12 Questions a Real Estate Agent Should Ask a Home Buyer
Asking the right questions in any area of life is very important. Why do we do what we do? Why is this or that work done this way, and not differently? Asking the right questions saves energy, time, and money.
The same applies to real estate. Meet with your client and clarify their needs. This way, both of you will save time later that would otherwise be spent on so-called wrong property viewings. Try to ask open-ended questions that allow people to express themselves freely.
1. Have you been to the bank?
Okay, this is not an open-ended question, but nevertheless very important. If the client has visited the bank for consultation at least once, then both the buyer and you will be clear about what price range of apartment or house to start looking at.
2. Why do you need a new home?
The answer gives an idea of why the old home no longer works and what the buyer wants to change compared to today. Is the family growing, or have the children moved out on their own and such a large home is no longer needed? In the latter case, do they still need a large dining area for when the family gathers again on a Sunday morning for pancakes?
3. What things are necessary in the new home and what would you simply like to have?
Describing the ideal home can be taken to extremes, just like describing an ideal partner: tall, beautiful, smart, rich, intelligent, cultured, sporty, kind, etc. Just as there are no ideal people, there are no ideal houses or apartments, and if someone finds one like that, well, they are lucky.
As a real estate agent, however, you should explain to home buyers that they will probably need to make compromises in both the "necessary" and "would like" categories.
4. How long will you be looking for a new home?
This reveals whether they are actually looking for short-term accommodation and a new house or apartment is being purchased simply as an investment, or if this is about finding a true home.
5. What is your favorite area and where is your workplace?
The dream neighborhood and real life may diverge here, or they may not. But both answers give the agent a lot of information.
6. What floor?
For an apartment, it is definitely very important to know whether the buyer prefers the convenience of lower floors or higher floors with cleaner air and lower noise levels.
7. Should the apartment be renovated or in need of renovation?
This answer also sets clear boundaries for the agent. Does the client want to renovate the new home themselves according to their taste, or move in immediately so they don't have to deal with paint samples and wallpaper rolls?
8. How often do you entertain guests and do you prefer eating at home or out?
The essence of this question is really what kind of kitchen the buyer wants and how they organize eating. Do they need a large dining room or an open kitchen where they can eat snacks at the bar and chat? If they don't like cooking, they don't need to spend money on a kitchen with all the bells and whistles.
9. How much furniture do you have?
This question establishes requirements for the furniture in the apartment being purchased. Do they prefer a completely empty or partially furnished apartment? How much furniture should the new home comfortably accommodate? If the buyer has, for example, their favorite sofa that exceeds the dimensions of a standard couch, this also needs to be taken into account when buying an apartment.
10. What are your hobbies?
Is this someone who enjoys trail running or do they prefer going to the cinema? As an agent, you gain another good piece of information to consider when searching for an apartment or house.
11. Which rooms should get sunlight?
This is a question that is often left unasked – so it only becomes clear after the purchase that the new home has poor sunlight. A good agent draws a map of the sun's movement so the client immediately knows how the lighting situation is in the new home.
12. What is a deal breaker for the home seeker?
What are the things that are definitely ruled out? Could it be a street with heavy traffic, too large a house, the wrong floor, etc.?
Of course, it's possible to ask an endless number of questions about each room, and during the conversation something quite surprising may come to light. If you clarify the client's needs as precisely as possible right from the start, you will reach the right house or apartment much more quickly, the one that suits them best.
