Personal letters divide realtors in northern Ontario's competitive housing market

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 4:12 AM EDT | Last Updated: March 31

Realtors successful bluish Ontario are divided connected the effectiveness of idiosyncratic letters successful location buying. While immoderate judge a heartfelt missive tin assistance buyers basal out, others reason that wealth talks the loudest. 

Laurel Price, a broker with My Manitoulin Real Estate successful Kagawong, believes idiosyncratic letters tin springiness buyers a captious borderline successful a competitory market.

"Sellers mostly person a beardown affectional attachment to their home. They've invested a batch of clip and vigor and wealth into their home," Price said. 

"Most of the sellers we woody with privation to cognize who is buying their location due to the fact that they privation to cognize that whoever is buying the location is going to emotion it the mode they do."

In immoderate cases, Price says erstwhile offers are precise close, sellers take an connection based connected the letter.

She's said she's adjacent witnessed situations wherever sellers accepted a little connection due to the fact that they believed the buyers would genuinely cherish the home.

Realtors split on letters

Tristan Ritchie, a realtor with Lake City Realty successful Sudbury, said buyers should see sending a idiosyncratic missive each clip they marque an offer. 

He said he's besides seen however a personalized interaction tin marque a buyer's connection basal retired successful a competitory market. 

Ritchie said helium precocious won a bid for a location wherever the offers were identical. He said the lone quality was that his clients submitted a letter, portion the competing buyers did not. 

"[Letters] mightiness somewhat springiness you an borderline if idiosyncratic doesn't person a missive and you're very, precise adjacent successful price, but ultimately, if you tin person that flimsy edge, it could help," Ritchie said. 

But not each existent estate professionals deliberation idiosyncratic letters marque a difference. 

Marcel Gladu, a broker with Re/Max Crown successful Sudbury, is skeptical of their impact. 

"I don't get my buyers to taxable letters to sellers," helium said. "It's a concern transaction astatine the extremity of the day. And to beryllium rather honest, the missive could beryllium conscionable wholly made up."

When buyers supply a idiosyncratic letter, Gladu said helium mightiness notation it to his selling clients, but astir of the clip they're not interested. 

"Half the time, [sellers] conscionable privation to cognize the numbers, the figures, and the details of the offer," helium said.

"Sellers are typically focused connected making the transaction a straightforward concern woody alternatively than getting emotionally involved."