Darren Slavens Real Estate Group

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What to Look for When Selecting a Real Estate Agent

February 8, 2021 by Darren Slavens

Whether you are a first-time buyer, long-time homeowner whose family continues to outgrow its current home, or simply relocating for one reason or another, one thing these scenarios all have in common is the need for a quality real estate agent.

“While many people have long-term relationships with their agent, either built on trust, ease of contact – or simply a friend or relative in the business – it’s always important to review your current needs and assess whether or not you might want to test the proverbial waters and seek out a new relationship,” says Darren Slavens, long-time Toronto-based real estate broker and co-owner of Slavens & Associates.

Slavens recommends five simple, but often over-looked elements when assessing and selecting a real estate agent:

1. Ensure the agent is full-time.

“While this may sound obvious, many agents practice real estate on a part-time basis,” says Slavens. “Many people think being a realtor is fairly straightforward, but the truth is there are many nuances and details that require 24-7 attention.”

2. Get a strong sense of their honesty.

“Ask some difficult questions upfront and gauge the agent’s answers as best you can,” says Slavens. “Most of us can sense when someone is using tried and true ‘cookie-cutter’ answers and not speaking from the heart. This applies to your agent relationship, as well.”

3. Confirm a successful track record.

“Ask about recent sales, unique and challenging situations, as well as the agent’s long-term achievements,” explains Slavens. “A track record shows more than success – it shows commitment and focus.”

4. Identify examples of their work ethic.

“Approach it as if you’re conducting a job interview, because essentially that’s exactly what you are doing,” says Slavens. “Ask for examples of their work ethic, how they managed their way through difficult situations, and what they think it takes to be a top agent.”

5. Ask for at least three customer references – and make those calls.

“It may sound old school, but it’s also a tried-and-true method to get a sense of the agent’s relationship with other clients,” says Slavens. “Ask references about the process, the agent’s availability, and their willingness to provide options and get creative.”

It comes down to a sense of comfort, trust and respect, concludes Slavens. “Relationships are critical in this business, especially when you consider this will most likely be the biggest investment of your life.”

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Real Estate, Real Estate Agent

To Open House Or Not To Open House

February 8, 2021 by Darren Slavens

No matter what you’ve read, no matter what your friends have told you, no matter what real estate industry bashers will say, insist that your Agent does Public Open Houses.

The Haters will say that Agents only do Open Houses to pick up new clients and that it’s not about selling your house.

Not going to lie, there is Definitely an element of that. I know Agents that have made an incredibly lucrative career on Open Houses Alone. They sit, they pick up, they sell….

It is also true that it is very unlikely that someone who doesn’t know about the house and isn’t currently in the Market to buy will stumble upon your Open House sign, walk in, fall in love and buy it. Though I could tell you about numerous instances where that exact thing has happened.

Then there are nosey neighbors. Who the hell wants their neighbors walking into their house just to see how you live and compare your place and life to theirs. I Do! Nosey Neighbors tell their friends and relatives about homes. “Hi Cousin Joey, you know how you’ve been looking to get into our neighborhood, a couple of houses down is for sale, I went in and it’s gorgeous. You should check it out, they’re open again tomorrow”.

The bottom line is this, we need to get people into your house, we need people talking about your house and a great way to do that is through Open Houses. It’s also an opportunity for people who have seen the house already with their agent to come back and have family and friends come by to see the place.

Exposure is key and increasing by any means especially in the first few weeks (And with a Slavens Agent should be pretty quick:-) )is key.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Have Open Houses and get that hizzle SOLD!!!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Real Estate, Real Estate Agent

HOW TO CATCH A HOUSE HUMPER

February 8, 2021 by Darren Slavens

HOUSE HUMPING: The act of traveling to an open house, and then when the realtor is distracted they find an empty room or closet to have a quickie.

Ok, you’re probably thinking this never happens. Well my friends, I can tell you from experience it most definitely does. I have caught people red handed (and red faced).

I’m a rather liberal person, couldn’t care less what people do in the privacy of their own home. For that matter couldn’t care less what people do anywhere… Planes freak me out (somehow I think it could bring it down or at least cause crazy turbulence) but other than that, just don’t do it in a house I have for sale and we’ll be ok.

Still think I’m kidding? Do a little Google search on House Humping and you’ll find clubs, forums, stories galore… nothing in comparison to catching someone in the act though.

I had a couple come in to a home in an affluent area. I saw them pull up in their car together. The female entered the house but the male driving the car did not. That is far from unusual though as often couples enter homes at different times. But these guys couldn’t have been more obvious.

After roughly five minutes the male entered the home and acted as if he did not know the female. A quick glance in the main hall as we walked past and that was it. After a tour of the home I advised the female that she was free to walk around and if she had any questions to let me know. It’s important to know I was on the main floor and there were two agents at this open house. It was quite busy. I would say probably 7 people in the house at the time.

I noticed after about 3 mins or so that the couple had disappeared but that their car was still outside. All our other visitors happened to leave at that time. The house was silent. Not a peep, not even a footstep coming from upstairs.

Strange.

This required investigation. Maybe the people had left, couldn’t possibly be that quiet.

Up the stairs I crept, no way was I expecting to find what I found. To this day I can’t get the vision out of my mind. It’s not like we’re talking about walking in on Cindy Crawford here folks. The damage to my psyche is immeasurable. I didn’t even have to say anything to them. It was like a little child getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Thankfully because I was too shocked to say anything, don’t even know what I would have said. The just looked at me shamefully zipped up and walked out like nothing had happened. I think I must have stood there for what felt like 10min. My partner at the open house had no clue.

Point of my story, ask your agent to have 2 people at every open house. Especially if you know it will be busy. It’s important to track everyone that comes into your clients home!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Real Estate, Real Estate Agent

4 Ways to Tell You Have a Kick Ass Real Estate Agent

February 8, 2021 by Darren Slavens

4 Ways to Tell You Have a Kick Ass Real Estate Agent

We’re following up our 4 Ways to tell your Agent is Useless with the obvious 4 Ways to Tell Your Agent is Kick-Ass. Buying real estate is a large investment and one of the biggest decisions you will make, which is why choosing the right Toronto real estate agent is very important. However, if you haven’t worked with too many real estate agents in the past, you may not be realizing you are settling for an average agent that may never find what you are looking for. For this reason, we have listed the top four ways to tell your agent kicks ass, so that you can work with someone who will meet and exceed your expectations.

1. HONESTY: We cannot stress that this first and most important attribute will make the biggest difference between a successful transaction and a disaster. You need to beware of the “YES” man. If your agent is just trying to please you and make you like a property, a red flag should go up in your mind. It is important that your agent answer all your questions honestly, but it is even more important that your agent volunteer negative aspects about properties you visit. If your agent feels the property is priced too high, they should be telling you, if they spot a resale issue they should be bringing it to your attention. Our job is not only to point out all the great things about the property – our job is to point out the negatives and protect our clients. A kick-ass agent should realize that they are building a relationship with their client for life and they need to protect them, that starts with HONESTY!

2. KNOWLEDGABLE: We think this attribute speaks for itself. As we previously mentioned, purchasing a Toronto home is the largest financial and one of the most important decisions most people will make in their lives, so why leave it to someone that doesn’t know what they are doing? If you are looking in a specific area, your Agent should know that area cold. Where is the closest Starbucks? How much did that house across the street sell for? How long is the walk to the closest school, subway or church? What are the demographics of the neighborhood? Who are the builders in this neighborhood?

The Ontario Real Estate Association and The Toronto Real Estate Board do an excellent job of educating their Realtors. Continuing education is mandatory to keep your license and we at Slavens & Associates are 100% behind this. But the best agents go above and beyond. Not only must your agent be educated on the areas you are looking, they must also know the ins and outs of getting the deal done, know what to look for as warning signs in homes that potential issues like knob and tube electrical may exist or asbestos might be found in the home. They must know how to read a survey and know what to look for when walking around a property to spot irregularities. You get the picture, if your agent can’t answer questions like these, they aren’t kick-ass!

3. LISTENS: A good real estate agent will ask you all of the questions required to find your perfect home. However, a kick-ass real estate agent will actually listen and focus on your requests and needs versus their own. Once they have really listened to what you are looking for by asking you specific questions, then they can go ahead and filter through options and pre-screen homes prior to you viewing them, therefore, not wasting your time. When a real estate agent listens well, then you will find the entire experience more enjoyable and productive. Rather than showing you homes that you would never

consider, an awesome real estate agent should show you several homes that are definite contenders for your new home!

4. EXPERIENCE: There is no substitute for experience when it comes to real estate. Would you want a pilot with 100 hours of flying time or 10,000 hours of flying time? Would you want a part time pilot or a full time pilot? It’s the same idea when it comes to Toronto real estate agents. That’s not to say there aren’t some amazing new agents in the business – because there are. Remember, if there is a support system in place with great Brokers and a team environment, you will be ok. At Slavens & Associates, we always make sure our Toronto real estate agents are kick ass! Our professional team will help you find the right place for you and your family to call home.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: home buying, Real Estate, Real Estate Agent

4 Ways to Tell Your Agent Is Useless

February 8, 2021 by Darren Slavens

4 Ways to Tell Your Agent Is Useless

When you are looking to buy a new home, a real estate agent is an invaluable asset….most of the time.

If you have the misfortune of aligning yourself with an ‘ineffective’ agent, you’ll wonder why you didn’t just do the job yourself. Just like a great agent can make your life a whole lot easier, a poor one can make it pretty difficult and end up hurting you in the long run.

Here are 4 ways to tell your real estate agent is useless:

1) Doesn’t Ask Questions If a Toronto real estate agent is going to do a top-notch job for you, he or she must have a complete and thorough understanding of what you want. If they don’t know what you want they can’t get you what you want, which would make them, well…useless.

If your agent doesn’t take the time to ask you questions like these, find yourself a new agent:

· How much do you want to spend on your future home?

· Will spending that amount leave you house “poor”?

· Have you been pre-approved for a mortgage, if so, how much?

· How long have you been looking for a home?

· Do you have a preferred area of town you want to live?

· Do you have a preferred time frame in which you would like to move?

· Will your children be going to Public or Private school?

· How important is Public Transportation?

· Do you prefer a two-storey, bungalow, detached, semi-detached, finished basement?

· Are you aware of what your closing costs will be and have you budgeted for that?

You get the picture. Lots of questions equal lots of knowledge and lots of understanding about your needs – and that should be the focus of any good real estate agent.

2) Doesn’t Listen

An agent that seems to disregard your instructions and requests is even more annoying than one that doesn’t ask enough questions. If you’ve made it clear what you want and where you want it, but the agent keeps showing you wrong properties in the wrong areas for the wrong price, you’ve got a useless agent.

It’s also essential that your agent takes the time to preview some of the homes you’re going to see, just to ensure they meet your criteria. That way, you can be informed of any of the home’s features that might not fit your criteria ahead of time and you can decide if it’s worth a look.

3) Doesn’t Make Time

An agent that is consistently looking and setting up viewings for you is obviously making an effort to work with you and your requirements. However, an agent that doesn’t seem to have time for you is really doing nothing at all. Busy agents don’t have all the time in the world to be at your disposal, but you should expect calls and emails answered in a timely fashion.

The whole real estate industry runs on a tight schedule, so you need to know that you can reach your agent when you need to. If the question or request you have is time-sensitive and you have to wait a couple days for a response, you have hooked up with a useless agent.

4) LAZY

Unfortunately there are agents out there that just don’t work very hard. Watch out for agents that continually send you to open houses as opposed to arranging private showings. How can you be provided comments, advice and suggestions if you aren’t even going through the house with your agent?

Make sure if you do like the house that your agent does a follow up visit with you.

Watch out for the “fax offer”. Now, sometimes Buyer agents don’t have a choice and have to fax the offer at the insistence of the Seller. But, if not your interests are best served by your agent being there in person to Present your offer and offer you constent

updates on the situation.

Finally, beware the “this is the house for you”…… When you start to hear that at every home you go to, run for the hills!!! We promise that your Slavens agent will never be a useless agent! Our agents are dedicated professionals who will work hard to find you the perfect Toronto home for sale. Contact us today to set up a meeting with a Slavens agent.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Real Estate

416-944-1818
192 Davenport Rd.
Toronto, ON M5R 1J2

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