Is the internet ruining your chances at finding a home?
"Too much information and much of it not being timely or accurate is part of the problem."
Ron Benning
Sacramento and Roseville buyers are often tell me that they have been looking for months and keep getting beat out. These real estate buyers often state that “by the time they found out about the house and saw it that it was already gone”.
Increasingly buyers are relying on external websites like Realtor.com or Zillow to supplement their home search and relying less on working closely with their Realtor® and the Actual MLS (Multiple Listing Service). These other external search websites can be a good place to start early on in the information gathering stage, but make no mistake about it that the most accurate and timely source of information is your Realtor’s® MLS Search. Unfortunately in today's market many buyers are working less closely with their agent and it is resulting in less than optimal results in finding a home.
When it is time to get serious about finding a home there is no substitute for an accurate and detailed daily update coming to you directly from the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) provided by your agent.
Buyers should focus their efforts on reviewing this source of new properties, communicating frequently with their agent, and looking at the new listings quickly.
If buyers followed this advice, many of the buyer’s frustrations could be eliminated. If there are homes you are finding that are not on your MLS list then the criteria can and should be re-evaluated. I have found this approach has helped about two thirds of my buyers to find a house within the first thirty days.
When you see a home you like be prepared to make an offer or the house will likely sell while you think about it. Most of these homes for sale are already priced at a deep discount. For homes below $200,000 multiple offers above list price is very common right now. Homes in Sacramento county sold for on average 98% of the asking price last month. This is an indication that many homes sold for over the asking price.
I start by getting an accurate search for the client and then it is very imprortant that the client reviews all new listings daily and calls me to discuss properties they want to see immediately. I am ready to get to work for you. I can be reached at (916) 730-3846 if you have additional questions.