Real Estate Agencies
What They Do For You
What You Can Do For Yourself
How to Sell a House

Do you have a bunch of questions,
have no contacts at any real estate agencies
and unsure where to go for reliable answers?

Looking for home selling tips and
advice on how to sell your home?

If you're wondering about real estate agencies or seeking answers to any of the following questions, you've come to the right place. I'm somewhat of a hybrid - a successful real estate broker (retired) who can both write and teach. I enjoy helping people by offering home selling tips that I've learned since entering the business in 1974.

Click any of the questions below for honest, dependable answers to popular questions. Of if you have a question not listed, feel free to contact me, and I'll do my best to answer it for you.

Where do I find Home Selling Tips?

What are the Top Ten Home Selling Mistakes?

I want to Sell My House. How do I begin?

How does Selling a Condo and a house differ?

What is a House For Sale By Owner (FSBO)?

Can I sell my house with No Real Estate Agent?

Why Sell Your Own House Privately?

Thinking about Downsizing to a smaller home?

Is Home Leasing an option for me?

What is the best form of Real Estate Advertising?

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What is an Exclusive Listing?

Is there an alternative to MLS® Canada or MLS® America?

How can I get Real Estate Advice without a REALTOR®?

Should I hire a House Appraisals specialist?

What is my Home Market Value?

What's involved in Selling Your Own House with no agent?

What is a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)?

How do I learn Real Estate Value in my area?

What should I do first - Sell or Buy?

What is a Bridge Loan?

What does the Multiple Listing Service® do for me?

Common Real Estate Terminology used in the industry.

What's the difference between Fixtures and Chattels?

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How do I prepare a Purchase and Sale Contract?

Should I Renovate Before Listing my home for sale?

How do I prepare for home viewing? Home Staging?

What can I do to enhance Home Market Value?

What are Patent and Latent Defects?

What should I know about Latent Defect Disclosure?

What should I know about Mould (Mold)?

How does selling Town and Country Real Estate differ?

How do I go about Finding a Real Estate Agent?

What services may I expect from Real Estate Agencies?

Do REALTOR® Commission Rates vary?

Are Open Houses worthwhile or a waste of time?

Country Living or City Living? Which is right for me?

What does Buyer Agency do for a buyer?

What common Closing Costs may I expect?

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What are the benefits of Title Insurance?

How to go about Improving Your Credit Score?

What is a Life Lease?

What can I expect for  REALTOR® Fees?

What will a REALTOR® do for me?

How do I establish an Ask Price?

When should I consider Price Reductions?

How do I Negotiate an Offer?

How do I make an Offer More Attractive and not lower price?

Should I accept an offer with a Home Inspection Condition?

How do I change my Closing Date?

How do I handle a Bidding War on my home?

What's involved in Trading Houses?

Should I accept a Conditional Offer with an Escape Clause?

I've sold my home. Now what? Here are some Moving Tips.

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As I said earlier, if you have any questions, feel free to send them to me and I'll try to respond on a timely basis. Selling a home is really not that complicated, provided you have ...

Good Honest, Experienced Guidance

... during the process from one of numerous real estate agencies, or from someone like me who was previously associated with an agency and importantly, is willing to do so.

Establishing fair market value is obviously important since you neither want to under-price your property nor over-price it, and have it sit on the market forever.

When it comes to properly representing your property to a prospective buyer, successfully negotiating an offer and drafting a durable and legally binding contract that protects your interests and doesn't expose you to potential liability, selling real estate certainly requires expertise. Thus, as a private seller, you should acquire such expertise somehow, either by hiring professionals who have it already, or by learning it yourself through education and research.

This is where confident, experienced advice from knowledgeable realty agents and real estate agencies come into the picture.

If you choose to sell your home privately, as a 'for sale by owner', be sure to have your lawyer directly involved. They'll likely charge a fee for their time, but their legal advice and protection would be well worth the expense.

To save a lot of time, frustration and worries, it’s prudent to seriously consider having dependable representation by an ...

Experienced Real Estate Agency

Though I have officially retired from active duty after nearly 44 years in the business, if you're in Canada or the United States, I may be able to arrange a ...

Personal Consultation

... with an experienced agent in your area. They could provide home selling tips face-to-face and guide you through the entire process of selling your house, condo or rural property.

If you're considering selling your home, with or without the assistance of any real estate agencies, check out my book The Happy Agent. It contains the sum total of the real estate knowledge, philosophies and techniques that I've accumulated, practiced and polished during a highly successful nearly 44 year realty career.

Learn how to effectively evaluate your home and prepare it for market to maximize the ultimate sale price, how to market and advertise effectively, how to handle showings and open houses like a pro, how to successfully negotiate an offer and more. If you're trying to sell privately, you'll learn how to recognize the signs of when it's time to throw in the towel and hire a professional and what to expect from them.

When you consider the huge possible savings in real estate commission with a private sale attempt and the fact that you're dealing with your largest single financial asset, a small investment of your time and a pittance of your money could save you thousands of dollars and a ton of heartache. At the very least, you'll be encouraged to try it alone, at least for awhile. Remember - knowledge is power.

Available virtually everywhere print and e-books are sold.

You may Contact Me with questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Visit The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) to learn more about what real estate agencies can do for you.

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