Realtor or Attorney...Who Should You Use?

I'm the dumb realtor that says, "You don't have to use a realtor when purchasing a property." There are multiple things to keep in mind if you are debating on using a realtor or not using one. 

If you choose not to work with a realtor, having a good understanding of the market where you are looking to buy is a good place to start. If you're looking at SFH, figuring out months of inventory to determine what type of market you are sitting in (buyers/balanced/sellers). Also, having an understanding of what market rents are or should be so if you find a property that is underrated you know you'd have the opportunity to increase rents.

I would advise on working with a real estate attorney that has been in business for a while and nothing against the attorney in my example. Just want to throw out the example out there for reference. I was able to source an off-market deal in Des Moines, IA. The seller was unrepresented using a real estate attorney (I'm not sure how long they had been a real estate attorney). We negotiated back and forth before coming to an agreement and going under contract. Something this attorney did, in my opinion, as a disservice to their client was increase the number of inspection days my buyer had to inspect the property, made the seller pay for a radon inspection test (not standard in Iowa and doesn't need to occur), and almost delayed closing because the abstract needed rebuilt (Iowa is 1 of 2 states that has an abstracting process, this could have been done before listing the property to prevent a delayed closing, partly could be the sellers fault as well).

If you end up not using an agent when purchasing a home, have a good real estate attorney in your corner and research to understand the market and where rents are sitting.

If you don't have the time to research the market or simply just don't want to, it might not be a bad idea to use a realtor who has an understanding of the market so you don't make an uneducated buying decision.