Boise Real Estate Blog

I am busy preparing for the arrival of buyers this week.
We have been in touch with other for several months, following their initial contact with me on my www.BoiseReal.com website.
We have exchanged countless e-mails and had numerous phone conversations about their wants, needs, likes, and dislikes.
And, they have been fully pre-approved by Countrywide (yes, they remain in business!) and are eager to sign a buyer representation agreement with me.
I haven’t pressed them to sign the buyer representation agreement because I know they would have great difficulty finding another agent who would work as hard for them.
They are terrific, loyal clients and it is a pleasure working with them!
So, knowing what they want, I have been busy identifying potential properties for them.
The search criteria is 2,000 sq. ft. minimum, up to 5 years old, 4 bedrooms, a 3-car garage, and $250,000 to $325,000 price range.
My initial MLS search turned up between 175 and 200 homes.
After screening those listings, I quickly narrowed the field to 41 homes.
Since Monday, I have been out in the field previewing those homes, starting with the vacant ones first because they don’t require an appointment to get in.
Most agents won’t bother to preview homes before showing, but I think it’s the only way to do business.
Can you imagine how confused my buyers would be if I marched them through 41 homes?
Especially, when only a few were in good showing condition and properly-priced?
I believe that it’s my job to prepare for my buyers and weed out the crappy, overpriced listings without taking their valuable time!
I am now about halfway through the 41 homes, and will knock out the rest by the end of the week.
I’m down to the owner-occupied homes now and will have to set appointments to see them.
I never cease to be amazed at the condition of some of the homes I see on the market.
It’s like “what in the world are those sellers thinking?” with most of what I see on the market.
And, honestly, I wonder why the listing agents even took some of the listings I have seen.
Maybe they were trying to win the office listing contest?
Overpriced, filthy dirty, six colors of interior paint, worn out carpets, cobwebs around the front door, burned up yards, etc.
That said, I am confident that I have what my buyers are looking for, but the decision will be up to them.
I don’t “close the sale”.
After educating my buyers and ensuring that their questions have been answered, I simply ask “So  .  .  . what would you like to do?”
It’s nice to be able to do business this way.