Workflow
Buyer brief
A short written summary of what a buyer wants — must-haves, deal-breakers, budget, area — used to drive search and prevent misalignment later.
A buyer brief is the single most leveraged document in a buyer-agent relationship. Done well, it forces the buyer to articulate trade-offs (carpet vs. hardwood, garage vs. yard, walkable vs. quiet) before they start touring — which is when those trade-offs get expensive.
A good brief is usually 4-8 sentences with explicit must-haves, explicit deal-breakers, a budget range with a stretch ceiling, and one paragraph on lifestyle context (kids, pets, commute, hobbies). Categorical lists (e.g. "modern kitchen, hardwood, no HOA") work better for AI-driven search than vague aesthetic descriptors.
The brief is also the cleanest reusable artifact across an active relationship — clone the same brief into each new search, then customize the 20% specific to that week.