The key to finding your dream house is to first hire a real estate agent who can negotiate the terms of a deal for you the best way possible. You don’t need the best real estate agent or the one with the most sales. You need someone you can jive with. You need someone who understands what you’re looking for. You need this agent to believe that you’ll get what you want with the budget that you have. And lastly, you need this agent to be honest, to tell you no when what you want is impossible to achieve.
Don’t be easily wowed by beautiful display homes in Townsville or other cities. Many agents will try to sell you the easiest piece of property they can come up with. They will spruce up the place, making it look like something off the page of Architectural Digest. Don’t fall for it. The first property shown to you is not the best one.
The longer the agents have to work on finding the right home for you, the more that they’ll get to know your preferences. Throughout the process of looking at homes, they’ll get to know you better. By the time they find the fifth home to offer to you, they’ve already gotten “it,” that thing that’s missing in the first few houses they showed you.
Don’t Get Sucked in by the Experience
Some people are naturally great at striking conversations. They will talk to you about anything under the sun. You’ll feel like you’ve known them their whole lives. It feels like this is a person you can talk to and who will understand what you’re looking for. But think long and hard about the topics you discussed. Was it about real estate or other things?
Don’t get sucked in by the friendliness of the agents. Instead, look for signs that they are experienced in their jobs and in the particular neighborhood you seek. You don’t need to be chat buddies with the agents. You should respect them and vice versa, but experience and resourcefulness should be your tipping point.
Ask Homeowners for Referrals
Do you have a neighborhood in mind? Maybe you can go around, introduce yourself and your purpose, and ask if the current homeowners can refer an agent. Maybe they can refer the same person who negotiated the sale of their current house. You can get to know the kind of neighborhood you’re eyeing, too, by going around and trying to talk to people. Just make sure that you don’t look like a burglar or a stalker snooping around their houses. Introduce yourself and why you need their referrals.
Be Upfront
Don’t be afraid to ask pointed questions. You can’t absorb all the information the agents tell you. Be proactive in finding your dream house by asking your agents if they understand your preferences. If the agents aren’t bringing you the right options, don’t feel bad about saying no. You’ll be living in this house for the foreseeable future. It is only right that you’re picky with it.
The first step to finding your dream home is choosing the right real estate agent to work with. Take your time. The moment you rush into finding an agent is the moment you make your first mistake as a potential homeowner. From there, you’ll make wrong turns after wrong turns.
