SAVE & MAKE
YOU MONEY
11 WAYS YOUR REALTOR SHOULD
It's not uncommon for agents to start a new listing high, even very high (often at their clients bequest). Sometimes you can smell it a mile away, other times there may be some merit to support it, sort of like how the best lies have a piece of truth in them. Through a continual saturation in the market, knowing what to look for, and an in depth property/neighbourhood research we can help clients identify overpriced homes, hold them back from pulling the trigger too early and overspending. Sometimes this comes after a detailed home inspection where new information comes to light that allows us to negotiate a better price, bringing that listing you love down to a fair market price (or better ;)
1
PRICE YOUR HOME RIGHT
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AVOID OVERPAYING
Pricing your property for an effective and efficient sale is the key starting point for success. We need to find a price that will sell your home for the highest market value, in the least amount of time, with least amount of headache. When sellers go it alone, they tend to have difficulty choosing realistic prices for their home. Because we have remarkable insight into local market conditions and the prices of similar inventories, we help our sellers choose competitive prices that will attract motivated buyers. In many cases, this can help clients sell their homes faster for more money. Alternatively, it can save a property from languishing on the market and growing stale. Whatever the case, an experienced agent can be an especially valuable resource for sellers who aren’t sure how to price a property.
3
REIGN IN THE EMOTIONS
Buying or Selling a home can be an emotional rollercoaster. While your emotions are an incredible asset to bringing us to where you'll love to live, they can also become a thick fog clouding judgement and potentially become very expensive! When the right property comes available it's not uncommon for buyers to want to offer everything they can straight off the bat, or a mother's nostalgic value of the home she's raised her little ones in may cloud her ability to see the rear window is hanging on by a thread that will cause negative impact on the sale. As your agent, we will help reign in the emotions so that they lead us to a home you'll love, without clouding judgement and costing you big money.
Negotiations are one of the most direct ways that your agent should work to save you money, after all it is where multiple parties come to discuss the dollars and cents. We negotiate with sellers, builders, closing agents, brokers and all sorts of parties involved, and once we've been at it awhile, we get pretty darn good at it. If you're a buyer our goal is to negotiate a seller down on price – often thousands and sometimes even tens of thousands of dollars! Other times this can simply look like getting closing costs waived or other fees that can add up and save you cash. If you're a seller we want to position you to get the best terms, and hopefully a bidding war to sell over asking. Regardless, you can bet you will pay less or keep more at the end of the transaction than you would have on your own – and probably significantly at that!
4
NEGOTIATING THE PRICE
5
PROFESSIONAL STAGING
According to the National Association of Realtors, staging often plays a large role in determining whether a home sells, and for how much. While most homeowners know they ought to show their property in the best possible light; few have the expertise required to stage in a way that allows potential buyers to imagine themselves in the living space. We have plenty of great connections and tactics for accentuating the good and downplaying the less desirable aspects of your property.
and objective
Buying or selling a home is not like purchasing a plane ticket. Every home is different, and laws change every year and vary from province to province. There are many ways in which a deal can get emotional and expensive, and when those things come together you want to make sure you've always been on the right side of the law from start to finish. Even something as simple as a non-disclosure of a Latent Defect may give rise to the purchaser having a claim against you.
Being continually immersed in real estate, we stay current with all the updates in regulations, laws, contracts and practices. Today’s contracts can be upwards of 50 pages long — not counting addendums, schedules, and riders. We can help you navigate these complex documents and craft an attractive offer that makes sense for you, and keep you from expensive liabilities down the road.
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AVOID LEGAL LIABILITIES
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PROPER MARKETING PLAN
Pricing your property for an effective and efficient sale is the key starting point for success. We need to find a price that will sell your home for the highest market value, in the least amount of time, with least amount of headache. When sellers go it alone, they tend to have difficulty choosing realistic prices for their home. Because we have remarkable insight into local market conditions and the prices of similar inventories, we can help sellers choose competitive prices that will attract motivated buyers. In many cases, this can help clients sell their homes faster for more money than even an poorly priced listing. Alternatively, it can save a property from languishing on the market and growing stale. Whatever the case, an experienced agent can be an especially valuable resource for sellers who aren’t sure how to price a property.
Many sellers who try to manage their home sale on their own start the process thinking that it’s going to require a minimal time investment. They think posting a few ads on home listing sites, hosting an open house or two, and signing a contract are all it takes to get a house sold. But unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Selling a home is a full-time job. That’s why there’s an entire industry built around it! Homeowners who go the sale-by-owner route in an attempt to save money often find their time, and lives, completely monopolized by the process. And, as they say, time is money. Working with a us takes all that time burden off of you. Selling your home our their full-time job, and we can devote the time and attention necessary to get it done quickly. The amount of time and hassle this will save you is invaluable.
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HUGE TIME SAVINGS
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PROPERTY DUE DILIGENCE
Depending on the area and property, this could include inspections for mould, dry rot, asbestos, faulty structure, UFFI, roof condition, septic tank and well tests, just to name a few. If discovered too late can be extremely expensive and could have been negotiated in the purchase price. We can assist you in finding qualified responsible professionals to do most of these investigations and provide you with written reports whenever required. You may also want to see a preliminary report on the title of the property. Title indicates ownership of property and can be mired in confusing status of past owners or rights of access. The title to most properties will have some limitations; for example, easements (access rights) for utilities that can affect potential uses of the property (ex. inground pool). Your Realtor, title company, or attorney can help you resolve issues that might cause expensive problems at a later date.
Often, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Not always, but often. If the pictures look amazing and the price is too cheap, there likely is a reason. Maybe it is a scam, or maybe there is something changing in the neighborhood, or costly underlying repairs. Providing you know what the issues are it can still be a deal. We just need to make sure we conduct proper due diligence and know what you are buying.There are still lots of opportunities out there to buy homes and other real estate investments. But getting stuck with a bad buy can really take the cash out of everything else you are doing. It doesn’t take many mistakes to really get expensive. Get out there and take action, but watch for signs when evaluating deals.
10
AVOID BAD BUYS
the first time
11
FIND GREAT DEALS
If anyone out there can find a great deal it should be your agent. Maybe we have a listing of our own that’s at a great price, maybe we have a colleague with a property that fits your bill to a T, or maybe we even have an inside line on a yet-to-be-listed property that you can get to before anybody else. Whatever the case may be we have the tools they need to find you the perfect property at a great price. We'll often leverag our MLS data to scout out properties that have been on the market a while. When homes sit stagnant for too long, many sellers become more and more willing to lower their price point just to get it off the market. If you’re looking for a good deal on your new home, your I like to think if there's a good deal out there we'll be the ones to know about it first and get you properties that can save you cash and meet your needs and preferences.
ANDREW HILDEBRAND
SALES REPRESENTATIVE
