CH CH CH CHANGES

by Shawn Lackie

Like anything else in life, it seems to always be about change. Moving forward, advancing, new and improved, etc.

Remember when VCRs were all the rage? Then along came the laser disc which morphed into the DVD? In music, there were 78s, 45s, Lps, CDs and now digi downstreams. News, TV, streaming, well you get the drift. So why would the Real Estate biz be exempt from change?

The changes in the world of Real Estate have been monumental, over the last number of years, and seem to be accelerating as we go along. Ask any agent or buyer/seller who was dabbling in the market years ago and you will get a funny quizzical look.

Time was, new listings would be delivered by hand to the local Real Estate office, every two weeks. These books looked like Toronto phone books. They had all the latest relevant info and latest listings. If you were in the hunt for a home purchase your Realtor would share these massive texts with you. Have fun perusing these.

A funny thing happened. They invented this novel thing called the “Internet” and all chaos broke loose. Once everyone got a handle on the Power of The Net, it was full speed ahead. You could find the latest listings on-line, complete with descriptions and pictures. Most daily/weekly papers had either a full Real Estate section or at least an insert which was dedicated to all the latest listings. Try finding one of those puppies now.

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for progress, but some things just feel more comfortable in your hands. A book, a newspaper, or an album jacket. E-books and the like just don’t do it. However, they now have a place at the head of the table and won’t be going away any time soon. Videos, pictures and descriptions of properties on web sites and listing boards became much more sophisticated. I will say this.

NOTHING beats going to see a property in person, Nothing. A home can be like a live entity and gives off a vibe. The minute you walk in you are either in love or turned off. No middle of the road. On-line pics can either do the home justice or sell it far short of expectation. Like the Porsche ad said, “Their is NO Substitute”.

Then there’s GPS. God’s gift to the directionally challenged. Many years ago, if I had clients who were looking at properties in outlying rural areas, it would 'literally' take me hours to set up the showings. I had to use a map book and figure out distances between places. It was not an easy task. Now you just enter address from and address to and away you go.

Not all things changed for the better. The art of negotiation seems to have disappeared. You used to look forward to presenting an offer to the seller, so you could extol the virtues of your buyer. Not any more. Listings will simply say, “e-mail to such and such” Presentation at 6 p.m. I’ve tried to present in person and they just won’t have it. A lot of this came about, thanks to the madness during the pandemic. Panic was all over buying and there was simply no back and forth. The seller will take best offer. Bring it. That’s it.

That’s life in the fast lane, I guess. Here’s hoping things slow down a little.