5 Questions Your Realtor® Should Be Asking You
Spivey Realty Group here and today we’re going to give you our top 5 questions real estate agents should be asking you. The goal is to help you decide whether you picked the right gladiator to help you find your new home.
Your agent should be on the ball and super easy to communicate with. Detail-oriented and on time. A full-time agent who works 7 days a week. Their work-life balance isn’t your problem. You need an agent who lives and breathes real estate, all the time, and someone who makes it their mission to find your house, whatever day and time that turns out to be.
Here are 5 questions your agent should be asking you. If you haven’t heard these questions yet, consider a change because you can’t afford to be late to the game as a buyer in this seller’s market.
1) Are you pre-approved? Are you working with a lender? Who?
If you say yes, perfect. You need to be pre-approved to win in this market. If you say no, your agent should offer lenders they’ve worked with, ideally a lender who is also available basically 24/7.
2) What type of loan are you getting? Do you need assistance with closing costs or can you cover those yourself?
Loan types can be conventional, FHA, USDA, or VA, for instance. Closing costs generally add up to about 3% of the purchase price. Closing costs include things like loan origination fee(s), appraisal fee, escrow/title fees, etc.
3) What areas are you looking in? What are your must-haves? What is the MOST you’d want to pay if the house were perfect?
We work in Grays Harbor county primarily. Sometimes surrounding counties. Within Grays Harbor, some folks want to look in Hoquiam/Aberdeen, some might want Ocean Shores and Westport, and others still might be focused on what we call “east county” Elma, McCleary areas. Since the market is so tight (that is, very low inventory), your agent usually only needs 1-2 must-haves. How many bedrooms is the ABSOLUTE minimum and do you NEED a garage? Those two things, plus areas, plus max purchase price if the house is perfect – that’s the info your agent needs and should be asking for.
4) What days are you available for showings?
This is important to help know that they’ll be by your side all the time and is thinking ahead about availability to see hot homes. First, you want to know the agent is available all the time, but they should be asking you too so they can schedule showings while you’re at work, etc., knowing you’ll be available on X days at Y times.
5) What’s your timeline?
The whole house search centers on your timeline. If you want a house ASAP, the search looks different. If you need to be out of your home by X month, etc. Your agent should be asking what your timeline is so that the sense of urgency is calibrated correctly.
Alright, friends. If you haven’t heard those 5 questions or want to get started with home buying, let us know. You can call us at 360-519-6886 or reach out via Facebook. And happy house hunting!
Thanks a lot for reading and supporting us. Kevin Spivey here with Spivey Realty Group. Until next time!
Grays Harbor Real Estate Made Simple.
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