#34: The Counterintuitive Path to Finding Your Dream Home with Scott Harris
September 30, 2025
The act of buying a home is often accompanied by the word ‘journey’ and rightly so - it’s a process that can overwhelm you and empower you. If you want more of the latter, the latest episode of The Pursuit of Home, will do the trick. Host Scott Harris goes solo, sharing crucial lessons learned from two decades of guiding homebuyers to success. Drawing from his new book, Scott reveals why finding the right home is more than just a transaction - it's an emotional and psychological journey that requires the right preparation, mindset, and support team. Think of this episode as a playbook for home-buying. Listen in and you'll discover how to navigate common challenges, from getting off the couch to managing relationship dynamics, and why believing in miracles might just be the most practical approach to real estate.
If you want to make the most of the journey, grab a copy of Scott’s latest book, The Pursuit of Home, out on the 14th of October and now available for pre-order! Get your copy here: https://pursueyourhome.com/book/
If you or someone you know is a homebuyer with a story to share, we'd love to hear from you! Book your recording slot here: The Pursuit of Home with Scott Harris Recording - Scott Harris: https://calendly.com/scottieharris/the-pursuit-of-home-with-scott-harris-recording
The act of buying a home is often accompanied by the word ‘journey’ and rightly so - it’s a process that can overwhelm you and empower you. If you want more of the latter, the latest episode of The Pursuit of Home will do the trick. Host Scott Harris goes solo, sharing crucial lessons learned from two decades of guiding homebuyers to success. Drawing from his new book, Scott reveals why finding the right home is more than just a transaction - it's an emotional and psychological journey that requires the right preparation, mindset, and support team.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to overcome initial home-buying inertia and build momentum toward your goal
- The essential framework for aligning couples' visions and expectations in the home-buying process
- Why choosing the right real estate coach matters more than finding a traditional agent
- How to develop and refine your home criteria through practical experience
- The "Vision Evolution" principle for understanding how your home preferences will naturally shift
- Why emotional readiness is as crucial as financial preparation in home buying
Scott Harris is a seasoned real estate expert and author of "The Pursuit of Home: A Real Estate Guide to Achieving the American Dream." With over two decades of experience and $2 billion in real estate transactions, he has developed deep insights into the psychological and emotional aspects of home buying. As a trusted advisor in the New York real estate market, Scott specializes in guiding buyers through the complex emotional journey of finding their perfect home. His expertise goes beyond traditional real estate transactions, focusing on the transformational aspects of home buying and the importance of building strong agent-client relationships. Through his work and new book, Scott helps aspiring homeowners navigate the challenges of home buying while providing practical strategies for achieving their American Dream.
If you want to make the most of the journey, grab a copy of Scott’s latest book, The Pursuit of Home, out on the 14th of October and now available for pre-order! Get your copy here: https://pursueyourhome.com/book/
If you or someone you know is a homebuyer with a story to share, we'd love to hear from you! Book your recording slot here: The Pursuit of Home with Scott Harris Recording - Scott Harris: https://calendly.com/scottieharris/the-pursuit-of-home-with-scott-harris-recording
Episode Highlights:
05:02 Find an Agent Who’s a Coach
Scott reveals that homebuyers need a coach more than just a traditional real estate agent. While market knowledge and transaction skills are important, the emotional support and guidance through the psychological journey of home buying is far more critical. The right agent should create a safe space where buyers can express their fears and concerns openly, treating stress and uncertainty as normal parts of the process, and buyers should look for an agent who demonstrates emotional intelligence and has extensive experience helping others through similar transitions.
09:57 What You Want in a Home Is Bound to Change
Scott emphasizes that your initial home wishlist will inevitably change throughout the search process. Many buyers discover that homes meeting all their criteria on paper may not emotionally resonate when viewed in person, while unexpected properties might spark genuine excitement. So, the key is to treat your initial criteria as a working draft, knowing full well that it will be refined through actual home viewings and market exposure. In fact, making offers, even on homes that only partially match your criteria, can provide invaluable emotional feedback about what truly matters to you.
13:16 How Emotional Baggage Shows Up in Home Buying
Scott explains how personal emotional baggage inevitably follows buyers into their home search, whether it's money fears, trust issues, or general anxiety about major life changes. For couples especially, these underlying concerns can surface during the home-buying process, potentially creating unexpected obstacles even when finances and logistics are perfectly aligned. The solution lies in acknowledging these issues upfront and building a support team that can help navigate both practical and emotional challenges.
16:38 Miracles Happen, If You Believe in Them
Scott shares how successful home buying requires believing in possibilities despite challenging market conditions or personal doubts. While many buyers focus on obstacles like high rates or limited inventory, maintaining optimism and trust in the process is crucial for success. Experienced agents consistently witness "miracle stories" where perfect homes materialize just when buyers are ready to give up, demonstrating how persistence and belief can overcome seemingly impossible market conditions.
Episode Resources:
Episode Resources:
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