I often refer to my buyers as “future listings,” and for good reason. It is not because I am already thinking about listing the house again. It is because I want to be certain that the home they are buying is sound, a good investment, and one I would feel comfortable putting my name on someday.
If it is truly a good house for today’s buyers, it should also be a good house for the next buyers. And because I am involved in the purchase now, I will know the house, its history, what the inspection revealed, what maintenance has been done, what may still be needed, and, of course, all the dirty details.
When I help someone buy a home, I don't just look at whether they love it today. I look at it through the eyes of the agent who may someday have to sell it.
Can I sell it again? Will the floor plan make sense to the next buyer? Are there things that look wonderful today but may not wear well? Are improvements really improvements, or are they merely cosmetic changes that mask something that will eventually become apparent? Is the property being represented in a way that a future buyer will see differently?
Sometimes my buyers see all of those things and still say, "We want it." That's when being a buyer's agent gets interesting. My job is not to choose their home. My job is to give them the benefit of what I've learned from years of walking through, selling, and, most importantly, reselling houses. I can point out what concerns me. I can explain what I think could affect value or resale. I can tell them, "If you call me in a few years and ask me to put this back on the market, these are the things I may have to explain to the next buyer." But once I've given them the information, the decision is theirs. And sometimes buyers have an answer I can't argue with: "Margaret, maybe we'll never sell it." Fair enough. Not every home has to be purchased as an investment. Sometimes the enjoyment of living there is the return. So, yes, I will write an offer on a property I would not personally recommend. But my buyers will know my concerns before I ever put pen to paper.
Because I'd rather have a client say, "Margaret warned us about that," than ever hear, "Margaret, why didn't you tell us?"
That, to me, is buyer representation the Rome Way.
Should You Buy a Home When Your Real Estate Agent Advises Against It?
Comments(5)