BIC TIP #1164: NC Square Footage, Avoid Errors and Protect Clients

Listing agents hear it constantly: measure the house. Do not rely on the tax card, do not rely on the blueprints, follow the NC REC residential square footage guidelines. But this tip from Stephen Long is aimed at the other side of the deal. Buyer agents, you are also responsible for the accuracy of the square footage, and “the listing agent said so” is not a complete defense.

Listing Agents Measure. Buyer Agents Pay Attention.

The burden of measuring typically falls on the listing agent, and the expectation is that they measured the home properly using the Commission’s guidelines. That does not mean a buyer agent can switch off their eyes and their judgment when they walk through the front door.

Your buyer is relying on you. If the numbers in the listing do not match the home in front of you, that is something you need to notice and act on.

When It Just Feels Off

Stephen’s test is practical. If you walk in and the house feels grossly different than the reported square footage, you have three jobs. First, apprise your client. Second, apprise the listing agent. Third, measure it to verify.

As a rule of thumb, he says that if you feel it is off by more than about five percent, or a few hundred square feet or more, there is a high probability you are going to want to measure that thing and check it out. Square footage drives value, and value drives your client’s biggest financial decision.

Protect the Client and Yourself

Verifying square footage is not about catching the listing agent in a mistake. It is about making sure your client is getting exactly what they think they are getting. A buyer who pays for a certain amount of house and later discovers a big difference is going to have questions, and some of those questions may be pointed at you.

If you are not confident measuring to the Commission’s standards, talk with your broker-in-charge about getting comfortable with the guidelines or recommending that the buyer have it professionally measured during due diligence.

The Practical Takeaway

Buyer agents, trust but verify. Read the reported square footage before the showing, walk the home with that number in mind, and if it feels significantly off, speak up and measure. Tell your client, tell the listing agent, and put it in writing. A little tape measure work now beats a big problem after closing.