What Realtors Wish They Could Tell Home Buyers: Prepare Before You Call Me

Website design By BotEap.comIf you’re considering buying a home in the near future, your real estate agent wants you to prepare before you call. They are too polite to tell you to go home and get ready, but trust me, they wish they could tell you!

Website design By BotEap.comWhat comes first? Your finances, of course.

Website design By BotEap.comVisit a home loan provider and find out how much you can realistically spend on a home. Share this information with your real estate agent and make it clear that you are not interested in looking at homes that are beyond your price range.

Website design By BotEap.comDon’t pretend you can pay more just because it’s fun to look inside fancy homes. Remember, that agent is trying to pay your bills just like you are. Don’t waste your time.

Website design By BotEap.comThen give yourself a reality check. Understand that while you may have painted a beautiful mental picture of his dream home, it may not exist. And if it does, it may not be in your price range. Your task, then, is to decide which features and benefits are absolutely necessary, and pass that information on to your agent.

Website design By BotEap.comStart with the basics. For example, you may absolutely need X number of bedrooms and bathrooms. If the house doesn’t have them, you won’t buy, no matter what. Tell your agent, so you don’t waste time, gas, and energy looking for houses that are an automatic “no.”

Website design By BotEap.comYou may have other requirements that are absolute. Maybe a home office or a multi-car garage for his toys. Maybe you’re just willing to live in a dead end or need a big yard for your Great Dane. Tell your agent. This will help you weed out houses that won’t work, no matter how much you like their other features.

Website design By BotEap.comOnce you’ve worked out the absolutes, and written them down, think about the “I like to have.” Put them in writing, too, so your agent can search for homes that offer those features or benefits.

Website design By BotEap.comIt is absolutely necessary that you decide what you are looking for before contacting an agent. One of the worst phrases a real estate agent can hear from prospective homebuyers when asking about the type of home they want is “I don’t know, but we’ll know when we see it.” He lives up to not knowing what price range he is in.

Website design By BotEap.comThen, once you start looking at houses, give your agent your opinion. By telling you what you liked or didn’t like about each house, you’ll help narrow down your search. The most frustrating buyers of all are those who “like everything” but never find the house they want to buy.

Website design By BotEap.comPlease respect your agent’s time and your own time by communicating well. You will find the house you want much sooner. And if all you want to do is look at houses, don’t call an agent. Just visit many open houses.