Home Search Getting You Frustrated?

Home Search Getting You Frustrated?

When you list your home with a Homes Sold for More™ agent, you aren’t only getting a listing specialist unlike the traditional agents out there, you are getting a buyer specialist as well. In a competitive seller’s market, the buyer’s agent you hire to help purchase your next home can mean the difference between success and frustrating failure. If your home search is getting you frustrated, we can help!

A client referred to us had been trying to purchase a home in a specific development for over a year. She is a non- contingent buyer, with a great down payment, and knows exactly what she wants. Last year she met an agent at an open house in the development she had an interest in. She had seen billboards advertising the real estate agent’s team, so she felt it was a safe bet to sign a representation contract to help her buy a home.

Over the last year she has had numerous offers submitted on her behalf and was continually coming up short. Offer after offer, same result. Upon the expiration of her representation contract, she spoke to a friend who recommended she call us. Upon our initial meeting, we listened intently to what she had been through and couldn’t believe what we were hearing. Upon the last offer she felt so desperate to secure a home that she told the agent “Do whatever you need to do to get the offer accepted.” We asked what kind of offer/terms she was presenting to the sellers that were being rejected. She pulled out a copy of the purchase agreement and we went through it. Oh my!

There were numerous things we would have changed in the offer to make it more appealing to the seller while protecting her interests, but it was what she said next that really caught our attention. “My previous agent told me that the secret to getting an offer accepted is all about how quickly you can get the offer submitted. The last two offers we made were submitted within an hour of the home hitting the market. In fact, I didn’t view either one, we just submitted the offers quickly hoping that they would get us the home”. Are you kidding? In an environment and price point where you are likely to compete in multiple offers, a seller would be crazy to accept an offer without the buyer seeing the home (unless the offer was all cash without any contingencies). This current market is all about showing intent with your offer. Not even taking the time to view the home shows nothing more than your desire to tie the home up while you decide if you want to purchase it during an inspection contingency. That is NOT an appealing offer to any seller we’ve ever worked with.

If you or someone you know has been unsuccessful in their pursuit of a new home and is no longer working with their agent, please give us a call. Experience and knowledge matters in this market and choosing a Homes Sold for More™ agent can make all the difference when you’re listing your home and planning to buy as well.

Here are some tips on how to set up a successful home search.