We've all heard the jokes, "How many (insert people group name) does it take to change a light bulb?". A similar question is asked by buyers. "How many houses does it take before we choose one?" Like everything else in real estate, the answer is that it depends. Some of the criteria it depends on include:
- How clearly the buyers communicate what they want in their house to their real estate agent.
- How well the real estate agent listens to the buyers.
- Whether all buyers agree on what they want in a house.
- Whether buyers who disagree are capable of compromising and coming to an agreement!
- The number of houses on the market and how that number is perceived by the buyer.
- The buyer's motivation to buy.
- The buyer's price range.
- The buyer's time line.
- The buyer's fear.
- The buyer's pickiness.
- Support of family and friends.
- Undermining of the process by family and friends.
- How closely the buyers' desires in a house match what is offered in their price range.
- Recognition by the buyers when their criteria changes in the shopping process.
- Whether buyers can recognize when their criteria gets overwhelmed by how they "feel" about the house.
- How intimidated buyers are by repairs or cosmetic changes.
- How many family members get a "vote".
- Whether buyers avoid limiting their search on less significant criteria like a fenced yard.
The list could go on and on. Each list item could be a blog post in itself. My current home buyer records range between 1 house and 120 houses. Both record holders have purchased more than one house using my services. The one that made me the most nervous was the home buyer who only saw one St. Paul house. It was too fast for even me! The clients on the other end of the spectrum ended up buying the first house to meet her criteria and the second to meet his! Theirs was a demonstration that compromise comes in many forms to home buyers!
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