When you’re in the market for a new home, it’s hard to avoid the temptation to look online for houses—scrolling through them endlessly like any other social media feed. While websites like Trulia and Zillow offer a glimpse into the real estate market, they often fail to provide what you actually need when searching for a home. To navigate the market with ease and find a home that truly fits your needs, we recommend working with a local licensed real estate agent.
Real estate agents bring value to the house-hunting process by sharing his or her expertise and providing excellent service every step of the way. Through their training and hands-on experience, real estate agents have a wealth of knowledge regarding their local area—including tax rates, school districts, water and utility costs, and more. Check out these three reasons why house hunting with a real estate agent will benefit you throughout the whole process.
We have a wealth of local knowledge
Real estate agents know the ins and outs of local neighborhoods, school districts, and neighboring towns and cities. This type of knowledge is invaluable, especially for home buyers who are new to the area. We can give you the inside scoop on the neighborhood and community in addition to the house! Lancaster County homes for sale on Trulia might look great in photos but often lack the meaningful context to its surrounding area.
We’re expert negotiators
A real estate agent works hard to secure the best deal on your home. Homes listed on Zillow will highlight the asking price, but we can accurately assess whether that asking price is fair, advise you on how much to offer, and handle any further negotiations. Let us negotiate for you! We’ll be your number one fans throughout your entire home-buying journey.
We make the paperwork painless
The home-buying process entails an abundance of paperwork. Wading through it on your own can be burdensome and potentially open the door to costly errors. As professionals in the real estate industry, you can trust that we are familiar with the various paperwork and can ensure it’s completed correctly.
While websites like Trulia and Zillow can be great launch pads when you start looking for a home, using them as a primary source of information can increase the likelihood of pitfalls. By teaming up with a real estate agent to house hunt, you can avoid these downsides of online home search engines.
They rely on dated information
While sites such as Trulia and Zillow do not thoroughly vet information, we rely on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which is much more reliable. Often, we see houses that are pending or in pre-foreclosure show up on Trulia or Zillow—even though they may no longer or not actually be available.
They lack human touch
Setting search parameters on a real estate website doesn’t allow for the opportunities individuals have through their networks. Realtors may know about a house just outside of your budget but with a seller who is willing to negotiate. That house may never show up on your search because it’s “too” expensive. The same goes for a house in a great neighborhood that is just two blocks outside of the ZIP code you entered. Real estate agents have a widespread network and the ability to search beyond computed generated parameters—ultimately, giving you the best chance of finding a home that truly meets your needs.
If you are looking for homes for sale in Lancaster, PA, reach out to the Jeremy Ganse Team! Our experienced real estate agents would love to help you find the home that’s right for you. Contact us or call (717) 208-4240.
Jeremy Ganse, Realtor
RE/MAX SmartHub Realty
930 Red Rose Court
Lancaster, PA 17601
717-208-4240 (Cell)
717-208-4444 (Office)
877-271-5520 (Toll free)