Marketing homes on the web has changed the way a Realtor does business. Buyers from near and afar present themselves to me with a fistful of listings they want to see. The more focused and organized buyers have the home listings ranked in their order of preference. My initial job is to set appointments and get the buyers into the homes they have chosen to see.
What could be easier? Ha! Let me tell you like it is…
More often than not the buyers have a good part of the story but not the whole story from their well-intentioned research. Online home searching is NOT the whole picture, the pictures and information are tailored as in the tradition of marketing to appeal to the consumer.
What is left out becomes more important than what is presented.
Together the buyers and I run through the list, visiting one home after the other. The visions the buyer created in their head as to the location, neighborhood or whatever are more often than not dissolved into dust.
Neighborhoods that appear to be close to work and conveniences are much further away. Homes back to unsightly objects that blink, speed or make noise 24/7. The photos that show expansive yards are actually trick photography accomplished with magic lens. Any number of unacceptable elements overwhelm the buyer causing disappointment to set in.
Hitting rock bottom usually happens on Day 1. It is a day of disappointment, a reality check.
Day 2 is usually my favorite because it begins with dispair but ends in hope. Day 2 is the day when we put the missing pieces together and find maybe not the exact house but target a good neighborhood or two.
By the end of this day the spirits are lifted and the happiness returns.
More often than not on day 3 The House is found. It is then we write the offer and start the negotiation process.
Ironically the house isn’t usually one from the buyer’s original list. We move on from the list and find others that fit the bill. Buying a home is a process, no two are ever the same.
That’s why helping people find a home is so much fun, each day is different, never boring and never dull.
About the Author
Kristal Kraft
Kristal has been helping buyers and sellers in Colorado since 1984. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of the Metro Denver Real Estate market via blogging and in person while driving around the beautiful Rocky Mountain town of Denver! For fun, Kristal enjoys shooting things with a Canon. Visit Denver Photo Blog
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