6 Reasons Why Working With An Experienced Local Realtor Is In Your Best Interests, Even When Shopping For New Construction

There are many falsehoods floating around the real estate industry these days, on both the buyer and the seller sides of the equation. But one we hear a lot from potential buyers goes something along the lines of "well, we don't really need an agent because we're buying new construction and going to save some money that way."

This is 100 percent false and here's why - buyers don't pay the Realtor's commission, the sellers take care of that. So buying a newly constructed home isn't going to save you any money during the course of the transaction.

In fact, it could actually cost a little more if you don't rely on the knowledge and expertise of an experienced local Realtor. There are many things that can go wrong as you complete your journey to home ownership at the Delaware and Maryland beaches and a Realtor is there to guide you through all potential pitfalls.

We'll discuss this more in a moment, but first we'll pause to let Oldfather Group Founder and CEO Dustin Oldfather present his thoughts on this often misunderstood topic.

So if you're buying new construction with the hope of saving some money at settlement, that's not really going to happen. But the money not withstanding, there are many benefits you'll miss out on if you don't work with an experienced local Realtor.

Dustin mentioned several of these in the above video. But just to recap:

• Community Expertise. You'd be hard pressed to find an individual with more knowledge about the local area than your friendly neighborhood Realtor. It's their job to know all of the ins and outs of the communities they serve and they pass that knowledge on to you during the course of the home buying or selling process.
• Location, Location, Location! Delaware and Maryland's coastal region has a lot of appeal for people who live outside of the area and are interested in second homes at or near the beach. But location is everything and an expert Realtor will be able to share all of the positives and negatives about dozens of local communities and neighborhoods.
• Knowledge of the Builders. There are many builders in the area, but not all are created equal. Working with a Realtor will certainly allow you to gain knowledge of the local building community that you didn't have before. Not everything is always as it seems.
• Legal Protection of the Brokerage. If you work with a licensed brokerage in Delaware or Maryland, you're provided with a good amount of legal protection should anything go wrong during the process of buying or selling a home. This may not come into play, and we certainly hope it won't, but you certainly don't want to need it and not have it.
• Your Best Interests in Mind. A licensed Realtor is bound by a Code of Ethics that legally binds him or her to work in YOUR best interest. If you bypass using a Realtor and go straight to a builder, you're going to be viewed as a consumer and not as a client. You definitely want someone working for YOU and not for the CEO of a large construction company.
• All That Paperwork. There's a whole lot of paperwork that goes into a real estate transaction and you definitely want someone on your side who can help you maneuver through this often daunting process.

These are all things to keep in mind during any real estate process, and that includes looking at new construction at and near the Delaware and Maryland beaches.

And as always, if we can help at all with your real estate journey, please give us a ring at 302-260-2000 and let's discuss your unique situation.

We look forward to speaking with you soon!