Why is Having Access to a Property Survey So Important?

In most real-estate transactions, and even when there is title insurance, the lawyer who represents the buyer will often request a property survey. If you are a REALTOR® then you know that a property survey is often included as a clause in an offer of purchase and sale.

Some lawyers believe that a property survey is one of the most important documents in a real-estate transaction.

A property survey will reveal to your clients any conflicts that exist within the property’s deed. Show your client the property lines/limits, as well as anything that is encroaching on your property lines, things like driveways, fences, wells and even structures.

A property survey has become a standard buyer request, and it protects your clients from future problems with neighbours and even legal challenges.

When an offer of purchase or sale is made, timelines are sensitive. Sometimes sellers misplace their property survey which can in some cases put them at risk of losing a buyer. The survey could be fine, you and your client could be sure of it, there could even be title insurance in place – but still many buyers will demand a property survey as a condition of their purchase.

When a survey is misplaced, it can be an untimely and expensive problem. If you contact a surveyor, it can take one to two weeks or longer to have the survey performed, and the costs can be significant. So what can you do to save a deal when a misplaced survey is standing in the way? Get one online.

Real-estate professionals who use GeoWarehouse can obtain a property survey, on most properties, online through the GeoWarehouse store. When purchasing a property survey through the GeoWarehouse store, it will be immediately available for you to download and print.

You can provide the survey to the buyer’s solicitor and before you know it, your closing will be back on track!

It is always prudent when listing a home to ask your client if they have a property survey at the time of listing. This is a best practice that can save you from a last minute panic to get one. If you request a property survey when a new client engages you, you can learn if they don’t have one, check to see if one is available through GeoWarehouse and if for some reason it’s not, you will still have ample time to coach your client through obtaining one before a deal is underway.

Don’t let the absence of a property survey get in the way of negatively impacting your deal closing. They are important, expected and only an internet connection and GeoWarehouse subscription away.

If you would like more information about how you can obtain a property survey through the GeoWarehouse store please visit www.geowarehouse.ca or call 866-237-5937.

How to Perform a Property Search for a Client When a Neighbourhood is Under Snow

Ever wonder why real-estate sales soar in the spring in Canada? Well, one big reason is the weather. If there is one thing that Canadian real-estate professionals have to adapt to it is Canada’s sporadic winter weather conditions.  When a client is considering buying a new house/home during the winter months they:

·         Want to be able to see what they are purchasing.

·         May not want to brave the cold and walk around outside the property.

This can pose a real challenge to REALTORS®.

A recent article posted on MSN Real-Estate highlights some things that you can do to increase your real-estate sales during the winter months. Some of the tips included:
1.      Ensuring that the entry way to the home that your client will be viewing is free of ice and snow.
2.      Warming up the home before your clients arrive.
3.      Trying to show the home during the day, thereby taking advantage of natural light.

While the tips listed above are all great ideas, they don’t solve the challenge of being able to see what is covered by snow, like driveway size, frontage, landscaping, and more.

So, how can you perform a property search for your client in an area that is covered in snow? By leveraging the technology available for you, that’s how!

Through web-based platforms like GeoWarehouse, real-estate professionals can perform a property search online. 

The Google Streetscape imagery available through GeoWarehouse enables you to perform a property search that provides you with imagery of a subject property, as if you were standing in front of it. This is invaluable to REALTORS®, especially during the winter months when weather conditions can be less than ideal.

Instead of your clients waiting until spring to shop for real-estate, you can help them to learn about properties of interest now without having to drive or walk around in the slush and snow. You can perform a property search from the comfort of your office, and show your clients how the subject property looks when it is not under snow; being able to view things like the subject property’s frontage can make or break your sale.

You can also leverage the Google Streetscape imagery available through GeoWarehouse and use it by performing an online property search by printing a Property Details Report or Enhanced Report. These can be left at a property you have listed and give potential buyers more information about the property.

You can also use this cool GeoWarehouse feature to view imagery of other properties in the neighbourhood, like neighbouring properties, and local amenities like parks and schools.

Google has re-captured much of Southern Ontario in a recent refresh of the images available through Streetscape and this is a very valuable tool to take advantage of.

If you would like more information about how you can perform a property search and take advantage of the Google Streetscape imagery available through GeoWarehouse, please visit www.geowarehouse.ca or call 866-237-5937.