As the valued client of a Coldwell Banker® affiliated agent, your job is to be open in expressing what you’re looking for. By taking a straightforward approach and sharing your concerns, you’ll speed up the process by helping your agent target the right property for you.

Price

Be honest with your agent – and yourself – about a reasonable budget for your home search. There’s no sense wasting time looking at houses that are out of your price range. Discuss the limitations you have established regarding your top number so when the pool of potential properties is being narrowed down, some helpful wiggle room is built in for countering, if necessary.

Timing

No matter the reason for your timeline, it’s important to lay it out there up front. Whether you’d prefer to be in the new place before summer so you can plan your family vacation hassle-free or you’re following a strict schedule determined by a new job or office relocation, your agent needs to know your overall plan so they can work around it effectively and keep it in mind when hammering contract terms out for you.

Proximity to School or Work

Let’s face it, you spend a lot of time in the car driving to and from the office, or shuttling the kids to and from school and related activities. Carefully evaluate how much of a commute you’re willing to tolerate, taking into consideration traffic patterns and the dreaded rush hour crunch. Once you find your dream home, you’ll want to spend as much time relaxing there and enjoying it as possible, rather than out on the road, stuck in a jam.

Access to Entertainment

If heading to the movies is your Friday night ritual, retail therapy is your weekend go-to, or you absolutely live for baseball season, let your agent know that being a reasonable distance from the theater, mall or stadium is a significant factor in your search requirements. Don’t hesitate to point out which areas simply do not make sense in terms of giving you easy access to your favorite activities.

Privacy

A prime concern may be having a fenced-in yard to give your dog the freedom to run and play. Or maybe you’re envisioning a balcony that doesn’t overlook a swimming pool or park, so you can enjoy your morning coffee in sweet solitude. Whatever your topmost priorities may be in terms of making your home the retreat you deserve, convey them frankly so your agent can factor them into your search parameters.

There’s one critical thing to remember when communicating your real estate needs: No detail is too big or too small. If it’s important to you, it should also be important to your agent.