Top Things People Want to Know About a Neighbourhood – Even if They Don’t Come Out and Tell You

When serving a client who wants to buy a home, the more details you gather such as where and in what type of property they want to live, the faster you can match them with their dream home. As much as the right property, for the right price matters, a neighbourhood can make or break a deal. 

The obvious things people want to know about a neighbourhood:

 

·           What schools are located in the area and in what proximity to the property?

·           What transit is available, where are the closest highways, trains, buses, etc.?

·           What is in close proximity to the property – is it near something unsightly?

·           Where are parks and amenities like grocery stores and shopping?

What about the other things people want to know about a neighbourhood that rank in the top deciding factors when buying home? Who lives in the area? Certain characteristics can be vital to those searching for a particular neighbourhood. For example: 

·           What is the age of families in the area?

·           What is the average income of families in the area?

·           What is the proportion of renters vs. homeowners?

Many people want to live amongst people who are like them, at the same stage in life and family.

 

HGTV put out a really great list of things you can ask your client in an interview to suss out the bottom line:

·      Does your client have children or plan to soon? This will make information about schools, parks and community centres very important to your client.

·      How far is your client willing to commute? Do they have a vehicle or do they want to be able to walk or take transit to amenities?

·      What ‘feel’ of community do they like – more historic structures (aged neighbourhoods) or newer homes?

·      What is missing in their current community?

We thought we would add to the list: 

·      What does your client do for a living?

·      What activities does your client enjoy?

·      What were the characteristics of the community your client was raised in and do they want the same in their community?

·         What is your client’s planned long term use of the property? Do they plan to rent it in the future?

·         The goods, the bads and the uglys: what are your client’s pet peeves (noise, traffic, neighbours in close proximity, etc…)?

Once you think you know as much as possible you will be in a position to generate a demographics report to review different neighbourhoods with them that you have researched and are suitable based on their needs.

 

Getting to really know your client will help you find them the right home, for the right price, in the right neighbourhood.

For more information about how to generate and present neighbourhood demographics information to your clients on-the-go please visit www.myvimo.ca.