not be aware that you could technically do it on your own. Georgians are not legally required to hire a real estate agent to assist in finding and purchasing a home. However, if you ask anyone at Frank B. Pallotta Law, the first thing we’re going to recommend is to start interviewing realtors.
Interviewing real estate agents may sound like a daunting task but, most of the time, all it takes is simply asking your friends and family if they know a good realtor and you’ll probably end up with a longer list than you anticipated. If that comes up with little to no results, we would be happy to provide recommendations of real estate agents in Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton and surrounding Metro Atlanta counties.
Why Hire a Professional?
A highly skilled real estate agent will help you navigate the real estate industry. They will have a team in place to guide you through one of the largest financial investments of your life.
To make sure you know who you’re going into business with, start by researching online, ask about everyone on their “team” and learn what techniques they use to get their buyers on the winning end of every purchase.
One question that is usually overlooked is who they use as their closing attorney. The most important phase of purchasing real estate is the moment the legally binding contracts are signed so it’s worth researching the real estate lawyer who will be processing the transaction.
Remember you are the CEO of your home search! Everyone you hire to guide you through the process, works for you.
Benefits to Hiring a Real Estate Agent
Money is the obvious benefit to hiring a real estate agent for both buyers and sellers. It’s understandable why so many people may initially think that having a middle man between buyer and seller is a waste of money but there are major financial benefits to realtors. Realtors know negotiation. As an unrepresented home buyer, you may miss huge opportunities just by simply not knowing what you can negotiate and what you cannot; what increases your home value and what does not.
Money aside, real estate agents do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. We all know moving is a major transition and, unfortunately, the world doesn’t stop just because you are moving. You will be juggling more than usual, adding legal documents into the mix without a professional keeping you on track could get dicey. Important things that real estate agents are trained to handle might slip through the cracks.
At the end of the day, your investment is too important to not hire a real estate agent.
The final step in your home buying process is the closing. Behind every successful real estate agent is a highly skilled real estate attorney that takes over to process the transaction in a peaceful and fair manner after the selling price and terms have been established.
Georgia Law Requires a Real Estate Attorney
Although Georgia does not require a realtor to buy or sell a home, all closings must be conducted by a licensed Georgia real estate attorney. Since we already know that closing on a home requires you to sign stacks of legal documents, you’re going to appreciate having that person in the room to help you understand what you’re signing and agreeing to.
If you decide to buy your next home without a real estate agent, just note that you are still required to have a real estate attorney present at closing. Frank B. Pallotta Law would be happy to help you through that! Give us a call today and let our expert team guide you.
