Searching for homes on the internet is fun and easy... right? Sure it is! But, you should be aware of a few things before you begin your search.
1. What you see is not always what you get. Agents are notorious for hiding the bad stuff in photographs. If there are no or few photos, there is a reason and it’s probably because the home is in bad shape and does not show well online. A listing agent’s goal is always to get you to visit the property in person. Yucky photos usually won’t get you there.
2. When you read “just needs a little "TLC” or “a diamond in the rough” it means it needs more work than you think. It even could be a total fixer-upper. If the home was in decent shape, most agents are not going to mention anything about the condition in the property information. They would instead showcase the better features about the property, such as “tile throughout, new roof, or remodeled pool.”
3. The agent you see on any given listing is usually not the agent or brokerage listing the property. On websites such as Realtor.com, Zillow and Trulia, agents pay marketing dollars to be seen on listings just to get your contact info. You don’t need to speak to the listing agent to see the home or purchase it, that's what buyer agents are for. Agents pay these marketing dollars to get your contact info so they can get a chance to represent you as a buyer.
4. Sometimes homes online may show ACTIVE and available for sale when they are already under contract. There may be several reasons for this, including the agent has not updated the status in the local MLS yet. Or... they have, but the website provider has not pulled the most recent listing information into their site. In many cases, the reason is usually the latter. Many home search websites don't pull listing updates real-time, hourly or even daily. Thus, it's important you do find a good agent who has direct access to the local multiple listing service so they can pull the information and send you the most recent listing status. The agent should also send you new listings as they come new to the market so you never miss a listing that may fit your wants and needs.
5. If you register on websites for property information, expect that you may receive a call or email within minutes from not just one agent, but possibly several agents. Some sites sell your information to more than one agent who paid to receive leads from that website provider. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if you are serious about finding a good agent. Interview each agent! You don't want just a warm body to open a door because once an agent opens a door, they just set up cause to earn the commission on that home sale - whether they write the offer for you or not. Be sure to ask how many sales they have closed... not how long they have been in real estate. Hopefully you will find a great agent into customer service, and not into just the commission!
Contact me today to find out how to get the most up-to-date listings daily so you don't miss out on the good ones.
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