Has Previewing Homes Gone by the Wayside?
I recently read a comment whereby a member said that they didn't preview homes (there was one exception). But it just made me wonder if previewing homes has gone by the wayside.
I know that when gas prices topped the $3.00/per gallon mark, agents drastically reduced or cut out all together, the practice of previewing homes. At the time, the hope was that they would resume the practice once gas prices went back down. But of course that was before they knew gas prices were never going back down.
When I first started as a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty in 2006, one of the first things my Team Leader told me was to peruse the MLS and start calling up agents to preview properties. She said if you are going to work with buyers, you are going to have to know the inventory and that's just what I did.
Many agents never did resume the practice of previewing homes because they wanted to save time and money. But it seems to me, that you can save more time and money by previewing properties. I mean, let's say that you are contacted by a new buyer. That new buyer tells you what he/she is looking for xxx, xxx and xxx. If you have been previewing homes, there is a good chance that you'll be able to say, "You know, I think I have the perfect home for you." It may or may not work out, but you also may gain some credibility with the buyer giving them assurances that's you know your market and that's the kind of agent they need.
On the other hand how embarrassing is it to show homes to a buyer and time after time you are embarrassed upon arrival that this house was even on your list?
If you are a homebuyer, don't forget to ask your agent if they preview homes before showing to you.
If your are a real estate agent reading this post, do you steel preview hopes? Why or why not? How many rundown houses to you view with your buyers before a light bulb goes off suggesting that you "just might want to preview a few homes before taking your buyer to view?
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