Anshu Arora LLM, MSc, PMP

Maybe you're buying a home for the first time. Or maybe you're selling your old home to move to something new. Whether buying or selling, you’re involved in an intricate process requiring many specialists. One of these specialists might be a REALTOR^®, who’s responsible for making the transaction as easy as possible for you.

The REALTOR^® Difference

However, not every licensed or registered broker or salesperson is a REALTOR^®. To be a REALTOR^®, the agent must be a member of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). And to be a member of CREA, an agent is expected to be:

1. Committed to the REALTOR^® Code: The code is the accepted standard of conduct for all real estate practitioners who are REALTORS^®. It's your guarantee of professional conduct and the quality service.
2. Knowledgeable about developments in real estate: A REALTOR^® can get you the information needed to make an informed decision: comparable prices, neighborhood trends, housing market conditions and more.
3. Actively updating education: Through courses, workshops and other professional development, a REALTOR^® maintains a high level of current knowledge about real estate.
4. Access:  REALTORS^® have access to Board MLS^® Systems, which facilitate the cooperate sale of properties to benefit consumers.

Benefits of a REALTOR^®

Whether buying or selling a home, you can trust that your REALTOR^® will ensure the transaction is completed competently and professionally. You don’t have to worry about the details – your REALTOR^® can take care of them for you. You can get advice from someone with an intimate knowledge of the local housing market. And you can count on the help of a professional who has committed to serve with integrity and competence.

Some Facts that will make Realtors seem Normal

1. We don’t really want to put our title (Sales Representative) and contact information on everything – BC real estate marketing rules require us to. Pens, greeting cards, social media accounts – if it could be construed as advertising, than our full legal names, title and brokerage information needs to be included. Yes, even on pens.
2. REALTOR is a registered trademark in ALL CAPS- we can get in trouble if we don’t use all caps.
3. Many real estate agents wish sold data was public information too – but current rules prevent us from giving out sold prices on the internet.
4. We use a lot of ACRNMS on MLS because we have letter count restrictions. Sometimes we can’t figure them out either.
5. There’s a lot of bad real estate agent training out there – trainers tell us to knock on doors, cold call you, and invite you to our open houses on Facebook. Sorry.
6. According to legend, long, long ago, agents were required to have their photos on their business cards for security purposes. A lot of trainers still tell their agents it’s a good idea so that buyers and sellers remember them.
7. Putting your face on a garbage can or bus bench has actually worked for a few agents – so it seems like a good idea. Sorry again.
8. Our car is our office – that’s why most of us drive a BMW, Mercedes or an Audi. It’s our way of pimping out our offices. Plus it’s a tax write-off.