Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 22/99) - Think of a new homeowner and images of happy shiny people holding keys comes to mind.

But often what's missing from that picture is the work by the agents who help bring the home sellers and the home buyers together.

Enter Willy Chidowe. Chidowe, a preacher who went into the real estate business four years ago, runs the Century 21 Home and Investment Centre Ltd.

One of the biggest challenges, he said, is building up listings of properties. Chidowe said success in the real estate business is largely about building a clientele. And, like many other businesses, the list of clients is based on reputation and work ethic.

Home sellers, when they wish to put their property on the market, choose one agent to market their property. But if the property is part of the multiple listing system, as is often the case in Yellowknife, other agents can attempt to sell the property to their list of buyers.

What this means is the city's real estate companies, although they are competing for business, will act co-operatively, Chidowe said.

Century 21 may have a house listed, but a buyer may emerge from Coldwell Banker or Homelife Sunrise agents.

"We're competing but it's healthy competition," Chidowe said.

"Sometimes it's a challenge trying to find a house the buyer wants. It also means working with the seller," he said.

And when it all comes together, the "reward is seeing how happy everyone is." Especially the first-time home buyer. Taking them through the process is especially rewarding, Chidowe, who has lived in Yellowknife since 1986, said.

When it's time to close the deal, Chidowe said he will do a "walk through" with the buyers that day. The walk through lets the new homeowners make sure everything's okay. If it all checks out, they contact their lawyer, the money changes hands and they pick up the keys.

"They can get the keys here (at the agent's) or at the house."

And when the deal closes and everybody's happy, that's the key to this job, Chidowe said.