Working With Buyers

At Westmount Realty (formerly Patricia M. Chang Realty) we use architectural knowledge, intuitive/aesthetic sensibilities, listening skills and experience to help buyers find the perfect home and/or to provide ideas of how to make the not so perfect house into a perfect home.

Patricia Chang is a lifelong Montrealer and knows all the diffferent areas of the Greater Montreal area so that we can find what you are looking for and what you can expect to get for your money in each area. She was also  educated here and can assist you with your children's (or yours!) college and university choices.

Connie Dingle having settled in Westmount from New York City herself and having been Director of Relocation for the Corcoran Group in New York understands what it means to relocate a family and can assist you with the elementary school system here and the neccessary requirements.

In the province of Quebec (unlike some other provinces or states) buyers do not typically sign an agreement and pay for an agent to represent them. We are paid when we split the listing commission of the property that is purchased. Most agents do expect loyalty from their buyers as working with buyers can be time consuming. We are able to sell you any property that you see advertised that is listed with a broker (or says "brokers protected") even if the sign or advertisement says "exclusive" listing. "Exclusive" simply means that it is not on the Multiple Listing Service. And of course, we are able to sell any property that you see on the MLS.

We suggest buyers make a list of priorities and reflect upon their lifestyle....for example, in Westmount often in the homes under one million only exterior parking will be available but the house may be a gorgeous renovated heritage home with large volumes and be in a top location. Someone may not care for the larger volume and prefer something smaller but with a garage. Some will prefer a renovated house, others may prefer to do their own renovations. Some will want to use public transport, others will need to drive. If your priorities are not clear, don't worry -  buyer's priorities usually become clear (if not to the buyer, then to us) after a seeing a few houses. In fact, Patricia and Connie have been known to find the perfect home for buyers after showing only a few properties, which is much appreciated by their  buyers who are often very busy individuals (although a "marathon" of house showings can also be arranged!). In their experience, most buyers know immediately when they walk in the door that the house "speaks" to them. Sometimes the property may not be "quite right" but with Patricia's and Connie's  skills and insights  they can help the buyer figure out if something can be done (like renovation/feng shui/decorating ideas)  to make the "almost perfect" home into a perfect one.

Sometimes we know what the buyers want but it may not be on the market so we will keep our buyers abreast of new listings (through either automatic MLS updates or ones that we have previewed ourselves).

Before making an offer we can show and discuss wtih you a list of sold comparables so you are able to make an informed decision.

As experienced realtors we are excellent negotiatiors as well and will discuss with you our strategies on how to obtain the best price.

General tip for buying in Westmount and Montreal - don't judge a house's size by its front facade. Often a townhouse may look small from the outside but can be very spacious, while a detached house may look large but be smaller on the inside.

The other luxury that Westmount and Montreal have to offer is that cottage country is not far away - most can be reached within a 90 minute drive or less. Every area has its own character, the most popular  being the Laurentians or the Eastern Townships. We can offer you guidelines, having looked ourselves to rent/buy  country  properties, especially lakefront properties.  (Patricia eventually bought a lakefront property on Lake Mempremagog in the Eastern Townships) If we are unable to assist you properly, we can work with or refer you to an experienced agent of that area.

Both Patricia Chang  & Connie Dingle  have a passion for living, working and playing in Montreal and Westmount.

Let us help make your stay here a memorable one!

See Communities to have an idea of the  areas we sell real estate in.
See Mortgage/Financing for  mortgage calculator , land transfer tax.
See Resources for  currency converter.
See Patricia M.Chang Realty to help you with your real estate needs!