In search of the perfect search
I started working in real estate in the Stone Age, well actually, it was the Paper Age. In 1991, I was the only agent I knew who read the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data at home from my computer. (The owner of the first company that I worked for was way ahead of his time. But I digress; more on him some other day.)
Now that anyone can get house listings on their home computer, my job as a buyer’s agent has changed. I no longer provide the house listings. I provide advice on how to handle the house search on the computer.
The most common mistake that consumers make when setting up an MLS search is to limit their search too much or too little. The ideal search yields properties that are closer and closer to the goal. Bad searches yield either too few options or properties that don’t work, in the same way, over and over.
Setting up your search takes some thought. Start with deciding what your search is, along the size-location-condition matrix.
First, decide on the location or locations that you want. This may be a town or a group of towns. It may also be within a certain distance from work, or from a T stop, or from you church, or from someplace else you regularly go.
Second, decide on your absolute smallest property you would consider. Since square footage on listing sheets are inconsistent, subtract about 100 SF from what you think you need, for starters. Change it once you establish that they are consistently too small at the bottom of the scale.
You can’t search for “good condition,” but you can search for age of the property or key words that would yield renovated houses. Hint: keyword “kitchen” will find renovated kitchens. Listing agents do not advertise “old kitchen” in the remarks.
Your search does not need to be consistent. It is not unreasonable to have several searches running to pick up several locations that might work, with different top prices, based on desirability. Some house-hunters search for condos in one town, but houses in another.
The joy of computer searching is that it costs nothing but time and concentration to set up a search that yields good options for you. Work with your agent to set up an intelligent search. Let your fingers do the walking, as they said in the Paper Age.
Do you have other hints for using the on-line data to your best advantage while house hunting?
