What to do After Your Agent Activates Your Search
- Adam Garrett
- Feb 22, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 21, 2024
Image Courtesy OneHome
In this article, I go over buyers' next steps & tips following activating a search with an agent, including those items directly related to the search and those items indirectly related to the search (i.e. preparing for showings).
The Search Itself:
When Will I Get Properties?
If you haven't already received properties, you should receive them within 10 minutes of your agent activating your search. As long as you don't tell me to do otherwise, I set up searches for immediate updates as prices are reduced and as properties hit the market.
If you don't see the properties, be sure to check your SPAM folder and that the email your agent has on file is the email you prefer to use. If it's not, just ask your agent to update the email address of the search.
Activate Your Search(es)
For whatever number of searches your agent creates, you should activate each, or else you won't be getting any new properties from any of the searches that your agent made that you don't activate on your end.
If you're not seeing it in your SPAM or inbox you may want to run a search in your email & SPAM folder for the following email addresses (depending on area):
Hampton Roads (including Williamsburg, James City County, New Kent County, & Gloucester County): VAB@northeastmatrixmail.com
Williamsburg & James City County: WBG@northeastmatrixmail.com
Northern Neck (including Middlesex County): autonotification@navicamls.net
Middle Peninsula, Greater Richmond/Petersburg, & New Kent County: CVR@northeastmatrixmail.com
If it's not in your inbox or SPAM, ensure that your agent has the email address(es) that you want to use, and that if they have multiple email addresses from you, it's going to the right one. If not, just ask your agent to update the email address of the search.
If you need any help searching for it, let me know and we can do a screen share meeting where I can help you find it. I can also do remote desktop assistance if you'd prefer for me to do it for you.
By clicking on the search within the email initially, it will activate things so that you'll be getting updates with future properties. If you don't click on the search(es) within the email initially, you won't be updated with new properties as they hit the market.
For more details, see:
Consider Text Alerts
Most people check their texts more often than their emails. If that's you, & if the search portal you're in doesn't have an option for you to get texts directly, consider a workaround solution to set up email-to-text alerts.
Consider Adding a Secondary Party to Searches
Whether it's your spouse, your parent, your assistant, or someone else you know who might be helping you to purchase, it's a good idea to have a team effort going of those that you trust who might be able to help you keep track of properties beyond your agent. If you want your agent to add any more email addresses to your search, just let your agent know.
Be Quick to See Searches
The best homes at the best price tend to go the fastest after they hit the market, after the pictures arrive, after they go back on the market, and after substantive price reductions occur. By seeing properties very soon after they hit the market and getting in there fast, you'll have an edge over other prospective buyers who are taking a more lackadaisical approach such as those who check their searches every week and those who casually browse periodically. I've gotten property under contract the day it hits the market on at least one occasion, and in markets where "coming soon" isn't available typically, like Hampton Roads, the best way to do that is to stay on top of searches.
Related:
Keep Your Searches Active
The longer that you are searching, the higher the need to be sure that all of your searches remain active. If you leave the search alone too long, it will automatically deactivate itself. If you stop getting searches, go back to the last email of each search that was created, and see if you can reactivate your searches. If you can't, reach out to your agent.
For more details, see:
Familiarize Yourself with the Agent Portal(s)
Consider Setting up a FSBO Search
It's not a bad idea to set up a for sale by owner search on places like Zillow. If it's not on MLS, you won't get it from Adam in most cases. For FSBO's it's that elusive "By Owner & Other" tab under "more" filters:
Image courtesy Zillow
There are more quirks than that to Zillow, such as pre-foreclosures & phantom property availability, so I do recommend checking out my article on Zillow Search Setup if you plan on setting up a search on there.
Related:
Zillow Searches & Other Public Website Searches Vs MLS Searches
Beyond the Search:
Be Prepared for Showings
Several preparations are important or helpful before showings. Be sure to focus on that which is required before getting to other things, which are:
Alert Your Agent (Text, Call, or Email a Text) That You'd like to See a Property, Your Available Times, & the Format
Establish Buyer Brokerage If Looking to See with a Buyer's Agent Who Will Point Out Positives & Negatives
Among the most important preparations not required, getting (& keeping from expiring) a written pre-approval (ideally manually underwritten) before showings is at the top of the list for buyers using a mortgage. While not typical, in some cases, you won't even be allowed by the seller/listing agent to see a home without one.
For more details, see:
Do Some Due Diligence Before Showing Requests
There are some buyers I've worked with where most of the homes they initially went to were homes where they were immediately discouraged before even walking into the home due to factors they didn't like about the area or other things that weren't visible directly on the listing, but that was visible elsewhere online. Be sure to do your due diligence, especially in areas where the agent has some legal limitations in pointing out flaws (i.e. school districts & crime rates). Especially if you don't have a hurricane evacuation zone filter going, be sure to always check for flood zones in SE VA prior to getting excited about a property.
Related:
Know How to Alert Your Agent that You Want to See Properties (i.e. text)
If Adam's your agent, text (24/7 - you won't wake him) is going to typically be the best way to reach him for showings. If you don't text, you can email him a text or call him. If you need to provide a list to him, the best thing is going to be to email him and then immediately text him to alert him of the email, or simply to email him and CC a text to him with the email.
There are options within most portals to add notes and make favorites, but some buyers don't necessarily want to see all the properties that they've favorited. Agents vary as far as how you should alert them. Some prefer that you use the client portal if there's an option to add notes or request showings directly in the portal. Not all agents operate in the same way, so even if you've purchased 10 homes, don't assume that your agent is going to be the same as the last 10 in how they operated.
Be Prepared for Offers
After you establish buyer brokerage with Adam, ask him for his offer spreadsheet if you'd like to get a head start on preparing for an offer.
Related:
Have Your Financial Documentation in Order
For cash buyers, navigate your bank or credit union's online portal to see how easily you can get a statement online if you're unfamiliar with that process. If it's not so easy, consider getting a new one once a month after it's available. If it's probably easy, but you're simply not tech savvy, ask the institution to show you how (they may have a video), a trusted relative or friend, or ask Adam to help you. Adam has a wide variety of accounts himself at over a dozen institutions, and 1 way he could help would be to create a video from his own account. Another way he could help would be to use remote desktop with you via Zoom.
If you didn't already get a written preapproval before you got a search activated, be sure to get one asap.
If you're getting a mortgage, manual underwriting is going to make your loan process quicker once you write an offer and should strengthen your offer with knowledgeable listing agents/sellers both because the seller mitigates risk with a manually underwritten loan vs one that isn't and because you can have a shorter closing timeline if you choose to do so, which many sellers like to see, especially on vacant listings.
See also
Add Adam to Your Safe Senders via Email
To ensure that Adam's emails to you never reach your SPAM, be sure to add Adam to your safe senders.
Communicate Your Preferences to Adam
By default, Adam tends to not bother buyers too much after they create a search with him, while seeking to be responsive to buyer inquiries. Conversely, some buyers would prefer that he reach out to him. Be sure to communicate your preferences to Adam.
Sickness, Postponement, & Cancelation
If you or others in your home have contracted a readily contagious illness from contact/air & you'll be meeting Adam in person, please alert Adam in advance even if you want to proceed with in-person showings.
The fastest way to reach Adam in the event of sickness, postponement, or cancellation is typically via text, and it's never too late at night or too early in the morning to text Adam as he turns his phone to silent when sleeping.
While his area expertise as well as available MLS coverage options far surpass most agents, Adam has a large coverage area & sometimes travels 2 hours or more for buyers and sellers. With that in mind, shifting things or sharing about sickness with at least 2 hrs notice is greatly appreciated, though not required.
Related:
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