My brother and his wife are relocating to the Frisco area of Dallas, sometime in the next 3-6 months. They've been flying back and forth from Orange County to Dallas and working with an agent on a very casual basis (no exclusive agreement), but they feel quite lost in the process. The agent set them up on an auto feed from the MLS and said "call me when you see something you like and I'll show it to you!" My brother tells me that when they do get to a home that they've chosen to see, that the agent jumps on his blackberry and they are left to wander the home and figure out the floor plan on their own.
They feel overwhelmed by the process and are completely in the dark when it comes to the schools, the different areas, where to find any "walk-able" neighborhoods, the logistics of each area, etc. They really want someone to take them by the hand and provide them with "insider info" as to the personalities of the different neighborhoods, the unique nooks and crannies of different parts of the city, the areas that only the locals will know about. They want someone to not only show them the house, but perhaps throw in a mini drive-through tour and help familiarize them with different areas. An agent that will really "share" their knowledge and experience with them to assist them as they move far from home, to a foreign country (it is Texas, afterall). They want ....me. Except that I work in Los Angeles.
So, I've taken over the job of finding an agent for them. I'm talking to a few, getting referrals, researching agents online. It's an interesting exercise, one that is illuminating the buyer experience for me. It's also allowed me to stop and pat myself on the back for a change. I am that "over protective mother" type of agent that works tirelessly for my buyers. I am my clients' bodyguard, teacher, shrink, tour guide and best friend. I will go to the ends of the earth to find the right home for each of them. I worry at night that the home they love just isn't right for them...or that they are settling and we should really keep looking. I will meet them at 7:00am to show them a home before they go to work, and I'll meet them again at 7:00 at night with a flashlight to look at the newest REO in the hills that just hit the market and the utilities aren't on yet.
I fill my buyers in on all the secrets, good and bad, of each area that they're considering. I not only tell them where the bodies are buried, I show them. I turn them on to the local media, the best local online sites, the popular restaurants and shops. I point out all the tricks of the remodelers. I point out the areas to avoid once I know their deal breakers (freeway noise, narrow streets, etc.).
Now, I just have to find another over protective mother type of agent in Dallas...then I can relax. Call me if you know this person. ;-)
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