Let’s Play 20 Questions: Creating the Perfect Buyer Profile

Buyer questionnaires can help you get to know your clients, find out what they're looking for, and determine if they're ready to make a move. The key to an effective questionnaire is to find the balance between keeping it short and simple, but still getting enough information so you can help your buyer find their perfect home. Here's a list of our top 20 question suggestions.

Basic Information

• Full legal name? Get the name that will be going on the title to be sure you know whether you're working with the actual buyer or a representative.
• Contact Information? Address, phone numbers, emails, social media, and any other information you think you'll need.
• Children? Do your buyers currently have children or do they need room for future children? Find out if your buyers want to be near a certain school district or if they want a community playground nearby.
• Pets? Do they have any pets or plan on having any? If so, what kind?

Motivation

• Why are they moving? Learning their main motivation can help you find the best property for them.
• What kind of purchase is the buyer making? Find out why your buyer is purchasing. Is this their first home, or is it an investment property they want to rent out on their own? Is this going to be a vacation home?
• Are they selling their current home? If this isn't your buyer's first purchase, find out if they're trying to sell their current home before purchasing a new one. Is it on the market? If so, for how long? Are they working with another brokerage or agent to sell the property? If they are, get the agent's contact information, too.
• What do they like and dislike about their current home? This can help you pinpoint homes that will fit your buyer's preferences.

Future Home

• What style of home do they want? Are they looking for something rustic, modern, colonial, traditional, etc? Do they care?
• Their ideal home has? How many bedrooms? Bathrooms? Do they want a garage? Formal dining area? Workshop?
• Their ideal backyard is: Small or large? Fenced? Plush lawn? Xeriscape? Room for a vegetable garden?
• Do they want to live in a certain area? Is city life important to them or would they prefer being farther from the center of things? Do they want to be close to work or live near a relative?
• How much privacy do they want? This can be subjective, so ask your buyers to define what they feel "privacy" means to them. Do they want tall bushes dividing their home from their neighbor's, or do they want their closest neighbor to be at the end of the block?
• Any special requirements? Does your buyer need any special features in their new home?
• Must haves and deal breakers? Is there anything your buyer absolutely needs? Something they can't tolerate? Now is the time to find out.

Buying Process

• Are their finances in order? Is your buyer pre-qualified? How much are they comfortable spending altogether and how much they can afford in their monthly payments?
• What's their time frame? Try to determine when they're hoping to be in their new home. Do they want to settle in before school starts or the holidays are in full swing?
• Have they already started their search? This is a good time to learn if your buyers have already seen homes with another agent. Ask how long they've been looking, what their experience has been so far, and why they haven't settled on anything yet. If they were previously working with another agent, ask why they've come to you.
• Will anyone else be giving input? Do they have an advisor, spouse, or a family member who will be making the buying decision with them?
• What are you looking for in an agent? Some buyers want a hands-on approach while others prefer to stay away from the stress. Find out what your buyer's needs are so you you can be most helpful to them.

Do you have any questions you think we should add? Leave a comment below! Want more ways to connect with consumers? Download our free, personalizable guides and checklists to better prepare your buyers for the buying or selling process.

To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.