5 Reasons to Use a Local Realty Company
Buying or selling a home is a huge decision. For most people, a home purchase will be the biggest expense of their life. Your next home will likely also have a huge impact on your lifestyle and day-to-day routine for years to come. For these reasons and more, it’s important to work with the right team next time you buy or sell a home. What are some of the advantages of working with a local realty company rather than a huge national firm?
#1: A local realty company knows pricing and values in your micro-market.
While there are broad state-wide and national trends that you see in the headlines, real estate is a hyper-local industry. Home values, turnover rates, expected growth, and dozens of other factors vary from one town or even neighborhood to the next. It would take practically unlimited research time to identify all the variables for each prospective home on your own, and by the time you finished with your fact-finding, chances are that the house would already be sold.
A local real estate company is best equipped to observe all those local trends at a granular level. When you’re making your next Harris County GA real estate transaction, look for a local realty company that has been working in one area for many years. They will have the best sense of what your current home and other homes on the market are really worth. While no one can accurately predict the future, an experienced local real estate agent is also best positioned to give you insights into expected changes in the values of homes in the area they work in.
#2: Local realtors know local neighborhoods and communities.
You probably have a list of “must-haves” and a wish list of extras that you are looking for in your next home. Some of those items will be specific to the home itself, like size, number, and type of rooms, or finishes. But some of the most important things about a home are not directly part of the house itself. If you have school-age children, the availability of local public and private schools and enrichment activities is a big factor. What type of neighborhood you’ll be in is important, too – will you live in a large development with lots of amenities and neighbors nearby, will you be on a larger tract of land outside of a named community, or do you want something in between?
An experienced local realty company can help you craft a list of essentials that you absolutely need from your next home, as well as those features that you’d like to have but can live without. Then they can help you identify communities and individual homes that fit your parameters. Especially if you are moving from a significant distance away, an agent with specific knowledge of Harris County GA real estate can help you zero in on the neighborhoods that best fit your lifestyle and plans for the future. After all, a local real estate agent is not just an industry professional, they’re also your neighbor.
#3: Independent local agencies have to build community trust.
A huge national real estate company with household name recognition can partially rely on its brand visibility to attract new clients. For a local realty company, it’s critically important to develop relationships in the community and provide excellent customer service. Real estate agents that both live and work in a smaller area for many years have to work hard to establish and maintain a reputation for expertise and integrity, or their businesses won’t succeed in the long term.
When you are selecting a Harris County GA real estate agent, you want to work with someone with proven experience in the area. When researching an agent, check out their reputation online, and try to get input from locals who have worked with them in the past. In a local community, an agent with a proven track record of high character and negotiating savvy will have the reputation to match.
#4: Local realty companies have connections with other local professionals.
When buying or selling a home, you’ll probably be working with several local service providers, not just your real estate agent. You may need cleaning or painting services to get your current home ready to put on the market. Perhaps you decide to purchase a home that needs some improvements to get it move-in ready. You might hire movers. And you’ll definitely want to hire a trustworthy home inspector to ensure that you don’t get any unpleasant surprises after you have signed all the paperwork for your new home.
An experienced Harris County GA real estate agent is a great source of recommendations and referrals for choosing the best companies to provide any other services you need when buying or selling a home in the area. They will know which companies provide the best services, and which have the most competitive rates, and just as importantly, they’ll know which businesses to avoid. A local real estate agent works with third-party services on a frequent basis and will have the most current information about what is available in your area.
#5: Local realty agencies know how to showcase your home to potential buyers.
Local Realtors are familiar with the housing market in the area – home values, neighborhoods, amenities – but they’re also familiar with home buyers in the area. Representing home buyers gives local real estate agencies detailed information about what people tend to be looking for in your area. This ultra-local expertise can be a huge help to you as you prepare your house for the market.
As buyer interests and priorities shift, your local real estate agent is an important source of guidance on how to present your home to potential buyers. A local agent doesn’t need to rely solely on general rules of thumb or national trends to inform their strategic decisions. They work with buyers in your area every day, so they have their finger on the pulse of what people are looking for, and can help you present your home in the most attractive light. Showing off your home to the best advantage is important both for getting the best sale price and selling your home in a timely manner.
Looking for a local Harris County GA Realtor? John Bunn Realty is here to help!
As you can see, there are a host of benefits to working with an experienced local realtor with established connections in the community. If you are preparing to buy or sell a home in Harris County, GA, John Bunn Realty is here to provide you with quality customer service and years of proven expertise.
Give us a call at (706) 662-0125 today, and find out just how much of a difference a local realty company can make!
Contact John Bunn Realty today!