MAKE BUYING OR SELLING YOUR NEXT HOME A FUN EXPERIENCE (Series Part 3) IN BRAMPTON ONTARIO
We have done a series of articles on "Make Buying or Selling Your Next Home a Fun Experience" and for your convenience you may follow the links below:
Make Buying or Selling Your Next Home a Fun Experience (Part 1) Make Buying or Selling Your Next Home a Fun Experience (Part 6) Make Buying or Selling Your Next Home a Fun Experience (Part 7)
Make Buying or Selling Your Next Home a Fun Experience (Part 2)
Make Buying or Selling Your Next Home a Fun Experience (Part 3)
Make Buying or Selling Your Next Home a Fun Experience (Part 4)
Make Buying or Selling Your Next Home a Fun Experience (Part 5)
So You Have Your Agent Chosen, Congratulations!
Now it's time to get going and get the property officially ‘out there' on the market; but wait, first things first. You invited a few other Agents over in addition to the Agent you selected, for an evaluation and they were good enough to give you their expert advice. Please take a few minutes and let them know of your decision. They were willing to give you their time, it is only courteous for you to give them yours by giving them a quick phone call, advising them of your decision, rather than them finding it listed.
So now with that out of the way, let's prepare for your meeting with your new partner; your Agent of choice. Here are a few items they are going to require, so have them ready.
- Gather together a key and make sure it works beforehand. The Agent will need a key to be able to show the property when you are not available.
- A copy of a survey of the property that they can take with them, this is especially important if you have a pie shaped or premium sized lot.
- It's not necessary but always nice to have, is the builder's floor plan if you have one.
- You will need your mortgage documents with your current balance and terms.
- The current year's property tax bill, again not necessary but nice to have is a total of all of your utility bills, Buyers will ask for these to budget their expenses.
- Have a piece of photo identification (drivers licence) handy for the Money Laundry & Terrorist Financing Act form that will be required to be filled out.
- Also, what is really helpful to your Agent is a list of any upgrades you have done and the date in which they were carried out.
- Oh, don't forget to have ALL your contact numbers listed. When the big day comes and there is an offer on the property, your Agent will want to call, text or email everywhere to find you, and in a hurry!
Now you are almost ready for your meeting to put the property on the market, but before the Agent arrives, there are still a few things you need to decide, so you are ready to answer their questions.
What Is The Best Way to Have the Property Exposed?
Well now this one brings a few questions to mind, doesn't it? First question; you want the most money obviously, so how are you going to go about achieving this?
Consider this for a moment. Should you list your property exclusively with them or have it placed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The best way to compare this is, if an article was for sale at an auction in a room of 50 people, or was in a room of 1,000 people; it would go without saying the article would probably sell faster and for more money in the larger room with the greater exposure.
When you list exclusively with an agent; you only get exposure to his/her clients, and the clients of the other sales representatives in his/her office. It is similiar to the above example of being in the room with only 50 people.
When you list your property using the MLS service, you will be taking advantage of exposing the property to all of the members of the MLS and all of their clients, regardless of which company your Agent works with. Currently the Toronto MLS has almost 30,000 Agents.
Without question, an article or property has a better chance of getting the highest possible price and in the shortest time when exposed to the largest market available.
POINT TO PONDER - This is not a bias statement but a statement from experience. Even during the "boom" times most properties sold quicker and for more money when they were exposed through the MLS service because of the competition, even when you factored in the savings of commission if any, on an exclusive listing.
Where Will Your Pets Be During Showings?
Many times your property is going to be shown to potential Buyers when you or your family are not at home. You are trying to present your property in the best possible light, with the least distractions to the Buyer and their Agent. It is hard to say how your pets are going to react to strangers on their turf, but it is easy to say how the Buyer and some Buyer Agents will react. (not in your favour)
It is ideally the best, if your little Pheefee or big Fido is not around. One time an Owner told us, "oh Dragon here is a big old friendly mutt", (we might add he was 100 pounds), upon showing the property and getting to the second level, old Dragon decided to plunk himself down on the staircase snarling and wouldn't let us back down! Funny now, scary at the time, needless to say the Buyers did not buy! Best you make arrangements for doggies not to be home during showings, because even if closed in a separate room or garage, a barking dog, is a distraction to the Buyer.
What To Do With You!
While you are making arrangements and considering where is the best place to keep your pets during showings, now is a good time to think about where you and your family will be during showings. Clients look at a property much more relaxed and less hurried if you are not around. We know it is inconvenient to remove yourself but it is in your best interest. However, if you must be home, keep everyone together all in one room and out of the way. Another suggestion would be to wait until the Agent and clients arrive, then go outside for a short walk.
Lockboxes - The most convenient method for storing your house key is with the use of a lockbox. It is hung unobtrusively over your door handle and holds your key. The use of a lockbox encourages more showings on your property.
POINT TO PONDER -When animals are in the house and/or keys or lockbox unavailable, it is proven that properties take longer to sell and in some cases never receive an offer.
Is Your Property Ready to Smile?
Be prepared to have you house "picture perfect" in case your Agent takes pictures right then and there for advertising.
Okay, with all that organized, you are completely ready to meet with your Agent, get the property on the market and start letting all those Buyers in.
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