In today's hot real estate market, some home sellers have decided they don't need a professional REALTOR to sell their house. Most are finding out there is a lot more to selling a house than putting a sign in the yard and running an ad. If that's all there was to it, then everyone would sell their own home. Instead, a vast majority of homeowners use a professional REALTOR when it is time to sell. Most homebuyers also use a professional REALTOR when they want to buy a home.
A typical family will purchase less than five homes in their entire life. Having a professional REALTOR as an advisor is the best way to handle such an important and complicated transaction.

Top 10 Reasons it Pays to Use a REALTOR

1. Time is money! REALTORS take away the time consuming burden of buying and selling homes. You have a life, REALTORS let you live it.
   
   

2. REALTORS are in tune with recent changes in development and zoning issues, disclosures, agency and fair housing laws, regulatory issues, financing options, and much more.
   
   

3. REALTORS use state of the art technology to assist their clients by investing millions of dollars every year in high-tech tools to make the buying and selling process efficient. Realtors now have a definite presence and tremendous exposure on the Internet.
   
   

4. Pricing a property correctly is the most important part of selling real estate. There is great value in a REALTOR'S knowledge of the market and trends in the industry.
   
   

5. Professional REALTORS are committed to ongoing education. Many REALTORS have made the commitment to obtain professional designations to further their knowledge of the complex real estate industry.
   
   

6. It is not a good idea to let just anyone into your home. REALTORS know their clients and bring quality buyers to see your home.
   
   

7. Buying or selling a home is an emotional process. It is critical to have a REALTOR coordinate the negotiations to make sure the transaction is handled professionally. When you take advantage of a REALTORS' expertise, you can feel more confident in your decisions. Let's face it, real estate is what we do -- real estate is our life.
   
   

8. REALTORS are specialists! There are many types of real estate - residential, commercial, land, farms, etc - and there are trained REALTORS ready to fill every niche market.
   
   

9. REALTORS have a strict ethical Code they must follow to ensure your interests are protected. Don't just use a real estate agent - use a REALTOR.
   
   

10. REALTORS have set up a secure lockbox system to protect your property while allowing other REALTORS to show your home to potential buyers.