How Do You Choose a Realtor?
How do you choose a realtor?
Well, maybe that’s not the case if you’re lucky and already have a Realtor that you’ve established a great relationship with and trust. Yes, trust. Remember that. We will come back to that very important word.
Walking into vote a short while ago I got thinking about perception.
Both front runners in this election (in fact, most of the faces of the other parties) sound like they have good ideas on ways to continue to build Canada and improve the lives of its citizens. So if they all have mostly good ideas, and their advertising and commercials all paint powerful messages, it would be fair to say that the public’s perception of them is the tool they use to get a fair portion of their votes.
Most decisions in life are made this way –
from what you decide to eat to where you decide to shop, and from what you watch on TV to who will help you to sell your house.
Advertising sends a specific message to us and creates a specific perception of how we view a product or person. Though essentially just coffee houses, there’s a big difference in what comes to mind when you see a Tim Horton’s ad versus a Starbucks ad.
If advertising is just pushing perception without offering anything concrete to back up reputation, how can you be sure of any of your choices?
How do you get the person that will really help you reach your goals? In my case, how do you choose your Realtor?
Good question. Now we are getting somewhere!
Do you look for experience? Can too much make them hard headed and do they still work as hard as when they first started? Do you want someone who is hungry and enthusiastic, great out of the gate? Maybe they’d lack experience and miss something? How about marketing? Many Realtors have become very tech-savvy and are great at creating an online audience, but does the screen time not match up to the people skills when face to face is needed? Or what about your “people” people; some people are just great with face to face meetings, but do they lack the know-how needed to engage an important online audience?
Posing all of these questions might not be making it any easier on you. You may quickly run back to making those perception based decisions again.
Like any profession, there are just people that are naturally good at what they do, but most of all, they are good at what they do because people trust them. People trust them because they have earned it. Of all the good experiences I have had in this business, none have filled me with more satisfaction than that one line – We trust you, Hudson.
I didn’t start with experience, I had no marketing budget to even create any sort of perception, and to be real here, my kids are teaching me how to use Instagram. But when I walk into a room my first goal will always be to build trust. Without that as a fundamental starting block, all you have to go on is perception anyways.
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There’s something about fall in Guelph that makes you want to grab a sweater, order something pumpkin-spiced, and spend an afternoon at a local farm. Whether you’re searching for the perfect pumpkin to carve, planning a family day out, or just looking for a great fall photo spot, there are plenty of pumpkin patches and farms in and around Guelph worth visiting. Here are some of our favourite spots to add to your fall bucket list.
There’s something about apple-picking season that makes it officially feel like fall in Guelph. Crisp mornings, country roads, fresh apples, warm baked goods and a day spent outside are all part of the experience.
Over the past several years, a steady stream of people have made the move west from the Greater Toronto Area to Guelph, and once you spend a little time in the city, it is easy to understand why. Guelph offers something that has become increasingly rare in Southwestern Ontario, a genuine sense of community and space without cutting yourself off from the opportunities the GTA provides. The Commute Is More Manageable Than People Expect The GO Train connects Guelph Central Station directly to Toronto's Union Station, with the trip taking roughly ninety minutes. For anyone who has spent time commuting within the GTA itself, that number often sounds more reasonable than expected, especially once you factor in that Guelph commuters are trading traffic and crowded platforms for a calmer, more predictable ride. For people who only need to be in the office a few days a week, the trade off tends to make even more sense. More Space for the Same Budget One of the most common reasons people give for looking outside Toronto is simple. Housing dollars stretch further in Guelph. Detached homes, larger lots, and neighbourhoods with room to grow are still attainable here in a way that has become increasingly difficult to find closer to the downtown core of the GTA. For young families especially, that difference can mean the gap between renting indefinitely and actually settling into a home that fits their long term plans. A Slower Pace Without Losing the Amenities What sets Guelph apart from a lot of smaller commuter towns is that it does not feel like you are sacrificing much to get that extra space and breathing room. The city has a full hospital, a major university, a strong restaurant and brewery scene, and enough cultural programming through venues like the River Run Centre to keep things interesting year round. It is a rare combination, small city calm paired with genuine city amenities. A Growing, Diverse Community Guelph has also become notably more diverse over the past decade, partly thanks to the university drawing people from across the country and around the world, and partly because more families are choosing to relocate here from bigger cities. That shift has added new energy to the local food scene, the festival calendar, and the overall character of the city, while still keeping the strong sense of community that longtime residents value most. Not Just a Bedroom Community It is worth noting that Guelph is not simply a place people sleep before commuting elsewhere. Major employers like the University of Guelph, Linamar, and Sleeman Brewery mean a significant portion of residents work locally, which helps the city maintain its own identity rather than functioning purely as a Toronto suburb. That local employment base is part of why Guelph's downtown and neighbourhood business districts have stayed as vibrant as they have. Weighing the Move For anyone currently living in the GTA and wondering whether a move to Guelph makes sense, the honest answer usually comes down to priorities. For people who want more space, a stronger sense of community, and a commute that is still workable a few days a week, Guelph consistently comes up as one of the more compelling options in the region. The best way to know for sure is to actually spend time here, walk a few neighbourhoods, sit at the farmers market on a Saturday morning, and get a feel for the pace of life before making any decisions. Guelph has a way of making its case simply by being itself, and for a growing number of former Torontonians, that has been more than enough.
