Now, let's step back about 25 years, so bear with me. Yes, the market has evolved, times have changed, but some things remain constant. Good service remains just that - good service. And today, armed with all the tools we have, there's no room for subpar performance.

Back in 1998, before I became a Realtor® (I got licensed in 2013), my wife and I were first-time homebuyers in Niagara. We were thrilled, but honestly, we didn't know the ins and outs of home buying. We trusted the experts, or so we thought. After finding an agent, someone familiar, we embarked on our search. We did manage one thing right on our own - we secured a solid mortgage approval, not just a pre-qualification. So, off we went.

We shared our budget with our agent, and he lined up showings. So far, so good. After seeing a few nice homes, we noticed they all stretched our budget to the max. It felt odd – we weren't aiming for something grand, just a modest place under $200k. Our Realtor® seemed out of sync, failing to really understand what we wanted. The issue? Listening skills!

Eventually, we found a new construction that fit perfectly. A great home well within our budget. Why didn't he show us this from the start? It was in our desired area and price range. But trying to reach him became a challenge, and both our Realtor® and the builder's Realtor® gave us pushback. Maybe the commission was less due to the new build? I can't say for sure, but we definitely didn't feel valued.

The sale happened, and we moved in.

A few years later, with a growing family, we wanted a larger home. We called our previous Realtor® since we didn't know anyone else. We kick-started the listing, not negotiating commission as trust was there. And that's when things went downhill...

Here are the problems:

• Minimal communication, needed to keep calling
• No feedback on showings
• No open houses (we believed they mattered)
• At any hiccup, he suggested lowering the price multiple times without stats or explanation.
• Still, communication was lacking...
• We felt we were just a sale, his paycheck.

In the end, we sold, but it didn't feel like a victory. We were a bit misled. Needless to say, we never referred friends or family to our realtor experiences. I thought, surely there's a better way to handle real estate deals. After all, it's a substantial investment, and Realtors® are well compensated.

"I could do this so much better," I thought.

Shouldn't sales professionals across industries uphold ethics and care standards? Most are just common sense. Communication, delivering value, organization, planning. This isn't rocket science, is it?

Fast forward through 2 career changes to my 2013 goal of becoming a Realtor®. I reflect on my initial real estate experiences and pledge not to repeat those mistakes with you. With thousands of Realtors® available, take your time. Make sure you get the value you deserve. It's your money, and it's about respect for you and your family. Navigating the real estate realm is a responsibility I don't take lightly. If a Realtor® appears too relaxed about your goals, they might not be your match.

Choosing a Realtor® might be a more significant decision than the actual transaction. Choose wisely, because it matters.

I wish the best of success for you,

Sean Hartley REALTOR®