This month we wanted to create some videos for you to help speak to some of the biggest questions we've been getting lately. We're all about the video-making fun. Watch out, Hollywood!

But seriously if you're watching the news or looking at the average media/social media headlines you might believe that everyone is having the same real estate experience, but not so. There's quite a bit of nuance and variety in the world of real estate at the moment.

In this round up we cover how to choose the right agent to sell your home, renting vs. buying, how to pass your real estate exam and how to maximize MLS search tools. Watch all four and new perspectives straight from the pros.

Team lead, Anaïs O’Neil, gives top things to look for when looking for a Realtor to sell your home:

First thing: Ask You, the Seller, Questions!

What is your goal? Depending on your goal(s), a realtor should be able to put together a plan of action to meet the goal to get the most amount of money for your home. Start by getting a home valuation report.

Second: Coordinate Deferred Maintenance

Deferred maintenance can help make the sale of your house in Victoria and Vancouver Island much more accessible. From cleaning gutters to fixing holes in the wall, your Realtor can help coordinate the trades to get it done hassle-free. You shouldn’’t have to worry about all the details, and still have your home look good. Learn more about what Kiteke can offer for pre-listing services.

Realtor extraordinaire, Amber Rozon, takes us through the top three tips to study for your Realtor course and exam.

First tip: Figure out your study style and stick to it!

Second tip: Don’t swim alone. Find an accountability partner that will hold you accountable.

Third tip: Book your exam ahead of time so that you keep the information fresh. Pick a date, create a study schedule and crush that exam!

Any questions on how to choose a brokerage or want some tips about the exam? Amber is your agent!

Want to learn how to search for a home in MLS? Brent Gleason takes us through how to customize your search in MLS and get the home you want! Watch the step-by-step guide to customize your search and get the listings to your inbox. As you go through properties, you can save your listings as a possibility or set them as your favourite for both you and your realtor to know and act on.

Thinking of buying a home? Search all homes in the MLS.

Renting vs. Buying

John from the Daily Hustle talks about the difference between renting vs. buying. It’s often assumed, if you can purchase a home with a mortgage payment that’s equal to or less than what you would otherwise pay in rent, then homeownership is the way to go. Unfortunately, this is a mathematically flawed way to think about it. While it’s admittedly easy to come up with the numbers, they don’t offer a meaningful, apples-to-apples comparison. John talks about the 5% rule and the unrecoverable costs of renting vs. buying.

So what are a homeowner’s actual unrecoverable costs? There are three of them:

1. Property taxes

2. Maintenance costs

3. Cost of capital (mortgage interest + opportunity costs)

Watch the video to learn more about making the decision to buy or rent!