Five homebuyer moves that irk sales agents

Realtor.com recently ran a list of some of the top pet peeves real estate agents have when working with homebuyers. Here are the top five:

1. Getting too caught up in aesthetics.
Real estate professionals say they wish more clients could get past the aesthetics of the house, especially since so many of the items that bother them are easily fixable.

2. Becoming too focused on the money.
While money is an important quotient, buyers sometimes get so caught up with the financial aspect of purchasing that they are unable to focus on anything else, agents say. It’s not necessarily the highest offer that the seller will accept, but rather the best structured offer combining timing, price and reasonable contingencies.

3. Taking too long to make a move.
The buyer finds the perfect house but then delays making an offer too long. If too much time passes between a buyer viewing a home and making an offer, the seller might not take another party who quickly expressed interest and maintained communication, according to realtor.com.

4. Having conversations with the other side.
Buyers who talk to the listing agent without their own agent around may be making a mistake. After all, the listing agent is there to get the most money for the seller, not save the buyer money. “I’ve had clients talk to the seller or agent and divulge information that would harm them,” one agent stated to realtor.com. “Stuff like ‘Oh, don’t worry about inspections, my company is paying a huge relocation bonus’ doesn’t exactly set the stage for a tough negotiation with the seller.”

5. Making a low-ball counteroffer.
The seller declines the first offer and the buyer then makes another unreasonable offer. This forces an agent to go back and forth and can frustrate sellers. While buyers don’t want to overspend, they need to be smart about their offers.