Buying or selling your next home is a big financial and emotional commitment. That’s why it’s so important to have an agent in your corner, helping you along the way.
Theoretically, you could buy or sell a home without an agent. But we don’t recommend it. Realtors have the expertise to help you prepare a killer deal. All while avoiding delays or costly mistakes that can seriously mess you up. (Closing on a real estate transaction usually requires dozens of forms, reports, disclosures, and other technical documents.)
Given the financial stakes, as well as the emotional and time commitments associated with buying or selling a home, we believe that you should always use a real estate agent. And in today’s hyper-competitive market, using Ruckart Real Estate makes even more sense. Whether it’s helping you find your dream home, reducing the stress associated with the process, or ensuring you get the best financial outcome possible, our aim is to help you realize all of your home ownership goals.
Why you should use a buyer’s agent
The mantra we use when we act as a buyer’s agent is “Love Where You Live.” We leverage our expertise, our knowledge of the market and our connections, to make that happen for you. When you work with one of our buyer’s agents, he or she will:
- Help you find a property you can afford and want to live in
- Help you put together a compelling offer and negotiate it on your behalf
- Recommend other professionals you may need to work with, such as a mortgage lender, real estate attorney and home inspector
- Guide you through any potential problems, such as a low home appraisal or inspection that brings unseen issues to light
Furthermore, we maintain extensive networks and often know about properties that meet your goals before they come to market
(And FYI, both the buyer’s and seller’s agents are paid by the home seller when the deal closes, so you the home buyer receive all these benefits without paying any out-of-pocket costs.)
In a Zillow survey, buyers who hired agents reported these as the top-three, highest-valued activities provided by their real estate agent:
- Organized and submitted the paperwork associated with purchasing their home. (87% of buyers with an agent said this service as very or extremely valuable)
- Took buyers on private home tours (84% said this was highly valuable)
- Led contract negotiations (84% said this was highly valuable)
FYI…not only do we submit paperwork on your behalf, we KNOW the contract. Ask any agent on our team what the highlights are of Section 5 for example and they can tell you. And we really know a lot about the DNA of a house, the condition, what might need to be fixed soon as well as the in’s and out’s of all the major neighborhoods in and around Richmond.
Why you should use a seller’s agent
When you work with Ruckart Real Estate to sell your home, we leverage our proven process to ensure you get the best possible outcome for your situation. We advise you on setting the proper price and any work required to get your home ready to list. We market your home across our platforms, with Open Houses and across our extensive professional network. Once your home is under contract, we act as your advocate throughout the process; negotiations, inspections, paperwork–our goal is to turn a complex and often stressful situation into a smooth operation.
It’s critical that you trust the team listing your home. Our listing team has over 30 years of experience in the Greater Richmond market and a track record of strong results. Ruckart Real Estate sold 137 homes in the past year with great results.
Our founders Brad Ruckart and Tommy Waterworth are involved in every listing, so you can feel comfortable knowing their experience, combined with our team’s proven methods, will ensure you net the best possible results.
You might be tempted to avoid a real estate agent, save the commission, and just sell your home yourself—also known as “for sale by owner” (FSBO).
While this may sound tempting, the risks of going it alone likely outweigh the benefits. Here are some of the biggest risks of FSBO:
- few potential buyers (let alone qualified buyers)
- making emotional decisions
- pricing your property incorrectly
- not knowing how to negotiate properly
- not having enough free time to dedicate to finding a buyer.
One of the biggest risks of FSBO is not having the experience or expertise to navigate all of the legal and regulatory requirements that come with selling a home.
In addition to these potential risks and the amount of work required by the seller, independent research shows that FSBOs sell for 5.5%-6% less on average.1 Whereas sellers who list with us average selling at 107% of list price.
Find an Agent Who is Invested in Your Goals
As valuable as the professional competencies our agents bring to the table are, we believe that the human element is even more important. Our agents are personally invested in your goals and will help you devise a plan to achieve them. Furthermore, all of our agents are Realtors™ adhering to a Code of Ethics which obligates them to work in the best interests of our clients. Whatever it takes to ensure your satisfaction, our agents (and our entire team supporting them) are there to make it happen. We do not take lightly the trust you place in us and will work tirelessly to earn it every day. Click here to meet our agents and let us work with you to make your homeownership dreams come true!
1Collateral Analytics, a provider of real estate analytic products, studied real estate sales that occurred in 2016 and 2017 in 13 counties across the U.S. and used a model to control for property differences such as age. The company found that FSBO homes sold for an average of 5.5% less than comparable homes listed on the MLS.
