When the real estate market begins favoring the sellers, finding a home for sale gets tough! If you don't find the home, look at it, and make an offer almost immediately, you stand a good chance of missing out. So, how do you go about finding (and actually buying) homes in such a competitive market? Here are some tips.
Check the real estate listing pages first thing in the morning
Often, people set up notifications on real estate listing sites with the understanding that once a day, they'll get an email with all of the new properties listed. But the thing is, these emails are often sent at a specific time of day and not necessarily as soon as the new listings go live. Several people could have seen the listing and made appointments to see the home before you even get the email. As such, it is a good idea to check the real estate listings first thing in the morning, as often as possible, rather than just relying on emails. You may stumble upon an ideal listing before the email goes out, allowing you to make an appointment and see the home even sooner.
Work with a real estate agent
It's always a good idea to work with a real estate agent but even more so in such a competitive market. Real estate agents have access to something called the MLS, or multiple listing service. They can often see homes listed for sale before those listings become available elsewhere. So, your real estate agent may be able to set up earlier appointments for you to see a home before others find out about it.
Know what you're looking for
The better you know what you're looking for in a home, the faster you'll be able to act. Make a list of qualities you have to have in a home, and a separate list of things you'd like that are not dealbreakers. Know exactly what neighborhoods you would like to live in and which ones you definitely don't want to live in. This way, when you do come across a listing, you can quickly evaluate whether the house is right for you, and if it is, make an appointment a lot sooner.
With the tips above, you should have a better chance of getting in to see homes for sale early before tons of other interested buyers have put in offers. Good luck!
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