What's the difference between Realtors?

You may be very surprised to find that out of 66.000 Realtors that belong to the Toronto Real Estate Board - there are some shocking differences between them?  Here are 5 differences that will help you make the right choice when the time comes to make a real estate transaction!   Counting down from five to one:


5.  Geographic or Property expertise - many Realtors specialize in a geographical region, giving them deep knowledge on the benefits of the area as well as the real estate market - right down to what streets are better!  Similarly, there are Realtors that specialize in a type of property whether it is pre-construction developments, commercial properties, cottages or downtown condos.   When you interview your realtor, it's important to make sure they have experience where you need it - you may be shocked that this is that part of our professional regulations and ethics is a requirements! 

4.  Their brokerage - all Realtors must belong to a brokerage - my brokerage is Keller Williams.  You may be surprised to find not all Real Estate Brokerages are created equally!  There are limited fee brokerages where sellers can just post on MLS for sale, full service brokerages (like Keller Williams or Re/Max) and discount brokerages that charge low fees and attract a lot of part-time Realtors.   You may want to ask some questions about the company they belong to and why they chose that brokerage when selecting an agent! 

3.  Experience - with over 58,000 Realtors in the GTA, you may be surprised to learn over 80% of them do only 1-2 transactions a year.  Very few do more than 10.   If you choose an active, high-producing agent you will get the benefit of their expertise to predict and get ahead of any problems that might arise.  A wise move, since a real estate purchase is likely to be one of your most expensive & important decisions! 

2.  Specialty designations - Did you know that Real Estate agents can get specialty designations?  In my opinion, the best agents are always training!  For example, I have two specialty designations for dealing with Senior issues related to Real Estate as well as 3 specialty designations for Negotiation!

1.  Negotiation Training - Top negotiators are trained - why shouldn't you expect your Realtor to have the same?   Not only have I studied many negotiation books authored by experts like Chris Voss, I have my Masters Certificate in Real Estate Negotiation.  Make sure your Realtor has specialty training to help you achieve your goals!


Call me to learn more at 416-562-5002! 


Sep 09, 2021

Recent Blog Posts

Oct 29, 2026

Have you ever heard of a DiSC personality test?  Well this blog post is for all the high D's out there (read below for what this means)


My head was crunching numbers this week, especially given the interest rate hike of .25% yesterday & the election this week - with a promise to lift the land transfer tax.  What would all this mean for real estate in Scarborough?  So I thought I'd start out at the beginning and look at what's happening this year.  My objective is to look at the following data:

  1. How much has the median price changed vs. this time last year
  2. Current inflation rate
  3. How much are sales numbers up or down? (West Hill is a surprise)
  4. How many years does it take for house prices to double in south east Scarborough? 

Inflation rate with fuel: 3.1%  Without: 2%

What does this mean? BOC wants to hold inflation to 2%  Everythings expensive, now mortgage rates got more expensive; about $40-$50 per $500,000 per month

Change in Median Home Sale Prices south east Scarborough vs. Toronto 2026

 

Toronto1,230,0001,200,000-30,000-2.44
Centennial Scarborough1,100,0021,077,500-22,502-2.05
West Rouge1,100,0021,020,000-80,002-7.27
West Hill900,000830,000-70,000-7.78


What does this mean: house prices have dropped since 2025 same time frame.  Centennial follows the rest of Toronto, West Hill has the biggest swing.  But surprisingly West Hill has had an increase in sales - I guess the large price drop creates great value for buyers. 

Change in number of home sales south east Scarborough vs. Toronto 2026


Freehold HomesNumber of Sales 2025 2026 YTD 
Toronto9,4719,279
Centennial Scarborough9580
West Rouge8042
West Hill94107


What does this mean:  reflective of what I'm feeling right now - a slowdown in sales.  West Hill sale prices have dropped to be very attractive to buyers especially in that below $830,000 price range.  


How long does it take home prices to double in south east Scarborough?

This is a stat that came up in a meeting the other day - that house prices in Toronto double every 10 years - I think they mean freehold.  In southeast Scarborough here's when house prices have doubled: 

Centennial, Scarborough - doubled since 2012 (14 years)

West Rouge, Scarborough - doubled since 2015 (11 years) 

West Hill, Scarborough - doubled since 2016 (13 years) 

What is a DiSC personality test? 

A DiSC assessment is a behavioral assessment tool used to improve communication, leadership, and team performance by identifying four primary personality styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. Organizations worldwide use DiSC to develop stronger leaders, improve workplace communication, and build more effective teams.  A high "D" personality wants quick, fact-based answers (think CEO)

Interested in other real estate statistics for Scarborough?  Check out my other blog posts! 




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Oct 16, 2026

Home stage to sell it doesn’t mean you have to make your home feel like it’s not yours anymore!  

I firmly believe Home staging help sell a house, especially in this market, we’re in right now where it’s quite unpredictable.  

Owners still live in many of the homes that I stage; some people have a BIG resistance to staging; here are some of their most common concernts:

  • house won’t feel like their own anymore 
  • we have to remove all the furniture and replace it
  • they will have to pay for it
  • when they bought the house, it wasn't staged so why do they have to do it now? 

So why do we stage homes to sell - here are 10 of the most common reasons staging works?

  1. Sometimes the rooms are empty and needs furniture to show buyers how the space is to be used 
  2. Buyer's can't visualize what furniture will fit in an empty room
  3. The space is cluttered so staging & re-arranging the furniture will show off the space to its best
  4. Staging helps de-personalize a property to sell so that it appeals to today’s current buyers. 
  5. Removing your personal effects to stage protects your privacy
  6. Staged homes look better in pictures
  7. Neutral decor appeals to the most buyers possible
  8. A staged home looks move-in ready
  9. Staging a home can help appeal to the target buyer (think replacing a home office with a nursery, or creating a teen hang out in the basement)
  10. A staged home helps you compete with other homes that aren't staged

A lot of times it just looks like your house, but better!  


Take a look at these recent home staging transformations and let me know which is your favourite!  Curious if your home will benefit from home staging?  Call me at 416-562-5002



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