When purchasing a home you will be faced with many decisions. But there is one question before you start everything else. Your first step to buying a home is to first ask yourself why you want to buy a home: to stop paying rent? To start building equity? To have a place of your own? To raise a family? To move up to a bigger house? Next, list what kind of home you’d like and where you would like to be. Be specific. Separate the “must haves” from the “want to haves.” This will narrow down things and focus on stuff that matters. Now to zero in on the target. Consider the area you look for. Is the location you want a city? suburban? neighborhood? county? What about the community. Would you live in the west, north, south or somewhere else? how about the development of that area? newer and more modern or older and settled communities. How about other facilities, schools, transportation, entertainment and numerous other amenities. Then think about your needs. How much space. Do you need a one-level home? or stair be more preferable. Do you desire a newer home or an older one to fix up? Will you stay for a few years and move or settle in to raise your family for generation. Consider these types of questions when looking at homes.
Why should I use a real estate salesperson?
A real estate salesperson is more than just a “sales person.” They act on your behalf as your agent, providing you with advice and guidance and doing a job – helping you buy or sell a home. While it is true they get paid for what they do, so do other professions that provide advice, guidance, and have a service to sell –such as Certified Public Accountants and Attorneys
The Internet has opened up a world of information that wasn’t previously available to homebuyers and seller. The data on listings available for sale is almost current – but not quite. There are times when you need the most current information about what has sold or is for sale, and the only way to get that is with an agent.
If you’re selling a home, you gain access to the most buyers by being listed in the Multiple Listing Service(MLS). Only a licensed real estate agent who is a member of your local MLS can get you listed there – which then gets you automatically listed on some of the major real estate web sites. If you’re buying or selling a home, the MLS is your agent’s best tool.
However, the role of an agent has changed in the last couple of years. In the past, agents were the only way home buyers and sellers could access information. Now agents are evolving. Because today’s home buyers and sellers are so much better informed than in the past, expertise and ability are becoming more important.
The real estate agent is becoming more of a “guide” than a “salesperson” — your personal representative in buying or selling a home.
Interviewing a Realtor
Faced with one of the largest financial decision and transactions of your lifetime, choosing the right realtor is key to clenching that deal and making the right decisions. But how do you identify the precise agency and agent for your circumstance? Lethbridge and the surrounding areas alone have over 300 members and choosing one can be time consuming and a headache. Some of the most commonly asked questions can separate out the competition and provide you the knowledge and tools to choose the best judgment.
How many homes do you sell?
This question gives you a base understanding of their ability and experience. Would you choose an agent who can sell 5 houses in a year or 25? Don’t be deceive by an agent who does very little business and tells you that their personal service is better with them. There is a reason that they only sold 5 houses in a year. You want a Realtor with proven track records and can help you navigate the housing market. The average real estate agent sells 5-6 houses, while the average Remax agents sold around 20-30 houses annually. The Advantage Real Estate Group sells around 200 houses a year.
How long have you been in business?
This question gauges the agent/agency knowledge and experience to withstand the ups and downs of the housing market. This indicates someone who have been in business long enough to know how to survive and help buyers and sellers in markets that have been very strong and markets that were weak and harder to sell. Additionally, this is a good indicator of the insight of their local area and have deep network of connections to draw from. With 20+ years of experience you can be sure that we have the know-how and the expertise to handle your investment.
what is the average number of days does a typical property stay on the market to the accepted offer?
Days on market(DOM) tracks the time between a house is listed and when it goes under contact with a buyer. This is a significant question to ask as it determines the effort and time they spent on how they did their job from day one. If an agent’s DOM is lower than average, it is a good sign that they price homes correctly and the implemented marketing plan were strong. The Advantage Real Estate Group typically sell your home from 1.5 to 2 weeks.
What is List to Sell ratio and why is it important?
The list to sell ratio is the final sale price (what a buyer paid for the home) divided by the last list price expressed as a percentage. If it’s above 100% the home is sold for more than the list price. If it is less, the home is sold less than the list price. Example. A home is listed for $100,000 and it sells for $98,000 – the list-to-sell ratio is 98%.
Our goal is to sell your home quick at the closest figure to the buyer’s asking price. The average realtor list-to-sell ratio is 95% but The Advantage Real Estate Group list-to-sell ratio is 98%. This means several things. One its a direct reference in how good we are at negotiation. Lower offers comes in but we can negotiate up to a more realistic sales price. It also reflects on our marketing strategy in how we can attract more serious buyers, often at or over list price.
Some home sellers look at a higher commission rate compared to other Realtor such as 1% more. But they should be looking at the bigger picture. Supposed we charged 1% more in commission compared to other competitors but our list-to-sell ratio is 2.5% higher than the average agent. Thus puts a 1.5% in the sellers pockets! For example, if a home is priced at $400,000 and sold, that’s an extra $6,000 in the seller’s pocket.
What sets you apart?
This question gives the agent the chance to counsel you about their business and at the same time gives you more knowledge for you to compare and contrast against the other agents you may be in discussion with.
How many clients do you represent at a time?
The subtext is quite simple. Will you make the time for me and my needs? This is a way to gauge how many clients they represent at their current time. Additionally, this allows you to have an insight in how they handle their workload and get a good idea of their team’s ability to support your needs. More clients tells you that they are an agent with a strong history of sales. However, if an agent have too many clients this may mean that you are more liable to work with their team/assistants and less with the Realtor. The real estate industry is very active and less clients can mean that business is slow and you should dig deeper into finding out why.
These are some of the most commonly asked questions. But it is important to note that this interviews not only applies to the agent but to you too. Realtors who are serious with their work are selective with their clients as well. Be ready to answer their questions as well such as budget, location, your 5 big “No’s”, lines of communication, and if you had pre-approvals readied. These question will provided the most efficient and clear direction on what you want in the best time as possible. Never be afraid to give good feedback as this will provide us more insight on what your goals are. There might be challenges along the way but with our years of experience and highly professional staff we guarantee to achieve our mission as well as your expectation.
Carmen Brewerton was an extremely valuable resource for us. She guided us through many viewings before helping us find the perfect fit, providing insights and expertise all along the way. Carmen is very responsive and always available for questions and advice. We're very happy that we had Carmen representing us and would not hesitate to work with her again in the future or recommend her to others!
Eric D.
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, ResponsivenessWorking with Tyler was a great experience. He was always available to contact, gave great advice, and made the buying and selling process fun! He will always be my first referral for friends and family.
Ehren S.
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, ValueDarren was absolutely fantastic in selling our home. On the market for less than 30 days and for almost list price too!! He was honest hard working and just a fantastic guy to deal with! And all this during Covid-19! I recommend 100 times over you will not be disappointed using them as your realtor!
Tia M.
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, ValueDarren was absolutely fantastic in selling our home. On the market for less than 30 days and for almost list price too!! He was honest hard working and just a fantastic guy to deal with! And all this during Covid-19! I recommend 100 times over you will not be disappointed using them as your realtor! Tia Mortimer Darren Gugyelka just helped me purchase my second house with him. Both times were so easy and without any problems. Darren listens to what you are looking for, finds the right places to show you, and lets you make the right decision for you. Thank you Darren for your help and always being available.
Brock V.
Positive: Professionalism, ResponsivenessDarren was great! He helped me with everything I needed to do to sell my mom's house. Darren even had a buyer in mind already and the house sold in 14 days. Great communication, very friendly and personable. It was a great weight off my shoulders knowing that the house was taken care of. Thank you.
Theresa M.
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, ResponsivenessCarmen Brewerton has been so amazing in helping us. She helped us find the perfect little home here in Lethbridge. Then, when we found out that our circumstances were going to drastically change, she was the first call we made to help us list our home. She is so professional, detailed, kind and compassionate about our needs and super quick to get the ball rolling. She had our house listed and sold in two weeks. We would never go anywhere else. She is the best!
Gina D.
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, ValueBuying or selling a home, Tyler, Darren and the rest of their team are an absolute asset! My wife and I recently went through the complicated process of buying a home, however, Darren made things extremely simple and straight forward for us. They truly go above and beyond to ensure every last detail is addressed and that we were happy with things every step of the way. In retrospect I was very naive about how to buy/sell a home, with Darren's help I felt like he had our best interest in mind and that we were not taken advantage of during any negotiations. I cannot stress enough how much my family HIGHLY RECOMMEND Darren and Tyler for any real estate endeavors. Thanks guys!
Mike G.
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness
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