When buying a home becomes the main topic in your life, people around you are all about giving useful pieces of advice. At least, they think that they are giving useful pieces of advice. Usually, they all focus on one thing in particular – the decision between buying on your own or hiring a real estate agent. As if that’s the only important part.
Guess what? All the help you think you are getting in that regard is pretty much pointless. Do you know why? Because this decision is so easy to make that it shouldn’t be turned into a philosophy. The bottom line is – if you think you can do it alone, give it a try. If you are unsure that you’ll manage, then hire an agent for God’s sake and be done with it.
Start Getting Useful Advice
Both of these options have their own advantages and disadvantages, we get it! But, the truth is – most people are simply not skilled enough to make such an important purchase on their own. That’s exactly why they turn to scottandlisahomes.com or different professionals. And, instead of going on about something that’s rather easy to decide, I believe that you should be receiving some more useful pieces of advice.
Let me give you an example. Say you have decided to work with a real estate agent. Say you have already found one that suits you perfectly. And, now what? You just sit and wait for the perfect home to appear in front of your eyes while the other person does all the work? Well, I hate to break it to you, but you’ll need to put in a little more effort than that.
Real estate agents are usually happy to assist you and it’s true that they will do pretty much all the hard work instead of you. However, there are still some rules you need to follow when working with this expert, especially regarding access to the multiple listing service, which provides comprehensive property listings and data. There are still a few things that you need to do. Otherwise, you’ll just appear either uninterested in making the actual purchase, or simply rude. And neither of those works in your favor.
If you want to have the best experience while working with this expert, while also getting the best deal and your dream house, you will need to step up your game and get off the couch. After all, it’s your home we are talking about. Plus, you don’t want to risk getting dumped by the agent (hey, it can happen). So, get it together and learn what’s expected of you in this process. It’s important to know what you are doing when buying your home, and you can find a few tips here.
Try Not To Be Late
Let me ask you a simple question. Do you value your own time? Sure you do, and so does your agent! Being late to an appointment in case something unpredictable happened is justifiable. Calling the person and explaining that you’re going to be a bit late is also okay. But, it’s definitely not okay to keep this professional waiting without any explanation whatsoever and showing up half an hour later as if nothing unusual happened.
Show some respect, because you would definitely want the same respect to be shown to you. Plus, chances are that you’re not the only thing that’s on your agent’s mind at all times. They have other clients, other things to worry about… They have a life too, you know? That doesn’t mean that they won’t have your best interest in mind or that they won’t be focused on getting you the perfect home. But, respect the clock!
Don’t Call The Listing Agent
If you are working with a buyer’s agent, the last thing you want to do is tell them that you have been in touch with a listing agent. This can be really annoying. And, frankly, it’s utterly unnecessary for you to be doing that. Listing agents work for the seller, so they definitely don’t have your best interest in mind. So, get your facts straight and behave accordingly, in order to feel all the benefits that come with real estate agents and their expertise.
Let The Expert Speak
During an open house, it’s best if you let the expert ask the important questions. Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to be quiet at all times. But, when it comes to getting information on the seller and similar significant stuff, let the professionals do their work. Trust me; they can do it better than you, so you will be doing yourself a favor by simply enjoying the view and saving the questions for later.
Be Prepared To Make A Purchase
The most important thing you need to remember is this. If you aren’t ready to buy, don’t bother contacting a real estate agent at all. You’ll just be wasting their time and your money. So, get the courage up and bring your checkbook when touring homes.
