As the real estate market gets hotter and hotter in the Vancouver region, home buyers and sellers are looking for new ways of saving money, "and the system that PropertyGuys.com offers allows for a lower commission than typically demanded of real estate agents," the company explained.
"I'm excited about the PropertyGuys.com franchise opportunity," said Sheila Vessey of Coquitlam, owner of 10 PropertyGuys.com franchises in Metro Vancouver. "I had looked at a number of franchise models for me and this one was head and shoulders above the rest. I look forward to adding additional PropertyGuys.com franchises to my portfolio."
PropertyGuys.com president Ken LeBlanc said, "We have a solid foundation in northern B.C with some very successful franchise owners. Now is the time to build on that success and add some key players in the Lower Mainland."
In addition to Vancouver, PropertyGuys.com has expansion plans for Calgary and parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
LeBlanc also sees an opportunity for PropertyGuys with the opening up of the MLS system. The MLS website, which lists homes for sale across Canada, is run by the Canadian Real Estate Association and was, until recently, the exclusive tool of realtors. Late last year, however, the federal Competition Bureau ratified a new agreement with the association that allows homeowners to pay only for the services they want from their real estate agents. The new agreement means sellers can now pay realtors and other companies like Property Guys a flat rate for an MLS listing, sell their houses themselves and avoid paying for a full line of services from realtors.
A PropertyGuys franchise requires a total investment of $40,000, including an initial franchise fee of at least $30,000.
from Western Investor August 2011
