While people often talk and be inspired of having a dream home, the difficulty often comes when finding one.
When people want to go home shopping, it’s important that they make the right choice or they could end up having a home that’s far from what they have dreamt of.
What would be the next best thing these people can do to make the most out of it? Get help from the experts and in this situation, a real estate agent.
But before starting to make that big jump with a client, you must know their needs and preferences so they can come up with realistic options against common potentially impossible fantasies.
Make a list
To get things started, it is best to advise clients that they need to make a list of what they need and want to see in their dream home because it is always practical to tell the difference between needs and wants.
For instance, they may want to have a pool on the property, but it is something that they can live without. They need three bedrooms because it’s how they are going to occupy the spaces for their family.
Having that list helps you as an agent determine how you can assess their home-shopping requirements and help you find and filter out properties in your listing that could match their criteria.
Here are some very useful tips to share with clients to help them make better choices and e able to get them closer to having that home they have been dreaming of.
Determine finances
Clients need to get their finances in order and help position them in a very competitive market. Help them with their financial assessment by guiding them in establishing their budget, plus a little extra if they need to have extras or amenities that they desire.
Are they pre-approved for a mortgage? How much are they willing to set aside for a budget? How much is planned for the downpayment? Will they have extra funds to finance a renovation, if needed?
Lifestyle conditions and plans for the future
A person’s lifestyle is critical to their needs in a home, so make your client list down their lifestyle circumstances so you can find the right fit for them, as well as ensure that you have everything covered in helping them find the home with their non-negotiables factored in.
What could be your favourite things in your dream home? What changes are you expecting? Do you need a house with multiple floors? Do you need access to ramps? Do you want it close to where you work? And so on.
Homestyle and type
After figuring out the basics, note down the things they want in terms of style and type of home, such as design, number of rooms and bathrooms, a spacious lawn, size of a garage, outdoor space, etc.
Location
This is a critical step because you can easily change a home’s colour but not where it is located. Sometimes, houses may have the right features the buyer is looking for, but may not be located in a less-desirable area or locality.
Know the surroundings
Get to know the community or neighbourhood the client prefers, since it can impact their lifestyles or their experience in the long run. You might e able to find a good property option, only to find out that it is close to an airport may generate some uncomfortable disruption on the buyer who prefers to live in a peaceful area.