Real estate agents have many responsibilities to buyers who come seeking assistance in purchasing a home. One of the most important duties to both the buyer and ourselves is helping that individual determine whether or not they are a serious buyer.It is completely possible for a buyer to be serious about purchasing even if the event doesn't happen for a year or more. That information though determines the most effective and productive use of everyone's time.
At MoonDancer Realty in Dillsboro, NC we want to be on the same page as the buyer from day one. How can we exceed expectations if we don't know what they are? The buyer also needs to know their own expectations.
Have you bought a home before? If so, when? How much education about the process itself does the buyer need from us or do they just want us to handle problems as they come up? If it has been awhile since the last purchase the buyer may want and need the same education almost as a first time homebuyer.
Where do you live now? If the buyer is local then they are probably much more familiar with the area and neighborhoods then someone moving into the area.
Do you rent or own? We need to understand if there is a rental lease involved that the buyer wishes to honor or if there is a house that the buyer needs to sell before they can make a purchase.
What do you like or dislike about where you live now? Here's the chance for the buyer to start really formulating the "wish list" for the house they want to purchase. They can start thinking about size of home, neighborhood, access, yard, amenities. It is a much more productive way to search for homes knowing some of the good AND bad criteria.
WHY have you decided to think about buying now? There are so many answers to this and we need to understand if this decision is based upon something that might correct itself...like a disagreement with a landlord or a fight with a parent if someone is living at home, or something more permanent like the buyer needs to downsize or upsize, making a move because of a job or to be closer to an aging parent.
How soon would you like to be in your new home? Here's a big head's up to the buyers. If the answer is "I'm in no hurry", we're going to help buyers figure out what that means. The reason will have direct bearing on how and if we work together. The most likely scenarios that "I'm in no hurry" might mean is a fear of commitment, no understanding of how long it should take to find a home or the buyer isn't sure they can afford to buy a house. We are going to figure it out together. If on the other hand the buyer has a timeline then we can help them understand how the feasibility of working within those parameters given their availability to look at houses.
Have you spoken with a lender to be pre-approved for a mortgage in the last 30 days? We cannot stress how important this first step will be. If the buyer hasn't done so already, we have a list of about a dozen excellent lenders to work with them. We recommend the buyer do this before seeing us but if they haven't, it isn't anything that a few minutes, some privacy and a phone can't take care of. Once the buyer knows what they can afford, they are in the power position.
Is there any reason to prevent you from buying a home in the next 60 days? It can happen, we can look at homes and buyers fall in love with one quickly. If they aren't prepared to go under contract immediately then the risk is someone else will buy that house. There is no disappointment quite like knowing that special and perfect house disappeared because the buyer wasn't in a position to move on it. It is far better to never have seen the house!
Will there be friends or family you'll want to look at the houses once you've narrowed down your choices? If the opinions of these friends and family members are important to the buyer they should ask them in before beginning the house search to give you suggestions on what to watch out for. Since they won't be looking with the buyer those concerns will be considered before it's time for the final look. Friends and family need to know that the Home Inspection will also figure into the final decision.
So, do you think you are a serious buyer? This is a question the BUYER needs the answer to. Most agents will know that answer before they do. Buying a house is a lot of work. At MoonDancer Realty in Dillsboro, NC, we'll start with this interview. If a buyer will consider these questions honestly then the answer will be easy and with full confidence an individual can say with confidence that they are a serious buyer!
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