Selling in Howe Sound
To sell an island property, one needs to sell the lifestyle – so I show prospective buyers the Howe Sound lifestyle.
My number one priority is making my clients happy with their sale. I work very hard to make sure that every property I list is listed at the right price, is professionally photographed with a drone video, and gets full exposure to buyers through various outlets.
Elliot Funt
Real Estate Advisor at Engel & Völkers West Vancouver & Vancouver
Pricing
Having your property valued at the right price is essential to gaining interest in your property, priced either too high or too low could lead to leaving money on the table at the end of negotiations. The Internet plays a large part in determining the value of a given property. How it is marketed online is much more important than physical print because most other Realtors® and buyers search for properties online.
I work hard to determine what price range I think a property will both sell at and the price it should be listed. To determine these values, I complete extensive online research into prices of similar properties in the area and past sales. A large part of my experience before real estate includes business plan writing and market research; market research is no less important when valuing your property for sale. When we discuss the pricing of your property, I present you with the hard facts as to what the market is doing in your area, rather than just an off-the-cuff guess.
Contact me for a market assessment today.
Preparation For Viewings & Staging
A little preparation can go along way. When selling recreational properties, it often makes sense to have a good landscaper or gardener come through before listing. Painting makes a world of difference as well, especially when you have loud colours or damaged walls. Needless to say, cleaning up before showings is essential.
Depending on the space, buying some new furniture often pays off (especially with luxury properties). The new furniture cost can be recouped as part of a negotiation. Due to the hassle of getting furniture to a property, many island properties do not show well as they have worn down old or hand-me-down furniture. Even if you decide against a staging company, it often makes sense to put unnecessary items temporarily into storage areas.
The time & money spent doing these things, definitely means your property fetches the highest value.
Amazing Photos and Drone Video
There is no additional cost to you for the professional photographer I bring in to take photos of your property. Fantastic photos & drone videos can make the difference between having no offers & viewings versus multiple offers.
Online Marketing & Advertising
Creating an Internet presence for your property is also critical. I make sure that buyers and other Realtors® see it on social media outlets. Digital Advertising of your property is extremely effective for getting it seen and viewed.
Howe-Sound.ca & ElliotFunt.ca
During the time your Howe Sound property is listed, I feature the listing prominently on this website (Howe Sound Living). My Howe Sound webcam attracts approximately 1500 monthly viewers of my Howe Sound Living site in the summer. Nearly all these users are Howe Sound enthusiasts who fit the buyer demographic for Howe Sound properties.
I will also feature your property on ElliotFunt.ca. Directly from my two home pages, there will be links to a customized online property webpage for more information about your property.
A beautiful property listing is a luxury touch that helps attract potential buyers for your home and showcases the value of your home. This luxury marketing is then in turn also backed by the global luxury brand of Engel & Völkers. Click here for an example.
EV Exclusive
For unique, luxury recreational properties Engel & Völkers Vancouver has a YouTube Channel (EV Exclusive) with 30,000+ subscribers. I also work with colleagues at Engel & Völkers to make sure your listing gets the greatest exposure on all platforms.
Link to @EVExclusive on YouTube.
MLS Reciprocity
For all listings that aren't "exclusive listings," I will post the listing on the MLS® (Multiple Listing Service). The MLS is one of the benefits of using all Realtors®; the MLS service allows other Realtors to market your property and search for it. So your listing will appear on many other Realtors' websites in their various MLS property searches.
Realtor.ca & REW.ca
In Vancouver and Howe sound, most buyers search for properties using either Realtor.ca (operated by the Canadian Real Estate Association) or REW.ca (a private company). Realtor.ca is an even playing field for MLS listings with no way to gain increased exposure.
I have a premium membership to REW.ca, something that many agents don’t pay for as it’s expensive. This means that my MLS listings are automatically placed above those from any agent not paying for REW.
There is also a “featured” listing feature on REW (i.e. a REW ad), I pay for this about three weeks after a property has been listed if it hasn’t already sold (as this will push it higher in REW search results, something unnecessary if the listing is brand new).
Website & Blog Analytics
As part of excellent client communication, during the time your property if for sale I am happy to send you website and blog analytics (upon request). These analytics will show the amount of traffic generated to a specific site or webpage. In the analytics reports, I include any data on relevant pages to Howe-Sound.ca and ElliotFunt.ca.
Private Boat Tours
To sell an island property, one needs to sell the lifestyle. For island properties in Howe Sound, rather than hold open houses, I take prospective buyers out on my boat based on their schedules.*
Selling in Howe Sound is not like selling in Downtown. Buyers are more selective in what they purchase, and most purchases are quite emotional. So this individual element of purchasing is quite essential.
My boat, a 21’6” 2019 SeaRay SPX 210, it is in the water from late March to late October. The boat comfortably seats 6 adults (12 adults is capacity).
*Excluding Bowen Island properties without dock access, as I usually host open houses instead.
This graphic is intended to save the world from yet another photo of a Realtor® pretending to chat on their cell phone during a photoshoot.
Quick & Detailed Communication
A core part of every real estate agent's job is to communicate with customers, clients, and other agents. In theory what every agent should do and does do is often worlds apart. To receive top dollar for your home, it is vital that you have an agent that is on top of selling your property, cooperates fully with other agents, and responds quickly to buyers.
I'm an agent that picks-up phone calls, answer texts, and checks my email frequently between 9AM and 10PM, 7-days a week, I do my very best to get back to all customers, clients, and other agents within a max of 30 minutes no matter the communication medium. Between regular business hours, I typically respond within 10 minutes; and if I don't, it's most likely because I'm in the presence of another client.
Engel & Völkers
Worldwide
Engel & Völkers is one of the world’s leading service companies specialised in the brokerage of premium residential property, commercial real estate, yachts and aircraft since 1977. Consultancy, sales and leasing form the core competencies of the staff of more than 15,000 employees at 900 'shops' in 32 countries.
Vancouver, West Vancouver, And Kerrisdale Shops
Engel & Völkers entered the Vancouver market in 2015 and has since become one of the largest brokerages in Greater Vancouver (I joined in 2016). The Vancouver shops (comprised of Yaletown, Kerrisdale, & West Vancouver) have won several significant awards as a top-producing Engel & Völkers brokerage in North America.
The Engel & Völkers’ Edge For High-Value Properties
When dealing with high-value properties, it is critical to advertise globally rather than only focus on the local market. Even though most purchasers do come through local sources, especially with foreign buyer bans in many areas, the global market should not be ignored. In fact, one of the things that makes Gambier Island, Keats Island and much of Howe Sound a rarity, is that non-Canadians can still purchase in much of Howe Sound.
Through the worldwide reach of Engel & Völkers, I have access to all of the following websites and publications. In particular, the Engel & Völkers Worldwide site/GG Magazine, James Edition, ListHub, and Juwai.com (not listed below, though I have access).
Engel & Völkers Brochures
Knowledge of Off-Grid Living
Most buyers know little about off-grid living, and it's imperative to inform buyers of what to will expect. Compound this lack of knowledge by the fact that many other Vancouver based buyers agents also know little or nothing about off-grid living. My accumulated knowledge of solar panels, drilled-wells, septic-fields, docks, and island building all come in very handy when selling; before you hire another agent, make sure they know about off-grid living and have a general idea of costs associated with being on an island.
Knowledge of Howe Sound
I'm an avid power boater and sailor and have been since I was a little kid on my grandparents' boat.
It's one thing to boat around Howe Sound, name the islands, and love nature; it's another to know the developments, area politics, and policies. Most of Howe Sound is within the Sunshine Coast Regional District and the Islands Trust, creating many area-specific zoning regulations and bylaws. Often it is difficult even to tell where property lines begin and end, so having an agent that can correctly find this information out becomes essential.
Negotiation & Stress-Free Sales
Selling your property shouldn’t be more stressful than it needs to be. If the negotiation process is handled effectively there will be little to no stress, and you will walk away with the price you deserve.
Negotiating on behalf of my clients is one of the most valuable services I offer and one of my best skills. Before real estate, I sold Mazdas for 3-years, and also negotiated contracts while writing business plans for 5-years. These years of experience in addition to my real estate experience since 2016, have given me a thorough understanding of negotiating.
Over my sales career, I’ve learned how to achieve the highest possible price, while also conducting smooth, stress-free, sales for everyone involved.