Real Estate Confessions: What Your Real Estate Agent Wishes You Knew

Real Estate Confessions: What Your Real Estate Agent Wishes You Knew

Real estate agents spend a lot of time educating their clients about contracts, market conditions, pricing, inspections, financing, negotiations, and closing.

But there are also plenty of things agents think every day that don't always make it into the official buyer or seller presentation.

So, on a recent episode of Talk Real Estate Roundtable, Boston Connect Real Estate Broker/Owner Sharon McNamara and Director of Operations Melissa Wallace decided to say some of them out loud.

Welcome to Real Estate Confessions: Things Agents Wish Buyers and Sellers Knew.

And while the conversation was fun and lighthearted, there was an important message behind it: a successful real estate transaction isn't only about contracts and numbers. Communication, expectations, preparation, courtesy, and understanding what is happening behind the scenes can make the entire experience better for everyone involved.

Confession #1: Your Showing Time Really Does Matter

To a buyer, scheduling a showing may seem simple.

You find a house online, tell your agent you'd like to see it, and a little while later you receive a confirmation.

Behind that confirmation, however, several schedules may have needed to align.

The buyer has a schedule.

The buyer's agent has a schedule.

The seller has a schedule.

There may be children, pets, work-from-home arrangements, daycare, other appointments, and additional showings immediately before or after yours.

The seller may have cleaned the house, packed up the kids, loaded the dog into the car, and rearranged their entire afternoon so you can walk through their home.

That's why arriving significantly early, arriving late without communicating, or staying well beyond your scheduled appointment can create problems for everyone else.

If you're running late, tell your agent.

As Melissa and Sharon discussed, things happen. The problem isn't necessarily being a few minutes late the problem is not communicating when multiple appointments may be scheduled back-to-back.

And if you're early? Take a few minutes to explore the neighborhood instead of parking directly in front of the house and waiting for the seller to leave.

Drive around.

Look at the surrounding homes.

See where the nearest stores are.

Get a feel for the street.

Those extra few minutes can actually help you evaluate something you can't change after closing: the location.

Confession #2: A Showing Is Not a Home Inspection

Your first showing has an important purpose:

Could you see yourself living here?

It's your opportunity to understand the floor plan, room sizes, condition, location, yard, overall feel of the property, and whether the house deserves further consideration.

It isn't the time to conduct your own two-hour home inspection.

You don't need to flush every toilet, test every faucet, open personal drawers, move belongings, or investigate every inch of the seller's home.

And yes, this apparently needs to be said: please don't sit on the seller's bed or let the kids jump on it.

As Sharon and Melissa joked during the episode, a showing is not a home inspection. Buyers should certainly look carefully at a property, but there is a difference between evaluating whether you're interested in a home and inspecting its systems and components.

If you're interested enough to move forward, that's when your agent can help you determine the appropriate next steps.

Confession #3: Open Houses Aren't Private Showings

An open house is exactly what the name suggests: open.

There may be several groups of buyers walking through at once. Someone may be waiting to get into the room you're standing in. Parking may be limited. The agent hosting the open house may be greeting new visitors, answering questions, monitoring the property, and keeping track of who is coming and going.

That doesn't mean you should rush.

Take the time you reasonably need to see the property.

But recognize that an open house is different from a private appointment.

If you fall in love with the house, talk with your buyer's agent about whether another showing is possible. A private appointment may give you an opportunity to slow down, revisit rooms, ask additional questions, and evaluate the property without navigating around several other buyers.

And if you're touring multiple open houses in one day, consider walking through a home twice.

After you've seen the fourth colonial of the afternoon, properties can start blending together. A second trip through the house may reveal details you missed the first time.

Confession #4: Save the Laundry List of Questions for Your Agent

Questions are good.

We want buyers to ask questions.

How old is the roof?

What type of heating system does the property have?

Is there septic or town sewer?

How many bedrooms is the septic designed for?

What is included with the sale?

Has a particular improvement been updated?

But an active open house may not be the best time to stand beside the listing agent and work through 25 questions while other buyers are entering the property.

Your buyer's agent is there for a reason.

Make notes as you walk through the house. Afterward, sit down with your agent and create a list of questions that need answers.

Your agent can communicate with the listing agent, research available information, review documents, and help you determine which questions actually matter before you make a decision.

Confession #5: Be Careful What You Say Inside Someone Else's Home

This might be one of the biggest real estate confessions of all:

Assume someone can hear you.

Doorbell cameras, security systems, exterior cameras, baby monitors, smart-home devices, and other technology are increasingly common.

But even without technology, the person quietly walking through the room beside you could know the seller, work with the listing agent, or be connected to the transaction.

That's why loudly announcing how much you love the property isn't necessarily a great strategy.

Neither is loudly criticizing everything you dislike.

As Melissa put it during the show:

Loudly criticizing the house isn't a negotiation tactic.

If you hate the kitchen, tell your agent afterward.

If you think the property is overpriced, discuss it outside the home.

If you've already decided you would pay considerably more than asking price because it's your dream house, that conversation can also wait until you're somewhere private.

Take notes while you're inside and have the candid conversation with your agent afterward.

Confession #6: Remember, It's Still Someone's Home

Buyers naturally evaluate houses critically.

That's part of the process.

You may hate the wallpaper.

You may plan to replace the kitchen immediately.

You might think the seller's favorite fireplace mantle is the first thing that needs to go.

That's okay.

Once you own the home, it's yours to personalize.

But until closing, it belongs to someone else.

For sellers, a property can represent decades of memories, family gatherings, milestones, holidays, children growing up, and an entire chapter of their lives.

There's no advantage to insulting someone's decorating choices or personal belongings while walking through their home.

You don't have to love the house.

You simply have to be respectful while you're in it.

Confession #7: Sellers Don't Determine Market Value, the Market Does

Sellers understandably have a number in mind.

Maybe it's based on what they originally paid.

Maybe it's what they still owe on their mortgage.

Maybe they've invested significantly in renovations.

Or maybe there's a certain amount they need from the sale to purchase their next home.

Those numbers are important to the seller's personal financial situation.

But they don't independently determine what buyers will pay for the property.

As Sharon explained during the episode, market value isn't based on what a seller wants, needs, or has to have. Price has to make sense in relation to the property's condition, location, comparable sales, and current market.

Sometimes one of the most important things a real estate agent can do is tell a seller something they don't necessarily want to hear.

An experienced agent should be willing to have that conversation.

The goal isn't simply to agree on a price that sounds good.

It's to develop a pricing and marketing strategy supported by the available data and designed to help the seller accomplish their goals.

Confession #8: Buyers, Price Isn't the Only Part of Your Offer

When buyers hear that a property has multiple offers, the first question is often:

“How much do I need to offer?”

Price matters.

But it isn't the only component of an offer.

Depending on the transaction, sellers and their agents may also be evaluating financing, deposits, contingencies, timing, pre-approval or proof of funds, and other terms.

That's why buyers should understand the offer before they're in the pressure of a competitive situation.

Melissa recommended having your agent sit down with you and walk through a blank offer so you understand its different components before you're actually writing one.

Then, when the right property appears, you're making informed decisions rather than trying to learn the contract while simultaneously deciding how much you're willing to spend.

Confession #9: Know Who the Listing Agent Represents

Here's something buyers sometimes forget when they're excited about a property:

The listing agent represents the seller.

That means buyers need to be thoughtful about the information they voluntarily share with the listing side of a transaction.

Your motivation, financial flexibility, willingness to change terms, how desperately you want the house, or other details about your situation may be information you'd rather discuss privately with the agent representing you.

During the episode, Sharon emphasized the importance of buyers understanding the difference between the listing agent's role and their own representation.

This is another reason having your own real estate professional and communicating openly with that person is so valuable.

Confession #10: An Accepted Offer Is the Beginning of the Next Phase

Congratulations, your offer was accepted!

But you're not almost done.

There are still important steps between an accepted offer and closing, and the transaction can involve inspections, financing, lender requirements, attorney involvement, appraisal, documents, deadlines, final preparations, and the final walkthrough.

As Melissa explained during the show, real estate timelines are more complicated than they look. An accepted offer doesn't mean the work is finished.

This is often when buyers and sellers begin seeing just how much their real estate professionals are coordinating behind the scenes.

Confession #11: Please Tell Your Agent What's Really Going On

This may be the most important confession of the entire episode.

Your agent cannot solve a problem they don't know exists.

Are you thinking about changing jobs?

Did something change with your financing?

Are you considering switching loan programs?

Did your available funds change?

Is a family member helping with the purchase?

Are you suddenly uncomfortable with something in the transaction?

Sellers need to communicate too.

Are you traveling during an important part of the transaction?

Does someone else need to participate in a decision?

Did something break at the property after the offer was accepted?

Has something changed about your moving plans?

Tell your agent.

As Sharon explained, your real estate agent is supposed to be beside you throughout the transaction, but they can't help address a problem if they don't know about it. Melissa also pointed to changes in employment, financing, available funds, travel plans, and decision-makers as examples of information clients should communicate.

Early conversations create options.

Waiting until the last minute usually creates fewer of them.

Behind Every “Simple” Real Estate Transaction Is a Lot of Work

One of the biggest misconceptions about real estate is that everything happens as easily as it appears online.

Click a button.

Schedule a showing.

Submit an offer.

Get it accepted.

Close.

But there are people, schedules, deadlines, documents, conversations, negotiations, professionals, and decisions behind every one of those steps.

A showing confirmation may have required several people to rearrange their schedules. An offer involves more than the number written at the top. An accepted offer still has a long way to travel before everyone reaches the closing table.

And that's really what these “real estate confessions” are about.

Not complaining about buyers.

Not complaining about sellers.

But helping consumers understand what is happening behind the scenes so everyone can work together more effectively.

Communication Makes Everything Easier

If there's one theme connecting nearly every confession from this episode, it's communication.

Running late? Communicate.

Have questions after an open house? Talk with your agent.

Don't understand part of an offer? Ask before you sign it.

Something changed with your financing? Tell your agent and lender.

Seller going away? Let everyone know.

Concerned about something happening during the transaction? Don't wait.

Buying or selling a home involves a team of people working toward the same goal. The sooner everyone has the information they need, the more opportunities there are to address challenges before they become larger problems.

At Boston Connect Real Estate, we believe our job is about much more than opening doors or putting a sign in the yard. It's about educating our clients, setting realistic expectations, communicating throughout the process, and helping buyers and sellers understand what's happening every step of the way.

Because the more you know before and during a real estate transaction, the better prepared you'll be for whatever comes next.

Thinking about buying or selling a home in Massachusetts? Connect with Boston Connect Real Estate to speak with one of our experienced local real estate professionals and start your next move with the information, guidance, and support you need.

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