When we at GreatNest and The Vincent Group work with home buyers, we strive to be very clear about the target of their home search. The more we know about what they're looking for and where, the better we are able to serve them. That's why we hold a comprehensive Buyer Consultation early in the relationship. That conversation is not only an opportunity for us to understand this family's house hunting parameters, it is also an educational experience for the buyers. They come away knowing more about the home buying process than they ever have in the past and are well prepared to start looking.
We've started doing something new as well. Prior to the Buyer Consultation we ask home buyers to take a few minutes to work through a page of questions about their wants and needs. It is the same kind of information we seek in the Consultation but helps us use that meeting time more efficiently. It is remarkable how often we've heard that the questionnaire helped the family become clear about what they wanted in a home. It has been helpful in identifying areas requiring more discussion and at times, compromise.
The questions aren't magical. They are straightforward and designed to encourage a conversation to get everyone on the same page at the beginning of the home search process. If you are starting to look for a home, use the following set of questions to help you fine tune your target. Or better yet, complete the questionnaire and then call us at GreatNest to supercharge your search!
Home Buyer Questionnaire
I am excited to be a part of your home search process. I am confident that, working together, we can find your dream house.
It would be helpful if you would take a few minutes to work through these questions before we meet. Your answers will not only help me do a better job for you, it may also help you get clearer on what’s most important to you in your next home.
I. About Your Home Search
- How long have you been looking for a new home?
- Have you seen anything that you liked?
- (if yes) What happened? Why didn’t you buy it?
- How have you been searching? (What tools, websites or methods are you using?)
- Have you worked with an agent?
- (if yes) What is the status of that relationship?
II. Your Situation
- Why are you wanting to make a move?
- When would you like to be in your new home?
- Where are you living now?
- Do you need to sell your present home to make this move?
- Is your present home on the market?
- How much cash are you expecting to use for downpayment and closing costs?
- What monthly payment (total, including taxes and insurance) would you be comfortable making?
- Have you spoken to a lender and been pre-approved for financing?
- If we found your dream home today, is there any reason you could not purchase it?
III. Your Present Home
- Where is your present home located?
- Do you rent or own it?
- Bedrooms
- Bathrooms
- Square Footage
- Lot size
- Features
- What do you like best about your present home?
- What do you dislike about your present home?
IV. Your Next Home
- Where would you like your next home to be located?
- Why there?
- What schools, workplaces, social activities and community amenities would you like to be near?
- What is the longest workplace commute you would consider?
- Bedrooms
- Baths
- Square Footage
- Lot Size
- Features
- Layout/Style
- Name three (or more) things you MUST have in your next home.
- Name three (or more) things you would LIKE to have in your next home.
V. Logistics
- How would you like to stay in touch (phone/text/email)?
- Would you like to have access to the information in the local MLS?
- What times of the day and week are best for you to see homes?
- Many home buyers today want to do much of the home search process on their own. They prefer that I give them access to some great tools for finding homes for sale, and they usually want to drive by a home to see if it’s right from the outside before asking to take a tour. Others would rather leave the home search job up to me. I am on constant lookout for homes that match their wants and needs and contact them whenever there is something I think they need to see. Still others want to take a combination approach, with both of us actively looking for suitable property and staying in close contact through the process. What about you? How would you envision us working together?
If you'd like, you may download a PDF copy of this questionnaire HERE.