Re/Max At The Crossing: Home Buyers Shopping for a House Online Should Still Use a Realtor

by Matt Keating

When it comes to looking for a new home, what homebuyers see (online), isn’t always what they get. Navigating the home buying process takes more work than just picking out your favorite home online, and a Realtor can help guide you past the pitfalls.

“There are so many homes listed for sale on the Internet, but homeowners looking at photos for a house they are interested in buying are not seeing everything,” Realtor Phil Hotle says.

Websites don’t always take into account the amenities that a home may have, advises Hotle. He also cautions that photos of the listing may look great, but the surrounding area may have drawbacks that you can’t see on-line. There may be power lines in the backyard of a house, or a junky car in the neighbor’s yard.

Home buyers should also beware of over inflated home values on some real estate websites. An experienced Realtor can help you determine the best offer to make so you don’t overpay or risk losing out on your dream home to a higher bid.

According to a study by The National Association of Realtors, while 99 percent of millennials cited using the Internet for their home search, buyers still worked with an agent 87 percent of the time. Hiring a Realtor you can trust is key to not just finding the right home to buy, but also making a good offer and seeing it through to closing.

“Home buyers still need to work with a Realtor and go out and see the house they want to buy,” Hotle says. For help avoiding the homes that are too good to be true, and finding the one that’s right for you, contact Phil Hotle at RE/MAX At The Crossing.