Choosing A Realtor In The Okanagan Valley

jane-field-vernon-realtor Currently there are about 300 Realtors in the North Okanagan. These record numbers have been brought on by our record market. Dozens have flocked to take the real estate course with the expectation of making a successful living. Yet, in spite of our strong market, most don't. Traditionally, most of the real estate is sold by somewhere between ten and twenty-five percent of the Realtors.

So, how do you as a consumer, sort through 300 Realtors and decide who you want to work with? Before I get into that, I do want to emphasize that you do need to decide on one Realtor. Buyers who phone various Realtors on ads and signs never get the full and complete picture of the current market. Buyers get much better advice and guidance if they work with one Realtor. If the Realtor has the buyer's loyalty, then that Realtor devotes the needed amount of time and energy to do a good job for that buyer. In contrast, the buyer who is calling several Realtors gets a more shallow level of service. The reason for this is simple. Realtors are paid solely on commissions earned on completed sales. They must give their best time and effort to buyers who will definitely be buying only through them. To do otherwise is simply a waste of the Realtor's time.

The Realtor, however, does need to be worthy of that loyalty. They need to be active, hard working and above all, a good listener. Work with a Realtor you like. Choose one with the type of personality that suits you. There is no one specific personality that makes a great Realtor. After all, as buyers and sellers you are diverse people, and will prefer to work with one type of Realtor personality over another.

Be sure you are at ease with the Realtor you choose. You want to feel comfortable when talking to them. You want to know you can call them up to discuss anything in your buying and selling process and know that they are interested and that they care. Look for an experienced Realtor. The more experience the better. The more transactions a Realtor has been part of, the better they know how to avoid problems.

Finally, choose a Realtor who is up-to-date. Standards of business practice and real estate law are constantly changing and evolving. You want the Realtor who makes the effort to stay abreast of those changes. It is now a requirement of the BC Real Estate Association that all real estate licensees must take a minimum number of seminars every year. This keeps up the standard of the real estate industry as a whole in this province. The best Realtors usually attend conferences regularly and take extra courses when they are able to.

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