It’s no secret just how many real estate agents there are in the city of Toronto and there’s no shortage of business models among them. And there’s more than a few that market a full-service business, but in reality, deliver far less.
So, it’s no surprise that the public is confused or immune to hearing the term full service when it comes to Real Estate Agents. Perhaps you think of full service when you hear the radio ads that promise “multimillion” dollar add spending for your listing or when some agents boast about the unlimited number of buyers, pre-approved and lined up ready to purchase your property, they have. There are so many gimmicks in the industry and so many half-truths to sift through, it’s hard to know what to expect from a true full-service professional.
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What to Expect From a Full-Service Real Estate Agent
So, let’s first bust some myths and really define what we believe you should expect from a full-service agent. First of all, the guys on the radio talking about their million-dollar advertising budget, are not only exaggerating but actually referring to their self-promotion campaign instead of any money to be used for the promotion of your property. Anecdotally, we’ve won over clients from some of these heavily promoted “super-agent” types, and the general feedback seems to be that its all glitz and glam until the paper is signed, then you never hear from them again. They are the worst at making consumers feel like they are signing on with a full service agent, and delivering anything but full service.
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What Sets TRG Apart?
So what makes a full service listing agent and sets Toronto Realty Group apart from most agents out there? if I can sum up in in one sentence; full service means securing the absolute most amount of money possible for your property while minimizing any inconvenience. Seems simple enough, but there’s a lot of work involved to actually realize this goal.
Every property is different and will require slightly more or less of different things, but a full-service agent must make sure that the property presents at its absolute best. At a minimum this means cleaning and painting, but at Toronto Realty Group we’ll take it a step further and make sure to undertake any minor renovations we think will add value to the property before we clean and paint. Then when we have the heavy lifting done, we’ll bring our very own interior designer through to stage the home perfectly before we professionally photograph and build a virtual walk through of the home for potential buyers to tour through online at their leisure. We’ll conduct an extensive home inspection ahead of going to market in order to identify and rectify any deficiencies. And then we build all of this into our marketing material to put any worries a potential buyer may have at ease, encouraging confidence for them to make an offer.
And we don’t spend our time and money advertising ourselves on the radio, but instead build a highly focused campaign to promote your property through our extensive networks including, the multiple listing service (MLS) to 90,000 agents, through our own exclusive network of international agents, and through our social media and blog outlets reaching thousands of visitors each year.
The goal of course is to attract as many real buyers as possible to view the listing, get in touch and maximize the selling price for the property.
Still not sure how to choose the right real estate agent? We’ve got a blog for you! Read more here.
Full-Service is for Buyers Too
From a buyer’s perspective, full service means something slightly different and can also depend on the type of market at the time. Essentially, a full-service buyer’s agent should be able to find and secure the most ideal property for the least amount of money. Now anyone can open a door and let you have a walk through a property, but first and foremost a full-service buyer agent needs to listen and determine exactly what a client is looking to achieve.
From here, you should expect your agent to send you any and every listing that matches this criterion including anything that may be available off-market or coming to the market soon. In a Sellers’ market, where we are generally overwhelmed with demand, the real competitive advantage of a full-service agent is their availability, initiative, and mobility in getting you into the right property before someone else scoops it up. In a slower market, the agent’s analytical ability to properly value a home and general rapport with other agents will also be crucial in their ability to negotiate the best possible price.
Most importantly as we work with people buying and selling homes, and nothing is more personal or precious to someone than their home, ensuring the security and respect for both client and personal property are paramount when working with a true professional. It also doesn’t hurt to enjoy your agent’s company too, as you’ll likely to be spending at least a few evenings and weekends together!
So when you’re next considering an agent and want to find one offering a truly full service, make sure you ask the right questions and look for them to back up their strategies with past examples, referrals, and reviews.
Want to see what full-service real estate is really like? Give us a call at 416.642.2660 or email us at admin@torontorealtygroup.com today.
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