Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Yep, you read it right. PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS! The buyer who states that they are ready to buy a home and they want the best Realtor for the job had better be prepared to put their money where their mouth is. We've heard it time and time again...Real Estate is local. Realtors have heard it, but probably not our buyers. What buyers are inundated with is national Real Estate statistics and news. First and foremost, the job of any Realtor with their buyer is to bring the buyer up to speed on what is happening in their local Real Estate market. The second job is to keep the buyer educated on local market trends and conditions. Now with the is mind, let's look at what the buyer must then do.

A buyer who states that this is the time to buy must make a decision on whom to select as a Realtor and then be willing to actually utilize the expertise of the Realtor to their advantage. Lesson number one Mr. and Mrs. Buyer is to select a Realtor who's opinion and expertise you value. For you see, in the end it is truly only to your benefit to select the Realtor that you will truly allow to guide you through the home buying process because they are the experts.

Please believe me when I tell you that the worst mistake you will ever make is to believe that you honestly know more about the local Real Estate market then your trusted Realtor. Don't get me wrong perhaps you get a lemon of a Realtor at first or at some point. It could happen to anyone and we have all made selections of doctors, lawyers, financial planners, etc that maybe weren't to our liking and who's opinions we questioned. If that becomes the case then yes...move on. However, when searching for that little dream home that you have envisioned time and time again in your head, heed my advice.... PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS! If you and your Realtor locate your ideal home and you decide that this is the one to put an offer in on then here is what should happen. First of all, hopefully you are up to speed on what the local market conditions and trends are at the moment. Next you should take a look at what the comparable are sales are. Now armed with the knowledge of the overall local market conditions and trends along with the specific sales comparables for the particular home you are interested in your Realtor can help guide you in terms of what price range you should make an offer in and what types of seller concessions you should or should not ask for. The problem occurs when you dismiss the advice of the professional Realtor because Uncle Johnny who bought a house last year told you to do "X". Or because you heard on the national news that prices are coming down. Hello? Does that national news really always pertain to your exact situation on everything? I think not. And my all time favorite is when the buyer just picks a price out of the random, thin air and decides that is what they will offer. Hmmm...please I beg of you to listen to your Realtor and oh yes ....PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!

After finding your ideal home and getting the research previously mentioned accomplished, then it is time to make the offer as advised by your Realtor. Two hundred offers later when you still don't have a home, it is not your Realtors fault when the buyer insists on continually making low ball offers in home areas that are receiving multiple offers and the demand is higher than the supply of homes. When you are truly ready to buy a home, you will seek a Realtor that you trust and are willing to truly listen to and you will be ready to PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!


Keisha Hosea is a local Market Expert and Realtor in Chino Hills, California with Keller Williams Realty, She is the Team Director and CEO of KASI Homes. She has been a local resident of Chino Hills and the Inland Empire for over 22 years and enjoys volunteering with the City of Chino Hills in her spare time. You may call her direct at (909) 261-6377 for further questions on this information or any other real estate advice. You may also visit the website at www.KASIHomes.com