Basic Steps

If you are thinking of selling your home, chances are you’re caught up in a mass of emotions. You may be looking forward to moving up to a new home or facing the uncertainty of a major move. You may be reluctant to leave your memories behind or eager to start new and exciting adventures.   Remember, I am here to help you with any of your needs.

After you have decided to sell your home, one of the first steps in the process is to contact a professional real estate agent like myself. There are many real estate agents in Montreal, but some are more capable that others, at both selling your home, and selling it for a good price.

I am a full time agent, not a part timer. I dedicate all of my time and effort to selling homes and finding buyers. I am an aggressive dealmaker but a caring salesman, meaning that I will not pressure you into things, but I will fight hard to defend your side of the deal.

Step 1
Find the right agent for you. Get an agent with experience and intuitive sense, not somebody who will simply make outrageous promises. An experienced agent like myself will guide you through the rest of the home selling process.

Step 2
You will need to list your home so that it can be placed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This is an electronic database of homes for sale that is used by all agents in Canada and North America. Once listed, you will draft a listing contract with your agent detailing all of the important legal aspects of the sale and any specific legal conditions to the sale. These include the selling price, purchase and occupation dates and geographical details of your home. In order for this listing document to be completed properly, you will need certain documents.

Documents:

Certificate of Location
Past Deed of Sale
Ownership Documents
Servitude Documents
Renovation Bills
Appliance Warranty Documents
Previous Municipal and School Tax Bills
Municipal Assessment Rolls

Step 3
Marketing your home is probably the most important step in the home selling process. Any agent can enter information and fill-out a listing agreement, however, actually selling your home is what separates the winning agents from the losing agents.

Caravan
The home absolutely must have at least one Agent Caravan. This is basically an open house invitation for all agents to visit you home, and it always takes place on a Tuesday Morning. This caravan is only open to Real Estate Agents and it will usually only take about an hour. The purpose of a caravan is to expose the home and release it into the real estate market.

Open House
The General Open House is another great tool to use for marketing a home. This takes place on a Saturday or Sunday and exposes the home to the public. It is great at drawing attention to your home and generating concrete buyer leads. As your agent I will suggest hosting an open house about once a month so that the momentum for selling your house is sustained.

MLS
The Multiple Listing Service is one of the greatest marketing tools for selling your home. The MLS is a database which is used by all agents to search for homes.When I place your home on the MLS it will be 24 hour a day advertising to anyone who is looking for a home.

Newspaper
As you agent I will advertise your home in major newspapers at least once a month. This serves to put a spotlight on your home and generates a lot of enthusiasm among buyers. I pay all costs for all advertisements, and will not stop marketing your home until it is sold!

•  Determine the value of your home and the most effective asking price by preparing a market analysis using active, pending, and sold comparable properties in your neighborhood.

The Mario Rizzi Marketing Plan

•  Provide immediate exposure of your home by placing a “For Sale” sign on your property.

•  Recommend various ways to stage your house and improve marketability.

•  Produce a detailed listing on the Multiple Listing Service, including a minimum of eight photos of your home. Point out special amenities and upgrades, with comments in the MLS remarks section. The MLS is viewed by the entire real estate brokerage community.

•  Personal and professional networking to agents and others throughout Montreal. L’Expert Immobilier has more than 200 sales associates, consequently many times buyers are found before the listing even hits the market.

•  Place your home on Caravan tour to expose property to agents.

•  Distribute “Just Listed” postcards throughout your neighborhood, and appropriate target areas, to inform people that your home is for sale. Occasionally people in the neighborhood may be potential buyers or know someone who may be interested.

•  Help buyers with pre-approval and financing options.

•  Place advertisement in newspapers, and on websites, including

•  Advertise in Montreal Area publications.

•  Market to Montreal Area contacts.

•  Host open houses if approved by owner. Report feedback from buyers so we can revise our marketing plan.

•  Keep you updated on closed sales in your neighborhood, as well as inform you of new properties that come on the market that may have an impact on the sale of your house.

•  Contact you several times weekly regarding the status of your house.

•  Represent you upon the presentation of all contracts and assist you in the negotiating process.

•  Negotiate the best possible price and terms.

•  Oversee all paperwork (Deposits, Deeds, Inspections and Appraisals).

•  Act as your liaison to the Notary to communicate your wishes during the entire period that the property is under contract.

•  Monitor every contingency to make sure that the process of transferring title is proceeding on schedule.

•  Keep you abreast of all status reports pertaining to the sale of your home.

•  Assist in solving any problems that may arise during the process.

•  Assist you with the logistics of moving at the signing of the Act Of Sale so that the end result is a pleasant and rewarding experience for all involved.

•  Handle follow-up and keep you informed after the contract has been accepted.

•  CLOSE THE DEAL!

How Mario Rizzi can sell your home quickly and at a better price!

Any agent can list a house for sale. Just fill out a few forms, place a little sign on the front lawn and then wait to see if any buyers pass by.

This is a passive approach and in many cases it does not work at all. Just look around your neighborhood. There are so many homes for sale, and some have been on the market for many months. Clearly this list and wait approach is not the best.

Also, the market has been shifting. From 2002 to 2008 the Montreal real estate market was very strong, but lately things have started to cool off a bit. This is all the more reason to choose an experienced agent with a proven track record to market and sell your home, rather than a simple part time agent casually selling as a night job.

I am a full time agent, not a part timer. I dedicate all of my time and effort to selling homes and finding buyers. I am an aggressive dealmaker but a caring salesman, meaning that I will not pressure you into things, but I will fight hard to defend your side of the deal.

I am available every day, 24 hours per day to answer any questions or concerns. Some agents route all their incoming calls through the office, and if you’re lucky, they will check their messages once a day. Not me; you call me on my cell phone, and I will answer. If I’m with a client,  I will call back within 10 minutes. I practice the lost art of professionalism.

I will actually market your home. I use Caravans, Open Houses, the MLS, Client Contacts, Newspapers and Mailings to get the message across to buyers.

I work hard so that you don’t have to.

I work efficiently so that you get the best price possible.

I work fast so that you can move on with your life.

I have a more affluent client base than most other agents. Meaning, I will draw the high rolling buyers to your home. The kind of buyers that don’t want to haggle over a few hundred dollars or a broken curtain rod. Mario Rizzi means quick and hassle free.

Finally, I can say that without a doubt, I have competitive commission rates.

With Mario Rizzi, commission rates will never be above 4%, and can actually range to as low as 2%. It means you get to keep more money in your pockets; it’s your money, spend it on yourself.