The First Time Buyer Hiccup

So often I work with First Time Buyers. I love these people. They are so interested in the process, they ask the right questions, and they are fun to work with. After years of working with First Time Buyers I've come to the conclusion that it's better to prepare them to be prepared to be prepared to be prepared...

Huh? What do I mean by this? Most specifically, I run into these scenarios so frequently that it should go down in the books. The buyers see a wonderful property and they haven't looked at enough to determine that this really is the best one for thtem. OR The buyers are uncomfortable with taking the next step (making an offer) because they have never done this before, and another offer comes along too quickly before they decide to make an offer. This is painful.

While balancing between not wanting to push a new buyer and being honest about these possibilities, I find myself needing to be quite blunt about it. I can't hold back, these buyers need to know the reality that, even in this market, properties are selling in under 30 days still, especially if it is a home as desirable as the one they've just fallen in love with.

So my approach to this has changed over the years to: the more the buyers know about the possibilities, their options, the various scenarios that can play out, the better informed they can be and the better the chance it is that they will not lose out when they come upon THAT home.

As their agent, it is my job to take them through this process in a way that is transparent, without hiding anything. The experiences I've had add value to what I offer as a Buyer's Agent to the First Time Buyer. It's something we all need to be assertive about because this is what we're hired for.