I never truly understood the value of working with a local realtor until I moved to the Muskoka area. Many of us are tempted to work with an agent we know or have previously transacted with from our current town. However here a few, ok, more than a few reasons why its best to work with an agent from the area:

They Know the Community

Ontario’s cottage country is made up of various smaller communities, each with their own nuances. Yes, you can Google till the cows come home about what differentiates Lake of Bays from Milford Bay, but nothing is better than learning from a realtor who is part of the community, what’s it really like to live in Muskoka. If you are looking for a waterfront property, you should really work with an agent that lives on the water themselves, like me! I live on Lake Muskoka all year long so I can share my first hand knowledge about lake life. Life on the Big 3 is everything you think it is, if you know, you know!

They can help answer random questions for you like, Where can I get a good beer? Who is going to cut my hair? Or more importantly, my dog’s hair?

They Know the Other Agents

It’s important to work with an agent who is well known and respected in the local area. They will be very familiar with the local negotiation customs, timing, deposits requirements etc. which goes a long way towards ensuring that the transaction goes smoothly and that you get the best price during the negotiation process.

They Know Local Home Service Professionals

Owning a cottage is a lot easier when you have a list of professionals and tradespeople that can help take care of your property while you’re away. Using a local agent means that they have their own network (tradespeople who actually show up and are reliable!) to help you out. Or as I often say, “Don’t worry I know a guy….”.

They Know the Market

Local agents can see what homes are available ASAP. This can make all the difference in timing when you are trying to find the right property for you.

Early bird gets the worm!

As well, local agents have access to historical pricing data so they can help you make informed decisions that will impact how much your property is worth or how much you should offer. Local agents also have access to secret/pocket listings that aren’t yet on the market or may not even make it onto the world wide web before they are sold!!

They are Present

A local agent is LOCAL. Meaning they can view properties ASAP on your behalf to see if its worth the 2+ hour drive for you to come up on the weekend and see the property for yourself.

You will save a lot of time and stress working with someone who is in the area all the time and can be your body double in the 705.

They Know Rural Real Estate!!

Sorry but this last point is SO true. Of course, there is a rural residential component to every agent’s schooling. But if your agent has never owned a septic tank, doesn’t know how to interpret a water well test or can’t read a survey, they shouldn’t be advising you on such a major decision.

There are a lot of issues that may arise in rural areas that a local agent will understand and be able to help you with.