Bless This Realtor

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by sware2cod

Well, both spouses don't always have to see the home for it to sell.

Spouse and I bought a home ...and only my spouse saw the inside. The first time I toured the house was after closing, on move-in day. I drove by the house and briefly saw the outside from the street on a prior trip, before the sale. I don't even think I saw any photos of the inside.

We did that with our first house, too. I lived 200 miles away and in our area, you have to jump on available homes.

My husband sent me photos, but I trusted him about the neighborhood etc. and he "bought" it.

I also bought a car without him once.

One spouse who knows EXACTLY what they both want can make the decision. IMHO, kids should always be left home ... at least for the first showing.

[Meyerland]

Originally Posted by QuilterChick

Where did you get the idea that working with relo buyers means an easy sell and quick sale? Beg your pardon; a Realtor can easily put in more time and effort, and understanding of their needs, than with a local buyer who already knows the area.

A good Realtor who works with relos first of all needs to know what they are looking for; and therein lies the issue. What a relo has at "home" may not be available in their new town. Many times they have to settle for less because the new location carries a higher price range for their shopping list and they get discouraged. It is totally a process of elimination. Sometimes they don't take the job because of that situation; their images of the new location are not in sync with the reality.

I agree with you, however, that the point is for them to see the house. I would have taken the wife in first, and then the husband. Even if it meant only 10 minutes each; they may be in town for only a few days the first time around, in which case they need to get into everything that might meet their criteria. You really don't want them to miss anything, there can always be a second, longer, showing.

Only after working with a relocating buyer for a long day or two, can an experienced Realtor eliminate the weeds from the flowers. The Realtor also needs to give a comprehensive tour of the area location of schools, shopping, recreation facilities and so forth, distance from work, and so forth. First day, drive through all possible areas so they tell you what appeals to them. When I worked in relo (for several years up until 3 yrs. ago), it was not uncommon for the company to send the husband out first to look around and narrow things down. Then they brought the wife out and we worked for a good 2 or 3 days or more on decision making, but much of that depended on the company budget and the husband's position within the company. There were a very few instances that occurred where, after the wife looked around, she refused to relocate there. Game over. But all in all, relo for me was the best niche of all, meeting interesting and happy folks looking forward to a new experience and being able to interact with them in community, was reward for getting them settled after the sale. Some also relocated again within 3 or 4 years or more, they were loyal and called me when ready to sell. All positive.

I am often a relo buyer and we often have about 2 weeks to find a house and put in offers, etc...
I think this happens to many people whose jobs relocate them. Often we sell our home, buy a new home, and move in about 2 months total after the company gives us the go ahead.

Maybe it's different with Oil and Gas companies. Sometimes you have never even visited the city or country you are moving to.