You’re ready to move. You’ve toured a multitude of properties. You found the perfect home. You made an offer. And now… you wait. You’ll eventually receive one of three answers: an offer acceptance, a rejection, or a counter offer. But, the wait, even if it only takes a few hours, can seem eternal. Here are a few tips to help you make it through the wait and silence your mind’s worries.
Calm
Don’t let your imagination run wild. Take a few deep breaths. Make a cup of coffee or tea. Yes, it may be your dream home, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t buy that one or if you have to wait two hours to two days to learn if you’ll be buying it. If you find your mind filled with “what ifs,” get up and take a quick walk to quiet your mind. Fifteen minutes outdoors can do wonders to restore calm.
Patience
We’re accustomed to immediacy today. We text, direct message and incessantly update social media, but real estate differs from “real” life. Although it’s the most important listing to you, in truth, your agent and the home seller’s agent have a multitude of listings to juggle. Although your agent likely submitted your offer to the listing agent immediately, that doesn’t mean the seller’s agent has even read it yet. They could be showing homes, in class for continuing education hours, meeting with a prospective seller, helping prepare a home for showing, traveling or a multitude of other items. Or it may be the property seller who is currently out-of-pocket. Just as it’s likely that you don’t sit by the phone or computer all day, neither do they. Acceptance of this and patience get you through the worst of the wait.
Diversify
Rather than dwell on the one offer, work on your relocation. Search the Internet for new listings. Touch base with friends and colleagues living or working in the area. They may know of the perfect home or building for sale. Occupy yourself with a positive mindset that accomplishes a useful task. If you receive an offer rejection, you’ll be ready with a list of new future possibilities to tour.
Proactivity
If it’s been a few hours, but still during the business day, call your agent between 4 and 5 p.m. to ask for an update. If they haven’t heard from the listing agent, request that they place a follow up call. It’s your agent’s job to keep on top of such items and to apprise you of communication and lack of communication on the seller’s side. Also, discuss with your agent how often you’d like updates on offers. That can head off future problems.
Buying a home, especially your first home, creates stress. Keep that stress under control by better understanding how real estate works. Waiting is part of the game, unfortunately. Your calm, patient, proactive approach to house hunting will eventually land you the perfect home for you out of your diverse choices. It may be the one on which you just made an offer.
Jodi Bakst is recognized as one of the top listing agents in the Chapel Hill, Durham and surrounding area. She is known for providing superior customer service and making use of the most advanced marketing systems and technologies that showcase her listings and get them sold