5,642 Calgary Realtors - How do You Pick the BEST?

Think all Calgary Realtors are the same?

I ask these questions to sellers and investors because I commonly here these words used to describe Realtors- "crooks, shysters, horn-shwagglers, lazy, over paid, anyone can sell a house."

Ok, some of those words are my own, but the truth is you may have used a Realtor in the past and thought that for what they got paid to represent you was not worth the service they provided.

Story Time

5 years ago I bought my first townhouse in Patterson.

It was a 1,326sq/ft 2 story I bought for a $186,000 (and I got the seller to throw in their new $85.00 stainless steel toaster- more for fun than anything and my Realtor still tells that story).

I really had no idea what I was doing and to be quite honest, I felt a bit intimidated at the whole buying process. I searched on line, called up friends and started to do my research.

After speaking with 5 or 6 different Calgary Realtors (at open houses and through friends) , I was getting anxious to buy. I was ready to settle with a Realtor that I liked and seemed to know what he was doing- you know, he had sold lots of houses that year, top producer, bla, bla.

Luckily for me, the day we where scheduled to meet and look at properties, he canceled. He had an offer for anther client in and was closing the deal that day.

So much for that Realtor.

I say luckily, because I ran into a guy at my gym that just so happened to be a Realtor. He had been doing it for about a year, but was specializing in the neighborhoods I was looking and the style of house (in particular townhouses).

Within 2 weeks, we had seen 13 properties and had an accepted offer. I'm not going to go into the whole story, as it would bore you to death. The reason I'm writing this is to give you some very important information you need to keep in mind when choosing a Calgary Realtor.

"Why should I use you"?

The first question you should ask: What do you specialize in? and, How will this help me buy or sell my next house?

When you ask most agents what makes them special or better than anther- I'll bet 90% can’t give you a compelling reason.

I think it's because most Calgary Realtors know that they are not different or they don't offer anything that special.

Most Calgary Realtors are very happy just selling real estate. It doesn't matter if its a million dollar home on the Bow River in Mount Royal or a fixer-upper in Forest Lawn.

With Realtors trying to be everything to everyone (so they never lose a deal) they end up becoming mediocre at best.

Compare this to Commercial Realtors

When you ask a Commercial Realtor why you should use them and how will they help you- they'll show you exactly what they do, and why they are better than anyone else.

Commercial Realtors must specialize in a specific product type, or they wouldn't be competitive.

The reason being, Commercial buyers and sellers are very demanding- as they should be. So the average commercial Realtor that try’s to be everything to everyone, never lasts long.

Why then can most residential Realtors get by without specializing?

It seems obvious that a Realtor would like to target a specific group or customer to be the best at one thing. In reality most Calgary Realtors can't say no to a deal- it means passing on $8,000-10,000.

How to Interview Calgary Realtors?

-What do You Specialize in?

-How will you market my house and how much do you charge?

-What plan of action do you have in place to sell my house or find me a new one?

Asking these questions is a good start to knowing your realtor and feeling comfortable that your Realtor understands your needs.

Interview Problems-

Most interviews with Realtors are a waste of time. The agent comes over to your house or you meet for coffee (where they pick up the tab, and now you feel a little more indebted) .

Then you ask some generic, easy questions (so as not to offend) and then they give you scripted answers- telling you what you want to hear.

Keep in mind Calgary Realtors spend a whack of cash marketing themselves. Don't be surprised when a Realtor tells you what you want to hear so you sign the contract.

Most Realtors can't afford to spend money on advertising just to let non-targeted clients walk out the door. If you walk out on him, it is like watching his $8,000 commission check walk away.

The Realtor could refer you onto to someone else and get a small fee, but it is much more profitable to keep you as the client than it is to refer you.

What Shane Specializes In :

You need to find a Realtor that fits your needs! It is as simple as asking what the Realtor specializes in and how they plan to do it.

I personally specialize in finding Investors houses to fix and flip, rent out, assume mortgages and buy on creative terms (vendor take backs, second mortgages).

I also limit the number of clients I work with to 2 at a time.

I specialize selling in the South West- Patterson, Coach Hill, West Springs, Cougar Ridge, Christie Estates, Aspen Stone or Strathcona Park . I've lived there for the past 5 years and know the values.

If you are selling anywhere else in Calgary, then chances would be better served by a Realtor who specializes in your neighborhood. If you would like a list of the top 3 buying Realtors in your neighborhood in 2007, contact me and I will give you the names of all 3.

For you to sell your house the fastest, you need a buyer.

So I figure the best person for that is a Realtor who has the most buyers. If you get the Realtor with the most listings in your neighborhood, your house is now in direct competition with all of the other houses they have listed.

Why not use the Realtors who get the buyers.

"Hint- you probably haven’t even heard of many of them, as they do most of there marketing out of town, attracting families looking to move to Calgary.

I've spent a long time working with these Realtors and have no problems referring the top 3 to you.

Why do I do this?

1) Because they will serve you better than me and most other Realtors in Calgary.

2) They pay me a nice referral commission (10-25%). So I make a bit and you get the best Realtor. Just so you know your fees for selling does not increase as a result of the Realtor paying this referral fee.

Where do you find an Expert to meet your Real Estate needs?

If you are looking to sell, I can help you find the best Realtor in your neighborhood.

There is a contact form at the bottom of this page that you are welcome to fill out.

PLEASE NOTE : No information is ever released, sold or otherwise misused from this form. I do not pass your name on to any realtors unless you instruct me to- I work for you.

So, if you are interested, call me at (403) 214-1884 or fill out the form and contact me. strategic-home-buying.com

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