Have you hugged your Kootenay Realtor lately? RBC shows some love!

The national campaign includes local activities and events to celebrate real estate professionals across Canada.

— Photo courtesy RBC

Have you hugged your local realtor lately? Well this may be the week to do so, as the Royal Bank (RBC) shows some love to local real estate agents by launching Canada’s first Realtor Appreciation Week. With a total of 360 realtors in the Kootenays, that’s a lot of hugs!

Here is breakdown of how many Realtors there are in each Kootenay community:

1) Nelson – 70
2) Cranbrook – 56
3) Invermere – 34
4) Castlegar -- 31
5) Fernie – 27
6) Creston -- 25
7) Trail – 24
8) Grand Forks – 22
9) Kimberley – 19
10) Revelstoke – 15
11) Sparwood – 14
12) Golden – 12
13) Radium Hot Springs – 6
14) Nakusp – 5

A recent RBC homeownership study found that almost half of Canadians (46 per cent) use a banker or real estate professional as the primary source of information when purchasing a home — more than friends, family and online tools.

“Buying a home is an important life decision that signals a sense of accomplishment and a place for memories to be created,” says Matt Varey, senior vice-president and head of career sales, Royal Bank of Canada. “Real estate professionals help navigate this important life decision by providing expert advice and guidance on the right type of home.”

To celebrate the partnership between Realtors and the bank, RBC launched the first annual National Realtor Appreciation Week from February 26 to March 2, 2018. The national campaign includes local activities and events to celebrate real estate professionals across Canada.

“Canadians rate real estate professionals and bank mortgage advisors very high in terms of advice on purchasing a home,” says Varey. “This partnership is very important to ensure that homebuyers choose the right type of property at a price and payment strategy that fits with their overall financial plan.”

According to the poll, 67 per cent of motivated home buyers intend to use a real estate agent to assist in a home purchase, more than any other source including family, real estate websites, friends and social media, says RBC.

So go ahead and hug your local Realtor this week, they won't mind!

Stats Source: KREB