Useful information first. The conversation only if you want it.
I am a working Realtor, not a faceless lead-generation company. I built the Home Value Opinion because I wanted homeowners to understand their property before anyone treated them like the next name on a call list.
I wanted a better first step for homeowners and Realtors.
“The goal is not to manufacture leads. It is to create a better first conversation.”
That idea is behind the Home Value Opinion and the way Realtor introductions are handled.
I have never liked cold calling, and I do not think most homeowners particularly enjoy receiving one.
I also never liked the idea that somebody should enter their information online simply because they wanted to understand their home — and instantly become somebody's sales target.
So I built the process differently.
Get useful information first. Decide afterward whether you want a conversation with a Realtor.
And when a homeowner does ask for help, make the introduction properly so both people know why the conversation is happening.
An address tells us a lot. It does not tell us everything.
Most online estimates begin with public information about the property. That information matters, but it cannot reliably see how the home has been maintained, renovated or changed over time.
My approach asks the homeowner about those things first. After the report is requested, the property and surrounding market are researched to establish a practical range.
The homeowner's answers then help determine where that particular home belongs within the market framework.
Imagine 1,000 identical homes.
On the day they were built, they may have been virtually the same.
Fifteen years later, some have new kitchens, bathrooms and major systems. Some have beautiful outdoor spaces. Some have been meticulously maintained. Others remain almost completely original.
Their addresses may look similar to a computer. They do not look the same to a buyer standing inside them.
SEE HOW THE HOME VALUE OPINION WORKS →No blind cold call. A proper introduction.
Completing a Home Value Opinion does not automatically mean somebody starts calling you.
At the end, you decide whether you would actually like to speak with a Realtor.
If you say yes, the goal is to make the first conversation more comfortable for both sides.
You know who will be contacting you, and the participating Realtor receives useful property context before reaching out.
That is a much better starting point than giving an agent a name and telephone number and telling them to start cold calling.
Language should not make a real estate decision harder than it already is.
The system is being designed with ESL homeowners in mind.
My goal is for homeowners who are more comfortable reading another language to be able to receive their Home Value Opinion in that preferred language.
When Realtor assistance is requested, the longer-term goal is also to match homeowners, where possible, with participating Realtors who can communicate comfortably in that language.
That can make both the report and the first conversation easier to understand and much more personal.
Sometimes you need information. Sometimes you need a Realtor.
The Home Value Opinion is one starting point. Selling and buying involve much more, and those subjects deserve their own pages.
Thinking about selling?
Value is usually the first question. Then come timing, preparation, pricing, presentation, negotiation and figuring out what today's buyers are actually responding to.
LEARN ABOUT SELLING →Looking for your next home?
Good buying decisions begin before the offer. Neighbourhood, property differences, value, inspection issues and offer strategy all matter.
LEARN ABOUT BUYING →
There is a real Realtor behind the technology.
I am Ken Caldwell, Salesperson with Platinum Lion Realty Inc., Brokerage.
I still work directly with buyers and sellers. I deal with real homes, real negotiations and the same practical problems other working Realtors deal with every day.
The technology is there to make the beginning of the relationship better — not to replace the Realtor.
Sometimes I may be the Realtor involved. In other situations, a participating Realtor may be a better fit because of location, language or the homeowner's particular needs.
Have a question? Contact me directly.
Whether your question is about your home's value, selling, buying or a particular property, you can reach me directly.