I’ve been thinking about what the ultimate real estate agent might look like — what might (Picking a gender and going with it) she do, especially for out-of-town buyers?

One of the most helpful things would be to have an agent who also knows the ins and outs of inspections. She would go to the homes you’ve expressed interest in (from clicking through hundreds of online listings) and check a few things.

  • foundation (Any cracks or other indications of problems, potential or actual?)
  • windows (Are they double-pane?)
  • door frames (Are they level and straight? Can you close all the doors with ease?)
  • roof (Can it last a few years without significant work?)
  • individual requirements (For us, that would be distance to neighbors, significant distance from major thoroughfares, not a corner lot, etc.)

Bear in mind that I’m not complaining about our agent. She’s fine, and works very hard for us. So far we’ve had no issues — hopefully that will remain the case.

This dream agent would look at these homes beforehand and note any potential issues, then get back to you: “Cross this one off your list because it has basement issues. And that one has issues with xyz.”

This will never happen, though. Agents make money only if a house sales. While many might genuinely want buyers to be happy, they don’t make money making buyers happy — they make money turning potential buyers into actual buyers.

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