There’s been some recent discussion on real estate blogs about “analysis paralysis”—with at least one broker claiming there’s too much data out there for clients, causing them to overanalyze when they should be “pulling the trigger” on buying a home. We of course favor the data, the knowledge, and the transparency—the more a buyer knows the better.
But we see the homebuying process involving both the objective and the subjective—in two distinct steps. The buyer needs to be educated about all the objective aspects first, and then the subjective steps in.
Our role at Brennan is to take clients through a process of becoming informed so they’ll ultimately be able to make the right homebuying decision. For example, if a client has no local knowledge, we’ll explain the different Brooklyn neighborhoods and compare them, examine what the available housing stock is in each, and show them all the options—townhouses, co-ops, condos, rehabs, new construction, etc.—to give them a real feel for the supply and the relative value of the homes. We’ll monitor the market, gather data, and analyze homes and their pricing and potential—keeping clients informed every step of the way.
That’s the objective part –getting our clients educated. Only then can they depart from the objective to the subjective– to make the emotional connection to the home, the block and the community.  And to pull the trigger if it feels right.
