House Hunting

DH & I just started looking at houses. We have gone to a couple of open houses in the area we like and are going to a couple more. We haven't found anything we love yet.
Should we contact a real estate agent?Sorry, I’ve never done this whole process.
Also any tips would be great. I feel like I’m all over the place and don’t know what to do.

Thanks!!!

Re: House Hunting

The answer is yes. Dh and I looked for 3 years and we had an agent when we found THE house. Picking the right agent will make all the difference. You need a shark

Re: House Hunting

Yes you should have a buyers agent. Find someone knowledgeable about the area.

House Hunting

Yes - having a buyer's agent made the whole process so much easier for us. Not necessarily for finding the house (we bought 5 yrs ago), but in negotiating and the rest of the process, she was invaluable!

House Hunting

Yes you should get a buyer's agent who would work for you and has you in his /her best interest.

Re: House Hunting

As others have said, it really helps to have a buyer's agent who is representing YOU as the buyer.

It's not so much for finding the home, as a buyer can find listings and open houses online.

But it's for guidance and information. It's a very challenging market for buyers, and it's hard to navigate alone.

When a buyer contacts me, I always recommend that we meet first for a consultation. During my buyer consultation, I give the buyer(s) some information about me (my background and experience, how I work, etc.).

Then, I ask them questions and listen closely to what their situation is and what their house hunting needs are -- how soon do they need/want to buy? Are they qualified? What do they want in a house and why?

After that, I explain the entire buying process, from soup to nuts, so that they understand what to expect. I find this takes some of the stress out of the process for buyers, because they have information about what is coming. But it also helps them get prepared in advance. It's a fast moving market with low inventory, so buyers have to be ready to pull the trigger and if they are wasting time trying to figure out a home inspection, or find an attorney, then someone else may swoop in and snag the house they want.

Finally, in my buyer consultation, I explain that there are two options of how a buyer can work with their agent. They can elect to have a buyer's agent, and be a client of the agent. If not, the agent can still assist the buyer as a customer, but the agent is more limited in what they can do for a buyer. It's helpful for the buyer to understand this upfront and it's necessary for the relationship to be established prior to looking at homes together.

But while most buyers can stumble upon a house they like, a lot of times they are lost without someone to guide them on offer strategy (or even how to put in an offer), the home inspection, the contract process, the mortgage process, and even the final walk through and closing. It's really helpful to have someone in your corner for these issues. Yes, you will have an attorney, but their role is more limited to preparing contract (based on what is negotiated by the agents) and handling the actual closing. They never see the house and they don't have the broader context on a lot of issues that come up.

Plus, while you can see listings online, agents see much more information about those listings. So once I have a handle on what a buyer is looking for, I can guide them away from houses I know won't work for them (or at least advise them of the potential negatives). So the buyers don't waste their time. I can also steer them toward houses that they would have otherwise overlooked, but I know fit their criteria. And logistically, it's just easier to have one agent handling showing arrangements for you then trying to reach multiple listing agents to set things up.

I don't know what areas the OP is looking in, but I work all over Long Island. Feel free to reach out if I can help - I'm an Associate Broker at Century 21 American Homes in Merrick. You can reach me at 516.587.7618 or [email protected].

Good luck!

House Hunting

A buyers agent can also "protect" you from unpleasant interactions with unscrupulous realtors. When we were first looking, we didn't have an agent and went to a bunch of open houses to get an idea of what was available in our price range in certain areas. After we signed with a buyers agent, we decided to go back and look at a house again that we thought we'd like. The seller's agent tried to strong arm us by telling us that since we saw the house the first time without representation, that she "owned" us and that we had to use her as our buyers agent (even though we already signed a contract with one at that point). Ridiculous how shady people can be!

Re: House Hunting

Thank you!!!!
Christine - I'm going to email you. I know nothing about the process. LOL

I think we need an agent, DH on the other hand said no but I think it will be helpful!

House Hunting

There is no downside to having an agent. The 99% of the time the seller pays both brokers' commission. It only helps. It's especially to have one in a tough deal. Not every deal is sunshine and rainbows. Our buy/sell was VERY stressful on both ends. Our agent handled it beautifully, we'd probably be homeless or divorced if it weren't for her hahaha. :)

Message edited 9/20/2017 10:49:35 AM.

Re: House Hunting

Re: House Hunting