What College Tours Have Taught Me About Buying a House (And Vice Versa)

This month I went to South Carolina with my daughter for her first college tour trip. Three schools. Three different towns. And I have to tell you — as a real estate professional, I cannot stop seeing the parallels.

Because finding the right college? It's almost exactly like finding the right home.

Start Wide. Then Narrow.

We're casting a wide geographic net on purpose. Three schools, three different vibes, three communities we know almost nothing about yet. We had coffee at a local café, watched who walked by, ate where the locals eat, and got a feel for what life actually looks like there. Is this a place where my daughter could see herself thriving?

Sound familiar? It should. That's exactly what I tell every buyer I work with. Before you fall in love with a house, fall in love — or out of love — with the neighborhood. Walk the streets. Sit at the coffee shop on the corner. What's the energy? Who are your neighbors going to be? Real estate is not just a structure on a lot. It's a life you're stepping into.

This is the fact-finding phase. No decisions. Just information.

Getting Pre-Approved vs. Getting Your Financial Aid Picture

Before we toured a single building, we sat down and did the math. What can we afford? What will the student loans look like? What are the monthly payments going to be — and for how long?

If that sounds familiar, it's because it's the same conversation I have with every buyer before we ever set foot in a home. Getting pre-approved isn't about dampening excitement. It's about clarity. It's about walking through a front door knowing you belong there — because the numbers say so. When you skip this step, you end up falling in love with something that was never really in reach, and that hurts.

Know your number first. Every time.

The Admissions Process Is a Bidding War

Here's where it gets really interesting. My daughter is building her application. Her grades, her activities, her essay, the things that make her stand out in a pool of thousands of other applicants competing for the same spot.

In real estate, that's your offer. Your pre-approval, your terms, your ability to be flexible on closing, the way your offer is presented. In a competitive market, you're not just buying a house — you're competing for it. And just like college admissions, the seller (or the admissions committee) is asking: Why you? What makes you the right fit?

And just like in real estate — if you don't get in, there is always another school. There is always another house. The right one doesn't always show up first. Sometimes it shows up after the rejection that redirected you somewhere better.

The Tour Is the Showing

You can look at a floor plan or a brochure all day long. But you don't know until you walk in. Does it feel right? Can you picture your life here? Does something feel off even though you can't name it? That instinct matters. I tell my buyers to trust it. I'm telling my daughter the same thing.

The tour is where the data meets the gut. And both have a vote.

I became a real estate agent because I've lived this — moved more times than I can count, bought, sold, rented, renovated, and started over. I know what it feels like to stand in a house and just know. I know what it feels like to compromise and regret it.

I'm hoping my daughter finds that feeling on this trip. And I'll be watching — not just as her mom, but as the person who's spent her career helping people find the place where they belong.

I'll keep you posted.