Oh...to be back in simpler times. When every tree was green, flowers bloomed on every corner and buyers walked through my doors with no worries about the new housing market casting a shadow on their real estate transaction. Alright, that's an obvious exaggeration. I won't bother denying it, but whether you're IN real estate or just buying/selling a piece of real estate, we're all aware of the myriad changes that have occurred in the last several years. And we're all aware that the changing isn't over. But this doesn't stop (lucky for those of us that call ourselves real estate agents) those in need of a new home from considering their options. And there are definitely MANY options when it comes to new home purchasing. It is, of course, the first question that has to be answered when a new client walks through the door: are you looking for resale or new?

NOW when I get the answer that someone wants to build a new home the questions this one answer leads to are nearly endless. The options when it comes to new housing in the Valley are astronomical. It would be difficult to offer up all the different new housing communities in a reasonable amount of time to any client, so you have to further identify what they are looking for. The next question is going to be about location. Where do they want to be? If they haven't thought through this part of the search yet, remind them that they should think about where they work, where they like to GO, who they visit and where they live, etc. You'd think that they would have this down, but if they haven't made the connection then you should urge them to do so.

After the location has been decided upon (however general), you can just go ahead and ask if they have a specific builder in mind With all the news talk about the new housing industry, many consumers have a pretty good idea which builders are out there and what they're all about. So many of them will be able to give you an answer. Whether they have a builder preference to give...or not, the next step is to get their housing requirements out of the way: number of bedrooms & bathrooms, square footage, low/no maintenance landscaping vs. large yard, swimming pool and more.

Recent market changes have left builders looking for ways to attract buyers and almost all of them are taking advantage of the one marketing tool that is guaranteed to get some buying attention: promotions and special pricing. So you have to be very aware of all the options out there in order to get your client the best when it comes to their new home purchase. You need to know which builders offer the most fabulous standard options, which builders are known for long term satisfaction, which builders have the most resident friendly HOA's, etc. There's a lot of info out there for you to provide to your clients.

In addition to knowing all there is to know about the housing each builder provides, you need to know all there is to know about the communities each builder creates. Some are luxurious, others are family oriented, others still cater to an urban lifestyle, others still cater to the retired or semi-retired. Know all these defining characteristics so you don't look silly when you make suggestions to your clients.

For instance one client may be looking for a new home South of Mesa with a large yard. Their only stipulation may be that they have a nice elementary school within comfortable driving distance. But your next client might WANT the fitness center, gorgeous club house, elegant dining venue, luxurious pool, movie theatre and more that is offered by elaborate condominium projects that have popped up throughout the Valley in recent years. Discover what your client wants and you'll be much more likely to be able to find it for them!

But we can't ignore the fact that some clients wander in without any idea what they are looking for and no desire to pinpoint their housing requirements, their desired location...nothing! These are the clients that always seem to accidentally visit a new home community without me. This is one of my fondest nightmares. I say fondest because there is now a solution to this particular client and I love beating the system and making it work for me. I register all my new home buying clients with the new service: RegisterMyClient.com. But I'm especially grateful for its existence when I find myself working with one my nightmare clients. Spending two minutes online inputting their information results in a blanket registration amongst all the participating builders guaranteeing that I will get my commission even if my client wanders into a new home community without me. I just wish I'd had the opportunity for blanket registration years ago.

I fear that if I had kept track of all the times that I found myself in the above described situation, losing a commission to the "agents must accompany their client on the first visit" rule traditional in the new home building industry, I would fall into a deep depression. I prefer not to consider the number of dollars lost, but to look forward to the future RegisterMyClient.com offers of never losing another commission to the capricious nature of clients again!