Blog Archives

Selling your home can be a very emotional endeavor. You have so much invested in your home, not the least of these being the many memories created there. I recognize this fact and it is my goal for you to sell your home in a timely manor for the most money in which your home would sell for in the current market. When I get together with potential sellers I like to pass on some education about the selling process. This includes what can go right and wrong as well as costs that might be associated with the sale of your home. I explain “agency”, which is representation. I also let you know how I will sell your home. Some of these features may include a video tour of your home, pointing out the more important selling features of your property. Professional measurements of your home including a show home style floor plan that buyers can take along with them. A web-site designed specifically to market your home and exposure on over 5000 real estate related web-sites throughout Calgary, Canada, and the world! Most importantly my services are about listening to you, my client, and communicating with you to continue […]

When I work with buyers I take our relationship very seriously. If you want to find a property to buy, I’m not going to simply send you a bunch of listings to view. I always recommend that you meet me face to face for an hour. First of all, you and I have to figure out if we can work together. If you don’t like me then you should likely not work with me and vice-versa. Life is too short for difficult relationships. I like to give you a little education on the buying process so you are fully informed and not left in the dark. Sometimes I can recommend service providers to you for various needs such as mortgage brokerage services, etc. I have to explain representation to you known as “Agency”. Every real estate agent should be explaining agency to you. And I also go through a buyer/brokerage agreement with you which outlines in detail all of the services I will provide to you. Lastly, I want to ensure I have a clear understanding of all of the criteria in your home search in order to effectively find you compatible homes to view. I take our relationship seriously […]

Recently I was competing for a listing, but was told that the couple was going with another Realtor because he had said he had a buyer for their home. They immediately listed with this Realtor, and a little high in my opinion. I asked the homeowner what the buyer thought of their home. He said his Realtor told him the buyer was looking for something different and that this buyer never viewed the home. I’m not upset that I didn’t get the listing. I’m upset with the way the other agent got the listing. Sadly, the above is a very old tactic used by some Realtors and I don’t agree with it. You say you have a buyer in order to get the listing and never produce said buyer. In my opinion this is sneaky and underhanded. My point is this: if a Realtor says he or she has a buyer for your home, make sure they actually produce that buyer and bring them through your home! My duty is to serve and protect my clients. Tricks are not a good way to start a relationship! Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

There’s a myth about making an offer on a home that all sellers will come down in price by x per cent. In fact, many buyers are under the assumption that sellers over price their homes in order to leave room for negotiation. Let’s be clear! The price that a home sells for is determined by the market. Perhaps some home sellers do come down in price, but that is likely because their home was priced above market value and they accepted a price at market value. Conversely, many homes do sell at or near their asking price. Why? It’s because they are priced at market value! Homes that are priced at market value generally do not come down to a price below market value. What determines market value? It is determined by buyers in the market. If a home is for sale and it is viewed to have value at the current asking price and it is purchased for that price, then that is market value! Low ball offers may shut the door on negotiations, and then what will you do with the money you saved? Remember, if you see value in a home at the current price, then […]

What does it take to sell a home? It’s a three part combination that includes marketing, home presentation, and price. Marketing refers to how your home is presented to the public and whether or not it is being noticed. Presentation is generally on the home owner – is it clean and in good repair and does it generally present well. Price is deemed by what a prudent buyer would pay for a home in the given marketplace and this too is up to the home owner. If the marketing is lacking, then the home won’t sell. The same for poor presentation and too high of a price. The first two points can be controlled; marketing by the Realtor and presentation by the homeowner. Price is also controlled by the homeowner, but if the first two criteria are being met, then it absolutely comes down to price! A Realtor would love to help you sell your home for a high price. What you and a Realtor think your home is worth is irrelevant. It is what the market will bear! Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

One of the ways I add value to clients is through my extensive network of professionals. Because of the amount of networking I do I have the luxury of meeting many fine business professionals in an array of businesses. Yes, I know lawyers, and home inspectors, and mortgage brokers, and the list continues, but I also know many reputable businesses that have a lot of other services. Here are just a few:Jones and Salt Insurance for home and auto insurance – John Salt P. 403-234-8782e-mail: jsalt@jsinsure.com Apex Financial Consulting for life and disability insurance – David WilliamsP. 403-243-2390 e-mail: david@apexfc.com TMG The Mortgage Group for mortgage brokering services – Richard MoxleyP. 403-456-4278 e-mail: Richard@BestRateBrokers.com HQ Bookkeeping and Tax for all your business tax and accounting needs – KellieRae Mallette P. 403-258-1530 Ext. 202 e-mail: krm@hqbookkeeping.ca Meadow Networks for IT consulting – Kingsley Anderson P. 403-969-9269 e-mail: kingsley@meadownetworks.ca PMGigs for all of your entertainment booking needs – Patrick McGannon P. 403-276-4447e-mail: mcgannon@pmgigs.com Riverwood Photography for all of your personal and commercial photography needs.Sean Phillips P. 403-615-3708 e-mail: info@riverwoodphotography.com Foundation Capital Corporation for investment needs – Maxine Petersen P. 403-585-1010e-mail: maxinep@foundationcapital.ca Jeffrey N. Scholten Chiropractic your NUCCA chiroprator – Mylene Hopf P. […]

Open houses are a great way to allow the general public to see the inside of your listed home without going through a Realtor. This is great exposure for your home! Let’s be clear. The chances of someone buying your home after attending an open house is not great. It does happen, but not often. Open houses allow Realtors to find serious buyer clients. These people may not buy your home, but a Realtor can define whether these people are motivated buyers and show them other homes in the neighbourhood that may interest them. It’s a great way for Realtors to prospect for clients. You may not gain a buyer for your home through an open house, but it is exposure that you might not have if you did not have an open house! Yes, your neighbours will come over to take a peak, but you never know who your neighbours know! Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

In your neighbourhood you may have a Realtor that you perceive to be “neighbourhood expert”. What makes this person the neighbourhood expert? Do they send you a lot of marketing materials? Perhaps you see their name and faces on all the bus benches in your area. Now think for a moment! Is this person’s name on all of the “For Sale” signs in your neighbourhood? A neighbourhood may turn over 40 – 80 homes in a year. On every home that sells there is usually a seller’s Realtor and a buyer’s Realtor. That can mean 80 – 160 Realtors may participate in that neighbourhood’s sales. If you look closely, often times the neighbourhood expert may be involved in say 3, 4, 5,or 6 sales in that neighbourhood. In fact, there may be a few Realtors in that area that do the same numbers. Now imagine that the neighbourhood expert is given an opportunity to sell a property in another neighbourhood. That opportunity will be seized. Now that Realtor is operating out of their so called area of expertise. The truth is that the so called neighbourhood expert is the Realtor that makes the most noise. It’s marketing and the public […]

I love to meet with people and present the services of myself and my brokerage. Sometimes I am competing with other Realtors from other companies. I don’t mind. I love the competition! Frankly, I believe that myself and MaxWell City Central have a lot to bring to the table! I was recently told by a potential client that they wanted to list with a company that would buy their home if it did not sell in 90 days. This is called an inducement. It is offered in order to get potential clients to list their properties with various Realtors and companies. At MaxWell City Central, we do not offer that option. For people that do list with companies that offer this sort of inducement, even if their property doesn’t sell, many of them do not allow the companies to buy their home. What the lay person does not know is that this type of inducement comes with a caveat that the company will buy the home, but at a far lower price than the owner is willing to accept, even below market value. I certainly would not allow that to happen to my property and I do not take part […]