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OK, so real estate isn’t a bad gig – in fact it’s pretty good. But being a Realtor in Toronto in the winter, well, it just plain sucks. Here’s why:
- Lockboxes – We see dozens of properties every week and nearly every one of them has a key hidden in a lockbox outside. There’s nothing more fun than trying to unlock a frozen lockbox in -20 degree weather. WD-40 is helpful. So is a lighter (though we refuse to admit we were responsible for lighting that lockbox on fire at King/Niagara 3 years ago).
- It’s even more fun locating a lock box at a massive condo tower, where dozens of unmarked lockboxes can be found randomly scattered on a fence nowhere near the condo and we need to repeat this ritual with 20 lockboxes (and the one we want is inevitably the last one we check).
- Parking.We parallel park hundreds of times a month. Oh how we love to do it when the streets haven’t been plowed – or better yet, when the plow passes once we’ve already parked, blocking us in.
- Driving. OK, so maybe we’ve had a few winter fender benders with clients in the car (usually not our fault, I swear). Forewarning to buyers: your budget may increase proportionately to our vehicle repair costs. Just ask our client who has just upgraded to a million dollar loft after a front fender/ice incident a few years ago.
- Real Estate Shoes. Around our house, we often refer to our ‘real estate shoes’ – shoes that look good, but more importantly, are easy to slip on and off 20 times a day (and ideally don’t require daily pedicures in the summer). In the winter, this means finding real estate boots – waterproof, easy to pull on and off (no laces!) and at least a little fashionable. Boot makers take note: 50,000+ GTA Realtors are longing for waterproof velcro boots in the style of Cole Haan.
