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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.

He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.

In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.

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More and more Canadians nowadays are trying to sell their homes without using the services of real estate agents. Profiting from the sellers' market they try to save the agents' commissions. The final results aren't satisfactory for the buyers and paradoxically, for many sellers either. So far the agencies can't find the right words and market strategies for attracting all of those who plan to sell in 2003.

The low interest rates in Canada, coupled with the good economic performance, lower unemployment and good forecasts have contributed to creating a booming real estate market. The demand in some parts of the country is exceptionally high and the sellers take advantage from this situation trying to sell without using the agents' services. In some areas of the country the FSBO transactions have increased from 25% in 1999 to 32% in 2002. This trend can go further up during 2003 if the agencies as a whole continue to be reluctant towards adopting new market strategies like à la carte services, discount fees etc. The agents who have realized the usefulness of these new approaches and are ready to cut the commissions report better scores. On the other hand, the traditional way of solicitation by mailing a booklet of a sort "We can sell your house" simply doesn't work when the seller is sure the buyers will line up and will compete among themselves.

When the demand surpasses the supply it isn't the right time for the buyers to bargain successfully. With or without the sellers' representatives they are the weak side in the transaction. The agencies report that the buyers want to have an agent even if it represents the seller in order to be sure that all the details are met according to the law. Paradoxically, buying a house without a middleman in fact isn't so advantageous for the sellers even if it should be at first sight. Without a professional counselor they can't realize how important is to prepare properly their houses before the buyers' visits. Betting on the fact that the house will be sold in anyway, they miss the opportunity to make some minor improvements, which could increase significantly the property price. The property is sold, but maybe the most generous buyer has left the race because of some small details that could have been changed at no cost.

There is one point that very often escapes the sellers' attention when they decide to sell without agent's help. They forget that in most cases after or during the transaction they will have to go to the market again, this time as buyers. On the other hand, in many cases the seller's representatives, working for major Canadian real estate companies, could use their knowledge and networking to become at the same time buyer's representatives when the sellers go on the market as buyers. Some sellers realize the threat of remaining without a house so they delay as much as possible the date of selling in order to have a new home before leaving the old one. This further impedes the market liquidity.

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