There are currently over 78,000 registered Realtors that are part of the Ontario Real Estate Association. There are myriads of Real Estate Brokerages out there from household names like RE/MAX In The Hills to Uncle Bob’s virtualoffice.net (this particular website was not vetted for accuracy but I believe you get the gist). There are even new ones out there claiming to take all the stress out of the process by somehow handling the sale of your home while you enjoy the easy life living in your newly purchased home (this one is intriguing but sometimes old clichés come to mind “if it sounds too good to be true…. it probably is!”).
So many choices! Like many things in life when there are so many options it can make it hard to decide which is the right choice for you. That’s generally when it comes down to what type of person you are. Is the lowest price for a service the most important aspect when you make a decision? Do you think it’s important to have real experience at the job you want someone to perform? Do you care if the company is part of your community? Do you think about what the company you are going to hire stands for?
Lowest Price: Remember the saying “you get what you pay for”, well the same holds true for realtors. If there is not much in it for the Realtor, how invested in your good fortune is someone going to be? And what are they going to do for you? I think a good analogy is that it’s like buying cheap tires for your car. At first, they look just as good as the more expensive ones! They work ok but when you need to make a sharp turn and one of those tires ends up blowing out on you, it’s too late to go back now and the money you saved is now being spent on repairs to your totaled car or worse!
No Experience With Rural Real Estate: Selling a townhouse in Etobicoke is not the same as selling 50 acres in the heart of the Niagara Escarpment with a Tributary of the Credit River flowing through! Septic tanks are not the same as city sewers! Leave your hose running in the middle of summer with a dug well…not generally a great idea. I can’t tell you the times of hearing stories from home sellers that learned the hard way about the not so subtle differences of Rural Real Estate, more often than not the words “I had no idea” flow through the air. They now have experience but perhaps if they had the guidance of someone with sales experience their introduction to country life may have been a little smoother.
Out Of Town: How well can someone know your area if they have to drive an hour just to get here for a showing? Do they know what options for schools there are, French Immersion etc? Do they know what options there are for daycare? Who has the best pizza in town!?
What Does Your Realtor Stand For?
Getting the job done and having it done properly, with integrity are not the same. Does your Realtor contribute to your community? Do they support any charities? Right now the Chris Richie Group is in the middle of another campaign to raise funds for the Headwaters Hospital, $100 from every sale in spring will be donated. We also have supported the Children’s Miracle Network, for over 20 years a portion of our sales go the Hospital for Sick Children, a place no one ever wants to go but, if you must, we are so fortunate to have such a place.
In addition, we are proud supporters of local sports teams and charity events like the Salamander Festival, Coldest Night and the Caledon Fire Station Open House to name a few.
The Chris Richie Group has been part of the Community and helping clients buy and sell property by Referral and Reputation for over 30 years. When it’s time to sell your family home call the ones that will treat you like family, your neighbours at The Chris Richie Group.