5 Major Home Buying Mistakes Your Realtor Makes

Think about where you call home right now and all the details beyond the type of tile in the bathroom and the color of your kitchen cabinets.

Think about what you see out the windows, how you entertain guests at home, what a walk in your neighborhood is like and what your favorite Wednesday night restaurant is. It is these details that are fixed to a home but would be dramatically different if you lived three neighborhoods over.

The fact is, your address has a huge impact on your life, your happiness, your friends and your experiences and I think about this every time I meet with a new client to discuss their place in the world.

As an agent we are responsible (and legally obligated) for our clients well being. In my years of real estate I have recognized some key areas where agents go wrong.

Every transaction should have two agents: one representing the owner of a property and one representing the person that will be the owner of that property. The Listing Agent represents the owner and a Buyers Agent represents potential buyers. I have worked on both sides and enjoy the challenges of both positions.  In this article I will cover just the possible mistakes a Buyers Agent can make.

Not Challenging You

Buyers often fall in love with a particular neighborhood or even a particular street, but there could be a equally amazing (or better) neighborhood on the other side of town. A great agent will encourage you to expand your search areas to uncover more opportunities.

I always encourage buyers to base a geo area by looking at custom commute maps and to look at Condos and Townhouses in the beginning. If anything, this “shotgun” approach will help you justify your focus. Looking at homes you don’t want makes you realize what you do want.

Not Showing You Enough Houses

I love exploring houses so it is. never an issue if a client wants to see a bunch of them, and I encourage it. Looking at pictures online does very little to really get a sense of a place. Agents are notorious for picking the 15 best pictures of a property and those aren’t never the complete representation of a home.

I always tell my clients that we will need to get inside 30 to 40 homes before you get a sense of what will work and what will not work. Unless you are seeking something very specific (like a home built by a known architect), seeing one a home a week will take you months to find the right home.

With Covid restrictions, there are no open houses so every showing is private. A great agent can juggle the schedule so you can see 5 to 6 homes on a tour. Pre-Covid I could do as many as 15 in a day with a buyer client.

Looking at homes you don’t want makes you realize what you do want a great agent supports this.

Not Using X-Ray Vision

At a showing, most buyers will focus on the surfaces; the flooring, the cabinets, tile colors etc. While those may be important, they can be changed. It would be a mistake for a buyers agent to also focus on these items.

A great agent is doing their own investigation into the mechanicals behind the walls. Do the doors stick on one side of the house? What does the electrical panel look like, how many layers of shingles are on that roof? What type of plumbing does the house have?

Feedback on findings from a visual inspection, construction permit research and pointed questions to the listing agent will help you get a true sense of a home and if you should proceed with an offer.

An agent staying quiet during a showing is a big mistake.

Submitting a Soft Offer

In my areas of focus; Pasadena, Silverlake, Los Feliz, Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Altadena real estate is in very high demand. Most homes will receive multiple offers.

Not developing a strategic offer strategy is a huge mistake agents make for their clients. Your agent needs to give you a sense of what offers you are going up against, what that house may appraise for and if there will be a round of counter offers and how can you ensure that you will be a part of that.

Submitting an offer without doing the proper research is a sure fire way for you to lose out on that house you love.

Being Clueless When It Comes to Inspections

Congrats! Your offer was accepted, now the tough part starts. Once escrow opens and your deposit is in, you have a window of time to do your inspections.

The findings from professional inspectors can be overwhelming and agent that doesn’t explain which of those findings are concerning and which are not is a major mistake.

A great agent is part general contractor and can speak at length as to what repairs should be corrected or credited before you close escrow.

Home buying is very nuanced in Southern California and there will always be ups and downs in the journey to find your place in the world. Having an agent that is experienced, diligent and determined to help you make the best investment for you and your family is key in a market like ours.