A home is the single most important purchase you can make, and it often represents years of planning, saving and dreaming. You simply can’t afford to make a mistake when so much is at stake.
Most people will need expert help to make sure they make the right choice, and the expert you should turn to is a REALTOR®.
REALTORS® are professionals who know the real estate business inside and out. REALTORS® are licensed real estate salespeople who are also members of a local real estate board or association. As members of their association, they are bound by a professional code of ethics.
REALTORS® also have direct access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) — a vast and comprehensive database of homes for sale — in their area.
REALTORS® will guide you through the details of home buying. They know about current housing prices, mortgage rates, appreciation, schools, transit and just about anything else you need to know. In addition, they are adept at identifying other considerations that may affect your search, such as personal time constraints, finances and so forth.
In short, REALTORS® have at their disposal a wealth of information, experience and advice, and can be your best ally.
The decision to choose a REALTOR® is almost as important as the decision to buy a home. Without his or her help, it is difficult — if not impossible — to sort through the thousands of properties on the market to find the one that suits your family and your future.
Once you have chosen a REALTOR® to work with you and the two of you have established the type of property you want and need, the REALTOR® will put together an initial list of homes you may be interested in. For first-time buyers especially, a REALTOR®’s experience during this step can be invaluable. He or she will streamline the hunt, helping narrow down the possibilities to those which best suit your requirements. As well, he or she will be familiar with the neighbourhoods and communities you may be considering, and can offer helpful feedback.
Once you have picked out a property you would like to purchase, your REALTOR® will continue to assist you by helping you complete an offer to purchase and acting as a “go-between” between you and the vendor and their real estate salesperson.
Those who have used REALTORS® — the vast majority of homeowners — know the close-knit relationship that can develop from the thorough and often lengthy quest to find the perfect home. REALTORS® are accustomed to expending whatever time and effort is needed, and frequently spend a great deal of time with their purchasers.
This relationship is precisely why many home buyers insist on returning to the same REALTOR® when they are in a position to sell their home and buy another.
REALTOR® and REALTORS® are registered trademarks of the Canadian Real Estate Association and describe a real estate practitioner/practitioners who is/are a member/members of the Canadian Real Estate Association. — provided by the Manitoba Real Estate Association.