Real estate has gone digital in many ways, yet at its core, the business of buying or selling a home remains inherently personal. Just ask the 1,042,231 Realtors who continue to have a career helping their home buyers and sellers make important, significant and intimate decisions.
Top producing real estate agents embrace the digital age but to do our jobs best, we must always remember that this business is personal. It is about relationships. The relationship between the agent and the buyer/seller. The relationship between the buyer and the seller. The relationship between the listing agent and the buyer agent. The relationship between the individual sellers and buyers (hello, family dynamics!). And the relationship between the buyer or borrower and the lender.
Working with a local San Francisco lender is crucial to an enjoyable experience when buying a home. This is especially true in competitive environments like the San Francisco real estate market where listing supply is limited and demand is often fierce. We operate in our own ecosystem with purchase contract timelines that would (and do) shock most "out of area" agents and lenders. A 2-4 week close of escrow? What?! In most markets, the close of escrow is 45 days or more. Non-contingent financing or loan contingencies of only a few days? Yup. Buyers who want to be successful will set up their loan pre-approval in advance so they can make competitive bids that can compete and win against all cash offers. (At the SFhotlist collective, our top producing San Francisco real estate agents write offers that win. Our home buyers get their offer accepted on the first try about 90% of the time. First try = first choice home.)
Believe me, I have countless examples of escrows that barely closed and were beyond stressful because the lender could not cope with the timing demands of the SF real estate market. So do yourself a favor and get pre-approved for a home loan with a top San Francisco-based mortgage lender. Better yet, ask us for a recommendation.* We have no financial ties to any particular lender but because we have sold 100s of homes, we know who is reliable, ethical and will get the job done with the least amount of BS!
* We have relationships with specific mortgage brokers and lenders at all of the major banks and mortgage companies. Wells Fargo, Opes Advisors, Citi, First Republic, BofA, Chase, HSBC, Sterling Bank and many more. Just ask and we can refer you to the right lenders for your individual situation.
