When you buy or sell a home, there is a multitude of people involved in each transaction. They specialize in their roles and areas to help you get to the closing line.
You’ll likely work with some or all of these specialists during the course of your transaction, whether you are buying or selling.
Each person is a licensed professional in the state of Florida.
If you choose to work with us as your Port St Lucie real estate team, we have established relationships with all of these real estate specialists to help make your process smoother.
Us: The Real Estate Agent
The real estate agent acts as a liaison between buyers or sellers.
That is our role. As your agent, we walk with you:
- to find potential properties that meet your needs,
- list your property to find a qualified buyer,
- negotiate the pricing and much more.
We work with both buyers and sellers. Other real estate teams have developed agents with specialties that you might encounter in a transaction.
The National Association of Realtors notes that 86% of home buyers have an agent.
The Seller’s (Listing) Agent
If we list your Port St Lucie property for sale, we are in the role of the listing agent (also known as the seller’s agent).
We list property under our name and brokerage for others to find.
As your listing agent, you’ll benefit from my expertise in a variety of things:
- Helping determine the listing price of your property
- Listing and marketing the property
- Managing open houses and showings
- Answering questions from potential qualified buyers
- Guiding the negotiating of the sale price
- Coordinating the sale and closing process
The Buyer’s Agent
On the other hand, if you are looking to buy a house, our role with you would be as the buyer’s agent. We’ll help you:
- Find potential property
- Organize showings and walkthroughs
- Negotiate on your behalf
- Assist during the purchase and closing process.
You’ll often hear the term “Selling Agent.” While you might think it describes the listing agent, it describes the buyer’s agent. Selling agents represent the purchaser’s interests and are therefore also known as buyer’s agents.
Bankrate.com puts it this way:
Prior to a contract being signed, the agent representing the buyer is usually called the buyer’s agent, which makes sense. After the two parties agree to terms and the house is under contract, the buyer’s agent can then be referred to as a selling agent. Why? Because they produced a buyer who purchased the home.
BankRate
The Real Estate Broker
The real estate broker is above the agent. A real estate broker is also a licensed real estate agent, but they have undergone additional training and education to obtain a specific broker’s license. This license permits them to work independently, own a brokerage, and manage real estate agents that sign on with them.
Brokerage owners oversee the day-to-day management tasks that come with running any type of business, including expenses, payroll, and taxes. The broker is ultimately responsible for their agents’ activities and must protect the brokerage from lawsuits.
Brokers support their agents like us. We often talk with our broker about unique and complex issues that arise in transactions. They are part of our team that help us get your transaction to closing. We continually learn from our broker to bring you better service.
When listing a property for sale, you list it with the broker. Real Estate Agents are sales associates for the broker. When commissions are paid on the transaction, they are paid to the broker.
You’ll see our broker’s name in all the documentation.
The Mortgage Lender
The mortgage lender is a financial institution that gives you money to fund your mortgage loan.
When you purchase real estate and need to borrow money, you will need to get pre-approved for a loan before seeing houses and submitting offers.
Real estate buyers will likely work closely with a mortgage lender before looking at homes or properties.
There are three types of lenders you can choose from:
- Bank or Credit Union
- Direct Lender with their own money
- A broker who represents different lenders
Read more: Mortgage Brokers vs. Mortgage Bankers
If you do not have a mortgage lender or mortgage broker, we can refer you to a few that could fit your particular needs.
They are licensed in the state of Florida and are highly professional in what they do.
The Real Estate Appraiser
The real estate appraiser works independently of the buyers and sellers.
The appraiser is typically chosen by the mortgage lender as it is in their best interest to get the fair and accurate value of a home or building.
The property must appraise for the agreed-upon contracted sales price in order for the lender to grant the loan.
From conducting a room-by-room walk-through to reviewing exterior and interior conditions, the appraiser does most of their job on-site and reports back to the lender.
Buyers typically pay for the appraisal at the time of service, or it may be included in the closing cost at the end of the transaction.
The Home Inspector
Whereas appraisers are hired by lenders to determine the monetary value of a property, inspectors are hired by potential buyers to determine the structure, safety, and possible defects or damage in a home.
A home inspection is a lengthy process; inspectors are responsible for reviewing a list of 1,600 things when looking over a home.
When you use us to buy a home as your real estate agent, we have a choice of inspectors we can recommend.
They are licensed in the state of Florida and will give you a thorough report of the property’s condition, confirm the working of the systems, and point out great homeowner care tips to maintain your property.
The Closing Agent
As your transaction comes to an end, you will be working with either a title company or an attorney that specializes in real estate law.
Florida is a title state and attorneys are not required. Other states require a real estate attorney.
The Closing Agent is the one responsible for all the right calculations for the right numbers in the right boxes, the right documents with the right wording, and all the final paperwork necessary for the completion of your transaction.
That would include all the documents related to your loan, all the documents related to your title work, and calculate all the math to give you the final numbers to bring to closing, or the final numbers on your sale.
Your Real Estate Team
All of these different roles have an important part to play in your real estate transaction. If you have never bought or sold a house before, work with us as your real estate agent to help smooth the process.
It is our promise to walk with you from that first call to the closing line.
