How to Find a Trusted Realtor

Buying a house can be quite taxing; it involves a lot of decision-making that might get you into a bad deal should you mess it up. Thankfully, you can always hire a reputable REALTOR® to help you throughout the process. How exactly can you find one?

If none of your loved ones or friends use a real estate agent, then you can search online for one. Of course, you still have to do research on each agent, which takes time. Fortunately, you have an easy way to narrow your research by looking for one who is a REALTOR®.

The words REALTOR® and real estate agent may seem interchangeable, but they are actually distinctive. REALTOR® is a registered certification mark used to identify the quality of services of real estate agents who are members of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Not all real estate agents are REALTORS®, but all REALTORS® are real estate agents.

By now, you are probably wondering how to get started. CREA maintains an online database of REALTORS® so you can search anytime. You can look for an agent using basic search strings such as city and province in ascending order. Otherwise, you can use advanced searches such as languages spoken and specialties.


You will surely find many real estate agents in Vancouver, but now you have an option to find that agent you can trust. A REALTOR® can help you find the home you want at the price you seek. 

The Purpose of MLS Listings in Real Estate

It would be foolhardy for anyone to delve into real estate without first consulting a reliable multiple listing service (MLS). “Knowledge is power,” after all. Going by that, even homebuyers who developed some knowledge of the real estate market can essentially gain the power to become informed buyers.

An MLS is important because it powers up an important resource called the Home Price Index (HPI). The HPI shows trends in home prices for any kind of house in a municipality, neighbourhood, or region. Essentially, the HPI can help buyers to understand price trends that affect the market value of homes in a target location.

Given that the HPI offers a near precise picture of home pricing trends in a location, buyers can compare prices in an ‘apples-to-apples’ manner. This allows buyers to compare price trends between, say, Vancouver and Calgary, especially if any of them are planning to move to either location.

The HPI can also help buyers by gauging changes in home price over time. Buyers, especially those who do things themselves, can gauge prices for the overall market or for specific categories in a select area. Alternatively, REALTORS® or other real estate brokers can use the HPI to determine the right prices to buy homes.


Getting Help from a Vancouver Real Estate Agent Gets Buyers Good Deals

These numbers suggest that reputable Vancouver real estate agents have recently been quite busy helping both home buyers and sellers close a deal. With the stronger buying figures, however, come the often inevitable rise in property prices. The Huffington Post article also reports on the possible surge in home prices from $730,063 last year to $765,000 by the end of this year, and further to $800,000 by next year. As the demand, and the costs, of properties continue to rise, buyers may find it increasingly difficult to find the property that best suits their needs.

When faced with this difficulty, or any other kind of purchasing uncertainty, homebuyers can count on the services of a reliable Vancouver real estate agent who can help them find what they are looking for. While buyers can look for residential properties on their own, the services of a professional can put them at an advantage because of the latter’s extensive knowledge of the market. Once they have a good idea of what a buyer is looking for, established real estate agents, like Jamie Hooper, can use their extensive networks and real estate savvy to find property options that would suit their client’s preferences. These professionals can then arrange home tours for their clients, so the latter can check the properties on their own, and come up with an informed decision on which one to buy.

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The Benefits of Being Included in Trusted MLS Listings in Vancouver

Balanced Market

A balanced market has an equal number of homes and buyers. Sales numbers are stable, and available homes can average three to six months on the market. In this type of market, sellers can receive some competitive offers for their homes.

In any type of market, however, sellers can always improve their chances of getting a good deal when their properties are included in Vancouver, BC MLS listings of trusted realty experts like Jamie Hooper. As part of these listings, a property gets the attention of buyers looking for a new home. Additionally, it also gets on the radar of savvy real estate investors who are looking to take advantage of the opportunities offered by any type of market.

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