What do you want in a Comox Realtor once you have decided to purchase a home in the Comox housing resale market? This is one of the first questions that Brett asks potential clients before asking them anything about their real estate needs. Why? Because real estate is all about a service being provided by people to other people. It involves a professional relationship between an real estate agent and their client. A real estate agent is often a Designated Agency of the Brokerage with which they are affiliated. An agency relationship involves fiduciary responsibilities by the agent to the client. This is currently explained in the Real Estate Council of BC pamphlet called “Your Relationship with a Real Estate Professional”.
Brett works on a client basis because it is the way that Brett can provide the highest level of real estate services by law to his clients. The law currently stipulates that clients can expect loyalty, full disclosure, avoidance of conflicts or interest and confidentiality. This applies to all clients. What the, can Brett provide to clients that the law does not already provide?
Provision of real estate services such as the showing of homes and property options in the City of Courtenay, involves a professional relationship between people. Brett understands that the measure of a person is built on their character and competence. The character of a person embodies who they are as a person. Are they ethical and honest? The competence of a person is demonstrated by what they know and how they perform in their profession through the practical application of their knowledge and skills.
People come to know the character of another person through their words, actions and behaviors and this often takes time when people first meet. This understanding can also be developed through other sources such as biographies and by interacting with other people who know the person or who have worked with them professionally. One can also start to gain an understanding of the competence of the person by listening carefully to what they say and how they say it and by observing how they go about their work. For example, do they use a checklist that is regularly updated to ensure that they do not miss anything important. Have they spent extra time developing material themselves to show their clients in order to give them a better understanding of the local real estate market such as Crown Isle or do they merely use someone else’s work to show this? How thorough are they? Do they provide information on the advantages and disadvantages of homes or do they merely focus on trying to sell you something? Do you feel rushed by them or do they take whatever time is necessary to explain things. How, and to what level of detail do they offer to explain the real estate process? Do what they say makes sense?
There are two adages in life that are almost always true. First, “you get what you pay for”. People who list homes often ask for a discount early on in a listing presentation. Some even raise the question up front. How can a person make any assessment on value without knowing what is being offered. If you want quality and thoroughness, you will often have to pay for quality and thoroughness. The agent has many expenses, both fixed and variable that they have to pay for and many of these cannot be negotiated. Thoroughness takes time and in business time is money.
The second is “actions are stronger than words”. Do not be fooled by persuasive marketing and other propaganda. Listen to what a person says but watch their behaviors and actions. At the end of the day each real estate agent varies in their character, competence, knowledge, skills, behavior and actions. Buying and selling a home is a very important transaction in most peoples’ lives, but the professional relationship and trust between a client and a real estate agent is more important. Are your best interests really being protected? Are your needs being placed first?
Contact Brett and make an appointment with him to find out what advantages he offers to home sellers and buyers in the Comox Valley