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-   -   realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/realtors-would-british-estate-agent-system-do-well-here-624572/)

MB-Realtor Aug 12th 2009 11:27 pm

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 7837956)
I know, but you aren't very good at it:p.

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:rofl:

Just cause I'm, and Ugly Fat Bloke,

your just a sexist pig,


I'm going to cry....:(

Sam-in-Okotoks Aug 12th 2009 11:45 pm

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by MB-Realtor (Post 7837946)
and then not as well as you would think it would, due to Real Estate being a Person to Person business rather than a pure company brand attraction.

Person to Person business is very important to me and although I give my clients 25% of commission back this does not stop me going the extra mile every time I deal with somebody.

It's not just a company brand attraction that gets me my clients. Most of my work comes from referrals because I do a good job. I choose to work for a reduced fee brokerage because I actually get great pleasure in handing over the cash back when my clients move into their houses or saving them money when I sell their house.

I believe I have the best of both worlds, yes I get clients from referrals but I also get clients who don't want to pay high fee's and our company brand is strong.

There are other companies that offer reduced fee's to sell a property but I don't know of any in Calgary that give a cash back reward to buyers. Many clients who have worked with other Realtors are coming to us, that includes people on this forum.

I believe in what I do and I believe strongly in our company brand. At the end of the day people have a choice.

Sam

Sam-in-Okotoks Aug 12th 2009 11:48 pm

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7837968)
I didnt realise you felt that strongly about me!!!!!!!! Shall we elope??????

:p

MB-Realtor Aug 13th 2009 12:05 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by Sam-in-Okotoks (Post 7838023)
Person to Person business is very important to me and although I give my clients 25% of commission back this does not stop me going the extra mile every time I deal with somebody.

It's not just a company brand attraction that gets me my clients. Most of my work comes from referrals because I do a good job. I choose to work for a reduced fee brokerage because I actually get great pleasure in handing over the cash back when my clients move into their houses or saving them money when I sell their house.

I believe I have the best of both worlds, yes I get clients from referrals but I also get clients who don't want to pay high fee's and our company brand is strong.

There are other companies that offer reduced fee's to sell a property but I don't know of any in Calgary that give a cash back reward to buyers. Many clients who have worked with other Realtors are coming to us, that includes people on this forum.

I believe in what I do and I believe strongly in our company brand. At the end of the day people have a choice.

Sam


I didn't intend to sound critical, I believe in Competition, I have been in competitive business's all my working life.

If you've found a formula that works for you, go for it, you will get nothing but praise from me. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Dave+Jules Aug 13th 2009 12:17 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by gibsonslanding (Post 7827091)
NO, they are neither licenced or quite honestly educated either....in my many years of experience in buying and selling many, many house in the UK, the whole UK system is just dreadful...liars, cheats, dishonest estate agents....so, do not mistake my 'take' on the UK market in any other way...

here in canada, very different with realtors. yes, they might be seen as being 'loyal' to you and your needs but actually, at least they do show you a modicum of honesty, they do do the donkey work and they are, most importantly, accountable.

You get my agreement on how you see UK estate agents. Very few do much more than provide a shop window. I imagine that the sellers experience in both UK and Canada is similar.

However as a purchasor it was nice to have someone on myside going in to bat for what we wanted. In the UK I always felt it was what the Estate Agent wanted rather than the seller or buyer.

jimf Aug 13th 2009 12:17 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by MB-Realtor (Post 7837934)
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.

Selling prices are available from the land registry in England for a small fee. The likes of Rightmove have purchased the lot and make it available for free on their website. It's a useful marketing tool for them.

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.

Are the boundaries of the property not recorded in the Title deeds and kept in a national register in Canada?

Canadian Home Inspection Report looks more or less like a UK Homebuyer's Report - both based on a visual inspection of easily accessible areas.


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.

A tribute to the effectiveness of the Realtor industry in operating a closed shop. I've asked around the office a bit and it's fair to say they don't hold Realtors in great regard or consider the system good value for money - more just a resigned acceptance of thats the way it is. No different to the UK in that respect.

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.

a

MB-Realtor Aug 13th 2009 12:18 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 
I find my self defending the people in Real Estate in Canada, as its so different from the UK, but that does not mean I agree with the existing status quo as to charges.

I can see that 7% was reasonable when the old timers had to work from books and keep their own index card files of available listings. No Computers, No Cell Phones, no Lock Boxes, they really did work hard for their money.

I would very happily work on a fee based structure, but no one has made it work, due to the "no sale no fee" status quo.

I would quite happily list any house for $2,500 + tax, provided that was paid upon listing and was not refundable if the house did not sell, and I would provide the full service for that amount. Any Takers????

dbd33 Aug 13th 2009 12:22 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Are the boundaries of the property not recorded in the Title deeds and kept in a national register in Canada?
Ha! Around here it's rare that properties, except for recent severances, have ever been surveyed. They just run from road to road for approximately n acres.

MB-Realtor Aug 13th 2009 12:29 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 
Are the boundaries of the property not recorded in the Title deeds and kept in a national register in Canada?

Most of Canada no longer work with title deeds. but with a provincial titles registry that guarantees the title, more often than not a buyer has to pay for a new survey each time. I think the only national registry is the Gun Registry, Canada is structured in a very different way to the UK, first in importance is your local municipality they will control what and how you can build, the roads, garbage collection, the police, social services etc. Then the province that controls education and healthcare and ifrastructure, and finally the federal government that controls the military and national defense and try's to get the provinces to cooperate with each other.


Canadian Home Inspection Report looks more or less like a UK Homebuyer's Report - both based on a visual inspection of easily accessible areas.

They look very impressive but there is no legislation requiring any qualification at all to be a home inspector, so an awful lot of inspectors are worse than useless. The only thing close to a UK Surveyor here is a Structural Engineer.

Sam-in-Okotoks Aug 13th 2009 12:34 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by MB-Realtor (Post 7838057)
I didn't intend to sound critical, I believe in Competition, I have been in competitive business's all my working life.

If you've found a formula that works for you, go for it, you will get nothing but praise from me. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Thanks MB,

I really believe in my company and i'm very passionate about what I do. Person to Person is important but money and costs are also very important to people.

If I can provide the same service as any other Realtor but save my clients money or offer a cash back reward then that makes me happy. Many Realtors say to me that I must be mad doing what I do but I just don't see it that way. I think this formula is great !!!!!!!!

Sam

Almost Canadian Aug 13th 2009 1:38 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by Sam-in-Okotoks (Post 7838124)
Thanks MB,

I really believe in my company and i'm very passionate about what I do. Person to Person is important but money and costs are also very important to people.

If I can provide the same service as any other Realtor but save my clients money or offer a cash back reward then that makes me happy. Many Realtors say to me that I must be mad doing what I do but I just don't see it that way. I think this formula is great !!!!!!!!

Sam

Just out of curiosity have your ever acted for a vendor and sold their property? What kick-back did you give them?

jimf Aug 13th 2009 4:14 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by MB-Realtor (Post 7838114)
Are the boundaries of the property not recorded in the Title deeds and kept in a national register in Canada?

Most of Canada no longer work with title deeds. but with a provincial titles registry that guarantees the title, more often than not a buyer has to pay for a new survey each time. I think the only national registry is the Gun Registry, Canada is structured in a very different way to the UK, first in importance is your local municipality they will control what and how you can build, the roads, garbage collection, the police, social services etc. Then the province that controls education and healthcare and ifrastructure, and finally the federal government that controls the military and national defense and try's to get the provinces to cooperate with each other.

The provincial registers sound similar to the situation in England where the title is guaranteed. I don't follow the point about the need for a survey though. In England there will be a title plan defining the boundary of the property. How is the boundary to the property defined in Canada? Does someone go out with a theodolite to determine the boundary for a cookie cutter?

In the UK local government controls the services you list under the local municipality. Next level of government isn't uniform across the UK - obviously with devolution Scotland and Wales have autonomy in education and healthcare which might be seen as equivalent to a provincial government. Doesn't the Canadian federal gevernment effectively control provincial items such as education and health by setting rules they have to adhere to and controlling the purse strings. If provinces were truly autonomous and in control of their own affairs then I don't think Alberta would be handing over half it's oil money to the Feds but thats a whole new subject..............

Canadian Home Inspection Report looks more or less like a UK Homebuyer's Report - both based on a visual inspection of easily accessible areas.

They look very impressive but there is no legislation requiring any qualification at all to be a home inspector, so an awful lot of inspectors are worse than useless. The only thing close to a UK Surveyor here is a Structural Engineer.

I noticed the website on Canadian home inspectors had quite an ambivalent tone on the standards of home inspectors. It's suprising that anyone can call themselves a home inspector being in mind Canada seems to be the land of licencing. In the UK I think a survey for a homebuyers report would normally be done by a member of the RICS and for a structural survey it would be a member of the IStrE. I'm in the ICE myself so understand the limitations of these reports, having been required to give opinions on the conditions of structures from time to time. People often seem to think a report gives them some sort of guarantee if defects subsequently emerge, but in reality the surveyors can only be held liable for something someone competent should have seen and commented on at the time of the survey.

a

Sam-in-Okotoks Aug 13th 2009 4:43 am

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by Almost Canadian (Post 7838216)
Just out of curiosity have your ever acted for a vendor and sold their property? What kick-back did you give them?

The selling fees on my side of the deal are fixed and the fee is dependent of the value of the home you are selling. There is a selling fee calculator on my website and it breaks down the costs.

MB-Realtor Aug 13th 2009 12:44 pm

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 
The provincial registers sound similar to the situation in England where the title is guaranteed. I don't follow the point about the need for a survey though. In England there will be a title plan defining the boundary of the property. How is the boundary to the property defined in Canada? Does someone go out with a theodolite to determine the boundary for a cookie cutter


In MB a Survey Certificate is needed upon the sale of the property, if one is available thats great, if not then a new one is required, and is paid for by the Buyer.

Here's an explanation from Ontario:-

http://www.aols.org/single.asp?itemcode=AOLS-BYL

Sometimes the boundry corners are marked by "monuments" metal posts embedded into the ground than can be detected by metal detectors.


In Manitoba there are 3 different systems of survey:-

River Lot System, including Parish Lot System.

Township or Grid System

Plan of Subdivision


an explanation is here:-

http://www.stewartmann.com/Describin...e_1711447.html

Almost Canadian Aug 13th 2009 1:14 pm

Re: realtors......would a British estate agent system do well here
 

Originally Posted by Sam-in-Okotoks (Post 7838546)
The selling fees on my side of the deal are fixed and the fee is dependent of the value of the home you are selling. There is a selling fee calculator on my website and it breaks down the costs.


I take it that's a no then


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