One of the biggest concerns buyers have is how long it will take to find a home. They are not actually worried that it will take them a long time, i.e., 6 months or more. They are more concerned that their agent is going to pressure them into buying something before they are ready or will somehow limit them in terms of how many tours or showings they have.
This can be scary. Before you make one of the biggest investments of your life, you want to make sure that you can trust your adviser, and that the adviser is looking out for your best interest as opposed to a quick sale.
Normally, it only takes a couple months to find a home. I find that people usually need to see about 20 homes before they find something they like. However, some couples find a home the second weekend we go out. Others need to see 50 or more before they can make a decision. There is no singular process that everybody fits into. My husband, whom I love dearly, nearly drove me crazy looking for a home. We must have seen 75 homes before he was willing to make an offer on something. But, I was patient and understanding (most of the time 
).
A good buyer’s agent will understand your goals and work with you until those goals are met. A good buyer’s agent never pressures their clients to choose a specific home. I find that clients are not always able to articulate what they want, but they do know what they don’t want; and when the right home does come along, they recognize it. Pressure or advice from me is only going to make everybody uncomfortable.
This may seem counter-intuitive, but my expertise usually comes into play more in discounting a particular home rather than promoting it. I don’t want my clients to buy a lemon, and I don’t want to go through the process of a home inspection and attorney review with a home that is a bad bet.
As a professional Realtor, I want to anticipate problems and avoid them. For example, I showed some clients a piece of unfinished new construction a couple months ago. They loved the home; the curb appeal was to die for. The problem was the home was unfinished and overpriced. The price issue could be fixed through a low-ball offer and negotiation. But, after some research I found out that the home had been unfinished for some months and there were no immediate plans to finish it. The builder was out of state working on a new project. It became increasingly unclear whether the home would be completed in a timely manner. Just getting information was a challenge. I laid out my concerns to my clients, and they decided to pursue other possibilities. Sure enough, the next weekend we went out, they found a finished home they liked even more. It was also overpriced, but through negotiations and patience, the buyers wore down the seller and got a great deal.
An experienced agent knows how to anticipate challenges, obstacles, bad deals, et cetera. Now, even an experienced Realtor is not omniscient, but he or she should be pointing out advantages and disadvantages to various properties. If an agent is just selling, selling, selling, RUN. Inventory is high; there are more choices than ever; and there are opportunities for great deals. So, I can’t think of a reason for an agent to push a particular listing.
There are a lot of great real estate agents out there who sincerely want to create win-win transactions with you. If you’ve stumbled on an agent who is not like that, keep looking.
