When we are about to make a big decision i.e buying a car, or making any kind of large purchase we tend to discuss it with our friends and family to get their opinions or advice. If they have also recently had a similar decision to make - even better!! Sometimes, we ignore what they say, because we think we know better!! That would be me!
When buying a house, especially for the first time, it is incredibly scary, overwhelming and a very uncertain time. You're always wondering if you have made the right choice and have been given the best information available to you. If you are lucky enough to have a friend or relative that has been given exceptional customer service from their realtor, and can highly recommend them, then you should certainly meet with them to see for yourself if you think that you can work with this person as you will be working closely with them until you find your perfect home.
At your first meeting, after your realtor has explained to you why they are going to be the best realtor you could ever hope to work with, they will most likely ask you to sign a buyer's rep. agreement which basically means that you will work only with them and no one else. This is so that they will be compensated for all of their hard work that they have to do ‘behind the scenes' to find your perfect home. As you know, we are paid commission only, so this is very important to us. Hopefully, before your first meeting, your realtor will have already gathered from you exactly what you are looking for in your home - number of bedrooms, bathrooms etc... and will have a printout of each house that you are about to preview which will have a color picture of the home and all the details of the house - sq. feet, number of days on the market, and price etc. You will hop into their car and they will then show you each house. If they show you homes that do not match your criteria - six bedroom homes when you said a maximum of four, or a small lot when you have asked for a large lot, then they are not doing a good job. If you find yourself on the internet every night, trying to find suitable homes and you are coming up with more/better choices than your realtor, then again, another example of a job poorly done by your realtor as this is their responsibility and not yours!
There are certain things that your realtor should be doing for you.
1. Put your interests above anyone else's.
2. Keep your information confidential.
3. Obey your lawful instructions.
4. Report to you anything that would be useful.
5. Keep you informed about any transactions where money is involved.
Once you have found your dream home, you will want to make an offer and I will cover that in next week's blog!
Cheerio!
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