It's Sunday and perhaps you have spent some of your weekend downtime searching for homes on Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia or maybe on my Keller Williams App. So just what are the steps to take so you can see some of those homes in person?
The first step in viewing properties is to contact your Realtor. If you are not already working with another real estate agent I would love to show you some homes. You can email me, get in touch on my website, send me a message on Facebook or call/text (817) 307-4753. When we connect I may ask you some of the following questions.
- Are you already working with a realtor?
- Have you had the chance to view any homes that have interested you?
- What are the features you are wanting in your new home?
- Based on your home loan prequalification from your lender, what is your budget range for purchasing your new home?
The second step is to decide on which homes you would like to go see in person. Perhaps you have picked out a few from your weekend surfing or maybe you need a little more guidance. In either case your real estate agent is your new BFF. The agent can simply schedule showings on the houses you want to see or send you links to homes that meet your criteria. You can choose the ones you would like to see.
Your agent will coordinate a time that is convenient for you and schedule showings by following the showing instructions dictated by the seller's real estate agent. Showings are normally scheduled in 30 minute or hour intervals. Depending on the size of the area and the amount of time expected to spend at each stop, an agent might schedule 5 showings within a 3 hour window.
In some cases the agent will pick you up and take you to all the showings. In other cases the agent will meet you at the first scheduled showing and you will follow the agent from home to home in your own car. It's really up to you and the agent will most likely ask you to make that call. Me? I enjoy picking up my clients and having them ride with me to the showings. Ride-share is not only green but it provides a great opportunity to discuss neighborhood amenities, details of the homes we've seen, and can be a lot of fun.
When the agent meets you at the first home the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) requires that the agent disclose his or her relationship with their broker in a handy dandy handout called Information About Broker Services (IABS). Texas law requires all real estate license holders to give the following information about brokerage services to prospective buyers, tenants, sellers and landlords.
Your next question might be: "How much does it cost to use a Realtor to show me houses?" Relax....this is a FREE service for any buyer. Wait....What? Yes, it is true. When you choose to work with a Realtor and they represent you in the home buying process, they receive a portion of the commission that the home seller has agreed to pay their agent. It's called a split commission and has no affect of the price you might pay for the home.
There are some Agents that will show homes only to those buyer's who have agreed to work exclusively with that agent. Although this is an option, I prefer to give my potential clients the opportunity to get to know me, become familiar with my style and feel comfortable with the knowledge I can share prior to executing an buyer's representation agreement. After all, buying a home is the biggest investment people make and it is very important buyer's feel at ease.
If you are interested in learning more about seeing some of the homes in person that you have seen online....please contact me.