An article yesterday in the Boston Globe suggested that the wealth of information available on the Internet has made using a real estate agent when buying a home less necessary.

Actually, I should be fair.  This is what the article said, exactly: 

“Many buyers still prefer to work with a real estate agent, of course - they might not have the time or inclination to do their own research. Or they decide an agent with years of experience can conduct research more effectively. But the Internet does give do-it-yourself buyers an opportunity. And that is a fundamental change.”

Okay.

But with that opportunity comes a slew of new challenges.  So let’s explore, more objectively, the value that a real estate agent brings to the table and exactly what the “opportunity” that the Internet opens up really is.

Window of opportunity

I don’t discount the power of the Internet.  I wrote a blog last year called “If you’re not using the ‘Net to buy or sell your home, you could be losing out.”  Here’s a relevant excerpt:

“A savvy real estate agent will know how to use the web to help making your home buying or selling process easier – and more successful.  At MyPhoenixMLS.com, for example, we offer free access to our Time Saving HomeFinder program (http://www.myphoenixmls.com/hot-new-listings.asp), which helps homebuyers find the right home for them in minutes a day.  Forget scouring newspaper classifieds and spending the entire weekend driving around town to find the right house; now you can have the best listings sent right to your e-mail inbox.”

But with all of the opportunities the Internet opens up, you run the risk of being overwhelmed by too much information.  It’s like trying to sort through for-sale listings in the newspaper – times a million.

The power of a Realtor

While the Internet offers amazing opportunities for home buyers and sellers, the real estate agent still plays an important role.  Consider this statistic: Nearly 67% of home sellers who sold their homes on their own say they would never go it alone again.

Granted, that’s home sellers.  And buying a home may be a less complicated/time-intensive endeavor than selling one.  But still, with all of the information that’s available on the Internet, how do you distill it all?  That’s where a service like Time Saving HomeFinder comes in.  How do you know what’s good information and what’s not?  That’s where the expertise of a real estate agent comes in. 

And best of all?  As a buyer, you don’t have to pay a thing for your agent’s time and expertise.  (Buyer’s agents’ commission comes out of the sale of the home.)