You already know that the quality of your buyer's agent can make or break a deal. To find a quality Santa Cruz real estate agent, you know that you need to interview several agents and consider their years of experience and levels of service.
There's one thing you might not have thought to take into account when hiring a buyer's agent: the communities in which they specialize. Here are six benefits of hiring a neighborhood specialist:
1. Get insider's knowledge of the Santa Cruz real estate market: Your neighborhood specialist knows the history of neighborhood homes including who owned them and when. He knows which streets are considered the most desirable and why. He's up to date on neighborhood nuisances and their influence on home values. He's aware of pending legislation and neighborhood regulations.
2. Work with locals who know their businesses: A neighborhood agent develops a professional network of local contacts who will be very useful to you when buying a home. A neighborhood real estate agent personally knows the local home inspector, mortgage broker, title company and contractor and will introduce you to them.
3. Receive personal recommendations: In addition to understanding the local real estate market inside and out, a real estate agent who specializes in a particular area knows the businesses in the neighborhood. He can recommend the best dry cleaner, dog walker and doctor from his own personal experience. He can also tell you which businesses to avoid.
4. Save time: When you tell the neighborhood specialist the type of home you want to buy, she knows where to find that home. She knows about new homes that are not yet on the market but are coming soon. She knows which properties you should stay away from and which you should snap up quickly, if you like them. In other words, she saves you precious time you'd otherwise spend trying to find that elusive, perfect piece of Santa Cruz real estate.
5. Discover the real scoop: Want to know what's really going on in a community? Ask the real estate agent who specializes in that community. She can tell you what's really going on. She knows the quality of the schools, the condition of the roads and the amount of crime in the neighborhood.
6. Save money: The neighborhood specialist knows what makes some homes on a particular street worth more (or less) than others. He knows the supply and demand of the houses in that area. He knows how long the property has been on the market, and if it was previously on the market. Bottom-line, he knows what you should pay for a neighborhood home and the terms you should ask for.
If you're looking for an agent who specializes in Santa Cruz real estate, give me a call today at 831.662.6522 or email me at Lauren@LaurenSpencer.com.
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