Engineers Are Different!

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

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 and pricing information is now available on the internet, Buyers (even engineers) ultimately need to engage the services of a licensed, professional Realtor once they become serious about their home search.

So, what issues does an engineer face in choosing the right Realtor? For starters:

- The bar is set amazingly low for obtaining a California real estate license. Take a few courses, pass the state exam and voila…you’re a real estate agent! Consequently, finding a knowledgeable, professional and ethical agent who understands and appreciates how engineers approach the home buying process can be hit or miss.

- A lot of real estate agents just want to get the Buyer into contract and have little understanding or patience for the methodical way in which engineers approach the home buying process. In fact, you'd be surprised to know how many agents complain that working with engineers is one of their biggest frustrations. If they’re frustrated, think how their client feels!

- Most real estate agents are less tech-savvy than their engineer-clients. As a result, you may feel you're doing all the work and your 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?

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 in considering a home purchase. 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 pricing and sales statistics and trends, not just at the state or county level, but for the particular neighborhoods you're considering. This is particularly true in the current, transitioning market where several areas of the Silicon Valley are now attracting multiple offers while other areas are still extremely slow.

You may also want public school performance metrics, school district boundary information and may choose to constrain your search based on this data. Of course, you also want access to non-public data concerning the particular home you’re considering. Data like: days on market, original list price, prior price adjustments, last purchase price, existing loan amounts, etc. can be very important to your purchase offer strategy.

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.

An Engineer Who's a Realtor®

I Think Differently: I’m a professional, full-time, licensed Realtor® with 13 years of experience in the dynamic Silicon Valley residential home market. I'm also an experienced high-tech engineer. With a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut and an MS degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford, I spent many years as an engineer and senior manager with a major Silicon Valley high tech 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.

I Use an Analytical Approach: As an engineer, I understand and utilize macroeconomic principles to monitor and assess the unique and often heterogeneous Silicon Valley market conditions. I provide this data to my clients in the form of monthly market trend assessments as well as customized, neighborhood-specific pricing analyses to support your offer preparation. Of course I'll set you up with my customized, automated email listing alerts to keep you apprised daily of all new listings which meet your search criteria, but I'll also email you the property-specific, detailed private data for homes you're considering for purchase. I understand the need for and significance of hard data and educate my clients on how to best utilize it to their competitive advantage.

I Work With You the Way You Like to Work: I guess it takes a techie to know a techie. Most of my clients over the past 13 years have been engineers and 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.  I also respect that engineers in this valley are extremely busy at work and have limited time to devote to house hunting. That's why I offer to preview any new listings that you find interesting and email you a video walkthrough of the previewed home immediately after my preview. If you like it and want to have a closer look, I'll meet you there on your lunch hour or after work or whenever your schedule permits. All of my past clients are 100% referenceable and all appreciated the superior level of service they received.

How Can You Get Started?

If you’re serious about purchasing a home in the Silicon Valley, call or email me now to set up an appointment to meet for an initial consultation. This initial consultation can be very helpful in addressing your specific questions, expectations, issues and concerns. When you're ready to proceed, I’m prepared to assist you with the entire process including explaining your financing options, referring you to competent, ethical lenders, researching markets and schools, providing you with neighborhood comps, previewing candidate properties, advising you on purchase offer strategy, negotiating your offer, coordinating your pre-purchase inspections and managing your escrow and closing. If this sounds like what you want in a professional Realtor then please contact me right away. I look forward to hearing from you.