Who are the real estate professionals?

Buying or selling a home is a wonderful venture, but it requires a little help along the way. There are several industry professionals who will help make sure your real estate project is a success.

Between your first visit and moving day, or between putting your property up for sale and signing the papers with the notary, you may deal with a range of real estate professionals. Who are they and what do they do? 

The chartered appraiser

Setting your price is a crucial step in selling a home. The chartered appraiser’s job is precisely to establish the market value of a property. To do this, chartered appraisers will consider the property’s characteristics and the state of the market in a given area. Unlike real estate brokers, chartered appraisers have no financial stake in the transaction, making them impartial. In fact, these pros will assess the general state and value of a building with a truly unbiased gaze. 

Given the importance of this step in selling a property, DuProprio counts on its team of appraisers to help owners who want to set a fair and justified price.

The real estate coach

Successfully selling a home starts with a good price, but this must be followed up with solid marketing. Sales strategies hold no secrets for the real estate coaches at DuProprio. Thanks to their experience, owners have access to all the useful tips they need to confidently carry out their sale.

The building inspector

This professional creates a detailed picture of the state of a home, including its components and systems, like the structure, exterior envelope, electricity, plumbing and heating. The inspection will also target the priority work needed to restore the property.

Buyers generally call on these pros after submitting an offer to purchase that’s conditional on passing an inspection. Sellers may also use the services of a building inspector to get a clear picture of a property’s state before putting it up for sale.

The notary

In Quebec, a meeting with a notary is a compulsory step in officialising the purchase or sale of a home. Basically, this pro’s role is to do a title search and to record the transaction with the land registry office. The notary can also revise an offer to purchase to ensure it accurately reflects the agreement between the buyer and the seller. The notary fees are generally paid by the buyer.

The land surveyor

This is the only professional entitled to precisely establish a property’s limits, prepare a certificate of localisation and provide the notary with the information needed to prepare a property title. A certificate of localisation continues to be valid as long as it accurately reflects the current state of the building, for up to a maximum of 10 years. When a buyer is unsure, we suggest they get the document checked by the notary as soon as possible.  

The mortgage broker 

Buying a home means asking for a mortgage. You can do this directly with your bank or to go through a mortgage broker. Mortgage brokers manage the future owner’s file until the end of the transaction. They handle everything from calculating the buyer’s borrowing capacity to negotiating a loan with the best interest rate and conditions available. Mortgage brokers can also give buyers a mortgage prequalification that guarantees a rate and conditions for a set timeframe. 

The general contractor

Does a property need some larger-scale work to prepare it for selling? Or do you want to get it just right before you move in? If you don’t feel like managing a construction site, you can hire a general contractor. Contractors will gather the plans and specifications, prepare a detailed cost estimate, organize the work site, make sure the deadlines are met and supervise the quality of the work.  

Generally, all the pros described above will offer their services to either buyers or sellers. The notary must necessarily work with both. However, the inspector and mortgage broker are most often hired by buyers, while appraisers and real estate coaches more often work with sellers.

In fact, property sellers have access to these two types of pros when they choose to sell with the help of DuProprio. Plus, until their property sells, they can also benefit from the advice of a team of notaries, who will answer their questions about legal documents and about the real estate transaction.