It's Not a Numbers Game

Recently, I came across a post on social media from an estate agent describing his frustrating experience with a couple who had arranged to view ten properties in just two days on the Costa del Sol. It didn’t end well for either the estate agent or the buyers. Halfway through the first day, he realised the couple weren’t in agreement about the area, property types or even the reasons for the purchase.  The result?  Confusion, fatigue, and a growing sense the process had turned into something to be endured rather than enjoyed. Nobody was happy.  As I know only too well from my days as an estate agent this is not an unusual experience but it is entirely avoidable.

It's Not Numbers, it's a Process

Most buyers assume the search begins when they step through the front door of the first property when, in reality, that’s where a well-structured search should end. When buyers jump straight into viewings without clarity, what they are doing is not research, it is random exposure to the agent’s listings in the agent’s area. They are reacting to what they see, rather than evaluating against a clearly defined set of criteria. 

The traditional property buying model encourages this. Estate agents are, by definition, focused on selling property. Their role is to show what they have listed for sale in the area they cover, What they are not structured to do is:

• Conduct a deep diagnostic into a buyer’s true requirements
• Align decision-makers with different priorities
• Locate properties for sale privately
• Eliminate unsuitable locations before the search begins
• Filter out irrelevant properties

So viewings become the starting point of the process, rather than the final step.

A Structured Brief

In contrast, the most important work in any property search should happen before a single viewing is booked. By working with a buyer’s agent instead of an estate agent the search process starts in a different place, with deep discussions rather than random viewings of lots of properties, and ends with looking at a small number of highly relevant properties in carefully selected locations with each one pre-screened and matching the specific criteria.  

This means:

• Understanding why the purchase is being made (lifestyle, investment, relocation)
• Aligning all decision-makers — often underestimated, but crucial
• Defining priorities (location vs property vs amenities)
• Ruling out entire areas early
• Establishing clear non-negotiables
• Establishing possible compromises.

Without this, buyers are not comparing properties — they are simply reacting to them.

Once the brief is properly defined, the process changes completely. Instead of ten viewings in two days, a short list based strictly on the agreed criteria will, typically, have no more than four or five properties but each one will exactly match the agreed requirements.  On the few occasions when we have only been able to source one property that ticked all the boxes, our clients always bought it. Everything was just right.

No Time Wasted

Almost all our clients purchase on a single visit of 48 - 72 hours.  Not because they are rushed — quite the opposite. It is because each step in the process has been carried out in the right order. The most important, agreeing the criteria, comes first.  Then the options have been assessed and reported on, sifting and sorting what always looks like a large number of possibilities down to the handful worth a serious look. It’s what buying agents do in the background, before our clients board an aircraft, that makes sure every property viewed has a clear purpose.

For a really good example of what this means in reality, check out this Case Study of a recent search.  Even though they were being shown properties matching their criteria they worked out early on in their trip the location wasn’t right for them so it didn’t matter how many they looked at they weren’t going to buy any of them. They had been in touch with the agent by email for a year but his area wasn’t right for them.  And all because the issue of wanting to walk to lots of things had not been discussed. So, showing them properties in locations where a car was essential was a waste of everyone's time, the agent and the buyers. Within two months of working with The Property Finders they returned for a 48-hr trip, viewed five shortlisted properties in the right environment for their family and they bought one of them. It wasn't complicated.

If a second trip is required, it is almost always because the brief has evolved, not because the process failed. Priorities do change and something that was considered a non-negotiable might slip down the list of criteria and be replaced by something else. That’s not a problem, we search again if necessary.

Getting It Wrong Costs

An unstructured property search doesn’t just waste time.

It also means:

• Flights and accommodation for unnecessary trips
• Time away from work or business
• Emotional fatigue from too many conflicting impressions
• Increased risk of making the wrong decision

In contrast, a structured approach eliminates both wasted time and wasted money.

A Better Way to Search

If your property search feels like a series of disconnected viewings, it is worth stepping back because the issue is rarely the properties.It is almost always the process. At The Property Finders, we approach the search differently. We do the work upfront, so that when you arrive, every viewing matters. We also identify all properties on Google maps, the exact address, so our clients can do a drive-by on street view and get to know the surroundings in advance. And it’s not a numbers game, you don’t increase your chances of finding a property by viewing lots if they don’t align with your criteria.

We are your property detectives.

©Barbara Wood