Yes and no. I agree that working with a local real estate agent has a lot of advantages – especially in a city like Toronto – but your local real estate agent may not always be the right agent for you. Yes, it’s very important to find a real estate agent who knows the ins and outs of the local market that you’re operating it. Because in Toronto, a real estate market that’s highly fragmented and dynamic, no two neighbourhoods are exactly the same. That’s where local expertise comes in and makes a difference. But, it’s not necessary. A great agent looks at the numbers and data and can quickly learn the ins and outs of a market while you are preparing your home for sale.
But you also need to find an experienced agent or somebody with a real estate team that has a good track record with the type of property you’re interested in dealing with – be it buying or selling. Go through their clients’ testimonials. Don’t be afraid of reaching out to them privately to get some feedback on the agent. You never know which reviews are organic and which are sponsored. It never hurts to do your own due diligence when making a big decision.
Pay some stock to the neighbourhood an agent specializes in but don’t let it cloud what’s really important. An experienced agent can compensate for all the skills of your local real estate agent by analyzing your local market thoroughly. This becomes a lot easier when they are supported by a team of high-performing real estate professionals.