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The Value of Using a REALTOR®

Home buying can be a daunting and complex process.  But with a REALTOR® at your side, it doesn’t have to be.  Remember, a REALTOR® works for you and is there to look after your best interests.  REALTORS® do much more than just help buyers find a home.  They act as your partner in what is very likely the most important and largest purchase in your life.

The Difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR®

“REALTOR®” and “real estate agent” are not interchangeable.  The term REALTOR® is a registered certification mark that identifies the quality of services rendered by licensed real estate agents who are members of The Canadian Real Estate Associations (CREA).  All real estate agents are not REALTORS®, but all REALTOR® members are real estate agents.  REALTOR® members are committed to a strict code of ethics knows as the REALTOR® code, and are the only ones who have the right to list your property on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of their local real estate boards.  To correctly be referred to as a REALTOR®, a real estate agent must be a member of CREA.

 

How REALTORS® Help First Time Buyers

REALTORS® can:

• Review your list of wants and needs to help you determine your price range.

• Answer questions about the markets you’re interested in and help you compare homes and neighbourhoods.

• Use the local real estate Board’s MLS® System.  Your REALTOR® can give you access to exclusive features of an MLS® System that the public is not privy to.

• Preview properties to ensure you’re only shown homes that meet your needs and budget.

• Make appointments and walk you through potential homes, answering all your questions.

• Ensure that the information provided about the properties you are viewing — such as room sizes, renovation dates, etc. is accurate.

• Provide a list of service providers who can help with things such as home inspections, renovations, legal and financial advice.

• Give up-to-the-minute information on financing and explain your mortgage options.

• Negotiate with the seller, smooth out any potential conflicts and draw up a legally binding contract.

 

REALTORS® can bring a tremendous amount of value to both the home buying and selling process.  A good working relationship is key to the success of the transaction so it’s important to have confidence in the person helping you through the process.

 

What should I expect when I enlist the help of a REALTOR® to sell my house?

REALTORS® help you get the most for your home and they remove stress and confusion from the process. Here are just some of the advantages.

Your REALTOR® becomes your home’s champion

When you sign a “Listing Agreement” with your REALTOR®, this is their promise that he or she will use all their skills and resources to get the most for your home.

 

REALTORS® know how to attract the most potential buyers

Your REALTOR® is an expert home promoter, connected to a network of agents and their buyers. He or she knows how to write compelling ads for your home, and only REALTORS® can place your home on a Board’s MLS® System.

 

REALTORS® will help you increase your homes “sale-ability”

Your probably have an emotional attachment to your home, and therefore can’t view it objectively. Your REALTOR® will help you present your home in the best light, so buyers will fall in love with it more easily. 

 

Market Knowledge — to help you get the most for your home

REALTORS® are masters of reading the market and pricing your home for maximum return. A REALTOR®’s experience literally pays!

 

Negotiation Skills — to keep the deal on track

REALTORS® are indispensable when it comes to bargaining with buyers. Tempers can flare and heels can dig in. Your REALTOR® is an expert at smoothing things out.

 

Do I really need a REALTOR® to sell my home?

 

Many 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.

 

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? MLS® and the corresponding web site www.REALTOR.ca have change 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-yourself 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 negotiating 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.

 

This information was provided by The Canadian Real Estate Association members of the New Brunswick Real Estate Association. More information on the buying process can be found on howrealorshelp.ca.

Home Staging Makes an Impact
- 94% of staged homes sell in one month or less.

A staged property makes for beautiful photos and gives potential buyers the ability to visualize themselves as living in the home, rather than the current owners. If you have beautiful photos online, it will attract more buyers to showings. More showings mean potentially more offers and increasing the opportunity to sell your home more quickly.  A 2007 survey of Accredited Staging Professionals found that 94% of staged homes sold on average in one month or less. Homes that were staged spent 80% less time on the market than those that were not staged. Professional Staging attracts the eye and creates a psychological appeal. It draws the buyer’s attention away from any perceived negatives of a home and puts the focus on the positives. Nathalie Godbout Bourgeois of Dieppe’s Solution Décor says, “Home staging is a proven method of creating a universal style ambiance that will allow a future buyer to connect entering your home and let them start feeling at home.”

Moving Time — Hiring a professional mover can save stress and headaches.

The Canadian Movers Association advises consumer to always remember the four basic principles of moving:
When it comes time to decide whether go it alone or hire a professional mover there can be much to consider. Hiring a professional will free you of the tedious planning, packing, loading, driving and unloading. It allows you to concentrate on important things like making sure you and your family are looked after. While it may appear on the outset that hiring a full-service mover is more costly, you might want to consider that doing it yourself may require you to miss work and maybe pay. There are also hybrid moving services available such as the self moving services where you pack and load the truck and the professionals do the driving. It saves you the hassles of traffic while still giving you the comfort of knowing who is doing the packing and loading.  

Should you buy or build a home? That all depends on you.

When it comes down to making a decision between buying or building, it is really a personal choice. Do you want the move in convenience found in existing homes or do you have the interest and time to embark on what can be a fun filled journey of helping your experienced builder customize your home to your tastes and needs? There are a few things to consider when weighing your decision.  Some of the many benefits to buying are mature yards and neighborhoods. Also, some homes may have been upgraded to include extra features such as a swimming pool or an expanded deck area that may not be in the short term budget when you are building. On the other hand, when you build you get choose details right down to the cabinet hardware and light fixtures.  Your choice on land and neighborhoods are within your control.  Marc Leblanc of NYCO Home Builders suggests; “Building your home can take more time and discipline but for those who choose this avenue, it is extremely rewarding. Within an average of four months or less, you can have the pride of a completed project that is exactly the way you imagined.”

Not all home renovation projects give you the same return on investment.

If you are thinking about selling your home…even if it is a few years off, you’ll want to consider your return on investment (ROI) for home renovations.  Home updates can increase curb appeal and make your home more attractive to perspective buyers; but what renovation gives you get the greatest rate of return? The table below can offer some guidance. If you don’t plan to sell your home near term, you would use a whole other set of criteria to determine where your renovations dollars might be better spent. For example, functionality might be a better measure than finance.  That pool may not offer as high of a ROI as some other renovations might, but if the cool splash of summer is what your family craves and time doesn’t allow for constant road trips — the pool may be the way to go for you.



Table Source : National Association of the Remodeling Industry

Preparing your house to sell is a crucial first step to selling your home.

When you consider selling your home, you need to change the way you think about your house.  You need to look at it as if you are a stranger looking at it for the first time. Little things can make a big impact on a perspective buyer. Those little nicks where paint needs to be touched up, maybe a missing piece of baseboard or that cupboard that hangs because of a loose hinge. They may seem insignificant in daily life, but if you are considering selling your home and want to get top dollar — you can’t leave these projects unfinished.  Remember, the goal is to make your house a place that others can see themselves living. If that entry way closet  is overflowing and making you crazy; you bet anyone viewing your house will fell the same stress. De-clutter, fresh paint, and some new hinges and screws in the right spots can seriously increase the marketability of your home. 

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