Use a Buyer’s Agent When Buying a Home!

There’s a difference in real estate representation that all Ontario home buyers need to know!

While the law allows both the buyer and seller to be represented by the same real estate agent, this is not in the buyer’s best interest. This is because the seller has different goals in mind than the buyer does!

Sellers want the highest possible sales price, and terms that serve their advantage. As the buyer, you want exactly the opposite!

Home buyers deserve individual representation when it comes to negotiating the price and terms of the home sale. You deserve to have loyalty, accountability, trustworthy advice, and full disclosure from your agent. Your motives and finances should be kept confidential from the seller. But without a Buyer’s Agent, you are not assured of any of those things!

By law, you are allowed to have a Buyer’s Agent represent you! There are several ways this works to your advantage:

• Access to all homes for sale, without bias
• Dedicated representation
• Protection of your best interests
• Disclosure of material facts than could influence your decisions
• Assistance with all phases of the home buying process
• Counseling about home prices, market conditions and strategic offers 

If you are looking to buy a home in Brantford or the surrounding area, you can trust me to provide you with reliable Buyer Agent services. I can help you find the right home for your needs, and save you money by negotiating diligently on your behalf.

Contact me today for expert home buying guidance!

Wally Dufrat
Re/Max Twin City Realty, Inc.
Phone: 519-752-5400
515 Park Road North

Brantford, Ontario N3R 7K8

Some Brantford/Brant County Real Estate “Don’ts”

As the year comes to a festive close, many of you are probably thinking about the changes you want to make in 2013. For some, that might mean listing your home for sale in the Brantford/Brant County Real Estate market. This is a big step, and in this market, you can’t afford to make mistakes. There is a lot of competition for a limited number of buyers, particularly in the off season. As a Brantford/Brant County real estate agent, I do everything that I can to give my seller clients the advice that will create a stress-free transaction. A large part of that requires knowing some secret strategies to successfully selling your Brantford/Brant County home.

When you first start showing your home, it goes without saying that there are some things that shouldn’t be in it. The things that you want removed, however, might not be what you think. Here are a few of them:

DON’T stick around during showings. When a seller is present at a showing of their own Brantford/Brant County home, it creates an awkward situation for everyone involved. Buyers don’t feel comfortable giving their honest feedback about your property, and they’ll feel rushed. You want buyers to be able to spend as much time in your home as they like, and you want them to feel comfortable. After all, they have to be able to envision themselves living there one day!

Find a pet sitter. It might seem unfair, but you will have to find a temporary home for your pets during showings. Not everyone is comfortable around animals, and even if your chocolate lab is friendly as can be, they could end up scaring away potential buyers. The best thing to do is temporarily board them, find a doggy day care, take them to a dog park for a few hours or find a friend to watch them for you.

Avoid a themed room. We know that you might love your hockey-themed room, but having a space that’s so strikingly categorized can turn off buyers. It’s distracting, and they find themselves paying attention to the theme you’ve chosen for the space instead of its potential as a room. People may have a problem seeing past what you’ve done with the place instead of what they can do with it.

De-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter. You want clean, organized surfaces. You don’t want each space to look bare, but you DO want to avoid too much personal clutter or decoration. Remember: you want potential buyers to see themselves and their belongings in your space. This is hindered by an abundance of your own clutter everywhere they look. Get organized before showing time.

Try to keep things as impersonal as possible. All of your décor, furnishings and publicly shown items should be as impersonal as possible. It’s not that your taste in decorating is bad, per se, but showing too much of yourself to potential buyers could shape their opinion of your property in a way that is unfavorable to you. It’s best to keep things as neutral as possible.

If you can avoid having these items in your home after listing it for sale in the Brantford/Brant County Real Estate market, then there’s a much better likelihood that you’ll have a seamless real estate transaction. More buyers will be interested in your home. The key to having a speedy and successful transaction is to proactively avoid potential conflict on your side of the deal. These are a few steps you can take to have a flawless selling strategy.

As always, if you have questions about what you need to do to list a home in the Brantford/Brant County Real Estate market, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d be happy to give you guidance and advice throughout your entire transaction. I hope to hear from you soon!

 Wally Dufrat | Sales Representative
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Inc. Brokerage
515 Park Road North | Brantford, ON N3R 7K8
Direct:  (519) 752-5400 & (877) 759-5900 | Cell: (519) 761-7400 | Fax: 519-752-3400

Before You Buy or Sell Your Next Home, Visit My Websites at:
www.BrantfordHomeInfo.com or www.FreeBrantfordHomeInfo.com for FREE Information!
 

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The “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of Selling Your Brantford Home!

In my opinion, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first time selling your home in the Brantford/Brant County Real Estate market or you’ve done it a few times. The transaction is never as easy as you think it will be. There are a number of reasons people run in to obstacles while putting their property in the market. A lot of it has to do with the housing cycle. The real estate industry goes through booms and busts, and while in Canada we’ve been faring better than most other countries we have still had our own struggles. Many sellers in the Brantford/Brant County Real Estate market have been reluctant to proceed with listing their home for fear of taking a financial hit.

While we can’t control the real estate market, what I can do, as a Brantford/Brant County Real Estate Agent, is tell you what you can do to get more buyers interested in your home. If you follow these common do’s and don’ts of selling a home, then you can have a speedier and less stressful transaction:

•    Don’t do any major renovations just before selling. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, but most of the time you won’t see the return on investment during the home sale. You could end up taking a big hit financially.
•    Do make sure that your house is accessible during showings. If your home looks uninviting, buyers won’t be as inclined to walk through the door. Clear all walkways to your house, make sure your landscaping looks nice and de-clutter the inside. Buyers should have an easy experience once they walk inside.
•    Do market your home in a few different ways. Your Brantford/Brant County real estate agent should use the right combination of internet, print and word of mouth marketing when selling your home. This involves a strategy. Before hiring an agent, ask them their strategy for marketing your house.
•    Do showcase your home’s best features. The key to getting multiple offers is to highlight your home’s best assets. If you have a spacious, open floor plan, you need to emphasize that. If your home is bright, that needs to be shown off. Make minor adjustments before showings to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward.
•    Don’t take a “hard sell” approach. Many buyers are tempted to stick around during showings to “show” buyers the best parts of their home. This is a huge mistake. Most buyers feel uncomfortable when the seller is present at a showing and feel pressured. Let your agent handle the sales pitch. You focus on getting your house ready to show!

As a Brantford/Brant County Real Estate Agent, I highly recommend that my sellers employ these tactics upon listing their home. I’ve found that these approaches produce better results and create a more stress-free transaction. If you ever have any questions about the best way to sell your home in the Brantford/Brant County Real Estate market, don’t hesitate to contact me and ask. I’d be happy to help you. I hope to hear from you soon!

Wally Dufrat | Sales Representative
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Inc. Brokerage

Over 525 Closings!
515 Park Road North | Brantford, ON N3R 7K8
Direct:  (519) 752-5400 & (877) 759-5900 | Cell: (519) 761-7400 | Fax: 519-752-3400

Before You Buy or Sell Your Next Home, Visit My Websites at:
www.BrantfordHomeInfo.com or www.FreeBrantfordHomeInfo.com for FREE Information!
 

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Get Your Brantford Home Sold This Winter!

If my many years of experience working as a Brantford real estate agent have taught me anything, it’s that many people are reluctant to sell their home during the winter months. Between the frigid temperatures and buildup of snow, the last thing people feel like doing is getting their home ready for sale and putting it on the market. Similarly, many home buyers would rather finish out the school year or put off their move until the weather gets a bit nicer. It’s an understandable deterrent, however my experience has taught me that going through a Brantford real estate transaction during the winter can be incredibly beneficial.

As a homeowner who wants to reap the benefits that listing a home in the winter can bring, it’s important to go above and beyond when you prepare your home for sale. While listing your home during the winter can be challenging, it is possible. The strategic tactics listed below will help you get your home sold during what is often known as real estate’s off-season. If you follow these trusty tips, then you’re much more likely to get your Brantford home sold this winter!

1. Set a realistic price. Since the market is slow during the winter, the buyers and sellers who are active during this time are typically very serious about the transaction. In order to get the traffic flowing to your property, you need to make sure that your home is priced correctly. Buyers expect discount prices during the winter months, so in order to avoid lowball offers, you need to price your home accurately at the beginning. The more realistic the price is early-on, the more likely it is that buyers will take you seriously.

2. Make sure all of your photos are snow-free. If you can, have your Brant County real estate agent arrange for pictures to be taken either before it snows or shortly after the first flurry melts. It’s the best way for a buyer to really see what your home looks like when it’s not covered with frozen water!

3. Maximize your home’s curb appeal, despite the snow. While it’s apparent that you won’t be able to have the pristine landscaping and perfectly manicured garden that you could have in June, the doom and gloom of winter is no excuse to neglect curb appeal. Clear the walkways and driveway of snow and put a clean doormat by your front door. You also need to make sure that all remnants of dead autumn leaves and tree branches are cleared from your yard.

4. Make your home staging seasonal. Despite the dreary weather in the winter, you can still add a comfortable, cheerful tone to your home staging this season! Start by de-cluttering and removing any overly personal touches from your home and put them in off-site storage. This will create the neutral space that will allow homebuyers to imagine themselves and their possessions in your home. From there, rearrange your furniture so that each room is shown at its maximum potential. As a finishing touch, bake a fresh batch of cookies or apple pie before a showing. This will create a warm atmosphere as potential buyers are coming in from the cold weather outside.

5. Enhance your interior lighting. Unfortunately, winter is naturally darker than summer, so you can’t rely on natural lighting to make your home look great when a buyer stops by for a showing. Maximize what natural lighting is available by having all of your windows professionally cleaned. It may also be a good idea to replace lower wattage lightbulbs with 100-watt ones. This way, the artificial light can make your home look a little bit brighter on a particularly dark day. Sure, this will drive up the electric bill a bit, but it’s worth it to showcase your home in the best light possible and sell it faster.

Despite the rough climate and onslaught of laziness that tends to come with the winter season, there are several benefits of listing a home during this time of year! The buyers and sellers on the market are much more serious due to the slowdown in the market, and there is potential to sell your home quickly. If you follow these tips closely, you will find that your Brantford home will sell!

As a Brantford real estate agent, I think it’s important to let my clients know how they can successfully sell their home at any time of year. If you have any questions about what you need to do to list your home right now, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d be happy to answer any of your questions. I hope to hear from you soon!

Wally Dufrat | Sales Representative
RE/MAX Twin City Realty, Inc. Brokerage
515 Park Road North | Brantford, ON N3R 7K8
Direct:  (519) 752-5400 & (877) 759-5900 | Cell: (519) 761-7400 | Fax: 519-752-3400

Before You Buy or Sell Your Next Home, Visit My Websites at:
www.BrantofordHomeInfo.com or www.FreeBrantfordHomeInfo.com for FREE Information!
 

 

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