The Buyers Agent in Westchester County Needs to Understand the Client

 

At NestEdge Realty we focus on buying and selling properties in the Westchester County Real Estate market. We represent home buyers and home sellers alike from Pelham to Katonah. We consider our services to be above and beyond those offered by traditional realtors and we provide unique benefits that few agencies can. In short, NestEdge Realty offers a smarter and more economical way to buy a home in Westchester County in 2019.

 

Real estate agents are generally introduced to clients via leads from websites such as Zillow and Trulia in addition to referrals and connections from social networks.

 

When a real estate agent acquires a client via a lead from a website the common first thing that the agent does is schedule a showing for the property that the client has inquired about.

 

I feel that this eliminates a very key step. For a real estate agent to deliver impeccable and accurate service to his or her buyer client there are a series of questions that the agent must first ask his or her client. An agent worth his salt cannot be a valuable asset to his or her client without knowing precisely what the client is seeking.

 

So, what questions should your agent be asking before you hire him or her to represent you when buying a new home in Westchester County?

 

The first thing the agent should discuss with his or her client is the condition of the Westchester real estate market in the area in which the client is choosing to search for a new home. It does not matter if the client is looking for homes for sale in Chappaqua or homes for sale in Scarsdale or anywhere in between; the agent should be able to give a clear and concise summary of the current market conditions in that area. Is it a buyer's market? Is it a seller's market? Is there a high or low inventory? How long are properties staying on the market? This information will go a long way in setting the expectations for the buyers.

 

Before the client agrees to work with the real estate agent the client should have a clear understanding of all of the services that the real estate agent provides. At NestEdge Realty our buyer agents provide and perform 16 key tasks. If the agent that you are speaking to does not perform these 16 basic tasks, the buyer would be well served to look elsewhere. After all, if the buyer’s agent is making a commission of more than 2 percent on the purchase of your new home, shouldn’t you have tangible evidence of the benefit that the agent has provided? If your realtor is simply making appointments and unlocking doors, the benefit of using an agent has been lost.

 

In addition to the real estate agent having a keen understanding of the type of home and location that the client is seeking the agent should also have a more granular view of the wants and needs of the homebuyer. The agent should understand what top-rated Westchester County school districts the buyer wants to buy in, how much the client is willing to pay in annual Westchester County property taxes, whether or not the client is willing to do any renovations, whether or not a certain type of layout is important to the client, and many many more key details. Without this information, it would be nearly impossible for an agent to properly cater a search to his or her client. When the agent does not have sufficient detail about the wants and needs of his or her client the agent will usually wind up wasting all of his and her client's precious time with showings that miss the mark.

 

The buyer of a new home in Westchester County needs more than just an agent to close on a home. The buyer needs a great inspector who will find hidden and costly issues, a sharp attorney who will make sure that the contract is free of risk, and generally a slew of skilled and reasonably priced contractors to estimate what it might cost to make that property into precisely what the home buyer envisions. At NestEdge Realty we refer our clients to only the best and most reliable resources.

 

Before beginning the journey of finding that perfect Westchester County home for his or her client the real estate agent must explain to the client the legal ramifications of working with an agent.

 

At NestEdge Realty we do not tie our clients into working exclusively with our agents. We feel that our service and our unique, cash-back offering is far superior to that of other agents, and rarely do we lose clients midway through the process. We are also very careful to make sure that our clients sign and understand the agency disclosures that are required to be presented to all clients of New York State licensed real estate agents.

 

The buyer’s agent should be willing to go above and beyond for his or her clients. Real estate agents in Westchester County admittedly make a handsome living doing a job that requires less work than it did 20 years ago.

 

It is for this reason that we feel that homebuyers in Westchester County should be offered a significant broker commission rebate at the closing table. Broker commission rebates are tax-free and legal in New York State but are generally not publicized or offered by agents.

 

The broker commission rebate paid by NestEdge Realty is more than is offered by Redfin’s Rebate in Westchester. Our broker commission rebates are large enough that they can help a client avoid paying the mansion tax in New York State or, at the very least, help the client reduce the significant closing costs that they will be responsible for at the end of the transaction.