Getting a good realtor is the most important part of the home buying process. A good realtor will literally guide you through each part of the home buying process so you know what to do before, during, and after your home purchase. A good realtor will also be sensitive to any special needs you may have, such as veteran status or age and time constraints.
Finding an LGBT friendly realtor can be difficult depending on where you live, but it comes with a whole host of benefits including the fact that they are more sensitive to your needs and you don’t need to deal with any unprofessionalism.
They Are More Sensitive To Your Needs
Being LGBT adds its own issues to the home buying process. Since marriage isn’t legal in some states, you may need to take a different route than a married heterosexual couple to jointly own a home. Likewise, you may need to take some additional steps to ensure that your spouse owns the home in case you die.
There’s also the issue of area. Certain neighborhoods and areas may be particularly unwelcoming of LGBT individuals. This even happens in very liberal states like Connecticut and California. An LGBT friendly realtor will have good knowledge of the social climate of each area in their sphere so you won’t have to worry about ending up in a discriminatory situation by accident.
You Won’t Have To Deal With Unprofessionalism
The attitude in our country towards LGBT people is shifting in a positive direction. This can clearly be seen in the legislation in previously hostile states, and in our representation in the media. However, there are obviously still some places where LGBT people aren’t welcome.
This disdain isn’t only limited to hateful groups. It’s insidious and can be found everywhere, even business. There’s a (small) possibility that you may find a realtor that may say some distasteful or even outright rude things about your “lifestyle. You may even find a realtor who won’t give you the time you deserve or may take advantage of you somehow because of it.
To avoid this, make sure you find an LGBT friendly realtor. If you can’t, then make sure you let your realtor know upfront that you’re buying the home as an LGBT couple to get things out in the open.
You wouldn’t randomly select a home, so you shouldn’t randomly select your realtor either. Realtors are very valuable, so you should avoid contacting realtors via mailers and advertisements if you can help it. Find reputable LGBT realtors through established sites like www.GayRealEstate.com ~ representing the LGBT community since 1991!