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Vail Daily column: Realtor is wasting my time

Joan Harned Ask a Realtor

Dear Joan,

I am getting frustrated with the Realtor I am using because he is not sending me anything that fits my parameters for the second home we want. We live on the West Coast and come to Vail/Beaver Creek often, but we have to rely on emailed information on properties until our next trip out. I have been very specific about views, close proximity to town, main floor living, price range, bedroom count and preference on decor. I prefer Vail, but will look in Beaver Creek too, if all my wants and needs are met. So this does not seem difficult for someone who sells real estate full time and lives in the area. Why does he keep sending me properties that do not fit my needs? He is wasting his time … and mine too. Please let me know if there is someway I can communicate with him better. Thanks!

Dear Frustrated,



Your issue is very common in our area. We do not have a lot of inventory, prices are greatly affected by location, we have very little new product and since we live in the Rocky Mountains, many properties are built on hillsides and therefore have multiple levels. You have not said if your Realtor has explained this situation to you. One of my many sayings is that “life is a series of trade-offs.” I personally believe this is true in marriage, raising children, jobs, professions, sports, etc. The trick is to be happy with getting as close as possible to what you want, and not worrying about some items that are not as important to you. It is extremely difficult for all of us Realtors to find the perfect property that meets a client’s total wish list and stay within a certain price range in Beaver Creek, and this is especially true in the much higher priced Vail Village area. Even if you have an unlimited budget, there are beautiful properties, but they were built for someone else’s tastes, and they seldom totally fit the new Buyer. As you can guess, doing remodeling here is a very lucrative business. I am guessing your Realtor believes you really want to own a property here and he is doing his best to find as many of the features you want, as possible, in or near your price range. Since buyers are known to end up liking something quite different from what they first described, I think he is probably trying to cover all the bases and give you as much to look at as possible. Try looking for the features you do want in what he sends and physically take a look at the ones that most closely fit when you arrive next time. He will then be able to get a clearer picture of what you want as you actually walk through the properties. Just in case, be ready to move forward quickly if he is able to send one that fits nearly all your needs, because it probably won’t last long … there are a lot of Buyers looking in our low inventory market. Best of luck to you!

Joan Harned is an owner/broker for Keller Williams Mountain Properties and heads up Team Black Bear, her own real estate team. Harned has been selling real estate in Eagle County for 27 years, is a past chairman of the Vail Board of Realtors, past Realtor of the Year, past director on the Great Outdoors Colorado Board and a member of the Luxury and Land Institutes. Contact Harned with your real estate questions at Joan@TeamBlackBear.com, 970-337-7777 or http://www.SkiAndTeeHomes.com.


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