With the Internet and web sites like realtor.com, branded real estate company sites (Century21.com, etc.) and real estate news sites (Inman.com, etc.) there is a plethora of information coming at you like suitcases falling downstairs.

This is a great advance both for Realtors and consumers. Realtors can spend more time guiding buyers and sellers through the complicated process of buying/selling a home, negotiating the best price, and continuing their education on new legal requirements. Consumers are more informed about the realities of the market… what is priced well and what is not, what features they want and what features don’t matter to them, school information, community amenities, etc.

Does this avalance of information lessen or increase the need to use the services of a Realtor? Contrary to what some people think, I believe that all this data *increases* the need for a professional Realtor.

Gone are the days when the purchase contract said, “I love the house… here’s all my money and my signature.” There are many disclosures, inspections, reports to decipher, contingencies to be removed, etc. A Realtor is trained in these things, and knows how to interpret them to the consumer’s advantage.

In today’s litiginous society, where people are filing real estate lawsuits over real or imagined injustices faster than you can say “juris doctorate”, a Realtor is your best representative against getting involved in one these time-consuming and expensive situations.

In this Information Age, arm yourself with the best information available to you from the Internet, the many books on the subject, magazines and periodicals. An informed buyer or seller is a better buyer or seller.

Then call a Realtor!