Searching for and shortlisting property

With your list in hand, it's time to start searching for the home you want! There's two parts to this - searching, then shortlisting property.

Searching is the easy part - Open up one of the many house search apps available (e.g. Trademe, Homes, Realestate) and type in your search criteria and start adding homes to the watchlist!

Tip: My wife and I share the same account, so we can collaborate on the shortlisted properties, write notes, and talk about them later.

While it sounds simple enough, there's a fair bit to think about. Remember that criteria you had? You won't be able to verify all of it with a simple search, so start with the basics - the location, the bedrooms, the bathrooms, etc. If it meets the criteria, shortlist it!

Often, a property will deviate from exactly what you're looking for, don't dismiss these. For example, a listing might say 3 bedrooms and a study when you want 4 bedrooms, but if that last bedroom is for a small child, a study may still suit.

Buyers' agents

Real estate agents mostly work for the seller, but some real estate agents (usually at the high end, or agents just starting out) will act for the buyer too. They receive their commission from the house you buy through the listing agency. Usually you will not pay for their services, but make sure you confirm and agree on this. Buyers agents are great because if you give them your list of requirements, they can keep a look out for property that comes on the market and give you a very early heads up (this can come in very handy to close deals fast, or pre-auction offers, which we'll discuss later in the book). Because the agent isn't being paid by you but may end up doing a lot of work for you, it's courteous to keep them exclusive - e.g. if your buyer's agent tells you about a property, make sure you work with them to visit and close any deal, it's inappropriate to then go directly to the listing agent or even visit the open home without the buyer's agent present or consent.

Checks while on the shortlist

There are many things you can verify when a property is on your shortlist, before you even go to view the property, here's a non-exhaustive list:

1. Does your significant other like the look of it? (Let's face it, most of them will fail this test)

2. Is it in a location you desire? (Using google maps)

3. The school zoning (Using the ministry zoning map)

4. If it's in a flood prone area (using the council flood viewer)

5. The cladding (using the photos)

If everything checks out, just go see the property, everything else is best evaluated on site.