I.e. putting in an expensive door knob is a good plan!
Whatever you wanted to hear to make them the most amount of money in the(ir) least amount of time.
They are the sellers agent.
You should not trust them a millimetre further than that.
(I bought my current house based on a spreadsheet analysis. Doorknobs are easy to replace, foundations, walls, electric, a lot harder.)
BTW, a so-so agent will lie to you. The ones on the top, however, are that way because they get repeat business.
P.S. Read books on salesmanship. It will inure you against slimy sales pitches.
I was confused by the parent post too. Perhaps they mean that you see the neighbourhood before you even see the house. A little like the first impression of the house is made before even seeing the actual house.
> All were compromises in various ways
That's true of just about everything.
Did we rule looking at something based on photos/descriptions? Yes, certainly.
You can learn a lot from such experiences. What to look for/what not to look for, etc. Sometimes the wrong location will have the right house and you can dial in precisely the things that matter to you so you waste less time on future showings.
Of course if you're highly experienced and on your 4th house purchase the value for your time may not be there. But I've found it quite useful over the years - especially when looking at different property types than I'm experienced with.