COGnitions

19 June
2024
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The Value a COG Buyer’s Agent Brings to Your Home Search | By Jeff Hamilton

When embarking on the journey to find your dream home, especially in a competitive market like Boston, having the right buyer’s agent on your side can make all the difference. Each of our agents can help our clients confidently close on what is typically one of the most significant financial transactions of their lives. At COG, we take great pride in offering a higher level of professionalism and service than the vast majority of real estate agents in America. We’re not the types to tout accomplishments in your face but there’s no shortage of deal experience within the walls of our Back Bay office. Since 2015, we’ve done more than 500 residential real estate transactions and counting.

Nuanced and Hyperlocal Market Expertise

Real estate agents are licensed to do business within a state. Many travel far and wide to offer their services to anyone who will take them. At COG, we pride ourselves on offering a “hyperlocal approach” to the business that allows us ample opportunity to source and uncover unique insights in small areas which are shared with clients daily. From the best school districts to emerging areas poised for growth, our knowledge will guide you to make informed choices tailored to your needs and preferences. These insights are simply not available if you don’t focus your time and attention on specific areas day in and day out.

By providing clients with the raw data and the anecdotal ammunition they need to make decisions, we add value far beyond what clients can find on their own through MLS, Zillow, Trulia or Redfin. For example, by working intimately in our core areas we know if a particular listing has been on the market before, with a slightly different address, or if there is a comparable “pocket listing” that is not yet available online and might be a better fit for you. 

 

  • We help prospective buyers determine a realistic budget
    • Research varied financing options
      • Not the least of which could be grants or incentives to cover closing costs or even downpayments for first time buyers. 
  • Skilled negotiation tactics to make sure bids are complete and informed by real market activity,

And for past clients, we recognize a significant amount of their net worth is tied to real estate and we encourage them to treat their property like they would any other investment – by monitoring markets quarterly and checking in routinely with their COG advisor.

 

Education & Inforamtion Surrounding the Process

We educate our buyers on local regulations, zoning laws and property taxes, helping you understand any obligations and potential restrictions. We also help to process due diligence concerns (i.e. what is normal/standard for homes and associations). 

 

Connections to other reputable real estate-related services/professionals

These include: 

  • Lawyers
  • Lenders
  • Contractors
  • Inspectors
  • Movers
  • Cleaners
  • And many more
  • Don’t forget to ask us about the best restaurants in your area of interest!

This doesn’t even address the dozens of hours we spend every year acting as confidantes and psychiatrists to our clients who may be going through stressful personal and financial circumstances.

 

We always say, our relationship does not end when a sale closes. We remain available to our clients for years as advisors as to how the market is doing or how the trends are evolving in real estate. For example: Does it make sense to take on a home improvement project? Ask us and we’ll tell you how we think it might impact the value of your home.