Property buying can be a test of endurance. One must remain doggedly committed to the search for however long it takes.
This is where buyers’ agents come into their own. Time and again, I have seen people hit the wall with buying fatigue as they unsuccessfully try to hunt down a home week-in week-out.
This inevitably leads to bad decisions as well as the loss of precious time and energy. They end up paying too much for an unsuitable property, or abandon their plans altogether then suffer the long-term consequences of being priced out of the market.
Experienced buyers’ agents know that staying power is a must, and a great example of this is the flat-floored house we helped a client purchase earlier this year.
The brief
We were approached by a downsizing client who had some very specific needs.
She was looking for a house in the Inner West of Sydney. It had to be a low-maintenance home that required no renovations or upgrades. She simply wanted to open the door and move in.
Most important of all was that the client had a medical condition which meant that her home had to have a completely level floor from front to back. Absolutely no internal stairs or steps of any kind could be tolerated.
Now this is a deceptively difficult thing to find in a home. Totally stairless and stepless houses are incredibly rare, especially in the Inner West. Most single-level properties have a change in floor level at some point in the floorplan. Think bungalows that have a step down into their sunroom, or renovated houses where new tiling raises the bathroom floor level for example.
Adding to the difficulty was an incredibly hot Sydney property market. Listing numbers were already tight, and competition was strong.
I could see we’d be challenged unearthing a property that would meet this very specific criteria, but I hunkered down and got on with the hunt.
Finding a home off-market
I had a dogged determination to meet the client’s brief. I trolled through pages of listings and made constant phone calls to our vast agent network. It was important to stay ahead of the game so we could find the ideal property.
And eventually we did.
From taking on the job to when the client finally signed a contract was just under six months. In that time, I’d filtered through approximately 500 listings and completed more than 100 physical inspections.
I had also set up a program of constantly contacting our vast selling agent network to check in on potential prospects – and that is where we eventually struck gold.
An agent we’d done deals with in the past delivered us an off-market option. A three-bedroom Californian bungalow in Dulwich Hill with no renovation needed and a single flat floor level.
He sent us comprehensive information on the home, and I knew it fit the scope. We lined up an inspection for our client who loved the place.
The deal was negotiated, and a contract was signed.
Teachings in tenacity
I can honestly say that in this instance, I seriously doubt that our client, or their family, could have secured a property without our assistance.
The search required incredible tenacity and for the average purchaser, buyer’s fatigue would have almost certainly set in quickly. Most buyers are full of energy on weekend one, but after a month or two of looking, the majority are ready to make unacceptable compromises on their ‘must-haves’ list or give up the search altogether.
By knowing our market, employing our processes, drawing on our networks and staying the course, we were able to produce an outstanding result, off-market.
The client secured the home they wanted within their desired location and budget. The selling agent made a no-fuss sale to a qualified buyer, and we could celebrate another job well done.
There simply is no substitute for having and experienced and well-connected buyers’ agent on your side when seeking the right property for your needs.
