Subscribe and receive email notifications of new blog posts.
RSS Feed
- 2026 | 17 Posts
- 2025 | 49 Posts
- 2024 | 50 Posts
- 2023 | 36 Posts
- 2022 | 53 Posts
- 2021 | 63 Posts
- 2020 | 77 Posts
- 2019 | 1 Posts
- 2018 | 2 Posts
- 2016 | 3 Posts
- 2015 | 8 Posts
- 2014 | 1 Posts
- 2012 | 1 Posts
- 2011 | 2 Posts
29
Why you need a REALTOR® in a shifting market
Maybe you're a first-time home buyer just wading into the real estate market, or maybe you've purchased dozens of properties over the years and are looking to sell and downsize. Whatever your real estate experience level, an important question to ask yourself is whether to use a REALTOR® to buy or sell.
Think about it for a second. What happens if there's an issue with the inspection? What happens if there's an issue with the appraisal? What happens if there's an issue receiving funds at the closing table? Having an experienced REALTOR® by your side through the home buying or selling process offers you peace of mind so you can focus on your next move.
That's true at any time, but if anything, the pandemic has only reinforced the simple answer: yes, you do need a REALTOR®.
As we explained last month, Alabama's Gulf Coast is seeing an expected shift back to a pre-pandemic real estate market. And while the market is shifting, the need for a REALTOR® becomes crystal clear.
In shifting markets – markets moving from favoring sellers as we've seen the past two years to a neutral or buyers market – successfully listing or purchasing a property hinges on negotiation even more so than normal. More than likely the recently sold properties around a potential listing were sold in a different market, making a realistic list price of a home more difficult to determine as well as what a competitive offer would be for the property.
While the average American moves every five years or so, fulltime REALTORS®, members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) who agree to abide by a code of ethics, handle that number of transactions in the span of just weeks or months. Each one of those transactions is different and provides the REALTOR® with valuable information about the market and real estate process – valuable information that was gained during many different types of markets and the shifts between them. REALTORS® are trained negotiators with the experience needed to do so effectively in any type of market.
While nationally fewer homes are selling and the average number of offers on a home is decreasing, the market's still competitive – just trending toward not quite as competitive. The trend is happening along the Gulf Coast as well. A majority of the blocks in Vital Signs are still indicating a sellers market, but we're seeing more hyperlocal markets across both counties trending neutrally or toward buyers.
Not only can REALTORS® best help you negotiate buying or selling your home during a shifting market, they can also provide the guidance needed to help your transaction run smoothly. Lenders, title companies, appraisers and inspectors all play important roles in the transaction process whether you're buying or selling, and experienced REALTORS® already have established relationships with several in your community to provide you support throughout the entire process.
