Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thanks for the replies. He does know we're serious and will eventually (hopefully sooner than later) buy. It just feels weird to get so much free service upfront when the realtor has no guarantee of ultimate payment in the end.
reader123, great to hear you voice, but do not be ashamed, as its all part of a good realtor working with you, learning more each time you see a property. Many homes appear attractive, and the ones that seem to be most appealing, often times are not anything like they look online. A good realtor will work with your best interest at heart, and it could take several viewings just to find the perfect fit. I have worked with a lot of first time buyers, and I showed one lady, 59, before we found the perfect one. My motto is , I want my cleints to be on a friendship basis at the end, and if done right, then a friend forever. Good luck, and keep on looking, and you will find what you want.
Thanks for the replies. He does know we're serious and will eventually (hopefully sooner than later) buy. It just feels weird to get so much free service upfront when the realtor has no guarantee of ultimate payment in the end.
You sound like a brilliant and thoughtful realtor. I doubt most would ask such insightful questions.
Well thank you. I am from from brilliant. I purchased 30 homes and sold 29 before becoming licenced. I was almost always working with a Realtor and have worked with some wonderful ones. I never lost the perspective of what it's like to be in the consumer's shoes.
If and when practical and possible, I like to meet people at their current home, see their stuff, how they live and learn what they love and hate about their current place. It blows a lot of people away when I offer to do this. It's effective but certainly not the right or best appraoch for everyone.
Thanks for the replies. He does know we're serious and will eventually (hopefully sooner than later) buy. It just feels weird to get so much free service upfront when the realtor has no guarantee of ultimate payment in the end.
That is just what we do and we expect it to a point. I really want my clients to find the right house for them and never want them to settle for times sake. You sound like people that are very thoughtful and boy, we need more of you. Just don't do like this one couple that I showed 46 houses to, used about two tanks of gas on, educated them on the enitre buying process (first time buyers) and they bought from someone else a few months later. That one sort of ticked me off for a minute.
As someone said before me, talk to your agent openly. If you've seen homes online that you want to tour, your agent will be glad to show them to you or will explain that it may be a waste of time because they do not fit your criteria. You are paying for representation and professional expertise - use it.
As someone said before me, talk to your agent openly. If you've seen homes online that you want to tour, your agent will be glad to show them to you or will explain that it may be a waste of time because they do not fit your criteria. You are paying for representation and professional expertise - use it.
By the same token, you should understand that every agent makes mistakes - they are only human. So don't simply assume that everything your agent tells you is the gospel.
If something goes wrong, or if you pass up a house that ultimately would have been perfect for you, and you say "but my agent told me so," you won't get any sympathy around here. The bottom line is that it's up to you to stand up for yourself and to protect yourself. After all, it's your money and your life, and no matter how many questions an agent asks you, they will never know what is good or appropriate for you better than you do. And if something goes wrong, it is you, not them, who will be left to pick up the pieces.
I had a client, recently widowed, a marathon runner, in his 60's looking for his final home, before a retirement home. He tends to view stairs as the fountain of youth. And so, he fell in love with a fabulous 4th floor walk -up unit, in a small self-managed condo building.
This unit had some serious market time on its back because so few buyers will consider a 4th floor walk-up. It did not matter to my guy. He loved, loved, loved the place and was willing to pay cash for the ask, and be done with it.
The easiest thing for me to have done was go along with the flow and facilitate the easy cash purchase of his dream place. Instead, I chose to go to the mat with him, on this. I mean, just a simple tumble on a running path could blow out a knee and make a 4 story climb impossible. What then?
He eventually listened to reason and bought a less costly, first floor unit in another small building. After moving in, he was out running and ( can you see this coming) took a tumble. He broke his ankle and the rest is history. He is grateful that I cared enough about what was best for him to push back, and make him think it through.
Good agents take their client's overall situation into consideration and push back, when their buyers get caught up in the moment and trend towards very emotional decisions. A good agent, looking out for their client's best interests, is going to balance the superficial WoW Power of a home's decor with the fundamentals. A good agent is going to push back when a client get caught up in the fantasy of buying more house than they might comfortably be able to afford, when the ARM resets.
Reader 123
Look at it this way: Would you feel guilty if you tried on 15 outfits at Macy's? Some store worker will have to go through the trouble to put them all back on the sales floor, but that's their job. Some buyers look at 5 homes and find the one to buy, and others look at 50.
15 homes is not a lot. Just make sure you communicate clearly to your Realtor what it is you're looking for. For all you know, your Realtor is secretly feeling guilty for not having found you the right house.
I had a client, recently widowed, a marathon runner, in his 60's looking for his final home, before a retirement home. He tends to view stairs as the fountain of youth. And so, he fell in love with a fabulous 4th floor walk -up unit, in a small self-managed condo building.
This unit had some serious market time on its back because so few buyers will consider a 4th floor walk-up. It did not matter to my guy. He loved, loved, loved the place and was willing to pay cash for the ask, and be done with it.
The easiest thing for me to have done was go along with the flow and facilitate the easy cash purchase of his dream place. Instead, I chose to go to the mat with him, on this. I mean, just a simple tumble on a running path could blow out a knee and make a 4 story climb impossible. What then?
He eventually listened to reason and bought a less costly, first floor unit in another small building. After moving in, he was out running and ( can you see this coming) took a tumble. He broke his ankle and the rest is history. He is grateful that I cared enough about what was best for him to push back, and make him think it through.
Good agents take their client's overall situation into consideration and push back, when their buyers get caught up in the moment and trend towards very emotional decisions. A good agent, looking out for their client's best interests, is going to balance the superficial WoW Power of a home's decor with the fundamentals. A good agent is going to push back when a client get caught up in the fantasy of buying more house than they might comfortably be able to afford, when the ARM resets.
The push back is the value-added of a good agent.
That is a very sweet story. Sounds like you served your client well.
If only there were more "good" agents around when people were buying more house than they could afford, or if agents saw through the fumes of the bubble instead of pumping more air into it, we would all be in a better position. (I'm not blaming agents for the bubble, but only pointing out that if good agents tell clients not to overreach, there apparently were not many good agents making much headway during the bubble.)
There have been numerous complaints voiced on this board by folks who blame their agents for something going wrong with their transaction, and the majority of responses from agents is "don't blame the agent; you had the final decision on how to price your house" (or whatever the problem was). This inconsistency in attitude when one is trying to sell agents as reliable sources compared to when something goes wrong does not sit well.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
