eSolds Reveals How to Sell a Home

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Jesse

Selling a home is daunting task.  With all the variables involved, selling a home can quickly become an overwhelming process.  That’s where the experts come in.  ESolds knows ‘what’ sells and ‘how’ to sell, and is there to help home sellers prepare a home for sale and offer resources such as eCertificates and eSoldsListings.

There are a number of variables that can aid in the sale of a home, and get a fair return in the process.  The first is obvious, and it is photos of the home.  Today, home buyers and home sellers are going online to find their home, much unlike their approach in the past.  This leads to an increased importance placed on photos of the home, not only exterior, but interior as well.

ESolds recommends that the home seller prepare the home, both inside and out, for photographs that will appeal to those looking for a home.  This is where simplicity works best.  ESolds advises home sellers that before they take any photos, they ensure that the home has been de-cluttered (that means outside as well) and also position furniture in such a manner as to make rooms appear larger.

Moreover, ESolds advises home sellers not to post pictures that they have taken from their smartphone, as those can look unprofessional and can quickly turn off a home buyer (who is making a life changing purchase and will not accept anything less than professional).  ESolds recommends that the home seller seek a professional to take staged photos, and although a cost will be accrued, these professional photographs will inevitably pay for themselves when the home is actually sold.

A few other tips that ESolds emphasizes to home sellers is the importance of setting a realistic sale price and to also have the home available to be viewed by potential home buyers, as leaving the doors closed is a sure way to lose a potential sale.

One of the last tips is to use the right brokerage.  It is important that a home seller simply doesn’t go for the cheapest agent, as a sale of a home is a potential money maker, and the home seller has a lot of money riding on that sale.  The home seller must look for a brokerage that will provide a large online presence, knowledgeable agents, and excellent customer service.

ESolds will do its part in the home selling process, but expects the home seller to be just as motivated to sell a home, as the benefits of selling a home are directly reaped by the home seller.  With ESolds’s help, selling a home doesn’t have to be a daunting process, but rather, a satisfying and profitable one.

eSolds Announces Groundbreaking Innovations that are Set to Transform the Canadian Real Estate Market.

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Jesse

In 2011 eSolds Inc. was founded with the purpose of providing 3rd party real estate services to smart home sellers, buyers and Realtors®. eSolds Inc. has come up with two innovative new products that are going to change the way real estate is bought and sold in Canada.

The first product, eCertificates®, simply creates confidence for the home buyer and creates leverage to the home seller. The goal for eSolds is to make the home purchase transaction a more satisfying experience. By eliminating any buyer’s remorse, an eCertificate provides confidence within the buyer to submit an offer, and at the same time, it markets the home for sale in an innovative way, keeping customers ahead of the competition.

Based on the premise that properties for sale should be certified, just like cars are certified, eCertificates® are meant to be irrefutable proof that buyers will get what they have been promised. Sellers benefit from this because it increases the salability of their home. Real estate agents benefit in the fact that they will be able to sell homes faster. Home buyers will benefit in the security of knowing that they are getting exactly what they paid for.

Sellers can have a home certified by submitting a collection of documents to eSolds. The first document is a Comparative Market Analysis, or a Letter of Opinion prepared by a licensed and insured real estate agent. The second is a Home Inspection Report or for condominiums, a Status Certificate provided by a Home Inspector. Finally, the last document needed is Seller Property Information (SPIS), which is a current document by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA).

The eCertificate is issued only after a thorough review of all the documents above. Once issued, the home seller is assured of having something to show to not only real estate agents, but potential home buyers, that will assure that the home for sale, as listed, is exactly what it says it is.

The second product by eSolds is eSolds Listings®. This is a customized Sold MLS® Listings that helps buyers, sellers and Realtors® determine the fair and logical price of a property in any given area.

eSolds’ Sold MLS® Listings® is a highly useful tool for anyone involved in a real estate transaction. It is available in four different packages. The listings provide important information that includes market statistics, original list price, sold price and sold date. By using this tool, smart buyers will know exactly how much to pay for a property, and will be able to calculate the most reasonable initial price tag that can be put on a property, which allows Realtors® to give accurate advice to clients.

eSolds Inc. has one goal, which is simply to make the home purchase transaction a more satisfying experience. By eliminating any buyer’s remorse, an eCertificate provides confidence within the buyer to submit an offer, and at the same time, will market the home sellers/Realtor’s® home for sale in an innovative way. With eSolds’ Sold MLS® Listings®, home sellers will be able to list a home for sale at a reasonable price, by analyzing data and trends, and therefore ensuring that the home for sale will be sold in a prompt manner, and at a fair price.

eSolds’ two innovations, Sold MLS® Listings® and eCertificates®, are expected to lay down a new paradigm in the Canadian real estate market, and give more control to home sellers and home buyers, without taking away the important role Realtors play in the buying and selling process. These tools will give both home buyers and sellers direct access to the GTA market and elsewhere in Canada for a mutually beneficial transaction.

About eSolds Inc.

eSolds Inc is a division of Search Realty Corp.,Brokerage, which provides comprehensive Real Estate solutions in the Greater Toronto Area. Founded by Sterling Wong, eSolds Inc. provides 3rd party real estate services to smart home buyers, sellers and Realtors®. The company’s official website is http://www.eSolds.ca

Real Estate in the Digital Age

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Jesse

Buying and selling a home can seem like a daunting process. There are continuous obstacles faced, that lead to added frustration for the both the home buyer and the home seller. But those frustrations and obstacles can be eliminated with the help of Search Realty Corp. Brokerage.

Search Realty specializes in internet marketing with a large online presence spread over 100 real estate websites. Search Realty uses traffic to sell client homes, find home buyers for prospective home sellers and also to recruit highly skilled realtors, to service home buyers and home sellers, ensuring a thorough and fulfilling experience, all at zero fees to the home buyer.

Today’s home buyer doesn’t rummage through the newspaper looking for a home for sale, like they did years ago, but instead, today’s home buyer is tapping into the world wide web, searching for their home online, and in the process, saving valuable time and money, in their search for their dream home.

Today, over 90% of home buyers start their search for their dream home online. Search Realty is fully aware of this statistic. Search Realty’s online presence provides its clients with much needed exposure, and gives listings a boost in the market, thereby increasing home values, appeasing the home seller, and aligning dream homes with the correct client, fulfilling the desire of both the home seller and home buyer.

Newspaper listings and advertisements, albeit still numerous, are considered outdated. The internet is now the way to go when selling or buying a home. Search Realty uses online platforms to help users conveniently sell their properties. The company focuses on geo-targeted searches, which means future home buyers are looking at homes specific to their search guidelines, allowing for the most exposure for a property listing.

Search Realty guarantees that it will list a client’s home for sale on more websites than any other realty company by working with a variety of local affiliates. While newspaper ads and other online sources tend to distract buyers with unwanted listings, the company’s target-specific search brings in actual home buyers who are interested in purchasing a new home.

It is through this approach that Search Realty has attained extraordinary rankings on Google, including the top spots for critical keywords like “Toronto condos for sale,” “Oakville real estate,” “Oakville homes for sale” and “Mississauga condos for sale.”
Search Realty is also number two for “MLS,” “MLS listings” and “houses for sale,” and has the top two spots for “Mississauga real estate” and “Mississauga homes for sale.”

Search Realty’s website makes it easy and convenient for home buyers to look for homes. Through their website, visitors simply choose the type of property they desire, decide on a price range and pick the area in which they want to search. And with a simple click, listings are presentedy, and visitors can browse through multiple pictures that accompany a listing. To complement the pictures, each listing offers vivid details about the property. Users may save or email the listing for future reference, and Search Realty also allows them to directly request a showing online.

In addition to listings, Search Realty’s websites offer buyers, sellers and realtors a vast amount of useful information about the real estate market and recommends steps that should be taken to buy or sell a home successfully.

Search Realty also has a talented array of agents that can handle each step of the home buying or home selling process. All of the company’s agents are guaranteed to return and respond to emails and phone calls within 24 hours. This follows suite with Search Realty’s mandate, which is to ensure that all of its clients are treated with the utmost respect and cared for effectively and responsively.

Confidentiality is another important aspect to home buying and selling that Search Realty understands, and takes very seriously. With today’s online environment, user security is sometimes in jeopardy. That’s why the company does not disclose any personal, financial or motivational affairs with any outside party without a client’s consent.

Through Search Realty, any home buyer or home seller, can not only be assured of excellent customer service and friendly, knowledgeable agents, but also, that the sale or purchase of a home, will be made much simpler, and less costly, because of Search Realty’s online presence.

Co-Lister™ – The Newest Way to Sell Your Home

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Jesse

The art of selling and buying a home in Mississauga has never been easier, with the help of Co-Lister™ by Search Realty. Co-Lister™ is a new intuitive way of selling Real Estate, and is only offered by Search Realty.

Selling a home is the first step to a fresh start. It represents a new beginning with a bright future ahead. It can be an exciting experience, but at the same time, the chances of things going wrong are endless. It isn’t as simple as listing homes for sale on MLS. Often times, selling real estate becomes a stressful and complicated process. There is now a way that makes selling a home easier and alleviating a lot of the pitfalls that occur when selling Real Estate. This new way of selling a home is Co-Lister™ by Search Realty.

Co-Lister™ is an innovative solution that connects home buyers with home sellers. It is an intuitive way of selling Real Estate that utilizes state of the art technology.

Co-Lister™ gives control to the home seller. It’s somewhere between selling a home without the aid of a real estate company, as in FSBO, and selling it through a real estate agent. It’s a new method that combines the best of both worlds so that the home seller ends up saving thousands of dollars in commission fees. It simply makes selling a home in Mississauga a less tiresome and costly process.

Co-Lister™ differs from listing a home with a full service real estate agent. Typically when listing a home with a full service real estate agent, there is an agreement to pay a commission fee to both the listing and co-operating brokerages for the sale of a home. Total commission is usually between 5-6% of the sale price of the home, a substantial amount. When listing a home with the Co-Lister™, the decision on exactly how much to pay to list the home for sale is entirely up to the home seller. The Co-Lister™ route offers significant savings.

Co-Lister™ by Search Realty is a hybrid between flat fee companies, for sale by owner and a full service real estate brokerage. The new rules set in place by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) have broadened the platform to allow a la carte services to the home seller. Co-Lister™ makes selling a home easier by providing the home seller options to use a flat fee service and at the same time, get the service of a full service brokerage. Search Realty wants to give clients options and flexibility, because of it’s awareness of the obstacles faced in selling a home, but moreover, Search Realty understands that today’s home sellers are a much savvier and technologically advanced group.

There are three different packages being offered on Co-Lister™, including the basic Co-Lister™ package, and Deluxe and VIP packages. The basic package, Co-Lister™, is designed for do-it-yourself home sellers and provides a range of options to choose from. The Deluxe and VIP bundles are full-service packages that will allow for incredible savings on commission fees without the individual having to do any of the work.

Search Realty is the only real estate company that is offering this option, called Co-Lister, to sellers. There is a need in the marketplace for this type of packaging and Search Realty has stepped up to the plate to provide it. As far as Search Realty is concerned, the future is now, and they are fully embracing it. Today, there are a multitude of options available to home sellers, in getting a home listed on MLS listings with or without the help of a real estate agent. With Co-Lister™, the most important fact is that the choices are there. Never before has such freedom been given to home sellers that want to sell a home in the cheapest way possible.

Should You Wait and Save for a Larger Down Payment or Should You Purchase Now?

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Jesse

One of the most common questions asked regarding real estate is whether a first-time buyer should jump into the Toronto real estate market now or wait until a larger down payment is saved up. In most cases the answer is going to be to jump right in as fast as you can and here’s why.

Most people that are saving up to buy a new home are paying rent at the same time. The small amount that they’re able to put away to increase the size of their down payment isn’t a lot. While a person continues to save up this small extra, the home values continue to rise. He also never knows when interest rates can rise in the future.

As soon as you make a Toronto house purchase, you’ll be starting to build up equity in the home. When you do run across extra money, you’ll be able to put it towards paying off your home sooner. Getting started with real estate is always the most difficult part of the process. It’s a lot easier to buy your second, third and fourth home than it is your first. It’s all about taking that initial first step as soon as you have enough money ready to make a down payment.

If you’re not able to afford a single-family dwelling right away, there are plenty of duplexes, townhouses and Toronto condos on the market that can act as a stepping stone towards a larger home in the future. You’ll want to make sure that you are entering the market at a level that’s easily affordable for you.

Getting into the Toronto market can be challenging for many especially if they are trying to dive right into the deep end without testing the water first. Most people aren’t able to buy a large single-family home when they’re making their first purchase and have to start on a smaller scale.

You may also want to consider co-ownership of real estate in Toronto along with a friend or family member. With the rising prices of real estate here in Toronto and across Canada, co-ownership has become a viable solution for many that couldn’t otherwise look at home ownership and would be stuck in a renter’s market for a considerable period of time.

You’ll have to decide whether you’ll be able to save up enough money to outweigh the rising costs of Toronto homes for sale or whether you should just get started now. For most people that are currently renting, the best option is to purchase a property as soon as you possibly can in order to start building up equity right away.

Sell Your Home Faster with an Esold Certification

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Jesse

Standing out from the competition is what selling a home is all about and there is no better way to do it than with eSolds certification. It’s fast, easy and lets potential buyers know about any of the home deficiencies before the purchase. This means that more certainty will be pushing the sale forward resulting sold MLS® listings with faster and smoother transactions.

Certified in 3 easy steps

There are only 3 documents required to get your home certified including the following:

• Comparative Market Analysis (a Letter of Opinion will also be accepted)
• Home Inspection Report or a Status Certificate if you own a condo
• Seller Property Information Statement

The home inspection report is carried out by a certified home inspector that is fully insured and bonded. In order for the report to be accepted it must be dated within the last 30 days and the inspector needs to be verifiable by appearing on a list at 411.ca, Canpages.ca or at YellowPages.ca.

The comparative market analysis needs to be done by a real estate agent and must also be dated within the last 30 days.

The seller property information statement provides basic information about the home such as whether a survey is available, how long the home has been lived in, whether it’s being rented out etc. This document is prepared by the seller of the home to the best of his knowledge and must also be dated within 30 days.

The benefits of eCertificates®

• Get more offers when selling your home
• Get other real estate agents enthused about showing your listing
• Protects your property against expenses that are unforeseen during the negotiation and listing process
• Sell your home at the best price possible
• Sell your property faster

The main difference between a property that has an eCertificate® and one that doesn’t is it is able to stand out from the rest of the crowd. This is the one crucial thing that leads to more offers and a higher selling price than anything else. When others notice your home and decide they want it, things can heat up very quickly with buyers scrambling to put in an offer.

4 Steps to Buying a Home in 2012

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Jesse

The market is still hot and you’ll want to take advantage of low mortgage rates and the flurry of available properties currently in the market. The following are steps you should be taking now in order to make purchasing a home possible this year.

1. Fix Any Credit Problems

The most common reason home-transactions fail are credit problems. Take a close look at your credit report and fix any errors or issues, as soon as possible.

2. Study Time!

Do some research, online and offline, into the following:

Agents – Most people start with asking friends and family for any referrals of Realtors they have worked with. This is a good start, but follow up with an online search to see what kind of reviews and activity they have online. A strong online presence will say a lot about how they conduct their business and how active they are in the market and current trends. When you’ve narrowed it down to a couple, give them a call and set up a meeting to get a personal impression for yourself.

Areas – Things that may decide which area you choose to move to include tax rates, school districts, neighbourhood character and of course prices. If you are in touch with an agent, ask them to brief you on various market dynamics. They will have a deeper knowledge of which areas tend to sell faster and at what prices.

3. Save Even MORE

Although you may feel that you’ve worked hard to save enough cash to fund your down payment and closing costs, studies show that after periods of saving, people often relax and fall into the fun spending stage of buying a new home too soon. It’s easy to notice furniture and other items you’ll want to purchase for your new home.

Even if you come across a gorgeous table or that amazing deal, it’s very often that while you are out looking at properties and putting in offers, the time will come when you will wish you had more cash saved. Whether it’s the extra cash you’ll need to beat out another offer, or a renovation the home you purchase might need. You never know what you’ll need that extra cash for. But trust me, you want to know that you do have it, more than that couch when the time comes.

4. Purge

Now is the perfect time to clean up and de-clutter all of those belongings which are no longer that precious to you. Whether you sell or donate, you can use the proceeds to add to your cash collection or keep your donation receipts for your next years taxes.

If you can start here and focus now,  your house hunt after this should be a breeze!

Staging Strategies to Sell Your Home Fast

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Jesse

De-Clutter: First and foremost, no potential buyer wants to picture themselves living in a messy, unorganized home. You want to have furnishings and décor to a minimum, and either throw away, give away, or pack up things you don’t need. The point isn’t to make it appear as no one lives in your home, but rather to allow the buyer to imagine themselves and their belongings inside your home.

Paint with Neutral Colours: Repainting can be the easiest way to brighten a home. Light, neutral colours can make a home look large, bright and airy. Repainting the ceilings, baseboards and trim can really make are also important here. Be sure to repair any cracks or dings in the walls, before the painting as well.

Update Old Styles: You don’t want your home to appear old or dated to potential buyers if you want a quick sale. Removing dated features such as shag or old carpets to a new neutral colour or other cheap flooring alternatives can really revamp your homes appearance. Repainting dated paneling is also a cheap and easy fix.

Bathroom Makeover: An old, outdated bathroom can be a major turnoff to potential buyers. Replacing an old vanity with a new pedestal sink can be a quick, cheap fix. Unattractive tiles can be covered with a high-adhesive primer such as Zinsser BIN Primer Sealer, and some epoxy paint. Finally grout around the tub and tiles can be cleaned with a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda.

Wash your Windows: Washing windows inside and out, along with the storms and screens can make a huge difference. This quick fix makes the home much more inviting and costs very little.

How To Take the Best Photos of Your Home

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Jesse

In an endless stream of homes being advertised for sale online, making you’re home’s photos stand out among the crowd is crucial for getting the most exposure and feedback on your home sale.

The first thing you obviously need is a camera. With all of the various types and models available, it can be a bit of a daunting task choosing a good one. A good site for getting the best information to make a smart camera purchase is DPReview. Here you can find plenty of comprehensive reviews and a great forum for talking to other camera owners as well.

Once you have the right camera, there are many other tips and tricks available for making sure your pictures stand out. Here is a great quick video to watch for some photography tips to make your photos look more professional.

There are many great programs to assist in photo editing after they’ve been taken which range in price and skill level. Some good freemiums available online worth testing are Picknik and Gimp. If you do own a Mac, the Aperture program from Apple is around $79 but works amazingly.

What Realtors Don’t Want You to Know

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Jesse

Across Canada, we pay an estimated $8 billion in real estate commissions every year! It’s no wonder they don’t want you to know how simple it is to escape paying these commissions.

1. Listing Realtors actually do little work to sell your home after placing it on MLS. What they don’t want you to know is that many Realtors will place your home on MLS and all the relative consumer sites for around $300.  After this, putting up a For Sale sign and conducting an open house are quite easily done yourself.

2. Homeowners net on average 6% more gross profit when selling privately, not to mention the tax savings from paying the agent’s commission.

3. The ability to price more competitively in the absence of agent fees means your house is sold on average 3 weeks sooner than houses sold by a real estate agent.

4. Worried about not being protected by a Real Estate Agent from legal issues? This is where a lawyer comes in when closing the deal. The use of a lawyer is standard when working with or without an agent, so there’s no need to pay for both.

5. Having a Realtor represent you in the purchase of a new home is not free just because the seller pays the commission. Instead of making the sellers pay your agent, representing yourself can mean thousands of dollars reduced from the sale price.

Currently 1 in 4 homeowners sell their home privately and this number is increasing every year. Become one of the many Smart Home Buyers & Sellers and save money!