A buyer consultation is a 45 to 60 minute first meeting with three jobs: understand the buyer, explain how buying works and what it costs, and agree on how you’ll work together. Send a short questionnaire first, ask more than you talk and keep your questions on the home and the budget. End with a clear next step and follow up the same day.
What the meeting is for
Since August 17, 2024, most agents need a written buyer agreement before touring a home with a buyer. The consultation is where a buyer decides whether to sign one with you. Give them what they need to decide: proof that you listened, a plain picture of the process and a straight answer on cost. State rules and broker policy vary, so check your forms with your broker.
Before the meeting
- Send a short questionnaire: a few minutes of their time gives you answers to build the meeting around.
- Ask about pre-approval: find out if they’ve talked to a lender and what price range they were given.
- Pull local numbers: look up prices and sales in the areas they named.
- Send your agreement: a blank copy lets them read it without pressure.
Questions to ask
- Timing and motivation: Why are you buying now? When do you want to move in? Is there a lease ending or a home to sell first?
- Money: Have you been pre-approved, and for how much? What monthly payment are you comfortable with? How much cash have you set aside for the down payment and closing costs?
- The home: What must it have? What would be nice? What rules a home out? How much repair work are you willing to take on?
- The area: Which areas have you looked at? Where do you need to get to each day? What do you want close by?
- Communication: Do you prefer text, calls or email? How often? When are you free to tour?
- Decision-makers: Who else will be on the loan or the title? Does anyone else need to see a home before you decide?
Keep your questions inside fair housing rules
Ask about the property and the budget, not about the people. The Fair Housing Act protects race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status and national origin, and many states add more.
- Ask about features: “How many bedrooms do you need?” and “Do you need a bedroom on the ground floor?” are fine. Questions about children, marriage, religion, where someone is from or a disability are not.
- Let the buyer name the areas: if they ask you to pick “a good neighborhood”, or ask who lives there, don’t answer with an opinion. Point them to objective sources, such as school district and police department websites and market data by ZIP code, and let them choose.
- Don’t steer: never guide a buyer toward or away from an area because of who lives there.
This is general information, not legal advice. Fair housing in advertising: words to avoid has more.
What to explain
- The process and timeline: the steps from pre-approval to closing, and how long each tends to take locally.
- Costs: cash to close and the monthly payment at their price.
- The offer environment: how fast homes are selling and how much competition to expect, without promising any result.
- The agreement and your fee: what you charge, who may pay it and what happens if a seller offers less. See how to explain your commission to buyers.
The buyer presentation builder gives you an outline with talking points for this part. The buyer presentation: what to cover explains each piece.
A 45 to 60 minute agenda
These times are a suggested format, not a rule. For a 45 minute meeting, take time out of the process and money parts.
| Minutes | Part | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Welcome | Say what you’ll cover and ask what they most want answered. |
| 5 to 20 | Your questions | Go through the groups above. Take notes. |
| 20 to 35 | Process and market | Steps, timeline and local numbers. |
| 35 to 45 | Money | Pre-approval, cash to close and monthly payment. |
| 45 to 55 | Fee and agreement | Your fee in dollars, who may pay it and the agreement terms. |
| 55 to 60 | Next steps | Agree on what happens next and when. |
End with a next step, then follow up
Don’t let the meeting end on “we’ll be in touch”. Agree on at least one of these:
- The agreement: signed now, or a shorter or single-property agreement if they want to start small.
- A lender introduction: give more than one option and let the buyer choose. Under RESPA, you can’t accept anything of value for referring a lender. See what RESPA allows.
- A first tour date: put it on both calendars.
Follow up the same day. Send a short email with what you heard, the documents you promised and the date of the next step. The follow-up templates give you a starting point.
To meet more buyers, see how to get buyer leads. For what to do after the sale, read closing gifts: what to spend and what you can deduct.
Common questions
What questions should I ask in a buyer consultation?
Ask about timing and motivation, money and pre-approval, what the home must have, which areas they’re considering, how they like to communicate and who else is part of the decision.
How long should a buyer consultation take?
Plan for 45 to 60 minutes. That’s a suggested format, not a rule.
What can’t I ask a buyer under fair housing rules?
Don’t ask about protected characteristics such as familial status, religion, national origin or disability. Ask about the property and the budget, and if a buyer asks about a neighborhood, point them to objective sources and let them choose.
Updated October 2026. General information for real estate professionals, not legal, tax or financial advice. Prices, platform rules and program terms change, so confirm them at the source.