Engineers Are Different!

As an engineer, you know that, but what’s that got to do with buying a home?

1) Engineers Think Differently
Engineers are trained problem solvers. They know how to take complex problems and break them down into manageable pieces that can be solved logically and methodically. Engineers gather data, analyze the data and systematically work through the information. While a lot of home listing information is now available on the internet, Buyers must still, at some point, engage the services of a licensed real estate agent to:

- schedule showings

- obtain Seller disclosure information

- prepare and negotiate an offer

- coordinate an escrow

So, what are the issues for an engineer trying to find the right agent? For starters:

- The bar is set relatively low for obtaining a real estate license. Take a few easy courses, pass an exam and voila…you’re a real estate agent! Consequently, finding an experienced, competent, professional and ethical agent who understands and appreciates how engineers approach the home buying process can be difficult.

- Many real estate agents just want to get the Buyer into contract and have little understanding or patience for the methodical process with which engineers approach home buying. In fact, many other agents have complained to me that working with engineers is their biggest frustration. If they’re frustrated, think how their client feels!

- Most real estate agents are less tech-savvy than their clients. As a result, the engineer as buyer may feel they're doing all the work and their agent is just unlocking doors and writing offers. When you engage the services of a professional you’d like to feel that the professional knows at least as much as you do about the subject at hand.

OK, so engineers really do think differently and their approach to the home buying process is more methodical than the average Buyer….what else?

2) Engineers Are Analytical
As an engineer, you know that reliable, accurate and timely data is key to successful problem analysis and solution. For an engineer, the same is true with real estate. After all, searching for and purchasing the right home is simply another technical problem (albeit with higher stakes) to be managed and solved. You need detail housing and mortgage market statistics and trends, not just at the state or county level, but for the particular area which you're searching. This is particularly true in the current, transitioning market where some areas of the Silicon Valley are still attracting multiple offers while other areas are extremely slow.

Of course, you also want access to listing-specific private data concerning the particular home you’re considering. Data fields like: Continuous Days on Market, Original List Price, Magnitude of Prior Price Adjustments, Last Sale Price, etc. can be crucial to the home purchase decision. This “private data” isn’t publicly available to Buyers, and most agents don’t track the statistical trends or provide all of the private listing data to their clients. For an engineer, this data is critical in deciding whether and how to structure an offer.

So engineers are different in the way they think, in their technical sophistication, in their analytical approach and in their expectations of their agent during the home buying process…….So what?

An Engineer Who's a Realtor®?

1) I Think Differently
I’m a professional, full-time, licensed Realtor® with 12 years of experience working with Buyers and Sellers in the dynamic Silicon Valley market. But, I’m also an engineer. With a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut and an MS degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, I spent over 25 years as an engineer and manager with a major Silicon Valley aerospace company. Consequently, I have extensive, professional experience in engineering problem-solving, project and personnel management and in working with engineering professionals at all levels..........and, like you, I think differently.

2) I Use an Analytical Approach
I’m always amazed that most real estate agents will wave their arms and authoritatively pontificate about what the market is doing and why. They’re always very certain of their positions but when pressed for facts they usually have nothing more than anecdotes. Many agents have little understanding of basic economics or trend analysis and are at a loss to provide you with any meaningful data to support their market “theories”. They know what they’ve heard in the media and they have a gut feel for their view of the local market but they have no data!

As an engineer, I understand and use basic economic theory to monitor and assess the unique and often heterogeneous Silicon Valley market conditions. My proprietary “Monthly Market Dashboard” which I e-mail to my clients each month couples key market parameter trends with my monthly analysis of exactly what the market is doing and where it’s headed.

For my Buyer clients who are searching the internet for listings, I set up customized, automated e-mail listing alerts and also e-mail specific and detailed private data concerning any individual listings they may be seriously considering for purchase. I understand the need for and significance of hard data and encourage my clients to make appropriate use of it.

3) Most of my Clients are Engineers
I guess it takes a geek to know a geek! Most of my clients over the past 12 years have been engineers and unlike most Realtors®, I actively seek out engineers to be my clients. I find that we work well together, speak the same “language” and approach the process analytically rather than emotionally. All of my past clients are 100% referenceable and many have taken the time to express their thanks for the level of service they received.

How Can You Get Started?

If you’re serious about purchasing a home in the Silicon Valley, call or e-mail me now to set up an appointment to meet for an initial consultation. As with any other Realtor®, the cost to you is nothing; my compensation is paid as a commission by the Seller. I find that an initial consultation is very helpful in addressing your specific questions, expectations, issues and concerns and deciding if you want to proceed with the establishment of a formal client/agent relationship. If so, I’m prepared to assist you with the entire process from referring you to competent, ethical lenders to researching markets, schools and neighborhood comps to scheduling and coordinating all of your pre-purchase inspections. If this sounds like what you're looking for in a professional Realtor then please contact me and see for yourself why so many engineers select Joe Wilson when they’re ready to buy in the Silicon Valley.