50+ Ways REALTORS Help Buyers

Think you know what your real estate agent does? Here are 50+ ways your agent can help when you’re buying a home:

1. Help you identify your buying goals and expectations 
2. Lead you in developing your wish list, prioritizing your must-haves, nice-to-haves and must-nots
3. Recommend the ideal timing to buy home, balancing what’s best for you with what’s happening in the market
4. Help you secure financing by introducing you to lenders and mortgage brokers
5. Send you listings of homes for sale
6. Identify potential homes, neighbourhoods and opportunities you may have overlooked
7. Help you understand which government programs and rebates you qualify for 
8. Preview properties on your behalf
9. Coordinate and schedule in-person showings 
10. Tour you through homes virtually via Zoom or video 
11. Introduce you to new neighbourhoods
12. Help make sense of financing options and the costs of owning a home
13. Recommend the best real estate lawyers and home inspectors to help with your purchase
14. Sift through property records and MPAC to understand the legal status of a home
15. Introduce you to homes that are for sale but not on the MLS
16. Provide market valuations and prepare a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) before you make an offer 
17. Educate you about land transfer taxes, legal fees and closing costs, so you don’t have surprises on closing day (Related: All About Closing Costs)
18. Help you estimate and plan for the ongoing expenses of owning a home 
19. Help keep your emotions in check – falling in love with a home is great, but not if it means overpaying or making a risky decision
20. Provide negotiating strategy options and recommendations
21. Help educate you through every step of the process
22. Ask the hard questions about the home you are interested in buying: is this the right home for you? Can you afford it? What pitfalls should you be ready for?
23. Find out as much as possible about the history of a home, how often it’s been sold and for how much
24. Mediate the (sometimes) complicated relationships between spouses and others involved in the buying process 
25. Help you manage the stress and emotions that normally occur when buying a home
26. Protect your legal interests at all times
27. Go into scary basements to help assess a home’s potential pitfalls
28. Perform due diligence on properties you are interested in: from calling listing agents to checking on open building permits, easements and more. 
29. Obsessively update the MLS to see new listings that you might be interested in
30. Educate you about schools and daycares in the neighbourhoods you’re interested in
31. Help you understand how prices have changed over the years and what to conservatively expect in the future
32. Help you navigate the speed bumps that can occur when buying a home
33. Provide current market intelligence, beyond the monthly statistics. What’s really happening out there? 
34. Develop strong relationships and communicate with the listing agents of the homes you are interested in, 24/7
35. Help you see the future potential of a property: what can you do to increase the value of the home if you buy it?
36. Prepare you for a bidding war…what can you do to win? (Related: Bidding Wars: Get Your Head in the Game)
37. Help you understand the legal paperwork, what you’re signing and why (Related: Understanding Legal Paperwork for Home Buyers)
38. Negotiate the price, conditions and terms of offers, always in your best interest.
39. Help manage the disappointment of not getting the home you want
40. Coordinate delivery of your deposit to the Seller’s real estate brokerage (Related: All About Deposits)
41. Attend home inspections 
42. Read seller pre-listing home inspections, highlighting any red flags
43. Read condo status certificates, noting any concerns (fyi, your lawyer will ultimately provide you with guidance on this) 
44. Manage required waivers and amendments for offers with conditions
45. Coordinate with appraisers and assist if things don’t go as planned. (Related: All About Appraisals)
46. Connect your lawyer with the Seller’s lawyer so they can facilitate the closing
47. Celebrate a successful purchase 🙌
48. Connect you with tradespeople and the home service professionals you’ll need after you take possession of the home
49. Accompany you on visits to your soon-to-be home before closing so you can measure rooms and plan furniture/renovations 
50. Hold your hand through to closing day, navigating any issues that arise
51. Celebrate with you after a successful closing 🍾