Most home buying and selling guides are out of touch with market realities. They inevitably recommend that consumers cut their Realtor's commission, or cut Realtors out altogether, to save money. The problem is that it's not practical or profitable to do that in most cases.
The National Association of Realtors has shown through numerous studies that people who buy or sell homes without the assistance of a Realtor inevitably lose money. For example, only 13 percent of home sellers in 2005 conducted their own transactions, but the numbers speak for themselves. The median home price for sellers using their own agent was 16 percent higher than homes sold for-sale-by-owner. Using median home prices for the year, that's $230,000 versus $198,200.
Now NAR is telling the story that others won't tell -- that there's a better way to buy and sell and it all begins with hiring a good Realtor.
The National Association of Realtors® Guide to Home Buying and The National Association of Realtors® Guide to Home Selling are the first official guides from NAR that show consumers how to navigate the complex home buying and selling processes while using the considerable collective data and knowledge from NAR, its members, and other real estate industry experts.
Whether a consumer is a first-time buyer, lifestyle-adjusting or investment-minded buyer, consumers can get information from the Guide to Home Buying on how to get the best possible home at the most affordable price and terms. The guide provides practical advice on everything from mortgage and financing alternatives to picking a great location to negotiating with sellers and planning a stress free move. The comprehensive guide book presents a variety of options for buyers to consider during each step of the buying transaction and provides consumers with a complete picture of the buying process so they can make the best decisions.
The Guide to Home Selling details what home owners need to know and the steps they need to take to ensure the best possible offer. The guide book presents a variety of issues for consumers to consider when deciding to sell including how to prepare their home for showings and open houses, setting the right price, working with offers and closing the sale.
"Realtors® help home buyers and sellers save time and money, and these publications are full of information and advice on how to take the mystery and stress out of the real estate transaction while working as a team with your Realtor®," says NAR President Pat Vredevoogd Combs of Grand Rapids, Mich., vice president of Coldwell Banker-AJS-Schmidt. "Real estate professionals and consumers alike will find these guides an excellent refresher and roadmap into the overwhelming amount of detail that is involved in the home buying and selling process."
Both guides walk the reader through the steps of the home buying and selling processes and include useful checklists and guidelines. The guide books also explain the differences between real estate agents and Realtors® and the essential role Realtors® play in the real estate transaction. Information on locating a local Realtor® is also included. The guides are ideal to suggest to homebuyers and sellers, or to give as gifts, or as door prizes at homebuying and selling seminars.
The NAR guides were written by Blanche Evans, editor of Realty Times, and author of Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill. Ms. Evans is a well-known advocate for Realtors who has been recognized by the NAR as one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate." She is a popular speaker at industry, franchise and association events where her topics include, "You Can Win The Commission Game," "Rookies: How To Get More Listings And More Buyers," and "The Conspiracy To Put You Out Of Business And What You Can Do About It." This year, she has recently been featured in several new books, including Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received, Donald Trump; Your Successful Real Estate Career, Ken Edwards, and Ripping The Roof Off Real Estate, Mollie Wasserman.
NAR partnered with national publisher John Wiley & Sons to produce and distribute the guides to consumers. The NAR's guide books are sold under the REALTOR BenefitsSM publication brand.
"Realtors® have industry expertise, and our partnership with Wiley extends the NAR brand directly to consumers through Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com," said Bob Goldberg, senior vice president of marketing and business development at NAR. "Our goal is to help boost the Realtor® presence in the real estate marketplace and remind consumers the key role Realtors® play as their advocate in the transaction."
The Guide to Home Buying and Guide to Home Selling are available for purchase at the Realtor® Store, realtor.org/store, or by calling NAR's order department at 800/ 874-6500 (select option 1) or through major retail and online booksellers.
