Quebec property owners want to entrust their home projects to reliable professionals. This was shown in the Protégez-vous survey on real estate brokers (Enquête de satisfaction sur les courtiers immobiliers), the Ad Hoc Research survey on the experience of selling real estate, commissioned by EspaceProprio, and a whole array of other surveys. Working with trusted people, getting personalized guidance and seeking satisfactory results are especially valued in a setting in which public opinion about experts’ reputation can be shaken.
It is increasingly difficult to ignore the far-from-rosy stories that have made the news in Quebec’s construction, renovation and real estate brokerage industries in recent years.
This has caused more Quebecers to turn toward services that provide turnkey support and referrals.
The 3 things people find most important for their home projects
Owners want their real estate projects to go well. The reason for that is clear: it involves strong emotions and high financial stakes. For that reason, they want the guidance of reliable experts who can deliver sound advice.
“People are looking for support in these important transactions that only occur a few times in a lifetime, says Mikaël Leclaire, real estate coach at DuProprio. We have to serve as a reference for those who want help and we have a duty to guide them transparently to the resource people who will best meet their needs.”
What are the expectations when people are about to start a project?
1. Being referred to people they can trust
It can be difficult to find real estate or renovation professionals that are competent, transparent and committed to customer satisfaction. Property owners want partners who do more than just deliver a service. They want allies to bring their projects to life.
To do this, they want quality referrals. In their view, a referral is worth must more than a clever ad. According to a renovation intentions survey commissioned by the APCHQ and RenoAssistance, word of mouth is still the most widespread way of finding licenced construction contractors (48%).1 That’s almost twice as much as Google searches (25%).1
“Many property owners want to find a new contractor, whether because it’s their first time doing renovations, because a previous contact is no longer working or because they had a bad experience, explains RenoAssistance ambassador Marilena Tricarico. Some simply don’t have the time to do the research and, in many cases, don’t know where to turn to get quality work.”
Overall reputation has a significant impact on owners’ final choice1 of a licenced contractor (61%) or a real estate broker (55%).2 However, in many cases, reputation alone isn’t enough to reassure customers.
“Very often, people don’t know where to start to find a broker, clarifies Mathieu Savard, executive officer of the Confia real estate agency. They want to be heard and they want support in getting prepared before they make a choice. These are critical steps because they start the process off on solid footing instead of just choosing a name or face they saw on a sign.”
So, homeowners want recommendations and referrals, but not just for professionals who have been successful. The approach used and the human aspect are very important in their eyes.
2. Getting support throughout the process
The desire to establish a trusting connection is one of the things that leads property owners to look for partners who listen to their needs and who are ready to provide guidance in every step of their real estate project.
In fact, one in two people (49%) said they had little real estate knowledge before selling their property.2 This knowledge gap explains property owners’ desire to get support during a process that has such vast implications and to be protected.
Many owners (68%) chose one broker over another to sell their home, in order to get support that was tailored to their needs.2
“The ability to offer personalized support is high on the list of priorities when preselecting the real estate brokers that will be recommended by Confia, states Mathieu Savard. In addition to checking the broker’s disciplinary record, we go further by proposing partners who offer a service that meets each person’s needs.”
Nonetheless, it’s also important to remember that, after having invested so much energy and resources, property owners want to see results and to get their money’s worth.
3. Having a high level of satisfaction
At the top of everyone’s list of concerns is being satisfied at the end of the project. Having a positive experience and being satisfied with the result seem to be more important than getting the lowest possible price, according to the data.
To carry out their construction and renovation projects, 57% of owners hire a licenced contractor.1 Nearly three-quarters of them (74%) make this choice to get the guarantee of quality work.1 When owners are satisfied with the services they received, their likelihood of going to someone else in the future drops drastically.
“Sellers who have chosen to use DuProprio’s services to sell their property have underscored their great satisfaction (93%) with the support received
2,points out Mikaël Leclaire. This level of satisfaction has motivated an impressive percentage of users (92%) to say that they would once again choose the real estate assistance service for their next transaction.”2
The overall satisfaction rate is high for all types of real estate transactions: 87% of sellers reported being satisfied with their selling experience.2 We can suppose that those who said they were only “somewhat satisfied” would probably have had an even better experience if they had been referred to a real estate broker more suited to their needs.
All the support services under one roof
Property owners’ desire to be referred to reliable professionals could not be clearer. And EspaceProprio was created to respond to that desire. This initiative by Desjardins brings together a group of companies that offer support services related to home ownership, ranging from buying and selling real estate to renovating and maintaining a living space.
DuProprio the commission-free real estate selling service with over 25 years’ experience was ranked first in the most recent satisfaction survey on real estate brokers from Protégez-Vous magazine, thanks to its support services.
3RenoAssistance offers its clients since 14 years a turnkey service so they can carry out their renovation projects with peace of mind, thanks to its network of contractors verified using the industry’s most comprehensive process.
Confia, the largest referral service for independent or banner-affiliated real estate brokers across the province to benefit from a matching service, was established in 2023.
This ecosystem provides a personalized experience to simplify the management of all home-related projects, be it through its advisory service, its websites or its applications.
DuProprio: Trusted professionals to sell a home
Well-known by Quebecers, DuProprio, the intermediary-free real estate selling assistance service, relies on its large team to provide optimal support. Photographers, appraisers, customer service advisors, real estate coaches and notaries4 are some of the many resources made available to DuProprio customers.
“I can say with certainty that every member of our team has at heart the best interests of the people we speak to every day, states Mikaël Leclaire, a real estate coach who has been serving DuProprio clients for five years. The proof is in the attention they give to serving our clients. Employees are recruited not only for their skills but also for their personality.”
Anyone wanting to sell their property and interested in knowing what their options are can contact EspaceProprio’s advisory service. They will get unbiased support and they can ask questions to understand the two options available for selling: to sell with a broker or not.
Then, with the information in hand, they can choose the service that best meets their particular needs. At any time during the project, the person can get in touch with the EspaceProprio advisory team again.
RenoAssistance: Reliable professionals for property renovations
Finding the right contractor—be it for residential or commercial work or a new build—can be quite a challenge. And conflicting opinions about the quality of contractors’ work makes the process even more complicated. In this situation, searching for the right partner can be very demanding, requiring close attention to detail and a rigorous assessment of the potential candidates.
Fortunately, RenoAssistance offers to do that legwork for you. This guidance company counts on experienced advisors to match property owners with qualified and reliable contractors, and they provide support during the project, from start to finish.
“Our team takes on a role similar to a personal assistant for the property owner in their project. From the initial intake and helping to select a contactor, right up to the end of the work, our advisors are available to guide the clients, explains Marilena Tricarico. They understand the needs, answer questions, explain every step and estimate the budget. The advisors organize appointments with contractors and are at customers’ disposal to compare quotes.”
In addition to licences, our contractors must also meet specific standards in terms of their legal background, insurance coverage, financial stability, customer satisfaction, work quality and relationship with suppliers. This verification is performed on an ongoing basis.
“It’s one of the industry’s most elaborate verification processes, says Tricarico. Plus, the advisors provide support in a way that ensures that the owners never feel alone in the process.”
Confia: Trusted professionals to buy a home
With its innovative vision and unbiased and personalized support services, Confia is a new player in the industry, wanting to meet the demand by offering avant-garde advisory services. The advisors, who have a real estate brokerage licence, make sure that the customer’s needs and objectives are clearly defined and then act as a guide in preparing their file and suggesting partner brokers who meet the project’s requirements.
“Our team of advisors understands the industry’s inner workings. They are well-equipped to help customers, whether to develop their strategy, guide them in preparing the necessary documents or demystify the commission and brokerage contract, all while answering their questions impartially and transparently. The support component is then taken on by the recommended broker selected by the customer,” explains Mathieu Savard.
Brokers must meet some eligibility conditions and be verified before being added to the list of professionals recommended by Confia. The service is offered across the province.
“We make sure they know the area, are available to carry out the projects and have an interest in the type of project they are being entrusted with. The customer is surveyed at the end of the process to measure their satisfaction. This way, we make sure to maintain optimal standards,” explained the executive officer of the agency, whose aim is to be a partner, not a threat, to the major banners.
There is now a way to tackle your next home-related project with total peace of mind. The EspaceProprio advisory team is there to equip and help you by suggesting solutions adapted to your specific needs for buying, selling, renovating and maintaining your property.
Don’t hesitate to contact the EspaceProprio advisory team to talk about your real estate project. Be it to buy, sell, renovate or maintain a property, the EspaceProprio advisors will direct you to the professionals you need.
1. Ad Hoc Research survey on renovation intentions, commissioned by the APCHQ and RenoAssistance (3rd edition – January 2024).
2. Ad Hoc Research survey on the experience of selling real estate, commissioned by EspaceProprio (August 2022).
3. Protégez-Vous survey of 820 panel members (June 28 to July 11, 2023).
4. Depending on the package selected.
