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10 Questions to Ask Your REALTOR®

Before you begin working with a REALTOR®,
you will want to ask them some specific questions about how the listing
process will work. Every brokerage has its own set of standards, and
these are things you should know about before you sign a contract. Realty Unleashed
serves Edmonton and Calgary clients. We work to help you change what
you expect from your REALTOR®. In order to practice what we preach, we
offer our clients free home staging, free yard maintenance, free
listing and move-out cleaning, free eco station and donation centre
runs, and more
. We also let you cancel your listing at any point
before accepting an offer to purchase with zero cancellation fees. Your
business is worth having to earn every day. That’s just what we believe
and value, though! So, here is a list of 10 questions to ask your
REALTOR®.

Do you provide free home staging?

The bottom line is that a staged home sells faster than a home that
isn’t staged. When potential buyers walk into a property, they typically
know if they like it or not within the first 5 minutes. When
your home has been cleaned, de-cluttered, and staged, you can expect to
get more offers than if it weren’t. Ask your real estate professional if
they will be helping you stage so that you get more offers!

Will a professional photographer take quality photos of my home?

Homes staging in Edmonton house

When searching for a home, most buyers go on REALTOR.ca.
The very first thing they see are photos of your property. If your
photos showcase a clean and well-staged property, you will naturally get
more requests for viewings: more viewings = a faster sale. Your
REALTOR® should provide you with realistic, bright, and beautiful images
of your home!

My home doesn’t quite look ready for listing photos. Do you include a free listing clean in your services?

To ensure your home looks its best, it should be cleaned before
listing. Consider checking in with your REALTOR® about whether or not
they provide complimentary cleaning services. When buyers come to view
your home, they will take a mental note of the cleanliness. You want to
make sure you’re ticking every box that will help your home give buyers a
positive and unforgettable experience, and that includes a good clean!

Are there any hidden fees or cancellation fees that I should know about?

Your real estate professional should be upfront with you about any
and all fees! It’s always good to ask about hidden fees or cancellation
fees ahead of time so that you aren’t hit with the news you owe money
for something you weren’t expecting.

If I list my home during the fall/winter, will your team take care of shovelling and applying snowmelt?

Realty unleashed service vehicle

Not only will shovelling make your home look better, but doing that and applying
snowmelt will make for a safer viewing experience for prospective
buyers. Some REALTORS® will take care of this for you (like us), so
don’t forget to ask yours!

If I list my home during the spring/summer, will you mow my lawn weekly?

Many times, buyers will find your listing online. Before they even
book a viewing, they will take it upon themselves to do a drive-by of
your property. By mowing the lawn and keeping up with pulling weeds,
etc., you are positioning your home to look its very best. 

My house will be vacant during the listing period. Will you do regular property check-ins to ensure my home is always in optimal showing condition?

Should your home be vacant and/or empty and you cannot be around for
the listing period, it should be regularly checked. Ask your REALTOR® if
they will be checking in on your property while you are not around.
Check-ins are good for safety reasons and to ensure that your home is
always looking its best for showings!

I have a lot of things I’m not taking with me to my new home. Does your team do free eco-station or donation centre runs? We love our dining table, and we have so many memories. Will you help us find a new home for it?

Realty unleashed service vehicle

Parting with loved items that are meaningful in some way is hard, no
matter what. Ask your real estate professional if they can help you find
a new home for these items! They likely have a network of clients,
friends, and customers who could be looking for something that you are
parting with. If not, can they bring it to the eco-station or a donation
centre for you?

Once my house sells, will you provide me free boxes and move-out clean to help me?

One of the many struggles with moving is packing and cleaning. Your
real estate professional may have cardboard boxes that you can use to
start packing your belongings, and it’s worth asking them if they will
provide you with a free move-out clean! Just like when you clean your
home before listing, you will need to have it looking sparkly for its
new owners when it’s time to leave.

Finally, if I’m not satisfied with my service, can I cancel my listing with zero cancellation fees before accepting an offer to purchase?

Before you sign with a REALTOR®, you should ask them to thoroughly go
over your contract with you. It’s important that you have a good
understanding of your contract and what it entails. For many clients,
it’s a deterrence if they have to pay their real estate professional a
fee even if their home doesn’t sell; you will want to confirm whether or not they have a cancellation fee.

If you are based in Edmonton or Calgary and are looking for a REALTOR®, feel free to reach out to us! We would love to help you on your buying or selling journey.

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