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Want to know a secret?

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, hiring a realtor is not all about marketing, staging or how well they know the neighbourhood, though these are absolutely things to consider.  With so many realtors in our city, it can be difficult to see what separates a good realtor from an exceptional one.  With so many moving parts involved in a home sale or purchase, expertise and experience in a realtor is necessary, especially when navigating Toronto’s notorious real estate market.  An experienced realtor will know when to sell, when to buy, how much is too much, and will negotiate on your behalf, ensuring you are getting the right deal.

 

Expertise and experience

Some things can only be learned through doing. Real estate is one of those things. Anyone can get their real estate license and list a home, but like any specialized field, experience and expertise is what sets a good realtor apart from a stellar realtor, With experience comes knowledge and also important industry connections.  Someone who has worked through market downturns, upturns and everything in between, will be quick on their feet and at the ready with the right advice at the right time. An experienced realtor has likely listed homes in many different markets and scenarios.  Someone who has listed and sold in the condo market as well as town homes, and single family homes will likely possess a wealth of knowledge regarding, condo boards, fees, neighbourhood details, mortgage details and school catchments to name a few. Questions you might have as a buyer or seller, are quickly, confidently and accurately answered by an experienced realtor.

We can’t overstate the benefit of a well-connected realtor.  This is someone who can recommend the right trades, lawyers, home inspectors and marketing professionals needed for a successful home sale.  An experienced realtor will also have many industry connections within real estate, ensuring other realtors in the area are aware of your home.  Often, realtors will call colleagues they think might have a client in mind before the home is even listed.  A grapevine of realtors is a valuable asset.


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Listening skills and leadership skills

As realtors, we often play the role of consultant, guiding clients through the process and working collaboratively.  A realtor is there to educate and lead toward a great result for everyone involved, whether buyers or sellers. A wealth of knowledge, gained from years of experience enables us to be experts on many topics within the field.  Being able to draw on previous experiences, learn from successes and failures is what sets an excellent realtor apart from the rest. Listening to client concerns, questions and suggestions with an open mind is key to a solid partnership and collaboration.  Providing valuable feedback including hard truths, is essential.  A realtor who goes along with everything a clients asks, is not helping nor providing value.  Someone who can deliver accurate information, backed up by facts and experience is necessary for a successful sale.  Occasionally a buyer must be guided in a direction they did not know they wanted to go. This is about managing expectations, budgets and goals.   This is also true for sellers, when your realtor will need to navigate the market and relay the information tactfully in a way all parties can understand.

 

The devil is in the details

An experienced realtor will have negotiating strategies and skills, earned from years of long offer nights, won and lost.  This is why a solid realtor should be an owl, not a pit bull. When buying and selling real estate, the negotiation process is extremely intense.  In most cases, the purchase of a new home is likely the single largest transaction anyone will make in their lifetime.  There is a lot on the line during this time, and an experienced, diplomatic realtor will know how to handle it. There is a reason it is called the art of negotiation, as it truly is an art.  A good realtor is adept at managing chaos and uncertainty while ensuring their client is getting what they want and not settling for less.

Communication is key. The way a realtor communicates with clients and other stakeholders is the difference between getting the deal done successfully and professionally, versus antagonizing the involved parties.  Often resulting in defensiveness, and a dead deal.  This is not the time to be a bully or a know-it-all.

Throughout the entire process from pre-listing to the final sale, transparency with a client is absolutely integral.  Keeping a buyer in the loop about potential properties, realistic sales for the area etc. is what builds trust.  A realtor who views a client as a partner, rather than a transaction will be the most successful.  Many realtors come out of school with big dreams of making money, and there is money to be made, however experience teaches that buying and selling homes is more about the human connection, than the financial one.

Building relationships with clients that last longer than the listing period is what an experienced realtor can offer.  Often clients can become lifelong friends, who will look to their realtor for advice on their next move or even just a market update, and likely refer them to family and friends.

Learn more about our process and client success. If you’re thinking about buying or selling real estate in the near future, email us at hello@getnested.ca or call 416-909-1602 to get started!

 

 

 

 

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