10 best practices for working with homebuyers

With almost every listing available online and so much information about the home buying process available to buyers directly (not to mention via AI), it’s more important than ever for real estate agents to be able to provide true value to our buyer clients. We need to be able to give them something they can’t get on their own. Wondering how? We’ve compiled our 10 best practices for working with home buyers and making yourself stand out as a valued professional.

1. Conduct an in-depth buyer consultation

Make it a priority to really get to know your buyer clients, rather than simply asking their budget and ideal bedroom count. This will help you better guide your buyers to the right home without wasting time on properties that won’t work for them. It will save time and energy in the long run and make you a better buyer’s agent. Use a detailed buyer questionnaire to guide you and keep you on track in your consultation.

• Who will be living in the home?
• Where do your buyers commute to, or do they work from home?
• Do they want a single-family home or a condo?

Don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions, as well, such as:

• When you say you’d like 2 bathrooms, would 1.5 be ok, or are you looking for 2 full baths?
• Are you ok doing a little cosmetic work, or would you prefer something that’s been renovated recently?

The more detail you have, the easier your job will be in helping your clients find the right home, plus you’ll save everyone time by streamlining the process.

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2. Set realistic expectations about the current market

Real estate markets are ever-changing and hyper-local, so make sure you are up to date on what’s happening in your market. This way, you can set realistic expectations with your home buyers and help them understand the current climate.

Maybe your market has shifted to a buyer’s market with more inventory, giving your buyers more choices. Or perhaps there’s still a listings shortage, and buyers will need to be prepared to compete with other buyers. Recommending other areas where buyers’ budgets could stretch further is also an important role of a buyer’s agent, if your clients are open to other locations, of course.

3. Connect buyers with other experts

Buying a home involves many parties, as you know, and being the one to connect your buyers with great vendors not only elevates you as a professional but also helps protect your clients from hiring less-than-stellar vendors. Think mortgage lenders, attorneys or title companies, insurance agents and financial advisors. You can connect your client with vendors directly via email or text introduction, or simply provide them with a list of your preferred vendors. I like to do a warm introduction to facilitate things, as long as the buyers are comfortable with that.

Not all real estate agents recommend financial advisors to their buyer clients, but I think it’s a good idea, as a financial expert can give your clients advice about their overall financial picture, something we real estate agents aren’t qualified to do.

4. Find off-market listings for your buyers

One of the best strategies for differentiating yourself from your competition is to proactively find homes for your buyer clients, specifically off-market listings. These can come from:

• “Coming Soon” listings you see online (Facebook groups are a great resource for this)
• Sending golden letters to homeowners who may want to sell
• Reaching out to top agents in your area to ask what listings they have coming on the market in the future
• Scouring the MLS for expired or cancelled listings that never ended up selling.

Get creative and be proactive. Your buyers will appreciate your effort, and you may even find them a home or two they wouldn’t have seen on their own.

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5. Help buyers choose the right house

Ultimately, the house your home buyers choose is their decision, yet you can still be a helpful guide in narrowing down the options. When buyers get caught up in the emotions of the potential purchase, our job as real estate agents is to keep them calm and help them see the big picture. Act as a sounding board and an expert advisor, reminding them of what they truly want in a home and helping them envision life in the new home.

Remember to stay supportive and positive without crossing the line into pushy. Regardless of what your real estate license says, you’re a consultant in this role as a buyer’s agent, not a salesperson. A helpful question I like to ask buyers who are on the fence is: “If someone else bought this house, how would you feel?” That usually evokes a response that helps clarify whether or not the buyers wish to make an offer.

6. Negotiate for the win

Two possible scenarios for winning a negotiation for your home buyers: either you’re getting them a great deal and saving them money, or you’re winning a bidding war and getting them their dream house. Either way, one of the best practices for working with homebuyers is using your negotiation skills to get your clients what they want.

Keep in mind, it’s not always about price. Other factors you could potentially negotiate are the closing timeline, items included in the sale, repairs or types of financing. For example, if your buyers have a home they need to sell before they buy, work with your local lender to see if they have any options for buying without a home sale contingency. This will make your buyer’s offer much stronger.

Pro Tip

Always call the listing agent before submitting an offer. Ask questions like “Do you have any other offers in hand?” and “What’s most important to the sellers?” This will give you insight to strengthen your offer.

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7. Educate buyers about the process, from contract to close

This best practice is especially critical when working with either first-time buyers or buyers who haven’t purchased property in your state before (as every state has a different process). Buyers will be relying on you to talk them through the process step-by-step, reminding them about what comes next. That way, they’re prepared and never caught off guard.

In Massachusetts, where I sell real estate, buyers typically will put down two separate deposits at different stages of the transaction. Always give buyers plenty of notice about when funds will be due. Five percent of a $500k home is a lot of money for buyers to have liquid and ready to go sit in escrow, yet for my buyers, that’s usually needed about 4-6 weeks before closing. Share these timelines with your buyers at the initial consult, and there won’t be any surprises.

Stay on top of transaction milestones and deadlines by using an AI service like ListedKit AI. ListedKit AI provides a smart platform that collects, reviews and extracts information directly from the paperwork you upload. It will create a timeline and connect directly to your Google Calendar to keep everyone on the same page and the transaction moving smoothly.

8. Communicate easily and often

One of the biggest complaints I hear from the general public about their experience working with real estate agents is how poor communication is overall. Prioritize communication with your clients. It’s so important to make them feel comfortable and heard. Be easy to reach. If your buyer calls you and you’re in a meeting, send a quick text letting them know you will get back to them asap (or within a specific time frame).

Proactively check in regularly, rather than waiting for your buyers to reach out to you. If there’s an update you can give them, that’s a great reason to reach out. If not, a simple “Hey, how are you doing? Do you have any questions I can answer? Here’s a reminder of what’s next in the process…” is always appreciated by buyers.

It’s also a good idea to establish expectations for communication early on, ideally during the buyer consultation. Share your working hours and ask your buyers what their preferred method of communication is. Be sure to make a note of this so you don’t forget!

9. Coordinate all parties to get to a successful closing

Regardless of which vendors your buyer client chose to hire, a major part of our job as buyer’s agents is to coordinate all parties in the transaction to get to a successful closing. Think of it like quarterbacking the game.

We need to check in on everyone involved to make sure things are on track, including the other agent when needed. Do not assume everyone is on top of things. If they are, great! If not, you proactively checking in could prevent delays or even the deal falling apart. Prevent issues before they happen, whenever possible.

You will also want to prepare your clients ahead of time for each step of the process. For example:

• Prepare them for the long list of “problems” the home inspector will likely find
• Let them know what they can expect at the final walk-through
• Share documents they will need to bring to closing
• Remind them about wire fraud
• Advise them to forward their mail and turn on their utilities

This positions you as the expert and fulfills your promise to be their guide throughout the entire home buying process.

Don’t forget the little details like hooking up utilities, internet and alarm systems. As an agent, you shouldn’t do it personally for them; however, offering a service that does will set you apart from the competition. Utility Connect is an amazing resource you can offer your clients to get all of this done for them hassle-free. The concierge service from Utility Connect will arrange the installation of all utilities for your clients and find the best deals, too! Check them out today.

10. Stay in touch after closing

I know it can feel awkward to keep in touch with buyers after the closing, especially if your goal is to ask for referrals. Yet the reality is, if agents do disappear after closing, buyers tend to feel like their agent didn’t really care about that, that they were just a paycheck. And we don’t want that because that’s not the case.

Immediately after closing, you can send a closing or housewarming gift and/or a thank you note, if you didn’t attend the closing itself. Post-closing is also a great time to ask for a review, although I’d wait a few weeks and give them time to move and settle in.

Show your clients you truly care by checking in periodically, even months after closing. Offer recommendations for plumbers or electricians, invite your buyer clients to your client appreciation events or offer to host a housewarming party for them. But at a minimum, give them a quick text or call a few times a year to check in and see how they’re doing, and ask if they need anything.

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The full picture

Top agents follow these best practices for working with homebuyers already. Elevate your customer service by implementing our suggestions, and you’ll be rewarded with happy clients and (hopefully) referrals and repeat clients.

About Ashley Harwood

Ashley Harwood began her real estate career in 2013 and built a six-figure business as a solo agent before launching Move Over Extroverts in 2018. She developed training materials, classes, and coaching programs for her fellow introverts. Beginning in 2020, Ashley served as Director of Agent Growth for three Keller Williams offices in the Boston metro area. She’s now the Lead Listing agent for the Fleet Homes team in Massachusetts and a regular contributor to Vetted by HousingWire. She created The Quiet Success curriculum and has taught thousands of real estate agents nationwide. She has also been a guest speaker at top industry events and has been named a leading real estate coach by prominent industry publications.

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