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HOW TO RECOGNIZE A SERIOUS HOME BUYER. Are they criticizing or comparing???

By Lenn Harley

Real Estate Agent with Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate 303829;0225082372

October 31, 2012 07:33 AM

HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH A SERIOUS HOME BUYER.

The secret is CRITIQUE or COMPARE!

Alan May describes an adventure with a home buyers who just can't find the right house.

It's often hard to recognize the "reluctant home buyer" just by what they say about a single home they walked.

If the buyers are giving negative reviews of a home for sale, that's not good. They're focused on that house/features.

A SERIOUS BUYER on the other hand will COMPARE a home to another home or homes that they have visited.

When a buyer is comparing features, room sizes, lot sizes, kitchens, bedrooms, etc. to another home. . . . . . .

THAT IS A SERIOUS BUYER!!

They will usually buy in a relatively short period of time. They just want the best house for sale that's on the market. They're not looking for something that may not exist.

"Tell me, which do you like best?????"

"Take your pick, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer. Which do you like best?????

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988

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Brenda Mullen

RE/MAX Associates - San Antonio, TX

Your San Antonio TX Real Estate Agent!!

I would think that if the buyer says something negative about EVERY home we see, there may be a problem there...or if they want to see EVERY house for sale in Texas, then we may need to talk lol :)! I haven't read Alan's post but will.

Oct 31, 2012 08:26 AM

Lou Ludwig

Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL

Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Lenn

Some buyers are totally negative about the home that their trying to buy and use it as a negotiating tool to get a lower price. Serious buyers have serious questions about the home they're are about.

So we have to know if's the buyer's personally or are they serious.

Good luck and success.

Oct 31, 2012 10:43 AM

William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

Hi Lenn, I so agree with you. The comparison is where the rubber hits the road. No home is totally perfect or has everything but it can get very close. I always try to get the very minimum that can work for the family and then try for better. Sometimes I even amaze myself. I try to discover if the Buyer has either the assets or the talents to customize and remind them as we go through the property.

Oct 31, 2012 02:49 PM

Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366

Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA

General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

I never really thought about this until now Lenn, it sure makes sense.

Oct 31, 2012 05:13 PM

Lenn Harley

Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA

Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Brenda. You can tell a lot about a "buyer"s motivation by the questions they ask or comments they make.

Lou. ABSOLUTELY. Persistent negative comments are a tip that the buyer may be quite unrealistic. HA! I've been around long enough to read between the lines.

William. You wrote, "Sometimes I even amaze myself." HA! THAT is a talent that only comes with experience and the ability to determine buyers' motivation levels.

Tom. It is important. When a buyer is COMPARING home to buy, they are narrowing the choices. VERY important.

Oct 31, 2012 08:04 PM

Jay Markanich

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA

Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

That's a pretty good tip! It sounds like the second group is trying to fit a house to their needs, and necessarily compare what they are getting to what they have or have seen.

Oct 31, 2012 09:06 PM

Jay. I learned this long ago. When a home fits the buyer's stated needs, price range, rooms, etc. and they become very critical, I began to realize that those buyers were looking for exeused to NOT BUY.

OTOH, when buyer compared one house to another, they were narrowing the choices on their own and focusing on the best house for their money.

The key is "listen to the buyers".

Oct 31, 2012 09:25 PM

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A SERIOUS HOME BUYER. Are they criticizing or comparing???

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