Buyers and sellers give high marks to real estate agents for the expertise and professionalism they bring to the real estate transaction.

According to the 2004 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, in the ultimate sign of satisfaction, eighty-four percent of home buyers and eighty-two percent of home sellers would probably or definitely use their real estate agent again or recommend the agent to others.

Over 80 percent of sellers chose a real estate agent to sell their home in 2004.

In 2004, more than seven out of ten home buyers used a real estate agent in their home purchase. Almost 60 percent of buyers say they expect real estate professionals to help them find the right house to purchase.

Ninety-five percent of home buyers in 2004 said their real estate agent's knowledge of the purchase process was very important, and more than four out of five home buyers were satisfied with the knowledge and expertise of their real estate agent.

Today, home buyers and sellers need real estate professionals more than ever to guide them through the complexities of the transaction. Information technology puts a wealth of information about real estate on consumers' desktops, and most consumers turned to real estate professionals to interpret it.

Even with so much real estate information so easily available through the Internet, more and more consumers are turning to real estate professionals to assist them in the transaction. In fact, ninety-three percent of Internet searchers relied on their real estate agent for real estate information, compared with 79 percent of non-Internet searchers. The difference suggests that the Internet is being used as one of several sources of information that complement the work of the real estate agent.

Less than a decade ago, a home could be bought with a two-page contract. Now consumer-mandated seller's disclosures, environmental and structural reports, and other legal documents have made home transfer very complicated. The typical sale of a home today involves more than 20 steps to complete the transaction. Real estate professionals work with contracts daily and understand how they affect the interests of their clients and customers.

Consumers continue to find value in having a real estate professional help them through the home buying and selling process. The wide variety of services real estate professionals provide are proving ever more valuable in real estate transactions, especially in light of new financing twists and sales contract intricacies.

Courtesy of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and The Houston Association of REALTORS®