We’ve talked about how to make a wish list for what you want in a new home, and we’ve talked about why you should hire a REALTOR to help you through the process.  But what if you’re still not convinced?  We all have access to the internet so that should be enough, right?

Well, research tells us that more and more consumers are looking at on-line websites to find their next home.  Realtor.ca was created to help showcase homes and at one time the consumer used this website more than any other.  That has changed drastically in the past few years and people are now looking at sites like Kijiji.ca, Homefinder.ca, Zoocasa and endless real estate websites.  But do these sites work?

Yes, for the most part they do.  But what the consumer doesn’t realize is that they can’t always trust the information.  REALTORS have to manually input this information and sometimes the information about listings is shared between companies.  My point is that you can’t always rely on the accuracy or timeliness of the listings.  Even Realtor.ca can be outdated as quickly as listings are added to it.  What’s the solution?

Ask a REALTOR for help.  A sales representative in a brokerage has access to peers with other listings, the most recent listings on the MLS System before they appear on the internet, and their own inventory of homes.  They have greater knowledge of what’s out there and what might be coming up in the next little while.   Your REALTOR may have already been inside one or two of the homes that interest you and could help guide you with the knowledge they already have.

And they work for you for FREE.  You do not have to pay your sales representative to help you buy a home, except for highly unusual circumstances.  They get paid by the seller in the transaction.  So really, what have you got to lose?  Knowledge, access to information, time, expertise in certain areas, and you don’t have to pay them.  Sounds like a win-win situation to me!