Your REALTOR® knows your neighbourhood and assesses market conditions and property values on a daily basis and has been educated on the complex laws and regulations in real estate to put together a legally binding contract.
How REALTORS® Help
KNOWLEDGE
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Through courses, workshops and other professional development, a REALTOR® maintains a high level of current knowledge about real estate.
MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE®
Only REALTORS® have access to the Multiple Listing Service®, the single most powerful tool for buying and selling a home. With a REALTOR® you can access extensive information for thousands of listings and better evaluate the market.
PROFESSIONALISM
Your home is your most valued asset. When dealing with the most important transaction of your life, you can count on the help of a professional who has committed to serve with integrity and competence.
Are you a buyer?
Home buying is a complex process that can be daunting. You’ll find hundreds of potential properties advertised on dozens of Canadian websites. But which one is right for you?
With a REALTOR®, you can find not just a house, but a home. They can guide you through every step, explaining the market, the process and the paperwork. And when it’s time to make an offer, a REALTOR® can negotiate on your behalf.
Remember, a REALTOR® works for you and must, by law, look after your best interests. So explore around and learn how a REALTOR® can help you find what you’re looking for.
Are you a seller?
Go it alone or use a REALTOR®?
The fact is, most people who try to sell their own home end up using a REALTOR® in the end anyway. Before anybody decides to fly solo through this complex, time consuming and financially perilous process, they should consider these questions.
Will you really “save” the real estate commission?
When buyers see a home for sale “by the owner”, they see a bargain. They imagine the REALTOR’S® fee going into their pocket, not yours.
Are you familiar with real estate law?
Complicated and ever-changing real estate law governs nearly every phase of selling your home. One misstep, and an entire deal can fall through, or worse, result in a lawsuit.
How many potential buyers will you reach?
Selling a home takes more than just hanging a “For Sale” sign. How will you promote your home? Will you write your own ads? How will you use the Internet, knowing that you’ll have no access to the cooperative service available through the Multiple Listing Service®. MLS® and the corresponding web site www.REALTOR.ca have changed the way people search for homes, and it’s hard to court buyers without it.
Do you have the time?
Promoting a home is a full time job, and you may already have one. Will you be able to take calls at any time? How about screening the callers to figure out if they’re suitable candidates? Not everybody who calls is even suitable to walk through your home, but how do you tell?
Do you know the market well enough to get the most for your home?
Lacking years of experience, the average do-it-yourselfer is merely guessing at their listing price. Often they set the price too low and miss out on thousands of dollars, or they price their home too high and drive away willing buyers.
Do you have the negotiation skills to keep a deal on track?
When an offer comes in, emotions can run high with so much money on the line. This is why direct seller-to-buyer deals often end in disaster. REALTORS® keep it professional and are indispensable when it comes to bargaining with buyers.