BUYERS
If you are buying your first property, the prospect can be daunting. If you've bought properties in the past, there may be several elements of the process that you would prefer to do differently. For these reasons, we've established Search Bay Area Real Estate's Premier Service Standards.
Premier Service Standards are practices and standards to which Search Bay Area Real Estate is firmly committed. You will be provided with a clear road map of what it takes to make a successful purchase. We let you know, step-by-step, the levels of support and customer care you can expect from your Search Bay Area Real Estate sales agent.
We developed our Premier Service Standards based on many years of experience and believe they are the reason so many people choose Search Bay Area Real Estate.
FIRST STEPS
We will conduct an in-depth interview to understand your goals, your timetable, and your concerns about affordability and financing. We want to hear about the type of property you are interested in purchasing, including size and features, and any other special desires and needs you may have. By listening carefully to your needs, we pledge to enhance your experience as a buyer and to walk you through the steps required to purchase your new property.
Our Associates Will
- Explain "agency" relationships in the state of California.
- Explain how the commission is paid and distributed.
- Outline the property-buying process and provide a timeline.
- Agree on the best way to continue our ongoing dialogue in a way that fits your lifestyle, i.e. via email, telephone, etc.
- Provide you with resources for information about communities, schools, transportation and recreational facilities.
- Assist you throughout the financing process. A mortgage specialist will outline the loan types currently available and recommend the ones best suited for you and for your goals. Our associate will facilitate a mortgage pre-approval process with our affiliated lender, in order for you to be pre-approved for your mortgage prior to showing you homes. This will put you in a stronger negotiating position.
- Review the costs involved in the property-buying process.
- Review all documents, including contracts, disclosures, disclaimers and inspection reports. In some instances, our associate may refer you to a real estate attorney for further clarification.
- Provide you with the name of a competent real estate agent in areas outside our geographic or product expertise.
- Provide guidance to assist you in the acquisition of your selected property, including the negotiation of all offers authorized by you.
Finding the Property that's Right for You
Some properties will suit your needs, some won't. We will help you focus your search on properties that meet your criteria and save you from wasting time on unsuitable ones.
Our Associates Will
- Give you access to property listings on our website and to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). This service lets you receive e-mail updates, conduct additional research and communicate with us 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Locate and present selected properties to you. We will respect your time by showing you properties that meet your criteria. Where appropriate, we will expand the search outside of our local Multiple Listing Service for additional properties you may wish to view.
- Preview, whenever possible, every property we recommend to make sure that it meets the standards that you set.
- Contact you when a new property that meets your needs becomes available.
- Review with you, if requested, the benefits and the drawbacks of each property in which you have expressed interest.
Making an Offer for a Property
Finding a property that you wish to purchase is just one step of the process. Making an offer can be daunting and our associate will provide you with step-by-step help to make the process as smooth as possible.
Our Associates Will
- Represent your interests, respect your confidentiality, and work diligently to help you reach your goals.
- Prepare and review with you a competitive market analysis (CMA) of the property you wish to purchase so that you can make an informed decision about the offering price.
- Counsel you on the best offer strategy considering current market conditions.
- Prepare your offer to purchase and, if possible, present your offer in person to the seller. Our associate will advise you as to whether to include a physical inspection contingency and/or a loan contingency in your offer. Our associate will also advise you as to your obtaining a warranty as to certain items in the home, preferably provided by the seller.
- Negotiate the best price and terms for your purchase of the property given existing market conditions and your personal situation. Our associate will discuss various approaches to negotiating and recommend the best option for that specific circumstance.
- Open escrow when your offer is accepted and schedule the events that will lead to a successful close of escrow.
Closing the Sale on Your New Property
As exciting as it can be to find a property, there is work to be done to ensure it's everything the seller says it is. Our associate will advise you on the potential pitfalls or inspection issues that may arise at this stage of the process, and our associate will help guide you throughout the closing process.
Our Associates Will
- Monitor the status and satisfaction of all contract contingencies and assist you in any further negotiations with the seller. Throughout the closing period, our associate will provide you with regular progress updates.
- Provide you with a list of professionals or vendors who perform the services and/or inspections recommended in the Buyer's Inspection Advisory.
- Deliver and/or communicate to you, in a timely manner, any disclosures, materials or information that has been received by me and that could materially affect your decision to complete the purchase.
- Schedule property inspections and attend inspections if practical or instructed by you, as well as any subsequent meetings or appointments with the professionals of your choice.
- Discuss your options based on inspection results.
- Monitor your loan approval process, if you request. Our associate will coordinate the appraisal of the property and, if appropriate, provide access and assistance to the appraiser.
- Advise you on your options should problems arise with any part of the escrow process from loan, to title, to property inspections and assist in renegotiating the contract if necessary.
- Accompany you on a property walk-through inspection before closing as provided for in the contract. Contact you after the closing to confirm the completion of all the details.
- Provide you with an opportunity to evaluate the services you received via a post-transaction survey from an independent company named Quality Service Certification.
Real Estate Questions? "Contact Us" online, or call 415-606-6621. We're here to help!
Search Bay Area Real Estate Group – Trusted Advisors, Skilled Negotiators, Expert Facilitators
