Your Buyer Calls
Imagine this… Your buyer calls you to ask you about a property for sale. The home just came back on the market today after going under contract several weeks ago. As you’re talking to your clients, you look up the property on the MLS. There it is, “Pending Release”.
Then your buyer says to you,
“The buyers backed out due to severe water damage and mold issues. Do you know anything about that?”
You pause…and then say “no”.
Uh Oh.
Right about now, you may have a knot in your stomach because you feel like you should have known about this. You may even wonder if you’re doing your job correctly. Even worse, you wonder if your buyer no longer views you as an “expert”.
But then your buyers says to you,
“That’s cool. I don’t expect you to spend 4 hours per property searching the web for information on it. I found out about what happened because the previous buyers had posted about it on a DIY home repair forum that I ran across using Google. I found it after a few hours of searching and looking around online for anything having to do with the property.
But what about…
But do you know what the laws about disclosure are once the sellers have been told about a problem like this? And if they get it repaired, does the warranty convey even though it’s being sold ‘as is’?”
You sigh and feel like your shoulders just got 100 lbs lighter. At the same time, you’re in awe of the fact that the client found that out.
The buyer did not expect you to know about the water damage or mold. Rather, they expected you to advise and guide them through the legalities of the situation.
Paradigm Shift
Consumers no longer view us as the gate-keepers of information. Consumers can (and will) find the information themselves whether it be by word-of-mouth in person through friends, neighbors, groups or online via social networking, forums, blogs, etc.
The traditional Real Estate Agent is no longer… Today’s consumer wants and needs a Real Esate Consultant.
Once consumers have the information, they need to know how to interpret and act upon that information. They want to know how to best use it to their advantage and how to avoid pitfalls and potential land mines. They need a guide and a consultant that will protect them and look out for their best interests at all times.
This Part’s About You
This is where you come in as their Real Estate Consultant. Be there to guide them through the sea of information they’re swimming through. Advise them accurately and be the expert they can turn to with questions at any time. Be available to them when they need you. And most importantly, keep their best interests at heart at all times.
If you do these things and realize that you’re their Consultant and not their agent, you will have more than just a happy client. You will have an advocate for life.
P.S. The example above is a true story and happened to me yesterday.
