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Pricing it too high. People are hesitant to offer much less than what the seller is asking, so they will just pass on the house if it isn’t in their budget. Further, folks tend to sort online searches by price, so it may not even show up in the appropriate buyer’s searches. If the house goes unsold for longer than the comparable homes around it, people will assume there is something wrong with it, showings will fall off, and you’ll end up reducing the price. Zillow’s Zestimate isn’t accurate, unless you or your Realtor goes into their app and corrects their assumptions about finishes and other details. Any Realtor can run market reports in the MLS and other proprietary databases, where we can see things that aren’t public- like the actual sale price of the comparable homes, once they close- and determine the best price, so the home attracts buyers and sells quickly.2. Not hiring a Realtor, or hiring the wrong one. Ask friends and relatives for a reference, or call one of the major brokers- ReMax, Coldwell Banker, Keller Williams, Ebby Halliday, if you’re in Texas- generally the major brokers require their Realtors to be full time.3. Ignoring major problems- they will come out in the inspection, and you’ll be over a barrel with regards to negotiating them. Recently, I had a sale fall through during the inspection period, because a plumbing test found a leak 8 feet under the house. The house was built in the 50’s, had cast iron plumbing, and had major foundation work done, and shifts in the foundation will often lead to disconnected or cracked pipes. There was zero chance I was going to have my folks buy it without the hydrostatic test- the general inspector recommended the test as well. The sellers offered to reduce the price $10,000, but my buyers still walked, as they didn’t want to deal with it. That was a few months ago, and the house is still off market as the sellers try to get this repaired, while moving. It would have been better to have checked into any issues and repaired them before hand.4. Make sure everyone who lives there is on board with the sale. If you are married, your spouse has to sign off on everything- even if yours is the only name on the deed. (At least here in Texas.) Other adults who live in the home have rights as well, and in any event, can throw wrenches into the showing process if they’re not on board with selling.5. Should go without saying, but remove your stuff as best you can- clean the home, and see that it looks nice for showing. Personal photos are a real turn-off to buyers, as rude as that sounds! They want to imagine themselves and their families in the space. Even if you live there while selling- its worth the effort and expense to store non-essential items, so it looks clutter free. If you can have it professionally staged, it’s worth the money.6. If you have a dog, remove it for showing! I can assure you, your extra-large, super-friendly dog does occasionally bark at buyers. Even if he just wants to run over all terrifyingly friendly and be buddies, it can be startling! I once opened the door to an Alaskan Malamute that stood nearly up to my ribcage, weighing in at likely a few pounds more than me. He had to have heard me walk up, open the keybox, unlock and open the door, but made not one peep to clue me in that he was going to be there; he was a massive, fluffy heart-attack on paws. Super-sweet guy, as it turns out. But- wow, that was a real moment, before I figured that out. Same rule applies to your cat that likes to dash out the door.Really, I could try and squeeze 10 bullet points, but the others would just be variations on these.Hire a professional Realtor, price it correctly, make sure its in shape to sell, get it looking and smelling nice, and see that all decision-makers and other occupants human and otherwise are in the loop!

Are there any benefits to working with multiple real estate agents when buying property?Almost none. I wouldn’t advise it.The main reason is that virtually all properties are sold after being listed on the MLS. That means that with a few exceptions (I’ll describe those below), the agents all are working with the same inventory—the same batch of available houses.That doesn’t mean all agents are alike. They’re not. Some will give you great service. Some will quickly understand what sort of properties you like, and which ones you don’t. Some will be very patient answering your questions. Some will stay in frequent contact with you. And others won’t meet those same standards.That means you need to put some effort into finding the right agent for you. And not everyone’s going to like the same things. You need great service and great communication. But—for instance—some will be part of a larger “team” of agents. One handles listings. Another handles buyers. Another handles marketing. Another handles staging, maintenance, and clean-up. Another handles paperwork. And so on. You might like that specialization. Or maybe you want to deal with just a single agent on his/her own. There isn’t a “right” answer for that one. Maybe a female buyer just feels more comfortable with a female agent. Maybe a 60-year-old buyer would prefer an agent closer to his age, not someone 21 years old. I’m not saying these are the best decisions, but those considerations do enter the mix.So: You’ve interviewed agents and chosen the one you feel most compatible with, the one who seems to understand what you’re looking for, who provides great customer service. Do you need to work with a second agent?In almost all cases, the answer is “no.”Here’s an exception: You might if you’re looking in a multi-state area, and your “best” agent is only licensed in one of the states. That sometimes happens where I am, in Northern Virginia. A buyer might also be looking in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. They all can be just a few miles apart, but you need an agent licensed in each jurisdiciton. And you’ve got that sort of situation in a lot of places: New York/New Jersey, Illinois/Missouri, Missouri/Kansas, and so on. In those cases, let your first agent know that you’re looking in the second area, too. Your agent is likely able to refer you to some agents who’d work well for you, though you’re free to find your own agent in that second area.Another possibility: Some agents work closely with real estate investors, and therefore may be able to tap into properties that aren’t on the MLS. Or there are some agents who know a particular community so well that they know of properties that may be available, but aren’t listed. These agents may not be your first choice among all agents (and many of those agents don’t specialize in clients such as yourself), but they could add an additional dimension to a house search.But if you think that somehow you’ll get a wider selection of properties if you work with one agent from RE/MAX and another with Century 21 or Keller-Williams . . . no, you won’t.

It really depends on what your priorities are in terms of budget, commute times, transit-accessibility, personality, and other needs. If you’re looking within Vancouver specifically, here are some of my picks:Mount Pleasant is located on Vancouver's East Side. Transit is supplied by B-line and several bus routes. The neighbourhood is mostly made up of single-family homes and a growing number of condos. The region known as SoMa (South Main) features slightly cheaper real estate in comparison to other parts of the city (although that’s quickly changing!), and is full of great bars, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. While Mount Pleasant used to be mainly populated by students and young artists, there are now plenty of young families and professionals living there, which gives the neighbourhood a strong sense of community.Another great neighbourhood on the East side is Grandview, one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the city. It is located near Trout Lake, an urban park that's perfect for a midday escape, whether you want to read a book, play with your kids, walk your dog or play sports. Trout Lake and Britannia Community Centre are great places with ice rinks and pools, and offer various different extra-curricular programs like daycamps. The most distinguishing element of Grandview is The Drive (Commercial Drive, aka Little Italy) the neighbourhood's commercial hub, and features an eclectic array of different ethnic restaurants, cafes, boutiques, galleries and organic food stores. This is the neighbourhood I personally grew up in and still love.Riley Park is located on Vancouver's East Side. It is perhaps most well known for Queen Elizabeth Park, one of the most popular parks in Vancouver, which features gardens, tennis courts, an arboretum, and much, much more. There's also the Riley Park Community Centre, which has an ice rink and a pool, and has a branch of the Vancouver Library right next to it. In terms of shopping, Riley Park is near two thriving economic hubs: Main Street and Cambie Street. Between these two streets and the local farmer's market, it's easy and simple to satisfy all your family's shopping needs.One of the oldest and wealthier neighbourhoods in Vancouver, West Point Grey is located on Vancouver's West Side. It's a scenic place known for its proximity to two popular beaches: Jericho Beach and Spanish Banks both of which are great places to take the family during summer vacation. West Point Grey is also known for its shopping district, Point Grey Village, which which combines a large variety of shops and stores with a charming, small-town atmosphere. The neighbourhood also hosts the Point Grey Fiesta, a summer carnival that's fun for all ages.Dunbar is a quiet, more residential area located on Vancouver's West Side. There are plenty of single-family homes in Dunbar that are perfect for families looking to make a start in Vancouver. With beautiful tree-lined streets, well kept gardens, and even cherry trees that blossom in the spring, the neighbourhood has a very picturesque quality to it. There are also several parks in the area, such as Musqueam Park and Pacific Spirit Regional Park. Like West Point Grey, Dunbar also has its own shopping district, known as Dunbar Village. Dunbar Village features a huge variety of shops in order to satisfy the needs of all of Dunbar's residents.It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of Kitsilano being a top neighbourhood to live in was unheard of. But it retains most of the traits that once made it the city’s most coveted ‘hood, from its educated and engaged citizens to its range of urban amenities (4th Ave is a main artery for retail stores, restaurants and organic food markets) and enduring socio-economic stability. It might even be getting short-changed a bit, given that it’s adjacent to some of the best beach spots in all of Vancouver.Remember when people were worried that the Olympic Village (False Creek) was going to be a failure? Those days are clearly behind it now, and with the gorgeous new BMO Theatre Centre joining a rapidly expanding roster of bars and restaurants, a booming craft beer scene and Canada’s first LEED Gold community, it’s safe to assume that even better ones are on the horizon for those who live in the Village. Plus how cool is it that there’s a man-made island off the west shore of the Village - referred to as Habitat Island?These are just some of my favourite neighbourhood choices for families. Again I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep asking yourself what your priorities are - what can you live with and what must absolutely be part of your life? Be sure to spend a day in your top picks to feel the vibe, meet some people and get a gut reaction. If you follow these steps with your family, you will quickly know which neighbourhood is the right fit for you.Curious to see what’s on the market these days? Check out our website for listings and more: Roland Kym Realtor® - Keller Williams Realty VanCentral, Burnaby real estate, Vancouver Realtor®.