By Nancy Hankin

It seems I’ve had a rash of Realtors showing the wrong homes to Buyers these past two months.  It makes me wonder if these Buyers ever communicated what they were looking for with their Agents before they set out to view homes.

Here are a few examples. Why are Buyers looking at homes which are clearly NOT in their price range? It also amazes me the agent has not had their buyer Pre-A
pproved beforehand, then explained to the buyer it is not in their best interest to waste every ones time (Buyers, Sellers, Listing Agent and Buyer’s Agent) to see homes they really can’t afford to buy.

This scenario happened AGAIN a few days ago. An agent showed a house I have listed for sale. The Buyers liked the house and they wanted to see it a second time. The agent showed it to them four days later and the Buyers said, “This home is not in our price range and it’s too expensive. We need to look at homes $50,000 less”. If you are sitting there wondering WHY the Buyers wanted to see a home $50,000 more than they could afford, and WHY an Agent didn’t know this home was not in the Buyer’ price range……I’m sorry, but there is no sane answer I can give you.

Here’s a question for Buyers: When most homes are selling at 95%-98% of the asking price, and homes you are seeing are NOT overpriced, what makes you think Sellers will take a ridiculously low offer? This is not a “fire-sale” market where sellers want to sell their homes far under market value.

What I am also finding out is many buyers THINK they know what they want to buy, and then they BUY something that doesn’t resemble anything they have on their “MUST HAVE LIST”. This occurs often. This is one of the reasons I ask A LOT OF QUESTIONS before I start searching, setting up appointments, and showing homes to buyers.

A very simple question Realtors should ask if they are selling in a retirement area is “Can I show you both one and two story homes?” As an example, I have a gorgeous home listed on the golf course with fabulous views. It’s upgraded and shows beautifully.  It has a second master suite on the second floor. I have probably had over 10 showings where the agent tells me “They are not interested in a home with a second floor. ”Hello………..why wasn’t this discussed beforehand? Didn’t you see the stairs in the photos? Didn’t you or your client read the MLS information before setting up appointments to show property?

The best advice I can give a Buyer and their Agent is “Do your homework BEFORE you start looking at homes.” It takes a lot of time to show a home. Here is an example:

• Agents spend a lot of time searching for homes in a price range with the features you’ve discussed with them.
• Sellers spend a lot of time trying to keep their homes “show ready” which means being able to have their homes show at their best on short notice. Trust me….this is not fun, especially if you have children, or work full-time.
• Once you both have decided what homes to see, it’s time to do three more things.
  • Call the listing agent to make sure the house is still available and ask for special instructions.
  • Set up appointments to show, with the Sellers, or have the Listing Agent contact the seller, then call you back letting you know when it can be shown.
  • If several homes need to be shown, Agents need to determine in what order to show them, and this will depend on the time either the Agent or Seller can meet you at the property.
• If one appointment takes longer than expected, this can throw off the time-schedule for all remaining homes to see….so MAPPING your ROUTE is critical when showing a lot of properties. This all takes TIME!

Fortunately, with folks using the Internet to look at homes, more than 90% of the Buyers often start their search many months in advance BEFORE they contact a Realtor. However, if a Buyer has not been pre-approved for a loan with a lender beforehand, you are all wasting your time if you show homes before getting approved for a loan. Even if you found “your dream home,” you can’t put in an offer without showing the Sellers you are either approved for a loan, or you have the financial means to pay Cash. An offer without proof, is not worth anything……so the next time you are thinking of buying a home, DO YOUR HOMEWORK ahead of time, show you are qualified and able to buy the property, and COMMUNICATE all your WANTS, NEEDS and DISLIKES before you start searching in earnest.

I’ve been a Realtor since 1992 and a business person before that time. I am also a real estate Broker which simply means I have far more education and knowledge than most Realtors, and if you can see what other Buyers and Sellers have to say about their experience working with Nancy Hankin.

If you, or someone you know is looking for a knowledgeable Realtor in the Palm Springs Desert Area, just give me a call. I‘m here to help any way I can. And if you are a Realtor from out of the area, know a good majority of my clients are REFERRALS. I’d love to hear from you too!

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IMPORTANT: Interested in buying or selling a home in the Palm Springs Desert Area? Search properties on my Advanced IDX MLS SEARCH. Or give me a call. I will be happy to give you or your referral my “red carpet service.” After the sale, I will send you a $50 Gift Certificate towards dinner in a fabulous Palm Springs Area Restaurant so you can celebrate!

BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL PALM SPRINGS REALTOR,

Nancy Hankin