Interview the agent to find the right real estate broker for you!
You want a broker who will explain their responsibilities to you, and you also want someone you have a rapport with; someone you can trust. You can expect to spend an hour meeting with a broker. During this time, you’ll learn about the home buying process from contract to closing. You’ll cover a lot of ground, and you may want to take notes, and the broker will take notes too. A seasoned broker will anticipate your questions as you go through the process and help you feel confident in understanding the process and the market. Remember, during this process, you will be talking with your broker several times a week – to discuss listings, priorities, and scheduling.
Even if you have purchased a home in the past, you will benefit from a buyer consultation. An important aspect of the buyer consultation is the opportunity for the agent and buyer to “interview” each other and decide if they are a good fit to work together. If we move forward, we will be spending quite a bit of time together, looking at homes, writing an offer, inspections, etc., its good to make sure from the beginning that we are comfortable with each other.
This process is dynamic: the inventory is changing, the rates are changing, and sometimes your mind is changing as you tour different areas or styles of homes. My goal is to help you to buy a home with confidence. We’ll talk about how long you plan to stay in the home; which areas you would like to search in; and what style of home you like. Together we’ll make a list of your top priorities and wish list. We’ll review what is available and set up your first search. Know that the criterion may shift as you distill your dream home vision. You’ll be getting real-time search results from the MLS, including listings from the private MLS.
It’s best to speak with a lender before we meet, but we do not want to start touring homes until you are pre-approved by a lender. It’s easy to get pre-approved, and the lender can turn it around quickly. If you are buying with a partner, we encourage to consider the conservative approach. Get pre-approved on one person’s earnings, or at least below your max – especially on your first purchase. We can provide a referral to a trusted lender if you need one. It helps to understand and build confidence as a buyer to know your purchasing power, the mortgage process, be comfortable with payments, and the type of financing you will be using. We absolutely do not want to start physically looking at homes until you are pre-approved. Click the button below to get the Chicago Home Buyer Guidebook
You may wish to bring a list of questions with you, to make sure we get them all answered.
A buyer consultation is a great investment of your time and an important step toward buying a home. You’ll feel more confident understanding the home buying process and you’ll find the right match for you which will save you time and make the process less stressful. Let’s get started! Contact Maureen Moran at @properties. 312-953-7811.
