Why I need a REALTOR® and How to Choose one?

This should speak to both you as a Buyer or Seller and the real estate Agents out there.

From time to time I search out feedback from the industry, like NAR (National Association of REALTORS®), CREA (The Canadian Real Estate Association), focus groups, consumer advocates and the like, asking what people are looking for in a REALTOR®, why they should use a REALTOR®. I also ask our REALTORS® what they do on a regular basis to ensure they continue to serve their clients successfully.  What is very interesting to me is how similar the lists are.

The Public's Wish List	REALTOR® Routines
1. I want an agent that works full time. Full service means the agent is working for me. Full time agents are better prepared to resolve problems, ensure current market influences are considered and that influences from changes in the industry considered.	1. Get up and go to work every day- and be Seen! Stay on top of continued education statistical reviews and market changes. I need to budget time to work ON my business, not just IN it.
2. I want a tech-savvy agent. Most home transactions today begin on the Internet.	2. I regularly search my listings on the net to be sure search engines are finding my inventory. I send those results and ad copies out to the sellers and buyers looking for that type of property. I Ensure my Buyers wish lists are set up in automated searches so we have instant knowledge when new properties hit the market. In this day and age, people expect information the moment that it becomes available.
3. I want an agent with passion, enthusiasm and dedication. This is the agent, who goes the extra mile to get the best results, even when the going gets tough. Ask “how will you communicate with me?”.	3. I care enough to Communicate with the client in the manner they wish – through social media, phone, email or in person, on a regular basis. My clients want to be involved and informed. Regular communication can help me build a relationship and know their life goals, passions and needs so I can guide them towards the perfect home for their chosen life style.
4. Get an agent that is market savvy. I like getting sales in a given neighbourhood. They reveal geographic market smarts that can save me money. Knowledge is the key.	4. I consistently review CMA’s for the areas of my inventory. Open House Open House Open House – exposes the inventory but also ensures I’m up to date on Market values and neighbourhood trends.
5. Get an agent who is creative. Look for someone who can write purchase offers that excite a seller and satisfy the buyer. ASK How will you market my home?	5. I believe professional photos or videos are very important – On a regular basis I blog, tweet and facebook my inventory out to reach a wide demographic. I share industry newsletters and trends so my clients are well informed.
6. Get a team player. A real estate agent with a network of professionals at his disposal can take the screws out of finding a good handyman, insurance agent, mortgage broker, home inspector or a variety of other home buying and owning professionals I will need. Can they lead me through the whole process?	6. It’s important I share information on the process and community – not just sell a house. I have cultivated professionals in all the support services required for clients in order to help them have a smooth transition into their new neighbourhood.
7. Get a well-respected agent. Other agents make deals with agents they respect, trust and with whom they enjoy working.	7. I network with colleagues on a daily basis and enjoy being involved in community and charitable fund raising events.
8. Get the scoop on your agent. References! Ask to speak to past and present clients and ask to review multiple listing service® (MLS®) reports of his or her sales.	8. After every transaction, my office sends out a Customer Satisfaction Survey for my clients to complete – confidentially if they choose. It gives my Broker the opportunity, as well as me – to ensure I am providing the services to the caliber my clients require. The feedback is always helpful and appreciated. I share those reports from past clients with future ones.
9. Find an experienced agent – how many clients are they currently working with? An experienced Agent will know the right questions to ask regarding the home, neighbourhood, financing, etc.  They have strong relationships with lenders they trust. ASK how they get paid.	9. With every client I review Agency, my obligations and duties to them and the process of the transaction to come – We discuss my extended support services and my compensation so they understand how our relationships gets me paid.
10. I need an agent I can trust. Tell me the truth about my home – offer valued guidance and help me measure value, location and my affordability.	10. I’m not a salesman – I’m a trusted adviser and facilitator. Arming myself with constant inventory knowledge, community trends and economics all come into play as I build trusted relationships with my clients. I work toward earning their referred business of family and friends.

The following information is offered through CREA – the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Does your REALTOR® Have the answers to these in their  personal brochure or profile?

Here are 10 smart questions to ask. But remember, this is just a starting point. Your REALTOR® should be willing to answer any questions you have. After all, that's why you hire the pros.

1.    How long have you been in the business?

2.    What is your average list-to-sales-price ratio?

3.    How will your marketing plan meet my needs?

4.    Will you provide references?

5.    What separates you from your competition?

6.    May I review documents that I will be asked to sign?

7.    Can you help me find other professionals?

8.    How much do you charge?

9.    What if I'm unhappy with the service?

10.  What haven't I asked you that I need to know? 

Why should I hire a REALTOR®?

You trust a REALTOR® with your most valuable possession, your home. REALTORS® take this responsibility very seriously. Here's what they promise you:

1.   Your REALTOR® is a trained professional

REALTORS® take extensive pre-licensing courses in order to obtain credentials for practicing in real estate.

2.   Your REALTOR® is continuously trained

REALTORS® keep pace with the times by taking continuing education courses to upgrade their knowledge on a broad range of real estate related issues in order to be able to continue to provide consumers with current advice.

3.   Your REALTOR® does everything by the book

A REALTOR® must be registered under provincial laws that govern exactly how real estate can and cannot be traded. These regulations are your legal guarantee of professional behavior.

4.   Your REALTOR® is an ethical businessperson

REALTORS® must adhere to the extensive Code of Ethics of the Canadian Real Estate Association. Several provinces have additional codes of ethics governing real estate professionals. Your interests must always be put first.

5.   Opportunity for recourse

Should you have concerns about the professional behavior of a REALTOR®, provincial regulators and your local real estate board or association take these matters very seriously and work quickly to resolve any issues.

6.   Your REALTOR® has access to a local Board's MLS® System

A Board's MLS® system is the single most powerful tool for buying and selling a home. Your REALTOR® can provide you with exclusive features of the Board's MLS® System, such as immediate notification when new properties are listed. You don't have to wait for it to be posted on a web site.

When the going gets "Tough"...just call me.

Susan Tough

First Time Home Buyers Week...Coldwell Banker

There seems to be a week for everything these days, but very few of them prove to be valuable for more than just a week. So Coldwell Banker® With 30% of home buyers in 2013 being first time home buyers, they are dedicating an entire week of content on the Coldwell Banker Blue Matter blog, Twitter and Facebook pages to sharing tips, explaining terminology, and guiding first time home buyers through the real estate process.  We will also post this info to our Facebook page as it filters through to us.

The Coldwell Banker network of agents and brokers across the globe share insights as well as real life experiences from first time buyers who are currently going through the home buying process for the first time. In my Blog of September 8, 2011  “Out of the Mouths of Babes” I review some of these topics from the perspective of my daughter – who just bought her first house.  Even though inventory and markets change, the basics haven’t changed much at all –Here’s just a quick sample of some of the content I’ll be unveiling as it comes through:

• 8 Tips for Finding Your First Home
• Confessions of a First Time Home Buyer – Taking the Leap
• Common Closing Costs for Buyers
• Real Estate 101: What does it mean to be pre-approved?
• Real Estate 101: The Importance of Interest Rates
• 9 Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector

As an aside to the First Time Home Buyer Week – there have been reports generated from surveys that show a very interesting trend in young couples entering the real estate market.

When headlines address the home buying market, it’s typically done from a dollars-and-cents perspective. But, buying a home is so much more than a business transaction as we are seeing a shift in the real estate culture that is being led by millennial couples who are purchasing a home before marriage. Buying a home is one of the most emotionally impact-ful experiences a person can have, especially if it’s a mutual experience shared with one’s husband or wife (to be).

Coldwell Banker Real Estate partnered with market research firm Harris Interactive to learn more about the emotions married adults exhibit during the home buying process. As it turns out, the survey findings revealed that 1 in 4 young couples are buying a home together before tying the knot. The results also discovered that nearly all (92 percent) of married individuals who purchased their first home with their current spouse after being married view it as a positive milestone in their relationship and life together. From a psychological vantage point, these statistics make complete sense.

Purchasing a home is a very exciting and special time in a couple’s life.  Time.com and USA Today, have been seen to say buying a home together has become “the new engagement ring” for some young couples. The home buying process forces couples to deal with their competing feelings of money and how to spend it, and that is why successfully purchasing a home with someone else is deemed a significant accomplishment in any relationship. It means the couple has been able to overcome their differences in an effort to create a better future together.

We Believe

The grass is not always greener on the other side – it’s just a different shade of green – with different characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. When you are looking for representation –it’s the details that will take you down the path.

A trusted real estate agent provides experienced counsel, guidance and unparalleled local expertise. Although they don’t have a law degree – their detailed knowledge of contracts can provide you with protection as you move forward in a real estate transaction. 

For first-time home buyers, the first step can be one of the most intimidating.  For the seasoned buyer or seller – you may think you know it all. Things change – all the time – a REALTOR® is required to take Continued Education Courses and is provided with counsel from their industry, lawyers and most importantly, their Broker.

The professionals at Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty have provided the following tips to identifying the right real estate professional: 

Ask around: 

 Friends and family can be the first source of helpful information.  Referrals are the leading source of finding an agent.  If you’re new to the area or don’t have references, you should feel free to contact the manager of the local Coldwell Banker® office - that’s me.  Once you explain your situation and needs, I will be able to suggest a few names of Agents that would meet the qualities you feel you could relate to.

Questions for potential candidates:
As you meet potential agents, you should feel empowered to determine if the agent’s personality and skills are a good match.  Some of the key questions that might help you make a decision include:

• What is your experience in Kelowna or West Kelowna?
• What is the average price point of homes that you help people buy and sell?
• Could I speak with some of your past or current clients for a reference?
• Tell me about the brokerage firm you work with.  How long has it been around?
• What tools do you employ to help get the job done?

Examine their on-line presence:  

Many real estate professionals are especially savvy when it comes to marketing themselves (or their listings) on-line.  They list their areas of speciality.   If the person is highly-visible and socially active on-line, it is also a good indicator that he or she is connected to the right tools and technology that come in handy for home buyers or sellers. Don’t be afraid to inquire about their experience using video when it comes to real estate.  Cutting edge agents can point you toward video tours, community videos and more to give you a real life sense of the areas you are considering.  Those same tools that might help the Buyer buy – will help the Seller sell – as they will attract the rights buyers to your property.  

Ultimate Service® is a program available to all Coldwell Banker Agents. It provides the consumer a true measurement of service to be provided to them, an opportunity to let us know how we did and the ability to terminate our relationship if the REALTOR® doesn't follow through with the service commitments promised.  For 17 years we have had a 98% Customer Satisfaction approval rating.  Our past clients are telling you, you've made the right decision if you choose a Coldwell Banker Agent.

Go with your gut:
After consulting with friends and family, reading some testimonials, doing research and looking on-line, your instincts are often right on.  You will have a good “gut” feeling as to whether a person will be a good fit for the house-hunting /selling process.  It’s a home – not a house – “We Believe” in family life, community living, neighbours and neighbourhoods, “We Believe your home is your castle”   Finding the right one becomes easy when you find the right REALTOR®.

Coldwell Banker 

When the going gets "Tough"...just call me.

Susan Tough

Stage this Home and Sell it...

There are many cliché’s or motivational anecdotes out there that can help us through life.

“you will miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”

"There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulty or you alter yourself to meet them."

"Focus on the critical few, not the insignificant many…. Even the most powerful waves begin as a single drop."

"Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined to".  

"A positive attitude is a powerful force…. It can’t be stopped."  

"One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling 
blocks."  

"If you do not believe – you won’t achieve"

One in particular stands out for me because it can be applied to all facets of life – your friends, your business, your job, your yard and your Home.

“You only have One chance to Make a good first impression” 

Think about it as you move through your day working on accomplishing specific tasks, meeting new people, how you are served in a new restaurant you might try or by a service provider – your drycleaner – the appliance repair man.  Whether or not you have a memorable experience you may or may not return.  What about that impression your home made on a Buyer contemplating a move to your area or price range.

Home Stager’s have become a very important and useful service connection for the Real Estate industry and home owners – in all price ranges.  I’e invited one of our favourite “stagers” to share her valuable advice in my Blog today.

Guest Blogger - Kym Tarr with
Prep this House

Home Staging –Get Your Home Sale Ready!

The stresses caused by the showing and selling your home, some say is right up there with a divorce or death in the family.  However things can go much more smoothly if you get your home ready ahead of time so as to impress buyers and get the top price your aiming for.
Preparing your home for sale is a bit like designing a stage for a play. Everything is in just the right place, perfectly arranged, and comfortably set.  If you're skeptical about the benefits of going to all this work or doubt that it will make any difference in selling your home, put yourself in the place of a home buyer.

Have you ever toured through a development of show homes? The paint is fresh, appliances are shiny, there is artwork arranged around the house, and fresh flowers stand on the kitchen counter. Mirrors are sparkling, towels fresh, and there are no toys on the floor. The rooms look spacious and the furniture comfortable.  The kitchens and bathrooms are polished, smelling fresh, and clutter is not to be seen.

Now leave the development of show homes and go down the street where the homes are several years old. Children's toys are stacked in the family room. Boxes are stacked in the garage to the point where you couldn't park even one car there. Clothes fill the bedroom closets. The house isn't dirty, but there are clean dishes in the kitchen sink and toothpaste stuck on the bathroom vanity. Homework is spread out on the dining room table. The family dog is barking because of the strangers in the house and the floors are showing their wear.

With all other things being equal, which house would be more appealing to you? Of course, the first one! The homes may be the same size, but because of the clear layout, the first home would  much larger. The house was prepared to show off all the good points and none of the bad.

So if you just can't see through all your things to the core of your home, consider hiring a professional to stage your home!   By bringing a Home Stager on board, you the homeowner will get unbiased feedback about what does or does not work in a home and how to highlight your homes best features.   Which in turn will likely sell the home for a higher price.

Thanks so much to Kym Tarr’s continued advice and support for our clients and our REALTORS®.

Check out our radio contest with EZ Rock:

Follow this link to enter on the EZ Rock website!

When the going gets "Tough"...just call me.

Susan Tough