"Are We Being Unreasonable?" How to Know When You've Found the Right House

Every home buyer eventually asks some version of the same question: are we being too picky, or should we keep looking? Bryan Realty Group co-owners Michael and April Bryan tackle that question head-on — along with what separates a real estate professional from an agent who's just trying to close a deal.

 The Show-to-Offer Ratio Red Flag

Michael opened with a story from a conversation with another broker who had recently interviewed a prospective agent. That agent bragged about a low show-to-offer ratio — meaning they wrote offers quickly, without showing clients many houses. The broker didn't offer the agent a spot on the team. "Their culture is a lot more like ours," Michael said. "We want the clients to make the right decision, and we're not going to push them into a house."

April's first reaction was measured. "I think that's terrible — we need to show as many houses as we need to, to get our clients into the right one," she said. But she also considered the more generous interpretation: maybe that agent was simply excellent at narrowing the search upfront through strong listening and market knowledge. The broker had dug deeper, though, and found the opposite was true. "The brokerage where this guy was coming from was buying a ton of leads from different generation sources, and their goal was to get people in as quick as possible. It was all transaction."

That's the distinction the Bryans keep coming back to: are you finding the right fit for a family, or just closing a transaction?

When Patience Pays Off

April shared a recent example of clients who toured a genuinely nice house — good condition, right area, right number of rooms — but something about the backyard felt off. After looking at quite a few homes, they finally asked her directly: "Are we being unreasonable?"

"I loved that question," April said. "I like people with self-awareness." Her answer: absolutely not — the right one is coming. Because Bryan Realty Group sees homes constantly, they develop a strong sense of market timing. Two to three weeks later, the right house hit the market. The clients recently closed on it.

The Flip Side: Recognizing "The Unicorn"

Not every situation calls for more patience. April also described clients who'd found a home that checked 98% of their boxes — and were holding out for that last 2%. "98% is pretty darn perfect," she said. In those cases, her job shifts from searching to helping clients recognize when they've already found what they're looking for. "I think this is the house, or these are your best options. It's time to choose at this point, probably."

The common thread in both scenarios is expertise: knowing the local market well enough to say confidently, "keep waiting" or "this is the one" — and having built enough trust with clients that they believe it.

Advice for New Agents: Learn the Product

Michael took a detour to speak directly to newer agents in the business — whether they're 21 or 81. His analogy: if you were entering the swimming pool business, you'd learn every pump, filter, and substrate before advising a client. Real estate is no different. "Go shadow agents who've been in the business. Ask if you can go on showings with them. Go preview houses. Learn the products. Learn the neighborhoods."

Protecting Clients' Long-Term Investment

Even when a house feels perfect for right now, April emphasized thinking years ahead. Layout, traffic noise, flooding risk, and location all affect resale — and she believes it's her job to flag those concerns clearly, even if the client ultimately decides to move forward anyway. "I know this house is perfect for you now, but in two, three, five, ten more years, I just want to make sure you're going in eyes wide open."

One memorable example: a house backing up to a railroad track. Some buyers love the sound and the nostalgia. Others won't. "They need to think about it through the lens of, if I have to sell this house tomorrow, what is my buyer pool going to look like?" It's not about talking a client out of a home — it's about making sure they're deciding with full information.

 The Bottom Line

Whether a client needs more patience or a nudge to recognize they've already found their unicorn, the Bryans' approach is the same: listen closely, know the market deeply, and give clients the full picture — good, bad, and everything in between — so they can make the decision that's right for them.

Looking for a Memphis-area real estate team that will tell you the truth about a house, not just sell you on it? Call Bryan Realty Group at **901-401-2208**.