The Real Estate Agent Effect:
How to Get Your Offer Accepted on a House
Jay Evan Schoenfeldt | May 16th, 2023
Lack of inventory has made the real estate market challenging for buyers in Los Angeles. Take, for example, a client of mine who had been searching for his dream home for a few months.
When a beautiful, new-construction home in Hollywood recently caught his eye — and the attention of many other potential buyers — I knew it would require something special to get the property under contract for him.
Offering well over ask? No. Waiving inspections? Not that either. With all other variables being nearly equal among the offers, it was ultimately the relationship I quickly established with the listing agents that helped me win the house for my client.
How did I do it?
After I submitted my client’s offer, the listing agents encouraged him to attend a twilight wine-and-cheese reception to take a second look at the property since there was a competing offer. My client wasn’t able to attend at the last minute and I was concerned that it could negatively affect his offer. So I canceled my dinner plans with friends to put in some face time with the listing agents on my client's behalf.
Attending the wine-and-cheese open gave me the opportunity to speak with the listing agents at length, convey how much my client loved the house, and quickly earn their trust and respect.
In real estate, agents want to do business with those they know, trust and respect. And now more than ever, when demand for quality homes far outweighs the supply, it really counts who you have working for you.
A similar scenario recently played out with a property in Brookside. Another client of mine had been searching for a home for more than five months when the Brookside home was listed. He fell in love with the house from the photos alone.
When I looked at who was listing the house, I saw it was agents I had already built a rapport with. So I reached out to them and we were among the first to view the property. My client now calls the house his home.
The Takeaway: A real estate agent can make (or break) a deal.
Whether you’re a homebuyer or a seller, there are 5 key criteria you should consider when hiring a real estate agent to represent you:
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- Their ability to quickly develop a rapport with other agents: Are they personable, approachable and articulate?
- Their bandwidth: Do they have the time to give you the attention you deserve? Do they make you feel important?
- Their willingness to go the extra mile: Will they go above and beyond what’s expected to get your offer accepted?
- Their level of experience and professionalism: Do you feel confident that the agent will write an offer that represents your interests in a professional manner? Do they return phone calls and emails promptly? Are they pleasant and polite?
- Their reputation in the industry: What is the quality (not the quantity) of their relationships like? Do other agents like and respect them?
At Brick & Mortar Real Estate, we understand credibility counts and are consistently building solid relationships to help our clients secure what matters.
If you have real estate questions we can answer, reach out. We’d be happy to help.
