Real Estate Faux Pas: 3 Etiquette No-Gos to Avoid

When you’re buying or selling a home, the rules aren’t always clear. But check out these three common mistakes many people make.

Real Estate Faux Pas: 3 Etiquette No-Gos to Avoid

These are three common mistakes you should avoid:

1. Calling a listing agent directly when you already have a buyer’s agent
2. Making an offer without mortgage preapproval
3. Skipping home showings

Scroll down for a closer look at each.

Real Estate Etiquette No-Go #1: Calling a Listing Agent When You Already Have a Buyer’s Agent

It’s very tempting to pick up the phone and call a listing agent when you see in a home you like online. However, if you’re already working with your own real estate agent, proper etiquette dictates that you call your own agent. Then, your agent will arrange a showing so you can see the home in person. There’s an added benefit to this, too: Your agent is looking out for your best interests, while the listing agent is looking out for their clients best interests.

Related: 4 tips for finding the right mortgage lender

Real Estate Etiquette No-Go #2: Making an Offer Without Mortgage Preapproval

If you really want to compete against other buyers for a home, you need mortgage preapproval. Many sellers won’t even take an offer seriously if it doesn’t come with a preapproval letter. Also, you need to know that a pre-approval is different from a prequalification. Preapproval requires you to submit some documentation to your lender to prove that you are financially able to take out a loan, while prequalification is simply a lender saying, “If your financial situation is what we think it is, we’ll probably let you borrow this amount.”

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Real Estate Etiquette No-Go #3: Skipping Home Showings

When you schedule a home showing, be on time – and certainly don’t skip it without letting your agent know. In addition to being poor manners, this shows your agent that you can’t establish a good working relationship, and they’re less likely to want to represent you in a home-buying transaction.

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