MY CORE BELIEFS

I feel very strongly that it’s one’s beliefs that shape a persons character.

And furthermore, it’s character that will determine how a person will behave, both personally and professionally. In the video above, I have decided to share a very personal story about myself that I encourage you to watch. If you are thinking of working with me, or contacting me I ask that you take 6 minutes to watch this video, that way you will know ahead of time if I’m someone who’s belief system corresponds with you.

1. My Job – Above all Else – is to PROTECT the Interests of My Clients 

Being a protector means putting your clients interests above your own. Just like the Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists who’s interest was to ‘try out’ plastic surgery, there are a lot of agents out there ‘trying out’ real estate on unsuspecting clients. Are they evil? Is this profession a magnet for unscrupulous people? No. I will argue that real estate is a magnet for grossly unskilled people who have dreams of making big money, and that can be a recipe for disaster. When an agent – who lacks the necessary finances and business skills – finally acquires one of their 4 clients for the year (this is 80% of the agents out there) most of them will DO ANYTHING to get a deal done. No paycheque for months and months can lead to desperation, and desperate people will do things that they never would in other circumstances. Does that agent tell you to walk away from a house because the price is too high, it’s in a flood zone, or near a shady complex? No, they don’t. Does that agent spend money on professional marketing to list your home when their business isn’t cash positive? No, they don’t. Their need to make a sale overtakes their desire to represent your best interest throughout the process. I run a successful business, and since feeding my family is not solely dependent on any one individual transaction; I can focus on advising my clients properly without rushing them into a less than ideal sale.

  • I will tell you all the truth about the house you want to buy. If there is something about the house that is a deal breaker for you, we will pass on the home and keep looking. I will not gloss over issues, to try and get you to buy any and every home we see
  • I will show you the prices of what else has sold in the area. I won’t throw inflated prices at you so that my commission is bigger. I will provide you all the necessary information to guide you towards the price you choose to pay for a home or to list your home for.
  • I want to protect you from agents who are lacking the business and real estate skills to be able to put your needs first; just like the doctor who wanted to use my face as a learning experience for himself. You are literally risking thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars by choosing a low skill agent who isn’t running a proper business.

2. I Believe in Being Transparent with my Clients

Unlike the Doctor who was all to willing to practice plastic surgery with my face, I believe in being upfront with my clients about what I can help them with, and what I can’t. If I don’t believe that I am the best real estate broker for the situation, I’ll be the first person to say so, because I don’t like to be lied to. I don’t like people pre-deciding whether they think I need to know a certain piece of information or not. Especially if i’m hiring a service professional whose value is in their knowledge and ability to advise me. I expect them to provide me with the truth I need to know, whether I like the truth or not. Having all the facts is the only way to make a proper decision, especially on such a huge transaction like buying or selling a home. Too many agents avoid the hard conversations with their clients for fear that they will decide to work with someone else. (refer back to truth #1 and they paycheque dilemma).

Transparency is essential to trust, and trust is essential to building a win-win business relationship.

3. I Believe that Better Service ALWAYS earns my Clients More Money

Truth 1 + Truth 2 = Truth 3. You can’t have better service unless you work with someone who has a high level of integrity and honesty. It’s not what your agent decides to do when the outcome will be seen, but what they decide to do when no one would be the wiser. Home buyers and sellers can’t know enough about how the process works. It’s mighty dry and that’s why you hire us to handle the process for you, but when you don’t know how something should work thats when you get rooked.

I always ask new clients if their previous agent ever showed them the sales data of other homes when they were buying their current home. Over 50% say no. How do you know you paid the right price for a home if you have no idea what other homes sold for? You can’t, and many of them overpaid. Or, if there’s 2 similar homes, about the same price, but one was in a worse neighbourhood with struggling schools, wouldn’t you want to know that? Beyond just the sale price, you should also think about long term demand and appreciation because that’s future money you could be losing out on.

If you are selling your home, it is my duty to tell you what actions will enable us to ask the highest price for your home. You might not choose to do everything I suggest, but I’m failing you right out of the gate if I don’t even tell you. There are far too many listings on realtor.ca that are not priced properly, not well presented or even worse, are missing pictures and media altogether. I cannot believe that all of those home sellers refused these services. The agent didn’t provide the service and these houses do not sell for as much as they could have.

4. I Believe that Passion is the Lifeblood to True Success in Real Estate

There’s a handful of big names in the industry who crank out listings like hot dogs at the IKEA restaurant. They rely on billboards and fame to keep attracting new clients into the machine. But does that translate in any way to a more satisfying and successful sale for you? Absolutely not. That’s like saying you think that IKEA hot dogs tastes better than anywhere else, just because IKEA sells so many of them. I am looking for clients who want more than just ketchup and mustard on their hot dog; who care about the quality of what they are consuming. Make sure you ask the right questions of agents, and know in advance what is a good answer. When you ask an agent how many homes they sell per year, it should be to make sure they sell at least 20, because then you might be able to avoid the pitfalls of truth #1. But it shouldn’t be to hear they sell 100, thinking that number has ANY relation to quality of service, or passion.

So why is it essential for me to have a passion for my clients and their well being? Well, there’s no way to get around this fact; when you decide to hire me to buy or sell your house, I will be a very big part of your life for those few months. A real estate transaction, to many people’s surprise, is a very personal experience. That means I have to have enough time to spend with you, so that you like me and we can communicate with trust.  I will see your ups and downs, learn your fears and frustrations, and see when you are stressed out. I will know when you are feeling overwhelmed or when you and your partner aren’t seeing eye to eye. I need to tailor my system to fit you and your individual requirements. It takes a love for what I do to treat you like a real person, and not just our team’s next deal. It takes passion to drive my efforts for innovation. I am constantly looking for ways to improve my processes, so I find MORE time for my clients, never less. No matter how many things change, one thing remains the same. Real Estate is about people. You can’t do this job well without having a genuine passion for the people you serve.