5 Reasons To Work With A Realtor

You have decided it is time to sell your current home and buy a new home. Now what? The first and most important decision of the entire process will be finding the person that you trust to guide you through the process. Real estate agents are an invaluable resource to guide you through the process and provide you with the insight to maximize the return on your home but also to protect you throughout the process. You may even be considering selling your home on your own. I would encourage you to read the 5 reasons you should hire a realtor below before making that decision.

1. Experience

   Every single real estate transaction is different. Crazy things will happen along the way and a great agent will either see it coming or know how to address the issues when they arise. Homes have lots of issues and so do people so you have to be able to work with what comes your way and make the transaction still work for all parties involved. It could be anything from a disagreement on what needs to be repaired after inspection to a change in the timeline of closing or even mortgage qualification issues for the buyer. Whatever issues emerge you need a confident agent that will work for you to get the problems resolved so that your deal can move to the closing table.

2. Network

   Agents tend to have the personality trait of gab. We talk to everybody and while it can be exhausting to our family and friends, it will seriously benefit you the client. Agents build a strong network with other agents and potential buyers. Your listing agent should be talking to everyone they know about your house looking for the perfect buyer. Your buyer’s agent is not only constantly looking at the newest listings online but is always networking with other agents to find hot properties that are not currently listed. This is crucial for the seller’s market that we have been in the last few years. Many homes will sell as soon as they hit the market (sometimes before) so it is super important to have an agent that has a strong network.

3. Knowledge

   No one knows your local market like your local real estate agents. They live it in all aspects of their lives. I get asked at least once a day, “how’s real estate?”. It does not matter where I go or whom I talking to, that question comes up. Some people are asking me on a friend level but most are interested to know because they have a major investment (their home) in the current market. Hiring a good agent will be able to guide you through pricing your home to sell based on the current market conditions as well as breaking down the comparisons of what has sold recently. If you are working with an agent to purchase a home, they can help you understand what other homes have sold for in that area and help keep you from over paying. It is easy to get caught up in the emotion of finding a perfect house and then spending more than you should. Buyer’s agents can also help you come in with competitive offers and give you a stronger chance to get the home in a multiple offer situation (which has very common over the last few years).

4. Ease

   Your home is on the market and several people are ready to see it. A huge advantage to working with a realtor is they handle the scheduling for each showing. Agents have a ton of resources and communication tools that allow other agents to be working for you by showing their clients your home. You go about your normal life, of course leaving your home clearer and more immaculate than it has ever been, and the realtors handle showings from there. An added bonus is you avoid that awkward moment, here is our home that we love but the buyer doesn’t. Your agent will also work to keep the process on track by making sure all timelines are met throughout the process.

5. Fun

   What? Good agents will help reduce the stress that comes along with making what will likely be the largest purchase of your life more relaxed and more fun. There will still be stress because it is such a huge decision but an agent that can explain the process will make it much more fun. Using the best people throughout the process will also smooth the path. Agents have a great network of associates that will help you along the way including lenders, attorneys, inspectors, surveyors, house cleaners, movers, etc. I have many clients that have become friends throughout the home buying or selling process. You communicate so much throughout the process that you become a large part of each other’s lives.

If you are considering buying or selling soon, I would encourage you to talk to an agent. They are nice people, well most of them are. Haha! You can talk to an agent and inquire about their services, costs and their approach to getting your home sold or finding you a home without committing to using them. Let the expert in the field guide you through this process so you don’t leave any extra money on the table.

Cornerstone Living

Naming this blog became quite the stressful process. I would sit down and try to come up with some options, get frustrated, walk away and try again the next day. This kept happening. I had prayed. I had googled. I had even broken out the thesaurus looking for inspiration. Nothing! Then one day while reading my Bible, God lead me to this verse:

Yes!!! I knew that this verse was the reason for this blog. If we build our lives on Jesus, our precious cornerstone, we will never be stricken with panic. Not that bad stuff will not happen or that times will not get hard but that we will be able to face what comes our way with our faith and trust in Jesus. He is our sure foundation. Following Christ gives us the foundation to face any trials that come our way. Nothing can compare to that cornerstone for our lives.

I want the blog to serve as a cornerstone for my readers to have a solid foundation when it comes to making what will likely be the largest purchase of their lifetime. If I can help my readers have an understanding of the process they are walking through then they can face whatever comes their way without panic. Y’all real estate can get crazy and no two transactions are ever the same. It is so very important to understand that one statement when you are starting the process of buying or selling. Having a reliable realtor that can guide you through your specific transaction will help greatly when those unexpected issues arise.

My goal for this blog is to help educate the real estate consumer so that they begin the process with knowledge to make the best decisions, from choosing a realtor to moving day and even after that. I would love to hear from you on what topics you would like to learn about relating to real estate. My prayer is that the information I share here will help people move forward and fulfill the American Dream of home ownership.

Welcome to Cornerstone Living

Hello and welcome to Cornerstone Living.  Do you ever get a gentle nudge from the Lord that slowly becomes a kick in the rear to take a step you didn’t see coming?  I’ve had a few of those. More that I should, because let’s be honest, I should have felt the nudge and moved. I felt the kick a couple of years ago to take that next step and get my real estate license.  This was something I had dreamed of doing for years but always let fear hold me back. I finally took that step and have loved it! I get to help my friends find their homes that they will get to do life in.  It may be their first home or the home they bring their babies to. It may be a smaller home that they are downsizing to after all the kids have moved out. I also get to walk with them as they say goodbye to the homes they have spent years in making memories.  

This is a career I don’t take lightly.  I realize I am helping my clients with the biggest financial decisions they will likely make in their life.  I have had many discussions with people who do not understand many aspects of the real estate business. Enter the most recent nudging from the Lord.  This lead to the idea to create a place where I can share not only my knowledge of the hows and whys of real estate but also all of the life that happens inside those homes.      

A little bit about me, I’m Brandi Miller and I am a licensed REALTOR® in the Birmingham, Alabama area.  Real estate has been an interest of mine for many years. My first memory of loving real estate came when I was in middle school.  My mom and I went to see a home that was listed on Wilson lake in Muscle Shoals, AL (where I grew up). It was an older white home that needed lots of work. I got so excited about the possibilities of it and how amazing it could be.  We didn’t get the house but the seed was planted for the passion that I have today. You could say that passion has carried over personally. I bought my first home when I was 22 years old. My husband and I have purchased four homes since we were married in 2004.  My friend Jennifer says we buy houses like most people buy cars. She may be correct.

I am happily married to my best friend, Shane.  We have been married for 14 years and have three kids.  They keep us busy between sports and school and friends but we love every second of it.  Well, most of it anyways. We spend our falls watching college football and tailgating in Tuscaloosa.  We love camping trips as a family. We also love Jesus and serving Him through our church, Church of the Highlands.  My faith is super important to everything I do in life and will be something that I share throughout this blog. My family loves to be outside playing sports and swimming in the summer. I love to read and attempting to grow veggies in my raised bed garden out back (similar to the one below). I’m still learning on this one but last summer we enjoyed some cucumbers, tomatoes and lots of delicious okra.

I invite you to join me on this journey and see where the Lord will lead us. Stay in the loop by subscribing to my email list below. I promise not to spam you with tons of emails. I know how annoying that can be.