As a real estate agent, you're familiar with the questions first-time home buyers ask, so why aren't you using them to your advantage? Now is the time to update the emails, texts, and videos to include topics that will help resolve common problems first-time homeowners will experience in their homes. Solving homeowner problems will help nurture them into referrals and return clients.

You will be the go-to real estate agent when you educate first-time homebuyers on how to solve common problems with their home. Think about problems your home buyers have mentioned to you and then create emails, texts, videos, and infographics to share with them to address issues with their homes. Please start with the following common home issues and suggested verbiage to help your clients handle them before they become more significant problems.

• Mold in the bathroom
• Cracks in the ceiling
• Leaky basement

"Should I be concerned about mold in the bathroom?"

Mold can lead to serious health problems and should be addressed immediately. If mold develops in your bathroom, here are two approaches to help you safely remove it.  

Clean moldy bathtub caulking with products formulated especially for the problem, like Tilex Mold and Mildew. Before using a mold-eliminating product, put on a mask, wear eye protection, and turn on the bathroom fan.  

If the mold comes back, scrape it off the caulk and see if there's mold underneath. If not, clean the area with a 1:3 water/bleach solution or Tilex, let it dry for at least 30 minutes, then re-caulk with a new bathroom-mold-and-mildew-resistant caulk.

If mold is underneath the caulking, it's time to call a professional to ensure you don't have mold growing in the walls. Avoid using the bathroom, as mold can cause serious health issues. I recommend __________ as I have used his expertise numerous times. He is quick to respond to calls and guarantees his work.

A homeowner may not know where to start when resolving a severe mold issue, so if you can provide the name of a local professional, it will be most helpful. You could also offer suggestions for a better bathroom fan, like a heater fan, that will quickly dry out the bathroom after a shower.

"My ceiling has cracks, especially where walls meet the ceiling. Should I be worried?"

When you live in an older house, it's not unusual to see cracks form across the ceiling or where the ceiling meets the wall. The house settling or cooler weather may cause these cracks. Typically these are hairline cracks that can be repaired.  

If you want to fix the ceiling cracks, try using paintable acrylic or latex caulk. Caulk is flexible and will likely respond best as the house settles more over time. Caulk the ceiling crack, then wipe the excess with your finger while wearing a latex glove. Let the caulking dry, then paint the area. Silicone caulk performs the best but may only be available in white. 

If the ceiling crack is more than a hairline crack, you may want to talk to a professional to see if more is going on in your house besides settling. I recommend __________. Multiple clients have used his services in the past and were greatly satisfied with the results. 

"My basement walls are damp, and sometimes there's water on the floor. Can I fix the problem myself, or do I need to hire a professional?"

Leaky basement walls aren't unusual when you live in an older home. Back in the day, basements weren't built with the waterproofing capabilities we have today. As a homeowner, you have two areas to consider to resolve a leaky basement: the interior and exterior of your home.

If you have tiny cracks in your basement walls and see moisture around them, it might be more of an exterior problem than an interior problem. Here are a few things to consider outside your home if you've got dampness inside your basement.

• The ground near the house needs to be graded/pitched away from the house. Proper grading keeps water moving away from your foundation.
• Any downspouts need to be directed away from your foundation. Adding an extender to the downspout will reroute water further away from your house.
• Check your roof gutters to ensure they are not clogged, contributing to more water flowing over the edge, along your foundation, and into your basement.
• If you have a sump pump discharging near the outside of your house and you see leakage in your basement near that area, it may need to be rerouted.

As you can see, sometimes it's a matter of addressing problems on the exterior of your house to resolve leaky basement problems. Suppose these suggestions eliminate the moisture in your basement. In that case, you can paint the interior walls with a sealer, like DrylokⓇ paint, to prevent water from entering the basement in the future.  

If none of these solutions resolve the leaky basement problem, call a professional who may find it necessary to install a waterproof membrane around the exterior of your foundation. A waterproof membrane is a more costly alternative but one that might be necessary to prevent basement moisture and future water damage.

Another tip is to mark the cracks in your basement walls and watch for changes or shifts. Use a pencil or marker to draw a horizontal line across the crack (first photo below). If you check the crack a few months later and see that it has shifted (second photo) or the crack has opened more, you'll want to contact a specialist. I recommend __________. Many of my clients have used his services in the past and were greatly satisfied with the results. 

Conclusion

Many first-time homeowners don't know who to go to about home problems.   When you become the real estate agent who always has answers to first-time homeowner issues, your clients will consider you someone they can rely on and trust.  Let your client know when a home project can be DIY'd and when a professional should be contacted to resolve the problem.  When you post helpful problem-solving content to first-time homebuyers, your reputation will precede you and improve your chances of generating repeat clients and referrals.

TIP:  If you're looking for content that will help first-time homeowners, look on Quora and Reddit.com.  Search "house", "home", "new home", or similar, and you will find more material to write about than you could have ever imagined.