According to the National Association of Realtors 2009 Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers, sellers largely want agents to:
- price their home competitively
- find a buyer
- market the property and sell within a specific timeframe.
The survey notes:
- Reputation was the most important factor in choosing an agent, cited by 36 percent of respondents, followed by
- trustworthiness at 21 percent.
NAR found that home buyers thought the most important services agents offer are:
- helping find the right house
- negotiating sales terms and price.
The most commonly cited benefits of using an agent are:
- helping buyers understand the process,
- pointing out unnoticed features or faults
- negotiating better contract terms
- and providing a better list of service providers.
Comparable to sellers, buyers chose agents based on a referral or had used them in a previous transaction, with trustworthiness and reputation being the biggest factors in selecting an agent.
Buyers use a wide variety of resources in searching for a home:
- 90 percent use the Internet,
- 87 percent rely on real estate agents,
- 59 percent yard signs,
- 46 percent attend open houses and
- 40 percent look at print or newspaper ads.
Although buyers also use other resources, they generally start the search process online and then contact an agent.
Source: NAR 2009 Survey of Home Buyers and Sellers is available free of charge to Realtor members at www.realtor.org