Meet in person for a Strategy Session 

OPTIONAL, BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Let’s get to know each other! Once you’re ready to work with us, we’ll meet together for a Buyer Consultation/Strategy Session to focus your goals and determine what you want and need in a home so we don't waste your valuable time. We will go over current market conditions, strategies that are working, and strategies that are not working in the current market. To empower you with information upfront to feel comfortable with the process, we will go over key Real Estate Purchase Contract (REPC) terms and everything to expect at each stage of the process.

Big changes came to the world of residential real estate in mid 2024 and those changes center around buyer agency. More info on National Association of Realtor rule changes HERE 

Transparency is a core belief here at Salt Lake Realty Group. We will go over exactly what we do for our clients, our buyer agency fee structure, the conditional nature of buyer agency fees, and the negotiable nature of payment sourcing (usually paid by sellers).

Pre-qualification

You are in a very fortunate minority if you are buying with cash.

If you are financing some or all of your purchase there is some initial legwork that will pay huge dividends in the coming weeks. 

Your lender will help you determine your buying price range with confidence. You have many choices in loan officers (the individual helping you obtain financing). Please feel free to ask if you need a referral to a great loan officer. Be prepared to dig into paperwork during this part of the process such as pay stubs, W2’s, and tax returns. The lender will do a full review and then tell you what you will be able to borrow in order to purchase a home. This is a vital step in the home buying process!

Finding the perfect home

We get to know you — Need to move for a job? Want a shorter commute? Getting married? Having a baby? Need to upgrade or downsize? Your goals and timeframes matter, and your experience is tailored to you.  

Pro tips on home search:
Feel free to search on any of the major portals (Zillow, Realtor, Homes, Trulia). They are all IDX data feeds that pull from the MLS. Warning/disclaimer: if you click for more info on these portals they will sell your contact info to many many agents. If you prefer to be able to communicate on the back end we can do that here search.saltlakerealtygroup.com 

At this stage in the process, we’ll send you notifications about the listings that you’re most likely to be excited about. That is for a broad view of the market. We will also have a more engaged concierge approach as well. Mindful that you probably watch Zillow like a hawk. Be sure to let us know if one (or more) jumps out at you so that we can skip to the next step and schedule a viewing. We will be there for you every step of the way.

Inventory/supply levels fluctuate. Low inventory markets, when available homes are scarce and homes sell quickly, can be frustrating. We proactively prospect "off market" inventory for additional opportunities. Networking and proactive sales skills are crucially important in the agent that you hire.  

Schedule private showings 

Here’s where the buying process gets really fun! We will schedule viewings of the homes that you love. Most people prefer private showings to open houses.

Please be as open with us as possible in providing feedback on all homes. Our job is to ask the right questions so you can spend your time touring homes you will love. 

Find the perfect home and write an offer

Getting a property under contract at the right price and terms, or at all, requires some finesse. That finesse isn't simply an overbid or stripping of terms. It is understanding seller motivation, competing demand, and presenting offers with an empathetic approach to increase our chances of making a deal happen.

When you’re ready to make an offer, your agent will present a written offer to the seller. And while everyone loves getting their offer accepted right away, the seller could come back to us with a counter offer, or reject your initial offer all together. We will walk you through each of these possibilities and pro tips on how to successfully handle them. We have a proven track record of guiding our buyer clients to winning in multiple offer situations, often without being the highest offer. Also in determining what is important to your counterparty (the seller) to get you the best price and terms (the big items that are important to you). Once the offer is accepted, it’s time to get your financing in order and move forward to the next step!

Acceptance, appraisal and inspection

Guiding escrows is where it gets fun. What we am going to do is make everything go smoothly. This is going to involve inspections, inspection negotiations, appraisal and potential appraisal renegotiation, keeping your lender on task and proactively solving problems.

Your escrow is arguably the most important step towards buying a home. The sellers accepted your offer, and the home is going through appraisal and inspection. The appraisal guarantees that the price of the property matches the condition of the property while the inspection makes sure that everything in the home is functioning properly and there are no major issues inside. Inspections and Appraisals can be opportunities for additional negotiation. 

Time to close and get the keys

Get excited because it’s time to close on your home! This process includes going through all of the final paperwork and signing your name (a lot!). Possession, keys, making sure your home's condition is delivered as promised, included appliances and personal property is in place, and high fives and congratulations. 

Celebrate! 🥂