Where to find Real Estate properties for sale In British Columbia

By:  Shane Toews

When people make the decision to sell their property they have several options open to them today.  Of course the first option that many people consider is the use of the Multiple Listing Service.  This is there the majority of homes are sold with the help of a local realtor in the Fraser Valley, Greater Vancouver and Lower Mainland area’s.  You can research most of the information on the MLS web site at www.mls.ca.  A realtor would be able to assist you in a historical or comparative way buy researching and accessing the MLS database which is not accessible to the general public.  Looking for clues as to the vendor’s motivation for selling the property.  (The term Vender refers to the seller.)  This could assist you in negotiating a lower price.  For example, look at the exact area, where the property was listed and how long it has been on the market.  This refers of course to Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam, New West, Maple Ridge and Abbotsford properties.  Does it way why the property is for sale?  Such as a foreclosure action, order for sale, relocation or the vender bought another house, etc  All is information that’s important to yourself.

Look in the classified section of your daily community newspaper under selling sections.  Consider “Houses for Sale,” “homes for sale,” “condominiums for sale,” “revenue Property for Sale,” or “apartments for sale.”  Monday classified sections has the least number of listings because fewer people read Monday editions.  However, this could mean more opportunity for yourself.  Read the Monday section of the newspaper and find the deals that not many people call on.  Watch for ads that imply the owner has time pressure such as an “estate sale,” or other terms that may lead you to believe they are in a hurry. 

Get organized and develop a system for reviewing your Fraser Valley advertisements.  For example, you could circle with a colored pen those ads that interest yourself.  Go ahead, clip them out and stamped them to a sheet of paper.  Keep these papers in a binder with the dates of the ads clearly identifiable.  If you see a “for sale by owner” property then you will not deal with a realtor.  If it is listed on the MLS then you will be using the advice of a realtor.  In any event it is recommended that the help of a realtor be involved in the transaction of buying or selling a property.  The cost of a law suite is far less then the commission payable to a realtor that is trained to sell your property quickly and professionally.  In any event drive through the area and train your eyes to look for “For Sale” signs or “For Sale by Owner.”  Keep a pad of paper near by to write down names, telephone numbers and other contact information.