| You are ready to spend hundreds of thousands of | | | | 1” at the office for the month of July? |
| dollars and make a commitment for 25-35 years of | | | | Isn’t it amazing how many number 1 Realtors |
| your life based on the advice you receive from your | | | | there are in any newspaper or on billboards? Also |
| real estate agent… With any luck, you will | | | | what’s with these 20 years of combined |
| make the right decision. We are very fortunate here | | | | experience if you hire us? Does it mean that there |
| in Calgary, Alberta to have a professional regulatory | | | | are 20 realtors on your team with each one of them |
| body (RECA) in place, but is that enough to trust | | | | being in the business for one year or they only have |
| virtually anyone with a real estate license? The truth | | | | two Realtors on a team, one with 1 year experience |
| is that there are several levels of quality, business | | | | and the other Realtor with an experience of 19 years |
| style and most definitely competence. | | | | and he is sipping pina-colada in Hawaii somewhere? |
| You should be asking yourself the following questions: | | | | Obviously someone is not telling the whole story. |
| - does your real estate representative have your | | | | The truth is that, if a top-producing agent was |
| best interest at heart? But more importantly, are | | | | customer centric vs. self centric and only interested in |
| they even capable of properly representing you? | | | | your needs, then perhaps they would focus on |
| There are some Realtors with the best intentions in | | | | educating their future clients and constantly feeding |
| the world, but simply they may lack the ability to | | | | them knowledge, rather than telling you how many |
| properly represent you and the investment of your | | | | houses they sold in the past. |
| lifetime. Please read on to find out how to identify a | | | | Most of us think that the more experience is better |
| true professional. | | | | and practice makes perfect. A couple of summers |
| Quite commonly people treat others the way they | | | | ago I have decided to take some golf lessons. My |
| would want to be treated. How about treating others | | | | instructor asked me to show him my swing. So there |
| the way they would like to be treated? | | | | I was on the driving range and I squared up to the |
| Real estate in general is relatively easy to get into, | | | | ball and I think I had the best shot of my life. My |
| but very hard to make a living at. Competition in this | | | | instructor said that it was the best shot he had seen |
| industry is at its tops. On the Calgary Real Estate | | | | in a long time… then he went on explaining |
| Board, there are approximately 5,400 registered | | | | that it was a miracle that I was even able to hit the |
| Realtors and selling an average of 1,800-2,200 homes | | | | ball with those grips and stand that I have. It |
| a month. This fierce competition to gain the clients | | | | wasn’t until some time after this golf lesson |
| sometimes brings the worst out of the | | | | that I had my “aha” moment. You |
| agent… Some Realtors will do everything in | | | | see practice only pays off if you practice consciously. |
| their power to turn you into a client. Obviously this | | | | I could have hit that ball hundreds of times over and |
| makes sense from a time management point of view | | | | over, but if I am hitting the ball the wrong way for |
| because they would hate to be running around with | | | | the rest of my life, then I am never going to |
| unqualified clients who will just take them away from | | | | improve. |
| other important clients or perhaps from their family. | | | | The most important point here is that if there is |
| But do you believe in “love” at first | | | | anything that your Realtor doesn’t know, it |
| sight? | | | | will potentially hurt you in one way or the other. |
| In my experience, buyers and sellers are only looking | | | | The average age of Realtors out there is just over |
| for some more knowledge in the beginning. They are | | | | 50 years. More likely many of them have received |
| sure thinking about buying a house in the future but | | | | their training over 20 years ago. Well, things have |
| maybe not right away. So why not educate the | | | | changed…. a lot. Be sure to ask your next |
| potential client first before asking for the order? The | | | | Realtor about his educational history. Similar to the |
| bottom line is that you need to tell your Realtor what | | | | information technology, this industry is changing on a |
| your expectations are, and if he respects them be | | | | daily basis and you need to make sure that your |
| sure to hold up your end of the bargain as well. | | | | representative is on top of his real estate game all |
| Remember, we are representing your needs, not | | | | the time. |
| ours - but it’s a two way street. | | | | At the end of the day, there are a lot of Realtors |
| You should very seriously think about what | | | | for you to choose from. I greatly encourage you to |
| motivates your next real estate agent? Ask them | | | | look beyond what people tell you in their flashy |
| the question – why are you in real estate? | | | | advertisements or what’s printed on their |
| Are they really in the game to find the best house | | | | business cards. Ask lots of questions before you |
| for you, for the right price… or perhaps they | | | | decide, and objectively look at this person for his |
| are just trophy hunting to be the “number | | | | motives. Good luck with the rest. |