I’ve spoken about this before in Buy the Steak. Not the Sizzle. but it seems like there may be some people who don’t read my blog yet. Why do I say this? Because several sellers have recently told me that one of the main reasons they chose their Realtor was because he or she claimed to have a lot of potential buyers for their home.

I’m going to pretend I’m Seth Godin here and make the point very simply and succinctly: Who do you think has more potential buyers for your home, the Realtor you hire to list your home or the other 40,000 Realtors in Toronto? And if your listing Realtor does have buyers who fall in love with your home, don’t you think they’d buy it even if it was listed with someone else? So what’s the benefit of listing with a Realtor who says he or she has a lot of potential buyers for your home? I don’t know. Sounds to me like you should be wary because they’re trying to sell you the sizzle and not the steak. If trust is important to you, well, maybe you should be looking for it elsewhere.

This post ends here if I’m Seth. But I’m not so I have a few things to add.

I may be wrong about this, but I’m pretty sure that the Toronto Real Estate Board is the largest and most advanced real estate board in North America. Our multiple listing service (MLS) is the envy of every other real estate board. If you were a seller in the old days, you had to rely on your listing Realtor to sell your home to his or her clients. In the modern era, thanks to MLS, your home now gets promoted to all 40,000 TREB members who also help you sell your home. And thanks to realtor.ca, your home gets exposed to all buyers all over the world.

So why in the world would you hire a Realtor because they tell you that one of the benefits to working with them is that they’ll take you on a trip back in time? Maybe because they told you they’ll charge you a lower commission if one of their buyers buys your home? It’s true that some Realtors might cut you a bit of a break, but it’s a fact that greater exposure results in higher prices, usually high enough to more than compensate for any commission break. MLS and realtor.ca are all about exposing your home to the largest market possible. We wouldn’t see nearly the number of bidding wars we’re seeing without them.

So please protect yourself and Buy the Steak. Not the Sizzle. If someone tells you something that doesn’t quite make sense, don’t be afraid to ask how it benefits YOU. This is one time when you don’t have to be shy about saying it’s all about you. Ask as many questions as you’d like and hire a Realtor you can trust to do what’s best for you.

As always, if you know of anyone who’s looking for an honest realtor who really knows his stuff and doesn’t pressure his clients, Please Don’t Keep Me a Secret. I really appreciate your referrals. Thanks for reading and don’t be shy if you have any questions or comments!