What Your Broker or Agent Looks at While You Tour a Home

When you visit a property, you can’t help but project yourself into this space and visualize your future life in this house that you’ve been dreaming of for a long time. So we tend to see every positive element, especially if it’s a favorite. Those magnificent bay windows that let the light in! That warm kitchen where you can already see yourself hosting the whole family for Christmas! And that little shed, which you can immediately imagine as an artist’s studio…

In our joy and enthusiasm, it’s easy to overlook elements that could be sources of stress or unexpected expenses.

Conversely, some people tend to worry about minor details and not be able to “see” the full potential of a property, which often causes them to miss out on great opportunities.

In both cases, this is where the expertise of your broker or real estate agent comes into play; his professional eye and his judgment, free from emotional impulses, make him your best ally during a visit.

It is not a question of criticizing for the sake of criticizing, nor of overestimating a house, but of communicating frankly all the elements to be taken into consideration, so that you can make an informed decision.

1. First, consider that your concerns may differ from those of your broker or agent. Some people find hardwood floors that are not necessarily square very charming, others worry about them, or consider them unsightly. So have this conversation with your broker or agent.
2. Ask your broker or agent why he considers certain aspects of the property to be a concern. If he expresses reservations about the proximity of the neighbors, ask him to tell you frankly what really concerns him. And listen to his arguments until the end.
3. Agree in advance with your broker or agent on what you expect from him during the visit; that he tempers your enthusiasm, that he reassures you, that he makes you see certain aspects of the property from another angle? Don’t forget, he is your best ally, but it is up to you to communicate your needs.
4. Be specific about the projects you want to complete with the purchase of the property. Do you want to embark on a food autonomy project with a chicken coop, vegetable garden, and fruit trees? Your broker will do research in this direction, and will help you see the full potential of a property in the context of the specific project you want to carry out.
5. If they are neither certified appraisers nor inspectors, most brokers or agents have enough experience to detect structural and technical problems quickly.
6. Your broker or agent will be able to point out important elements during the visit; mold around windows, faulty or insufficient electrical outlets, stagnant water on the property, gutters in poor condition.
7. It is important to note that the comments of your broker or agent, no matter how professional, do not replace a rigorous assessment by a certified building inspector.

Above all, remember the golden rule: the better you communicate your needs and ideals to your broker or agent, the better they will be able to advise you, whether it is to bring you back down to earth, or to make you dream even more!