What Buyers Want!

Survey of California First Time Home Buyers


California Association of Realtors conducted 500 telephone surveys with California consumers who purchased a home within the past six months. What I found interesting about the survey was the Buyers’ perception of their real estate agents and what they really wanted from an agent.

The three top reasons for selecting their agent had to do with competence (no surprise) – the real estate agent seemed like they would be the most aggressive on their behalf, the agent seemed like they would obtain the lowest price and they were the best prepared. The areas most Buyers needed the most help from their agent was price negotiation, determining what comparable homes were selling for, finding the right home to purchase and negotiating the terms of the sale.


When asked one thing the Buyer would like to change about their home buying experience, most Buyers wanted a better understanding on where the market is going, have their agent negotiate better on their behalf and have escrow close on time. The three top reasons Buyers were happy with their agent were that the agent worked hard on their behalf, was always quick to respond and listened to what they needed.


This is interesting – Advice to Give to Real Estate Agents to Improve their Service:

1) Improve the quality of your communications
2) Provide references for lenders who will perform
3) Provide Buyer references
4) Show how you can negotiate aggressively for the Buyer
5) Provide references for lenders who will recommend the best product for them
6) Improve the speed of communications
7) Listen to their needs better
8) Provide quality information on where the market is going and why
9) Find out about listings before they do
10) Pre-qualify homes before showing them
11) Provide information on where interest rates are going


I’d love to hear your experiences or advice – feel free to comment!

Why Work with a Realtor?

How to choose the person who is going to represent you on one of the biggest financial transactions of your life?

I have been amazed throughout my career as a realtor, at the different ways people find us. I guess what amazes me is the casualness in which a lot of people pick their realtors such a calling a sign, calling a company and speaking with whoever happens to be answering the phone at that moment or responding to an ad written by that one and same person. So the question I ask, is why work with a realtor at all?

A good realtor can help you navigate through the pitfalls of real estate and protect you from a lot of common (or uncommon) problems as well as advocate on your behalf in many ways. Your realtor can help you determine your buying power and refer you to a qualified lender (they know many lenders). They also have many resources that can assist you in your home search. They can provide objective information about the market, negotiate on your behalf, provide due diligence during the evaluation of the property, manage the transaction and guide you through the closing process. And they are still there as a resource after closing!

Choose wisely! Ask them about their experience and their background. Ask them to tell you about their market area and expertise. Ask them about their buyer and seller strategies. Ask them their level of technology.

The entry point for my profession is not very high. It is very easy to get a real estate license. But there are a lot of us out there who are working full time, constantly updating our knowledge about the market and our profession, dedicated to doing the best for our clients. Find us! Get a referral (or two). Ask for references. Do your homework.

Do you know the difference between a realtor and a real estate agent (i.e. sales associate)?