About Waterloo County, ON

This is just a short little blog today, brought on by other blogs that I've read this morning.

Blogs that have been posted about situations where clients were involved but where the main points have been focussed on what the agent wanted to do, what the agent thought of the situation, what the agent did based on his or her own feelings of a situation.

What I would like to know more about, is what did that agent's client want to do? What did the client think of the situation, how did the client react, and what were his or her feelings about a particular situation?

I realize that we learn by our mistakes, and if we feel we've made a mistake it is great to get the opinions of other professionals.

But I think sometimes we forget that we can also learn by watching and consulting with the people we work for - our clients.

And by "I don't get it" I don't mean I've never gotten it - never had it, never lived with it. I mean I've had hardwood and laminate floors and I just don't get the attraction.

Okay, I understand that there are a few who benefit for health reasons - they have severe allergies to dust and removing carpet is helpful, and this is why the whole hardwood/laminate thing got started - but what about the rest of us?

Surely, it's not a craze for health reasons alone.

I'll admit that when I was selling my last house and peeked under the carpet to see what was there I got a tingle when I saw the hardwood. And after I got the floor stripped and lacquered (a painfully stinky process, I might add), I thought, "Wow. Look at that shine. Beautiful".

But then I lived with those floors and I gotta tell ya' - not impressed.

The poor dog slipped on it all the time, the house seemed colder, I could hear everything echo, and to keep that beautiful shine daily maintenance was required.

When the house sold and I bought my condo I jumped for joy and spun around like a crazy person on moving day when I first walked in (my dog thought I was absolutely nuts). But I had carpet again and I was ecstatic. I am still overjoyed.

Now if only I could convince the people above me that carpet is the way to go. With the way things echo when they drop something, I'm pretty sure they've got hardwood or laminate...

And yet another reason for carpeting...beautiful carpeting....

Some of you will tell me to get a grip, cuz it is just a commercial, but everytime I see it, I want to pull that woman out of the TV and say, "Really? Are you out of your mind?"

The commercial I'm referring to is the one where the real estate agent (I can't remember if she calls herself a REALTOR or not), states she sprays Febreze in all her houses for sale.

Okay. First of all, they are not HER HOUSES! Those houses are her clients homes, which brings me to the biggie...

Does she really spray that stuff all over her clients homes? Really?

I could not imagine even asking a client if I could do such a thing.

Not only because I think opening a window is a much better solution than spraying chemicals in the air and all over furniture (what about allergies and sensitivities her clients may have to the product), but because of the implications of asking such a question.

And if she doesn't ask her clients permission to spray that stuff, isn't she stepping over the line by taking it upon herself to do so?

In my mind everything about that commercial misrepresents and belittles what we do as agents, but hey, maybe I do just need to get a grip.

So. You've decided to take the plunge. You're tired of renting or you've lived with your parents so you can save up a down payment, and now you're ready to buy your first house.

YIPPPPPPEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Wow. It's exciting, isn't it? But now that you've decided, where do you start?

When deciding to buy a new home (even if you're not a first timer), it's always best to visit with a mortgage advisor to see what you can afford to buy. That way you know what you can look at. There's nothing worse than getting excited about a house and then finding out later you can't afford to buy it. Know how much you can afford, so your agent can show you houses that fit your budget.

Then find yourself a good real estate agent. Talk to people who have bought and/or sold and see who they used. Interview a few professionals then choose the best fit for you. What is the best fit for you? Well, that's only something you can answer, of course. But I would think someone who listens more than he/she talks is a good start :)

Now, ask your agent to show you many different types and styles of homes, so you can know what options are available. There are condos (apartments, bungalows, and townhomes), detached homes, semi-detached, new builds, older homes, century homes, fixer uppers, and move-in ready! Whew!

Then once you've narrowed your search and you've found something that excites you, it's time to put in an offer.

AND HERE IS WHERE YOU WILL FREEZE UP, WANT TO RUN BACK TO YOUR RENTAL OR PARENT'S HOME AND HIDE UNDER YOUR BED.

BUT STOP!!!

Know that everyone gets cold feet at this point, because this is a huge purchase and a long-time commitment, but if you stick to your plan, stay on budget, and don't radically change your spending habits, you'll be just fine.

Everyone measures his or her success as a professional differently.

Some think the money they've made at the end of the year is a good measure.
Some think that an award or recognition from the industry is an indication of how good they are.
Some think the number of solicited testimonials they've gotten shows their value.

But does anyone measure success by:

How many clients you've made smile?
How many sincere handshakes and thank-you's you've received in a day, a week, a month?
How many random e-mails from clients have you gotten that say how much they appreciate what you've done for them?

To me, those smiles, handshakes and random e-mails mean more than anything.

I am in a service-based business. I am in a business where people - where my clients' wants and needs -come first. And if they've actually taken the time to show me how happy they are then I've done my job, and I've done it well.

After that, I can certainly have a healthy bottom line, maybe win an award, and receive a written testimonial or two. But only after that.