I came across an interesting article by Ellen James Martin, a columnist whose articles appear in the Daily Oklahoman’s Real Estate section each Saturday.
Here’s a link: http://bit.ly/egikRX
The gist of the article is that couples need to understand each other’s preferences before they buy a new home. Makes sense. It got me thinking, though, how many times I sit down with potential clients, many of whom are married couples, who haven’t really discussed their needs with each other. If each of them isn’t clear on what the other is thinking, there’s no WAY I’m going to be able to figure it out. But, that leads to the approach you, as someone who might have a new home built some day, should be looking for in a home builder. Does the builder listen, really listen, to you as you describe your vision of a new home? Does the builder dig deep into what motivates you so that he can apply his building expertise to your unique situation? Or, does the builder simply “listen” politely, wait for his chance, and then present to you his “product”, regardless of what you’ve told him? Your builder should be able to find out what drives your thinking, your decisions, because what you want is a solution, not just a house. Only by asking intelligent, probing questions can your builder discover what you truly need and want in your new home. Of course, the builder who truly works for the best interest of the client might discover he can’t meet your needs. That might be one reason most builders are too timid to ask the tough questions. This might be tough to swallow, but in a way your relationship with your builder is very much like the one with your spouse (bear with me- this is a good thing). Think about it this way: you want your builder to know you, because you’re going to have to live with the result of his understanding (or lack thereof) of your needs. You want to be able to trust your builder – it’s a big investment, this new home, in money, time, energy, and emotion – and you want to be confident your builder is taking care of you when you’re not looking. Isn’t that similar to a marriage?
That’s all for today. Thanks for reading! Tim
About Tim Turner