Consumers don’t know skills of Realtors – survey

Of the more than 120,000 Ontarians who used a Realtor to buy or sell a home last year, many did so without fully understanding the expertise and skills Realtors provide, says a new Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) survey. Conducted by Leger Marketing, the survey says only 10 per cent of Ontarians who have used a Realtor know that Realtors are trained in environmental issues, and even fewer (six per cent) are aware that family law is part of a Realtor’s education.

Barbara Sukkau, president of OREA, says, “Most clients do not realize that Realtors are aware of family law issues when selling a family home during a divorce, or that Realtors can advise about home inspections based on our knowledge of building construction in the province.”

Even though people who have used a Realtor in the past were not aware of specific areas of a Realtor’s education, they do recognize the ethical integrity of the profession as 70 per cent of respondents knew that Realtors must abide by a code of ethics. Also, 50 per cent knew that Realtors must continue their education when they begin practicing to stay informed of changes in the industry.

OREA has produced a video about what a Realtor can do for them, available at http://bit.ly/OREARealtor.