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Kelowna News

WALKER: Three questions to ask your realtor

Mark Walker is a real estate agent and the broker/owner of Kelowna’s Walker Real Estate.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED
March 19, 2017 - 2:00 PM

 


OPINION


If you’re thinking about selling your Kelowna home, now is a great time to list. Recent stats from OMREB - the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board - show that inventory is substantially lower than it was for the same period last year.

The figures show that in January 2017 there were just 1,951 active listings in the Central Okanagan. Meanwhile, in January 2016, there were 2,572 homes on the market in the Central Okanagan. That’s an inventory decrease of 24.14%. Naturally, this is leading to an increase in median property price.

But what questions should ask a Realtor before you list your Kelowna home? Of course, there are many important questions you could and should ask, but I thought I’d outline the three most important questions as I see them for you.

What’s your experience and how long have you been a Realtor?

It seems obvious, but this is a very important question to ask. Now, you might be thinking the best course of action would be to select the agent with the most experience, and there’s certainly advantages to that (I say this as someone with many years of success in the industry). However, just because someone is relatively new to the industry, it does not mean that they’re not highly capable. Indeed, they may be hungrier, have fewer listings and be more dedicated to selling your home. However, much depends on my next point...

Do you have a support team?

Whether you opt to work with an industry veteran or a relative newcomer to real estate, never underestimate the power of a great brokerage and support team. Some brokerages boast hundreds of agents, while others, such as Walker Real Estate, are boutique. From my perspective, this allows us to provide a high-level of service to clients and key mentorship and support tools to all agents and support staff.

How do you market your listings?

This is vital! How your home is marketed can be the difference between, selling your home quickly and for top dollar, or not selling it at all. Will they have professional photos taken? Where do they promote your listing? Are they active (and successful) on social media? Sellers’ market or not, your agent has to do more than simply post your listing to the MLS. At Walker Real Estate, we have an in-house marketing department, that will ensure their are plenty of eyes on your listing.

Of course, selling your home is an emotional experience, but it is also a business transaction. Making a mistake could prove very costly, so be sure to double and triple check everything before you sign any agreement - and always seek a second opinion. You want the best agent for your needs in your corner.

If you have any questions about the Kelowna real estate market, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at 250-764-4344. If you’re wondering how much your home is worth, we would be happy to provide you with a free home evaluation.

- Mark Walker is a real estate agent and the broker/owner of Kelowna’s Walker Real Estate. His company runs the website KelownaProperties.com - Kelowna’s most comprehensive real estate search tool. Mark Walker’s column appears here every two weeks.


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