7 Reasons Your REALTOR® Will Be The Most Important Person In Your Life

Because...do you actually know the difference between a "quiet title suit" and a "quitclaim deed"?

1. When buying or selling a house, a REALTOR® takes on fiduciary responsibility. In other words, it's their job to protect you.

With real estate laws and procedures being incredibly complex for someone with no professional experience, you are vulnerable to being taken advantage of financially or contractually without someone working for you who wholly has your best interests at heart.

2. REALTORS® follow a Code of Ethics that other agents do not.

We always hope that the people we hire are scrupulous individuals, but when it comes to hiring a REALTOR®, you know you will be working with someone who subscribes to a strict standard of ethics that boils down to remaining transparent, fully aware of the right and wrong way to do dealings, and promoting the interests of their client (that's you!).

3. They aren't just hoping that you sign a home contract; they truly want to connect you to your dream dwelling.

Your REALTOR® not only knows all the ins and outs of the real estate biz but is also always on top of the up-and-coming neighborhoods and has their finger on the pulse of the latest technologies available in the housing industry. That means you'll have far more options than if you were doing all of this solo, and those options will be tailored to much more than just your budget.

4. They will listen to your wants, needs, and deal-breakers to guide you through the entire process without missing a beat.

When you say "I want to live in an affordable pre-war cottage, but I also cannot live without my nightly baths," your REALTOR® will hear, "I need you to find us a place that's old but not so old that the plumbing needs to be completely redone from scratch." Their ears are trained to catch all of the details that may slip between the cracks for someone who simply doesn't know which questions to ask at which property.

5. Buying or selling a house requires a level of negotiating power that, honestly, they have MASTERED.

You may think that because you haggled a $20 hat down to $10 on a trip once that your negotiation skills are up to par, but no matter how persuasive you are, the fact is you need extensive knowledge of real estate contracts, laws, and paperwork to not only negotiate successfully, but negotiate for the right purchases in the first place.

6. They will walk you through absolutely every part of the process and be there to help when you feel a little lost.

Yes, there are a ton of pages of important paperwork that go along with buying or selling a home, but your REALTOR® works as your personal translator so that you don't get confused by contracts riddled with tricky real estate terms.

7. They can literally help you fulfill your dreams.

Let's face it: Owning a home is a common component of the American dream for a reason. Not only does it mean you have complete control over the place which you and your family can relax and be yourselves, but it basically acts as the ultimate savings plan, with ownership interest accumulating as you pay down your loan amount each month.

Working with a REALTOR® gets you that much closer to this, with far less responsibility on your shoulders.

Illustrations by Son Tuyen Huynh © BuzzFeed

If you're buying or selling a home, a REALTOR® is the difference between a happy ending and a cautionary tale. Find the REALTOR® for you with the California Association of Realtors.