Special offer

House hunting is a long process - How many hours do you think you spend?

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX EXECUTIVE 224284

     When you work with a new buyer, the process always starts out the same but, depending on the situation, it could take weeks or months before your buyer finds the right home. How well do you get to know your client in that time? Pretty well I imagine. How many hours do you think you spend with your clients in total? Ever add it up?

house hunting time     Imagine showing 50-60 homes and making several offers! Some buyers we work with for months and some for weeks. How long do you spend with your buyers to find the right home?

     I really get to know my clients and they get to know me better also, when we spend hours together in the office or on the phone, discussing the most important purchase of their lives. Imagine all the conversations and hours you spend with each other in the car! Or, add up all your emails back and forth. It's astounding!charlotte house hunting

     Here is just a small list of all the times we meet together or discuss things during the phase of working with each other:

 

  • Needs/wants assessment conversation
  • Mortgage pre-qualification 
  • Time frame assessment
  • What can they afford?
  • Discuss areas in which to move
  • Area MLS search
  • Compilation of properties for buyer
  • Buyer chooses properties by photos and remarks
  • Agent chooses properties by photos, remarks, and price
  • Agent processes and makes showing appointments
  • Agent counsels buyer during showings
  • Show homes and leave cards for seller
  • Make sure all lockboxes and seller wishes are kept
  • Keeping key updated, printed copies of MLS sheets, and blank offer to purchase on hand
  • Make offers (typing up and emailing and obtaining signatures and emd check
  • Negotiate offers through listing agent
  • Arrange financing
  • Arrange for buyer to do due diligence inspections, etc.
  • Setting up closing with attorney and lining up  lender
  • Putting all the pieces together and keeping everyone on check
  • Counseling the buyer on contract to close
  • Attend inspections with buyer and discuss options
  • Put together requests for repairs, if any
  • Put together a buyer's closing gift
  • Follow up on mortgage closing with lender
  • Pass off information for utilities to buyer
  • Final walk-through
  • Attend closing

 

Comments (7)

Matthew Cordisco
Pocono Mountain Lakes Realty - Pocono Lake, PA
Pocono Real Estate Professional

Very true, you get to know your buyers pretty well.  It makes the experience more rewarding when you know  a buyer or buying couple well enough that you can help them find a house that is right for them.

Feb 24, 2011 11:33 PM
Bob Jakowinicz
National Realty Centers Livonia--Bob Jakowinicz - Livonia, MI
Michigan Real Estate Agent-- MI Real Adventures

Sandy, yep it can be a few months or longer for some and we do get to know each other pretty well over that time.  I have noticed over the last few months our buyers are making much quicker decisions as the market here is improving. 

Feb 24, 2011 11:36 PM
Cherie L. Gottshall
Ramus Realty Group - Frackville, PA
Realtor

 "WOW" That is alot of work.  I hadn't actually wrote it all down before, but you are so right.

Most people think you show people a house and write up a contract.   That could not be farther from  the truth.  Then they want to cut our commision?

Feb 24, 2011 11:42 PM
Alan Gross
PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company, Equal Housing Lender - Bethesda, MD
Loan Consultant

It makes you think about how you invest your time and do you want to work with someone who won't take the time to give you the information you need to help them find a home.

Feb 24, 2011 11:50 PM
Jim Courtney
OklaHomes Realty, Claremore Oklahoma - Claremore, OK
CRS, GRI, AHWD

I'm tired after reading that list of what we do! Most of the time I don't spend more than a couple of months from beginning to end. Our area does not have 100's of homes in any given price range. When the price range is established, the list of available homes may only be 30 or less. We can weed quite a bit of those out during the first couple of meetings. Everything else on the list takes the same amount of time for us as well! Isn't this fun!! :)

Feb 25, 2011 12:58 AM
Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Sandy, great list that happens working with buyers. You have covered it all and working with them long term they do become like family I agree.

Feb 25, 2011 02:55 AM
Sandy McAlpine
RE/MAX EXECUTIVE - Cornelius, NC
Search Lake Norman Homes For Sale - Lake Norman NC

That is a good way to put it "they become like family". In our area we have a ton of homes available!

Feb 25, 2011 05:28 AM