30
January
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April Prinz from RE/MAX Story
We had the great pleasure of meeting with April Prinz from April Prinz – (Personal Real Estate Corporation) – RE/MAX Camosun.
April has been in the real-estate industry for over 29 years, having earned the Re/MAX Hall of Fame Award, the Re/Max Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the 25-year long Service Pin from the Victoria Real Estate Board. As recently as this past November, April was named in the top 100 Realtors for Re/Max of Western Canada. She has experience in selling homes of all descriptions including selling Apartment buildings and even large B&B’s like the Beaconsfield Inn here in Victoria.
One big topic we talked about with April was whether it is the right move for home owners to sell their house without a realtor.
And while I could probably fill 3 full pages on why you should always hire a realtor, I will try and keep it as short as possible. ?
1. In the past (NAR – National Association of Realtors) have shown statistics that prove that Sellers end up with 4% more money in their pocket when they sell through a qualified Real Estate
2. Time is money. Selling your home yourself will involve long hours of time and considerable expense to market the property. (Not to mention being there for every showing etc.)
3. In the absence of using a Realtor, you should at the very least have a Lawyer and an Appraiser peruse your plans and documents before entering the selling process.
4. For most of us it is one of the biggest single transactions with stringent legal requirements. One mistake could spell financial disaster
5. April will screen offers and counter-offers and negotiate an agreement according to your instructions
6. When you accept an offer, April will help you draw up a legally binding contract that protects your interests and makes sure that conditions are fulfilled
7. April has a vast network of helpful contacts. May those be contractors, building inspectors, financial advisors, mortgage brokers, staging companies etc.
These are just a few of the important reasons why working with a real estate agent is an absolute must in my opinion.
If on the other hand you are thinking about buying a house and think you might want to go it alone, here are a few reasons why you might want to reconsider.
1. April is educated on the complex laws and regulations that affect a real estate transaction and can give you advice to help ensure your interests are protected
2. April has seen many properties! Once she knows the type of property you are looking for, she might already have a winner for you on hand. If not, she will find and show you properties until you find the house of your dreams
3. She has access to automated email systems that will send you an email the second a property that fits your description becomes available. You can even walk through your potential dream home from the comfort of your own home. Many of April’s listing have 3-D walk through’s available on her website.
4. She knows the neighborhood she works in like the back of her hand (For April this would be everything between Sooke and Sidney)
5. She knows the schools in your desired neighborhood and what kind of changes you might need to expect in the future.
During our interview April said that “Communities are growing like crazy right now, so I pay a lot of attention to the municipal plans for changes that are going to be happening over the next 5-10 years.” Which is another incredible resource a realtor can offer you. (Insight into 5-10 year community plans)
Another important note that April mentioned to us was that,
“A lot of people think that they shouldn’t bother their realtor when they go and look at a house, they might be interested in. But Realtors want to be bothered. They love to know what it is that you are looking at, how you are feeling about it and what it is that is helping shape the parameters that you want to use for your dream home.”
Realtors love it when you call. Not only because it’s always better to experience the house with your licensed realtor, so you can feel the house by yourself, but also because it’s much nicer to view your potential home without other people around who have different view points and might colour how you feel about the house.
They also have a fundamental duty to tell you the things that you need to know about the property.
