I get asked this question a lot so thought I’d do a quick blog on it. When buying somewhere, the amount of time and effort you put in to your search will dictate the number of opportunities you have. If you want greater opportunities, invest more time and energy.
Have you ever heard someone say “We rang the estate agent and they’d just been to value somewhere that sounded okay. We went to have a look immediately and it was perfect so we went for it. We were REALLY lucky.”
What might not be noted in the conversation is that that buyer called all the estate agents every couple days to touch base on the off chance that something had come up. Doing that had created the opportunity to view 10 other properties under similar circumstance that weren’t suitable but they had gone to view immediately.
In a sellers market, the approach of staying in contact with the agents is even more important because there are too many buyers for each property. If you’re not putting in the work, someone else likely is. Guess who is most likely to get through the door first and have the best opportunities?
From an agents perspective, it’s really difficult to forget the person that is on the phone and has made contact with you on a regular basis. They get in your subconscious and naturally link to Eg. 3-bed house on XYZ Road. If I then go and value a 3-bed house on XYZ Road, guess who I’m going to be calling first?
Technology helps us control our buyer list massively, but as an agent we only have so many hours in the day that we can spend on the phone. We also want to make sure we’re putting sales together with serious buyers. What better way to show how serious you are than by investing your own time and effort in staying in touch. Even getting to know us a little.
I do totally understand how much of a pain this can cause. Two tips for the buying process that will make this level of contact with estate agents remotely bearable:
- Get a pay as you go phone with a new number. They’re cheap, the battery lasts all day and you can bin the sim once the process is over.
- Get an email specifically for house-hunting. You won’t miss what you wish to see and you can simply switch it off once you’re finished.
In a buyers market, you will see this change around massively. The estate agents will be on the phone a lot to you to see how you’re getting on and offering you their wares.
So in conclusion, get on the phone and return agents calls. Try and meet face to face if possible. Do not rely on email and do not avoid calls, even if it’s a massive pain speaking to the more pressure oriented sales agents. They may just have the perfect home for you tomorrow!
