Author: Pam Mason

Once you have determined the price range of the home that you want to purchase, based upon the amount of the loan that you can get and/or the amount that you want to invest, the next step is to find the properties available that most closely fit your needs.

Keeping in mind that you may not find the “perfect” house, you will need to tell your agent what features in a house are most important to you and also which ones you can live without. This will help your agent find properties that most closely meet your needs. Your agent can research properties available by establishing search criteria based upon the information you gave them. Examples of search criteria that you may want to indicate are: location (city, county, or area); price range; number of bedrooms/baths; size of the lot or acreage; fireplace; garage; etc. If you have an e-mail address, information about these properties can even be sent directly to you so that you can review them in the privacy of your own home.

Once you review the listings, you should be able to reduce the list to just those you would really like to look at a little closer. It is then time to ask your agent to schedule a time for you to see the properties. If the properties are occupied, it is preferable that your agent give the occupants as much notice as possible to arrange for the showing.

At this time, it becomes important to define the relationship between you and your Realtor?. Are you a customer or a client? No matter which role you choose, there is always an obligation to treat all parties to a transaction fairly and to disclose pertinent facts to all parties. You are a client when an agent has entered into an agency relationship with you. That agent is obligated to work in your best interest with absolute loyalty. If you have not chosen to enter into an agency relationship with your agent, you are a customer. A client can be advised and counseled, and a customer can not.

Agency information given above can be found in Real Estate Dynamics, A Practical Approach to Licensing 2002 by the Georgia Institute of Real Estate. Additional useful information can be found at: www.rivolirealty.com