Before I got into real estate sales, I use to think that a Real Estate Sales Representative was a well dressed, person who made a lot of money showing people homes and doing well, I don’t know, what else did they do? Now that the shoe is on the other foot, I see things quite differently. Here are some of things one must do to become a real estate sales representative in the province of Ontario and obtain permanent licensing.- complete and pass a series of mandatory pre-registration and permanent licensing courses.. (3 Phases)
- complete mandatory, continuing education courses every 2 years to keep up with the changing rules and regulations of the housing industry.
- pay yearly membership dues to the local Real Estate Boards.
- pay for errors and omissions insurance.
- pay brokerage fees, desk fees, if applicable.
Furthermore, when a Realtor® is working with you to help you buy or sell your home these are some of the services they provide (though they vary from agent to agent… these are general guidelines that I would hope your agent does minimally).
- sit with you to determine your needs of buying or selling your home, determine price range, location, help to get you pre-approved for a mortgage if required.
- search homes on the MLS that best meet your needs.
- set appointments for showing selected homes.
- show you properties evenings, days and weekends.
- refer you to good mortgage brokers, if needed.
- refer lawyers or home inspectors, if needed.
- suggest ways to enhance your home to get the highest price such as staging services, home repairs etc.
- marketing your home for maximum exposure can mean advertising on the MLS, local newspaper, magazines, and agent open houses.
- conduct open houses for your property on weekends.
- work on your behalf to negotiate the best price for your home, whether you are a buyer or a seller.
- complete and prepare all legal forms, as well as explain the legalities of the forms used to clients.
- work with you to best protect your interests in the home buying or selling process, this could mean anything from making sure that appliances are in good working order when you move to assuring that the buyer has proper financing.
- help with the final closing and stay in touch with you beyond the time the final transaction details have been completed to make sure you are satisfied and comfortable with your home purchase or sale.
Now, thinking back to my own experience, I think that I would have appreciated my Realtor® a lot more if I had this information about the profession at that time. However, I knew one thing for sure, and that was that when I was looking for a property in a certain area. I wanted to work with a Realtor® that was familiar with that area and could answer all my questions, as well as help me find the kind of property I wanted at the best possible price.
Indu Seth
Sales Representative with Signature Service/GMAC Real Estate
www.induseth.com
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