How many times have you been told EXACTLY what a buyer wants? Numerous, I am sure. How many times did they buy EXACTLY what they told you they wanted? Few, I am sure.
About 10 years ago a lovely lady contacted me to help her find a horse farm. She wanted at least 10 acres with an old home that had character. Privacy was important and so was the lay of the land. Well, in my area, there are a lot of farms, but, they don't come priced in the arena that most buyers want to pay. I started my search and we scheduled a full day since she was coming from northern PA. The properties were far apart and in the country so I decided to pack a cooler in case we had a snack attack. After one weekend of: "house is too small, rooms are too small, needs to much work, need more than one bathroom, too hilly, too sloped, too wooded, too isolated" and the list continues to include about anything you could imagine, I decided I needed to take control. I suggested that we find land and build the perfect older style home. The answer was always the same, "it wouldn't have that character". As we ended our first weekend search she scheduled time for the following week. She provided me a list of properties she wished to see. Now let me tell you, this lady was great. She was a blast to be with even though we could not find the perfect property. We laughed and talked like we had known each other forever. During that time I was making mental notes of all the things she really liked and what she wanted to do with her life since her husband passed away.
Preparing for the next round of properties I scheduled the worst of the list as our first stop. One property almost gave both of us a heart attack. Very secluded and the ONLY way to enter the property was through the lower level where the summer kitchen was located. It was in horrible shape. We ducked through cob webs, around pipes, over broken floor boards to the stairs. As we began to climb into the darkness, a board cracked under my feet. I grabbed the wall and my client which created a series of screams from a horror flick. After we both recovered, she screamed, "lets get out of here, this is terrible". As we left, we were careful to say the least, but, when we got outside we both had the giggles so badly we could hardly contain ourselves. At that point, I believe she began to see the light about "older properties". After we had settled down I told her I had one special property to show her, even though it wasn't on her list. Excitedly she wanted to know what I had found that she missed. I told her it was a surprise, be patient.
As we drove up the lane to the property she began to oooooo and ahhhhhh. Then she noticed the home, it was a newer home. I could see she was questioning my decision to show her this home. I explained that I thought the home would be perfect for her. It was new enough that it was not going to require a lot of attention so that she could concentrate on the breeding of her horses. I reminded her that she was going to be doing all this herself and had no family near by. We talked about her love for art and painting as well as horses and I showed her the beautiful landscapes she could paint. The barn was just large enough to start her venture with room to add on. She was suddenly excited. As we went through the house she kept saying, "how did you know what I wanted and I didn't even know"? I explained that through our conversations I heard everything she really wanted and needed and this was that very place. Needless to say, she purchased the property that day. She is still there today and has added on to the barn. The long lane that enters her property has been lovingly planted with beautiful trees. The white fences surrounding the property make the perfect playground for the horses. The barn yard is filled with roosters, chickens and other fowl. It is spectacular!
Working with a buyer involves a sincere desire to learn about the person and also their lifestyle. From that information, you will be able to find the perfect home for your buyer client. Every time I am in her company, she always introduces me as "her REALTOR". She then says, "I didn't know what I wanted, but she sure did, that is how I found my home." Of course the story always comes up about the spooky house and the hysterical screams!
Moral of this story: listen intently and you will not only "see" what home they want but also what they need. They will love you for being a very special person.
Happy selling. Have fun, make merry and don't let the spooks get you!
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