Location? Location? Location? No! No! No!
You won’t be surprised to discover I’m hoping you’ll reach out to me for any and all of your real estate needs - trust me! But I recognize that by simply reading this blog, you are smarter than the average bear (which we have in Concord) and want to know who else among Concord realtors you can trust.
There was a time when the old mantra ‘location, location, location’ was a key, if not the key, consideration when buying a home. But in today’s real estate market, particularly in the booming Concord market, I believe ‘location, location, location’ has been supplanted. And if you think ‘money, money, money’ has supplanted the location trifecta, I wouldn’t blame you. But I think there is something even more important than location or money, and that’s trust. Whether you’re a first time home buyer, a seasoned veteran of the home-buying process, or on the hunt for a vacation home or revenue generating rental property, in today’s roaring market, you need trust. Trust that your agent understands your needs. Trust that they know your limits. Trust that they have your (and not their) best interest in mind. And trust that when they tell you something, they not only know what they speak, but you understand what they’re telling you.
Not too long ago the homebuying process was just slightly less crazed that it is of late. Buyers used to be able to have time to weigh the pros and cons of a decision. Sellers respected the anxiety buyers often brought to the buying experience. There was even a time when home inspections were considered de rigueur, not something to be bargained away. What’s a buyer to do? Especially a buyer who hasn’t lived in Concord for a few years or a few decades? My advice is to interview a few agents and go with the one you feel you trust the most. We’re fortunate in Concord that, despite the incredible competition for homes (our inventory is quite low), we don’t see agents acting in unprofessional or untoward ways. There is a great deal of trust and respect among agents in this area. Now that’s not to say some agents may not be great at returning calls or texts. Local legend tells the story of a listing agent telling buyer’s agents not to call, text, email or in any other way ask for more information about the listed property - just get your client’s first, last and best offer in before the deadline and keep your fingers crossed. (In defense of the listing agent, they were expecting literally dozens of offers, so responding in a timely fashion could be a challenge.)
So back to trust. It may seem obvious that you want to trust your agent, but I’ve been surprised by how many homeowners and home buyers go with either the first agent they run across or simply return to the same agent they’ve known for decades. With time being of the essence, and the technology behind the home buying process changing seemingly daily, you’ll want to make sure your agent is best situated to help you in any and every way. In short, trust but verify. And speaking of former presidents (did you like that smooth transition?), when you make your move to Concord, be sure to check out the birthplace of Franklin Pierce. Or better yet, since he is widely regarded as one of the worst presidents in our nation’s history, check out our awesome statehouse and great local eateries right across the street (and in the summer, you’ll want to visit the Saturday morning farmers market that takes place adjacent to the statehouse).
But I digress. Back to real estate and trust. You won’t be surprised to discover I’m hoping you’ll reach out to me for any and all of your real estate needs - trust me! But I recognize that by simply reading this blog, you are smarter than the average bear (which we have in Concord) and want to know who else among Concord realtors you can trust. I can’t speak to all real estate firms in and around our capital city, but I can tell you folks at these agencies are first rate, top notch, and will serve you incredibly well:
Dwight Keeler & Co. Real Estate
That’s it for now. Best of luck to you! Concord is a fantastic town and despite what might be an arduous process to find your new home here, it will all be worth it in the end.
About Jonathan Smith
Jonathan and his family moved to Concord from the Washington, DC area in 2010 and continues to be amazed at how warm and welcoming Concord and the surrounding communities are. While in DC, Jonathan worked as a producer for The Diane Rehm Show. He remains a public radio producer and serves as president of the Friends of White Park. He was a co-creator of SouperFest, the signature fundraising event for the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, and, rumor has it, had a hand in establishing a bourbon club in Concord. When not chasing down his kids or playing golf (poorly), he does reviews of audiobooks.
