Expectations for buyer's agent?

peppersmom_2007

9 years ago

Hello, I would appreciate any input to my situation since it has been a few years since I have last purchased a home. We have been looking for a home in a seller's market for a couple months now. We gave our realtor the specifics of what we are looking for in a home, as far as bedrooms, square footage, lot size, etc, and we told him we prefer our neighborhood where we are currently renting but are open to other areas in town as well. He set us up on some software that automatically sends out listings, but often the properties go pending the following day after we receive the listing. We have missed out on a couple of potential homes because we didn't go see them the day they listed. He is very quick to respond when we ask to see a home that day, so I realize we share some of the responsibility for not moving as quickly as we could have on these. I recently noticed, though, that a couple homes that missed one of our criteria but were otherwise a match, listed and then went pending without us ever seeing the listing. When I asked him about it, he pointed out that the automated software didn't pick it up because of the one missed criteria. So we did expand our criteria a little, but we also stressed that if he comes across any additional listings he thinks might interest us he should feel free to send them to us. He keeps saying he will do that, but so far he has just depended on the automated listings and once in awhile he will email or call to check in and ask if we want him to show us anything.
I was a little upset this morning to find out that a house on our street was listed a month ago and went pending immediately. There was never even sign up. It was a great deal and met all of our criteria except the lot size was 100 sq ft less than the one in the automated software, which is why we did not see it. I really think he should have been looking for listings like this that would have been missed by the software. Am I expecting too much from him? We could expand our criteria even more, but I never seen someone so dependent on the automated searches. In the past when we have worked with a realtor, they actually looked at listing themselves and emailed them to us with comments like, "thought you should see this, it's in a different neighborhood but has a great yard.." etc. etc. He is an intelligent guy and quick to respond to calls and emails, so I do feel like if we ever find the right home and make an accepted offer he will be helpful throughout the process, but I am frustrated that he is not being more aggressive about helping us find the right place. We haven't signed any agreement with him and he hasn't asked us to, if that matters. Thoughts?

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Comments (5)

pixie_lou
9 years ago
1). If you want to try to stay in your current neighborhood, tell every single neighbor you are looking to buy. That could give you the option of getting a house befor it goes on the market.

2). How big is the area you are looking? I have the MLS service set up to email me everything in my zip code. My only criteria is price, and even that is set about $250k over my budget. That way I can weed thru the listings myself to find the "close" listings.

3). Instead of solely relying on the email listings, you should make it a point to scan the MLS every evening for everything new being listed

4). I'm not sure how much I blame your agent. If things are going pending within 24 hours, that doesn't give him a whole lot of time to weed thru the new listings and try to figure out what are deal breakers for you. Remember he has other clients he's working for and 24 hours is not a lot of time.

These days buyers tend to do most of the legwork themselves of picking out homes to see. Unless your agent was in the business 15-20 years ago, long before internet MLS listings, your agent may just not be familiar with then protocol of picking out homes for customers to see.
done_again_2
9 years ago
I wouldn't set such strict parameters on lot size and other things. If you're too specific you may miss out due to 100 sq. ft. I too often see listings that are incorrect. There's one in my local MLS with my zip code but is about 30 miles away in another county, school district, etc.

Rather than dwell on the sold and pending houses try to prevent missing anymore in the future. As the previous poster said scan the MLS every morning and be prepared to look at the house ASAP. Broaden your search by eliminating some of the criteria so you see more of what's out there. In my experience I've found the listings on my own and then my realtor schedules the showings.
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tlbean2004
9 years ago
I agree, he should do some work but the listings that are pending in a 24 hour time period does not give him much time. I brought my house in late 2009. Every house me and the realtor (nosigned contract) went to was i house that i researched and asked her to show me.

Good Luck.
peppersmom_2007
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the input! I will have to get better about expanding my search on the MLS myself. Our realtor is pretty young. 15 years ago when I bought my first house, anything I saw advertised was sold when I asked to see it- my realtor would email me listings, I would drive by them and narrow it down to the ones I wanted to see inside, then the next day he would take me out to look. I guess I need to realize times have changed!
C Marlin
9 years ago
I get instant updates on Redfin, I know it is not in every area, ZipRealty is another site I like as it gives different search criteria. I personally don't like realtor.com, too bulky. Find one that gives you your best criteria with instant updates, be prepared to drive-by and get inside immediately. My city does not allow for sale signs or open houses so those don't mean much to me. I am looking to buy in about a year so I am learning all I can about pricing and what is out there now so when I'm ready I'll know what to expect.