Mid to High End Home Realtor

[syscal]

We're going to be switching realtors soon here. 7 months of viewings and open houses and not even an offer on the table.

We're thinking of talking with Gordon Ross or Sam Corea.

Has anyone dealt with either of these guys? Is there anyone else in that range of advertisement and exposure that we should talk to?

The house is in the 1.6 range and we need to sell before Dec 31, so we're not looking for any small timers at this point.

[max_boost]

Is there even much of a market for homes in that range? My buddy has a listing for $2mil in the Hillhurst area and it's been tough.

If it can't sell, you probably just have to lower the price until someone takes it!!! haha

[syscal]

There is some movement in this price range, though I think people are typically going for a 1.3 to 1.4 range.

We have plently of viewings and impressive turnouts to the open houses. The people that are coming in want things like horses, which we can't have in our neighborhood.

They are choosing 4 acres and horses 20 mins from the city rather than 2 acres with pool house 5 mins from the city.

Another example is someone spent ~1.6 on a house in mount royal...obviously not looking for acreage living.

With the right exposure I'm positive the house will sell, which is why we need to choose our agent carefully.

[pinoyhero]

You may want to consider Rebecca Chaimberlan, I think her and her husband as a team are up there in terms of stats for homes sales based out of Calgary.

[gqmw]

Yeah if you're in a rush, big time realtors would probably be the way to go. You're 5 minutes away from the city in which direction?

You could typically lower your price slightly and see if it will sell first, it'll probably save you a bit.

[S4maniac]

I've heard good things about Sam Corea and also Heather Waddell. I sold my acreage (1.1) with Simon Strydhorst and quite honestly he was a rockstar for me. I think he's retired now.

[tm88]

Big name for short time is best to go.... If your having such large turn outs for viewings and open houses it tells me that you are most likely over priced with no offers.
Tough to judge from the outside though,
Best of Luck,

[barmanjay]

Originally posted by syscal
..... 7 months of viewings and open houses and not even an offer on the table.
............



Originally posted by syscal
....... I think people are typically going for a 1.3 to 1.4 range.

We have plently of viewings and impressive turnouts to the open houses.......


It's not all agent.



3 things sell a home



marketing

Presentation

Price


Sounds like the marketing is there if you are getting lots of showings and good turn-outs on the open houses.

the next issues to look at are presentation and price.

presentation,.. is your home staged well? I'm sure your home is beautifully done.

and you already commented about what you think people are paying - 1.3-1.4

So with that being said,.. dropping the price to 1.3-1.4 would be the best ideal of them all.

a price difference of 1/4 mil + will turn many people away from even thinking about an offer.

Did the realtors get feed back from the open houses?

I would assume so and I'm willing to bet the feedback would involve price.

[JordanLotoski]

Right now the only thing that seems to be moving homes is the price...I have tryed dream home mag, homes and land...Calgary herald..open house afer open house, realtors lunchon...at the end of the day mls exposure and price is the major factor.

I have taken over listings for John Hripko, Gordon Ross etc....adjust the price..stage it and they have all sold.

Shoot me the mls number and ill take a look.

Best of luck

[syscal]

We're willing to admit that the price may be a little ambitious. We've dropped by 70K already and will drop again with the new agent as well.

Without going into detail, I really think it's time for some fresh blood on this one. Don't get me wrong, our agent is good and all that, but I do think it's time for a change.

[syscal]

Originally posted by MIWYFSHOT

Shoot me the mls number and ill take a look.

Best of luck [/B]

Staging is fine, we purchased a load of new furniture and whatnot. Most people that come in ask "does anyone even live here?"...I think the correct answer to that is "yes, a full-time mom with three girls that can't stand a spec of dust on the floor before a house showing".

PM'd

[syscal]

Originally posted by gqmw
Yeah if you're in a rush, big time realtors would probably be the way to go. You're 5 minutes away from the city in which direction?

5 mins West. Artists View. Probably more like 2 minutes out of town.

[G-Suede]

Be careful of the classic realtor "adjust the price" BS. Even though you'll take a big hit on the price they'll net a similar fee. Find a realtor that can accurately evaluate and sell your home rather selling you with smooth talking rhetoric about the market and price. Obviously price is a component in any marketing endeavor so look for a realtor that will act as more than a self serving mediator and actually earn their fee.

[Kobe]

Originally posted by syscal
We're going to be switching realtors soon here. 7 months of viewings and open houses and not even an offer on the table.

We're thinking of talking with Gordon Ross or Sam Corea.

Has anyone dealt with either of these guys? Is there anyone else in that range of advertisement and exposure that we should talk to? (other than Jason Bamlett)

The house is in the 1.6 range and we need to sell before Dec 31, so we're not looking for any small timers at this point.

7 viewings and not sold.. Wow what is this world coming 2!!

We have had 30+ showings, and price reduced by 200K and not sold.. Don't get your hopes up to quickly..

[max_boost]

^^


7 months of viewings son.

[ExtraSlow]

You could try negotiating a higher percentage with your new realtor, then they are more motivated to sell for top dollar.
I'm willing to bet whatever you give away in commissions you'll make up for in selling price.

Make sure your realtor is compensated for looking after your interests.

[ZorroAMG]

I've listed properties with Heather Waddell, Rooney/Cronin/Valentine and Gordon Ross, the big names don't always mean much..it took me over a year with one of them to sell my 1.2 in stanley park last year....I'd personally go with HRD2PLZ or MiWYFSHOT on here this time around...they seem smart, eager and willing to WORK for their commissions and THAT'S what ultimately sells the house when it comes to realtors...not just the name. I don't drive around seeing FS signs and go "ooooh gordon ross? Waddell? Selling a house?? Must be an awesome house for a great deal!!!"

LOL

[G-Suede]

Originally posted by ZorroAMG

...smart, eager and willing to WORK for their commissions and THAT'S what ultimately sells the house when it comes to realtors...not just the name.


Exactly. Why list with someone only riding the wave? You want someone who will earn the compensation.

[syscal]

I would argue that someone like Sam Corea, who is one of the top in North America, isn't riding a wave. They just use their exposure to their advantage.

[tm88]

I would actually be interested in a documentary on Sam Corea and just seeing what a week is like for him. I do not think he rides a wave as much as some might. Im sure he has lots of people working for him however it is essentially him who does the real work.

[syscal]

Originally posted by tm88
I would actually be interested in a documentary on Sam Corea and just seeing what a week is like for him. I do not think he rides a wave as much as some might. Im sure he has lots of people working for him however it is essentially him who does the real work.

My chiropractor has a house listed with him. He has nothing but the highest regard for Sam and recommended him highly to me.

I just don't see how it would benefit us to list a 1.6 acreage with someone that sells inner city homes at an average 600K listing. I am absolutely positive they would work hard for the commission but would that be enough? I like the idea that someone as big as Sam would still work hard for his customers.

I have a friend whose wife is in real estate that I would list with if we were in the city. If things didn't work out and we had to sell out next home at ~1.4 in Crestmont I'd list with her in a heartbeat because I know for a fact she'd work her ass off. We're just going for experience and exposure for the type of property we're listing.

[tm88]

listing acerages and inner city homes is quite different. Alot of realtors work only in certain communities, or only with condos, etc...find one that suits your needs. Me being a younger realtor, i try and work with alot of first time home buyers. I have had older clients and i still work just as hard however it can be easier to see eye to eye with someone with similar interests.

[syscal]

Originally posted by tm88
listing acerages and inner city homes is quite different. Alot of realtors work only in certain communities, or only with condos, etc...find one that suits your needs. Me being a younger realtor, i try and work with alot of first time home buyers. I have had older clients and i still work just as hard however it can be easier to see eye to eye with someone with similar interests.

Thanks for the confirmation. I would love nothing more than to help someone get their feet wet or hand off a big commission if I thought it was in my best interests as well.

[HRD2PLZ]

If its acreage property you might want to actually skip the Realtors like Waddell, Ross and Corea. I can't remember the last time I saw them list or sell an acreage property.

An acreage Realtor I know who has been around a long time and carries quite a large number of multi million dollar listings is Patricia Bedry. She does ONLY acreage and rural properties. You might want to look into someone like her, as they would have the knowledge and the contacts to get your property sold.

[demosticgarbage]

mmm

use her

http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?vd=&SearchURL=%3fPage%3d8%26Mode%3d0%26vs%3dResidential%26ret%3d300%26sts%3d0-0%26beds%3d0-0%26baths%3d0-0%26aid%3d4832%26MapURL%3d%3fAreaID%3d6401%26tte%3d1%26tt%3d1%2c2%26mp%3d0-0-0%26mrt%3d0-0-4%26trt%3d2%26of%3d1%26ps%3d10%26o%3dA&Mode=0&PropertyID=7355682


very nice home...

[syscal]

Sam has a couple acreages on his site right now.

impressive stats...

http://www.samsluxuryhomes.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=top100.top100

As far as acreage experience goes, our current agent knows springbank to bragg creek, bearspaw and cochrane side like the back of her hand. This is why we went with her...but her time is up and we need advertisement and exposure.

[syscal]

so, we let our agent know we were going to get rid of her last week.

gave her the last scheduled open house as a courtesy.

she was supposed to meet with us after the open house but of course had "to go somewhere, I'll talk with you later in the week" while she was driving off.

I called her tonight and asked her to send whatever it takes to break the contract and she all but refused to end it early.

We're going to be pursuing this tomorrow and I will talk with her broker if I don't hear from her in the morning, but any pointers from agents on here on what I should ask for?

A buddy of mine was in real estate for a while and now sells new homes. Said there was a form we could get her to sign that any self respecting agent would do if their clients didn't want to work with them anymore. I can't remember the name of it.

Can someone throw me a little info here? I would greatly appreciate the advise. Our contract ends Sept 19 and there are no more open houses booked.

[JordanLotoski]

Get her to draft up a termination contract, only sign option C..which states each party parts ways with no obligation to one another. (something along those lines i dont have it in front of me) she might try to hustle you into option A which means if you relist with anothe agent she is obligated to recieve commission upto 90 says after termination....Realtors work on a referal basis..i always give my clients whatever they want as far as terminating the contracts...like to see them happy.

as for your house.....


I think you have a beautiful home and its very sellable as it sits....I myself dont do alot of acreges...what about Rachelle Starnes or James Doucet?, they both sell a ton of high end homes in Elbow Valley.

Whomever you choose i wish you the best.

[tm88]

Originally posted by syscal


Thanks for the confirmation. I would love nothing more than to help someone get their feet wet or hand off a big commission if I thought it was in my best interests as well.


I was in no way trying to solicite your property. I am assuming i would need to hear the way you said that because it came across in a way that you felt i was trying to get your listing.
If anything i was explaining that i would find a realtor that focuses in on acreages. Basically what the other realtors have said as well.

[syscal]

Originally posted by tm88



I was in no way trying to solicite your property. I am assuming i would need to hear the way you said that because it came across in a way that you felt i was trying to get your listing.
If anything i was explaining that i would find a realtor that focuses in on acreages. Basically what the other realtors have said as well.

It was totally neutral. Basically saying thanks, and answering other people's posts about hiring someone from here. I didn't get the feeling at all that you were pushing at it.

[canuckcarguy]

I don't know your house, but in this market, overpricing the house almost guarantees no offers. Canadians are too polite to offer much less than the list price, generally speaking, especially on higher-priced homes, and the market is hardly "robust" right now.

As far as a $70K reduction, I think you should either stick to your price and believe in it, or reduce by a significant amount. $70K off a $1.7M house over 7 months? That's what, about 4%? The market has probably dropped more than that over that time period. And 4% just isn't a big enough price drop to get attention from buyers who feel the house is over-priced.

Really, who would respond to an ad promising a 4% discount? "Come on down to the Brick, we've got sofas 4% off!" $70K sounds like a lot of money, but not on a $1.7M house.

Respectfully, if you're getting viewing and not getting any offers at all, and your house is as nice as you say (I don't doubt it), your price is the issue. You've shot for the stars long enough, it ain't happening. Have your realtor pull comparables again, look at actual sales figures, and price your home accordingly. In exchange, negotiate a slightly reduced commission from your realtor, in exchange for a firm marketing and advertising plan.

Good luck.

[syscal]

Thanks and yeah, waiting for a competent agent to tell us what to list at.

Our current agent came up with a price by taking comparibles between 1M and 2.5M and averaging them out...we dictated the list price to her after that BS.

I'm feeling like a tool for sticking with her for so long actually.

We're well aware of the fact the price needs to be lowered again but want to wait for the new agent for that.

[canuckcarguy]

Sounds like the right call. I actually think that the best agents are the ones who can look you in the eye and give you the straight price. And as far as feeling bad for sticking so long with an agent that wasn't doing the job for you, you know the argument is always that you've devoted so much time to her, might as well give it another week... and another month... and so on.

Good luck finding the right agent, and the right deal.

[tm88]

what brokerage is he/she with?

[S4maniac]

To the OP: I'm the only response on here that has bought and sold an acreage for over $1M in the Springbank area in the past year. When we bought (and sold) the consistant realtors were Waddell, Corea and Bamlett. We bought and sold with Strydhorst who is now out of the game.

Here's what realtors are gonna tell you ...
1st - "I can get (insert your asking price) for this property. It just wasn't marketed properly. They tell you what you want to hear so they can get the listing.

2nd - After flailing around for a month without success, they'll tell you to lower your price "because the market is changing".

3rd - when it gets close to renewal time, suddenly there'll be a little flurry of showings. These are people they bring in to make it appear there is renewed interest so you'll sign an extension.

Someone will see your house on mls.ca and buy it.

Strydhorst didn't do the above, he was a rockstar for us and we sold in 3 weeks. He's good friends with Bamlett and Corea.

You want/need someone with a big book and big exposure that will legitimately pump your property. The above guys can do that for you.

JMHO - YMMV

[syscal]

Okay.

Apparently Sam is not selling acreages anymore. I'll confirm that one.

She wants us to sign Option B of the contract termination. From what I can read it does the following.

1) if we sign up with another brokerage we'll be free and clear.
2) if we sign with someone in the same brokerage we'll be locked in for 90 days and the new agent receives the referral fee disclosure form.

In the referral disclosure form there is nothing filled in for fee. She is telling me that the fee is decided by the new agent.


So, what am I missing...? What negative implications does this Option B bring?

I'm going to call one of the people that were on the referral list and I'll ask them straight out if I should be signing Option B, etc...let them decide.

[broken_legs]

Why don't you list your property in Abu Dhabi or overseas to some other oil rich people. I'm sure there is some www.mansions.com or something that you can list on.

Someone might just buy it on a whim so they have a place to stay when their sovereign income fund comes over and starts buying oilsands assets.

You never know...:dunno:

[HRD2PLZ]

Originally posted by syscal
Okay.

Apparently Sam is not selling acreages anymore. I'll confirm that one.

She wants us to sign Option B of the contract termination. From what I can read it does the following.

1) if we sign up with another brokerage we'll be free and clear.
2) if we sign with someone in the same brokerage we'll be locked in for 90 days and the new agent receives the referral fee disclosure form.

In the referral disclosure form there is nothing filled in for fee. She is telling me that the fee is decided by the new agent.


So, what am I missing...? What negative implications does this Option B bring?

I'm going to call one of the people that were on the referral list and I'll ask them straight out if I should be signing Option B, etc...let them decide.

Option B should be fine. I am a little confused though. Are you going with another Realtor within the brokerage? If so, the new Realtor will charge whatever their fee's are and any referral they arrange with your original Realtor is their problem to figure out. They just need to disclose to you that your original Realtor will be receiving a referral fee from the new Realtor.

If you are planning to list with a Realtor from another Brokerage ask for Option C on the termination form. If she is terminating the listing then what is the difference to her if she offers Option B or Option C?

Hope that helps. Best of luck :thumbsup:

[syscal]

Corea is not in the same brokerage, but Heather Waddell (refferred by current agent) is. I was not too happy after talking with the broker himself the other day so I'd like to avoid his brokerage altogether. Seemed like a prick.

[HRD2PLZ]

Originally posted by syscal
Corea is not in the same brokerage, but Heather Waddell (refferred by current agent) is. I was not too happy after talking with the broker himself the other day so I'd like to avoid his brokerage altogether. Seemed like a prick.

Oh, you go to talk to Ted Zaharko did you? :rofl: Ask for Option C termination and go elsewhere. They'll give it to you... I used to work in that brokerage and if you threaten, they'll let you out in 2 seconds flat.

[01RedDX]

.

[syscal]

Originally posted by HRD2PLZ


Oh, you go to talk to Ted Zaharko did you? :rofl: Ask for Option C termination and go elsewhere. They'll give it to you... I used to work in that brokerage and if you threaten, they'll let you out in 2 seconds flat.


lol, yeah. doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that cares about his clients.

I remember working with a guy with the same last name once. He was brought it to save the company money. Used to run water through the coffee grounds a second time to save money...lol

[syscal]

So Corea is out. Says he only wants to focus on his current client base and isn't taking on any other properties...

...whatever...

So we're looking now at Gordon Ross, Jason Bamlett, or Cyndi Collins.

We're also considering Waddell, who was recommended by our previous agent, but she doesn't have any current acreage listings and I'm not sure how to read that.

Gordon Ross also doesn't have many acreages.

Jason Bamlett and Cyndi Collins both have most of the properties in Springbank listed. Can someone confirm that they are actually selling properties and not just sitting on a bunch that aren't selling? I would appreciate that if it's possible.

Any opinions on either agent? We're planning on dropping our price considerably.

[syscal]

Gordon Ross here we come. Major price drop and targetted marketing....here's hoping!

[tm88]

Good Luck, doesnt sound like the easiest ride so far.

[syscal]

ugh, now old agent is telling us we were supposed to let us refer us to him so she could collect a fee...

...he says "I'll deal with her"...

...just the answer I like to hear.

I have to say he is a very impressive fellow. Just what we were looking for and most important the wife is happy.

We may end up having to sell our next house now since we're listing 250K lower than we initially listed at when we bought the place but I guess that's life.

We thought we were going to have a 300K or less mortgage but apparently that's not happening :(

I'm tired of the huge mortgage...we'll see.

Thanks for all the great advise and I really hope it pays off in the end! Thanks all.