Dear Montrealers, so far in the 2013 fall season we have been blessed with the warm summer days we did not receive between June and September. Now we are beginning the month of October and we have had some cooler days, some wet ones, and some perfect ones. The wet ones usually keep people inside during Open Houses; the cooler and perfect ones will usually result in decent to good turnouts due to people going out for casual walks in the afternoon.

These may be curious neighbors coming to visit, I always let my sellers know beforehand that this may and probably will happen. This is not a bad thing. Imagine if you love your community and saw a nice house for sale in it, not only would you be tempted to tell your friends about it, but you now also have the opportunity to choose your neighbors. It’s all about getting the word out, promoting, and networking. If you come and visit me during my Open Houses, I may even be offering some warm beverages during your visit.

During a conversation with some potential clients of mine a couple weeks ago, one of them looked at me and said, “We know all about real estate brokers, it’s always about the money”. I agreed with them and explained that Real Estate IS in fact all about the money. My clients who are selling their homes trust me to get the most for their properties, clients who are looking to buy a home are trusting me to find them the best home to invest their money short or long term. And then there’s me, the services I offer come with a price, I value my work and efforts I put into helping each of my clients on a personalized an individual level. So to make a long story short I received a phone call a few days later and they have agreed to have me represent them and their endeavors.

Westmount

This month, in my in depth analysis, let’s look at the Westmount Market and how it compares with previous years. With over 160 properties for sale at the moment, representing almost twice the number we had at this time in previous years. The message is clear, inventory is at a high, giving buyers much more to choose from and sellers more competition. Average selling price is down by 6.5%, and we have almost 20% fewer homes sold at this time compared to previous years.

As I predicted in the end of 2012, this year to date has been dominant buyer’s market in our great city. Most communities have similar results as Westmount. We should not expect a drastic change in the market; it has been changing for the past 12 months now. An average of about 25% of homes sell during the fall market, so there is time for correction. The market will remain active into December, then it will slow down and resume in February.

Thank you very much for reading my column, I look forward to hearing from you with your inquiries and I am available to anyone who is looking to buy, sell, or rent.