The Selling Process
Deciding to list your property for sale—whether it’s your personal home or an investment property—is a difficult decision. Re/Max Hallmark Realty Group is a full-service brokerage that offers the highest standards of service within the real estate industry. Here’s what we will do for you:
- Determine the value of your property.
- List your property on MLS® and other websites.
- Market your property professionally both online and in print.
- Contact prospective buyers.
- Host open houses.
- Arrange viewing appointments with other agents and potential buyers.
- Assist with sale negotiations.
- Prepare and produce sale documents and forward them to lawyers, mortgage brokers etc.
- Ensure that you are well informed throughout the entire sale process and are capable of making informed decisions regarding the sale of your property.
WHAT IS A REALTOR®?
We are registered members of the Canadian Real Estate Association, the Ontario Real Estate Association and the Ottawa Real Estate Board and we are REALTORS®. This means that when you list your home for sale with us, your home is immediately available to other real estate sales representatives and brokers throughout the Ottawa area. It is also posted on various MLS® websites for the public to view listings, such as www.realtor.ca (formerly MLS.ca).
As REALTORS®, we are also governed by a strict code of ethics to ensure our fiduciary duties are fulfilled with an extreme attention to detail and the needs of our clients are put first. For more information on what it means to be a REALTOR®, visit www.howrealtorshelp.ca.
WHAT IS MLS®?
MLS® stands for “Multiple Listing Service”. The MLS® system is used exclusively by REALTORS® and provides market information for specific real estate market-zones across Canada. Each registered real estate board (such as the Ottawa Real Estate Board) has their own MLS® database which real estate professionals can enter information regarding properties for sale in Ottawa, as well as search for properties for potential buyers. The public can access properties that are listed on the MLS® system via www.realtor.ca.
WHAT’S A FSBO?
In the real estate industry, FSBO stands for “For Sale By Owner” (and is pronounced “Fizz-Bow”). There are multiple brokerages in Ottawa that offer to post your home for sale on MLS at a flat fee or discounted rate. However, these brokerages do not negotiate offers or guide you through the home selling process and many challenges can arise. Suppose a buyer submits an offer to purchase your home and it is conditional on a home inspection and the buyer arranging financing, but also has a first refusal clause? What if the buyer wants to re-negotiate the offer after the home inspection is completed? And what if the closing date on the offer is in two weeks and your new home doesn’t close for another three months? There are multiple negotiation points within any offer and having a real estate professional looking after your interest will ensure your questions are answered and needs looked after. In some situations, REALTORS® can also save Sellers thousands of dollars in unnecessary expenses because of their knowledge and abilities.
NEGOTIATING OFFERS
Part of what we do is negotiate offers to purchase your home to suit both your needs and the buyers needs. You’ll hear this from us often: “we’re just looking for the win-win situation here”. It’s a standard that we live by, and we do our best to ensure that our clients’ needs are protected. Remember: most lawyers will not negotiate an offer for you, as they are unaware of the negotiation points within an offer. We understand that you have other obligations (such as work and family) and do our best to operate within your schedule. We understand that, for most people, a property purchase is one of the largest monetary investments you can make. That’s why we have a team of four licensed professionals on our team—to ensure that, even if we are working with multiple clients at once, your needs are still our top priority. We’re never too busy for our clients!
