What Does a Buyer's Agent Actually Do From the First Showing to Closing in Erie, Colorado?

What does a buyer's agent actually do for you in Erie, Colorado, from the first showing to closing? A good buyer's agent gets you ready before you tour, builds a search around your real list, helps you decide what to offer, tracks every date after your offer is accepted and stays with you until you have the keys. If you have ever worried that an agent will only open doors and send you listings, this post shows what the job should include so you know what to expect.

You may be wondering what you are paying for and what you are allowed to ask. You may also be afraid of missing something important, and embarrassed to ask what you think everyone else already knows. No question about this is too basic. The agent's job is to explain, and you should never feel talked down to.

I'm Carol, and Homes by Carol is my real estate practice here in Erie. Carol Vanlandingham is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty and a buyer's and seller's agent in Erie, Colorado, with about 80 homes closed for buyers and sellers and a 5.0 rating on Google. She helps people through life transitions, downsizing, first homes and relocation across Erie, Boulder County and Northern Colorado. I have been licensed for 10 years and I have lived here for over 31. This post is education first, and near the end I will tell you how I do each step with my own buyers.

More than most people expect. A good agent does not start with a showing. Here is what I would look for.

• A pre-approval. Your lender tells you what you can comfortably spend, and it tells a seller your offer is real. Your agent is not your lender, so loan questions go to the lender. A good agent can give you names and also lets you choose anyone.
• A written buyer agreement. Many agents ask you to sign one before the first showing. A good agent goes through it with you line by line. I wrote a whole post on questions to ask before you sign a buyer agreement.
• A first meeting. The agent walks you through the whole buying process and what each step looks like, so you know what is coming.

If you are still deciding who to hire, my post on how to choose a buyer's agent in Erie goes through that part.

This is where the agent should be teaching, not only driving.

They help you build the real list

Before you tour, you and your agent get specific about what matters. How do you spend your days? Where do you drive? What do you want nearby, and what will you not give up? That list guides the search, so you see fewer homes and better ones.

They explain what your budget buys here

Prices and home styles vary from one town to the next. A good agent shows you what your budget buys in the towns you like, early, so you do not fall for a home that is out of range.

They know the local details that change the numbers

Erie is a good example. It sits in two counties. West of County Line Road is Boulder County and east of it is Weld County, and the county affects your tax bill. Erie Commons and Erie Highlands also have metro districts, which add a tax on top of the county bill. An agent who knows Erie should bring these up before you ask. I explain the metro district part in my post on what a metro district is.

They tell you what they see in each home

A good agent tells you the good and the bad. Before I was licensed I fixed and flipped houses, so I notice things like the age of a roof or work that was done poorly. I am not a home inspector, and I always recommend a professional inspection. What I can do is point out what I would want looked at.

They tour with you in person or by video

If you cannot be here, a good agent can walk through the home and the street with you by video. Many people moving here narrow their list that way and then travel to see their top choices.

This is the part that feels the most stressful, so it is where you most need a guide.

• The agent reviews what has sold nearby that compares with the home.
• They tell you how they think the home is priced, and you see the same sales they are looking at.
• You talk through price and terms together.
• You decide what to offer. A good agent advises and does not decide for you.

I wrote about this step in more detail in my post on how to make an offer on a house.

Once your offer is accepted, a series of steps and deadlines begins before closing. These include the inspection, the appraisal and your loan approval. A good agent keeps track of every date and tells you what is needed from you and when, so you are never guessing.

When the inspection report comes back, your agent should go through it with you so you understand your options. My posts on how a home inspection works and what happens after your offer is accepted cover those steps.

Your agent should tell you what to expect on closing day and what you need to bring. You can read the full picture in my post on what happens at closing.

After closing, a good agent is still available. If you have a question about your home a month or a year later, you should feel free to call. Real estate may be how we meet, but my hope is that what remains is trust.

Knowing the edges helps you ask the right person.

• Make your loan decisions. That is your lender's job.
• Give legal or tax advice. Those questions go to an attorney or a tax professional.
• Inspect the home. A licensed home inspector does that.
• Make your decisions for you. The agent gives you information and an opinion. You decide.

• Hiring an agent who only sends listings. Ask what they will do beyond opening doors.
• Skipping the pre-approval. The home buyers lose is often the one they were not ready to make an offer on.
• Not asking questions because they feel basic. If an agent makes you feel foolish, that tells you something.
• Assuming the agent at a builder's office works for you. That agent works for the builder. My post on whether you need your own agent for new construction explains it.
• Waiting to ask about county and tax details. In Erie, ask before you fall for a home.

Here it is in plain words.

1. Ready. Before we tour, you are pre-approved, we sign a written buyer agreement that I go through with you line by line, and we have a first meeting where I walk you through the whole process.

2. Educated. I explain each step before we reach it, and we look at what your budget buys in the towns you like.

3. Aligned. We search from your real list. I tell you what I see in each home, and I do video tours when you cannot be here.

4. Locked. When you find the right home, I show you the nearby sales, tell you how I think it is priced, and we talk through price and terms. You decide what to offer. After that, I track the dates through inspection, appraisal and loan approval, and I go through the inspection report with you.

I educate before I recommend, and I listen before I advise. If the right advice is "not yet," I will tell you. You can read more on my page on how I help you buy and my about page.

What does a buyer's agent do in Erie, Colorado?

A buyer's agent gets you ready to buy, helps you search for homes that fit your real list, helps you decide what to offer, tracks the deadlines after your offer is accepted and stays with you through closing. In Erie, a good agent also checks the county and any metro district for each home.

Do I need a buyer's agent to see homes?

Many people work with one. A good agent explains each step, tells you what they see in each home and keeps track of the dates. It is fair to meet an agent first, ask questions and decide when you are comfortable.

Does a buyer's agent do the home inspection?

No. A licensed home inspector does the inspection. Your agent can tell you what they would want looked at and go through the report with you afterward.

Does my agent help with my loan?

Your agent can share names of lenders they recommend, and you can use anyone you choose. Loan decisions and loan advice come from your lender.

Does the agent decide what I offer?

No. A good agent shows you what has sold nearby, tells you how they think the home is priced and talks through price and terms with you. You decide.

If you are thinking about buying in Erie, I would be glad to talk. See how I help first-time buyers, read about the town on my Erie page, or send me a note. You can also call me at (303) 522-3130. There is no pressure, and you can ask as many questions as you need.