“We are going to list with a Toronto Realtor. After all, that’s where all the buyers are coming from.”
The fact that a misconception like that can have such a shelf life is truly incredible. It’s right up there with Realtors still taking listing photos with iPhones and 20 year-old head shots.
They all still happen.
The reality is that everything has changed in the past decade.
First, it’s important you know a few things.
Realtors belong to a board. In Niagara, we belong to the Niagara Association of Realtors (NAR). Then there is the Realtors Association of Hamilton Burlington (RAHB). Oakville-Milton (OMDREB). Kitchener-Waterlook Association of Realtors (KWAR). ...and on and on across the province.
When a listing is posted by a Realtor on their board system, that system then uploads the listing to Realtor.ca where the general public sees it. Here is a timeline of how that progressed:
- 15+ years ago, we would fax our listings to the association. They would then input them and within a day or 3, they would appear on Realtor.ca (known then as MLS.ca).
- Then “brokerload” was introduced. That meant we as Realtors could upload our own listings to MLS.ca. Funny story…a lot of Realtors protested at such a travesty.
(insert studio audience laughter here)
- Like everything in life, the speed with which listings were uploaded to Realtor.ca has only increased over the years to the point now that there is an upload every 10 minutes.
Meaning I upload your home onto our system now and in 10 minutes it’s on Realtor.ca.
On a side note, if you see a Realtor promoting the idea that if you sign up with them, you’ll see listings before they hit MLS, you should run. It’s a sign that they are not plugged into how things work today.
"So, how are listings seen by other Realtors?"
In the old days, listings within a board were only seen by members of that board. Thus, there was inter-boarding of listings. A cumbersome, ridiculous concept that (for the most part) no longer exists.
Then as time marched on and reality set in, boards shared data and listings and Niagara Realtors could check out Hamilton-Burlington listings. And vice versa.
As time continued to march on, the boundaries disappeared and behind the scenes, Realtors could see listings on “their system” in a wider and wider area. Boards signed agreements and suddenly, the walls came down.
How has that impacted how homes are bought and sold in Niagara? Well, now, if we list your home, Realtors from 22 different real estate boards totalling over 13,000 Realtors will see your home on their systems.
But here is the part that many people don’t realize or understand. That applies to Realtors. What about the general public?
Buyers can see any and all listings on Realtor.ca regardless of the board the listing is uploaded to or where the buyer is actually located.
That means Franz in Germany can see your home on Realtor.ca just as easily as Frank in Oakville can.
The famed Toronto buyer will see your home the same as the buyer in Mississauga, Welland or Chicago. That is the beauty of the world wide web.
In spite of that, there is still a misconception out there that the way to get those Toronto buyers with their trunks full of cash is to hire a Toronto listing agent is flat out wrong and misguided.
What matters these days?
The Realtor’s ability to market and connect. To promote, discuss and facilitate. They have to have knowledge and answers to questions.
A little less “I’m not sure, I’ll have to get back to you” and a lot more “absolutely, the school just up the road is excellent. And you’re going to love the park across the street”.
The facts are indisputable.
Local representation with local knowledge combined with brilliant marketing and strong communication skills outsell an agent from 120km away who sort of knows the area but happens to belong to a real estate board with 50,000+ Realtors.
Hire carefully. Interview. Ask questions. Dig a little deeper.
We’d love to chat anytime you’re ready.
Thank-you for visiting.