Navigating the good, the bad and the ugly…

Sadly there are many out there that give reason to when some of us say “I’m a Realtor”, people literally cringe. And I get it! There are some that do as little work as possible for their “clients” (and I hesitate to use that term because they definitely don’t treat them like clients), for their commission cheque.

Now I promise you, we’re not all the same! There’s a few of us that actually WORK FOR OUR CLIENTS and don’t see the purchase or sale of a home as simply a transaction.

It’s so much more than that. It’s a future home to raise your family, it’s saying good-bye to your childhood memories and it’s everything in between.

So if you’re not sure how to weed out those that are in it to seal the deal from the ones that truly have your best interests at heart…read on. If you’re working with a realtor and you see them exhibit any of these behaviours…run. Or at the very least put them in check!

TOP 3 RED FLAGS

• If you’ve invited a realtor into your home to discuss putting it on the market and they end their visit by presenting you with a contract to sign right then and there…this is a major red flag! It is crazy to expect someone to agree to work with an individual right after first meeting them. You should be taking some time to digest everything they’ve presented, talk it over with anyone else that’s involved and interview others to see who’s the right fit! This is a huge transaction. Would you feel comfortable having the person pressuring you to sign be the one to represent your interests? I know I wouldn’t.

• The property is always perfect. Doesn’t matter if it’s the 1st house or the 20th house, each one is just as perfect as the one before. Unless you have an endless supply of funds or you’re building your dream home, there’s always a little give and take. Of course a good realtor will do their best to find you the perfect fit, but at times it can take some compromise. And that’s OK! It’s our job to point out the areas of concern but if there’s a  solution, then you’ll hear that too! If everything is always roses and sunshine, it’s time to question a few things.

• They talk down to other realtors. Now I do caution, there are some realtors that don’t know all that they should, and that’s something completely different! It’s hard to keep it together when you’re speaking to someone that’s totally in the dark; however if someone is making a point of being arrogant and speaking down to someone, then this is a major red flag! Speaking to others that way, in this business or not, is not a good look! It doesn’t make you a “shark”, it makes you a jerk. We teach our children to be kind to others and why this trait disappears when many get into this profession blows my mind. Being respectful doesn’t make you weak. It doesn’t mean you’re less knowledgeable. And it definitely doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate the best deal on behalf of your clients! It means you’re representing your clients with respect. The way a realtor behaves with others is a reflection of their clients. Why make an already stressful transaction even more stressful for everyone???

Want to learn a little more about myself and my philosophy of buying and selling real estate, let’s set up a time to chat to see if we’d be a good fit. Coffee’s on me!