by Cynthia Cummins
Cynthia is owner and founder of Kindred SF Homes and a top San Francisco Realtor. Check out RealEstateTherapy.org for refreshing reflections on the meaning of home and for more best real estate advice (since 2013).
Reading time: 2 minutes
Your agent is your ally. Your friend. Your advocate. She’s on YOUR SIDE and committed to your progression and happiness.
If you get the feeling like she’s NOT on your side, it’s time to have a clarifying conversation and/or to consider finding new representation.
Meanwhile, if all is well with the relationship, yet you find yourself saying or believing any of the following, it’s time to think it through or talk it out with your Realtor.
“We’re not like other buyers / sellers with unlimited budgets.”
Everybody has a limit and we agents respect that. We aren’t interested in “spending your money” willy nilly. When we give you advice that involves you paying a higher price as a buyer, it’s because we’re attempting to aide you in obtaining the property you want. The difference that ten or twenty thousand dollars means on a mortgage payment is almost meaningless. The difference that ten or twenty thousand dollars means on whether or not you can secure the house is enormous. And when we suggest that you sellers invest money in property prep, it’s not because we enjoy depleting your coffers. It’s because we know you’ll reap a great ROI and we want you to be pleased with the results.
“You don’t really believe in our house.”
If we say something negative about your fabulous home, it isn’t a personal judgment dear seller. We’re offering objective feedback to help you get your house sold for a lot of money. It isn’t a judgment about your style and taste, and it doesn’t diminish our enthusiasm for the project. We’re only interested in enhancing your bottom line through strategic presentation.
“He’s just thinking about his commission.”
The agent who only considers commission is not going to last long in the business. Customer satisfaction and fiduciary obligation come first, so helping you achieve your aim is the priority. Sometimes that means, for example, a buyer paying more for a property. If an agent urges you to up your price, it’s not because they’re counting commission. That extra $5k you’re offering on a purchase price means maybe an extra $100 for the agent and, in the big scheme of things, is insignificant.
“She just wants a quick sale.”
That’s because there is a statistically supported inverse relationship between days-on-market and sales price.
“We’re in no hurry to buy; we want to wait for a good deal.”
The timing is totally up to you. As for whether or not you’ll find a good deal, I share this wisdom from my agent friend P, who says, “Every deal in San Francisco is a bad deal. Some are worse but all are bad. For now. But just wait a few months or a couple of years and everyone will say you were a genius.”
Photo Credit: Hannah Busing
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