Many people understand the importance of securing the pre-approval for a mortgage before actually looking at homes. Having a pre-approval helps in the negotiating process because the seller will know how serious the buyer is and that financing is guaranteed. The next step is finding a good Realtor to help locate homes to be considered. A good home buyers agent is a very important tool to use in the home buying process. They will understand your needs and apply them to the home search to help find you the perfect home. Good agents can also help negotiate the offer and closing process.