Kansas City Real Estate - Great Your Ready to Buy! Now What?

Your ready to take the big leap. You have researched the areas of Kansas City real estate and know a bit about the neighborhoods in which you want to look. You have a list of needs and wants. You’ve used the mortgage calculator and know how much you can afford. You’re ready. Absolutely ready to go and find that perfect home here in Kansas City. Here you go…

Wait! What about a Kansas City real estate agent? Sure, you could go it alone, surf the internet, check the papers every day and try to hit as many open houses as you can. But what about properties which perfectly match your wish list that aren’t common knowledge? You’ll never even know it was available, because you didn’t have a real estate working for you on the inside.

So, how do you find a Kansas City real estate agent? One who cares, one who knows the Kansas City area, not just someone who can put a fast deal together? How do you find the other professionals in your life? Probably through your friends or co-workers. If your friends and co-workers own homes, chances are, they used a realtor or a broker here in Kansas City. Ask them for a referral. Ask them what they liked about the real estate professional. What would they have done differently? Did they like how their agent or broker worked with them to find a property that matched all of their needs and most of their wants? Your friends should be able to give you an honest opinion and help you set off in the right direction.

Maybe you are new to the Kansas City real estate market and don’t have the benefit of friends’ or co-workers’ opinions? This is where Kansas City Premier Apartments can help with the dynamic services of The Urban Living Center of Kansas City.

While we believe that Urban Living Center can handle your every real estate need, we still urge you to indentify the real estate agent that is going to work for you and keep your best interests in mind. We advise you make an appointment with each Kansas City real estate professional and interview them. Sounds silly, doesn’t it? But think of it this way: your real estate agent or broker will be helping you make the biggest investment of your life. Do you really want to trust that to someone with whom you’ve barely spoken? Of course not!

To start off, you want someone who will listen to you. Not pretend to listen, really listen. They should be able to repeat back to you what you’ve said and should be making notes. Second of all, is this the real estate agent’s primary occupation? For the agents at the Urban Living Center it is. Some agents or brokers have full time jobs in other arenas and only use real estate as a secondary pursuit. Would you want a part-time dentist or neurosurgeon? We thought not.

When you’ve found the agent with whom you’re comfortable, you are ready to enter into a contract. New dilemma. What type of contract should you sign? Your best bet is a buyer’s agent contract, the exact contract that Urban Living Center of Kansas City offers. This means that your agent is working for you and your interests only. This is the best way to brave the Kansas City real estate market

An alternative is the dual agent contract. The only benefit to this type of contract is that, because the realtor is working both for the buyer and the seller, he or she cannot put the seller’s interest above your interests. Unfortunately, it works both ways. The real estate professional can’t put your interests above the seller’s interest either. So what about your interests?

We think it is in your best interest to avoid the seller’s agent contract. This means, as the name implies, that the agent is working for the seller of the home. They are not going to be able to put your interests first. In other words...find a top notch buyer's agent.

Of course, you can avoid all of this stress by contacting our partners at the Urban Living Center of Kansas City. With dedicated experts in all areas of the Kansas City real estate market, they will be able to assist you in finding your dream home.

Notice: The advice we offer are strictly the opinions of Kansas City Premier Apartments, Inc. and are intended for entertainment. Without personal knowledge of the reader's specific personal, professional or financial background, it is impossible to offer intelligent advice to the reader as an individual. As such, the author and publisher disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, that is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and applications of any of the contents of this article on the reader's part. If you seek legal advice please contact your attorney or for more information on contracts regarding sellers and buyers agents, please visit the Real Estate Commissions website at: http://pr.mo.gov/realestate.asp for Missouri and http://www.accesskansas.org/krec/ for Kansas.
Kansas City Premier Apartments, Inc. does not render legal brokerage of any kind in either Kansas or Missouri.