Trust, honesty, integrity - When selling your home with Robin, Teresa and Michael St. Jean, you can be rest assured that your best interests are at heart. Team St. Jean wants to "exceed your expectations" in order to secure your future business and referrals.

Over 90% of our business comes from satisfied clients recommending Team St. Jean to their friends, co-workers and families.

When you list with Team St. Jean you can be rest assured that their extensive experience, confidence and enthusiasm will work for you.

Review Team St. Jean's testimonials to hear what others have to say about them.

All elements of the contract are in writing so that there are no surprises. Whatever is negotiated or discussed is documented and guaranteed.

Robin, Teresa, and Michael will personally visit you at your home, at your convenience and prepare your "Estimate of Market Value"

Having the experience of such well seasoned Realtors as Robin, Teresa and Michael working for you will avoid costly mistakes and disappointments. Their "honesty is the best policy" approach will benefit your family when your estimate of value is prepared - Experience and familiarity with your area and all recent sales and activity will benefit you in achieving top price.

Team St. Jean have the much needed experience with neighbourhood trends, and they know all the benefits of many of the area's "Builders" to help market your home's positive features. Click here for Robin,Teresa and Michael's Marketing Plan

Robin, Teresa, and Michael review the listing agreement with you in detail and once listed, place your home on the Multiple Listing System.

The MLS service is a very powerful and efficient real estate selling system that markets your home to other registered Realtors who are members of the Hamilton-Burlington Real Estate Board. The combination Team St.Jean's marketing plan, along with listing your home on the MLS system will enable your home to obtain the greatest exposure possible.

There are approximately 1900 members in our real estate board area who can access the MLS system and bring potential buyers in to view your property when it is listed with Robin, Teresa & Michael. All Realtors, in addition to those at Royal LePage State Realty, can negotiate a sales transaction on your home, with Robin, Teresa & Michael representing you.

Your listing will also appear on our award willing website www.royallepage.ca as well as www.mls.ca and our own www.stjeanhomes.com with world-wide exposure.

ROBIN,TERESA & MICHAEL ST. JEAN'S dedication to their customers is unparalleled. They will do their best in order to sell your home quickly and for the best price. The professional Royal LePage sign is placed on your property, through our professional sign services and maintained throughout the listing.

Immediately your listing is paged out to over 100 sales agents within the area.

Colour brochures of your home are prepared along with colour photos of the interior and exterior highlighting the special features of the property. This will be made available to all buyers coming through your property and to Real Estate agents which will be on display in your home entry.

Advertising is placed in the local papers and magazines.

An Open House is held for Real Estate agents and Open Houses are also scheduled for the public, if appropriate.

A computerized Comparative Market Analysis is updated regularly to keep you up to date on recent sales and new listings in your area.

Robin and Teresa promote their listings regularly in weekly office meetings.

Without delay, buyers can be pre-qualified by our Royal LePage on site Mortgage Calculator to save time.

See Team St. Jean's "Marketing your Home" for further sellers features.

The Agency Relationship

Agency - A quick word on Agency....agency is all about who is working for whom. There are 3 basic principles of agency.

1. Seller's Agent

When a real estate company is a "seller's agent" it must do what is best for the seller of a property.

A written contract, called a listing agreement, establishes seller agency. It also explains services the company will provide, establishes a fee arrangement for the Realtor's services and specifies what obligations a seller may have.

A seller's agent must tell the seller anything known about a buyer.

Confidences a seller shares with a seller's agent must be kept confidential from potential buyers and others.

2. Buyers Agent

A real estate company acting as a "buyers's agent" must do what is best for the buyer. This would typically be the Realtor bringing in a offer on your home.

Typically, buyers will be obliged to work exclusively with that company for a period of time.

Confidences a buyer shares with the buyer's agent must be kept confidential.

Although confidential information about the buyer cannot be disclosed, a seller working with a buyer's agent can expect to be treated fairly and honestly.

3. Dual Agent

Occasionally a real estate company will be the agent of both the buyer and the seller. The buyer and seller must consent to this arrangement in their listing and buyer agency agreements. Under this "dual agency" arrangement, the company must to what is best for both the buyer and the seller.

Who is working for you?

It is important that you understand who the Realtor is working for. For example, both the seller and the buyer may have their own agent which means they each have a Realtor who is working for them.

Or, some buyers choose to contact the seller's agent directly. Under this arrangement the realtor is working for the seller, and must do what is best for the seller, but may provide many valuable services to the buyer.

If the seller and the buyer have the same agent, this is dual agency and the Realtor is working for both the seller and the buyer.

Code of Ethics

Realtors believe it is important that the people they work with understand their agency relationship. That's why agency disclosure is included in a self-imposed code of Ethics which is administered by the Real Estate Council of Ontario. The Code requires Realtors to disclose in writing the nature of the services they are providing, and encourages Realtors to obtain written acknowledgement of that disclosure. The Code also requires Realtors to enter into a written agency agreement with any sellers or buyers they are representing.

Honesty and Integrity

Most real estate professionals in our province are members of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) and Members of OREA can call themselves Realtors.

When you work with a Realtor, you can expect not only strict adherence to provincial laws, but also adherence to a Code of Ethics. And that code is very important to you because it assures you will receive the highest level of service, honesty and integrity.

Highest Professional Standards

Before receiving a real estate licence, candidates must successfully complete an extensive course of study developed by OREA on behalf of the Real Estate Council of Ontario. That is only the beginning: in the first two years of practice, licensees are required to successfully complete three additional courses as part of their articling with an experienced Broker. In addition, all licensees must continue to attend courses throughout their career in order to maintain their licence.

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Getting the best price:
Professional marketing means top dollar and a faster sale. REALTORS spend a lot of time and energy making sure they know their local market inside and out. They know the current market value of properties in your area and are your best resource for determining and getting the best and highest price possible. All REALTORS have access to all of their agency's resources and marketing skills, ensuring that all potential buyers are quickly made aware of your home.

Dealing only with qualified buyers:
REALTORS have access to pre-screened and pre-qualified buyers who are really serious about buying in your neighborhood. They work full-time making these connections and are literally the best source of potential purchasers.

Negotiation expertise:
REALTORS do many things, but one of their most important functions is to negotiate on behalf of their clients. When you sell your house, you want the best price in a reasonable amount of time. Your REALTOR's job is to facilitate this by drawing up legally binding contracts, assisting in negotiating any offers, offering advice and perspective, and if needed, acting as a mediator during any potential disputes between you and the purchaser.

Assist with financing needs:
REALTORS are familiar with all of the complexities involved in the pre-qualification, approval and negotiation of mortgage rates. Like many industries, banks are experiencing quite a bit of competition and are often willing to flex from their quoted rates. Experienced REALTORS can often assist in finding the most competitive rates and terms available.

Professional experience:
A REALTOR brings to the table all of his or her knowledge, training and negotiation skills, and will explain exactly what you can expect from the buying/selling process. He or she will be able to explain your rights and obligations, help organize and strategize, and even discuss financing options.
All REALTORS are members of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). This organization requires all of its members to adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Business Practice. The Code and Standards are very important because they assure that all REALTORS offer the highest level of service, honesty and integrity possible. All REALTORS are subject to constant professional monitoring that keeps them directly accountable to the individual consumers they serve. CREA also ensures that all of its members are knowledgeable and highly trained in order to better serve the public and offers ongoing education courses so that REALTORS continue to meet the highest professional standards in an ever-changing industry.

The selling and buying of a house can be a stressful and confusing process. Not only is it very expensive to 'learn from your mistakes' but very few people move often enough to gain the needed experience.

Although there is no substitute for doing your homework (start by asking your family and friends who have recently moved for their experiences) the following list of common pitfalls may be helpful.

1. Pricing Incorrectly (too high or too low):
Make sure you determine the market value of your home correctly: If your asking price is significantly higher than what the market is currently bearing, many potential buyers looking for your style of home will view similar but lower priced homes first. Not only does this limit the pool of potential buyers but it also increases the chances that your home will sell for less than its actual value. This is due to the "discount" often associated with properties that have been on the market for a longer than average time. Buyers are often overheard asking their Agent... "What's wrong with that home? It's been for sale forever".
Alternatively, if your asking price is too low, you are literally giving away your hard-earned equity just because you did not know what the market would bear.

2. Failing to "Showcase" your home:
A little work can improve the first impression of your home a thousand-fold. First impressions are lasting impressions and can dramatically affect a property's perceived value.

3. Mistaking a Bank's appraisal or a new Tax Assessment as your home's actual market value:
These processes are based on general guidelines such as lot size and square footage, not the specific qualities and improvements of your home. Using either of these as a baseline could cause you to over-price or under-price your property. It requires detailed background knowledge of all recent neighbourhood sales as well as homes currently for sale in order to estimate value accurately. Ask your REALTOR for a detailed market evaluation.

4. Choosing the wrong REALTOR or choosing a REALTOR for the wrong reasons:
It is critical that you have full confidence in your REALTOR's experience and abilities. You want a REALTOR who can explain the whole selling process to you, has a good feel for the market, has access to potential buyers and offers sound advice on how to improve your chances of selling. Try to avoid choosing a REALTOR on the basis of which one gives the highest estimate of your home's value. In order to achieve the best sale price within a reasonable period of time you need an accurate indication of what the true market value of your property is. Knowing this allows you to properly price your home, thus maximizing your chances of selling and allowing you to make your future plans with the sure knowledge that your goals can be attained.

5. Failing to take current market conditions/trends into account:
Is it a Buyer's market, a Seller's market, a Balanced market? What do future trends look like? Ask your REALTOR for a full analysis

6. Not taking advantage of market fluctuations: The Big Picture...
Moving up in a market downturn? If your $150,000 home has dropped 10% in value, so has your $300,000 dream home. Yes, you lose $15,000 on your current home, but you save $30,000 on your next purchase! Always keep in mind the big picture.

7. Using "Hard Sell" during showings:
No one likes being pressured. As well, buyers might wonder why you are so anxious to sell. Let your home speak for itself.

8. Mistaking "Lookers" for "Buyers":
Many people who look at homes for sale may just be getting a feel for the market, seeing how others 'showcase' their homes, or even just looking for decorating ideas. Your REALTOR deals with these situations on a full-time basis and has the experience needed to separate the "Lookers" from the actual "Buyers".

9. Relying too heavily on advice from the Buyer's REALTOR:
The interests of buyers and sellers are often opposing. In an agency relationship it is very difficult for one REALTOR to look out for the interests of both the buyer and the seller. You want to make sure you are familiar with Real Estate relationships and the difference between being a client or a customer before accepting advice from an agent or entering into any formal relationship with an agent.

10. Limiting the marketing and exposure of your property:
Part of what a good REALTOR does is to ensure that your property is showcased and marketed in the best and most productive manner possible. Not allowing a "For Sale" sign on the front yard or limiting viewing times can dramatically reduce the number of prospective purchasers seeing your home and have a serious impact on your bottom line.