“The early-bird gets the worm” is a popular expression. Indeed, there are many examples in life when being early, or even first in line, gives you an advantage.

Real estate is one of them.

When shopping for a new home, being among the first to learn about a new listing benefits you in several ways:

• You have more time to see the property and make a decision.
• You might be able to make an early offer.
• You’re under less pressure to make a decision quickly.

Overall, by finding out about a new listing early, you improve your chances of getting the property.

How do you get the early-bird advantage?

If you scour the internet for new listings, you can still miss opportunities. For example, “Coming soon” listings may not yet be published on the MLS. A better strategy is to arrange to be alerted to new listings and coming-soon opportunities the moment they come up. That way, you’re always the early-bird and your likelihood of finding and buying your next dream home increases.