How can your design background help me sell my house?
Twenty two years of design experience works in many ways towards selling your house. First and foremost is the extensive lists of personal contacts, all people with the financial means to purchase the property of their choice. Second is that “Finishing Touch” the designer brings into the mix to help prepare your house for sale. Katherine is the only REALTOR in Canada to provide this unique combination at this advanced level. Third is the important fact that specific details of your home’s construction and features can not only be pointed out, but approximations made to serious buyers as to replacement costs showing them the advantage of buying verses building!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Although I have travelled the globe, Russia to Egypt, Paris to Panama, I have called Saint John & the Kennebecasis Valley home all of my life. Since 1995 I reside in Rothesay on the third hole of the Riverside Golf & Country Club, with my husband, Doug and two large dogs Nicholas and Buddy. My family are avid animal lovers and my father always kept a stable of horses. I started at the Rothesay Pony Club when I was 6 years old and for many years he and I competed province wide in equestrian events. My mother, Alice, a great music and theatre lover, introduced me to the arts at a young age. This exposure has served me well and prepared the way for my numerous charity concerts, which I have written and produced. I have many hobbies including gardening, boating, the arts & travel where I get wonderful design ideas. My interests are quite diverse as figure skating (active member of the Saint John Figure Skating Club for 10 years) and motocross (competed across the Atlantic circuit with my brother, Tom Wiggins, holding the position as the only female racer until 1998) were at one time a big part of my life. I have an easy smile and people feel comfortable and confident with me right from the start. I was taught to give 100% to all my endeavours and believe, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. My father, (mentor and best friend) Tom Wiggins Senior, taught me when I was 5 years old, “Nothing can stop a women who will stop at nothing!” “Never be afraid to step out and try something new, you’ll never know what you can do unless you try!” I live by his motto and it keeps my life very fulfilled and interesting! As my husband says, “Never a dull moment”!
How can you help me find my dream home?
The most important trait a REALTOR working as a buyer’s agent can bring to the table is the ability to listen very carefully and distinctly hear your specific needs. Working for many years as a designer hones this quality to the foremost as we must learn to quickly and effectively analyse your dream home in great detail. This expertise saves you valuable time when shopping for that new home as I will only show you homes that fulfil all of your preferences within your specified price range!
Do I need to worry about dual agency?
My buyers and sellers are very comfortable with dual agency (me and/or my agency representing both the buyer and the seller) and many prefer it, especially lawyers and top business executives. The buyers trust that they will offer only an amount that they are comfortable paying and the sellers trust that they will accept only an amount that they are comfortable accepting! It’s as simple as that. Both buyers and sellers enjoy using me to deliver messages back and forth with the insurance that there is no fourth party involved to misconstrue the message and also with the confidence that the message was actually given and in the context it was intended!