Have you ever been accused of speed viewing? Not that it’s a crime, but there have been a few times when I got the sense that someone thought I didn’t spend a sufficient amount of time looking at their home and was a little put off by that. No one’s ever said anything to me, but I’ve still felt badly at the thought of possibly appearing to be disrespectful of someone’s home. Here’s what generally happens:

I get to see a lot of homes. Which is good because I like to look at homes. It’s one of the reasons I chose a career in real estate. I’ve probably seen thousands of houses and condos of all shapes and sizes during my career. The truth is, having seen so many homes, it only takes me about 5 minutes to garner all the information I usually need (unless my clients will be selling or buying the home, in which case I spend significantly more time soaking up every detail).

When do I find the time to see so many homes? Well, I see them when I preview homes for clients to determine what’s worth showing them. I see them when I show them to my clients. And I see lots and lots of homes at agents’ open houses.

In case you’re not familiar with how agents’ open houses work in central Toronto, here’s a brief description: When a home first comes on the market, the listing agent will usually hold an agents’ open house some time between 11am and 1pm Tuesday to Friday to introduce the home to other agents so they can preview it for their clients. Some agents go to a lot of agents’ open houses because they find them useful and others don’t go to any, probably because they’re content to rely on online information without seeing the actual homes. Personally, I try to go to as many agents’ open houses in central Toronto as I can because seeing all these homes gives me a better feel for pricing when it comes time to help my clients pick the best list price when they’re selling and the right price to pay when they’re buying. Yes, I can find out a lot of things online, but in central Toronto, where no two homes are identical, determining the correct list or sale price isn’t just about facts and features, it’s also about “The Feel”. The Feel is the emotional reaction you get when you drive up to a home and also when you stand inside it. Facts and features are important in determining value, but when it comes to making the actual decision about whether or not buy a particular home, many buyers place a certain amount of weight on The Feel, whether they know it or not.

Over the years, I’ve unconsciously developed a mental checklist of things to look for whenever I look at a home and I’m able to run through this checklist pretty quickly. It’s almost like tying your shoelaces. When you did it for the first time it probably took a while, but by now you’re able to do it very quickly and without even thinking about it. (I’m assuming you’re of a certain age if you’re reading this and able to tie your own shoelaces.)

If you’d like to save time when you’re looking at homes or if you’re wondering how an agent was able to view your home so quickly, here’s the mental checklist I run through:

Location: My viewing starts as I drive up to the home. Is it in a good neighbourhood? Is the street busy or quiet? Is there a traffic light, a school, a store or anything else on the street that might generate traffic? Are there nice trees on the street? What do the homes on the street look like? Are they well maintained and uniform or are they a hodge-podge of different styles? Is the home across the street from a school, low-rise apartment building or church (anything that can be redeveloped)? Is it close enough to a major artery that if a high-rise condo is built it will overlook the yard and diminish its privacy?

Exterior: When you look at the home from the street, does it give you The Feel? What are the direct neighbours’ homes like? Is the neighbour a hoarder? Is their yard overgrown? Has the home been well maintained? How do the windows and roof shingles look? Is the grading such that water will run away from the foundation and not towards it? How’s the landscaping? What’s the parking situation? Is it a private or mutual drive? Is the parking legal? Is there a place for bikes and lawn maintenance tools? Does it have a front porch? What’s the backyard like? Private and pretty or a dust bowl? Are there any large trees on the property that might interfere with future plans for an addition or new home?

Interior: When I step inside, I look for 3 things: 1. The Feel; 2. The Flow; and 3. The Condition.

1. The Feel: Some homes have The Feel and some don’t. Some have it strongly and some have it faintly. It’s important for my clients to get a sense of The Feel for themselves because it’s a personal thing, but if I get a bad feeling, I let them know.

2. The Flow: I look at room sizes and layout. These are hard to change without spending a lot of money. If a client has 3 kids, a home with a tiny kitchen and 3 small bedrooms probably won’t work. And if they’re looking for a large kitchen/family room area, a home with a sunken family room that can only be accessed from the dining room probably won’t work either. What about light? Is it a light or a dark home? Is the basement of a good height? Has the space been used to advantage?

3. The Condition: In my mind, The Condition is the least important factor because it can always be changed. If you don’t like a bathroom, you can always rip it out and put in a new one. Yes, it’ll cost you some money, but not as much as it would cost to move walls or put an addition on if there’s a problem with flow or room sizes. And at least a bathroom can be changed. If your street has too much traffic or your neighbour’s house is an eyesore, there’s not much you can do to fix those problems.  When I look at condition, I look at the renovations that have been done, if any, and ask myself: Will these renovations appeal to potential buyers? How much will they add to the value of the property? Would a client of mine pay extra for them or would they want to redo them? How much work will most buyers want to do to this home? Is there so much work that a lot of buyers will be turned off? Or is this the dream home for which 20 buyers have been waiting? The answers to these questions, and indeed some of the questions themselves, will vary depending on the neighbourhood, style of home and price range … but you get the idea.

All of this may happen in the space of about 5 minutes, but speed viewing isn’t superficial. It’s quite detailed.

One more bonus tip to speed up your viewing – wear shoes you can slide on and off easily.

If you know anyone who’s interested in learning how the market works and who’d like to receive the kind of help that involves honest answers, straightforward advice, no pressure and being treated like family, please let me know the best way for me to connect with them because I’d like to offer them this kind of help. And as always, don’t be shy if you have any questions or comments about this post! Thanks for reading. text for your blog post will go here.