About Rod
When you consider what you need a REALTOR for, there are few things that really stand out.
Aside from my 10+ years of experience as a REALTOR, here is what separates me from the 3,000 other REALTORS in the Fraser Valley.
If you are selling:
1. Setting the right price
2. Exposure of your home
3. Negotiating the best price
Number 1 can be done by pretty much any agent in town. You can call up a plethora of agents and as long as they are not trying to “buy your listing” (agreeing to a higher list price than the market dictates to have their sign in your lawn for exposure) you should have a bunch of agents within a few percentage points. This is because we all have access to the same data and are taught pretty much the same way to search for comparables.
What really separates agents is in numbers 2 and 3.
Number 2 – This involves the marketing and exposure of your home. Now, a lot of agents are still putting their clients’ listings in the newspaper (and I will as well, but very rarely). The reason I rarely do this is the real estate newspapers are a thing of the past. Today’s home buyer is savvy. They want instant information, not to wait for a real estate paper to show up at their house once a week with out of date listings and prices. Over 90% of today’s home buyers are going online and searching the internet for home information (these numbers according to the national association of REALTORS). I have specialized in the last 12 years working on the internet marketing side of real estate and currently have the #1 visited real estate website in Abbotsford.
With the number 1 visited real estate website in Abbotsford, my clients homes are receiving more buyer views then the listings of other agents. Couple that with my advanced ability in search engine marketing, usage of virtual tours, high definition photography, high definition videos and your home now has a better chance of selling from day one.
Number 3 – When the first offer does arrive, the ability to negotiate is what will leave you with more of your hard earned dollars in your wallet. What separates me from other agents when it comes to negotiating? My years negotiating contracts with and for the following companies: The Jim Pattison Group, Overwaitea Food Group (Save-On Foods), VersaCold, EV Logistics and the RWU (Retail Wholesale Union). This experience gives me the edge when the time comes to negotiate the best price for you! My contract negotiating skills are unmatched in the real estate industry. So there you have it, I will help you set the right price, make sure your home receives the exposure it deserves and then negotiate the top price when you sell your home!
If you are buying:
1. Finding the right property for you
2. Writing contracts that protect you as the buyer
3. Negotiating the best price for you
Number 1 is again the one common point that most agents can provide. However, my years in the business working with builders, developers, financial institutions, lawyers etc… keeps me in the loop as to where the best deals in town are. Typically however, most agents use the very functional MLXchange program that is very handy and will send you new listings that match criteria provided by you as they become available. These come by way of email (or can be dropped off if you do not use email) and are a lot easier than searching the MLS daily (or in some cases hourly).
With that said, again, I am able to separate myself in helping the buyers find the right home for them by way of the internet. If you were searching for townhomes in Abbotsford between $200,000 and $325,000 let’s say, I have provided today’s home buyer with the most complete Abbotsford MLS search online today. Click the above link and you will be taken to a page that has already been loaded to help you find exactly those townhomes in that price range. These quick searches are updated hourly and are MUCH simpler to use than the MLS. I also offer you the ability to search the entire Abbotsford area using the generic Abbotsford MLS Search. You can save searches and properties for later viewing, email them to friends etc, make notes on specific properties and even be alerted when the price drops!
Number 2 – with the experience mentioned above in my years negotiating contracts with The Jim Pattison Group, Overwaitea Food Group (Save-On Foods), VersaCold, EV Logistics and the RWU (Retail Wholesale Union) etc… I have the ability to write lawyer approved contracts that ensure you are protected 100% of the time. This is key in the industry as more and more agents are being fined and suspended as a lack of integrity tears through the real estate community.
Number 3 – As above, tough negotiations make better negotiators. No REALTOR in this market place has been through the trenches as I have. My methods are proven and refined. I have learned the skills necessary that allow for me to provide you the best opportunity to pay the least for your next home purchase. Sometimes the Seller has an unreasonable expectation for the value of their house and I have yet to figure out a way to negotiate around that, but I am working on it. 
As a result of putting my experience to work, I am able to accomplish the accolades below, but it is my client testimonials I am most proud of. I believe that the amount of testimonials an agent has says a lot about them because people have gone out of their way after a transaction to say nice things about the agent. Here are my client testimonials and below are the accolades as a result of my great client database.
Rod Friesen’s Client Testimonials – Click Here
Awards and Achievements:
- Top 1% of Realtors in the Fraser Valley (2006, 2007)
- Medallion Awards in the Team Category (2006, 2007)
- RE/MAX Executive Awards (2006, 2007)
- Medallion Award Single Agent (2009)
- Abbotsford’s #1 Visited Real Estate Website
