As a Real Estate agent at Century 21 M & M I deal with a lot of buyers. In my first year of Real Estate, I learned one of the hardest lessons I have ever had to learn. Knowing when to say when! As you focus soley on the needs of others, you might forget about the bigger picture. Yes you are hired to find that buyers' dream home, and yes you may have written quite a few offers for that client. Only to have them be rejected or told that they have gone with all cash offer. You may want to evaluate how you are presenting the offer. Is your clients' offer fair for what they are getting? Are the terms agreeable if you were the Selling agent? Last night after showing property to some very sweet clients, they decided to have me write yet another offer. To my surprise they told me they no longer needed to ask for the 3% down using the Nemehiah program, they now felt that they could come up with the 3% down. I wrote the offer and told them how I felt this was their best offer ever. They also wanted me to say the famous words, "Don't worry we will find you the right home!" As a buyer's agent you learn that in time the problems will usually work themselves out. As for knowing when to say when, an agent should always write the offer their client tells them to, but should also cautiously advise them of how to make their offer stronger. Also, sometimes it is hard to let go of trying to help them and may miss other opportunities to help other buyers who might be in a stronger position to buy. I was so focused on helping just one set of buyers find their dream home that I let many other opportunities slip by. And how does an agent know when to say when, you just learn with experience!
Christine,
Great post! If buyers can come up with the down payment and not ask the sellers for closing fees, they can generally get a much lower price on the home. I think the 100% financing program was good for some, but I think it helped create the situation we are now in. If buyers don't have any equity in a home, they don't think twice about letting it go into foreclosure.
Good points. I think many agents are very anxious to write an offer and forget to ask clients the basics. Have you spoken to a lender? What is your price range? etc.
We work for our clients but in the same respect if we run them all over creation looking at everything and wrinting offers after offer getting no where then we aren't working for them or ourselves!
The act of Discovery with clients is invaluable, many times working with clients we all find that they need to do some saving or credit reestablishing before even looking for a home, how frustrating to look and look and then realize the dream is a few months or years away.
Christine, it only takes a few to eat up your time before you learn to pre-qualify better! With the price of gas these days!
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