Slow Your Roll: Real Estate is about Relationships

So if you are the average apartment hunter you probably think the more apps, ads, websites the better. I see this all the time. Renthoppers I am looking at you

Roxy the renter thinks: “I am going to come to NYC, race around from appointment to appointment and that will get me the BEST DEAL!”

Please please please if you can, SLOW YOUR ROLL.

So I have a very nice client with a very tough budget at the moment.

I was trying to find her anything!

I spoke to an agent who said, WHAT DOES YOUR CLIENT REALLY NEED?

I said room to do art.

That was more valuable than saying she needs a 2 bedroom that nets to 1600 with a lease no longer than 12 months.

That little anecdote shows you real estate is about relationships.

The best thing you can do is ANSWER THE PHONE when an agent calls and SPEAK not TEXT with them. See if you click. Ask them questions. Ask them if what you want is realistic or if you need to adjust your expectations. Ask them how they work with relocation clients. Ask them what they can do for you in a day, two days.

My client “Helen” trusted me to manage her whole search. We spoke on the phone a lot, did a few virtual showings, than did her whole in person search in 6 hours and she got her perfect place.

I am hearing SO MANY people who left during the pandemic trying to get an apartment remotely. BUT I am finding many of these remote renters are struggling. They have been away a year or a year and a half. The market has changed, the city has changed, prices are UNEVEN. If you have a tough budget or demanding criteria there is a limit on what remote showings can do, ESPECIALLY if you are unsure about WHERE you want to live. Or if you need to adjust your search based on your budget and what is available.

I’m not the perfect agent for everyone, nobody is, but consider searching for the right relationship, and then let that person search for properties.