What it Takes: How Extraordinary Agents Get their Buyers into Homes in This Crazy Market

The current, ridiculously competitive market is widening the gap between so-so, “whatever” agents and great, “whatever it takes” agents who go to extraordinary lengths to to get their buyers into the home of their dreams. 

Here are three of my favorite examples based on my personal experience:

1. Using The “Do Whatever It Takes” Agent

A buyer was connected to an agent via a personal referral. That agent spent the time to do a quality buyer consultation to explain the market, go through financing options, and learn what the couple was searching for. 

After seeing several homes, the pre-qualified buyers found the right one, and put an offer in. They were devastated when they lost to the usual culprit: an all-cash buyer. And although they loved that area, there were no other homes listed for sale there.

Most agents would have just expressed sympathy and then steered their buyers to another neighborhood, but this agent refused to be defeated.

She began calling FSBOs and expired listings going back two years, looking for area properties that might fit her buyers’ criteria.

Then she went back to real estate 101, something few agents will do anymore: door knocking. The agent went door-to-door personally presenting an information package and offer on behalf of her buyers. 

It worked. A few doors in, the owner of the house right beside the home her buyers had originally loved  and lost, agreed to consider selling.

Not long afterward, the agent had her buyers under contract on a house that was not only in the same neighborhood, but right next door, and with the same floor plan!

Her buyers were ecstatic. 

2. Using The Local Market Expert / Specialist Agent

After a consultation, a buyer began working with an agent to help find them a home in a specific community. The agent had never had a transaction in that community before, but sent the buyer listings from the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for that highly competitive community on a daily basis.

There were some issues with getting notices before a house went under contract, but eventually, with the agent’s help, the buyer had a showing and decided they wanted to make an offer.

Unfortunately, the agent did not act quickly enough to get the offer done and presented before the seller moved up the deadline.  And since the agent lacked a personal relationship with the seller agent, they were unable to convince the seller to consider their buyer’s offer.

Bottom line: although the agent was generally a good one, their lack of familiarity with the specific community, other agents who serviced it, and the propensity for sellers in that community to change their offer deadlines after receiving multiple offers, resulted in their buyer losing out. 

That buyer switched to a new agent who was highly experienced and known to frequently sell in that specific community.

Within a few weeks, that agent had found an off-market property that appealed to the buyer, and got them under contract. It’s all about what and who you know, especially with a buyer who wants a very specific community. 

3. Using The “Online Door Opener” Agent

A buyer saw properties listed online, clicked for more information, and was connected to  a young agent from a big real estate team. Although the buyer didn't get any other value from the relationship with the agent, the fact the agent was able to get them into homes quickly was great.

The buyers began the process of making offers, but they kept losing out. They began attending open houses and ran into a highly experienced agent. They started talking to the agent, who had a game plan, skills, and knowledge about the area’s community and homes. The young, door-opener agent from the big team had none of that. 

The buyer fired the young agent and started searching with the experienced agent.

The next day, using the new agent’s connections with off-market properties, the buyer was presented with the right home, and went under contract. Experience, specific community  knowledge, and real estate connections led to buyer success. 

Yes, this is a brutal market for buyers,  but it is possible to navigate through it with the right agent.

Momentum agents are passionate about making it happen for their buyers, and they understand what it takes.