Discover the nine essential questions you should ask new clients to unveil their individual needs and preferences in the real estate market.

1. What is your preferred location or neighborhood?

Understanding the location or neighborhood the client is interested in can help narrow down the search to properties that meet their criteria. Don’t waste your time or theirs with properties outside of these areas.

2. What is your budget?

Knowing the client's budget can help you guide them towards properties that are within their price range.

3. If I were to find something slightly outside of your budget but fits all your criteria, and might be your dream home, should I still not show you the property?

This one is about knowing your clients. Understanding exactly what they're looking for and understanding how they interpret their own parameters. You don't want to let the perfect property slip out from under them because of a misinterpretation of what's important to them.

4. What type of property are you looking for?

Are they looking for a single-family home, a condo, or a townhouse? Understanding the type of property the client is looking for can help you focus your search.

5. What are your must-have features?

Do they need a certain number of bedrooms or bathrooms? A backyard or a garage? Knowing their must-have features can help narrow down the search.

6. What are your deal breakers?

Are there any features or aspects of a property that the client absolutely cannot tolerate? Understanding their deal breakers can save time and prevent wasted efforts. Both with this question as well as all others, it’s important to have all decision makers at the table. If they’re not, forward your answers to both parties to see if they need to make adjustments. Otherwise, you may be facing a deal-breaker from the other partner that you never knew about. Depending on their personality types and effectiveness in communicating with you, you could show dozens of homes that match the criteria but violate one of their deal-breakers that they never told you about. Find out all deal-breakers from all decision makers and heed to this list.

7. What is your timeline for buying or selling?

Knowing the client's timeline can help you set realistic expectations and plan accordingly. Understanding this timeline can make or break the relationship. If you’re too busy or the timeline is unrealistic, especially with Fideicomisos here, you may be setting yourself and your clients up for failure.

8. Have you worked with a real estate agent before?

Understanding their past experiences with real estate agents can help you tailor your approach to better meet their needs and preferences. Knowing this will also set you up for the next question so that you can explain the immense differences in real estate between Canada and the US  in comparison to the Wild Wild West of Mexico. A good practice is also to ask them about their communication preferences and frequency. Calls vs texts, messenger vs whatsapp, multiple times a day vs every couple days. Everyone is different and if you can cater to their differences, you will earn their respect even if the particular search at hand is challenging.

9. Have you purchased a home in Mexico or abroad before?

If your client has purchased a home in Mexico before, you know, to some degree that the understand things are very different here. Patience and due diligence are 10x more important here than in a heavily regulated real estate industry up north. Here there is little recourse once a deal is done and any recourse that is available will certainly land you a multi-year legal battle in which only lawyers win.

By asking these questions, you can gain a better understanding of what your client is looking for, and help guide them towards properties that are a good fit for their needs and preferences. If you’re starting in your career and have any other questions, feel free to reach out for more advice and ways to serve your new clients in a manner that will put you in a class above the rest.