What is reciprocity?
One real estate issue I have a passion for is Reciprocity.
What is reciprocity?
Simply put, it is when one real estate company cooperates with a second real estate company and allows the second company to advertise the first companies' listings on its website and it's agents websites.
I'm often asked "Wouldn't the company and agent I list with want to practise reciprocity? Don't they want to maximize the exposure of my listing even if it means a buyer might be brought from another company?"
Back in the day when there was only one or two companies selling real estate in Whistler and, moreover, people couldn't buy resort real estate fast enough, one could understand why some companies didn't want to share their listings - they wanted to get paid from both 'sides' of the sale. Today's market is very different but unfortunately this same mentality still exists. At a time when it is more important than ever to market your property in front of as many people as possible, some companies still put their own financial well being infront of that of their clients.
When you are ready to list your Whistler or Pemberton property, an important question to ask the agent is: "Do you practice reciprocity? Will you allow the other Realtors in Whistler to showcase my house on their websites?" We have a number of great agents here and their websites rank very high on google, yahoo, bing and the other search engines. Wouldn't it be smart to have your property up there too?
It is a big benefit to your listing if it is allowed to be shown on the other Whistler agent's sites. The maximum possible exposure puts your property in front of more Buyer eyes.
I practice reciprocity with all my listings - my thinking is that the more exposure I can generate for my client's listings, the better chance of finding a Buyer; so I allow any other agent in Whistler and beyond to advertise my listings on their websites and in return I will do the same with their listings.
So make sure you ask your agent when you are listing your property in Whistler or Pemberton whether they do what I do. If they or their company don't practice reciprocity, find a Realtor who does. The times have changed and you owe it to yourself and to your investment to give it the best possible chance of selling at the highest amount.
To discuss how reciprocity works and will help sell your home faster, please contact me.