You've Hired a Real Estate Agent to Find a Home: Now What?

Employing a real estate agent offers an ideal first step for those who want to buy the perfect residence, and for good reason.

With a real estate agent at your disposal, you'll be better equipped than other homebuyers to find a wonderful house at a price that matches your budget. Plus, your real estate agent will be able to help you navigate each stage of the homebuying process.

What should you expect after you hire a real estate agent? Here are three things that will happen:

1. You'll narrow your home search.

What are you looking for in the perfect house? Ultimately, you'll need to narrow your home search to ensure that you can discover your dream residence without delay.

Luckily, your real estate agent will allocate the necessary time and resources to help you narrow your home search. By doing so, you'll be able to move one step closer to finding a first-rate home that you can enjoy years to come.

2. You'll visit a wide range of high-quality houses.

Your real estate agent will set up home showings and keep you up to date about open houses in your area. That way, you can stay on top of the housing market, browse a broad array of top-notch residences and find one that suits you perfectly.

As you browse houses, don't forget to provide your real estate agent with questions. This will enable you to make a more informed decision about how to proceed following a home showing or open house.

Furthermore, your real estate agent wants feedback to guarantee that you can explore houses that correspond to your lifestyle and budget. And if you view a home that fails to meet your criteria, let your real estate agent know immediately. This will make it easier for your real estate agent to find houses that meet or exceed your expectations, and as a result, may help you accelerate the homebuying process.

3. You'll submit your first offer on a home.

If you've reviewed a variety of houses and find a residence that you would like to purchase, now is the perfect time to submit an offer.

Your real estate agent will offer recommendations to ensure that you can submit a competitive offer on a house. In addition, this real estate professional can provide details about how long a home has been available, if a home seller has lowered the price of a residence recently and other factors that may impact your initial proposal.

Submitting an offer on a house can be stressful, but you can always reach out to your real estate agent for support. Your real estate agent will keep you up to date about whether a home seller accepts, rejects or counters your offer. And if you receive a "Yes," your real estate agent can help you take the next step toward acquiring your dream home.

Before you begin a home search, hire a real estate agent – you'll be happy you did. A real estate agent can simplify the homebuying process and help you achieve your homeownership dreams.