Adam's Buyer Feedback
Updated: Sep 7
My feedback to buyers prior to & within showings is within the top 1% of agents in my opinion in terms of informing buyers of pros & cons so that buyers can make the most informed decision.
Feedback Prior to Showing Based on Listing & Data Adam Knew About & Pulled from Outside of the Listing
Prior to ever performing a showing at a property, I look for positives and negatives that are not clear from the listing, going through a sequence of those issues as part of my standard operating procedure. In 1 case a buyer told me they were literally on the way to the airport to see a home and that feedback (primarily in the form of data from screenshots from a 3rd party w/ me simply asking if they were OK with that data) caused them to not get on a plane & rule the house out.
Feedback Prior to Showing Based on Questions to Agents
I also reach out to listing agents regarding potential issues that my listing review brings up as well as asking for things like active offers and requesting to take pics/video for personal reference (see section on "How pictures/video by me/buyers can benefit buyers & me" here. In some cases, responses from listing agents eliminate a buyer from wanting to see a property. In at least one case, a question like that helped the buyer & I avoid a long drive out to a property in a multiple-offer scenario where it's unlikely that any of the buyers who made offers knew about what I knew from my question.
Flood Zone Examples of Feedback Prior to Showings
There are many reasons why a buyer client of mine wouldn't want to see a property based on that which they either can't see, that which they don't know about, or that which they didn't notice. Examples include dozens of items highlighted in red & sometimes in orange that are factors I mention in my Master Spreadsheet for Prospective Home Purchase Considerations,
One of the columns in that spreadsheet is flood zones, & in SE VA, flood zone elements are some of the most common reasons why buyers opt not to see a property following my feedback following their request of me to see a property. Seeing this chart, you might begin to understand why if you're unfamiliar with the region but are familiar with the hundreds or thousands of dollars that flood insurance costs can incur annually and the >$100k cost of some flood zone remediation methods (i.e. lifting some homes or recurring replacement costs when homes aren't lifted):
There's extensive information out there on flood zones, and I find that most agents and most buyers don't know enough about them in SE VA.
Flood zone example from my research online:
For instance, on one occasion, a buyer I was working with informed me that she really liked a listing and at the same time that she was literally headed to the airport to catch a plane to see the property with me. She emailed me (please text if you're in this situation for my fastest responses), and I texted her starting less than 20 minutes later with 3 pictures from my screen from riskfactor.com specific to the property along with the simple question, "Hi ____, I hope that you are doing well. Are you sure that you are OK with the flood zone situation at ____?" That was it. She responded, "Hi Adam that's a game changer for me, I probably should wait and look at something else..." She never got on a plane because of that quick online research. With agents sometimes delaying responses for hours (& even days at times) & sometimes never responding at times to some questions, especially tough ones like regarding flood issues, being able to figure some things out online is critical for agents to effectively navigate flood issues.
Flood zone example from my questions to the agent:
When I encounter a flood zone, I have a series of questions that I like to ask agents depending on information about the property such as the foundation type. The more information the listing agent provides on the listing, the fewer questions that I ask. When I represent a seller, I ask the seller most of these questions in advance, while that's not part of many listing agents' standard operating procedure. One of the questions I like to ask listing agents is about flood history. It's not uncommon for flood history disclosure requirements to not be met. In one case, a buyer was ready to drive over an hour to see a property that was in a flood zone even though the buyer knew that flood insurance was required and knew the cost the seller was currently incurring because it was stated in the remarks of the listing. I asked the listing agent about the flood history, and they informed me that around 5 years prior the seller had spent tens of thousands of dollars on replacing items following flood waters going into the home. It was a multiple-offer situation, and it's unlikely that any of the buyers/buyer's agents who wrote offers on the home were aware of the prior flooding into the home so recently.
Feedback at Showing Enhanced by Honesty & Prioritizing Keeping Clients' Interests 1st
I am so candid & honest with my clients that my honesty is 1 of the top reasons why some buyers and sellers don't pick to work with me and one of the top reasons why those clients that do work with me, love me. You'll see that reflected in my reviews:
Another key factor to note here is my value of keeping clients' interests first, as my clients share about in reviews:
Feedback at Showing Enhanced by High Emphasis on Client Education
Feedback at Showing Enhanced by Tools
Unlike most agents, I do things like going into attics that have scuttle access only with my ladder, looking in crawlspaces with the most powerful flashlight sold of its size or the most powerful flashlight sold period, or using a plethora of other physical tools I have that most agents don't have. Because of that, I'm able to see many things that other agents will never notice in a showing. I also have digital tools that greatly assist with showings that most agents don't have available, like a currently private HVAC/AC year identifier & public water heater year identifier.
Attic example:
For instance, on 1 occasion, I was working with a buyer on a property that a buyer wanted to make an offer on following a showing, but I still needed to check on the attic first while we were there. So far, so good, and the buyer wanted to make an offer despite a multiple-offer scenario present. What I found in the attic once I brought my ladder into the 2nd floor for access was a nightmare, with an extremely low volume of insulation, knob & tube wiring present, & high amounts of feces. While the house itself looked great, the attic had been completely neglected. The listing agent had been unresponsive as to my questions about why the past contracts at the property fell through, but once I saw the attic, I had a very good guess as to why. It's likely that none of the other buyers' agents who had made prior offers or active offers on the property viewed the attic prior to making an offer. Most don't even carry a ladder with them for showings, "leaving it to the inspector".
My showing style is so different that 1 person in management at my company even said that my showings were so different than a typical showing that it was like a cross between a showing and an inspection, though he and I both know that I'm certainly not certified by DPOR for inspections and he didn't mean that I was.

On-Property Feedback Form (Typically Audible Recording)
Audio-only feedback is typically even higher volume due to the lower time required while I maintain a record via an audio recording if desired by the buyer for showings. While buyers rarely prefer written notes, and most prefer audio notes for a more interactive experience, my property notes that I create for buyers who prefer written notes are so thorough that I am not just getting positive feedback from the buyers I work with, but from listing agents as well who sometimes ask for feedback.
Top .1% Buyer Education in Writing
My written educational information for buyers is likely in the top .1% for buyers in SE VA. I am unaware of any SE VA buyer's guide that can match my own here:
I also integrate my articles into template-based emails at various steps of the process where I've created the templates.
Positive Reviews of Other Agents About My Written Notes
Agents that do not work for my company and that I have never met before have said things like the following quotes from texts I've received: A. That may be the absolute best feedback response I have ever received. Show our listings ANYTIME! Thank you! B. Wow!! Very thorough!! C. Wow! Thank you for the informative feedback Adam! D. Wow.... this is the most detailed feedback and is appreciated (smile/hug emoji) E. I have to say that is one of the best review feedback ever in my real estate career. Thank you Adam.
In this link are examples of my written feedback.
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