Buying a home that does not deliver the lifestyle you seek can be one of real estate’s biggest misjudgments. Yes, those faucets matter. As does a fabulous kitchen. Maybe that double height ceiling in the living room impressed you?

But…. If where you live does not deliver the lifestyle you seek, nothing about it can offset this big and important aspect of buying a home. 

As a buyers agent, tapping into your clients very specific likes and wants and needs around lifestyle - how they wish to function on a daily basis - is a critically important role in professional buyers brokerage.

This requires asking lots of questions and proposing thoughts if your buyers are not very clear about what they like and dislike. Some questions to ask: 

1.  Where do you work and how important is the commute time? 
2.  Schooling. The type, quality, location, etc?
3.  What does a perfect work day look like? Do you drive lots? Walk? Do you not wish to drive much? Do you work from home? Do you need separation or can you work anywhere in your home? 
4.  Do you like modern or historic aspects to your environment? 
5.  How important are parks, mountains? 
6.  Do you prefer the ocean? Lakes? Swimming pool? Shared or private? 
7.  Do you wish to see lots of people and meet and greet or do you prefer more isolation? 
8.  How important are museums, art galleries? 
9. Do you prefer opera or rock concerts? Or both? How often? 
10. Does the area deliver amenities to satisfy your hobbies? 
11.  What weather do you prefer? Seasons? Hot? Cold? Humid? Dry? Don’t care? 
12.  What area provides you the most career opportunities? Quality healthcare? 
13. Do you like coffee at home or at a local cafe? 
14.  Do you skip coffee to workout and what does that entail? Intense gym or leisurely walk? 
15.  Do you want to be close to family and friends? What socializing opportunities are there and do you feel compatible with the locals? 
16. What kind of food do you like? Do you cook at home more or eat out every day? Do you like revisiting the same 2-3 restaurants or do you like a broad variety? 
17. Do you like to dress up or dress down? 
18. Are there any religious considerations, proximity to a house of worship? 
19. Do local politics matter to you? Do you have to be around people that align with your political beliefs? 
20. How will taxation impact you? 
21. Is this a place to grow old in, or simply for a limited Period of time before you move on? 
22.  Could the lifestyle things you miss in your home setting be offset by a weekend home? Either in the city or countryside? Maybe your desire to garden? Or ski? Or fish? 
23. Do bugs and critters bother you? Mosquitoes? Snakes? Birds? Alligators? Deer? Rats?
24. I could go on….this questionnaire can have 100+ questions to help clearly define lifestyle desires. Do you have a list to help you navigate this aspect of professional buyers brokerage and advisory? 

The reality is that what works for one person’s lifestyle needs rarely is identical to someone else’s. We all prefer different things and often we forget that these are choices. Some move to a new location for one specific reason only to discover they miss the dozens of other things they loved. Was that ONE thing worth the price of a move? 

Digging really deep into this subject matters as much as the home itself, especially when you have the luxury of choice. I recall a client telling me how she wanted security so she moved to a guarded gated community in another state. After a few months she felt very safe….  and miserable.

She missed her friends, local restaurants and cafes and boutiques. She missed walking  and art galleries and the theater and opera. She missed the history of architecture. She missed her weekend escapes to the ocean. She missed so much that she sacrificed for just one thing. And to her it simply was not worth it so she moved again. 

Lifestyle is that important. And no Google search is as effective as a deep dive with a professional agent who truly understands all these important considerations.