Now that we shop online for everyone, not only has life become more convenient, but we’ve cut out a lot of middlemen that we used to use. Since the time it became easy to book plane tickets and hotels, travel agents have been phased out to a great degree. Many people wonder if the same thing will happen to real estate agents. Is there even a point to working with a real estate agent, when you can look up homes online anyway. With Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, and dozens of other websites offering homes for sale. do you really need an agent to buy or sell a home in Portland?

Real Estate Agents are not going to go by the wayside. The services offered to buyers and sellers are more valuable than just helping to search for homes.

Here are some reasons why home buyers and sellers in Portland still need agents

Your Real Estate Agent is a Pricing Expert

We’ve all seen the Zillow estimates (for better or for worse), but the fact is, a computer can only make comparisons based on square footage and the general area. It doesn’t know all the other details that make a huge difference in the selling price of a home.

For instance, it doesn’t know if the walls are a pleasant neutral or psychedelic pink, if the cabinets are custom made or of big-box-store quality, or if there’s a cat’s litter box smelling up the whole house – and it doesn’t know that two identical homes across the street from each other may have different values because one falls into a different school district than the other

The computer also doesn’t know if changes are coming to the community – such as the construction of a landfill or a new shopping center.

Armed with this type of inside information, your local real estate agent can give you better advice about how to price your home, or what to offer on a purchase.

Your Agent has up-to date info on listings

Since those websites allow homeowners to post their own listings, and since no one monitors those listings, you’re apt to find homes listed that have been sold long ago. That’s a feature that’s frustrating for you as a buyer – and for the agent receiving requests from their buyer who wants to see those homes. Your agent will have up-to-the-minute information about the status of home listings and sales. We also have access to “pocket listings”, pre-market listings from our network of agents.

Your Agent will Professionally Market your Home

With more than 90% of buyers looking on line to choose the homes they want to see, the photos and property descriptions are important. We have a network of professionals to take photos, videos, and prepare marketing materials, including social media campaigns.

Your agent Knows the Paperwork

Most buyers and sellers are amazed at the number of seller disclosures required and the number of details that must be addressed in a purchase and sale agreement. Without completing these forms properly, buyers and sellers are leaving themselves at risk of a future lawsuit.

Your Agent is a Skilled Negotiator

If the day comes when homes are priced with a “take it or leave it” sticker, just like a can of peas on a grocer’s shelf, agents will be slightly less valuable. For now, negotiation is a big part of the process, and it involves a human touch.  Does the computer know the seller’s motivation? Does it know whether the buyer is willing to walk away over an extra $1,000?

Your Agent will Step you through from Agreement to Closing

You will certainly find houses online, and may even be able to connect with a seller or buyer, but that is just the beginning of a real estate transaction.

The real work comes in managing all those tasks and challenges that occur between agreement and closing. No computer program on earth can take the place of an agent who knows how to explain those steps; how to give reassurance when the going gets tough; how to locate and gain cooperation from the right people when there’s a glitch in the title; how to coordinate people and events so everything gets done on time; how to smooth ruffled feathers when buyer and seller are at odds; and a dozen other things. At Robbins Realty Group, for each transaction, we have a list of more than 300-steps we follow meticulously to ensure that the transaction runs smoothly–this is just one of the ways we fulfill our commitment to deliver exceptional service to everyone we work with.

Should you use onine resources? Absolutely! Take advantage of them to get a general idea about the homes for sale and the price ranges in the area of Portland that interests you. Then contact us to get the facts and the assistance you need to successfully purchase or sell a home.