Compete with FSBO by Being Able to Tell Your Client More When Showing Properties

FSBO, FSBO, FSBO – the dreaded For Sale by Owner – The acronym that brings the DIY-ers out of the woodwork – those looking to save a buck wherever they can. For Sale by Owner is a phenomenon that has picked up exponentially over the past few years. 

Real estate sales professionals have been on different sides of the fence as far as the FSBO issue. After CREA’s move to change the rules in 2010 to allow real estate sales professionals to post the FSBO listings on MLS for a fixed fee, some embraced the change, quickly throwing up websites and promoting the new service, whereas others took the position that posting FSBO listings for a fixed fee would devalue the a la carte services offered by real estate sales professionals. 

While there will always be people who want to do things for themselves, real estate sales professionals stand to continue to dominate the marketplace by offering services superior to that of what can be gained through merely posting a property on MLS. 

There are some obvious ways that real estate sales professionals do more for their clients: access to more information, benefits of other advertising, open houses, someone who is always available to tend to issues relating to the sale.  

Thanks to technology and evolutions of the law, there are now new and innovative tools only available to real estate sales professionals that enable you to offer your client even more and be more competitive. 

One great example of this is ViMO: ViMO is an app that enables you to learn sales history, demographics information about a property or neighbourhood, right from your iPad. ViMO also offers electronic form capability – using the app you can create, sign, store, organize and transmit electronic forms, such as purchase and sale agreements. This means that you can literally have an appointment with a client, show them all that is available, look up things like comparable sales on a listing, determine and offer and even sign and deliver an offer – all at once if your client is certain.  

Someone trying to buy a home on their own will not have that kind of ease of access to information. Also, you demonstrate your value because your client will understand that your role is more than just listing a property or taking them to see some properties. Your role is to help them make the best deal, at the best price, while being appraised of all the information that could be available to them. 

The more that real estate sales professionals in Ontario do to provide superior services, the more the public will see the value in having a real estate sales professional in their corner vs. trying to sell or buy their next home themselves.  

For more information about ViMO please visit www.myvimo.ca.