Ontario home buyers and sellers could use better tools and resources to help pick the right real estate agent. A recent survey release today from Zoocasa and Survey Sampling International (SSI) revealed most (86%) Ontario home buyers and sellers used a real estate agent on their last transaction, but only half (50%) reported being confident that they picked the right one.
“Buying or selling a home is one of the most important decisions a person will make in their lifetime, so it is surprising that Ontarians are settling for what’s essentially a coin flip when picking a real estate agent,” says CarolynBeatty, General Manager for Zoocasa.
A good relationship with a talented real estate agent makes a huge difference in a person’s experience buying or selling their home, yet for many Canadians picking an agent is random. In fact, 67% of people surveyed did not interview their agent before hiring them and 17% hired an agent sight unseen.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that only slightly more than half (58%) of Ontarians reported being “very satisfied” with the value their agent provided.
Other survey highlights included:
- Only 12% of those surveyed interviewed 2 or more agents
- Overall, Ontarians had a more positive buying vs. selling experience (79% vs. 63%)
- Ontarians rated agents a lower satisfaction overall in services including providing background information (56%), photos (56%), open houses(53%), negotiations (51%), appraisals (50%), advertising (47%) and staging (43%).
If you’re looking for a realtor and you’re not sure where to turn – call our office. We’d be glad to direct you.