Why Use a REALTOR®
Going it Alone
It can be tempting to give into the trend of “doing-it yourself” and handle your own real estate transaction in order to save money.
But are you aware of and prepared for potential additional costs in the long run if things don’t work out the way you expected?
You are protected when you deal with a licensed individual for several reasons:
- Education – to become licensed, an individual must complete a real estate course and pass an exam. There are also mandatory professional development courses that industry and licensed members must take in order to maintain their licenses;
- Insurance – an individual must have errors and omissions insurance to qualify for an Alberta real estate license;
- Assurance Fund – consumers are protected against any loss arising from frauds or breach of trust by a licensed real estate industry member through the Real Estate Assurance Fund, a fund financially supported by all industry members;
- Standards – when an industry member conducts business, they must adhere to business standards and comply with rules designed to protect consumers;
- Supervision – a licensed real estate industry member must be registered with a licensed brokerage and can only trade on behalf of that brokerage. In accordance with the Real Estate Act, the broker supervises the business conduct of all the industry members registered with the brokerage and ensures the business of the brokerage complies with the laws of Alberta.
A consumer who deals with an unlicensed individual does not have these safeguards.
Our REALTOR® network also allows us to share information and resources that help sell your home, or find you a home.
If you are a seller, it enables us to bring qualified buyers to your door, especially when it’s a buyer’s market out there and especially if you’re selling on your own.
Think about it, putting a FOR SALE sign on your lawn or an ad online doesn’t guarantee buyers.
Because in doing so, you’re assuming that buyers will sift through millions of other listings, find yours and be interested enough to contact you. Relying on your friends and family to get the word out is just as passive.
The REALTOR® network works differently. We actively look for buyers for your home; through REALTOR.ca for example, which receives over a million new visitors each month.
You should have all the facts to make the decision that is best for you, and we believe that once you know the value a REALTOR® brings to the transaction, you will want to use one.
We believe it’s about you having the facts to make a decision between using a licensed and trained professional or using an on-line advertising/marketing firm.
What those companies don’t say about their services:
- They are not licensed
- They are not trained
- They are not, and as an extension those who use their services, are not protected by any provincial regulations or assurance funds if something goes wrong
- They do not have to adhere, and by extension their clients, to any provincial Real Estate Act
Remember, excellent service starts with a REALTOR®.
Why the registered “®” after the word REALTOR®?
Only REALTORS®, who are members of the Canadian Real Estate Association and a local real estate board, can call themselves REALTORS®. CREB® members adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Business Practice, that non-board members and independent listing companies do not.
