A Real Estate Agent’s “Buick” Testimonial

Image via Wikipedia

While my husband and I haven’t purchased a house yet (because well, it’s too darn expensive in D.C.), we do have a real estate agent. We go to him for home-buying expertise, and recently, he came to me for car-buying advice.  Now, that’s what I call a symbiotic relationship!My agent, John, had a dilemma; his 80-year-old mother suddenly needed newer, more reliable transportation.  She lives in the mid-Atlantic region, which receives its fair share of seasonal snow, and she wanted a car that could behave respectably in bad weather and drive comfortably.  John’s mom didn’t require all the “bells and whistles,” she just wanted something functional, easy to maneuver, with good mileage and solid crash ratings.  Oh, and there was one more non-negotiable criterion – it had to be a GM product. (There goes my Subaru pitch.)

I steered John and his mother toward the 2010 Buick Regal. (Confession:  I’m pretty sure that this was my first time seriously recommending a domestic brand vehicle… ever.  Call it a play by clever advertising or just inspiration that GM really is improving its product lineup.)  I told him that depending upon his timeline they could wait for the 2012 model year Regal GS that comes standard with all-wheel-drive.  But they needed a new vehicle sooner than that.

I referred John to previous posts from BCC to educate him on the dealership experience and the benefits of considering a certified pre-owned vehicle.  Turns out he is an excellent student. He read all of my advice and visited the car websites I recommended to him for researching vehicles.

Only a few days later, he notified me that they had found an excellent deal on a CPO 2010 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ. They negotiated an out-the-door price (one that includes all taxes, tags, and doc fees), and even got a good deal on his mother’s trade-in vehicle.

While he didn’t buy a Buick, they did find a GM product that matched their needs in size, safety, and fuel economy.  Because they were able to find a 2010 model year that had been previously owned, they saved about $4,000 more than buying brand-new.Within a week or so, John’s mother became the happy new driver of a car that fit her qualifications perfectly. He even got a life lesson out of this experience. John told me, “This is a good illustration about how children can help their parents through major purchases later in life.”

This goes to show that with proper research and tools in hand, anyone can get a great deal and walk away from their local dealership a happy customer.