Sometimes I find myself slipping into a grandfatherly tone reminiscing about better times when gas was $2.50/gallon and any client could get approved for home financing. And I have to remind myself that I’m nowhere near old enough to adopt a grandfatherly tone. But there are definitely times I can look back on in the real estate industry with fond recollection. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the first question that I ask every client when they walk through the door to buy a home. Are they looking for a resale or are they wanting to buy new?

The client looking for a new home has endless options that often lead to a total and utter lack of decision that can be very frustrating for the real estate agent. The Valley is filled with builders with inventory that they’d love to sell. We, as real estate agents, would love to lead our buyers to the perfect new home. And the buyers, however indecisive, really do want to find the home that suits their needs. So first we attempt to create a clear definition of what it is they are looking for, which is easier said than done, but the attempt is necessary. What location do they prefer? Where do they work? How often do they commute? Do they frequent any specific area socially or for school/family obligations? Some clients will walk through the door with these answers, but some will just start looking without considering these big questions. Make them consider them.

Once you’ve encouraged your client to designate a specific (or general, whatever you can get) location, I suggest asking if they have a builder preference. Many consumers are more aware than they realize when it comes to the variety of available builders in the Valley and their basic building philosophies. Give them a chance to realize it and they might give you a couple names that they’d prefer to work with, but no matter if they give you specific builder names or not you move on to the next step which is designating their minimum housing requirements. How much square footage do they require? How many bedrooms/bathrooms? What type of landscaping? How involved would they like their HOA to be? And any other questions that may apply to your client’s new home purchase.

Purchasing a new home right now offers the additional benefit of more promotional pricing and special offers than we’ve ever seen. Buyers can take advantage as builders look to clear out some of their extra inventory. The only suggestion I’ll make when it comes to great new housing deals is to remember that a great deal is only a great deal if it’s what your client is looking for; don’t press them to buy a fabulous deal that doesn’t meet their housing requirements. In addition, be THE most knowledgeable person out there when it comes to which builders offer which features, pricing specials, etc.

Now you have to continue on to discover what the buyer expects to be offered not only by the home they purchase, but by the community. By this I mean that buyers are aware that different communities offer different amenities to their residents and YOU need to be even more aware so that you can fulfill their needs for information. If you end up with a client that knows more about what different communities in the area offer in the way of amenities than you do..they’ll quickly start to wonder what they are doing asking you for advice! For instance, some communities offer volleyball courts. Some communities offer fitness centers. Some communities offer movie theatres. Some communities offer gorgeous clubhouses. Some communities offer formal dining venues. Some communities offer luxurious pools. Some communities offer private parks. You have to discover what your client is looking for in order to direct them toward what will fulfill their needs.

For example you might have a client looking for a low/no maintenance property with easy access to the urban areas and private community fine dining in addition to the resident accessible spa and clubhouse. The next client might be expecting to have access to a low HOA fee, multi-purpose greenbelts and a highly rated elementary school within the residential community boundaries. Know exactly what their perfect community is and you’ll have a chance of finding it for them!

Then there are those nightmare clients who just don’t have any idea what they want. They think they’re making things easy by saying they’re not limiting themselves to any geographical area and their housing requirements aren’t set in stone, but what they’re really doing is giving you no basis upon which to build your decisions when suggesting available properties. These are often the laid back, no big deal, whatever happens…happens clients that end up wandering into a new home sales office on their own on a whim. These are the clients that inadvertently cause you to lose your commission after you’ve spent countless hours working with them in their search for a new home. So what do you do about these clients? I’ve got two suggestions. First, you can always refuse to work with them. You can recognize them easily enough when they wander into your office. They’ve got no idea what they’re looking for and no desire to pinpoint any specifics. Or second, you could take advantage of the newly released RegisterMyClient.com service. Registering your clients at RegisterMyClient.com avoids any possibility that your client could wander off without you and throw your commission out the window and it only takes two minutes. It’s a no brainer that someone should have introduced to the real estate industry years ago!

If I had access to this type of system years ago I’d be a richer man today. But I try not to think about it; lost commissions in years past are just that…in the past! But thanks to RegisterMyClient.com I no longer have to awake from nightmares of clients visiting new home communities without me. RegisterMyClient.com protects me from fly by the seat of their pants clients and the traditional “agents must accompany their client on the first visit” rule traditional in the new home building industry.