Early this spring my girlfriend and I took “the leap” and began actively and seriously looking into buying our first home. So it is with a new sense of credibility and certainty that I can confirm what I’ve often heard before: Buying a home is the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life. With that being said, I can also report that I’ve never been more excited, thrilled or proud! As bipolar as it may seem, the conglomeration of these mixed feelings are completely normal when dealing with the complexities and large financial commitments associated with purchasing a home.

So it came as no surprise to me when the results of a recent Google Consumer Survey we conducted began to trickle in. A representative sample of Americans (who had bought a home previously) aged 25 and up confirmed that the number one thing they valued and found most important when working with a real estate company was TRUST.

As home buyers and sellers we put a lot of faith in the real estate professionals and companies we work with. We put faith in them to advise us ethically and capably, to advocate and go to bat for us, and to educate and help us make the best possible decision for our families. They help us find our homes, and what’s more important than that? We essentially put the financial and emotional well being of our families in the hands of the real estate professionals we work with.

I’ve experienced the value and importance of working with a real estate professional you trust first hand. My girlfriend and I moved into an apartment together for the first time last year and chose to rent while we saved money and acclimated to our new living situation. When we were notified a few months ago that our Condo was being put up for sale, we reached out to a Coldwell Banker agent to speak about setting up a plan to buy our first home in a year or so. I initially didn’t think we were ready to buy just yet, but I put my trust in my Realtor who educated us on why we were absolutely ready to be homeowners. As apprehensive as I was at the start, we’re currently just a few weeks away from closing on a home in my favorite city for essentially what we pay in rent now.

My first home buying experience is emblematic of how working with a trustworthy company is of the utmost importance. That’s why I’m so proud to work for a company whose singular purpose for the past 106+ years has been rooted in earning and keeping the trust of the consumer by delivering exceptional service.

Trust is something we’ve talked about numerous times on this blog because it’s at the forefront of our minds at Coldwell Banker Real Estate. Colbert Coldwell started this company at a time when real estate people were untrustworthy after the horrendous San Francisco earthquake of 1906 when records were destroyed and some saw it as an easy way to devalue people’s properties. We talked about trusting a brand and the importance of trust in a relationship especially with a significant purchase like buying a home. Trust is at the core of who we’ve been for the past century, and I have zero doubt that it will be a part of the fabric of our culture for the next 100 years and beyond.

Take a look at the Slideshare presentation below for a closer look at the results from the Google Consumer Survey we recently commissioned. As the recent MediaPost story put it, our simple formula for championing the customer through superior service is tied to our understanding of what they think and feel, and marrying that with what we do best as a brand.

As an employee I already knew it, but as a first-time homebuyer I now feel it. I’m in good hands.