Why Work with an SRES® Agent as a Senior?

Buying or selling a home is usually a difficult decision for anyone. The thought of packing up and moving can be terrifying. For seniors, the process can feel complicated to the point of being overwhelming, and that’s not even considering the emotional impact of leaving behind their beloved home.

When choosing a real estate agent, finding someone who will treat seniors with the extra care and sensitivity they deserve is critical. Luckily, Canada offers a certification process for Realtors® who specialize in working with seniors.

What is the SRES®?

SRES® stands for Seniors Real Estate Specialist. It is an official designation developed by the American National Association of Realtors® to help agents provide exceptional service to clients over 50. SRES® certification is the gold standard in many countries worldwide, including Canada. To qualify, all agents must attend an intensive two-day course which provides an understanding of how to serve senior buyers and sellers best. Once this designation is granted, all agents must stay up-to-date by maintaining an active membership in the SRES® Council.

Information can help ease your worries when buying or selling your home. Our articles below will give you a better understanding of what to expect:

• A Practical Guide to Downsizing
• Etobicoke Real Estate Then and Now
• Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Home in Etobicoke

The Difference an SRES® Designation can Make

For most Canadian seniors, their property is their most valuable asset, making up most of their net worth. They have worked hard for their entire lives to provide a home for their family. They often rely on funds from their house to provide for their retirement or care later in life. The decision to leave their home is often difficult and filled with emotional distress. It’s an entirely different situation than a first-time buyer who is excited about their purchase or even a young couple who is upgrading their first home for something bigger.

With the extensive training received by all SRES® agents, these clients can move forward with confidence.

What SRES® Professionals Do

Real estate transactions are often complex, and conversations with other family members can get heated. Everyone has a strong opinion on what is best for their loved one. An SRES® agent has unique insight and can help all parties involved come to an agreement. Much of the advice will fall under these categories:

• Knowing what homes are available and best suited to adults over 50, while considering the client’s individual needs. Some clients may want to sell and move to a retirement residence. Others want to find a home where they can safely age in place.
• Protecting clients by helping them to spot and avoid the various scams that target vulnerable seniors.

How Thompson Sells Helps Our Clients

Our SRES® designation and years of experience have allowed us to uniquely understand the needs and concerns of moving seniors in the Etobicoke area. As a result, we’ve put together a fully customized and bundled service plan designed to make the transition easier and less stressful. Here are just a few of the things we can help elderly clients with:

• Collaborating with family members who are assisting with the move.
• Complete cleaning and decluttering services. Clients no longer have to worry about what goes where. We handle everything, from deciding what belongings to keep and what to sell, donate, or dispose of.
• Aligning with other professionals who specialize in helping seniors.
• All senior clients get complimentary staging to help sell their homes. Our in-house stager will help bring your home to its full potential so that you get the best possible results from your sale.
• Weekly checkups on all vacant homes to ensure all is well. 

What People are Saying

Finding a Realtor® who can succeed even in this challenging market and who also treats people with endless patience and kindness isn’t easy. That’s why we are committed to being the type of agents we would want for our own loved ones. Here are a few comments from some of our previous clients.

“Thompson Sells was a pleasure to work with as we sold our home during a very uncertain time in the market. We really appreciated their professional, responsive and end-to-end management of the team that decluttered, staged, painted, and cleaned our house and their extensive marketing efforts. They offered strategic, calm and patient advice throughout the process and a lot of experience in our neighbourhood. Our house sold within a couple of days, which was a relief when many properties were sitting for weeks. Would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking to sell or buy a home in Sunnylea.”–Les Chaiet

“Thompson Sells were excellent Realtors® to deal with throughout the sale and purchase of our houses. They were patient as we struggled with the decision to sell the home in which we raised our children for 20 years. When we finally decided to sell, they were responsive and helped us through every step in the process right up until the close of our new home and beyond. They’re the only ones we’ll call when it comes time for us to sell/buy again.”–Jennifer Desroches

“We couldn’t even begin to put into words how grateful we are to the Thompson Sells team! We enlisted their services to sell an elderly family member’s home, and they handled the whole process with such care & professionalism. They were honest and knowledgeable, always communicating with us every step of the way so that we were never in the dark. Our sale was like nothing we’ve experienced before due to a few unforeseen circumstances that arose from the buyer’s side during the process. The team was quick to resolve any issues and explain our options in detail so that we could make decisions with ease and confidence. We are so pleased with the sale and how the entire process unfolded. They took much of the stress out of the experience and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend their services to anyone.”–Cathy & Tom

Do you have questions about our SRES® services in the Etobicoke area? We are happy to help you in any way we can. Reach out to us today by email or call 416-450-5900 for a friendly chat with no obligation.