Essential Buyer Questions

If you have been asking yourself, "What are the important questions that I want to ask a potential buyer?" Here is a starting list that you can add to at anytime. You, your office, the area you live in, or the particular buyer are all factors that will generate more questions, so this list will grow.

To let your buyer know that you want to be "tuned in" to them as a person ask them, "What are your biggest fears and concerns about buying a home?" Then listen to their answer for as long as it takes! This is important! They need to know that you care about them more than you care about the commission you may make from finding them a home.

 

 

 

Since buying a home is most often a process of elimination, start with the big picture:

If your buyer could have any home they wanted, what would it look like?

Where would it be located?

What would be its most important features?

Now, it is your job to ask the questions that will help your buyer bring their dream home down to reality, but still finding them a great fit by asking:

How much of a mortgage have you been pre-approved for? What would be some other locations you might consider?

Can you rate some of these features you have listed in the order of importance to you?

Always listen closely for the emotion in their answers. Buying a home is an emotional process and decision. Some buyers may not know what they want. You can help by educating them and helping them determine what they "need" in a new home and what they "want".

Review these questions - are there more that are essential for you to ask?

List what might be some typical concerns or fears - how would you answer these to reassure your potential buyer

Pre-approval policy - whether it is an office policy or your own, decide whether you are going to work only with clients that have been pre-approved by a lender. Even though you may have the time, do you want to possibly waste it showing listings that your buyer is not qualified to buy? Many listing agents will not show properties unless the buyer is appropriately pre-approved. Making this a "policy" and discussing it upfront with every potential buyer, makes it just a part of your presentation and not an issue that a buyer might take exception to.