Buying agents are a dime a dozen. Truly. And that's why I became an agent. I know what I wanted (and needed) when we were looking for homes. I quickly realized that my skillsets make me the perfect buyer's agent.
It's important that your agent KNOWS the area like the back of their hand. Where are market trends going? What are the migration patterns? What are the price points for each area?
What will it take to put yourself in position to get a contract on a home? This isn't an easy task but I pride myself on doing the extensive research in order to determine this. I will tell you what the market is saying. I will also be open and honest if I think a home is not worth the price it would take to buy it. I LOVE to negotiate. I love to talk to other agents to draw out as much info as possible. It's my agent super power. 😉
My most important research, however, is about YOUR needs. What is important to you? School districts or zoning? Investment? Direction a home faces? Need a first floor guest suite? Want to buy in an emerging area instead of paying a premium for an area already built out (I see you Cary and Apex)?
Finally, a good buyer's agent does NOT miss out on homes as they hit the market. You have to be ready the second a new home hits the market. I am relentless about finding those homes real time. You also need an agent that tries to find that home BEFORE it hits the market.
So yes, most agents are the same, set it and forget it while you do most of the work. I'm different.
