You Need a Realtor, Especially Now
Sunday, January 17th, 2016
You can’t really blame people – including many in the media – for getting all Chicken Little about Calgary’s real estate market. Layoffs and downsizing at corporations have led to a significant, but not catastrophic, slowdown in homes changing hands, and some prices have been reduced accordingly. The benchmark price actually went up a little over a percent in 2015, but total sales were down about a quarter. We’re solidly in a buyers’ market, and that’s something Calgarians haven’t seen in a long time.
But things aren’t necessarily so dire, really; our fundamentals are strong, prices aren’t artificially inflated, and desirable communities remain desirable. While there are fewer buyers competing for properties, well kept homes in good neighbourhoods are as motivating as ever.
That said, it’s more important than it’s been in years for you to put your home’s best foot forward, and for you to work with an experienced Realtor to help navigate the rapidly changing waters of today’s real estate market.
A Realtor such as myself participates in frequent professional development, ensuring my skills are ideally tuned to the current market. Realtors know the city inside and out, have been around the block enough times to bring historical context to what’s on offer today, and use well-honed negotiation skills to get the best price for your home. Realtors have access to the most accurate and timely data about market conditions and trusted predictions, giving their clients an edge when it comes time to set or adjust a price. Realtors know what will attract buyers and get them to write an offer rather than move on to the next property on the list. And Realtors can save hours decoding the piles of paperwork that goes along with a real estate transaction. Those who go it alone, without the help of a Realtor, are taking a big risk and are probably leaving money on the table.
As part of the services that my Dad and I offer, we’ve just added a comprehensive ‘Local Info’ section to our website that breaks down vital information about Calgary, Airdrie, Chestermere, and Cochrane for those who may be coming from out of the area. We detail civic governments, neighbourhoods, cultural events, schools, shopping, sports teams and more. Even if you’re not in the market to buy or sell right now, I’d encourage you to check it out – you may learn a few things!
