Having the right real estate working for you as a buyer can not only make buying a home successful but also a positive experience.  As someone with experience in buying a home I know it can be a very stressful event in your life but rewarding in the end.  The average person will usually buy 4 homes in their life time so you need someone there to guide you and make sure all the right decisions are made.

As a buyer reaching out to a Realtor you should do your homework and know what you want, what you are comfortable spending and what your needs will be in the next 5-10 years.  With this information the Realtor can better serve you and lead you into the right direction.

Qualities to look for:

Having market knowledge to help you get the most for your money, especially; when you are buying in an area you are not familiar with.  If your agent is not familiar with a certain neighborhood you are interested in they have plenty of tools at their finger tips to help with that information for you.  Make sure they are willing to their homework to get the most recent information for you.

Communication is a key ingredient to this process.  You want to let your agent know how you would like to communicate so it’s convenient for you!  He/she can send you emails as properties come on the market or being reduced that are in your specified criteria so you will not have to be looking every day.

Keeping your goals in mind to ensure you get what you are looking for and not what they want to sell you.  It can be frustrating looking at houses and wasting your time viewing homes that are desired.

As a buyer you may not be ready to buy at this moment but want to get a feel for what is on the market.  This is where patience can be a key quality in your agent.  If you are ready to start the looking process but not ready to actually see the homes you can ask your Realtor to start sending you homes that meet your specifications.  Once you get a general idea of what you want and the price range then you can start setting appointments.

Are you moving out of town?  You want a Realtor who doesn’t mind previewing homes for you before you come in town so your time can be used more wisely.  This is a part of our job and the Realtor should not mind.  We can take pictures and send them to you before you come into town and start eliminating and finding your likes and dislikes.

When you are riding with the Realtor or meeting them at the homes make sure your Realtor has a package for you of print outs and the information on the homes you are viewing so you can go back after and discuss.  You will most likely see numerous homes and these print outs are a great way to remember each home and rate the homes as you see them.    I will make a folder up for my customer and place the homes in the order as we are seeing them and ask you to rate them once we are done viewing the homes.  This gives me a better idea of what you really like and dislike so I can refine your search.

Once you find a home that you would like to make an offer on a Realtor can be a great referral source for you in finding the best and reputable mortgage broker, inspectors, title officers, etc.

Buying a home is not always a short process and can take a while so please be honest with your Realtor about your time frame and what your thoughts are on the homes that you have seen.  The communication between you and your Realtor will be very important in the buying process.  In exchange for your Realtors time he/she expects you to be loyal to them as well.  It’s a very time consuming process to find the perfect match for you but that’s what a good Realtor is there for!

I am here in St Augustine and would love to help you through this process of searching for a home in the St Augustine, Ponte Vedra, and Jacksonville area.  Let me know what your needs and likes are and we will work together and find that perfect home here in Florida!

St Augustine Realtor