Agents and brokers play a central role in assuaging clients' concerns, survey says
While nearly seven in 10 Canadian homebuyers and sellers said that they feel stressed about the real estate process, an equal share (69%) said that their interactions with their mortgage/real estate professionals have made them feel less stressed, according to a new study by RE/MAX.
“Despite digital tools aiding in the process, the complex nature of the market – and the emotional weight of the transaction – have created a greater demand among buyers and sellers for humility and transparency,” RE/MAX said in its latest report.
“Agents possessing these skills have become table stakes, especially over the last 12 months, with 50% of Canadians ranking trust and familiarity as the most important factor when choosing a real estate agent in the report.”
The report stressed that aside from a strong grasp of the industry’s fundamentals, soft skills will become an increasingly important component in the housing transactions of the future.
“This is particularly true for millennials and lower-budget buyers, for whom forays into the real estate market can be particularly daunting,” RE/MAX said. “In this landscape, it’s about striking the right balance between the professional and the personal. The key to this will be relationships that are human-centered rather than transactional.”
Mortgage and real estate professionals who prioritize empathy, care, and trust will have a significant advantage in this context, RE/MAX added. Fully half of Canadians polled said that having an agent or broker “who is easy to get hold of” has increased in importance.
“As the boundaries between the personal and professional continue to blur, people are expecting a high degree of personability from their agent,” RE/MAX said. “Looking for relationships that move past standard communications, in Canada, personal connection and years of experience feature in the top five factors most important to buyers and sellers.”
