Properties in Victoria Professionals

CHOOSING A REALTOR
Why you should use a Victoria Real Estate Board Realtor

When it comes to making major decisions in your life, like the decision to buy or sell a home, it just makes sense to seek out sound advice. And when it comes to real estate, that advice will come from a REALTOR who knows your community. REALTORS are licensed real estate professionals who are also members of a local real estate board, and as such, adhere to a Code of Ethics which outlines a standard of practices higher than those dictated by law. The Victoria Real Estate Board is an association of real estate professionals who live and work in the communities comprising the Greater Victoria area including the Gulf Islands. The Victoria Real Estate Board is a Canadian leader in community service and professional ethics, having won national awards in these areas over the past decade. The Board regularly offers workshops and seminars to its members to assist them in staying abreast of industry innovations. Victoria Real Estate Board REALTORS actively support the community, both individually and collectively through the Board.

REALTORS also have access to the Multiple Listing Service ® - the most complete database of properties for sale anywhere. That database is now the basis of one of the largest Internet web sites in the world. All Victoria Real Estate Board listings automatically go on the national Internet site mls.ca. Colour pictures of the properties accompany the vast majority of listing ads; some have multiple interior views. The site contains a series of easy to use icons or buttons to let you selectively search for properties that fit your needs, wants and budget. Whether you're buying or selling your home, it's wise to have a trained professional on your team. A REALTOR representing you as your agent in the transaction will uphold your interests above all others. He or she will provide a duty of loyalty, obedience, disclosure, confidentiality, skill and accountability.

Your REALTOR will advise you regarding market conditions, financing, and buying and selling options. A REALTOR can help you determine reasonable valuations by providing a comparative market analysis and other information about the market. A REALTOR can guide you in choosing a home inspector, mortgage broker, conveyancer or other advisors. He or she will stay involved with the deal until the transaction is closed. And should a problem arise during the transaction, the
REALTOR has the experience to deal with it to your best advantage.

Knowledge of the local market is an important part of both buying and selling a home.

For sellers, Victoria Real Estate Board REALTORS bring an understanding of where potential buyers come from. Marketing a home is becoming more sophisticated than just putting a sign on the lawn and an ad in the newspaper. According to a 1996 Buyer Survey by the Victoria Real Estate Board of people who had purchased homes in the Victoria area over a 12-month period, over 75 per cent of buyers came from the Victoria region. Your REALTOR will provide a targeted marketing program that reaches committed, serious buyers.

For buyers, REALTORS will save you time by sharing with you the benefit of his or her experience about neighbourhoods and individual properties. Your REALTOR can tell you about the proximity of schools, services, and transportation, and about future plans for the neighbourhood. In many cases, he or she also calls this community home, and can pass along information on a wide range of other community services. Your REALTOR will combine personal knowledge with additional research on your behalf, so that your home-viewing time is spent productively.

The best prospects - both buyers and sellers - work with REALTORS. Buying or selling a home is often the most important financial decision of our lives. Victoria area residents who want this most important transaction handled in a professional manner will rely on the expertise of a Victoria Real Estate Board REALTOR.

This information is provided by the Victoria Real Estate Board for the information and benefit of consumers.