By Daniel Lalley
Special Contributor

Going through the wringer of a real estate purchase can lead you to some pretty unexpected places. After it’s all said and done, you might feel like you’ve taken crash courses through the colleges of business, government, investing, time management, even construction and contemporary design. The people come at you like professors, pretty much accustomed to the world of six-figure transactions and sales contracts. It’s been said that in the course of a single property purchase, you may encounter up to 60 people before the keys are handed over.

Having recently purchased a home myself, I can attest to the array of characters, colleagues, and even quacks who might find their way into the story of your real estate venture. Here, I’ll outline the usual suspects, so you know what to expect when entering the market.

The Buyer Agent 

The buyer agent is pretty much the first point of human contact in your house hunting adventure. Like any millennial, I found my agent by way of the internet. After browsing Zillow for potential property buys one weekend, I made an inquiry on their platform and had a phone call immediately thereafter – It was Anne, my agent.

From my experience, the agent is essentially the person who has access to all the homes and the people selling them. This person will take you through your potential picks, giving you advice on whether it’s a good deal or a bad decision. I can’t tell you the number of homes I turned down on my agent’s advice and I’m glad I did it as well. The agent has a wealth of perspective that most people just do not accumulate, and can tell you straight up whether you’re buying your dream home or a dump.

This person also drafts your offer. They help you put up earnest money and options and write about a novel of paperwork on your behalf even before you win your first property. They are essentially your greatest ally throughout.

Seller

You probably will never actually meet this person though you will receive their mail every now and then for the rest of your life. Worth noting.

Listing Agent

Yeah, I never really met the listing agents but heard about them through my buyer agent. They’re the people who list the home and represent the seller. Typically, you won’t talk with these people on the buyer end. I never did. If you go to an open house though, look for the really nervous-looking people trying to butt in on others’ conversations. Those are the listing agents.

Loan Officer

Ah, the loan officer. This person serves as the gatekeeper to the green, the dinero, or the dough you will need to borrow in order to close. My loan officer was a very kind person who got to know me and my wife up front. We submitted a bunch of information for preapproval and, once we got the endorsement from this banking institution, our loan officer was there 24/7 with answers to all kinds of questions – most commonly – “can we afford it?”

Once you begin the closing process, the loan officer bugs you for all kinds of information, but it’s great to have someone who knows the process and can collect all the necessary funding and fun stiff like tax returns, bank statements, credit checks, and closing costs for you.

Side Note: You will also meet a lot of people through the loan officer like admins, assistants, secretaries, etc.

Home Inspector 

As soon as you win a contract, you need to call a good home inspector to look at your home. This is the person who goes through your home with a fine-toothed comb to make sure the foundation is level, the plumbing is strong, the appliances work, the roof isn’t leaking, the locks are all enabled, and the structure is up to code. A thorough inspection will allow you to determine whether the house is in shape or not. If you encounter anything that wasn’t in the disclosure, you have the opportunity to ask for repairs or a decrease in price.

The Appraiser 

You probably won’t actually meet the appraiser but you will definitely be waiting for his report. Due to new real estate regulations, you can no longer pick your own appraiser. This person shows up pretty much unexpectedly and goes over the home to let you know what it is worth.

This can be really important for those who may have waived the appraisal in their offer and need to know how much the home value is so that they can anticipate how much money they will be paying upfront.

Insurance Agents 

Congrats, here’s another bill you will inherit upon your home purchase. You may go through several insurance agents looking for the best rate on homeowners insurance. Once you find the right one, you can probably expect a new Christmas card from them each year. That’s about the extent of your relationship there.  

Escrow Officer

One thing that is kind of confusing is your relationship with the title company. These are the people who help schedule your closing, receive all your wires, and basically put together the documents you will sign your life away on. On the day you close, you will be parked in a brightly lit room with one or two well-dressed individuals called escrow officers who will present a mountain of forms to you. You will sign them and will never see these people again. They may take your picture with an oversized key like you’ve just won something really substantial.

The Neighbors 

At some point, you should meet your new neighbors. It’s always good to try and keep a nice, casual relationship with those in close proximity. After all, you may need these people to call the cops suspicious activity around your house or just be cool when you’re trying to build a new privacy fence close to the property line.

The Pests 

Here’s a fair warning for you. Once the word gets out you bought a house, suddenly it seems like the whole world wants to be your friend. You’re going to get offers from service concierges, scam artists, sub-prime mortgage lenders, repairmen, roofers, interior designers –  you name it. While some of these contacts can be helpful, you should really beware of those trying to upcharge you for services or sell you certain aids like tax exemption forms which you can get for free online.

Eventually, the storm will die down but just be aware upfront.

Basically, as soon as you begin the process of home buying, your social circle will start to expand quickly. Thankfully, 98 percent of the people I have met along the way are wonderful folks and I really believe most people involved are in it to help.