Helping you make smarter choices with unbiased real estate advice

Debra Gould has been featured in CNN Money, Wall Street Journal, National Post, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Money Sense Magazine and CBC National News speaking about making money in real estate.

“I’ve seen too many people lose tens of thousands of dollars because of misinformation or because they let fear and the other emotions that come up when buying and selling a home cloud their thinking,” says Debra Gould.

Having completed 11 real estate transactions of her own (plus all the houses she’s bid on and let go, or offers she’s refused), Gould has considerable first hand experience as a client working with both good and bad real estate agents.

Debra Gould created the Real Estate by Design™ service after finding that so many of her house fluffing / home staging clients needed real estate advice and information beyond the scope of a usual staging consultation.

One client, for example, was worried about spending $500 fixing up an ugly bathroom in their $900,000 home.

“While that was clearly penny wise and pound foolish,” Gould says, “I was even more concerned that they were putting their house on the market at the end of the season and listing with a friend who had no experience or contacts in their area!”

“Real Estate by Design™ is not meant to replace the services of a real estate agent or substitute for legal advice before signing contracts,” explains Gould. “My goal in providing this real estate advice is to provide an objective viewpoint and share the knowledge I’ve acquired after so many years buying and selling homes in various markets and dealing with hundreds of agents. My hope is to help clients make more informed decisions, especially at the emotional and stressful times that come with buying and selling a home.”

More solo women than men buying homes

In Canada, more women than men are buying homes and the gap is set to widen over the coming years according to a Royal LePage National poll.

Among female respondents who had never owned a home, including never-married single women, 55% said they’re likely to buy their first property in the next three years, compare to only 45% of men. One third of the women said they’d be sole owners.

If you’re a woman who has never bought or sold a home and would like advice from another woman’s perspective, Debra Gould can help.

Gould is not a real estate agent, but she’s experienced how hundreds of them work. She is not a banker or a mortgage broker, but she’s been able to negotiate six mortgages for herself at VERY favorable rates — despite being self-employed and without a second income.

Can’t my real estate agent tell me what I need to know?

"My dream has always been to own a loft, but I nearly gave up after years of searching. One day, I was back to looking at houses. Knowing this was clearly not my dream and I was just settling, Debra Gould challenged me. She even refused to tell me the selling price of a particular house! She inspired me to keep looking for what I really wanted. Debra was right. I found a better loft than I ever imagined. I finally have a space that truly reflects who I am and how I dreamed of living." Diana Bishop, Former CTV and NBC News Correspondent

Debra Gould can help identify the warning signs that your agent might not be working in your best interest, identify the right questions to ask before you list your home or sign a buyers agent agreement, and provide advice on negotiating strategies.

She will walk you through the biggest mistakes homeowners make when listing their homes and how to make sure your next house is not just a home but a sound financial investment.

She’s seen these mistakes cost people tens of thousands of dollars and months of stress.

If you’ve never bought a home before, it can be particularly stressful finding the right real estate agent, mortgage, etc.

Gould will help you with the right questions to ask and advice on pitfalls to avoid.

Your bank and real estate agent may not point all these out. They have a stake in what you decide by virtue of their commission structures, so how can they possibly give you completely objective advice?

How can I use the Real Estate by Design Service?

Debra Gould offers advice by phone to clients all over North America. You can order one hour of coaching time and book your sessions in 20 minute increments, allowing you to check in several times during the course of your real estate hunt, purchase, sale or move.

For clients in Toronto, you can receive help by phone, or meet in person. Many clients combine this with a Home Staging consultation in their own homes.

Starting a whole new chapter of your life in a new city?

Are you contemplating a move to another part of the country, or moving from a big city to a small town or rural community?

Debra Gould has done that too— moving her home and business to three different cities and one remote island— and is happy to share her experiences about the adjustments and considerations these moves require.

If you would like to learn more about how Debra Gould can help you with unbiased real estate advice, contact us.