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Ever made a purchase you regretted later? If the purchase is a small one, that's not so bad. But a house! Think of the consequences if you make a mistake. That's why it pays big personal and financial dividends to place your transaction in the hands of a REALTOR. This is how a REALTOR can help turn your dreams into reality . . . not your reality into a nightmare!
When you're buying a home, a REALTOR will help you identify what you want in your new residence. A pool? A garage? An extra room? A particular building design? What about the neighbourhood? Proximity to schools or work?
A REALTOR will compare your needs, wants and budget with what is available on the market. He or she will also accompany you as you view houses and provide you with information about those houses and the neighbourhoods in which they are located.
At the beginning, a REALTOR will inform that he or she is working for the seller and ask you to sign something, which indicates that you have understood that. Unless you wish the REALTOR to be your agent, in which case you would establish a Buyer Agency relationship with that REALTOR, that means that the person whose home you buy pays the REALTOR's commission, not you. This means that, when you and the seller agree on a price for your new home, that price will include the REALTOR's fees.
REALTORS have broad and current knowledge of the financing choices available to you -- and there are many of them, an often-confusing array. At your request, a REALTOR will assist in evaluating mortgage options and obtaining financing at the most attractive prevailing rates and terms.
Multiple Listing Service or MLS is an exclusive service accessible only through a REALTOR -- and it can be a valuable tool. Through MLS, the details of a wide variety of listed properties are made available to the REALTOR with whom you are working. That can save you a tremendous amount of time and effort in your hunt for the right home.
Buying a home is one of the largest business transactions most of us will ever make. Canadians buy homes for any number of reasons -- from romance to relocation. But no matter how emotional or rational your buying decision, the purchase of a home is a business transaction of tremendous complexity.
Before receiving a real estate license, candidates must successfully complete an extensive course of study developed by the Ontario Real Estate Association on behalf of the Ontario Government. And that is only the beginning: in the two years after receiving their license, the new professionals are required to successfully complete three additional courses as part of their articling with an experienced broker.
REALTORS are experts. Doesn't it pay to use an expert when you are making one of the biggest purchases of your life?
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