Buying a home is the biggest transaction that most people make in their entire life. At least until, they list their home and buy another one. Think about what goes into buying a home, especially for the average first-timer. It can seem like a completely foreign experience as they sign a loan that typically starts in the six-figure range, and can keep rising. There are percentage rates. There are inspections. There are counter-offers. There are clashing egos. There are last-second hiccups in the process. These are things that most people have never experienced, and afterward, never want to do again.
With so much happening during the process, it’s easy for a seller (or the listing client) to simply turn over all of the hard stuff to their Realtor and hope for the best. I mean isn’t that what we’re here for? To offer expert advice and to get the job done, right? Think of the other big decisions you make in life. When you have surgery, do you tell the doctor how to hold the scalpel? When you’re looking at your retirement funds, do you call your advisor every five minutes to see what they are selling or buying? When you hire someone to get a grizzly bear out of your house, well, you really have to question some of your life choices, but you get what I mean.
However, you do need to ask questions and make informed decisions on these big issues. If your doctor told you to cut off your leg, you would want to find out more. If your financial advisor told you to put all of your money into waterfront property in the Everglades, you would do your due diligence. If the grizzly bear guy says it’s ok to leave the bear in the house, you would have questions.
The same is true with a Realtor. You need to be able to trust your Realtor. And to do that, you need to educate yourself a little more on the whole home buying process. Educating my clients is a major hallmark for myself and my Associates.
Let me give one example: When I meet a prospective seller for the first time, I always say, “I assume you’re talking with at least one other Realtor.” This is a form of education, because 80% of sellers only talk to one Realtor, without even considering other, better options. When a seller tells me I’m one of several agents they’re talking to, I congratulate their thinking. I prefer working with clients who make fact-based decisions, because I make fact-based recommendations. I welcome the competition, it keeps me sharp.
If your Realtor isn’t educating you about the process of buying or selling your home, you may want to ask yourself why? Why are you being left to learn things on your own?
Of course, if you don’t want to be left alone on the process, contact Joan today.