They pull listings for you, tour homes by your side, and help you evaluate properties in light of your budget, preferences, and needs. And with something as important as a home purchase, who wouldn’t want that kind of expertise and help on their side? It’s really a win-win in every sense of the word.

But the advantages of a real estate agent don’t stop there. On top of offering you extremely helpful services at absolutely no cost to you, real estate agents also have another major advantage buyers should consider, too: They can actually SAVE you money on your home purchase in the long run.

It’s true! In addition to costing you nothing, a Realtor® can actually lower the price of your overall home transaction as well – sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars.

They can save you loads of cash because:

1.  They’re great at negotiating. One of the biggest facets of being a real estate agent is negotiation. Agents have to negotiate with sellers, builders, closing agents, brokers and all sorts of parties involved, and once they’ve been at it awhile, they start to get pretty darn good at it, too. Many times, agents can negotiate a seller down on price – sometimes even thousands and thousands of dollars – or other times, they can simply get closing costs waived or other fees that can add up and save you cash. Regardless of what they’re able to negotiate down, you can bet you will pay less at the end of the transaction than you would have on your own – and probably significantly less at that!

2.  They know the market – and what a home should really go for. A huge thing that can help you in your home search is a real estate agent’s knowledge of the local market. Because they help both buyers and sellers – and they’re tuned into local sales and trend data – they have deep insight into what’s selling, what’s not, and what prices certain types, styles and kinds of homes are going for. They also have the ability to pull comps, which can show them what other comparable houses in the area have sold for in recent months – and this data can give them even more power at the negotiating table. Just think: If you’re looking at a house for $250,000, but your agent knows two houses that recently sold for $200K just down the street, you can bet they’re going to use that info to your advantage. Unless the home offers some serious upgrades that those other two comps don’t, they’re probably going to get a pretty penny knocked off that listing price and save you and your family some serious cash in the long run.

3.  They know how to use the home inspection to your advantage. Another big way a realtor can help you save some money is with your home inspection report. You see, even with a brand new home, a home inspection will usually reveal a number of underlying issues. These may be safety hazards, things that need repairs or even just aesthetic, surface-level problems. Whatever they may be, realtors know how to negotiate on a buyer’s behalf to either get those issues addressed before the sale goes through or how to get the seller to reduce the price of the home by however much those problems will take to repair. Whichever route your realtor is able to negotiate, it will end up saving you money in the long run – especially if the issues are on bigger items in the home, like the roof, appliances, flooring or foundation … things that could pose a safety hazard for your family.

4.  They can find great deals. Real estate agents know how to find great deals. Maybe they have a listing of their own that’s at a great price, maybe they have a colleague with a property that fits your bill to a T, or maybe they even have an inside line on a yet-to-be-listed property that you can get to before anybody else. Either way, they have the tools they need to find you the perfect property at an unbeatable price. They can also use their MLS access to scout out properties that have been on the market a while. When homes sit stagnant for too long, many sellers become more and more willing to lower their price point just to get it off the market. If you’re looking for a real steal on your new home, your real estate agent may be able to find properties like this that can save you cash and meet your needs and preferences.

5.  They keep you from wasting money (and time). When buyers try to find and purchase a home on their own, they can, at times, end up wasting time and cash in the long run. They could let major, costly repairs and issues go unaddressed, potentially put bids on homes that (once all is said and done) are out of their price range, and may take properties at face value rather than trying to negotiate or use comp data to get the price lowered or adjusted. With an agent on your side, you have someone to keep you on track the entire time – someone who has your best interests (and your budget) at heart and who will do anything they can to find you a home that meets your needs and your financial constraints at the very same time.