On average, it takes over five months to buy a home and an additional 30-45 days to close on it once you’re under contract. However, the timeline can vary widely depending on the professionals you choose to partner with, your financing needs, the type of home you’re looking for, the time of year, and the inventory in your local market.

Since buying a home is one of the largest investments you make, take time to make an informed decision.

Many homebuyers seek the assistance of a real estate agent to guide them through the process and prevent any delays. Here’s how you can fast-track your home buying process with their services.

Time-Consuming Steps of Buying a House

The following steps can make buying a home more time-consuming. To move quickly through these steps, it’s best to partner with a professional real estate agent.

Searching and Finding a Home

Everyone wants to find a home they love. However, if there’s a low inventory of houses meeting your criteria, finding the right home can take a long time. According to a 2020 report, 23% of home buyers said that searching and finding a home in their desired location was difficult or extremely difficult.

Getting an Offer Accepted

In a competitive market, since buyers a competing for relatively few homes, you can put in offers on multiple homes before you get an offer accepted. This is also possible if you’re buying through financing and competing against several cash buyers.

According to a 2020 report, 42% of buyers made many offers before they succeeded in buying a home.

Negotiations

It takes time for a buyer and a seller to reach an agreement that satisfies both parties. Various rounds of counter-offers and negotiations relevant to appraisals and repairs are likely to be more time-consuming.

Financing and Pre-Approval

Having a cash offer can accelerate the home buying process. However, financing requires time to get pre-approved and have the appraisal and loan underwriting completed.

A study demonstrates that 18% of buyers found it difficult to locate all their personal documentation to get a loan. Moreover, 18% had difficulty going through the underwriting process with their lender.

What a Real Estate Agent Does

Real estate agents are licensed professionals who have your back in negotiations and help you make an offer on a home.

If you decide to do the following tasks independently, the home buying process will take more time, and you may fail to find the best deal as well as a good property. Here’s what real estate agents do:

• They find homes that fit your needs and budget. Though real estate search sites can provide you with a sampling of the available properties, you’ll have to research if the asking prices are justified depending on the asking prices of comps. Your realtor can help you with this and save you time.
• Real estate agents discover facts about a neighborhood, especially ones that a seller may not reveal that could be important to the buyer.
• They negotiate an offer, such as the price and other clauses in the purchase agreement.
• They supervise a home inspection, help identify any repairs and negotiate the asking price with the seller.
• They manage the paperwork that may have complex jargon and difficult-to-understand terms.
• They request and review the seller’s disclosures. Due to a lack of knowledge and experience, homebuyers don’t know what to ask for and what sellers in their state are required to disclose.

Benefits of Hiring Real Estate Agent Services

Though anyone can shop for a house without hiring real estate agent services, they can match you with the perfect property faster. Here are some of the top benefits of working with a real estate agent.

Ethical Consideration

Though not all real estate agents are members of the National Association of Realtors, those who are a part of this group abide by a code of ethics. The code strictly stipulates that real estate agents deal honestly with all parties.

Under this code, they’re obliged to put the clients’ interests ahead of their own. They’re also obligated to make full disclosure of the issues with a property and advertise truthfully.

Pricing Expertise

Most real estate agents set a price on a home as soon as they walk into a property. With years of experience in the market, they understand how well a neighborhood holds its value. Moreover, they know whether a particular house is underpriced or overpriced.

In most cases, agents will have a good idea of what the buyer is looking for, and they won’t waste time touring houses that won’t work.

Thorough Record Keeping

In certain states, licensed real estate agents are required to have a record of all documents in all transactions for several years. While buyers may keep files, they can count on their agent to keep that information safeguarded and organized in case there’s any trouble with the property in the future.

If you’re looking for a credible real estate agent and loan officer in Texas, head over to Z Finance Solutions. Their team offers home buying services.

Their services also include residential and commercial property investment tips, financial advice for property investment, home buying assistance programs, and home loans for first-time homebuyers.

Schedule a consultation to find out more.

About the Author

The author has been in the real estate industry for more than ten years, focusing on residential and commercial properties in Texas. She has worked with Z Finance Solutions to help homebuyers in Texas find the best home buying assistance program and give them investment tips.