Keep to yourself
Don’t give them a timeframe: whether you’re looking to buy in a hurry or you’ve got more time up your sleeve, all a real estate agent really needs to know is you’re interested and shopping around.
No specific budget details: rather than sharing an upper limit, if you’re asked what your budget is, give them a reasonable price range, as they can inform you of upcoming sales in the areas you’re interested in. If your budget is $800K you might ask to see homes between $700K to $900K. This way they’ll show you properties above and below your budget, and you can keep your cards close to your chest.
That you’ve just missed out: you might be feeling a little raw about missing out on a house, but you don’t need to mention that. Try to leave your emotions at the door. The less emotional pressure you feel during the process, the more likely you’ll make the right decision in the long run.
How much you LOVE the place: keep that poker face on until you’re in your car and out of earshot. This will make it easier for you to play hard ball when it comes to negotiating a price. Because in the end, what we want is the dream home for the dream price, right?