Why I’m Not the Real Estate Agent for You

I’ve been a real estate agent in Edmonton since 2008 and I’m good at what I do. (You can see what my clients say about me here.) The whole point of this website is to educate buyers and sellers to help them make better decisions in real estate. 

And that includes decisions about the Realtor you ultimately choose to hire.

I hope, if you’ve read through my site, that I’ve given you plenty of reasons why you should hire me to help you buy or sell a home.

But I also wanted to be balanced and honest with you: There are people who shouldn’t hire me. People who are looking for things and qualities that I just don’t have. Read on to find out why I might not be the best agent for you.

You’ve seen the ads – real estate agents wear suits, right? Actually, not so many and definitely not me. In fact, you’re not likely to see me wearing a shirt with more than three buttons on it.

I wear suits to weddings and funerals. That’s about it these days. If I am going to be crouching in a basement trying to decide if it’s getting wet, I don’t want to be wearing gabardine. I like to be comfortable. I’ll bet you do too. (Feel free to meet me wearing whatever you’d like.)

I’m not going to point with the gun hand, wink and make that clicking noise. I gave up hair gel in high school. I don’t use the lingo. In fact, I hate the lingo. 

I spend my time with regular people who happen to be buying or selling homes. Do they know what double-ending means? Nope. They’ll need that explained to them. Do they call it an OTP? Nope, and why would they? I’m not trying to impress you with my style. I am trying to impress you with my knowledge, hard work and results.

My favourite bumper sticker is still “Don’t laugh, it’s paid for.” My car is not a lease and it’s not new. And if I decide to get another one, that one won’t be new either. Sure, I could write off a lease, but write-offs are often an excuse people use to get some new stuff. 

Real estate is a variable-income business. If you want me to be available in 10 years to sell your house, I have to be careful with my money! And when you’re buying a house, I am going to suggest you are careful and practical too. I hope you can appreciate that. 

If you like looking at shiny new things, let’s go see a house with a newly renovated bathroom. Now that gets me excited! 

If you call me, I answer the phone myself. No one else does my bookings. No one else does my paperwork. And no one else writes the content on this site. If you need a buyer’s agent, I’m going to do that. If you need to sell a house, I’ll be the one doing everything. I won’t need a debrief at the end of the day. I’m not going to pass you off to someone else in my organization. I am not building a real estate empire. 

Don’t get me wrong – I’m still a professional. I use a professional photographer for listings; I have a long list of professional resources; I have a network of great mortgage brokers, lawyers and other people I can connect you with. But I do my own work. 

I won’t turn you over to a client care specialist or an assistant or an understudy. And when I get too busy, I will refer you to another agent I trust. But they’re not going to be someone who reports back to me. That’s how I work and that’s how I plan to keep it. And if I do change my mind, I’ll just delete this paragraph and you’ll never know. ;)

Yes, if I sell more houses I make more money. But I don’t like to be in a rush. I like to take the time to get to know my clients. Like, really get to know them. 

I can’t make sure you are happy with your decision years later if I don’t even know who you are. 

If you’re looking to just “get a house,” you don’t want to “learn anything” and you won’t be calling me for advice later on, I really would prefer we don’t work together. I want to get to know you as a person, what you want and need right now, and what you might need or want in the future. Without that information, I am not likely to be able to do a good job for you. That does not make me feel very good. And I like to feel good.

I don’t give away trips to Hawaii. I won’t buy your house if it doesn’t sell. You don’t get travel points for using me and I don’t dress up as a mascot and DJ at the local club. It’s just me, my experience and my advice. If that isn’t enough for you, I’m not your guy.

I get asked this all the time! Why would I want kids drawing moustaches on me! Just so you guys know, a bus bench is something you pay for, not something you earn. I don’t advertise like that. Actually, this website is the only advertising I do (besides doing a good job and getting referrals). 

Plus, seeing my face really big is not my thing. I know what it looks like. If you’re curious, you can meet me in person and inspect it yourself. If you need an agent who has a bus bench, take a drive and bring a notepad so you can write down their phone number. Or, better yet, take the bus and memorize it while you’re waiting! 

So what am I actually like? You can learn more about me here. 

Or you can give me a call and we can talk about what I do and how I do it. I’m available every day of the week. And remember: I will be the one answering the phone.

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