Help Your Agent Help You

Home Buyers Have Responsibilities, Too

We hear a lot of talk about real estate agents--what they should and shouldn't do and say, whether they represent owner or seeker / buyers or sellers--but we don't hear too much about seeker / buyer responsibilities.

A successful real estate transaction requires cooperation from everyone associated with the transaction. There are things you can do to help your agent, which in the long run gets you to closing faster and with fewer bumps along the way.

Think seriously about your needs and wants.

1. Evaluate your needs and wants to determine which items are most important to you. Convey that information to the agent.
2. It's sometimes difficult to find the ideal home.

Be honest with the agent.

How much personal information you give a real estate agent depends on your relationship with him/her, but no matter what the relationship is... be honest.

1. If you're working with multiple agents, let them know so that their efforts don't overlap. It's a waste of everyone's time. You might lose an agent by making that admission, but it's best to do it now.

Cooperate with the agent.

1. Don't refuse to keep a listing appointment just because you don't like the exterior. It's rude to drive away and it creates hard feelings. You don't have to spend a lot of time in the house, but do a walk-through.
2. Don't blindly follow an agent's directives, but do cooperate. If contracts must be signed, don't let them linger. Your verbal acceptance of a counter offer might be discarded if you take your time to sign.
3. Attend your home inspection and pest inspection if possible. You should be there to see and hear things firsthand.
4. Gather all paperwork needed to process.
5. Choose your closing agent if that applies in your area. Work with your agent to make sure everything's ready for closing

Closings don't just happen. They happen because at least one person is following through, often on a daily basis. The road to closing is a lot smoother if everyone involved cooperates.