Communications Lessons from Buying a Home

I love spreadsheets and to-do lists. So, when it came time for my husband and I to look for our first home, I naively assumed I was ready.  

But no number of spreadsheets nor lists are helpful when you don’t know what you don’t know. We did eventually find a home that we love, thanks in part to great communication between all parties. 

Our lessons learned are important for anyone navigating complex issues or trying to communicate their way through unknown territory – something we work on with our clients every day at Wixted & Company. 

Here are three tips from our home-buying experience that can be applied to everyday communication strategies and challenges: 

Find the experts. Surround yourself with people you trust. After a few frustrating showings where we were talked over and not listened to, we knew to trust our instincts and find a new realtor.  

A friend’s referral led us to our realtor, who matched our desires for transparency, expertise and bluntness. This realtor led us to our lender, who was – and continues to be – a wealth of information about mortgages, property taxes and more. 

At the point where you realize you’re in uncharted waters, it’s time to seek out the experts who can help. 

Ask questions. Because both of us had only ever rented, my husband and I went into the homebuying process blind. As a former journalist, I have a lot of questions. As a naturally outgoing person, my husband was ready and willing to hammer out details with our realtor and lender. 

Still, we felt in the dark. We always wondered if there was a step we were missing, a document we hadn’t provided, an unforeseen payment.  

So, even though I sometimes worried that we would be seen as annoying, we kept texting, calling and emailing our realtor and lender with every question that popped into our head.  

It is always better to ask the question than to push forward without all the information you need. 

Ladder up to your strategy. Everyone has so many wants and needs for their future home. Of course, not everything on your wish list is going to be possible (unless you have an unlimited budget, I’m assuming).  

Still, we drew a line in the sand about our deal breakers and must-haves because we understood the bigger picture of our homeownership goals. A few walls need to be painted? Not a problem. So close to your neighbor you can lean out your windows and shake hands? That’s a no-go. 

We advise the same at Wixted & Co. When an issue or crisis arises, we all have a natural knee-jerk response.  

But it’s important to pause: Remember your overall goals and be sure every tactic aligns. 

My husband and I are thrilled with our house, minor flaws and all. If we hadn’t found the experts that suited our needs, asked the questions that kept us informed or kept our bigger goals in mind throughout the process, I’m not sure we would have found our home. 

The same goes for your company’s communications strategy. Find the communications experts. Ask questions. Stay true to your business goals. You will come out the other side of an issue happy you had a strategy in place.