Email Elizabethtypes of home buyers
The Personality and Kind of Home Buyers Fits into 7 Different Types
Here is how to figure out what kind of home buyer are you?
If you have ever wondered how real estate agents generalize about you and what kind of home buyer are you in their eyes, this article is certain to entertain. Why, you might believe that you cannot be categorized and that there is nobody else on the face of the earth just like you, but, you might be surprised by that assumption.
Before I venture further, let me confess that yes, I have been frequently accused of anthropomorphism, but it’s sometimes the best way to define a stereotype as it is easy to understand. We harbor certain types of characterizations about other people and ourselves that often relate to the animal kingdom. One can tiptoe about as quiet as a mouse or plod on clumsy as an ox, although our cats, if you notice, prefer ballet, the little acrobats that they are. Even they must wonder what kind of home buyer are you.
I might be drawn to categorizations lately because I’ve watched a handful of movies recently about the order of future societies: The Giver, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Divergent and yes, even The Lego Movie. It’s also not unusual for me to apply thoughts about other situations to real estate because I am engaged so heavily in the practice of real estate. I spend most of my waking hours thinking about selling or buying homes. It’s a passion.
However, if you asked me which category I fit into when describing the different types of home buyers, I would readily admit that I am a rebel and therefore do not fit neatly into any category. Although, I could be the fox. I am a square peg in a round hole. I can be obstreperous if pushed, which is probably why I excel at negotiations and do so well with short sales. I’ve got spunk.
Enough spunk to write an article called What Kind Home Buyer Are You, in which just about every kind of home buyer is defined and aligned with the characteristics of our favorite creatures, and not necessarily narrowed to the four-legged. But please, let me know what kind of home buyer you are, OK?
Should Real Estate Agents Work in Dual Roles as Home Buyers?
Representing yourself in the dual role of a real estate agent and home buyer in a real estate transaction just to hang on to the buying side of the commission seems a bit defeatist to me, but that’s not to say an agent won’t do it –unless, of course, one subscribes to the adage that a lawyer who represents herself has a fool for a client. Further, you should probably pity the poor real estate agents in my life who have had to represent me in a real estate transaction. In retrospect, I was a terrible client.
I would not want to work with myself as a client. When the shoe is on the other foot, compassion be damned. I forget all about my comfy slippers with the soft lambswool lining and act like I’m strutting about in 8-inch heels. I demand immediate responses, expect instant communication and tolerate zero mistakes. I am like every real estate agent’s worst nightmare, and I apologize right now to the poor agent who will undoubtedly represent us when my husband and I retire somewhere exotic down the road.
While I strive to offer a client excellent service and often receive glowing reviews for my service, not all real estate agents behave in this manner. I will stop whatever I am doing when a client calls to take that phone call. In the middle of the frozen food aisle at the grocery store or in the midst of more intimate activities that you don’t want to know about, I answer my phone. The only places I turn it off are at the movie theatre, in flight or after 7 PM.
I do it because that’s what I would want if I were a client. I try to match performance to meet expectations. Client satisfaction is paramount to me. If I believe a client is better off with another agent, I will refer that client to another agent. It’s easy to see the situation at arm’s length when you’re not the client.
Singleness-of-purpose works well for a successful Sacramento real estate agent. It means the agent doesn’t do home staging, doesn’t do mortgages, doesn’t peddle other products to the client and doesn’t try to play the dual role of a buyer and agent. The agent simply works in real estate, focusing on representing her clients with integrity and purpose. Other agents will disagree with this premise and you know what? It’s OK. We’re not all the same.
Having said that, I will leave you with a link to an article about home buyers that I wrote yesterday for About.com. It’s a light-hearted yet accurate description of home buyers and the 7 different types of home buyers we work with in this business. I invite you to read more about What Kind of Home Buyer Are You?
