Is It You Or Your Agent
Many things occur during the course of a real estate transaction. Some are good, others disappointing. In a dynamic market such as we find ourselves in today events can transpire that cause a lot of frustration. As there is a lot of emotion in residential real estate, sometimes the cause of the event is misunderstood. When that happens it is important to understand what is happening, or what happened, for what it really is, not what you think it is.
If you are making offers on homes and getting beat out by other Buyers consider why you are missing out. Are your offers too low? Are cash Buyers getting preferential treatment? Did your Agent get the offer submitted in a timely manner? Was your offer "clean", without a lot of unnecessary conditions? Each of those circumstances can be attributed to you or your Agent. It is important that you understand that it isn't always your Agent's fault that you miss out on a buying opportunity.
Did you listen to your Agent's recommendations? Did you look at the house within a reasonable time after learning about it being available, or did you wait until it was convenient to your schedule to check it out? If they are already at a counter offer stage you aren't acting quickly enough. If it was sold before it hit the market you never had a chance, nor did your Agent to get it for you. Don't blame your Agent for that one.
If you listed high promising to come down or look at offers and your home isn't being shown but you aren't adjusting the price the lack of an offer is on you. If your Agent promised you more than the other Agents said they could get and you aren't getting action then it's on your Agent. It's a cheap trick to list high and work you down until it sells. Did you really believe them, or were you hoping for the unwitting Buyer to come along and pay too much? There aren't many stupid Buyers anymore with the plethora of information available on the Internet. Don't be afraid to challenge your Agent if you think the price is too high. This may sound funny today, but it isn't funny if your home doesn't sell and your life plans remain on hold as a result.
Our Advice: Residential real estate creates much emotion. Make sure you don't overreact to a given situation without getting the proper perspective. Once you've assessed the matter, make the right decision for you and your family. It could be how you approach the market, whether a Buyer or Seller. It could be how you interact with your Agent, or you might need to ask your Agent to change his communication pattern to suit you. Communication is very important in a dynamic market. Agent, Buyer, Seller, Lender, and Escrow Officer all need to do their job to achieve their collective goal, the smooth contracting, escrowing, and transfer of the property you are working together on. It is important to work together. You need to go through many processes to buy or sell a home. Make sure you and your Agent are doing you part every step of the way.
It is easy to play the blame game when you think you missed out on something. Don't, unless you know somebody dropped the ball and it wasn't you. Often we see that the very people that are the most upset are the biggest contributors to the problem at hand. Stay calm, focused, and figure out what happened to prevent a reoccurrence. We know from experience that when one door closes another opens. There is always an overriding reason why you missed an opportunity even though it isn't always readily apparent. Embrace the future because a better opportunity is coming.
When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs... Experience is Priceless!
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