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• Professional Services and Competent People: Wading through the Marketing Hype

It is remarkable to see just how many small businesses there are in the world fighting to stay alive and prosper. Since the introduction of the internet it is easy to find them but it is often harder to distinguish the good ones from the bad without some type of filter that works. Internet marketing is alive and well and it preys on small business owners who want to succeed. There are many firms who claim to be able to help market the top rated homes for sale in Courtenay. Marketers will describe your business in just about any way to make money but how much of the marketing is real and honest? A great example is the business that touts how integrity is the foundation of what it does. But is it really? Does the business owner put that into practice? Does the business owner even really know what integrity is? A good friend of mine once told me that integrity is all about doing the right things the right way even and especially when nobody is looking. Marketing is not about doing things behind the scenes. It is almost always in your face. But how much of it can be trusted?

Referrals from real people are another way to try and distinguish the good from the bad in business. Almost every business will proclaim the merits of what is does for you and the manner in which it does it. That is precisely the problem. If you believe the marketing and advertising slogans every business is the best thing since sliced bread. The truth is that many are not and that too many place their bottom line (making money) ahead of providing great service or fabulous products to you.

People do refer other people to businesses as a means of trying to weed out the great ones from the also rans. In business, however, the word referral often comes with the connotation of compensation. Businesses will often refer other businesses to you for some form of compensation. Realtors, for example, will refer other realtors from outside of their working area to you for a percentage of the commission earned by the other realtor when you buy or sell a home from them. Does this mean that the person to whom you are referred is as good as the referral tends to suggest? It depends. It depends on the motive of the person providing the referral. Do they know the other person and are they truly concerned about the level of service that will be provided and is the referral fee merely a by-product of working within the industry.

To further screen information that you receive from others perhaps the referrals need to come from friends. By this I mean true friends and not just acquaintances. True friends will be there in the bad times when you need them the most. The vast majority of acquaintances will abandon you under these types of circumstances. Referrals from the handful of true friends that you can always count on and trust to be there for you are worth their weight in gold. Unfortunately, your friends simply may not know the best person out there that can provide you with the best service because they have not met them. They are there but if they do not know them or know of them how can they refer them to you?

Sometimes you simply have to take a chance on someone else. Do research, check online ratings, and ask others about them. Wading through all of the internet marketing paraphernalia can be tough. At the end of the day you may have to just try them out and go with your gut instinct about them. Try out their service in some small way first. See how they react and how you feel. Did you receive a high level of attention? Was the person professional? Did they know what they were talking about? Were they competent? Did they make time for you? Did they try to help you or did they just try to sell you something? These are all relevant questions and you are the best one to answer them especially when it comes to personal services.

In my industry I know a few good realtors to whom I can refer people and I know that they will truly do a great job. The best part is I also know that I will be able to sleep at night with the comfort that the other realtor will care as much about providing service to their clients as I do. After all, when you refer someone to someone else you should care because it will impact your reputation. Call it karma if you wish but what comes around often does go around. If you refer good people to bad ones it will not take long for the action to get back to you in some way.

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• Which Questions Should You Ask Your Realtor?

Many people who are looking to buy or sell a home want to know everything they can about the market, the area, and how their real estate agent is going to help them either sell their home or find the home of their dreams. Luckily we are just the people to ask. With our local experience and expertise, we know just about everything there is to know about this business. Before you do business with any company, you should know which questions you should ask your realtor. Here are three questions to ask your realtor:

Can I contact your references?

In a world where we are surrounded with impersonal technology, speaking to someone personally is still the best way to get to know them and to get their opinion. Anyone can put positive reviews online, but getting a real, honest reference of character from former customers or colleagues is the gold standard. If they are hesitant, then you know something is up.

What is the trend in the market right now?

Not only should the agent get to know you, your home, or your preferences, they should also know the area like the back of their hand. This means that they should be able to tell you where everything is, what the condition is, and what the status of market is. Ask if things are on the uptick or the decline. Ask what normal home prices are like, and if there is development in the area. These are important questions for you to know the answers to.

What angle are you going to take? (for sellers) or how realistic are my expectations (for buyers)?

Depending on what you are looking for, you are going to want to know the answers to these questions. If you are a seller, then you are going to want to know how this agent plans to market your home to people in the area. How are they going to spice it up? What are they going to promote? To whom will they show it? What are its strengths and weaknesses?

On the flipside, as a buyer you are going to want to know how realistic your expectations are. Can you get a home like you want at your price? Are there many in the area? Should you expect to pay more money? You need someone who is both knowledgeable and up front with you on these issues. These are the questions you should always ask your realtor before doing business.

Buying or selling a home always goes much more smoothly when using an experienced, qualified realtor. Brett Cairns at REMAX Ocean Pacific Realty has built a solid reputation in the Comox Valley area and knows the ins and outs of the local market.

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• Real Estate – Virtual Home Sense or Sensation

Technology has fascinated, inspired and impacted people dramatically since the Industrial Revolution of the 18^th and 19^th Centuries. This trend continued into the 20^th Century with the technological developments in the entertainment, communications and computing sectors. Real estate, like many other business sectors has embraced developments such as the 3D virtual reality, the internet, and smartphones and tablets.

While 3D presentations have gained some traction and popularity recently, the development of 3D went in and out of favour with the public a number of times subsequent to the stereoscopic convergence patent in the 1890s. Consider some of these technological evolutions:

• Stereoscopic camera 1900;
• Dual strip projection and red/green anaglyph glasses 1922;
• Polaroid filters 1936;
• Colour stereoscopic film 1952;
• Single strip format 1960s;
• Stereovision 1970s;
• IMAX 3D and polarized glasses 1980s
• HD Video Reality Camera System 2003

Computers have been employed for decades and they have gone through a number of transformations including:

• Electro-mechanical 1938
• Electric programmable 1943
• Digital 1945
• Stored program 1949
• Digital with RAM 1955
• Minicomputer 1960
• Desktop 1968
• Microprocessor 1971
• Personal computer 1975
• Laptop 1981
• Multimedia 1992
• Smartphones and Tablets 200s

Similarly, what we now call the internet was developed through a number of iterative technological developments such as:

• Packet network systems 1960s
• APARNET 1960s and 1970s
• Computer Science Network and World Wide Web Theories 1980s
• Internet 1990s

Today we have, at a personal level, access to the new generation of communications devices, the internet, and virtual reality technologies such as 3D imaging. Increasingly, people are plugged in to their personal devices and accessing data and information through the internet and exchanging it and sharing it with others. Within the real estate sector, there are things like Virtual Realty Home Tours, Augmented Realty Tours accessed through smartphones and tablets to view 3D models and floor plans, and photos, HD video, and descriptions of homes on the internet.

Sometimes lost in the sandstorm is that technology is merely an enabler. At the end of the day, people still make the world happen. While we can see some elements of a home portrayed on the internet as accessed through our personal devices, we often do not get a real sense of the home without seeing it in person. You cannot walk into a virtual reality home tour and get a warm inviting feeling of the home but you can when you view the home in person. Think of it another way. Technology has made it easier to navigate to fishing spots, find fish and see them on displays, but it does not ensure that they will bite or that we will catch them. They are many other real world experiences that must be considered for success. Real estate is no different.

While you may be able to ask a question about a home through a website, a person at the other end must provide the answer. That person is often a real estate agent who is the sole proprietor of their business. As with any other business area, realtors have different levels of education training and experience from which to develop knowledge, expertise, and skills. With the capabilities they possess, they should be able to provide you with information and advice to help you buy and sell homes and be able to refer you to other competent professionals such as lawyers and home inspectors who are also involved in the real estate process. Knowledge of real estate law, expertise in writing contracts, and skill in negotiating are just a few of the many things that real estate professionals should possess. Some are basic, many are intermediate and some are advanced.

Aim high for peace of mind when buying or selling your home and most important investment. When you need someone with expert knowledge of and significant experience within the local homes for sale and market area, turn to Brett Cairns of RE/MAX Ocean Pacific Realty.

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• Popular Courtenay Neighbourhoods

When people look at homes for sale online who do not know the local area, it makes it very difficult for them to picture where the home is relative to other neighbourhoods and amenities. This is especially true for the City of Courtenay, a small city of nearly 24,000 people spread across a fairly wide area in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. Courtenay real estate listings account for the majority of the real estate market.

The downtown core
of Courtenay began in the 5th street area but now many people view Cliffe Avenue as more representative of the new downtown with all of its shops, malls, and big box stores. This area of the city surrounds the area where it all began in the 1880s.
Over the years as Courtenay developed from a townsite into a city and began to grow and expand in all directions, the Courtenay River survived as a prominent a dividing line between Courtenay City and Courtenay East. This short river runs along the downtown area and it stretches from the Comox Harbour to the south to the confluence of the Puntledge and Tsolum rivers to the north. The Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walkway runs along its Western bank from the south end of the City to the original downtown area. The following short video is taken of the Courtenay waterfront.

Even though the downtown part of the city to the west of the Courtenay River is still vibrant, it is not the most popular area for many people who are new to the area and who purchase homes. Courtenay East has become the suburb of choice for many newcomers to the valley. There are any number of reasons for this that include better weather, proximity to the airport, and newer shopping malls and big box stores. This part of the city even boasts the newest Tim Horton coffee shop in the area along with Home Depot, Costco, and a new modern hospital now being built.

Homes in this part of the city are located mainly at the top of the hill that overlooks the downtown and eastward towards the Eastern part of the Comox Peninsula. In addition, Courtenay East borders the nearby Town of Comox, another popular area for home purchases by newcomers to the valley.

Some of the more popular neighbourhoods in Courtenay East include Aberdeen Heights, Valley View Estates, Crown Isle, Mission Ridge and Mission Hill. There are, of course, other areas as well sprinkled throughout this part of Courtenay. The following video This video is just over 1 1/2 minutes. It focuses on the Mission Road area of Courtenay East and starts in the Eldeberry and Huckleberry neighbourhood located off of Lerwick past North Island College and Home Depot. The drive then proceeds down Mission Road.

There is, of course, much more to Courtenay East than what can be presented on a couple of 2 minute videos. Want to know more about this area? Contact Brett to welcome you to this fantastic part of Canada as your guide and real estate agent

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• Real Estate Services Take Time and Cost Money

Do you know that when you contact a real estate agent and ask them to provide you with a service, you are asking them to immediately spend their own money to help you? Why is this?

To properly answer this question, let’s take a look at the real estate industry, its regulatory framework, and how the industry, agencies, and the agent operate in business.

First, the Canadian economy has a goods-producing and a service sector. The service sector accounts for about 70% of the jobs in Canada and the real estate industry is a service-based industry that is part of the service sector. As with any other service industry, real estate agents provide services to consumers. They do so in anticipation of being paid for their real estate services.

Second, real estate is highly regulated by many different laws and regulations. As well, real estate agents who are also REALTORS® are bound by a written Standards of Business Practice. Of the more than 40 laws that apply to real estate, the Law of Agency is one that must be explained by an agent to a consumer at the first opportunity because it defines the relationship than can exist between that agent and the consumer. This law must be explained by the agent before providing professional real estate services to the consumer.

Third, real estate agents work on a commission basis. This means that they do not get a salary from the agency (for example, RE/MAX) through which they are licensed. As well, they do not get paid until after a consumer completes a home and/or property purchase or sale. Until that time, all of the time taken and money spent helping a consumer is provided by the individual real estate agent. It is very conceivable for a real estate agent to provide services to a consumer for a period of months or even years before being paid for their time and money.

So, when consumers contact a realtor and ask them to do something for them, the request often starts costing the real estate agent money. The cost may be small at first but it always increases with time. As well, many different small costs can add up to significant costs. As anyone in business knows, time is money.

Following are a few typical examples:
1. A consumer contacts a real estate agent through the internet and asks to be sent more information on a home or property. Gathering the information takes some time and, depending on the type of information requested, it may also cost money. Real estate agents have access to databases and not all database access is free. Some cost money to access and search;
2. A consumer contacts a real estate agent and asks to be shown a number of luxurious Comox homes. This request will cost the real estate agent time and money. The agent must fit the showing time in their personal schedule and they must then arrange with the seller or seller’s agent for the home to be shown. If the home is local it may only take an hour out of the day of the realtor to make the arrangements, drive to the home, show it, and then return to the office. If the home is any significant distance away from the office, it very easily could take 2-3 hours out of the day of the agent to accommodate the request;
3. A consumer contacts an agent and asks them to drop by their home to assess its market value because they are considering putting it up for sale. This could easily tie up 1-3 hours of the agent’s time and cost some money.

Fourth, it is important for consumers to understand that real estate services are defined in law. The showing of a home or property or the provision of advice on price are two examples of professional services. REALTORS® are obligated to explain the Law of Agency to consumers before providing professional services to them. As well, federal regulations require real estate agents to collect personal information from buyers and sellers.

Fifth, the June 2012 change in the Law of Agency made it possible for real estate agents to exclusively represent buyers or sellers in the vast majority of instances. Designated Agency is less restrictive than Limited Dual Agency as it applies to listings held by the real estate agency through which the real estate agent is licensed.

Sixth, the real estate process is not like the car buying process. Any consumer can walk onto a car lot and ask to be shown a car. If the consumer asks to drive that car they are generally asked to provide, as a minimum, some form of identification. In this example, the car sales person is trying to sell you a car as their customer. While there are instances when a consumer could be considered a customer in real estate, most consumers become clients of the real estate agent. Yes, there is a significant difference between being a real estate customer and a real estate client. There is also a very big difference between walking onto a car lot to view a car and asking a real estate agent to show you inside of someone’s private residence. Real estate agents are licensed professionals with professional obligations and liabilities.

So, do not be surprised if a real estate agent asks you to come to the office for a few minutes to meet you before they are willing to commit their time and money to responding to your request. They do not get paid to give out free information and advice to consumers, and they do not get paid to show homes. Competent agents do, however, provide a wide range of professional and valuable real estate services to buyers and sellers throughout these multistage processes. But, they do so in expectation of being paid when a purchase or sale completes. Real estate agents can and often do incur significant expenses each and every month to stay in business. If they worked for free they would not stay in business very long nor would any other person in business.

When you start to get serious about buying or selling a home contact a REALTOR® for help during the multistage home buying or selling process. Aim high for peace of mind. Contact Brett to be your Comox Valley REALTOR® and guide to buy or sell your next home.