Steve Caswell
Broker
Realty Executives of Sudbury Ltd.
Half a million dollars. $500,000. A gigantic amount of money. Gone, never to return…..
As 2019 came to a close, our stats report half a million dollars walked out the door in Sudbury. Was this a misfire by city council? Was this a bad bet lost? Was this a scam?
No, this was by consumer choice.
Sudbury, in effect, has a small-town mindset. The sense of community pride and “support your neighbours” is heavily embedded in our city. We often see people shaking their fists at the “big box stores” or “greedy corporations” that take our money for profit. We want the money to stay in Sudbury and support the “little guy”.
Yet, some buyers and sellers in the Sudbury market decided that “shopping local” didn’t fit their needs. They opted to use an out-of-town agent and brokerage to buy or list their property – more than likely as an effort to save a few pennies from these online discount options (which, in most cases, they don’t – that’s a story for another day). So, we want to support local business, but not when it affects our wallet….
Half a million dollars. Think of the size of that. If those people used our great, local Sudbury Realtors®, not only would they probably have had an easier time and maximized their own finances with their buy or sell, that money would’ve also stayed in Sudbury. That money would’ve gone to support local restaurants. That money would’ve gone to support local charities that are important to our community. That money would’ve gone to sponsor local youth sports. That money would’ve gone to local businesses we rely on for our marketing, technology and our business needs. That money would’ve gone back into the community to support the other “little guys”.
Instead of staying in Sudbury and supporting local businesses, that $500,000.00 went elsewhere. It sponsored a kid your kid is playing against in the tournament next weekend in Toronto. It went to a restaurant owner that you’ve never heard of. It went to a Northern Ontario competitor of our local business owners. And, chances are, it won’t ever return.
Think of this, take $20 and put it in your front pocket. Now move it to the other front pocket. Now move it to one of your back pockets. Now move it to your other back pocket. Now move it back to the starting front pocket. Your pants are Sudbury and the pockets are your friends, family and neighbours' businesses. That money moved from business to business to business, but never left town and helped four “pockets” in the process. Now take that $20, place it on the roof of your car, go for a drive and, when you stop, check your pockets….
We, as Realtors®, are all individual small business owners. Our career is our own small business and it’s local. Sure, we can act on behalf of clients to buy or sell real estate anywhere in Ontario, but why would we when every other city, town and area of the province has their own self-employed, hard working Realtors® that know their own area better than we ever will.
Next time you hear of someone telling you how much money they saved, or are considering saving, by biting on some ultra-low, minimal service, online commission deal, think about the impact that “savings” is having to your local community. You never know, telling them to use a local Realtor® and shop local instead might end up putting money back in everyone’s pockets you know, love and support.
We are Sudburians through and through. We're embedded into the local community, know the market and now how to get it done the right way. Before you consider sending your money out of town, contact us at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com so we can show you that you probably won't actually be saving anything and it will have a negative impact on your community. If you're just browsing, be sure to check out all our other great blog topics here, you can search all the MLS™ listings here or just browse are website for great information on buying and selling in Greater Sudbury and surrounding areas.
Contributed by:
Steve Caswell
Cell - 705.561.8767
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other salespersons, staff or affiliates of Realty Executives of Sudbury LTD. Brokerage, Realty Executives International, the Sudbury Real Estate Board, Ontario Real Estate Association, Canadian Real Estate Association or any of their subsidiaries. For any concerns pertaining to the content herein, please contact us immediately at caswellteam@realtyexecutives.com.
