Finding a Professional to Work With | Alberta Buyers
Once you’re ready to sell your home, your likely next step is to find a professional to assist you.
You want to find a licensed real estate professional you trust, who can answer your questions, help you set an appropriate listing price, market your property, guide you through the process, and help you successfully negotiate a sale.
It’s important to find a professional that will suit your needs. But how?
Word of mouth referrals Get recommendations from your friends and neighbours about their experiences with real estate professionals.
Search online Almost all real estate professionals have an online presence, whether it’s a personal website or profiles on various social media sites. Do some searching online and find someone who appeals to you.
Find out if they’re licensed Real estate professionals need a licence to work in Alberta. Once you’ve found the name(s) of professionals you’re considering, do a public licence search on RECA’s website to make sure their licence is current. Visit www.reca.ca and click on “Searching for an industry professional.”
Check the RECA website RECA posts disciplinary decisions on its website. Check the Complaints & Discipline tab on the Consumer side of RECA’s website for two years of disciplinary history, to see if RECA disciplined the professional with whom you want to work.
Interview some residential real estate professionals While the above suggestions will help you find professionals to talk to, they won’t tell you exactly which professionals are right for you. Your next step should be to interview those you are considering. Make sure they have the experience, background, and knowledge necessary to assist you in your purchase or sale. You need to feel comfortable with your choice, so it’s a good idea to ask them for references, and let them know you’re interviewing multiple professionals.
Ask them:
how long have you been in the business?
do you have a job other than as a real estate professional?
how many sellers did you represent last year
what services will you provide to me?
what geographic areas do you serve?
do you specialize in certain property types?
how will you market my home?
how do you handle multiple offers?
how do you present buyers’ offers to me?
what are the top three things that separate you from your competition?
are you working as part of a team or will I always deal directly with you?
how do you get paid?
how much do you charge for your services?
will you work for me exclusively, not the buyer?
how do you handle conflicts of interest?
how do you keep me informed?
how many clients do you work with at any one time?
The real estate professionals you interview will likely also have questions for you. These could include:
your motivation for selling
your preferred timing
if you’re also planning to buy a home
