Buying a Home With Me
- Tyler Finkler
- 2 days ago
- 15 min read
Tyler Finkler
What You Can Expect From Me &
What I Need From You
Buying a home is a big decision. Before we start looking, I want us to be on the same page about how we're going to work together.
This isn't a sales pitch promising that I'll magically find you a secret house nobody else knows about.
It's a guide to what you can expect from me, what I expect from you, how we'll communicate, how we'll search, and what I'll actually be doing for you throughout the transaction.
My job isn't simply to find you a house.
It's to help you find it, evaluate it, determine what it's worth, structure and negotiate the offer, protect your interests through the contract, navigate inspections and appraisal, solve problems, and successfully get to closing.
And if we haven't found the right house yet?
We keep looking.
Your Home Buying Roadmap
Everything you need to know about working together, from starting your search to getting the keys.
01 | Why Work With Me?
My experience, appraisal background, and what a buyer's agent actually does.
Your wish list, priorities, deal breakers, timeline, and how motivated you are to buy.
MLS alerts, Zillow and other apps, showings, availability, and what we'll do when the normal search isn't working.
Coming-soon properties, pocket listings, other agents, and how we'll pursue opportunities beyond the traditional search.
Evaluating the property, analyzing value, comparable sales, condition, and deciding whether it's actually the right house.
Writing your offer, making it competitive, contingencies, buyer-agent compensation, and negotiating price and terms.
What happens after you're under contract, what to expect from inspections, and how my appraisal background can help.
Financing, title, deadlines, walkthroughs, communication, problem-solving, and getting you to the closing table.
What you can expect from me, what I need from you, communication, honesty, and our ultimate goal: finding the right home, not just any home.
01 | What Does a Buyer's Agent Actually Do?
Today, you can find houses almost anywhere.
Zillow. Realtor.com. Redfin. Homes.com. Social media. For-sale signs. Friends. Family. Open houses.
That's a good thing.
I don't measure my value by whether I was the first person to send you a Zillow link.
Finding the house is only one part of what I do.
The real work becomes even more important when you find a house you actually want to buy.
That's when we start asking:
Is it reasonably priced?
What have comparable homes actually sold for?
What is this house worth?
What could affect its future resale?
Are there condition issues that concern me?
How long has it been on the market?
Has the seller reduced the price?
Is there competition?
What should we offer?
What terms should we include?
Which contingencies make sense?
Can we strengthen the offer without simply offering more money?
What happens if the inspection finds something?
What happens if the appraisal is low?
What happens between contract and closing?
Opening the front door is easy. Representing you through everything that happens afterward is the job.
You're Not Just Getting a Realtor
I've spent years working in real estate from several different perspectives.
My background includes title insurance and escrow, residential real estate sales, and real estate appraisals.
On top of that, I've personally bought, sold, renovated and invested in real estate.
I've learned plenty through education and licensing, but I've also learned through actually owning properties, renovating houses, dealing with contractors, discovering problems, making mistakes and figuring out what matters in the real world.
That experience changes how I walk through a house with you.
I'm not simply looking at whether the kitchen is pretty.
I'm looking at the property through the eyes of a buyer, realtor, investor and appraiser.
I'm paying attention to things such as:
Foundation and basement
Signs of moisture or water intrusion
Roof
Windows
Electrical
Plumbing
HVAC and mechanical systems
Renovation quality
Functional layout
Deferred maintenance
Lot and location influences
Potential resale concerns
Comparable properties
Overall marketability
Whether improvements actually contribute value
Whether the asking price makes sense
That does not replace a qualified home inspector, contractor, engineer, attorney or other specialist when one is needed.
But there's value in having an agent who understands more than how to unlock the door.
My Appraisal Background
This is one of the biggest differences I bring to the table.
I'm a licensed real estate appraiser.
As an appraiser, I analyze properties, comparable sales, market trends, location, condition, quality, improvements and other characteristics that influence value.
I bring that experience into our discussions when you're considering purchasing a property.
If a house is listed at $325,000, our analysis shouldn't simply be:
"Well, they're asking $325,000."
That's what the seller wants.
It doesn't automatically tell us what it's worth.
We'll look at the market. And there are often two separate questions:
What is this house reasonably worth?
and
What will it take to actually buy it?
Those numbers aren't always the same.
A well-priced house may have multiple interested buyers and require an aggressive offer.
Another house may be overpriced, sitting on the market and present an opportunity to negotiate.
My job is to help you understand the difference.
What You Can Expect From Me
I'll Give You My Opinion
If I think a house is overpriced, I'll tell you.
If something concerns me, I'll point it out.
If I think something looks like a good opportunity, I'll tell you that too.
You aren't hiring me to agree with everything you say.
You're hiring me to help you make an educated real-estate decision.
I Won't Pressure You to Buy
I don't expect you to buy the first house we see.
I don't expect you to buy the fifth.
I don't expect you to buy the tenth.
There's no magic number.
Sometimes the first house really is the one.
Sometimes we need to see a lot of houses before you figure out what you actually want.
That's okay.
I'll Communicate With You
Your business means a lot to me.
I’ll keep you informed, stay accessible, and make sure you know what’s happening every step of the way.
And if you ever need anything more from me, just ask.
02 | We'll Learn What You Want Together
You don't have to know exactly what you want on day one.
Your criteria may change.
You may start wanting four bedrooms and realize three bedrooms with a finished basement works better.
You might start wanting completely renovated and realize you'd rather save money and do some cosmetic improvements yourself.
You may think you need a huge yard until you realize you don't want to maintain one.
Every showing teaches us something.
I'm learning what you want while you're learning what you want.
Your Buyer Wish List
This is our starting point.
Don't worry. We can change any of this later.
Price & Financing
Target Price Range: __________ to __________
Absolute Maximum: __________
Preferred Monthly Payment: __________
Pre-Approved? Yes / No / Working On It
Lender: ______________________
Loan Type If Known: Conventional / FHA / VA / Cash / Other
Need To Sell Another Property First? Yes / No
Current Lease Expiration, If Applicable: __________
Location
Preferred Cities/Neighborhoods: ______________________
School District Important? Yes / No / Maybe
Maximum Commute: __________
Busy Road Okay? Yes / No / Depends
City / Suburb / Rural / No Preference
Add more (what side of town, desired cities or not, etc.): _______________
Property
Minimum Bedrooms: 2 / 3 / 4 / 5+
Bathrooms: 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 2.5 / 3+
Minimum Square Footage: __________
Acreage: Yes / No / range: _________
Single-Family / Condo / Townhouse / Multi-Family
Preferred Home Styles: ______________________
Newer Home / Older Home / Either
HOA Okay? Yes / No / Depends
Must have features (outbuilding, lake, pool, golf view, etc.): ________________
Condition
Turnkey: Give me the keys. I don't want projects. NEW or RENOVATED
Mostly Updated: Paint and cosmetic work are fine. TLC
Some Work: I'm comfortable updating kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, etc.
Fixer/Investor Mode: I'm willing to take on significant work for the right opportunity.
(I don't want to scare you with photos)
Features
Garage: None / 1-Car / 2-Car / 3+
Basement: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
Finished Basement: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
Central Air: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
First-Floor Bedroom: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
First-Floor Bathroom: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
Primary Suite: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
Fenced Yard: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
Large Yard: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
Home Office: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
Fireplace: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
Updated Kitchen: Required / Preferred / Don't Care
Your Three Biggest Must-Haves
Your Three Biggest Deal Breakers
What Are You Most Willing to Compromise On?
Price / Location / Size / Condition / Garage / Yard / Bedrooms / Bathrooms / School District / Commute / Other
How Motivated Are You?
There's nothing wrong with browsing.
I just need to know what mode we're in.
Just Browsing
We're probably 12+ months away. I'm learning the market.
Getting Serious
Probably 6 to 12 months.
Actively Looking
I'd buy within 3 to 6 months if the right property comes along.
Very Motivated
I'm trying to buy within the next 30 to 90 days.
DROP EVERYTHING, TYLER
I'm pre-approved, ready to buy and if the right house hits today, text me.
This tells me how aggressively I should communicate with you.
If you're casually browsing, I'm not going to blow up your phone every morning.
If you're ready to buy immediately and something great hits the market, I'm reaching out.
When Can You See Houses?
Days
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday / Sunday
Times
Morning / Lunch / Afternoon / After Work / Evening
How Much Notice Do You Usually Need?
ASAP / 1 to 2 Hours / Same Day / 24 Hours / Other: ______
Sometimes a great property hits the market at noon and waiting until Saturday isn't the best strategy.
If you're available and I'm available, let's go.
03 | What You Can Expect at Showings
I'll be on time.
I'll be prepared.
And I'll normally be professionally dressed.
Normally.
Because if a great house hits the market and you're ready to see it immediately, you might occasionally get me in whatever I happened to be wearing.
I'd rather get you through the door than miss an opportunity because I needed to go home and change clothes.
When we're there, take your time.
Open closets. Look at room sizes. Walk the yard. Look past the furniture and staging.
Think about how you'd actually live there.
And please tell me what you hate.
"This kitchen sucks."
Good.
Now I know.
Every showing makes our next showing more productive.
Yes, Keep Looking on Zillow
Please do.
You can use Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, Homes.com and other real-estate websites and apps.
I'll also set up a listing search based on your criteria so you can receive new listings as they hit the market.
If you find something first, just send it to me.
Send me the Zillow link. Send me the address. Send me a screenshot.
Whatever is easiest.
I'll pull the actual listing information and we'll go from there.
I don't need to be the person who discovers the house to provide value in helping you buy it.
If We're Not Finding the Right House
If the homes we’re seeing aren’t quite what you’re looking for, let’s talk about it.
Your feedback helps me better understand what’s working, what isn’t, and where we may need to adjust.
There’s more we can do beyond the standard search.
Give me the opportunity to adjust our approach, get more proactive, and explore additional ways to find the right home for you.
Depending on the circumstances, that may include:
Reaching out to agents/brokers about upcoming listings
Contacting other real-estate offices
Reaching out through my professional network
Watching properties that fall out of contract
Investigating FSBO properties
Reviewing expired or withdrawn opportunities where appropriate
Looking for properties that may not have been on your original radar
Expanding or adjusting our search criteria
Can I promise that I'll magically uncover a secret house nobody else knows about?
No.
And I'd be skeptical of anyone who promises that.
What I can promise is that if you’re serious about buying, I’ll continue to adapt our strategy, explore new opportunities, and put in the work to help you find the right home.
04 | What If Another Agent Tells You About a House?
Call me.
Seriously.
If another agent, brokerage, neighbor, friend, builder or property owner tells you about something that might fit what you're looking for, you don't automatically need to change representation just to investigate the property.
Let me find out what's going on.
There may be agency, compensation, seller-instruction or access considerations that affect what's possible, but give me the opportunity to investigate it with you.
Maybe it's a great opportunity.
Maybe it isn't.
Either way, let's evaluate the property and the representation separately.
Finding a property and representing you while you buy it are two different things.
Commission & Buyer Agent Compensation
Let's talk about this before it becomes confusing or awkward.
Before we begin working together, I'll explain our buyer representation agreement, what I've agreed to be paid for my services, and the different ways that compensation can be handled.
Buyer agent compensation is negotiable and can be structured in different ways depending on the transaction.
In many transactions, we may be able to negotiate for the seller or listing brokerage to pay some or all of my compensation from the seller's proceeds at closing.
That can significantly reduce the amount of cash you need to bring out of pocket.
But I also want buyers to understand something:
The Seller May Write the Check, But It's Still Part of the Transaction
If you offer $500,000 for a house and we negotiate for 1.5% of the purchase price to go toward your buyer agent's compensation, that's:
$500,000 × 1.5% = $7,500
That $7,500 may ultimately be paid from the seller's proceeds at closing rather than directly out of your pocket.
But where did the seller's proceeds come from?
Your $500,000 purchase.
So I don't like telling buyers that their representation is simply "free" because the seller is paying for it.
You're purchasing the house, and the economics of the entire transaction matter.
For perspective, if you looked at $7,500 as part of a 30-year mortgage at an example 6.5% interest rate, financing that additional $7,500 would equate to roughly $47 per month in principal and interest.
That's just an illustration. Your actual mortgage payment depends on your loan amount, down payment, interest rate, taxes, insurance and other factors.
Why This Matters
I want you to understand what I'm being paid and what you're receiving in return.
I'm helping you search for properties, evaluate homes, analyze comparable sales and value, schedule and attend showings, develop offer strategies, prepare contracts, negotiate, navigate inspections and appraisal issues, communicate with the other parties, manage deadlines, solve problems and help get you to closing.
And most importantly:
I will not let my commission determine which house I recommend to you.
If we find the right house and there's a compensation issue, we'll talk about it.
Maybe the seller has already agreed to compensate the buyer's brokerage.
Maybe we request compensation as part of our offer. Maybe there's another structure that makes sense.
We'll look at the entire transaction and figure it out together.
My compensation should never be a reason I steer you away from the right home.
05 | You Found the House. Now My Job Gets Bigger.
This is where we switch from searching to strategizing.
I'll look at things such as:
Comparable sales
Listing history
Previous sales
Days on market
Price changes
Property condition
Location
Market activity
Potential competition
Potential appraisal concerns
Other factors that could influence value or negotiations
Then we'll answer two questions:
What do we think it's worth?
What do we think it'll take to buy it?
Those are not necessarily the same thing.
06 | Writing Your Offer
I'll prepare the purchase agreement and make signing as easy as possible.
Most documents can be handled electronically. If a wet signature is needed, we'll handle that too.
But I don't want to simply send you something and say:
"Sign here."
I'll explain the important terms and answer your questions.
That may include:
Purchase price
Earnest money
Financing
Inspection provisions
Appraisal provisions
Seller concessions
Closing costs
Closing date
Possession
Personal property
Title
Other contingencies or negotiated terms
I'll recommend what I think makes sense.
You make the final decision.
A Better Offer Doesn't Always Mean More Money
Price matters.
But price isn't always the only thing a seller cares about.
Depending on the transaction, we may be able to improve an offer through things such as:
Financing strength
Earnest money
Inspection structure
Appraisal provisions
Closing date
Possession
Seller concessions
Simplicity and certainty
I'll explain the benefits and risks.
Sometimes paying more is justified.
Sometimes it isn't.
The answer shouldn't automatically be:
"Offer more."
What Are Buyers Actually Paying?
The market changes constantly, which is exactly why I don't use one strategy for every house.
Nationally, Redfin reported that in 2025:
62.2% of buyers purchased below the original list price
15.6% purchased at the original list price
22.8% purchased above the original list price
Those are national statistics, not instructions for what we should offer on a particular Northeast Ohio property.
One house may have five offers.
Another may have been sitting for 70 days.
We'll evaluate the individual property and current local market rather than blindly following a rule.
Understand the Contract & Contingencies
Inspection, financing, appraisal and other contingencies can provide important contractual protections.
I'll explain the real-estate portions of the agreement and recommend strategies based on the situation.
But remember:
Once an offer is accepted and a binding purchase agreement exists, you're dealing with a legal contract.
A contingency may provide a contractual right to terminate under specified circumstances.
It is not necessarily a blanket right to simply change your mind.
That's why we'll discuss these things before you sign.
When a question requires legal advice, I'll recommend consulting an attorney.
Negotiating
My objective isn't to "win" an argument with the seller.
It's to get you the best combination of price, terms and acceptable risk that I reasonably can.
Sometimes I'll recommend offering below asking.
Sometimes asking price.
Sometimes above asking.
Sometimes we'll ask for concessions.
Sometimes we'll negotiate repairs.
Sometimes we'll change terms instead of price.
And sometimes I'll tell you:
I think we should walk away.
Getting you under contract isn't the only goal.
Getting you into a deal that makes sense is.
07 | The Home Inspection
Once we're under contract, we'll move into the inspection and due-diligence portion of the transaction if provided for in our agreement.
A professional inspector may uncover things we couldn't reasonably determine during a showing.
We'll review the findings and discuss your contractual options.
Depending on the circumstances, that might involve:
Proceeding as-is
Requesting repairs
Requesting a credit or concession
Bringing in a specialist
Further negotiation
Exercising applicable contractual rights
Not every inspection item needs to become a battle.
I'll help you distinguish between normal homeownership items and issues that deserve more attention.
The Appraisal
If you're financing the purchase, your lender may require an appraisal.
The appraiser is an independent professional.
Neither you nor I get to dictate the appraised value.
This is another area where my background becomes particularly useful because I'm a licensed appraiser myself.
I understand comparable selection, adjustments, market analysis, condition and quality considerations, and the appraisal process.
If an appraisal issue arises, I can help you understand what's happening and evaluate possible next steps.
Depending on the circumstances and contract, that could involve:
Reviewing the appraisal for factual issues
Providing relevant information through appropriate channels
Renegotiating
Buyer and seller compromise
Adjusting financing
Bringing additional funds
Exercising applicable contractual rights
A low appraisal doesn't automatically mean the deal is dead.
It means we have another problem to evaluate.
08 | From Contract to Closing
An accepted offer isn't the finish line.
There are still a lot of moving pieces.
I'll help coordinate and communicate with the people involved, which may include:
Your lender
Title company
Home inspector
Listing agent
Appraiser
Contractors
Other professionals involved in the transaction
We'll work through inspections, appraisal, title, lender requirements, deadlines, repairs when applicable and the final walkthrough.
Then we get you to closing (or to the peak of the mountain).
09 | What I Need From You
This relationship works both ways.
Be Honest With Me
If your budget changes, tell me.
If your timeline changes, tell me.
If you suddenly hate the neighborhood we've been searching, tell me.
If you're unhappy with something I'm doing, tell me.
Give me an opportunity to address it.
Respect Our Time
I'll respect yours.
Please respect mine.
If you can't make a showing, let me know as soon as possible.
Keep Me in the Loop
If another agent contacts you, you go to an open house, a builder approaches you, somebody sends you an off-market property or someone tells you about a deal:
Call me.
Let me investigate it.
If I'm representing you, let me do what you hired me to do.
Keep Your Financing Stable
Talk to your lender before making major financial decisions while you're purchasing a home, especially once you're under contract.
A pre-approval isn't the end of the lending process.
You Might Lose a House
It happens.
Another buyer might offer more.
They may have different financing.
They may accept risks we aren't comfortable accepting.
Their closing or possession terms may work better for the seller.
We're going to make the strongest offer that makes sense for you.
We're not going to make a reckless decision simply because we're afraid of losing.
Sometimes Good Representation Means Telling You "No"
This may be one of the most important things I can do.
I'm not paid to convince you that every house is a good house.
Sometimes my recommendation may be:
Don't buy this one.
Maybe the numbers don't make sense.
Maybe the condition concerns me.
Maybe the inspection changes things.
Maybe we're getting caught up in a bidding war.
Maybe I simply think you're compromising on something you've repeatedly told me matters.
Ultimately, it's your decision.
But I'll give you my opinion.
What You’re Really Hiring Me For
You can find a house on Zillow.
You can drive past a For Sale sign.
You can walk into an open house.
That’s not the hard part.
You’re hiring me for everything that comes with finding the right home:
Finding opportunities.
Understanding the property and recognizing concerns.
Analyzing value and the market.
Structuring and negotiating the offer.
Recommending the right contingencies.
Navigating inspections and appraisal issues.
Managing the transaction and solving problems.
Getting you to closing.
And sometimes, just as importantly:
Telling you when I don’t think you should buy the house.
That's representation.
My Goal
My goal isn't to sell you a house as quickly as possible.
I'd rather have you call me years from now when it's time to sell that house and say:
"You're our guy."
I plan on being in this business for a long time.
Your business matters to me.
Your experience matters to me.
Your referrals matter to me.
And your trust matters more to me than forcing one transaction through.
Because ultimately, you hired me to help you find and purchase the right home.
Let's go find it.
-Tyler
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