Real Estate Agents...Are They Really Necessary?

As a rookie to investing in buy and hold properties you may be asking yourself the question. Do I need a real estate agent?  

Speaking from my own experience, the answer is YES.  When you are just starting out there are SO many different areas of investing in buy and hold properties that you can't know everything.  That's the reality. Even if you think you do, you will find quickly that you don't.   

Finding a right real estate agent to join your team can be the ticket to being successful as an investor.  Think about it, they know the area they're working in inside and out.  They have premier access to listings both that are on the MLS and pocket listings-houses that haven't been listed yet. 

If you're on this site you probably dream about being a full time investor.  The reality is that most of us, including me, have full time jobs, families, hobbies, etc. that take up most of our time and we are trying to squeeze in this investing gig with the hope that we can one day do it full time.

The problem is to make smart investments, a ton of time must be given to doing in depth research and analysis about an area, industry, rental markets, housing trends, etc.  Most of us barely have enough time to do what's already on our schedules.

A realtor is an answer to our investing prayers.  They can give you the information you need about an area, about a rental market, about housing trends, appreciation statistics, vacancies rates and much more.   

So if you're still wondering whether or not you need a realtor, I hope I have persuaded you to find one.

Now the question is how to find one. 

Ask around. Yes, you can get online and do a google search to find area realtors; however, I truly believe the best way is to ask around for referrals. Find out what people have to say about them.  Why they enjoyed working with them and why perhaps someone didn't.  

The other tip that I have when it comes to finding a realtor is to try to find one that has experience with investors.  Investors and primary home buyers are very, very different.  Our goals and timelines are so different, that finding a realtor that works with investors makes it easier for your goals to align with theirs.  

We've used real estate agents in both our investing and primary home buying experiences and have been so pleased with what they have been able to not only offer us but teach us about buying real estate.

Happy Investing!