What is the role of a real estate agent?

You wouldn't dream of designing a home without an architect or even making a complicated meal without a recipe, so why make the biggest purchase of your life without the help of a trained professional? A real estate agent is an indispensible ally when buying or selling a home.

 Realtors must be registered with the Real Estate Council of Ontario and complete a training program which will allow them to become a licensed real estate agent. With a real estate agent on your side, it's just a matter of signing on the dotted line. 

 Real estate agents do much more than hammering For Sale signs onto front lawns. For buyers, your first meeting with an agent will likely be spent answering questions. They need to know exactly what you are looking for in a home in order to start your search. Your agent will then begin sending you current listings that match your criteria, usually via email. 

 When you see a home you would like to tour, your agent will contact the seller's real estate agent and arrange a viewing. You are welcome to tour as many homes as you like before buying. Don't ever feel pressured into making a decision.

 
 Once you have found THE house, your real estate agent will meet with you to discuss the terms of your offer, including price, conditions and a closing date. This is when the paperwork and negotiations come in. Your agent will act as an intermediary between you and the sellers until an agreement has been made. If the deal goes through, your agent will then submit all necessary forms to your lawyer and your mortgage lender.

Your real estate agent also plays a big role when selling a home. Their first responsibility is to advise you on a competitive price for your home. They will suggest ways that you can effectively stage your home in order to entice the most buyers and arrange for photographs to be taken of your home. It is then your agent's job to market your property. They will advertise your home in multiple real estate publications and online websites (including their own) and will likely submit your home to the multiple listing service (MLS) where it will be seen by thousands of other real estate agents and potential buyers. Your realtor will arrange showings of your home and take the lead in negotiations when dealing with offers. Check out on My website the Over 100 Actions Todd Completes When Selling Your Home


Any Questions always feel free to call me.


Todd Fryer
Sales Representative
Century 21
905 869-3473
www.toddfryer.com

How to avoid costly renovations that won’t pay back   The sights and sounds of hammering and demolition fill your home and this can be an exciting thing, or in some cases lead to renovations gone wrong! So many times home projects that you thought would be a smart investment end poorly with little opportunity to recover the costs when the time comes to sell your home. It may leave you wondering, “What was I thinking?!” Many homeowners put countless hours each year into home improvements. There are some obvious eyesores that need to be upgraded like used-to-be-trendy faux paint treatments, but then there are those home renovations that sounded like a good idea at the time that may actually end up devaluing your home when it comes time to sell. So before lifting any tools, do your research and find out how the project will affect the value and choose upgrades that will boost your sale price. Looking back some people ask themselves, “where did we go wrong?” One of the most common mistakes is with redecorating. Any extremely trendy or personality-specific decorating choices can work against you in the future when selling your house. Paint colours that are too bold such as red, orange, purple and black, as well as too many walls covered in wallpaper are usually not the most appealing choices to potential buyers.  You don’t want to do anything that’s too trendy, even if at the time it’s the latest and coolest thing, as it will probably only last short term. Instead, make choices that will last for years.  Another big mistake when renovating is purchasing cheap materials to work with. This is just setting up for disaster, as you get what you pay for. Cutting corners in the wrong places will show. Never go for the cheapest! There are several upgrades that people believe will add value to their home, when in fact it does the exact opposite. Swimming pools and hot tubs are a good example. It seems like a luxury item to add to your home, but many potential homebuyers view them as dangerous and expensive to maintain. Wall-to-wall carpeting is another thing that may be a turn-off for some, as it has been shown that carpeting harbors allergens and dirt. So as a homeowner sometimes you have to choose between an improvement that you want and one that would prove to be a better investment. Think twice about costly upgrades and renovations that will not add value to your home.  Its your money! Lets try and keep more of it. Any Questions always feel free to call me. Todd Fryer Sales Representative Century 21 905 869-3473 www.toddfryer.com

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