realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Aug 12th 2009, 11:19 pm
#106
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Okotoks Albetra
Posts: 459
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Alan2005
That just sounds like realtor scaremongering. Happy to be proved wrong, but how would a realtor protect you from this (assume that I can get a lawyer to draw up contracts and a surveyor to do the buildings stuff). Unless there is information about property that only realtors can know about that is.
The fact is that despite all my complaints about the crappy canadian realtor system (the UK is bad, but this is a lot worse in terms of value for money), I will still probably use one because while I resent losing the 4% to a purchasers realtor who hasn't done much other than fill in a few details on document templates, I sure as hell don't want it going to the sellers realtor.
The fact is that despite all my complaints about the crappy canadian realtor system (the UK is bad, but this is a lot worse in terms of value for money), I will still probably use one because while I resent losing the 4% to a purchasers realtor who hasn't done much other than fill in a few details on document templates, I sure as hell don't want it going to the sellers realtor.
When I act as the buying agent, I actually give every buyer 25% of my commission in cash the day they move into their new home. This is yours to what you want with, stick it in your pocket, pay the lawyer fee's whatever you want. I even have an online calculator showing you how much I will give back www.callrhino.com/cbcalc.asp
When I sell houses I do it for a fixed fee of 3000, 4000 or 5000 dollars depending on the value of the house.
So please don't tar every realtor with the same brush, I do my very best to save my clients money and I always do my very best to provide the best possible service I can.
Sam
Aug 12th 2009, 11:20 pm
#107
Banned
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: In Limbo
Posts: 15,706
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Sam-in-Okotoks
Not all Realtors charge the same fee's in Calgary / Okotoks.
When I act as the buying agent, I actually give every buyer 25% of my commission in cash the day they move into their new home. This is yours to what you want with, stick it in your pocket, pay the lawyer fee's whatever you want. I even have an online calculator showing you how much I will give back www.callrhino.com/cbcalc.asp
When I sell houses I do it for a fixed fee of 3000, 4000 or 5000 dollars depending on the value of the house.
So please don't tar every realtor with the same brush, I do my very best to save my clients money and I always do my very best to provide the best possible service I can.
Sam
When I act as the buying agent, I actually give every buyer 25% of my commission in cash the day they move into their new home. This is yours to what you want with, stick it in your pocket, pay the lawyer fee's whatever you want. I even have an online calculator showing you how much I will give back www.callrhino.com/cbcalc.asp
When I sell houses I do it for a fixed fee of 3000, 4000 or 5000 dollars depending on the value of the house.
So please don't tar every realtor with the same brush, I do my very best to save my clients money and I always do my very best to provide the best possible service I can.
Sam
Aug 12th 2009, 11:22 pm
#108
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Okotoks Albetra
Posts: 459
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy
Go SAMMIE Go SAMMIE
Aug 12th 2009, 11:23 pm
#109
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,227
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Sam-in-Okotoks
Not all Realtors charge the same fee's in Calgary / Okotoks.
When I act as the buying agent, I actually give every buyer 25% of my commission in cash the day they move into their new home. This is yours to what you want with, stick it in your pocket, pay the lawyer fee's whatever you want. I even have an online calculator showing you how much I will give back www.callrhino.com/cbcalc.asp
When I sell houses I do it for a fixed fee of 3000, 4000 or 5000 dollars depending on the value of the house.
So please don't tar every realtor with the same brush, I do my very best to save my clients money and I always do my very best to provide the best possible service I can.
Sam
When I act as the buying agent, I actually give every buyer 25% of my commission in cash the day they move into their new home. This is yours to what you want with, stick it in your pocket, pay the lawyer fee's whatever you want. I even have an online calculator showing you how much I will give back www.callrhino.com/cbcalc.asp
When I sell houses I do it for a fixed fee of 3000, 4000 or 5000 dollars depending on the value of the house.
So please don't tar every realtor with the same brush, I do my very best to save my clients money and I always do my very best to provide the best possible service I can.
Sam
Aug 12th 2009, 11:26 pm
#110
Banned
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: In Limbo
Posts: 15,706
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Alan2005
Actually - that sounds like a good deal
)
Aug 12th 2009, 11:28 pm
#111
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Okotoks Albetra
Posts: 459
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Alan2005
Actually - that sounds like a good deal
Aug 12th 2009, 11:30 pm
#112
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,227
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy
Sam (and my other friendly Realtor in Ok) DO offer a good deal AND excellent service (for realtors )
)
Aug 12th 2009, 11:43 pm
#113
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Okotoks Albetra
Posts: 459
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Alan2005
She should have posted that several pages ago. It has kind of taken away the cause of my overblown indignation.
Stop it you are making me wet myself and only Butch normally makes me do that
Aug 13th 2009, 12:08 am
#114
Banned
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: the GTA
Posts: 3,824
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
When I act as the buying agent, I actually give every buyer 25% of my commission in cash the day they move into their new home. This is yours to what you want with, stick it in your pocket, pay the lawyer fee's whatever you want. I even have an online calculator showing you how much I will give back www.callrhino.com/cbcalc.asp
You should franchise this idea coast-to-coast. You would soon be the Richard Branson of the Canadian real estate scene.
You should franchise this idea coast-to-coast. You would soon be the Richard Branson of the Canadian real estate scene.
Aug 13th 2009, 12:10 am
#115
RETIRED Realtor
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Posts: 2,075
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Alan2005
They are both good points - but I would say
1 - You shouldn't need a realtor to find comparibles - is that information not in the public domain. Stuart said it was. Anyway, I wouldn't offer 5% less, I'll be offering a lot less than that. If you aren't embarrassed by your offer you are offering to much as they say
2 - Any offer I make will only be subject to the survey and home report etc and not funding. I wouldn't even make an offer unless I had funding already in place.
3 - Neither of those things is worth 4% of the cost of a property. There is no reason that this couldn't be a fixed price service.
1 - You shouldn't need a realtor to find comparibles - is that information not in the public domain. Stuart said it was. Anyway, I wouldn't offer 5% less, I'll be offering a lot less than that. If you aren't embarrassed by your offer you are offering to much as they say
2 - Any offer I make will only be subject to the survey and home report etc and not funding. I wouldn't even make an offer unless I had funding already in place.
3 - Neither of those things is worth 4% of the cost of a property. There is no reason that this couldn't be a fixed price service.
2) A surveyor here will look at the boundaries of the land and prepare a survey certificate showing the location of the buildings relative to the boundaries, it costs $350.00 you pay for this when buying a house, unless the seller has a copy. A surveyor will not prepare a structural report on a house, the nearest thing is a House Inspection and that is a long way from a UK Surveyor. The nearest thing here would be to get a report from a structural engineer, normally this is only done commercially as its not cheap.
3) Its worth is what people will pay, and the vast majority of Canadians are used to the system and are surprised that they don't have to pay 7% any more. for the last 20 years there has been an 80/20 split between sellers who use a Realtor, and all private sales including those between family members etc., that percentage has not changed despite the advance of the Internet.
I am quite happy to defend Realtors as I am proud of the job that I and most of my fellow Realtors do, it can be a fun job, is always a challenge, and is rewarding in many ways other than money.
Aug 13th 2009, 12:13 am
#116
RETIRED Realtor
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Posts: 2,075
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Auld Yin
When I act as the buying agent, I actually give every buyer 25% of my commission in cash the day they move into their new home. This is yours to what you want with, stick it in your pocket, pay the lawyer fee's whatever you want. I even have an online calculator showing you how much I will give back www.callrhino.com/cbcalc.asp
You should franchise this idea coast-to-coast. You would soon be the Richard Branson of the Canadian real estate scene.
You should franchise this idea coast-to-coast. You would soon be the Richard Branson of the Canadian real estate scene.
Last edited by MB-Realtor; Aug 13th 2009 at 12:17 am.
Aug 13th 2009, 12:16 am
#117
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 14,227
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by MB-Realtor
1) I was being economical with the truth, The selling price is available from the municipality, you have to pay in MB $10 for each title search, and how do you know which house that sold recently is comparible to the one you want to buy,as no other pertinent information is kept, room sizes etc. There is ONLY one easily accessible, reliable, source for this information, the people who have built the database for years, Realtors. Unlike the UK there is no central governmental organisation that collates this information. Canadian government is from the bottom UP, not the top down as the UK.
2) A surveyor here will look at the boundaries of the land and prepare a survey certificate showing the location of the buildings relative to the boundaries, it costs $350.00 you pay for this when buying a house, unless the seller has a copy. A surveyor will not prepare a structural report on a house, the nearest thing is a House Inspection and that is a long way from a UK Surveyor. The nearest thing here would be to get a report from a structural engineer, normally this is only done commercially as its not cheap.
3) Its worth is what people will pay, and the vast majority of Canadians are used to the system and are surprised that they don't have to pay 7% any more. for the last 20 years there has been an 80/20 split between sellers who use a Realtor, and all private sales including those between family members etc., that percentage has not changed despite the advance of the Internet.
I am quite happy to defend Realtors as I am proud of the job that I and most of my fellow Realtors do, it can be a fun job, is always a challenge, and is rewarding in many ways other than money.
2) A surveyor here will look at the boundaries of the land and prepare a survey certificate showing the location of the buildings relative to the boundaries, it costs $350.00 you pay for this when buying a house, unless the seller has a copy. A surveyor will not prepare a structural report on a house, the nearest thing is a House Inspection and that is a long way from a UK Surveyor. The nearest thing here would be to get a report from a structural engineer, normally this is only done commercially as its not cheap.
3) Its worth is what people will pay, and the vast majority of Canadians are used to the system and are surprised that they don't have to pay 7% any more. for the last 20 years there has been an 80/20 split between sellers who use a Realtor, and all private sales including those between family members etc., that percentage has not changed despite the advance of the Internet.
I am quite happy to defend Realtors as I am proud of the job that I and most of my fellow Realtors do, it can be a fun job, is always a challenge, and is rewarding in many ways other than money.
. Fortunately for you, Sam did a much better job of defending your profession. With just one post she's convinced me that some of you aren't actually pure evil
Aug 13th 2009, 12:18 am
#118
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Okotoks Albetra
Posts: 459
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Auld Yin
When I act as the buying agent, I actually give every buyer 25% of my commission in cash the day they move into their new home. This is yours to what you want with, stick it in your pocket, pay the lawyer fee's whatever you want. I even have an online calculator showing you how much I will give back www.callrhino.com/cbcalc.asp
You should franchise this idea coast-to-coast. You would soon be the Richard Branson of the Canadian real estate scene.
You should franchise this idea coast-to-coast. You would soon be the Richard Branson of the Canadian real estate scene.
Aug 13th 2009, 12:21 am
#119
Banned
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: In Limbo
Posts: 15,706
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
Originally Posted by Sam-in-Okotoks
Stop it you are making me wet myself and only Butch normally makes me do that
Aug 13th 2009, 12:25 am
#120
RETIRED Realtor
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Posts: 2,075
Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
There is a place for the discount brokers.
Here in Winnipeg there are vast differences in what a Realtor charges, Some list for .5% and you choose how much to pay the selling agent (normally between 2 & 3%)
You would think every body would use them, but strangely they don't.
All the competition is at the lower end of the market, the guy in Winnipeg who specializes in selling the expensive homes, never charges less than 6% and his normal is 7%, you see his name on 8 out of 10 listings over $750,000 (expensive in Winnipeg). He is no better than the vast majority of Agents, it just that he has and maintains his contacts in Winnipeg society, person to person.
Here in Winnipeg there are vast differences in what a Realtor charges, Some list for .5% and you choose how much to pay the selling agent (normally between 2 & 3%)
You would think every body would use them, but strangely they don't.
All the competition is at the lower end of the market, the guy in Winnipeg who specializes in selling the expensive homes, never charges less than 6% and his normal is 7%, you see his name on 8 out of 10 listings over $750,000 (expensive in Winnipeg). He is no better than the vast majority of Agents, it just that he has and maintains his contacts in Winnipeg society, person to person.
