It’s commonplace to try on suits, dresses, trousers or shoes before buying them. People instinctively know they need to try on clothes to be sure they fit, feel comfortable and are attractive on them. What about a home?  It’s probably the most expensive purchase you’ll ever make. Isn’t it even more important to “try on” a home before you purchase it?

What on earth do I mean?  Well, it’s usual to look for a home in places that are convenient to work and schools. Most folks take the daily commute into consideration when shopping for a home. Why not take the daily, weekly, and even monthly activities of family members consciously into account, too?

Case Study

I once helped a young, single woman named Wendy to find and buy her first home.  She worked for Geico, was rising very nicely in the company and wanted a home of her own and the tax break home ownership affords.  She asked my advice about choosing, and we had a conversation in which I mentioned many of the sorts of things I’ve said here. We made a list of what mattered to her. Then we went shopping. We looked at a lot of houses. After we came out of each one, we had a talk about how it measured up to Wendy’s list.

In today’s market it is important for an agent to have a website that caters to the needs of the consumer. This means that a website needs to go beyond the old rule of providing just the pictures, size, style, and price of a home. The agents website today needs to have more information and links to the communities they serve. It should have information about the city/town, local newspapers, libraries, schools, public transportation, and shopping. If you find an agent who includes this kind of information on their website, you probably have an agent that is current with today’s technology and is thinking about the customer’s needs instead of his needs. One more thing, if you are a first time homebuyer make sure the website has free articles that talk specifically about your needs

You should be concerned if your agent does not have a website. It can mean:
1. S/he is new in the business or refuses to accept change
2. S/he may not believe that the Internet is important.
3. S/he is afraid of technology