House Hunting:  10 Things Not to Expect from Your Real Estate Agent when Buying a Home

Some say that buying a new house is exciting. These are usually the customers who go out for a day or two with a real estate agent hoping to find that perfect home. Other people (usually the real estate agents) say that house hunting is hard work. Why would that be? It’s all because customers don’t quite understand what to expect from their real estate agent.

If you are, or soon will be, in the market for a new home, these are some easy tips on how to handle the house hunt so that your agent can focus on finding you your dream home.

1. The sole purpose of your real estate agent is to help you find the perfect house. She can’t do this unless you tell her exactly what you want, what you can afford, and where you want to live. Agents are not mind readers.
2. It is not up to your agent to take you to lunch/dinner or stop for coffee every half hour.
3. Your agent is not psychic. If for some reason you are being shown houses you have no interest in, it may be because you haven’t given the agent a clear description of what you want.
4. The agent is not a babysitter. Do not bring children with you if they will distract you.  Diaper changes, nursing babies, or restless toddlers need to be left behind.
5. Agents are not mortgage experts. That’s not their expertise. They cannot qualify you for a loan, and they can’t (legally and ethically) steer you towards a specific lender.
6. Your agent is working with other clients besides you. Don’t send her nasty texts and emails because she isn’t available to you at the drop of a hat.
7. On the same note, when you schedule an appointment, make sure you are on time. Your agent isn’t sitting around wasting time waiting for you to show up. There are other clients she can tend to instead.  If you are unavoidably detained, call to let her know.
8. Agents are not chauffeurs. Don’t ask to go to shops, markets or restaurants while you are out house hunting. “I just need to run in for a few things ….” doesn’t fly.
9. Assuming you have your own agent and are not using the Selling agent to buy a home (this is a bad idea by the way – it’s called Dual Agency and is illegal in some states), your agent represents you, not the seller. Don’t expect to get any inside information on the houses you like.  Even though your agent may know the Selling agent they will now know any inside info and the Selling Agent will protect the Sellers interests at all costs. You can ask questions but don’t badger anyone for inside info; you won’t get it and aren’t entitled to it.
10. Although agents are licensed to sell in the entire state, they have their areas where they are the local expert. Don’t expect the agent to drive you 50 miles to see a home in another county.
11. Your agent is an expert in the field. All experienced agents have a wealth of information they can give you. They are your passport to your new home.  Just make sure you treat them with the respect they deserve, and they will reciprocate.

It’s not unheard of for an agent to “fire” a customer because of lack of respect. Don’t be one of those customers.

What CAN you expect from your Real Estate Agent?

1. Communication: Your agent will sit down and talk with you about the type of home you want and the qualities you want in that home. Like in #3 above, be sure to be specific about what you want so that they can send you listings that will appeal to you. If you seem to be getting listings that aren’t what you re looking for then you should communicate that with your agent immediately and adjust your criteria. They should also be able to set you up with a personal Property Organizer account to search on your own on their website! For example on Sell-4Free you can use the Advanced Search to view listings and save your favorites and set up listing alerts to get notified of new listings that match your search or price drops. Additionally your agent will take you to see the homes you are interested in and walk you through them and answer any questions about the house and area.
2. Recommendations: You can expect your Realtor to be able to recommend service candors to you that you might need like Home Inspectors, Mortgage Consultants, Moving companies and more.
3. Knowledge: You can expect your real estate agent to be a local expert. They will know about the schools, local hot spots, neighborhoods, community amenities and most importantly they will be able to point out homes that may be a bad buy and steer you away from a bad purchase or help you make an appropriate offer. They will also be able to help you with the paperwork including making an offer, understanding the documents and negotiating the deal.
4. Loyalty & Protection: Having a Buyers agent on your side is important because they are on your side and their loyalty is to you, not the seller. It is their fiduciary responsibility to protect your rights. This is the main reason you don’t want to use the Selling agent for the listing because their first responsibility is to the Sellers and that could spell trouble for you. Having a Buyers Agent in your corner will ensure that your best interests are protected and you will get good advice throughout the entire process.

Are You Thinking of Buying a Home in Dubois County?

Use our site to search homes for sale in Jasper, Dubois, Spencer, Martin and Davis counties and all of our surrounding areas. Unlike the “big name” sites out there, at Sell 4 Free Welsh Realty our site is directly connected to our local MLS and is updated with new homes every hour. By signing up for New Listing alerts you can stay on top of the newest homes for sale and get price change alerts so you can stay ahead of other buyers and beat them to the hottest deals!

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