Hiring Help

The pros and cons of different Realtor types, as I see it:

Specialist:
Knows the area well, and has seen the inside of many local homes, so has a better idea what to expect in terms of local comps. Knows or has network to find out any special circumstances about a home (such as Paul mentioned in yesterday’s comments….eeeewwww). May be too narrowly focused to realize there are other neighborhoods that fit a buyer’s needs which are less pricey. Likely biased toward particular developments.

Generalist:
If you aren’t tied to a particular area (i.e with kids in a school district) a generalist might be able to give you a broader view of the market. Generalists tend to have a better idea of overall market trends, and can likely spot signs of good vs. troubled neighborhoods more easily. Because they know what money can buy in various parts of the region, they know a good deal when they see one.
Side note: I’ve never really understood why a specialist couldn’t help someone looking in a different area. When we first moved here a friend had referred us to their family friend who specializes in East and Midtown Sac. What exactly is so specialized about the process that they can’t unlock doors in a different neighborhood?

Discount:
For folks who are tech savvy go-getters and have a strong sense of what they are looking for (probably not first time buyers), this option is great.

Go it Alone:
Not sure there is any incentive to do this. A buyer’s agent’s commission is written into the seller’s contract. In this case, hiring a discount broker would be better, since they would return some of the commission to you.
Only time this might be a good strategy, is if the seller is not working with an agent. Then both parties can save money by cutting out the middle man (i.e. if we were to purchase our rental from my landlord, we know the home and the area well so an agent would be of minimal assistance….but an RE lawyer would still be a good idea).