What is your motivation behind wanting to buy a new property? Is it to stop paying rent and start building equity? Are you upsizing as your family grows or downsizing after children move out? Maybe your diligent saving has allowed you to move to a larger house in a fancier neighbourhood? Or is it purely business? Are you looking for a bargain property to renovate and flip for a return? Maybe you are diversifying your portfolio with rental properties? Your motivation for buying a property is a key determinant in finding the right property to fulfill your goals.

Next, try to articulate your needs and your wants for a new home. Your needs are what you must have in a home: a certain size, property style, the number of bedrooms, parking requirements, or possibly a specific neighbourhood. Your wants are preferences for features that you would like to have but could live without maybe a dedicated dining room, an outdoor patio, or a media room. Everyone’s needs and wants are individual-specific, so I take the time to learn what is important to you for finding your next dream home.  

Location! Location! Location!

Very importantly, you must know where you want to live! Are you looking for the convenience of a residential city home or do you prefer the peacefulness of a suburban or a country lifestyle? Which community do you want to be a part of? Do you prefer established neighbourhoods or modern ones? How far are you willing to commute to work daily or to your nearest grocery store? Do you want amenities such as shopping, dining and entertainment nearby? Do you have a preferred school zone for your children? Is after-school care available?  

Next, determine what type of property you are looking for. Do you like the low-maintenance, community living offered by condominium ownership? Do you love yard work or hate it?! Do you prefer the view from an apartment or a backyard deck? What style of home would you consider living in an apartment, duplex, townhome or a detached house?

As your Designated Buyer’s Agent, I am familiar with current listings and neighbourhood values. I will help you pick properties that are adequately priced and are a good value before you devote your time to property viewings. 

You will very quickly know how you feel about the properties we view as you walk through them. Can you picture yourself calling this particular property “HOME”? When you find your new home, you feel it! It is exciting! You may already be decorated in your mind and planning potential renovations. You can imagine yourself comfortably settled in and enjoying your new home. However, it is important to set emotions aside and objectively review whether a property really suits your primary needs and wants. That is why we establish these parameters early in the property searching process. When you think “This is the One!”, we will review our checklist to make sure it satisfies your predetermined goals. When you are confident that it is indeed “The One”, I will expedite the Offer to Purchase so that you do not miss the opportunity.  

An Offer to Purchase is a legally binding contract whereby you – the interested Buyer – are offering to pay the Seller in exchange for the transfer of the property title into your possession. I will draft the Offer to Purchase for you, as per your wishes, and present it to the Listing Agent and Seller. This contract lays out the important terms of the offer, like the offer price and closing date. It also includes any necessary conditions added for your protection, such as financing conditions (to ensure you can secure lender financing), home inspection conditions (to verify the condition of the property), and conditional sale of your current property, etcetera. I will also help you articulate inclusions and exclusions. Inclusions are personal property that is not attached to the real estate but you would like included in the purchase (ex. a desirable hot tub or pool table). Exclusions are items that you want to be removed from the property before the possession date (ex. a haggard hot tub or dirty deep freezer). I will draw up the offer to reflect your financial interests and to suit your needs.

The offer price is paramount. I will propose a competitive offer price that has a high probability of acceptance by the Seller, without risking you paying more than necessary for the property. This recommendation will be determined by a Comparative Market Analysis of similar properties currently for sale and those recently sold in the same neighbourhood. Ultimately, it is your money and you call the shots when setting your offer price! I just help you to make informed decisions.

Once you are satisfied with your offer, I will present it to the Listing Agent and Seller. Offers are typically countered, sometimes accepted as written, or – if they are really weak offers – outright rejected. If the offer is not accepted, I will work diligently on your behalf to further negotiate with the Listing Agent and Seller to obtain offer acceptance. The Seller may make a counteroffer which we will immediately review. You have the options of accepting the counteroffer, rejecting it, or making a further counteroffer. I will work closely with you throughout this entire process to make it as polished and pain-free as possible!

Once the Seller accepts your Offer to Purchase, you are on your way to closing and receiving the keys to your new home! This is an exciting time! At this point, you should be celebrating and not worrying about anything other than packing!

Yet there is still some work for me to complete. I will continue to represent your interests to safeguard closing the transaction. I will follow up to make sure that all conditions are waived in time. I will work with the Listing Agent, your Mortgage Lender and your Real Estate Lawyer to verify that all paperwork is in order and the transaction closes on time. As your Designated Buyer’s Agent, I am by your side from the day we meet until the day I hand you the keys to your beautiful new home! After that, I am still available to help you with any questions or concerns you may have. Your happiness with your new home is my #1 priority!