Realtor Tips for Helping a Client Narrow Down Their Must-Haves When Buying a Home

Buying and selling homes may be something you do on a daily basis, but for most people, it’s something they will only do once or twice in their lives. That can make the home buying process extremely exciting! Unfortunately, for most clients, it also means the process is a little overwhelming.

As a realtor, you know that the clients you work with don’t always know what they’re looking for. That can make working together difficult and frustrating for both of you. You’re going to end up wasting a lot of time showing them homes they don’t like.

Instead of touring homes you think they might like, only to find out they don’t, help them narrow down what exactly it is they’re looking for with these tips.

Direct Them to Your Real Estate App

The internet is a great place to start looking for homes, especially if you don’t really know what you’re looking for. As a realtor with a confused client, your first step should be to point them in the direction of your app.

A real estate app for agents is the best place for them to look over the homes you’re currently selling, but more importantly, it exposes them to a common list of amenities and features that they can use as a starting place to determine what’s most important to their home search.

Determine the One Thing That’s Most Important

There are many things to look for when house hunting. Unfortunately, all those things can make clients lose sight of the forest for the trees. Instead, challenge them to determine the one thing they absolutely cannot do without.

As a realtor, you likely already know the most common must-haves for homeowners, so don’t be afraid to get them started by providing them with suggestions like: 

A good school district

The neighborhood

Central heating and cooling

Number of bedrooms

Although they will eventually add additional items to the list, identifying the most important one helps you understand what is important to them, which will help you find the right homes to show their family.

Caution Against Focusing on Amenities

There are a lot of fun things to think about when buying a home. You may envision yourself lounging in a hot tub on the back deck or playing pool in the basement, but homeowners shouldn’t be focusing on the amenities when buying a home.

There are a lot of amazing outdoor amenities, and an equal number of amazing indoor amenities that homes can have, but without the basics, that home won’t be comfortable. For example, sitting in an outdoor Jacuzzi isn’t likely to be very enjoyable if the house is in a bad neighborhood.

Encourage clients not to focus on the amenities. Instead, encourage them to think about the potential of a space so they can add their own amenities later. It’s a lot easier to build a game room after you move in than find a home that already has a pool table in the basement!

Make a List

Making a list can make you more organized, and it can also help you organize your clients’ thoughts when it’s time to buy a home.

After they have had a chance to consider the features that are important to their family, you should encourage them to sit down and make a list. The shorter the list of must-haves, the more options they will have. Suggest keeping the list of must-haves under five, with a longer list reflecting features they would like, but they aren’t deal breakers.

Tour a Few Homes Together

Thinking about abstract features of a home can make deciding on important features difficult for homebuyers. If you have a client that is struggling to come up with a must-have list, suggest touring one or two homes together.

For example, you can tour an open house, even if your client isn’t interested in buying the home. Walk around and ask them to point out features that they like, and features they don’t like. By seeing common home features in person, they are likely to consider things that they wouldn’t have considered otherwise.

Every client is unique. Although it can take a little time to help your clients narrow in on their dream home, it will save a lot of frustration later on down the road. These tips will help ensure your clients end up in a home they will love, and they will recommend you to their friends and family!