Contrary to popular belief, you will at no time during a buyer consultation be tied down and the doors will remain unlocked!
Why is a buyer consultation important?
Seriously, you may have seen a lot of home buying TV shows, but they actually show only a very small portion of the transaction – there is a lot more to buying a home than looking at 3 houses and moving in! A buyer consultation will arm you with the information you need to face today’s home buying market confidently, and make better decisions throughout the transaction.
What happens at a home buyer consultation?
A typical buyer consultation lasts about an hour. During this time, we will explain the entire home buying process from beginning to end. This may seem a little tedious, and you may feel overwhelmed that you won’t remember everything, but don’t worry. We will go over the details again during the actual transaction. It is much better to know what to expect rather than going along blindly. We will explain what our role is in the process, and the roles of the other professionals that we will work with along the way.
Do I need a home buyer consultation if I’m not a first time homebuyer?
Even if you have purchased several homes in the past, you will benefit from a buyer consultation. An important aspect of this meeting is the opportunity for the agent and buyer to “interview” each other and decide if they are a good fit to work together. If we move forward, we will be spending quite a bit of time together, looking at homes, writing an offer, inspections and more, it’s good to make sure from the beginning that we are comfortable with each other. If we decide it’s a go, then we can sign the buyer representation form right at the consultation. If not, you will at least have a better understanding of the process.
Our goal is to know what YOUR real estate goals are. Do you have a home to sell first, what is your budget, which areas would you like to search in, what style of home do you like? We will make a list of your “Wants”, and your absolute “Must Haves.” This is important for us in order to narrow down your search so that we are focused only on homes that will work for you. We will likely have the opportunity to view some homes online, and we can also set up a date to start viewing homes. We will start an automated search directly from the MLS, so that new listings are sent to you daily, and listings that are no long available will be removed. Our clients receive the MOST up to date list of homes for sale because it comes directly from the MLS, and not from a third party website.
Who should I talk to first before buying a home?
We prefer that you have already obtained a pre-approval from a lender before we meet. That way you will come into the buyer consultation knowing your price range, payments, and what type of financing you will be using, or if you even need to finance. We can discuss your specific financing and potential strategies in finding a home that will meet the requirements of the type of loan. We absolutely do not want to start physically looking at homes until you are pre-approved. If you need a referral to a trusted lender, just let us know, and we will put you in contact.
What do I need to bring to a home buyer consultation?
You may wish to bring a list of questions with you, to make sure we get them all answered, and your pre-approval letter if you have it.
Attending the buyer consultation and understanding the home buying process from the beginning will save you a lot of time and frustration when buying a new home. Let’s get started! Contact Myra Jensen at BRIX Real Estate today.
