Erin Mills Town Centre
I’ve been concerned a lot lately about the attacks levied on realtors by people alleging that we are all dishonest creeps who give service that isn’t worth a dime. I’m sorry if anyone in this
country has been exposed to disreputable service and I encourage anyone to report a realtor who they believe to have acted dishonestly to the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). Good Realtors know the market part one
The Real Estate profession is highly regulated.
RECO regulates, on behalf of the Ontario government, how realtors behave, and it has established a consumer deposit protection program in which all registered real estate professionals must participate. RECO also provides a search tool so that people who are considering using the services of a realtor can find out if that individual is registered and in good standing with the government.
RECO investigates complaints against realtors, and it has the authority to confiscate a realtor’s records, without a court order, in order to conduct an investigation. If a realtor has been charged or convicted, or has had any fines levied against them for an infraction against the Business Broker Act 2002, that information will show up in their record on RECO.
But there are some great realtors at work in this country. A realtor who is on the ball and experienced with sales in your target community will know the history of the neighbourhood and quite possibly the history of the individual houses for sale in that neighbourhood. Was there flooding in the area four years ago? Were there problems with the builder? Is that area prone to power outages? Is the zoning going to change? Has that house been listed six times in the past year? What does that even mean? Is that basement apartment legal? Does the property have any liens or encumbrances? If they don’t have the answers to these questions (and many more), an established agent will be able to find out so that the buyer doesn’t end up getting taken in by an unscrupulous seller.
Good Realtors Are Also Problem-Solvers
What realtors offer is knowledge of the market. They know value, they negotiate deals and, if things start to fall apart in the middle of a deal, the good ones are adept at mediating a resolution that is satisfactory for all concerned. That’s something that comes with experience but it’s also a result of a realtor’s determination to bring their clients the absolute best service possible.
A good realtor brings complete dedication to the protection and promotion of their client’s interest. They are advocates for their clients. To behave otherwise is not only morally reprehensible, it is bad business. I and many other realtors are saddened by the flood of calls to sidestep a system that, on the whole, has served Ontario consumers reasonably well. Far from trying to “make an easy buck” with the commission structure as it is right now, we strive to hear our clients say, at the end of a deal, that our services were worth every penny.
There are a lot of highly professional, ethical and conscientious realtors at work out there in this country today and I am sorry for the people who have run into dishonest operators. If you would like to find out whether or not I might be able to help you meet your real estate needs, and help you achieve your real estate-related goals, please get in touch. You can email me at scott@scottbrubacher.com or call me directly at 647-223-0237.
Good Realtors Know the market Part One
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