Why You Need a Real Estate Consultant, Not An Agent

If you didn’t realize that a real estate consultant is different from a real estate agent, you’re not alone. Agents are so ubiquitous that it’s easy to read the phrase “real estate consultant” and think to yourself, “real estate agent.” Aside from the fact that a real estate agent is required to hold a license and pass certain exams (a consultant is not), they also perform different functions. Real estate consultants may choose to seek an industry certification, but since they aren’t handling the purchase or sale, they aren’t required to.

A real estate consultant is someone who partners with you to do far more than acquire or sell a property. He or she is responsible to develop a more intimate knowledge of your needs, perform in-depth research, and provide analysis on a range of criteria that will inform your final purchase or decision to sell.

One of the most significant things that affect how a real estate consultant approaches their job is that they’re paid based on a fee that you agree to that is unrelated to the commission earned from the sale of a property (which is the primary way real estate agents make their money). This isn’t a criticism of real estate agents, many of whom may be willing to provide similar services to potential clients as a consultant, but only insofar as it leads to a sale.

On the other hand, a real estate consultant has a different set of skills and will assist you in three key areas for as long as you choose to retain their services:

When assessing a major property development project, such as building a new hospital or data center, you need to take in a huge number of factors beyond location, price, and zoning permission. A real estate consultant will dive into the data, such as historical trends, environmental issues, municipal constraints, and more.

By starting with a deep understanding of your project, they can assess multiple locations and provide a granular level of detail about each one and what it could mean for your project. They can speak to nearby property owners, developers, and contractors who may have valuable information to help your decision process.

A real estate consultant will make recommendations that have less to do with the market and more to do with finding exactly the right fit and timing for your project. He or she is advocating for your best interests and can advise on your overall strategy based on the research and analysis.

Thanks to the lack of a sales commission, a real estate consultant is freer to offer a candid perspective on the property, the price, and the overall fit with your goals. This is particularly valuable in businesses where you plan to purchase multiple locations over a span of time. This maximizes the value of the initial research and allows you to continue benefitting from working closely with a person who has all the context to make informed suggestions.

Especially for investors with multi-million dollar developments or those with industry-specific technology requirements, it’s a good idea to bring in a partner who can ask the right questions early on and even help manage the project along the way. A real estate consultant can help identify which domain experts will be critical to your project.

The extra preparation before you ever sign the title or break ground is crucial to the success of the project as a whole. Hiring a real estate consultant is an easy step to overlook, especially because they’re not as visible or well know as their professional cousins (the agents), but the consultant’s role is just as important.

i.e.Smart Systems is a Houston, TX based technology integration partner that specializes in design and installation of audio/visual technology and structured cabling. For more than three decades, our team of in-house experts has partnered with business owners, architectural firms, general contractors, construction managers, real estate developers, and designers in the Houston market, to deliver reliable, scalable solutions that align with their unique goals.