I have heard it from more than one buyer, "I just don't want to have a contract with an agent".
Last week I attended an intensive Buyer Mastery class taught at the local Keller Williams Realty office. Like all of their training, it was incredible!
We have closed over 25 sales this year so I thought we were pretty on top of our game but Brian Combs showed me how we still have huge potential for growth. Look out ahead, here we come.
Here was one of the most important take-away messages.
A proper initial buyer consultation can greatly improve the efficiency and smoothness of the home buying process for both the buyer and the agent.
Buyers, if your agent is not trained to sit down with you, in their office, and properly consult with you about:
- your needs and wants
- your "must haves"
- the things you need to know to buy a home in whatever market you happen to be in
...BEFORE LOOKING AT HOMES, switch to an agent who offers this as a standard part of their service.
Yes, you will probably end up under contract but who is "under" who. Yes, the buyer agreement talks about how the agent will be paid for their work but it also specifies the duties of the agent to the client so would it be more correct to say you now have the agent under contract to perform the services you need.
In that initial consultation, a well trained buyer's agent will help you find out things about your preferences that every you were not consciously aware of. Then they will use the results of your initial consultation to help you quickly narrow down just which homes are worth considering. By doing so you will need to view fewer homes and will end up with more of what you want. In short, this initial consultation is the best investment you can make in your buying process (usually the only cost to you is an hour of your time).
Maybe you are someone who really likes looking at homes week after week but really, is that your goal?
Something else to think about the next time you call an agent and they say, "let's meet at the house you want to see"...
Ask yourself, would a property owner ever hire an agent to sell their home without interviewing the agent and getting that agent under contract? At the listing appointment, the selling agent will consult with the owner for up to two hours about things the agent needs to know to do their job well and things the seller needs to understand about the process.
Buyer consultations are usually shorter but no less important. Make sure you are working with an agent who is able to take you through this process and who then offers you a buyer-broker agreement.
You don't want to be locked into a contract? Then don't be, ask the agent to stipulate that the contract is cancelable by you at any time.
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