Richard Harknett

A Homeowner's Guide

9 Questions Every Homeowner Should Ask
Before Hiring a REALTOR®

With more than 150,000 licensed real estate professionals across Canada, choosing the right REALTOR® can be difficult.

The difference between an average result and an exceptional result often comes down to the questions you ask before signing a listing agreement.

These are nine questions every homeowner should ask before deciding who will market and sell their home.

Explore the Questions Talk to Richard

The Questions

Click each question to explore
why it matters and how it's answered.

  1. Why it matters

    Most homes sell because buyers become aware they exist. Exposure creates interest. Interest creates showings. Showings create offers.

    Richard's Approach

    Every listing begins with a customized marketing strategy built around the property itself, not a one-size-fits-all template. The plan combines professional photography and video, a dedicated property website, MLS distribution, targeted digital advertising, social media exposure, and community-level promotion.

    The goal is simple. Put your home in front of the largest qualified audience possible, in the highest quality presentation possible, on every platform where today's buyers actually look.

  2. Why it matters

    The property should always be the focus of the campaign. When marketing is centered on the agent instead of the home, buyers tune out.

    Richard's Approach

    Your home's story takes center stage. Its features, lifestyle, location, light, layout, and the experience of living there. The marketing leads with the property and lets the work speak for itself.

    Branding stays understated and intentional. Buyers should remember the home, not the agent's logo.

  3. Why it matters

    Modern buyers expect immediate access to information. The faster they can explore a home, the more likely they are to engage.

    Richard's Approach

    • Dedicated property websites
    • Custom domains for each listing
    • Lead-capture systems
    • QR codes on signage and print
    • Property-specific branding
    • Direct buyer communication

  4. Why it matters

    Buyers purchase more than a home. They purchase a lifestyle. Schools, walkability, parks, restaurants, and the rhythm of the neighbourhood.

    Richard's Approach

    Every listing presentation highlights what makes the surrounding community worth living in: schools, pathways, parks, amenities, recreation, shopping, commuting, and the local lifestyle that drew you to the home in the first place.

    That context helps buyers see themselves living there, not just touring a floor plan.

  5. Why it matters

    Not every qualified buyer is actively searching online. Thoughtful local touchpoints reach people who would otherwise miss the listing.

    Richard's Approach

    Print and local marketing play a strategic supporting role. Well-designed feature sheets, targeted neighbourhood mailers, and presence at the right local touchpoints. These pieces are crafted to match the quality of the digital campaign.

    Digital marketing remains the primary engine of exposure, but the local layer reinforces it and reaches buyers who are paying attention to the neighbourhood itself.

  6. Why it matters

    Many buyers move within the same neighbourhood, or have friends and family interested in the area. Community awareness multiplies exposure quickly.

    Richard's Approach

    Awareness is built through a blend of local outreach, neighbour-focused communication, social sharing, targeted digital ads scoped to the surrounding area, and direct community engagement.

    The result. People who already love the neighbourhood become advocates for the listing.

  7. Why it matters

    MLS is one piece of the puzzle. The strongest results come from a coordinated digital strategy that reaches buyers wherever they actually spend their time.

    Richard's Approach

    Social media campaigns
    Meta advertising
    Retargeting
    Google advertising
    Dedicated property websites
    Video marketing
    Content marketing

    Each channel works together. Discovery, re-engagement, storytelling, and conversion. Qualified buyers see the home multiple times across the platforms they already use.

  8. Why it matters

    Incorrect pricing can cost sellers time and money. Overpriced homes sit. Underpriced homes leave value behind.

    Richard's Approach

    Pricing is a discipline. Every recommendation is built on:

    • Comparative market analysis
    • Local market knowledge
    • Current competition
    • Market conditions
    • Buyer behaviour

    The goal is a price that attracts strong buyer attention in the first two weeks, the window when a listing receives the most exposure.

  9. Why it matters

    Competition drives value. When more than one qualified buyer wants the same home, the seller's position improves significantly.

    Richard's Approach

    Multiple offers are never guaranteed, but the conditions that make them more likely are built on purpose. Strategic pricing, broad marketing exposure, polished presentation, and a coordinated launch all work together to concentrate buyer interest into a defined window.

    When buyers see a well-presented home, priced thoughtfully, marketed everywhere they look, demand tends to follow.

The Process

How Modern Real Estate
Marketing Works

Hover or tap any step to see the strategy behind it.

  1. Step 01

    Professional Preparation

    Walk-through, staging guidance, and prep so the home shows at its best on day one.

    Foundation step
  2. Step 02

    Photography & Video

    Professional photography and cinematic video capture the home's true character.

    See question 01
  3. Step 03

    Dedicated Property Website

    A custom site and domain give buyers instant, immersive access to the listing.

    See question 03
  4. Step 04

    MLS Exposure

    Polished MLS placement so the listing performs across every agent and consumer portal.

    See question 01
  5. Step 05

    Digital Advertising

    Paid campaigns on Meta and Google put the home in front of qualified buyers fast.

    See question 07
  6. Step 06

    Social Media Distribution

    Organic content and reels build momentum and share the story far beyond MLS.

    See question 07
  7. Step 07

    Buyer Engagement

    Retargeting and lead capture re-engage interested buyers until they take action.

    See question 07
  8. Step 08

    Showings

    Coordinated showings and feedback loops keep the listing momentum building.

    Foundation step
  9. Step 09

    Offers

    Strategic pricing and timing concentrate interest into competitive offer windows.

    See question 09
  10. Step 10

    Successful Sale

    A negotiated outcome that protects your price, terms, and timeline.

    See question 09

Each stage builds on the last. The result is a coordinated launch that puts your home in front of the right buyers at the right time, and gives every showing the best possible chance of becoming an offer.

Next Step

Curious how this would
apply to your home?

Every property deserves a customized strategy. Book a consultation and let's discuss how these principles could be applied to your specific home and goals.

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