Rather than handling the sale or purchase of a house alone, consider the benefits of hiring a real estate agent familiar with the local Nashville area. Whether you’re looking at downtown Nashville real estate or heading out to the suburbs for Belle Meade homes, having an experienced realtor like Janelle Waggener can ensure that your deal proceeds smoothly with maximum benefit to you.
How a Nashville real estate agent can help you
A personalized guide
Whether you’re buying or selling, the housing market has many moving parts. For buyers, there’s finding the right house out of dozens of listings, choosing a neighborhood, putting in an offer, arranging inspections, and handling the closing paperwork. Some of those elements are the same for sellers, but they also have to handle listing and marketing their homes, scheduling showings with potential buyers, and finding a new home at the same time.
At any point, if something isn’t handled correctly or goes wrong, hiring an experienced real estate agent familiar with Nashville can make the entire process go more smoothly. Working with someone who knows the area means they can point you in the right direction so your children attend the best school or you find the best location for easy access to an active lifestyle. A realtor also knows how to see past some distasteful home decor to the potential of a space or how to stage your home to appeal to potential buyers. Your agent will act as your own personal guide to the housing market, always working in your best interest and helping you achieve the best deal possible for your situation.
Selective home listings
For buyers, sorting through the sheer volume of houses listed for sale can be daunting. Let your agent handle that for you. They will weed through all of the houses and take out the tiny cottages that won’t accommodate your family, the houses that don’t fit your budget, or the ones that are out of your desired neighborhoods, sending you only viable options that you’re likely to want to see in person. Since agents network with other realtors, it’s also entirely possible that they will hear about a new house before it officially hits the market, allowing you to be one of the first to attend a showing, providing the opportunity to get a bid in early.
Assistance with financing
Having financing completely lined up in advance can be game-changing for homebuyers in a competitive housing market. If you’re struggling to get approved, a real estate agent may be able to help. They likely have connections with loan officers at the bank or have the experience to help guide you through the process and recommend loans you might be eligible for. Knowing that your financing is secure can make your offer more appealing in a multiple bid situation.
Unbiased advice
Buyers sometimes picture themselves building a new life in a home, and due to that emotional connection can overlook potential issues and romanticize the house. Sellers can get caught up in memories and resist updates that may help sell the property or refuse an offer that they feel doesn’t acknowledge the house’s personal history. Real estate agents, however, are unbiased and can help keep you on track. They can point out that while the bonus room would make a lovely nursery, you’ll be much less happy with the faulty plumbing. They can recommend that while the lovely University of Tennessee’s orange in your son’s room is a great representation of his football scholarship, buyers would probably prefer a more neutral color. These opinions can do more for you in the long run than sentiment and provide the perfect counterbalance.
Access to a network of professionals
Hiring a real estate agent gives you access to their network, which provides names of repair professionals who can solve any maintenance issues that arise, other agents representing buyers or sellers, and even the location of the best steak in town. Those connections can do wonders for a deal, helping things go more smoothly by heading off concerns before they evolve into issues.
Insight into the housing market
There are constant changes in the real estate market — rules, regulations, popular locations, even trending aesthetics — and staying up-to-date takes time and effort. Real estate agents, however, always know what’s going on, particularly those who specialize within the area you’re working, and can share that knowledge with you, using it to get you the best deal possible. This can involve adjusting the staging, directing buyers toward a particular growing neighborhood, or updating contracts and other paperwork if the laws shift. They can even advise you to sell now or wait three months to buy based on how busy the market is.
Trained negotiators
Any realtor worth hiring is trained in negotiation, and they will use that skill on your behalf. They can ensure you get the best price, reasonable contingencies, and even help you craft a nuanced offer that will snag attention in a multiple-offer situation.
Marketing houses for sale
If you’re selling your home, marketing it properly is key. This starts with staging it — painting the walls a neutral tone that invites potential buyers to imagine themselves in the space, choosing and arranging furniture that shows different rooms off to their full potential, and even recommending some renovations or updates that are likely to gain a return on the initial investment are all lucrative steps to take. The next step is getting quality images, so it’s important to bring in a photographer specializing in real estate, as they will know exactly what angles, filters, and lighting will highlight different rooms.
When the house is ready, a realtor has access to various MLS sites and can list your home so that it will be seen by as many people as possible. Then they can promote it across offline platforms, like newspapers or local community magazines, and on social media, posting numerous times a day with graphics designed to attract attention. There’s a science behind marketing, so having a team that’s experienced in this can significantly impact the sale of your home.
Problem solver
It’s unfortunate, but something always seems to go wrong right before a crucial moment in the selling process. Your realtor will know just how to solve any problems and who to call. Their connections mean they can find you a plumber at 2 a.m., a landscaper the day of a showing, or they will simply know how to solve a funding issue that could crash the whole deal. Knowing any problems will be handled promptly can provide you with a lot of peace of mind.
Paperwork expertise
Closing on a house means a lot of paperwork, regardless of whether you’re the buyer or the seller. That paperwork needs to include plenty of legal clauses and wording to protect you, and all of it must fit into laws and regulations to ensure that the deal is done properly. Real estate agents have this area covered, ensuring that your deal abides by any rules in place and keeps you protected from trouble down the line.
Ready to partner with your Nashville real estate agent?
Hiring Janelle Waggener Partners Real Estate provides you with a team of experienced, licensed agents familiar with the Nashville area and dedicated to getting you the most out of your real estate deal. They will act as your personal guides in buying or selling Nashville real estate from marketing to closing. They will be available for any questions and ready to problem-solve any issues that arise so that you can focus on building the next chapter of your life.