During a recent home inspection wherein I was representing the seller, the buyer told me that as soon as she and her husband had first walked through the doors of the home several weeks before, they knew the home was for them. It was just what they were looking for. I knew they had written an offer on another home that didn't work out so I asked why they didn't write on offer on this one at that time. The buyer stated they really didn't like the other home as much, but that their agent had strongly encouraged them to put an offer on the other home and they were glad it didn't work out.
I was shocked that an agent would try to talk a buyer into a home that they didn't want and out of a home that they found that they did want. Both homes were in the same neighborhood and in similar condition. I began to wonder if I had ever been guilty of persuading a buyer to purchase a home they weren't as interested in as another. Of course, it is our obligation to tell the prospective buyer of defects in a home and encourage them to consult an inspector and contractors. However, steering them to another home just because the agent liked it better doesn't seem to be in the best interest of the client.
As for me, in the future, I am going to be more careful of my words and listen more carefully to what my buyers' needs and wants are. Just because I may like a home better than another does not mean they will. We all have different tastes and needs. What works for one family, may not work for another.
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