HOUSTON HOME BUYERS CONSULTATION

WHAT IS A HOME BUYERS CONSULTATION?

There are so many moving pieces when it comes to buying a house in the Houston area. When we work with our buyers, we want to ensure that we provide the absolute best service possible.

One of the ways we ensure top notch quality service is by setting up our initial meeting, known as a home buyers consultation. We typically like to do this before we start house shopping with our clients. This way we can get to know each other and what exactly you are looking for in a home.

This meeting will establish a good working relationship between you and our team. It also helps us to gauge if we are a good fit for each other or not.

Depending on our schedules and your personal preference, we have these meetings in person or via zoom. Don’t worry, its free and there are no obligations to commit.

THE 11 ITEMS WE DISCUSS

1. Needs, Wants & Wishes

Do you ever watch HGTV? Well, this part is exactly like you see on many of the shows they air. We review your absolute needs that you can’t live without, such as number of bedrooms and bathrooms, a large back yard for your kids or pets, a long driveway for your RV, etc..

Once we have a list of your needs, we move over to things that you want & wish for your new home to have, like a pool for example. I won’t get too specific here, because everyone is different and there are TONS of different features in a home that one could want.

One person’s wishes might be another person’s needs. Which is why we will build your custom list together to create a customized home search specifically for you.

2. Location & School Districts

Houston is HUGE. And when I say Houston, I’m including all of the surrounding areas as well.

Regardless, we need to know what part of town you want to call home. West University? The Museum District? Pearland? Katy? The Woodlands? You get the idea.

By narrowing down the location, we can better serve you. And when it comes to school districts, some areas have multiple zones. So if you have one particular district in mind, or one specific school, this is where we discuss which district or school you want your new home to be zoned to.

3. Price Range

One of the most important pieces to the puzzle is knowing your price range. Once we know your price range, this helps us understand our limits and how we can search for the best property with the criteria you provide us.

If you are financing, check out the video we did covering the pre-approval process.

4. Type of Property

Houston real estate is vastly different in some areas when it comes to property types. What type of house are you looking for? A free standing traditional home like you see in the suburbs? Townhouse / Rowhouse? High Rise Condos? Maybe even a house on some acreage?

Also, think about the style you want. Farmhouse, Modern, Victorian, traditional, waterfront, etc.. This helps us narrow down your search even further!

You can search here for every property type imaginable!

5. Establish Your Timeline

Are you ready to purchase now? In 6 months? Are you relocating to Houston from California? Once we know what timeline we are looking at, we will know if we need to operate with a sense of urgency or if we have some time to spare.

Everyone is different and each client is unique. For example, if you are relocating to Houston from California, are you making the trip down here to view property in person? Are you buying a house with your Realtor doing virtual tours because the market is so hot? Is your employer relocating you to Houston in 3 months? Or 1 month? All these questions need to be answered in order to best serve your needs!

6. Set Up Search Criteria

Now that we have established what part of town you are wanting to call home, it’s time to set up our search criteria beyond what we have already discussed. In other words, what do you want the interior to look like? Think granite countertops, hardwood floors, carpet in bedrooms, custom trim work, accent walls, etc..

What we will do is set our parameters for a saved search and add you on our app. I’ll leave a link where you can download our app HERE for free.

When a property hits the market that matches your criteria, you will make the decision if you want to view the property or pass on it. Our saved searches are the most effective way to find property, ESPECIALLY in today’s crazy real estate market in Houston.

7. Breaking Down The Home Buying Process From Search to Close

Explaining the process from start to finish is most helpful for first time home buyers. Even if you are a seasoned home buyer, you may pick up some golden nuggets here.

If you are relocating to Houston from a different state such as California or New York, the real estate transaction down here is done differently. The process is different, the contracts are different, etc.

Regardless, it’s best to break it all down so that you are refreshed on the process, you aren’t confused in any way and you know what to expect along the way.

8. Real Estate Terminology

If you have never purchased a house in Houston before, the industry lingo can be like a foreign language to you! We go over all of the different terms you can potentially hear and what they mean.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to memorize anything! The booklet we give you will have all the lingo and their respective definitions. And don’t hesitate to ask questions if you don’t know. It comes second nature to us, so if you need us to slow down and explain things again at a later date we most certainly will!

9. Establish Best Times to Show and Contact You

Life gets busy. You have work and important matters to attend. This is the part where we discuss the best time of day and methods to contact you. Email, phone, text, whatever floats your boat.

Think about the best times you usually have available to view property. Is it only on the weekends, after 5pm on weekdays, or are you available during the day on weekdays? Knowing this helps our team to prepare how to best serve you.

10. How Our Team Works And Is Structured

Our team is not a solo agent. We have staff, sales agents, admins, etc.. So when we decide to work with you, you get all of us! If one agent isn’t available to show you a house one day, another agent on our team will. When we make an offer, we have an admin for that. That’s the beauty of it!

Our process is simple and streamlined. And most of the communication will be through your agent, but it’s not uncommon to hear from someone else on our team to help you.

11. Review and Sign Buyers Representation Agreement

At this point, we hope you are comfortable working with us to help you find your next home. If not, then it’s probably time to part ways and see if another company is a better fit. If our team is a good fit, we like to have an agreement signed between us that says we are your agent of choice. Why? Well, we are 100% committed to our clients and we want the same commitment from you.

Don’t worry though, signing this agreement doesn’t force you to purchase a house if you don’t want to, it only states that we are committed to working together and you won’t purchase through another agent for the duration of our agreement. Which is typically 6 months.

Are you worried about being stuck in an agreement if you decide you don’t like us anymore? No problem! Just let us know and we can terminate our relationship. No sense in making each other miserable. But we know that won’t happen because we take care of our clients!

If you are ready to take the next steps and schedule your home buyers consultation, click here to schedule an appointment with us. In the meantime, click the button below to download our free home buyers guide.

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Have a question? Give us a call at 832-207-3222, 281-685-6768, or you can contact us for more options to call or email and we will contact you right away.
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