Beyond the Contract: The True Value of a Real Estate Agent

The real estate market is replete with agents who approach their role as a mere transaction: show a house, write an offer, collect commission. But this falls tragically short of the service that buyers deserve. A truly exceptional agent goes beyond the contract, becoming a trusted advisor and advocate for their clients.

A recent experience of mine underscores this distinction. Not too long ago, I met a family looking to purchase their first home. After we narrowed down the neighborhoods that they could picture themselves living in, we viewed some homes on the streets they preferred and they decided to make an offer on a home with no prior inspections done. This seemingly minor detail escalated into a complex situation.

As soon as our offer got accepted, I got right to work reaching out to my network of home and pest inspectors. It must have been a busy week for inspections because I had to call ten inspectors before finding one who could be there right away!

The pest inspection came first, and initially, everything passed muster. No major problems noted except for a lack of entry into the crawl space. We guessed that when some remodeling work was done, it must have gotten covered with flooring. I got to work getting someone to come out and cut a hole to the crawl space and came back the next day for the home inspection. This is when things really started to turn south.

The “seven year old roof” noted on the listing turned out to be a embarrassingly incompetent DIY job. The home inspector seemed equally aghast and humored that someone could do such a bad job. Next he discovered that the “Central Air Conditioning” on the listing didn’t exist. The garage door didn’t function at all. And the list went on and on…

Beyond that, while the home inspector stood in the driveway typing up his report on his nifty little laptop stand, the neighbor came out to his driveway and started working on his car while chiefing on a pipe sending a HUGE cloud of cannabis smoke over to my home inspector.

I had to go back in the house so I wouldn’t get high! At this point I put my head in my hands, took a deep breath, and felt gratitude for our due diligence.

That next day, some handymen came out to cut a hole in the flooring and the pest inspector was finally able to crawl under the house. Their relatively clean report became quickly soured with discovery of a leaking shower pan that had led to dryrot in the subfloor.

Within the next couple days, I coordinated multiple quotes for repairs and installations. We had come this far, I figured let’s at least run the numbers. Best case scenario, my clients buy a house with a new roof, new AC, new garage, etc… And worst case scenario, we walk away and find them another house. A pretty powerful position to be in if you ask me! Repairs totalled around $56k (on a $680k house) and many of those repairs we knew were non-negotiable for my clients. We did negotiate the seller down $33k on the price, but at the end of the day, my clients were feeling overwhelmed. With their best interests in mind, I advised them to walk away and I assured them that we could go find something better. And that’s just what we did.

The following day a home they had been interested in previously came back on the market. We put in an offer on this home and got into contract that day. A few days ago I accompanied my clients to sign their closing docs and we are scheduled to close escrow on that house today. My clients couldn’t be happier.

This experience highlights the value of an agent who is willing to go the extra mile, protect their clients' financial interests, and prioritize their long-term satisfaction over short-term gains.

While this scenario may seem exceptional, it underscores the reality that buying a home is a complex process fraught with potential pitfalls. A skilled agent is equipped to navigate these challenges and put in the hustle necessary to do proper due diligence.

When you choose to work with me you can rest assured that I am protecting your pocketbook and shouldering the more challenging aspects of the transaction, ensuring a smooth and low-stress process for you.

If you want a trusted agent in Sonoma County to protect your interests, call me.