The Wayne Gretzky of Real Estate

 

In 1996, Wayne Gretzky, namely hockeys greatest ever player even hailed as “The Great One,” joined the St. Louis Blues for the remainder of the 1996 season. The Blues acquired Gretzky after rumors spread he was unhappy in LA playing for the Kings, and the Blues we the only team able to match what he was looking for in salary. After getting a late start just after the trade deadline, Gretzky scored 37 points in 31 games for the Blues. Gretzky, one of history’s best players to hit the ice and has been called the “greatest player of all time,” could not save the St Louis Blues and bring them to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Wayne later was later traded after the loss to the New York Rangers, after the Blues were eliminated from the playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche went on to win the 1996 Stanley Cup and the Blues were without “The Great One.” Easy come, easy go I guess.

So why does this all matter?

 

When choosing a Realtor, it is important to know that no two Realtors are alike. A reputable brand with a history is important; yet don’t discount a Wayne Gretzky just because he plays for the St. Louis Blues. When purchasing stocks, you likely would pick a stock broker based on his results in the market, not what company he works for. When choosing a player for an NHL team, you would likely pick him based on his results he brings to the game, not based on how his team has performed. Lastly, when picking a Realtor, be sure to choose based on the results they bring to the market and how those 

results apply to you. Not all Realtors are alike, that would just be like comparing Wayne Gretzky to –-insert many forgotten names over time in here--.

When selecting a professional Realtor to market your home, does it make a large difference as to what company they work for? Working for a large well branded company can be a great benefit as the consumer knows whomever is involved with that company has the backing, training and support they need. So certain companies can definitely be better than others, but what does that mean about their Realtors.

 

Many real estate offices claim to be the top in Canada, the top in BC, the largest brokerage in BC, etc. So congratulations to the largest brokerage in BC, that means you hire a lot of people! Being the biggest, selling the highest dollar amounts and even doing the most advertising doesn’t mean squat if you put it all into perspective. A West Vancouver real estate office is going to greatly outsell a real estate office in Mission, that’s just how demographics work. Numbers and claims can be easy manipulated.

 

No one remembers the 1996 St. Louis Blues team. They didn’t accomplish much other than a decent playoff run for the Stanley Cup until they were thwarted before making it to the 3^rd round. The 1996 St. Louis Blues are forgettable. The have been around forever, people know their logo, and teams know they can be a great opponent. The challenge is that the 1996 St Louis Blues team failed to get the job done.

 

When picking a Realtor, be sure to know how they perform in the marketplace. Important questions to ask include

 

• How long does it take you to sell your homes vs the board average
• How many homes a year do you sell
• What percentage of list price do you achieve for you sales vs the board average
• How many listings of yours actually sell?

 

To view my statistics vs the real estate board averages, check out www.germyn.ca.

 

Lastly, Macdonald Realty is the best company I could work for in today’s market and I am thankful for the success I have had with them. They strive to set their agents on a journey of success right from the first day they join with the company. A Macdonald agent is not just another number to fill a spot at a desk; they are selected and hand-picked from large groups of potential new hires that we leave for other companies to collect. To learn more about what makes Macdonald Realty different, check out http://www.macrealty.com/about-us/why-macrealty to learn more.

 

Until next time,

Darin