MY CORE SERVICE GUARANTEES

I make you a set of promises that few other Realtors will make. When you are comparing Realtors, ask them the following questions and compare their answers to my own:

Q1) Do you make 100% of your income from real estate commissions?

A1) Absolutely, yes.

Q2) If you recommend a mortgage broker to me, will you be paid a fee if I take a mortgage through them?

A2) I will recommend one or more mortgage brokers to you BUT I accept no payments from them whatsoever. I recommend them based on their excellence, rather than a desire to profit from your mortgage financing.

Q3) When you refer me to a currency trading firm to move monies from my home country to Canada, will you be taking a cut, every time I do a transaction?

A3) Absolutely not.  I never join the referral fee or profit sharing schemes offered by some of these companies. Likewise, I wont take any commissions or referral fees from any other service provider (eg: car dealerships) that I may suggest you speak to.

Q4) When you help me find short term accommodation, will you accept thank you payments from the landlords of those properties or will you otherwise profit by accommodating me in your own properties?

A4) Absolutely not. All the landlords I work with appreciate that I never seek payment from them for placing clients with them. Also, on the occasions that clients stay with me and my partner Janet in our home, we do not charge them for doing so.

Q5) If I am NOT buying a house straight away, will you charge me for helping me and my family to settle here (eg: airport pick-ups, helping us get SIN numbers, driving licence exchange, Alberta Health registration, etc)?

A5) My relocation assistance is always entirely FREE and without obligation. I build relationships based on trust and openness. I don't believe in trying to tie people to me by charging them hundreds of dollars for relocation assistance, either with or without a promise that the money may be refundable if they buy a house quickly.

Q6) Will you ask me to sign a Buyer Brokerage Agreement that contractually binds me to use your services to buy a home?

A6) No. I work incredibly hard to satisfy my clients and as we work together, trust builds.  I find that I have no use for legally binding agreements that leave clients no choice other than to use my services. I find that clients appreciate being able to make a positive choice to work with me rather than being forced to do so.

Integrity is very important to me. Referral fees and kick backs from service providers only cloud the judgment and make the client wonder who is benefitting most from a referral.  That is why I accept no such fees/rewards.  If they are offered, I ask the individual or firm to adjust their pricing so that the benefit is passed on to you.

For me, this is all about treating people how I like to be treated myself.  It is something that has been at the root of my success throughout many, many years in the business world.

So when you are speaking to other Realtors, do ask them these things and carefully note their answers and their body language.