Are you thinking of moving from out of state to another part of the country?
You need to find a hotel, a rental car, arrange childcare, get time off work, make plane reservations, wash the dog! And that’s just to prepare for your house hunting trip.
You need to find the right house in the right neighborhood, negotiate a price, get connected and settled, pick drapes and a dining table. It’s a big deal! And there's a lot at stake.
Moving from out of state can be overwhelming. And you can't do it on your own.
Here are our 10 tips that will help you find a real estate agent that will find you the right home, in the right neighborhood at the right price.... stress free.
Tip 1: Searching for your Realtor.
You're moving somewhere from out of state, so you may not be able to get a personal referral. We all know how to google search. So do it. But here's what to look for in the real estate agents you find. Look for experience. And not just general experience. Make sure they have many years experience in helping out of state buyers specifically, and have a relocation system in place for people who have never been to their area . Find someone who specializes in the geographical area you are looking at. Lots of agents have such a large territory, they might not even know your area well enough to guide you to the right neighborhood. Listen to your intuition. Watch their videos, listen to what they have to say and look for someone you intuitively trust. And obviously, check their credentials, testimonials, google reviews, etc.. Make sure they have a great reputation, specifically with out of state buyers.
Tip 2: Reach out to them and make sure they reach out to you.
You want an agent that will respond quickly and give you useful resources such as videos and relocation guides right away. Often these can be very valuable and cost you nothing. Don't be afraid to give them your email address or even your phone number. If they're good, they're there to help, not harass. The point is, if you don't reach out first, they can't do their job.
Tip 3: A good agent is going to find out as much as possible about you; both your real estate needs and your personal needs.
Give them all the information you can so they can start getting to work for you. Look for someone who is genuinely interested in you, not just your business. You need them to know who you are, your personality, your situation. Are you active? Retiring? A family? Single? That sort of stuff. If they're good, they will genuinely listen and care.
Tip 4: Make sure that you work with agents that have you set up on your own personal property organizer that is notifying you of listings that meet your criteria as they come on the market.
If they are using Zillow, Redfin or Trulia, you may not be getting real time, accurate information. Make sure they have tools and services that will help you learn about a place you don't know, such as videos of neighborhoods, personal connections, etc.. Some agents will even have relocation guides with resources for recommended home service contractors. Sometimes these will even include valuable discounts you can use once you arrive. This can save you a lot of money and get you connected to your new area quickly.
Tip 5: You want to be working with agents that live and work in the general area that you're looking at so that they will be able to go out and preview homes that you are interested in.
Good agents will preview these homes for you, taking photos and video for you before you even come out. They should communicate with you about specific properties by email, phone or even Facetime or Skype. If they are not previewing properties for you, and eliminating a lot of properties, you can waste a lot of time once you get there to look at houses.
Tip 6: Since you are buying from out of state, you have special needs. Look for someone that will help you find a hotel, arrange childcare, rent a car, recommend restaurants, etc..
A lot of agents don't do these things, but when you come out to house hunt, you will only have a short time and these little things can really make your trip easier and more focused for you.
Tip 7: Agents who really care and understand your needs as an out of state buyer, will go as far as offering to pick you up at the airport, or your hotel if that makes it more convenient for you.
If you want to weed out the bad ones, ask them, straight out, if they'll do this for you. If they stutter or stall, move on. Also, being in the same vehicle as the agents is very important. It will allow you to have valuable conversations, personal and business, that will give the agents insights into who you are and what you are looking for. Driving time is hours of very valuable time. Use it. Skip the agent who drives a $70,000, 2 seated sports car just to impress you!
Tip 8: Work with someone who will spend at least a half day getting you oriented to the area in general.
By focusing on neighborhoods first, then houses, you are able to get a feel for the personality of the neighborhoods before you start looking at a bunch of houses in neighborhoods that you may hate. This is possibly the most valuable time you will spend on your house hunt. It will also allow you to know what your commute may look like, where you can shop, parks, medical centers, etc.. It's crucial that you have an overview of the entire area before you start looking for a specific house.
Tip 9: On your house hunting trip, you may see dozens of homes and it can quickly become a blur. Make sure they have a system in place that will categorize your houses into yes's, no's and maybe's to help you remember the ones you really liked and why.
Take notes on what you liked and didn't like on each house immediately after viewing it. If your agent doesn't do this, do it yourself. Stay organized or you will forget.
Tip 10: Once you've found the house you want to make an offer on, make sure your agent does their due diligence determining the terms of the offer.
A good agent will know the local market and do in depth research on all of the similar properties that have sold over the last 6 months to a year in determining value. Then, they will effectively negotiate the price and terms of your offer. You have to have an agent who is absolutely on top of the local market. Experience is king.
If you are buying out of state, use these tips to make sure you find an agent that specializes in helping out of state buyers because it is very different than working with people who are already familiar with the area. It takes a few extra steps to make sure your valuable time isn't wasted and buying a home in a new, unfamiliar place isn't hectic and stressful.
Hope this article was helpful. Please comment and let us know if these tips were helpful. Happy House Hunting!
