"When homeowners are ready to sell a piece of real estate, they generally turn to a realtor first to help them advertise and sell the property. When homebuyers are purchasing a home, though, few think about hiring a realtor or buyer's agent to help them through the process. A realtor, though, can help homebuyers in several ways:

1) Networking. Realtors often know about properties before they are widely advertised. This means that when you work with a buyer's agent, you may be able to start the buying process before many other buyers know about the property.

2) Real estate and neighborhood knowledge. Realtors know a great deal about neighborhoods in their area and about homes. A buyer's agent can help you steer clear of homes and areas of the city that would not match your needs or lifestyle. This can help you avoid a costly mistake.

3) Legal, financial, and paperwork help. Buying a home requires a lot of work ? such as arranging the legal transfer of the property. An agent can take care of all the paperwork for you. A buyer's agent can also help you figure out which homes you can afford. All this can save you time and money.

4) Pre-screening. If you are house hunting on your own, you are responsible for sifting through the thousands of available properties in your area to look for the few homes that actually meet your needs and requirements. This can be very time-consuming and stressful. A realtor, on the other hand, has the resources and experience to do this part of the work for you. A buyer's agent will track down the properties that have your requirements, so that you can work on honing in on possibilities rather than feeling overwhelmed by choice.

5) A buffer between a homeowner and homebuyer. A buyer's agent is an impartial third party and this can be a big help. As a homebuyer you want the best price and the best value, while the homebuyer wants to get the best price for their home. A realtor can communicate with both parties so that everyone wins. If there are any disagreements, the realtor can work to resolve them.

6) Savings. An agent can help you negotiate for a better price. Since a realtor you hire is on your side, you can rest assured that the professional you have chosen will work with you to get you a fair price on the property you want.

A good realtor can help make the home buying process simpler, more time-effective and even less expensive. Just as most people wouldn't sell a home without the professional help of a realtor, you may want to consider a real estate professional the next time you want to buy a property. "