Location. Living by the Lake. Location.

According to the National Association of Realtors® 2013 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers:

88 percent of home buyers purchase their homes through real estate agents or brokers

78 percent of home buyers responded that neighborhood quality is more important than the size of the home

57 percent of home buyers would forego a home with a larger yard in favor of a shorter commute

The feature that had the highest-dollar value home buyers were willing to pay more for was a waterfront property 

Understanding the role of the real estate agent was also outlined in a similar survey. These are the duties top-notch real estate agents are expected to deliver: Guide (help narrow your search and identify priorities), Educate (inform you about the local market), Network (awareness of hot listings), Advocate (fiduciary responsibility is to you), Negotiate (offers, counteroffers, and repair requests), Manage Minutia (documents, details, and deadlines), Look Out (for any pitfalls).

 

 

 

For our recent real estate search – Elaine and I were referred to Christian Kirschke, a Licensed Realtor with Coldwell Banker/Horizon Realty. Right off the bat, we hit it off. He educated us on the Kelowna market. He asked the right questions. He dove right in and provided guidance. Onward, Christian soldier.

 

 

 

Truth be told – Elaine and I unexpectedly discovered our waterfront townhouse’s availability on a Saturday afternoon drive. Lickety-split, we enlisted Kirschke to advocate, negotiate, and manage all the impending minutia. He opened, we closed. Done deal. Keys, please.

 

 

Copywriter Jim bought into the MLS process and brokered a deal about what makes Kirschke and those of his ilk tick. He commissioned his responses:

How many years have you been a Realtor…and how did you get into the business?

Licensed in August 2008. Left the Cellular industry with many awards and great clients, eight stores, and about 30-40 staff under me.

Was it difficult for you going through the licensing process….who taught you how to become a Realtor and what words of wisdom did this person pass along?

The process of learning is done through the Sauder Division of UBC. I took the course after leaving my Cellular career. It was a pretty intense course, with a lot of chapters on legal, and many on Mortgage MATH! I quickly realized that I did not have the time to manage eight stores with staff, and learn this new profession. My mentor that sponsored me into Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty was a Kelowna born-and-raised agent. He retired in 2012. He was an Agent/Broker/Owner since 1967 and still lives here. Great guy. He had many Words of Wisdom – mostly that you need to constantly look out for your client’s best interests, watch your money (being an AGENT is expensive!), and do a good job consistently!

 

 

 

 

What is your #1 favorite thing/aspect about being a Realtor…and why?

This is the tough one, mostly because it sounds like a cliché. The interaction with my clients is what I find the most rewarding. I grew up in Winnipeg. My parents had an RV (trailer/motorhome) Sales and Rental business. We lived on-site. So, I only knew a life of making sure our customers were taken care of. This was in a time of very high interest rates and they were selling a product, which was a “like-to-have”, not a “need-to-have”. I found that my mother and father did such a good job with their comparatively small dealership that we had more referrals and repeat business. We outsold most of the six other RV dealers in the city because of their work ethic. I believe some of it rubbed off on me? I find that the best thing I get out of this is the knowledge that I have either found a Buyer their very next HOME, or a Seller – I have taken the stress of selling away from them so they can move on with their life plans.

 

 

How has the Real Estate business in Kelowna changed over your career…..what is easier and what is more difficult?

During my seven-year career, I have seen a variety of interesting changes. Mostly technology, and how we do our day-to-day work. I find that technology has been of great benefit, especially in connecting and conducting business with new clients. The fact that we can do what we do and stay connected with each other fascinates me. Long gone are the days of responding to e-mails in days, it’s more like hours. We have texting and signing of contracts electronically. The flip-side is that I can see the art of conversation being lost. I am fully aware that a face-to-face meeting is best. Text or e-mails can be misread or mistyped!

 

 

Is location, location, location still the mantra in real estate, especially in Kelowna, and why?

Yes – Simple, the closer to the downtown, the more attractive to the market that adheres to the ‘Walkability factor’. Walkability factor is very important to the growing number of Buyers/Sellers that wish to be close to Kelowna’s downtown core. That includes the restaurants, retail, museums, City Park, Prospera Place, and more. The downtown corridor is experiencing quite the resurgence.

 

 

 

 

What is the #1 misconception, in your opinion, of Realtors and the job they are hired to do?

It has been my experience that unfortunately the general public has no idea what we do for our clients. Perhaps that is the responsibility of Agents to educate them. I think that some clients today still think we have a salary on top of the commission that we may or may not receive. Most great Agents work very hard for what they do and really care a lot about their work for the clients. We worry as much or even more about all the little things, because there are many that can go sideways – fast! The reward really for me (and I’m sure others) is a happy client at the end. The commission is great, don’t get me wrong. But the good Agents do not count that as the real goal. The passion for the work is what it’s all about!

 

 

What is the #1 responsibility, in your opinion, the Realtor has to the home buyer….same question for the home seller?

Fiduciary duty. Keeping the client’s needs ahead of personal needs. Period.

 

 

Can you tell us, in all your years, about a crazy (buyer or seller) experience you have had on the job when you drove home shaking your head?

There are many. In fact, there are experiences that amaze even the most leather-tough Agents. I think that things that can make a situation go sideways is the lack of preparation/communication ahead of possible issues. The world of Real Estate has many things that Agents have to look out for, for their clients.

 

Can you tell us, in all your years, about the house in the WORST condition (inside or outside) you ever walked into?

Worst home I have ever been in had to be this Un-Remediated Grow-Op that a bank had to foreclose on. This one was so bad that it was basically a knock-down property, with the intent to build a new dwelling from scratch. The drywall on the walls was falling off. I’m sure the home had been extremely wet for some time. When we get foreclosures to List, it can be a gamble to just walk-in for the first time!

 

 

Can you tell us, in all your years, about the WORST customer experience (no names) you ever had?

I’ve only ever had to walk away from a client once so far. We had a difference of opinion on what was legal or acceptable. Our Working With a REALTOR® form explicitly shows that should a client ask an Agent to do something illegal, it’s best just to end the relationship.

 

 

 

Are Realtors a feisty bunch……….explain?

Most Agents are Type-A personalities. I would say 95 percent of my dealings with other Agents are very professional in nature. Of the five percent that are not, perhaps only one time per year would I find it a real struggle to make a deal happen for my clients.

 

 

What are your hobbies away from the buying-and-selling chess match?

Hobbies? REAL ESTATE is my hobby! Just ask my wife. I talk about it ALL the time! LOL.

Other things that keep me busy, for fun, are my two motorbikes. One is a street bike, my father’s BMW R1150R. He passed away in 2010, leaving it to me. I also have a recently purchased a Dual-Sport Yamaha WR250 street-legal dirt bike. I love riding with my buddies. We do two rides per year – one street ride and one dirt ride. With my wife and her two children, we participate in a lot of outdoor activities together. All this leaves little opportunity to take on other hobbies, unless if/when we get tired of what we already do! Golfing, camping, and hiking are very available in the summer, with the occasional weekend up at Big White Ski Resort in the winter.