Q&A: Do I need an agent to make an offer?

Zoocasa’s Ask the Pros section is where Zoocasa Users can post their real estate queries in a moderated forum and get replies from real estate professionals. The weekly Q&A is taken from the section and the featured response is a post that was provided by real estate agents and professionals using the forum. For more answers to the question from other agents, please visit the original post via the link below.

Question of the Week: Do I need an agent to make an offer? Or I can do that myself?

 

ANSWER:

Theoretically you can make an offer on your own, however, you might want to consult a lawyer first. Before making an offer, hire a real estate lawyer to draw up the paperwork to ensure certain terms are included, which protect your rights. While lawyers’ charges are based on a service rate, it can actually be more economical to hire a Realtor to take care of everything for you right from the start.

A Realtor can also give advice and counsel:

• How do you know what is a reasonable offer to make?
• What have homes recently sold for on the street?
• What is the MPAC assessed value of the property?
• Does the seller have a survey of the property?
• Does the property have any easements?

…plus many other questions that a qualified Realtor can answer BEFORE you place any offer to uncover any home’s true underlying value! Remember, the listing price is often based on the seller’s wish list and may not truly represent the home’s actual value.

Read more Agent answers.