It can be difficult to stay on track and focused when you are working with a buyer. This is why having a real estate agent buyer checklist is so important.
A checklist will help ensure that you cover all of the necessary processes from start to finish, which in turn helps keep both parties happy.
In this article, we’ll talk about the real estate agent buyer checklist that can guide you in your real estate business.
1. Request Pre-Approval
A pre-approval should always be the first item on the real estate agent buyer checklist for buyers before they begin looking for a home. This allows them to purchase with confidence and not worry about being turned down.
Request pre-approval from your lender so that you will be able to get a buyer the best rates. There are cases when your buyer will come without the pre-approval, so it is always a good idea to have the pre-approval ready for them.
Still, as a real estate agent, you should expect to get buyers who don’t have any lender of their own. If they want you can introduce them to your lender in order to have the transaction go on smoothly.
2. First Home Tour
Your real estate agent buyer checklist should include a first home tour. This is so you can get an idea of what type of house will best suit your buyers’ needs and budget, as well as where they would like to live in the future.
This may not seem necessary for some experienced buyers, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, and it’s always a good idea to get an early start.
It is a good practice to show a minimum of four homes to your client. This is meant to help you understand better what they are looking for and thus get them a house that will best suit their needs.
But even as you decide on the number of homes to show your potential client, you must be mindful of time. If all the homes are within the same location, then you might have to spend a little less time as compared to when the houses were far apart.
3. Meet For the First Time at a Coffee Shop or Via Zoom
A meeting is an essential part of the home-buying process. It might seem like a redundant step in the real estate business, but it’s actually one of your most important tasks as a buyer agent to meet with clients before you start looking at properties for them.
You can do this via Zoom or over coffee; it doesn’t really matter as long as you do it.
It would be best if the meeting is done in person so that both parties can get to know each other better and feel more comfortable with one another, but using Zoom will have to suffice for now.
This first meet-up should not take too long; just about an hour should do the trick.
4. Bring the Paperwork
Bring the paperwork with you to the meeting. In this case, it would be your checklist of what needs to get done before looking at properties; your budget and timeline for when you need a move-in date; any reference material such as scores or credit reports that you could have in front of them if they don’t bring anything.
At the same time, you need to come with any form that might need to be signed. Such forms may include Information About Brokerage Services and buyer’s representation form.
If you had done some research about the property that your client wants, then this would be the best time to come with such information to share with him.
Having documentation that is about the importance of pre-approval is a plus to your buyer agent checklist as it will help the client understand why it is necessary for the transaction to proceed.
5. Provide Advice
Since a real estate agent buyer checklist is to help keep you on track, this step should be followed throughout the entire process. Providing advice and guidance when necessary can help buyers stay focused from start to finish.
A real estate agent buyer checklist should have all the necessary information, such as what has been done and what needs to be completed.
You might be dealing with a buyer who has already bought a house before and therefore has some knowledge about the real estate business. But this does not mean that the client knows much about the area where you want to sell him a house.
At the same time, maybe the client you are dealing with is buying a house for the very first time and thus depends on the real estate agent buyer checklist for everything. In whichever case, you need to be able to provide professional advice to your clients.
6. Do the Research
If after the home tour the client liked any of the houses you showed him then the next step is to conduct proper research about the house.
You need to find out the square footage, price, and other features of it. You can also check if there are any liens or pending suits against that property.
The client should be given a detailed list of this house including its pros and cons so he has an idea of what is going on before making up his mind.
To be a successful real estate agent, you need to do your research well ahead of time. Have accurate and detailed information about the various houses around, the process of acquiring them, and any other information that might be relevant to the buyers.
Sparing your time to conduct a comparative market advantage will enable you to understand which location is best for what type of client.
Some of the information about the houses can be found in home inspection reports from qualified home inspection experts.
7. Help Them Throughout the Transaction Process
A good real estate agent will help a buyer throughout the transaction process, and this includes providing financial advice.
You can go over with them what are some of the most important questions they need to ask when buying a house. If you do not feel comfortable doing it, then at least provide your contact information like name, email address, or phone number.
Some of the most common questions that a real estate agent need to be aware of will include the following;
- What is the monthly mortgage payment?
- What will my property taxes be per year?
- How much money do I need to put down in order to buy a house?
- Is the loan interest fixed or variable rate?
- What if I can’t afford the monthly payment anymore, what should I do then?
These are important things for buyers and they may not know them. You would want someone who you’re working with to give them answers as soon as possible when it becomes an issue.
It could happen at any time while they own their home so that’s why you would want your buyer agent there to help through the whole process.
And just to ensure that you fulfill this part, you must have a real estate agent buyer checklist.
8. Consider Hiring a Transaction Manager
One of the things that you can also consider when working with a buyer is hiring a transaction manager. This person will be there to help you through all processes from beginning to end, and they will give them guidance so it’s easier for buyers.
They’ll take care of everything if anything were to happen during your purchase process or after it has been completed. There are many reasons why this could be important but one of the main ones is because you’re too busy as an agent!
If you’re too busy with other clients and tasks, then hiring a transaction manager might help relieve some stress from you.
They don’t cost much either which means that there’s no excuse not to have them by your side. It can only make things more manageable when dealing with transactions.
9. Give a Closing Gift
A closing gift is a nice gesture to say thank you for the business. You might want to give your client:
- A package of their favorite cookies or chocolate bars from their area.
- Their new home’s welcome kit, which could be an information booklet on where they live and how everything works in that town (library hours, emergency numbers, etc.) Or it can be made up of items like a pen, postcards, local maps, and so on.
- Something sentimental such as pictures of when you first saw the house together or something else that would make them feel more at ease in their new surroundings. These are just some ideas! Anything thoughtful will do no matter what shape it takes.
Related Article: Realtor Gifts: 13 Best Gift Ideas for Realtor After Closing
Conclusion
Real estate agents are an integral part of the home buying process. They help with everything from the first tour to closing and provide advice in between.
One way that you can make your client’s experience more pleasant is by providing a gift at closing for their purchase, such as chocolates or wine.
The goal should be to build long-lasting relationships so they know who to go back to when it comes time to sell their property.
And the way to achieve this goal is by having a real estate agent buyer checklist to ensure that everything goes as planned.
