Calgary's Incredible MLS System
Describes exactly how the MLS System works and how easy it is to make your listing stand out from the crowd...

Why You should Hire Ted
Describes exactly why I'm different and how I'm able to consistently get superior results for both sellers and buyers...

Calgary Market Update
Real information on what's really happening in the Calgary Real Estate market. Statistics and commentary updated by Ted every month...

Home Staging Tips
Great information for sellers. Updated monthly courtesy of Karyn Elliot at Crazy House / Albertine Design...

HOW TO MAKE YOUR LISTING STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

Most people take our MLS system for granted. They don't realize that it is one of the most sophisticated and powerful MLS systems in the world, costing literally millions of dollars to develop and maintain (funded entirely by Calgary's licensed Realtors).

What you see on the surface at MLS.ca is only a tiny fragment of the MLS system. The real power of the system goes on behind the scenes, where each and every one of Calgary's 5,000+ licensed Realtors has full access to a highly effective and extremely powerful database system.

For example; automatic e-mail notification. This feature allows Realtors to instantly notify potential buyers every time a new listing is posted that matches their search criteria, completely automatically! It's so easy to set up, I'll gladly do this for anyone with absolutely no obligation whatsoever. Just give me a call (973-9730) or send me an e-mail with your search criteria. You are not required to use me as your Realtor (but you can if you want to).

Can you sell your home without the MLS system? It is possible, but you simply cannot come close to the exposure that the MLS provides. After all, our 5,000+ Realtors use the MLS system almost exclusively for any information they need about any property that is currently listed.

As for potential buyers, the vast majority of serious, qualified buyers are willing to pay a fair price for the convenience and security of dealing through a licensed Real Estate Brokerage. That's why most serious qualified buyers never look outside of the MLS System.

So, obviously, if you want your listing to have the greatest possible impact, you must be on the MLS system.

But... It's not just being on the MLS! It's being BETTER than your competitors who are also on the MLS!

Don't kid yourself. The Realtor you choose will have a tremendous impact on the potential success or failure of your listing. One of the most important skills a Realtor can possess is the ability to differentiate your listing from your competitors on the MLS system. Know this:

1. Today, the INTERNET is where almost all potential buyers begin their search.

   Because the MLS system is the original source of information for every website that will display your listing, the MLS system is by far the most likely original source of information for the future buyer of your property.

2. The planning and preparation you do BEFORE you list will have the most significant overall impact on your bottom line.

   That's why all my clients get a free consultation with one of Calgary's most talented and sought-after Interior Designers; a specialist in Home Staging (the art of merchandising your home).
   She shows you how to get the WOW!-factor in your home that will clearly differentiate you from your competitors. This process utilizes your existing furnishings and usually involves only a very small expenditure for "props" that you will keep for your next home.

3. The PICTURES (on the Internet) are more important than the WORDS.

   Potential buyers look at the pictures first. If they don't like the pictures, they won't read the words (and they won't view the property). Despite this fundamental truth, I am one of the few Realtors in Calgary who uses a professional photographer!

   Are you OK that your Realtor (an amateur photographer at best) takes the marketing pictures of your home? What about getting your Aunt Jean to take your wedding pictures?

4. If they like the pictures, then they'll read the WORDS.

   Does your Realtor have the skill to write a compelling story about why potential buyers should view and buy your property?

   The words can make your home sound like every other listing (typical), or - if your Realtor is a skilled writer (rare) - the words can have a powerful influence on the decision-making process (whether to view the property or not).

   The main purpose of the MLS system is to generate showings! The more showings you have, the more likely it is that the right person will view your home and make the decision to buy.

5. The decision to buy a home is 90% EMOTIONAL.

   Professional staging, photography and writing all contribute towards the superior presentation on the MLS that will influence potential buyers to want to view your property in the first place.

   And once you've generated a showing, your professionally staged home will have a remarkable psychological impact on the buyers.

   They may have seen several houses that have suited their needs. But your home is different. It feels better than the other houses. It feels like home.

   Everyone needs a place to live but the decision to buy (or not), is usually based on wants and emotion.

   Your Realtor's understanding of this concept and how to use it to your advantage is probably the least talked about, most under-used, and most important concept in Real Estate today.

The truly great Realtors understand the power of the MLS and they have both the desire and ingenuity to take full advantage of it.

I've come to learn that the MLS system is by far the most likely source of a buyer for your property. Nothing else even comes close.

For example, let's take a look at advertising listings in Real Estate magazines and newspapers. Actually, almost all these advertisements draw their information directly from the MLS system! But then they have to wait for publication and distribution, long after the information has been readily available on the original (and complete) source of information.

Realtors still advertise in magazines and newspapers for the exact same reason that they advertise on bus benches, note pads, etc. It's simple top-of-mind name recognition. There's nothing wrong with that, but the fact is that advertising listings in magazines and newspapers almost never results in a sale of the property being advertised.

If you've read this far, by now it's as obvious to you as it is to me. Of course the MLS system is the most likely original source of a buyer for your property! Nothing else even comes close!So why is it that most Realtors seem to put so little effort into making your listing stand apart from the crowd on the MLS?

I don't know. But I intend to continue raising the bar.

Isn't it clearly better to have a full Team of Professionals rather than any one individual Realtor?

For example, I know I'm a good writer but I also know I'm not a Photographer and I'm not a Home Stager. That's why I hire other professionals to fulfill these crucial roles. They're simply better than me at these important tasks. Meanwhile, I concentrate on my own key strengths; marketing, negotiating, and customer service.

It's the quality of the people on the team that make all the difference.  It's how we all work together towards the same common goal.

I've proven it now. Give me a call (973-9730) and I'll show you what I mean.

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WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE ME TO LIST YOUR HOME

1. I truly understand the power of the MLS system and I have the desire and ingenuity to take full advantage of it.

2. I understand how critical it is to prepare your home before you expose it to the public. That's why I include a free consultation with one of Calgary's most talented and sought after Interior Designers who specializes in Home Staging (the art of merchandising your home before it is exposed to the public).

3. I understand how vitally important the pictures are. That's why I use a professional photographer on every listing.

4. I know how to write a compelling story about why potential buyers should view and buy your property.

5. I've received numerous awards in my career. Here's some:

   That means I've achieved some milestones that very few Realtors ever achieve. But what it really means is that I know how to get the job done.

6. I've never had a listing expire, ever.

7. My average sale price compared to list price was over 100% in 2006.

8. I used my full Super-Concentrated Marketing System (utilizing all the concepts described in this report) a total of 22 times in 2006. Out of those 22 listings, 14 of them resulted in the Highest Price Ever Achieved in various different price categories (exact published results available upon request).

   That's a RECORD HIGH PRICE over 70% of the time that I used this system!

   Note: Many of these record high prices have never been exceeded and still stand to this day. However, some of the older records have since been surpassed.

Why You Should Hire Me to Help Buy your Next Home

1. I'm candid and open. I will tell you all the good things and all the bad things about every home we see. I consider this to be my personal responsibility so that you can make an informed, intelligent decision.

2. Making the decision to buy is your responsibility. However, I will give you all the information you need to make the right decision.  And, I will speak up if I think you're making a decision you'll regret.

3. I helped my clients buy over 50 properties (houses and condos) in 2006. That means I know how to get the job done and I have the experience to give you the best possible advice.

4. I understand that different circumstances require different negotiating strategies. Sometimes you need to play hardball and sometimes you need to be more conciliatory. I know how to read the situation to get you the best possible price, whatever the circumstances.

5. Looking at houses is the most enjoyable part of my job. I love it! I'll happily show you as many houses as it takes until we find the home that is right for you and your family.

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