Dawna was wonderful! She is very patient, and takes her time to explain the process and concepts that are foreign to those not familiar with the real estate realm. One of the things that I really appreciate about her is that Dawna is very proactive. Prior to the listing, she recommended various actions that helped to promote the property which also made the sale process to go smoothly. Besides her professional knowledge, she is a good person. That made the whole experience even better. We cannot thank her enough!
- Value Your Agent’s Time- Ready to start looking at property? Commit to your agent by signing a buyer representation contract. If you have your down payment funds available and are prequalified with a lender, you are ready. Most agents’ compensation is only at the successful closing of a transaction, therefore, until the escrow closing, they are working for free. If you have a property tour set up by your agent, and you need to make schedule changes, let your agent know ASAP. Setting up a tour (and making changes to it) can take a significant amount of time, calls, and coordination with multiple parties.
- Call Your Own Agent, Only- It’s very exciting to find the perfect property online or driving by! Unfortunately, some buyers contact the seller’s agent for viewing a property, thinking that it will save time or hassle for their own agent. If you are committed to an agent with a signed buyer representation agreement, let them communicate with other parties on your behalf, from the first contact for viewing.
- Be Discreet- Today, most properties have some form of electronic monitoring on the property. This can be doorbell cameras, baby monitors, and more. The seller and their agent are not required to advise that there are monitoring devices in the property. What you say and do may be watched, without your knowledge. Best to be pleasantly neutral and discuss details in private with your agent, away from the property.
- Limit the Love- With respect to strategy; if you gush about the property in front of other parties or write a letter to the seller about how much you love the property, you have shared too much. Further awkwardness is created if you proceed to escrow and discover undesirable info about the property, and make requests of the seller. The seller will recall the initial enthusiasm, and understandably, experience resentment.
- Be Safe- Some buyers are comfortable going on properties unaccompanied by their agent. Unless you have explicit authorization to go on the property parcel, you will be trespassing and should expect unpleasant surprises. These can include aggressive dogs, unmarked hazards, or confrontations with unfriendly residents. However, this can also reflect poorly on your agent, who may not know about your actions, but could be blamed for them by the other agent and/or seller.


