"Buyers are liars." There, I said it. And I'm certain every Realtor out there is 1) agreeing with me, and 2) cringing. Both are valid responses. We all heard this in real estate school, and we've all said it since, just not to our clients. But before I offend all the Buyers out there, please, don't take offense...and let me explain.
Okay, so maybe that's strong language. It's not so much that people lie (though of course there are rotten apples in every arena); it's more that they withhold information. Useful information that would help Realtors do their jobs better. Sometimes they do it because they don't want to hurt their agent's feelings, sometimes they do it because they are embarrassed, and sometimes they do it because they're not quite sure who to trust yet.
First, have you ever heard someone complain that their Realtor wasn't showing them the right kinds of houses? While it's true that some Realtors seem determined to show you what they want to show you, and not necessarily what you want to see (we've got our rotten apples, too, it's true), most of the time we want very much to understand what you are looking for.
Why look at homes you won't like when we could show you homes you'll love. We all have better things to do with our time, right? But Buyers are sometimes hesitant to tell a Realtor exactly what they think of the houses they are seeing, or the neighborhoods they're touring. Don't be! We WANT to know what you're thinking; you won't hurt our feelings, we don't own these houses, after all. Your feedback is what guides us; otherwise you'll end up looking at a lot more homes than you need to.
Speaking of which...yes, it's a Buyer's market, but that doesn't mean you need to see everything that's for sale! It's the Realtor's job to listen to your needs and find the
most appropriate homes to show you. That's not the same thing as the
most homes. There's no reason to look at thirty or forty homes when only ten or fifteen are what you are looking for. Your Realtor is not a tour guide whose job it is to entertain you with house tours. Save that for the holidays. They're not a Sherpa either, so don't waste your time or theirs looking at homes, just because they're there.
Second, Buyers aren't always forthright about their timeline. They don't always tell their Realtor that they are just curious, or simply not ready now...maybe in a year. But they should; it's okay. We've all had folks who were working up to buying, either waiting for the right house to come along, the right interest rates, whatever. As long as you honestly intend to buy with your Realtor
eventually, they won't mind. Just be honest about it.
Third, and the most uncomfortable topic for many: finances. Buyers aren't always up front about what they can afford-perhaps they don't even know. They sometimes feel suspicious when a Realtor asks for details, or recommends a lender that the Realtor trusts. They shouldn't. House hunting, contractual timelines and closings take time and effort, and no one wants to waste theirs on deals that can't close due to loan difficulties. If you trust your Realtor-and you definitely need to work with one you trust-you'll need to share the financial issues, and bring your lender into this loop, too. The three of you form the team that will keep your confidences and make the deal work, so treat everyone as team members.
These are just three of the many ways that Buyers sometimes unfairly earn the title of "Liar", and there are many variations on these themes. Still, for every problem Buyer a Realtor has worked with, there are many more that were a pleasure. The smoothest deals are those that involve open, honest communication between all parties. Good Realtors don't want bad reputations, and of course, they want to (and deserve to) get paid for their work. (Doesn't everyone?) They don't get paid until the closing documents are signed, title taken and keys exchanged. So respect their time and professionalism; be honest, be fair, and hey, be nice.