It should have been evident to me but sometimes I just want to help so I am blinded. Got a call from some folks out of town that had been emailing for several months that they were coming to see some property. Plenty of notice in advance so I wrote this in my calendar. I would show them property on Tuesday & Wednesday.
When they got in town it was only Mr. Buyer. Mrs. Buyer did not come. Mr. Buyer can not make a decision
about a property without Mrs. Buyer, however if Mr. Buyer did find something interesting Mrs. Buyer could fly up.
Well, okay I take Mr. Buyer out to show property. Within the first couple minutes Mr. Buyer tells me that he and Mrs. Buyer have been looking for property for THREE years. (SINCE 2005)
Well, being the good Realtor that I am, it is just a few hours, I've been able to determine which properties currently on the market meet Mr. Buyer's needs. Wonderful, let's get a plane ticket for Mrs. Buyer right?
I spoke to Mrs. Buyer she agrees she should come look at this property. In a private conversation with Mr. Buyer later that evening together they decided that is not how they want to do this. Mr. Buyer will return and Mrs. Buyer will then come up to see the property separately two weeks from now.
To the average Joe this may seem like a reasonable way of doing things. But I now realize at least one of the reasons these folks can not make a decision about home ownership. It is really important that all decision makers go "shopping" at the same time. When all parties go shopping they can actually help each other. There are compromises to make and questions to be answered and worked through. Everyone has to see the good the bad and the ugly in order to know when a good deal comes around. In order to use your time and efforts the most effective way it is most productive when all parties go looking at property.
If you or anyone you know is interested in purchasing real estate or selling real estate in the Central Virginia area just call or email me.
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Hi Nannette. We run into all kinds, don't we?
Ken
Yep it might be another three years before they find the house they want. Just keeping them in the loop and see what happens.
Ken we sure do.
Cindy there is more to this story than I wrote. Come to find out they not only were looking at properties separately but also using several different agents. These folks, inspite of the fact they claimed they knew how to shop for a new home, were wasting alot of their own time as well as quite a few agents.
I agree with you..we need both parties present or else it is a waste of time..I, myself, need to qualiufy buyers more- to see if they are serious or not.
I have had this situation come up a couple times. You would think I would have learned from the first one, but no. Anyway, Mr. Buyer looked at houses and found one he really liked, then Mrs. Buyer comes to look and she hates it and why did we waste her time etc..etc.. etc.. And, so the story went they had totally different views on what they wanted and weren't even close so I was showing Mr. Buyer properties that Mrs. Buyer would never have approved of anyway. I did eventually find them a home but it was a long road.
I usually probe and if I had found out about the 3 years (they had been looking for property), might have not worked with them at this point. It is a tough call, but somehow they don't seem to be on the same page, nor really motivated. In this market, umotivated Buyers are many, and all they do is waste your time. I hope it works out for you. One must be v-e-r-y patient.
Mike There are a lot of folks that thought they qualified last week and this week don't!
June These folks were not honest with me from the beginning. They told me they were both coming, then changed course and were on two different pages and just need to get it together themselves before looking for property. Besides they were the kind of folks that knew everything there was to know about real estate and really did not need my help... bla bla bla.. there is more to the story....
Deborah If I had known they had been looking for three years I would not have spent anytime with them in the first place. I just did not have the patience for these folks. They were also using a few realtors in this area.
Nannette, Can you say "Next Please"? No wonder it takes them forever, they are not serious. I don't understand why they even want to waste their own time??
Audrey you are exactly right. I call these folks hobby lookers. They have a hobby and it is looking at homes, not for a home.
Two more years and they'll catch a couple here who have been looking for five years, gone through a half dozen builders (several contracts!), and only the Lord knows how many Realtors. Come to think of it, you said "come up" there to look at the property so mybe it's the same couple!
Nanette:
We call them "Career Buyers". Yes, don't waste your time. I know it's hard to get, but I will only work with a "Buyer's Agent Agreement". But sometimes you like to work with clients once, & then throw it out there.
Ron these folks are farther south than you and a little to the west. I'd hate to think there was another couple like these folks terrorizing Realtors.
Deborah Yep that sounds like the correct description of these folks. I usually get a buyers agreement if I want to work with you. I get a lot of calls on my listings and there are more calls than buyers I'd care to work with. I may be too picky, but I have less drama.
Nannette, They probably are constantly missing out on properties. By the time they both get in to look at a property it is aleady under contract. I can see why they have been looking for 3 years.
This would be a red flag for me!
Uh, it might be time to fire your buyers. Are they looking for a house or a chauffeur...
Marchel you are right. Two weeks later when she finally showed up the property he was interested in was sold. It was a beautiful place, victorian built right after the civil war by a civil war widow where she raised her children. The barn, smoke house, corn crib and the house were all built with square nails. He insisted that the barn was built after 1900 until I was able to prove him different. Gee he thought he knew everything.
Christina I never got to the second meeting on this one. I found another appointment.
Mike, Tour guide, they are looking for a tour guide.
We have all encountered this situation. The consumer need to realise that time is money to us. Why make two trips when it can be accomplished in one. Yes all decision makers should shop at the same time
Jennifer Customers/Clients don't realize that if everyone wanted to do business this way we would go broke. Let's just get on the same page and use all of our time the most efficiently.
Nannette- I think we all get people that appear to just be "shopping" all the time, problem is they window shop without intent or means of buying. This is where I have changed some things and don't waste my time anymore.
Kathy yeppers me too!