The Market Is Changing Fast

by Darrin DeRoches March 14 - 20, 2013

The MLS is a great tool to shop for your dream home but remember your agent’s knowledge and expertise is worth more than a website. In today’s market people believe they can shop online and pick out a house they want, take a look and then make an offer with the listing agent. So why use your own agent? You think that you can even save money doing it that way. The problem is you really do not know what the market is doing and the agent selling the property is working for the seller not you.     I have clients who look at the MLS every day and send me the listing asking me to set up appointments. I spend more time trying to explain to them the problems with the property than actually picking the right properties to view. I know what they are looking for because I’ve listened to their requirements but they still want a showing based on a picture. The problem is they are wasting their time and also getting frustrated with the properties not living up to their expectations. They finally got all their paperwork together so I can finally take the lead and show them what they need and not just a good looking pictures.     The MLS can open your mind to the market but a real estate agent can take you to the right properties and open the doors to your dream home. A real estate agent has access to the properties before they hit the mls and if the right property hits the market it will sell even before the average buyer sees it online. The spring market is just around the corner and having an agent working for you can make the difference between buying a home and chasing after the wrong property. You can also beat most of the competition if your agent is on his toes and gets you in before the property hits the MLS.     The best way to get ready for the spring market is by using the MLS to do your window shopping but you have to have your agent ready to move fast or faster than the market. I am getting people calling me about a property that is for lease but was up for sale last year. There are not enough quality properties on the market and there are buyers looking to find something that is not even there. Then they want a great deal on it. I hate to tell them that the market is strong and prices are going up and the inventory is going down. In simple terms, you are going to pay top dollar for real estate in our market. There is a lot of action and buyers with money ready to buy. Then there are people looking to lease and do not want to pay the asking price. The smart landlord is holding out for top dollar because available space is limited. The market is changing fast – pay attention. V         Darrin DeRoches is a local real estate and mortgage broker. He can be reached to answer questions, comments or stories about real estate experiences through this weekly column at mail@uniquerealty.ca.