As I sat in an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) class today, I heard the phrase, “buyers are liars” escape from the instructors mouth. I cringed.

I remember when I first started as a real estate agent, this was a common statement thrown around brokerage firms in regards to buyers who purchase a home that is pretty much the exact opposite of what they described to their agent. As my business has matured, my outlook on these type of buyers has evolved as well. I realize that the process of purchasing a home can sometimes help a buyer realize what is actually important to them, and what isn’t.

The “ideal home” vision that some buyers have may need to be gently tweaked throughout the process as they come to see how their budget can be stretched in certain neighborhoods, how looking past the wallpaper and shag carpet can afford them a larger home, or how purchasing a newer home may not require them to spend weekends at the Home Depot with a DIY list of any pinterest-lovers’ dreams! It is my job as a buyer’s agent to help them to find the home that is going to fit their needs, and not condemn them if that ideal fluctuates from their initial view.

Homes are not as simple as “a 3-bedroom, 2-bath ranch on a quarter of an acre lot.” This description of a home can look a lot different to every set of buyers. Aging buyers may see a place to consolidate and “scale down” to a home with all of their living on one level. A family with a new baby may see the ease of having all the bedrooms on the same level for midnight feedings & diaper changes. The important thing that I remind myself as I help buyers navigate this process is that it’s just that… a process, and to the buyer, the home they purchase is where they are going spend a lot of their time making memories.