Tatin | A real estate agency that does not sell houses

Faced with the observation that many buyers and sellers choose their broker by default, or on the basis of a simple reference from a relative, Johanie Bouffard and Olivier Pouliot launched Tatin, a real estate agency which does not sell houses, but which matches clients and brokers based on their affinities.

What is the idea behind Tatin?

Olivier: When I left the brokerage company I worked for, I decided to use my agency management license to create a company that would not do transactions, but would focus on preparation and client education and broker choice. This is something that has always seemed necessary to me. When people around me asked me to accompany them, while I was in sales, I told them that I was not the best person to defend their interests and I directed them to another broker. Unfortunately, there are some brokers who decide to do everything, even though this is not always the best route.

Johanie: A real estate agency that doesn’t sell houses can seem a bit paradoxical and that’s also the originality of the company. For me, it is the opportunity to be able to transform the communication of a field that needs it a lot.

What need does your agency fill that is not currently met by the real estate brokerage offering?

Olivier: It’s to provide security to people who are looking for a broker, but who don’t necessarily know one or who don’t know where to start. It is also to protect them against this lack of knowledge of the environment, to prevent them from making a bad choice, from choosing a broker by default or out of spite, by going with the person who has a lot of signs in a sector or who has sent a postcard with a sold announcement.

Johanie: Currently, there are more than 16,000 real estate brokers in Quebec, that’s a lot. Our role is to ask the right questions to make a match with the broker profile that really suits the client’s needs. As shown by a survey of Protect yourself released on December 5, one in five people would not recommend the broker with whom they did business. What we want is to be able to help people make the right choice based on personal and also professional criteria.

What information do you base your pairings on?

Olivier: We ask a lot of questions to draw up customer profiles. Generally speaking, there is the type of license that the broker holds: residential, commercial or without operating restrictions. His expertise too, in the condo sector, for example. A bit like a dating agency asks these types of questions to its clients, we will ask them about the frequency of desired communications, the preferred language of communication, the desired mode of communication. Are you looking for more professional or more familiar support?

Johanie: If, for example, we have a young adult who defines themselves as non-binary, obviously, that will be one of the things we will mention when researching the client. We want to ensure that this is respected.

What pool of brokers do you work with? Can we really be directed to one of the 16,000 brokers in Quebec?

Olivier : Yes. There are certain checks that I will do, for example in public registers. We have access to opinions and disciplinary notices. Unless it’s old mistakes or things that are really less serious, [on va les écarter]. This is especially what risks reducing the pelvis at the base. So are reputation issues. We ask for references from brokers. Apart from that, there are no restrictions on the brokers or brands with whom we do business.

Where does your income come from?

Olivier: Our model is based on the principle of referencing which exists in real estate brokerage. When a broker cannot serve a client and directs him to another broker, the receiving broker will give him a percentage of his remuneration. It’s usually 25%, the percentage we set. We don’t accept any more.

Johanie: We want to offer a neutral and impartial advisory service. We don’t have a directory of brokers where people could say: “Think of me. » The process remains the same for everyone.

Can the fact that the broker must share his commission with you harm a seller’s negotiating power over the commission that will be paid during the transaction?

Olivier : Not really. The broker will save money. He will not have had to invest in advertising and time to court the customer. Also, with the ban on double representation [entrée en vigueur en juin 2022]there are no longer any brokers who expect to get the seller’s commission and that of the buyer.

Johanie: And, in addition to that, our role is to offer more than one broker profile to clients. So there is always a choice.

If no transaction is concluded, is the customer responsible for any fees?

Olivier: No. We are very aware of the risk associated with the absence of real estate brokerage transactions. It’s a reality that we accept.

In recent months, the news has brought stories that have tarnished the reputation of the profession. Is there, behind Tatin, a desire to reestablish a certain public confidence?

Olivier : Our goal is to bring the client to live positive real estate experiences. By the way, it could have a positive impact on the reputation of brokers, but we leave this issue in the hands of groups and organizations such as the Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers of Quebec, independent real estate boards and the Self-Regulatory Organization of real estate brokerage of Quebec, which is the regulator of brokerage and ensures the protection of the interests of the public.

With the real estate market having slowed down, isn’t it risky to launch a brokerage business in this context?

Olivier : If it were a conventional agency, I would say yes. Now that the hype surrounding the housing overheating has died down, people have time to prepare properly. For us, it represents more of an opportunity for people to have time to think. Because yes, activity has decreased, but it is far from dead.

Interview comments have been edited for brevity.