DAVIDSONVILLE, ANNAPOLIS, EDGEWATER, ARNOLD AND SEVERNA PARK REAL ESTATE
In most reports about the gang-busters records set during the just-finished holiday shopping season, a lot of attention was given to the shifting nature of buying and selling. Bricks-and-mortar businesses did alright—but most of the gains in commercial activity were set online. No surprise, there—at least not to the shops and big-box stores who’d seen it coming and built websites accordingly.
Those of us who labor in Annapolis real estate have long since adapted to the technology that empowers consumers so successfully. It had once been argued that, by opening free public access to multiple listing data and asking nothing in return, Realtors® were giving away the keys to the kingdom (and to our own livelihoods!). When everyone can easily canvass Annapolis listings to find the properties that match their specifications, what would be left for agents and brokers to contribute? Grim forecasts predicted the inevitability of a downward spiral for the profession as a whole.
What has actually happened is a lesson in the danger of jumping to conclusions—and a sharpening of perception about what’s most valuable in the buying and selling of Annapolis real estate. The preliminary steps in that process are undeniably of great value—and the process of identifying fitting homes for sale has become vastly more efficient by allowing buyers to scour the current listings. Being able to do it from their own homes on their own schedule is just frosting on the cake. And it’s also now true that real estate’s professionals are no longer indispensable in that process—at least in its preliminary stages.
That being the case, why do buyers still overwhelmingly decide to sign on with Annapolis real estate agents when they’re committed to buying a house? Forbes magazine’s Real Estate Council member Tony Acosta addressed that issue in a forward-looking essay on the value proposition real estate agents will provide in the decade to come. His answer was detailed, but the main point can be summarized simply. For buyers, it’s straightforward: having a licensed real estate professional in their corner means they are spared having to master the complexities of the formal homebuying process. They can rest easy that no overlooked detail will gum up the works, unnecessarily delaying or derailing the sale. For the Annapolis homebuyer, having a pro on their team is nearly like having an insurance policy for the transaction. As for the “value proposition”—it’s one that’s hard to beat. Since the agent’s commission is paid from the seller’s proceeds, the value proposition is: it’s free!
Sellers have a set of more self-evident reasons—but that’s a discussion for another day. In the meantime, when buying or selling a Annapolis home is in your sights, I hope you’ll give me a call!
DEBORAH LAGGINI, Long and Foster Real Estate, Annapolis, MD 21403
CELL 410.991.6560
EMAIL [email protected]
REALTOR, Annapolis, Davidsonville, Edgewater, and Surrounding Communities