SELLERS:

Who is ComFree?

ComFree started in Winnipeg 11 years ago and we've become the first and only private sale company in North America to take an appreciable amount of market share away from the commissioned agents. We have helped thousands save almost half a billion in needless commission fees.

ComFree represents almost 15% of Winnipeg's resale market and that makes us Winnipeg's largest real estate office. But, our biggest impact has been in Edmonton. We launched in the vibrant, fast-growing Alberta capital just five years ago and now command more than a third of that market. We're the largest real estate company in Edmonton and that's a North American first for a private sale company.

We are North America's only private sale company that has been able to find a winning and proven formula that creates an efficient, low-cost marketplace. This marketplace works because we offer a variety of services that caters to sellers and also to buyers.

Our marketplace provides sellers with a variety of services that help you sell your home quickly and painlessly. Services include an initial visit to your home to gather your home's information, a second visit to your home to provide you with training on how to sell privately, professional lawn and directional signs, an optional Landcor market evaluation to help you set your price, advertising on our website, an ad in our glossy magazine, and eight-page Buyer's Guides that showcase your home and provide your buyer with direction on how to submit an offer to you. All this for one full year and for one low price…no hidden fees!

Our marketplace also provides buyers with a variety of services. Part of our successful formula is recognizing that buyers need as much support and help as sellers. Our services for buyers include professional assistance with offer preparation, a glossy magazine that is distributed to more than 300 Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island locations, instant e-mail notification when homes meeting their criteria are listed, 24-hour telephone property features on your home, an easy to use net site with a variety of house-hunting tools and an open invitation to phone ComFree for support - 7 days a week.

In addition to assisting in the house-hunting process, ComFree also explains to the buyer how to submit an offer. The Buyer's Guide provides the buyer information on how to submit an offer and information for the buyer's legal professional to make drafting the offer quick and easy. In short, we make house-hunting and the offer submission process efficient and painless for the buyer.

So, who is ComFree? We are the best solution for selling privately - for sellers and buyers.

What does "ComFree" stand for?

ComFree stands literally for "Commission-Free." So when a house sells through ComFree, the owners puts all the money from the sale into their own pocket rather than pay the high cost of a commissioned real estate agent.

But ComFree also stands for other things: First, it's an intelligent system that empowers you, the homeowner. Through education about how the real estate system actually works, ComFree frees you to act in your own best interest and to keep all of the equity you've built up in your home. Knowledge is power. Agents do everything they can to make you afraid of the process so you'll feel compelled to use them. ComFree has trained thousands of homeowners just like you to acquire confidence through knowledge. Once you've sold through ComFree, you'll never go back.

Second, ComFree is also a powerful advertising medium that is far more efficient than the agents' listing system. At far less cost to you, ComFree has created an alternative market for homes in Vancouver and the surrounding area. No one can know this housing market without also checking the ComFree marketplace. Thousands of ComFree clients have paid less than a tenth as much to succeed in selling their home as those who've used the agent's high-priced marketplace. That's efficiency.

So ComFree really stands for empowering you through knowledge to control and keep all of your equity.

What is the process to get my home listed on ComFree?

Call our office 7-days a week to have any of your questions answered. Once you have decided to list with ComFree, a consultant will be sent to the home to take room dimensions and note features of each room in the home. We will then do a detailed write-up, create your web page, print your highlight sheets and install your sign on the front lawn. Please allow 2 to 3 business days to get all this set up. Then you will be visited by your consultant a second time to go over the finished product; including your highlight sheets, signs and offer to purchase form.

And then your consultant will give you a training session on how to show your home, how to deal with agents and what to do when offers come in. You'll know what will happen, what to do when it does and when to call us or your lawyer. Your home will then be published in the next edition of the ComFree Magazine and in every issue for up to a year thereafter or until your home is SOLD.

What do I need to do before a ComFree consultant comes to my home?

There are just two simple things that you need to prepare for before a ComFree consultant visits your home for the first time.

First, our consultant will be taking interior and exterior photos when you initially meet, so please prepare your home accordingly.

Secondly, you'll also need to have some information ready such as: your lawyer/notary contact information, your home's PID#, and the cost of your home's yearly property taxes, monthly strata fee, and monthly heating bill.

When is payment due?

Payment is due upon the first appointment. All of our work is done upfront and so payment is taken upfront. Your advertising is then good until your home sells, up to one year. But remember, any home that takes a year to sell is simply priced too high.

Should I be informing my lawyer/notary that I'm selling my home privately?

Yes. Before you commit to your lawyer/notary you should always inform them that you are going to be selling privately and ask what their fee structure for private sellers is and what it includes.

Additionally, since we recommend that you have your lawyer/notary view the offer prior to signing. You should know if your legal professional will be available to view the offer in a timely fashion, and if viewing the offer is included in their stated fees or if there will be an additional fee.

Why should I sell through ComFree rather than through a real estate agent?

In the past, it typically was difficult to market a home privately because there was no method of on-going exposure, so an agent was the popular choice.

Now, ComFree has developed a system for selling a home that has achieved success that remains unmatched for efficiency and effectiveness by any other system or service, including the agent's listing service. Selling your home privately has numerous advantages; the most obvious is that you do not have to pay the high cost of a commissioned real estate agent.

Our office has even received calls from people who tell us they have a family member who is an agent and even they recommended they use ComFree. Now that's a testimonial that can't be beaten!

Agents say they can get a higher price for my home. Is this true?

If this statement were true, then ComFree wouldn't be in business, let alone growing. If homes always sell for more through a real estate agent, why would anyone want to buy through one? This would mean that if you use an agent to buy a home, you'd always pay more for the home than it's worth. The bottom line is, a home is only worth what the market is willing to pay for it, whether it is sold through ComFree or any other service. You can't argue with the marketplace, and that goes for agents, too.

How fast are homes selling through ComFree?

This number changes depending on the time of year. In the busy months of spring and summer when more buyers usually look, this number is typically lower, while in the calmer winter months the average days on market may rise. But a home priced close to what the marketplace believes is fair value will always sell much faster than an over-priced home, which will never sell until it's no longer considered over-priced.

What is the Success Rate for homes listed with ComFree?

The majority of homes listed with ComFree sell through ComFree.

How do I know what to ask for my home? Does ComFree offer Evaluations?

While ComFree does not do evaluations, our basic package will provide most of you with an electronic Home Market Evaluation prepared by Landcor™ to help you set your asking price. This Landcor™ report includes: 1) A detailed Description of your Property, 2) A detailed Sales History of your Property 3) Ten of the most Recent Sales in your Neighborhood, 4) Three Direct Comparable Sales to your Home, 5) and The Current Market Value of your Home.

Landcor™ offers the most reliable real estate information in British Columbia because of its long-term relationship with the British Columbia Assessment Authority (the provincial Crown corporation that assesses all properties in the province for taxation purposes). That guarantees access to a wide range of real estate data and sales transactions for the entire province.

Everyone has heard of agents offering free Market Evaluations. Don't mistake this for an "appraisal". Please remember that most agents are not licensed appraisers. Agents may offer "free evaluations" as a secondary service for their primary business of securing a listing. But banks don't recognize an agent's "evaluation."

However, a professional appraiser's primary business is to provide an independent and unbiased market value that is not coloured by the pressures of earning a commission. So, though ComFree is not in the business of evaluating homes, ComFree recognizes the critical importance of your asking price to your success. Price is the only factor you control once your home is up for sale. You have no control over other key criteria such as the location, the number of bedrooms, etc. If your home is over-priced it will not sell, whether through an agent or ComFree.

Most of you already have a pretty good idea of what your home is worth. In addition to the Landcor™ evaluation, comparable homes may also be found on the ComFree website. But if you need further assistance, we recommend you hire a licensed appraiser. There are many advantages to this approach we'd be pleased to discuss with you.

Why should I use ComFree if I can use a low-commission real estate company?

Click here to view the news article: ComFree vs. low-commission agents. Why we're the best choice for homeowners and buyers agents.

BUYERS:

How do I view a home listed with ComFree?

All homes for sale with ComFree are private sales. So, to view a home, you must contact the owner directly at the phone number listed on the ad.

How do I sign up for email notifications for all new ComFree listings?

From the ComFree Vancouver homepage, select "Find a Property"; scroll down to "Advanced Search & Email Notification of New Listings"; select the relevant features you are interested in. Enter your email address and hit search.

How do I make an Offer on a ComFree home?

Making an offer on a ComFree home is easy. Click here for detailed instructions.

What is in an offer to purchase?

Click here for detailed instructions.

I'm thinking of buying a strata property. What do I need to know?

The BC branch of the Canadian Bar Association has a comprehensive article on strata purchases. Click here to view the page.

I'm thinking of buying a strata property. What is the Form B?

Information regarding the Form B can be found here at BC's Financial Institutions Commission (FICOM) website. You can also view a copy of the Form B here