What To Avoid Saying To The Seller’s Agent When Buying A Home

by Jan Kennemer 08/19/2018

If you’re on the hunt for a home, you’re undoubtedly excited. You might be eager to ask a lot of questions and get all the information that you can. You’re also probably eager to share quite a bit of information about yourself and your home purchase. While this is a great approach, this isn’t the case for everyone you’re involved with in your real estate transaction. When you’re dealing with the seller’s agent, more information isn’t always better. You don’t need to share as much information with them as you may think you do. Your agent as a buyer is your advocate. They do know a lot of information about you, and they should. Your buyer’s agent knows everything from your budget to your needs and wants. The seller’s agent doesn’t need to know any of this! This is why you hire a buyer’s agent in the first place. Here’s what you shouldn’t divulge to a seller’s agent and why:


Your Opinion Of The House


You’ll want to be as neutral as possible when it comes to how much you like or dislike a house. While it’s perfectly fine to let the agent know that you feel at home in the space and are interested in putting in an offer, you don't need to get into too many details. 


On the flip side, if you have a few things that you don’t like about a house, you should keep those to yourself. You don’t want to decide to put an offer in on the home, only to be seen as a less than serious buyer. In hot markets, you should always give yourself the upper hand. 


Your Budget


You should never let a seller’s agent know how much you’re looking to spend on a home. If sellers know how high or how low you’re willing to go on a home purchase, both the buyer and the seller should get a fair price for the home. Your goal as a buyer is to have your offer accepted at the best possible price. 


Let Your Agent Do His Job


While it can be hard in the midst of excitement, you should really let your agent do most of the talking when it comes to a home purchase. Your agent can help you through everything from negotiations to working with your lender to navigating you through open houses. Your agent may even be able to attend quite a few open houses right along with you. This way, you’ll have someone else to do the talking for you. Just remember the tips above in case you’re flying solo through some home tours. While it’s great to be eager on your home search, it’s never to your benefit to be overzealous.

About the Author
Author

Jan Kennemer

Jan will show you how you can live close to Washington, DC – by public transit and/or highway – and still enjoy all the many amenities and friendliness of a quiet community. Jan is a life-long resident of Arlington, Va. So, she is very familiar with northern Virginia …Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria and close-in Fairfax. She knows where to find those little out-of the-way places where you will still get excellent value and a home that meets your needs. As a Realtor® for over 20 years, Jan has developed a customized system for marketing and selling properties which includes the latest technologies combined with tried and true practices. She has received special training in working with first time buyers, repeat buyers and seniors. She is a certified VHDA trainer and is certified as a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES©). Jan is also a certified e-Pro. She gets results you want – the best price in the shortest time. Jan is dedicated to helping clients satisfy their needs and wants while providing them with a strong investment for the future. She is readily available to provide explanations and information. She won’t push you into making an uncomfortable choice. Jan helps you to fully understand the transaction, so that you can always make an informed decision based on facts and figures.