For sale by owner franchises (like The Property Guys or ByTheOwner) are not exactly in the business of real estate. They are advertising and marketing agencies whose product is likely your most valuable asset – your home. They are selling a product (sign, website) and sometimes a service (advice).

And that’s OK.

I just wanted to point out that they are not realtors and they do not have the same knowledge, licensing and liabilities of realtors.

Home selling franchises have flooded into that segment of the market where home sellers have always existed – those who want to sell their homes by themselves.

About 10-15% of homes sell privately.

Selling privately is about saving commission. That makes sense. We all understand that (even the buyer). Why pay a realtor thousands of dollars when you could spend $1833+HST (upfront) or less with a home selling franchise.

A visit to the Property Guys site reveals a couple things I don’t agree with.

They claim to be “Canada’s best online listing”.  – But isn’t the MLS the best listing service?

With their more expensive packages, “Your listing never expires”. — But wouldn’t you want your home to sell in less than six months?

Those two, in particular, don’t make sense to me. And, I could go on about all the misleading information contained on their site, but as the Property Guys own site says “You’re not an idiot”. I’m sure you can see the benefits of a $5 sign from Canadian Tire and some free advice from your favorite uncle, over a dog and pony show.

There are some good tips in this video for private home sellers.

Keith Marshall is a Realtor with Prudential Grand Valley Realty, serving Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge. If you’ve been trying to sell your home for 12 weeks and are thinking about hiring a professional realtor, please give me a call. You will save $500 with this special certificate of promise.

Filed under: advice, Buying Real Estate, home, house, real estate trends, Selling Real Estate by Keith Marshall
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According to BMO Nesbitt Burns, the Canadian housing market was well balanced in October. The ratio of new listings to home sales was “almost bang-on” its long-term average back to 1988.

The numbers vary by province, with Alberta’s sales-to-listings ratio over a full standard deviation below the long-term average. British Columbia is second worst, with a ratio nearly three-quarters of a standard deviation below average. Newfoundland is the only other below-average province.

On the flip side, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island were above their averages more than three-quarters of a standard deviation.

Saskatchewan is the province closest to its historical norm.

Ontario is slightly above average.

The number of home sales in terms of listings gives insight into where prices may head next. If sales are high relative to listings, (as they are in Ontario) that means supply is insufficient relative to demand, and there could be upward price pressure.

The housing market seems very strong in Kitchener Waterloo. I follow three neighborhoods (Clair Hills, Huron Park and Idlewood) as snapshots of real estate trends in Waterloo Region.

Keith Marshall is a realtor with Prudential Grand Valley Realty. Save $500 when you sell your home with Keith with this certificate: Save $500.

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, Buying Real Estate, canada, Clair Hills, Huron Park, Idlewood, neighborhood update, real estate, real estate trends, Selling Real Estate by Keith Marshall
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Selling condos is all about selling lifestyle. Whether it be, “Uptown Living”, “Downtown Living”, “Conveniently Located and Maintenance-free Living”, you get the idea…the advertising makes living in a little concrete box on the fifth floor of a nine floor building somehow seem sexy.

In Toronto, the full-page newspaper advertisements show elegance and fashion, tall glass buildings and appealing skylines, young urban types laughing as they exit the lobby. Just imagine living here, you’ll be so hip, so young, so carefree.

I love advertisements. The subtle manipulations are not wasted on me.

It seems that one Calgary Developer recently left out the delicate and muted subtleties of a good condo ad campaign, and was punished for it. Their campaign for downtown Calgary condos was withdrawn after the online uproar ensued. The ads were denounced as sexist and tasteless.

The posters for its Midtown tower featured the slogan: “A $20,000 down payment is as easy as a 25-year-old scotch, or a 25-year-old blonde on a 25-year-old scotch. Get on it.”

Another read: “A $20,000 down payment is easier than scoring on a four-minute 5 on 3. And way, way easier than scoring with your waitress.”

Hmmm. Certainly not subtle, like the campaigns we have in Kitchener Waterloo.

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, Buying Real Estate, condo, editorial, investing in real estate, just for fun, real estate trends by Keith Marshall
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My office, Prudential Grand Valley Realty, is on Highland Road. It’s a nice office.

However, when given the choice, I prefer meeting clients in coffee shops. Williams at Kitchener City Hall and Maestro Café on King Street are two of my Kitchener favorites. I often drive down Queen Street past Barra Castle as a result.

They tore Barra Castle down last week. We lost a quirky but iconic building.

I stopped and took this picture.

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, general news by Keith Marshall
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I love old homes.

They have personality, history and attract a certain kind of people. I loved holding open houses at this home in particular.

146 Grand Avenue sold last week. Although everyone is happy to be starting the next phases of their lives; the new owners, the old owners, and this Realtor, it is with some sadness that I won’t be hosting any more open houses here.

It’s a great house.

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, home, house, neighborhood update, open house, sold by Keith Marshall
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