Buying or selling a home is a huge investment – an investment of not only money, but also time and emotions. When it comes to making those big expenditures, it makes sense to bring in a professional – a REALTOR®.
REALTORS® have the expertise and skills to help you when you buy or sell your home. REALTORS® …
… have contacts with banks, mortgage companies, appraisers, home inspectors, lawyers and others who can benefit buyers and sellers before, during and after a real estate transaction;
… provide an objective opinion about your home when you are listing it and about houses you are viewing when you are looking for your dream home. They can point out what meets your requirements as well as where a property is deficient, and what remedies there are to correct the deficiencies;
… have current information about home sales in the area. This is important for setting a price when you sell your home, and helpful when they suggest an appropriate price when you are purchasing;
… have excellent marketing skills and know the best way to market your home. It doesn’t have to begin and end with an MLS® listing – REALTORS® know many other avenues for advertising and marketing your home, and know the best way – and time – to use them;
… have well-honed negotiating skills, and they will make use of them on your behalf. Because REALTORS® aren’t as emotionally involved in properties and transactions as buyers and sellers are, they can approach the negotiating table more objectively;
… have experience using all the standard forms used in real estate transactions – agreement of purchase and sale, waivers, mortgage verification, releases, notice of fulfillment of condition, notice to remove condition, statement of mortgage, and more;
… can help ensure that potential purchasers are qualified so there are no unhappy surprises during the transaction;
… continue to upgrade their education and skills. REALTORS® must take a prescribed number of education courses to maintain their provincial license to trade in real estate. They also receive regular information about municipal, provincial and federal issues of concern to the real estate industry, buyers and sellers. In a world where everything changes so quickly, it helps to have someone who continues to upgrade their education and skills and who is watching for the things that affect buyers and seller;
… can help make almost any real estate transaction go as smoothly as possible. With a REALTOR® involved in the process of home-buying or -selling, there are fewer things to go wrong. And if they do, the REALTOR® is there to help set things right.
REALTORS® provide services, expertise and know-how to a transaction of what is considered to be the largest investment the average Canadian makes. With so much at stake, it makes sense to bring in the professionals. To see more about how a REALTOR® can help you, go to www.howrealtorshelp.ca.
Bruce Moran
President, 2013