There is a lot of misconception when it comes to working with a REALTOR® as a buyer. Many people are familiar with the commission structure of property sales, but for the most part, are totally unaware of how a REALTOR® provides their services when buying — and guess what? It doesn’t cost you a dime.
When you work alongside a REALTOR®, the commission is paid by the Seller’s agency after completion. By engaging an experienced, high-performing REALTOR®, you are also given access to so much more than the average home buyer searching online!
Regardless of what REALTOR® you use, always go with the agent you’re the most comfortable with, and one you can trust. You don’t necessarily have to use the first agent you meet — this is most likely going to be one of the largest investments you’re going to make, so why not make it a fun and enjoyable experience!
Your mortgage broker will send you a detailed checklist of everything you’ll need!
Once you have decided to work with Meg, she will walk you through the paperwork and what is involved when working with a REALTOR®, ensuring you are well informed & educated on the type of working relationship going forward.
There’s so much to consider when trying to figure out all the qualities you want in your home — it’s the responsibility of Meg to ask you all the right questions to help you determine exactly what you want on your wishlist.
The main things to consider:
Meg is here to help streamline which properties you see to ensure they meet your criteria and price range so no time is being wasted. You’ll want to keep track of which properties you preview and provide honest feedback on each one to your Agent.
Depending on your agreement, you may have certain conditions to fulfill in order to consider the home Sold. Meg will assist you with the following conditions:
A copy of the purchase and sale agreement and the listing cut sheet will be sent to your mortgage broker on your behalf. They will provide a letter of confirmation within the note time frame. Please contact your mortgage broker if you have any questions pertaining to your mortgage.
This is to be provided by the seller, if available.
The purpose of a home inspection is to identify any structural, electrical, and mechanical problems. A home inspection is highly recommended as it can identify property deficiencies.
Confirm with your insurance company that they will be able to insure your new home
Cash or cheque to be payable to the Seller Brokerage in trust. This will be held pending completion and will be credited towards the purchase price on the closing day. However, the deposit could also be returned to the buyer if the agreement is terminated during the conditional period.
A water sample will be taken from homes on well water and tested to make sure it meets safe drinking water standards and may also be tested for minerals. As well, you may want to have a flow test to ensure there is sufficient water.
Tested for homes on a septic system to make sure the system is properly working.
As your REALTOR®, Meg's role doesn’t end just because you've been handed the keys. As always, Meg's advice is fast, free and confidential. She's here for you, through your move-in date and beyond. You can call on her any time — whether it’s:
This is perhaps the most shocking part of things for many people. Commonly, negotiations are wrapped up within 24–48 hours. In other words, if an offer were to be written at noon, it would not be unusual to receive a response (typically a counter offer) by the evening. If an acceptance isn't reached by that evening, it wouldn’t be unusual to have an accepted offer by the next evening.
No (and no). Unless an offer is being written without subjects (which is really unusual and in which case your REALTOR® will discuss this in depth with you), you will have a period of time, typically 7–10 days, to investigate whether or not this home will be acceptable to you. If you don’t like something you find out about this home during that period of time, you will be able to walk away and the contract will collapse.
This is a strategy question and the answer is that it depends on too many factors for there to only be one answer. There are times when an offer at 5% off of list price is perfectly acceptable and appropriate. Similarly, there are times when an offer above list price is appropriate. When you sit down with your REALTOR® to prepare an offer, this will be discussed at length.
As many as you’d like! However, experience has proven that once 3 counter offers from either side is reached (i.e. 5–6 total counter offers), the chances of reaching mutually acceptable terms start to diminish. Remember, the goal of a negotiation is to find mutually acceptable terms. The goal is to find the bottom end of their acceptable price range and this will not happen if the sellers feel like they are being taken advantage of.
There are occasions when homes attract multiple offers. You’ll talk through a detailed strategy with your REALTOR® should this happen, but here are some basic things to know. When you submit an offer knowing that there is another offer, you will likely only get one chance to offer. In other words, it is rare to see counter offers made at this point — it is assumed that buyers are offering their best terms and the seller will typically just choose an offer. There are a few things that will help make your offer as competitive as possible: that your offer includes as few subjects as are necessary to properly protect you, that you are offering as high a price as you are comfortable with and finally, that you offering the completion/possession dates that most closely match what the seller is looking for. From this perspective, the experience of multiple offers is very similar to making blind bids at an auction. The terms of an offer are almost always confidential until subjects are removed. The seller will typically not disclose the price they have accepted (for fear that it will jeopardize future negotiations should this offer collapse).
This is called a "competing offer" situation. It occurs when more than one buyer is submitting an offer. The seller will have a chance to review the offers and select the one that best suits their needs. They usually select the highest offer, however, other favourable conditions such as closing date, could be taken into consideration. Together, your REALTOR® will talk with you about your strategy should this situation occur.
.svg){kind=small}
