While you can view properties at open houses, you certainly won’t get to see the entire breadth of the available market without the help of a buyer’s agent. The one certainty that exists in choosing who to work with is that not all agents are created equally. Buyers agents are there not only to show you properties, but to help you negotiate once you find a property, direct you to service providers who will help you complete the purchase, guide you through the closing process and help you as you settle into your new home. No longer are agents the gatekeepers of the information in the housing industry, but their role has shifted even more so to advisors. The value that the agent brings to the process is broad and personal, and so you should seek out the best possible advisor for your situation that you can. And remember, that in 98+% of all transactions, the fee for engaging that advisory is payable to them out of the proceeds of the sale, meaning you won’t have to come out-of-pocket to engage an agent.