I am a Vancouver Island real estate professional who is part of both local and national organizations and associations. I have been educated by National Standards and as a trusted REALTOR® I have a strict code of ethics that I am expected to maintain. It is mandatory that we maintain a higher level of knowledge of the processes involved in buying and selling properties than anyone who is not a REALTOR®. Not all REALTORS® are created equal though so make sure you find the right fit for you and your needs.

Investing in real estate is one of the most substantial financial commitments you will make in your life therefore it is critical that you work with someone that understands the complete process in buying a home from start to finish. You wouldn’t go to a nail tech for advice on your car, so why would you rely on anyone other than a professional REALTOR® when buying or selling a home?

Here is an example; if you had a $250,000 income tax problem, would you try to figure it out online by yourself or would you enlist the help of a professional trained and certified accountant? Or, if you had a legal problem of that size would you attempt to deal with it on your own or would you get the help of an attorney? As a buyer of an MLS property you do not usually pay commissions (there are still other costs when purchasing a home such as home inspections). You are hiring a real estate agent to represent you and to negotiate the best price possible when purchasing a home. The seller usually pays the commission. As professionals we will have the most up to date information and access to resources that the general public does not.

If you still aren’t convinced, here are several more reasons to use a REALTOR®:

We have many resources to help you in your home search and sometimes have the ability to pre-view Victoria and surrounding area properties for sale before the general public (and to send you listings before they appear on the Vancouver Island MLS system). We can also approach the owners of For Sale By Owner property to see if they are willing to work with a real estate agent.

We can help you determine your buying power; this is your financial reserves plus your borrowing ability. If you give us some basic info about your available savings, your income, and your current debt, we can refer you to lenders to help you. We can also give you a general idea of how much you can spend before we start to look!

Once we have determined your buying power and we start looking at properties, we can assist you in selecting the best property for you by giving you objective information about each property we see. We have a variety of resources to give you the local community information as it is not only important to have a property that could be a great home or investment, but also a property that will sell again when you are ready to buy up.

REALTORS® are negotiators, and this does not just have to do with price! There are factors such as financing terms, date of possession, chattels and fixtures, and the inclusion or exclusion of repairs and furnishings or equipment. Your real estate agent should also give you the option of having appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you remove the conditions and complete the purchase. Your REALTOR® should be able to advise you on which investigations are recommended or required.

A real estate agent provides due diligence during the evaluation of the property. We visually inspect for patent defects while you are busy looking to see if your furniture fits. We can put you in touch with trusted experts in areas of concern to do more in depth reports. We are also able to do title searches to ensure that you are buying property from the actual current owners and to let you know about any restrictions that may exist on the property for utilities. This helps prevent problems in the future.

We can help you understand different financing options and will work hard to help you get the best mortgage possible by referring you to qualified lenders who will also work hard to get the house you want.

Your real estate agent can help guide you through the closing process and make sure everything gets taken care of and will hopefully go off without a hitch. There are many other things to consider when buying a house that people tend to overlook, so we are there to make sure you are aware of them all and help you prepare for them.

If you are looking to buy a home in the Victoria or surrounding area real estate market or anywhere else in Canada be sure to contact me. I can work with you directly on Vancouver Island or refer you to a qualified real estate agent anywhere else in Canada.