The New Year is here! As real estate agents, we obviously have a new year goal of getting an abundance of listings and leaving our clients satisfied. But, here is a list of resolutions recommended by some fellow real estate agents.

Get A Photo For Your Listing – Let’s face it, it can get slightly annoying when you check out an MLS listing and there are no pictures to be found. Buyers love to see pictures of their potential homes and a listing without any photos can be a lot like a blind date. Photos are used for reference so that buyers know what they can expect.

Turn Off The Caps – Descriptions on MLS listings are crucial. So, turn off your caps lock.   While reading a description that is fully in caps, it just seems like you are either yelling at the buyer or exaggerating.

Get The Right Number of Bedrooms – Do you ever go into showing a property, expecting there to be four bedrooms? But there are actually three because the fourth one is a tiny space with no window, no closet, or anything to officially classify it as a bedroom? It is a good resolution to officially stop using this stunt.

Get Your Lockbox Code Right– The number of times real estate agents get to a property only to realize after numerous attempts that the lockbox code is wrong is countless. The lockbox issue is a big one – you either cannot find the location, the key is not in the lockbox, or most commonly, the code is not right. A lot of time goes to waste due to these issues.

Resolution for Buyers

Feel The Market Earlier – Buying a home can take quite a bit of time; choosing the right neighbourhood, choosing the proper home, going to open houses, attending showings. As a buyer, give yourself time!

Getting Pre-approved For A Mortgage– It is critical to take early steps when buying a home. A mortgage is one of those steps. When you get pre-approved for a mortgage, you can then precisely know how much you are able to afford and how much the bank could lend you.

Saving Up – Your down payment should be saved up and ready. Once you get your pre-approval, you will then know how much of a down payment you will need based on your maximum purchase price. It is a good idea to act fast and be on time when saving your funds. Otherwise, someone else may be quicker in producing the funds and you could lose your dream home.

Resolution for sellers

Be Ready To Sell – Yes, the housing market is hot and potential buyers can be just around the corner. Regardless, your home needs to be ready to sell which means it should look its best. Painted, cleaned, staged, the list goes on. A properly staged home can definitely attract more buyers which can account for more attractive offers. The Sidorova Inwood Team will clean, professionally stage, and even offer a staging consultation to meet both your needs and the needs of your home.

Get A Professional Evaluation – Indeed, houses are selling quickly and for desirable prices in Toronto. However, although your neighbour’s home may have been sold for $1,700,000 it does not mean that your home will sell for the same price. Get a professional evaluation of your home so that you can be aware of the potential price of your house as well as it’s condition. 

Be Flexible With The Closing Date – Prolonged closing dates are not always advantageous. Lengthy closing dates can open up a jar of issues. Specifically because when a closing date is prolonged buyers are still in shopping mode and are looking at other homes, which could lead to potential buyers backing out.

Sources: http://www.psrbrokerage.com/2016/12/off-record-new-years-real-estate-resolutions-2017/