Should You Hire a Local Realtor When Buying a Home?

Philadelphia Real Estate Podcast With Jack Barry

When you buy a home, it’s incredibly important to work with a local Realtor. Local agents, like me, know the area best.

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When you buy a home, it’s incredibly important that you hire a local Realtor who has boots on the ground.
Why?
Recently, a list came out with the top 10 zip codes in Philadelphia.Properties are really moving in these 10 zip codes, and I’ve lived in seven of them. I have the inside track on what’s happening in those areas.
For example, we recently had some clients who were from out of town. They came to Philadelphia, looked at a property, and asked, “Why has this home been on the market for 53 days? The price is great and it has everything we want—why is it still on the market?”
Since I know the area, I was able to answer them. This particular home is across the street from a supermarket, and the supermarket’s loading dock faces the house.
That means from 3 to 5 a.m., truckers come in to unload their products. If these buyers worked with an agent who didn’t know the area, they would have wound up with a rude, early wake-up call.
Before you hire an agent, make sure that you interview two to three Realtors. Make sure that they know the area. I go to a lot of zoning and community civic association meetings because they tell me what’s coming down the line. I also go to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission meetings to get an idea of what’s happening in the next two to five years.
So, hiring a local Realtor with boots on the ground is always your best bet when buying your home. That’s not necessarily the case for sellers, but that’s another video.
In the meantime, if you have any real estate questions, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!