You've heard that adage, right? Walk a mile in somebody else's shoes. Then, you'll be a mile away with an extra pair of shoes. I've been searching online for the past week, trying to find an oceanfront home to buy. It hasn't been easy. I've been looking at this through the eyes of a buyer, not through the eyes of a real estate agent. Boy, have I learned a few things.
First, what's with the agents who say the home has an ocean view and it doesn't? No wonder the public doesn't trust us. We're too danged clueless to read our own listings. We pay little attention to detail. Second, what about the listings that promote a panoramic ocean view and there are no photos of the view? Or bad photos? Doesn't the seller care? Or is every home like that listed by a relative?
Third, I know why buyers are reluctant to call us. On one web site, an agent's photo and contact information appeared below every page, accompanied by a blinking thing saying "call me." Why would I call some obscure agent? I'm hesitant to even call the listing agent. I don't want to slip into some agent's marketing campaign or have them hound me to death.
Fourth, if I were to hire a buyer's agent, I wouldn't hire some yo-yo popping up on a website. But I might go to ActiveRain, read a few blogs written by specialists in the area where I want to buy and hire that person. If I were looking for a home around the San Fernando Valley, for example, I would hire Joanne Stevens. She's smart, capable and responsive.
Here are some important things I have learned:
- Calling an agent removes the control from my search.
- Buyers don't need us to find them a home.
- Even though they could use our expertise to make their search easier, buyers prefer to search on their own.
I don't spend a lot of time reaching out to find buyers in Sacramento. That's because I am a Sacramento short sale agent. Most of my business is listing and selling short sales. If I list it, the buyers will come. Just like Field of Dreams. But this experience surely opened my eyes to how buyers look for an agent. If you're an agent, try it for yourself.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
