July 2014

Turning green power into selling power 0

Two views on condo pricesPage 24

25 lessons we learned in 25 yearsPage 8

Issue #301 July 2014

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Tech-savvy grandma

How Gloria Valvasori stays on top

Page 12

*Rankings calculated by RE/MAX based on 2014 REAL Trends Canadian 250 data, citing 2013 transaction ends for the 252 largest participating brokerages. Per-agent averages include brokerages reporting agent count. ©2014 RE/MAX, LLC. All rights reserved. Each RE/MAX o� ce is independently owned and operated. 140595

2014 2014

Of the 250 Canadian

real estate brokerages

with the most sales, 158

are branded RE/MAX.

The source: the 2014

REAL Trends Canadian

250 survey. The same

data shows RE/MAX

averaging 60% more

transaction ends per

agent than competitors.*

RE/MAX agents closed

58% of the 485,930

transaction ends in the

survey, and 54% of the

$184 billion in sales

volume.

SALES VOLUME: AVERAGE PER AGENT

TRANSACTION ENDS: AVERAGE PER AGENT

Take Your Career To The Next Level.

Visit Join Remax.ca

CANADIAN 250

RE/MAX agents averaged 61% more transaction ends, compared to the average of all other agents at the largest brokerages.

RE/MAX agents averaged 43% higher sales than the average of all other agents at the largest brokerages.

252 QUALIFYING BROKERAGES BY BRAND

$5.7 $4millionmillion

RE/MAX

Competitors

SOLD

16.1SOLD

10.4

RE/MAX

Competitors

158RE/MAX

of the qualifying Canadian 250

Realty Executives - 2

HomeLife - 1

Better Homes & Gardens - 1

Royal LePage - 27

Coldwell Banker - 20

Keller Williams - 13

Non-Franchise - 10

Century 21 - 8

EXIT - 6

Sutton - 6

16.1

15.6

14.7

13.6

12.0

11.4

10.8

10.4

6.1

RE/MAX

Realty Executives

Royal LePage

Sutton

Keller Williams

HomeLife

Century 21

Coldwell Banker

EXIT

RE/MAX: MOST SALES AMONG OFFICES & AGENTS

Each o� ce is independently owned and operated.

omeowners are “happywith the decision to buytheir home,” feel confi-

dent they can weather a downturnin the housing market and theyconsider mortgage debt to be “gooddebt.” Their attitudes are the samewhether they live in Toronto,Calgary or Vancouver where pricescontinue to rise, or in areas wherehome prices are stabilizing, says anew consumer survey report by theCanadian Association ofAccredited Mortgage Professionals(CAAMP).

“From the consumer perspec-tive we have a picture of a veryconfident, healthy mortgage mar-ket,” says Jim Murphy, presidentand CEO of CAAMP. “Key to the

current stability in the mortgagemarket is the fact that Canadianscontinue to pay down their mort-gage debt faster than they arerequired and they continue totake out five-year, fixed-ratemortgages. Canadians who renewtheir mortgages are seeing theirinterest costs reduced, which isboosting their personal financialcircumstances and this will con-tinue to be a positive force duringthe coming year.”

The survey says:• 55 per cent of homes pur-

chased in 2013 were bought byfirst-time buyers.

• Most Canadians say theyhave no regrets taking on the sizeof mortgage they did and that real

estate is a good long-term invest-ment.

• 66 per cent agree in somedegree that mortgages are a form of“good debt”.

• House prices in Toronto,Calgary and Vancouver haveincreased by a year-over-year rateof 8.2 per cent, compared to just2.9 per cent in the rest of Canada.

• More than 80 per cent ofhomeowners in Canada have 25per cent or more equity in theirhomes.

• The average mortgage inter-est rate is 3.24 per cent, a dropfrom the average of 3.5 per centfound in the fall 2013 survey.

Canadians are reducing theirmortgages by negotiating lower

interest rates, making lump sumpre-payments and repaying theirmortgages at, on average, two-thirds of their contracted amortiza-tion periods, says the report.

“Across Canada the housingmarket is slowing and has been ona downward swing since the mort-gage policy change in 2012,” saysWill Dunning, CAAMP’s chiefeconomist. “While the nationalmarket may look healthy, activityin the Greater Toronto Area(including Hamilton), theGreater Vancouver RegionalDistrict and the Calgary area isskewing the numbers high. In therest of Canada sales activity hasweakened and house prices areflat and even falling in some com-

munities. Housing has played akey role in driving economicgrowth and job creation inCanada. But looking ahead,decreased starts and slower pricegrowth will throw off the balancebetween the housing market andthe overall economy.”

The report urges policy makersnot to confuse rising home prices inthe Toronto area and Vancouver,where urban land shortages are dri-ving prices, and the Calgary area,which currently benefits fromstrong job creation, with the slow-down that is evident in other com-munities across the country.

For a full copy of CAAMP’sspring survey report, visitwww.caamp.org. REM

urinder Sandhu, Re/MaxOntario-Atlantic’s exec-utive vice-president and

regional director, says Re/Maxexecutives made the decision toterminate Mississauga-basedRe/Max Legacy Realty only afterseveral attempts to ensure thefinancial viability of the Legacyfranchise were refused outright bybroker of record and owner TariqKhursheed.

Sandhu says when Re/Maxlearned last year that Legacy washaving financial problems, it wentinto solutions mode and presentedfour separate proposals toKhursheed. He says while he can’tdiscuss the specifics of each propos-al, Khursheed rejected each ofthem.

“There were a number of solu-tions presented to ensure the finan-cial viability of Legacy,” saysSandhu. “After our fourth proposalwas rejected and (Khursheed) can-celled a meeting with our lawyersin another attempt to find a solu-tion, we had to step back andreassess. Our primary responsibility,first and foremost, is to our agentsand Re/Max takes that responsibil-

REM JULY 2014 3

G

H

Sandhu says Re/Max Legacy situation ‘extremely troubling’ “We had a responsibility to our Realtors to act.” By Tony Palermo

ity very seriously. We had a respon-sibility to our Realtors to act.”

Re/Max Legacy opened in2010. In 2012, the brokerage pur-chased Re/Max Professionals, thefirst Re/Max office in EasternCanada, from owners Pamela andJohn Alexander. Pamela’s fatherFrank Polzler opened that office in1980.

Sandhu says the brokerage hasnot made any payments sinceSeptember 2013 and owes Re/MaxIntegra, the parent company, sub-stantial franchise fees. He noteseach franchisee has its own busi-ness model for how much it chargesits individual sales reps, butRe/Max charges the franchisee$278 a month per sales rep. Basedon the approximately 350 formerRe/Max Legacy Realty agents, thatmeans Re/Max Integra is owednearly $800,000 for the period cov-ering September 2013 to April2014.

Saying it’s extremely troubling,Sandhu wonders how, given thepositive economics the real estateindustry has been experiencing,Legacy could be facing such finan-cial problems.

“This is the best real estate mar-ket in the world and for Legacy tobe in such financial difficultymeans there’s a significant chal-lenge there,” says Sandhu.

He says Re/Max Integra wasbound under its contract withLegacy not to inform anyone of thesituation. But it became clear afterseveral proposed solutions wererejected and the latest meeting wascancelled by Khursheed, Re/Maxhad to act to inform and protect itsLegacy sales reps, he says. The onlyway it could do that was to termi-nate its agreement with Legacy.

It appears Khursheed, who isnow operating as Legacy RealtyInc., has the backing of manyLegacy agents. On May 28, approx-imately 100 agents protested out-side of the Re/Max corporate officeat 7101 Syntex Drive inMississauga. Peel police confirmedthat they attended the location forcrowd control and to help keep thepeace.

On Khursheed’s Facebook page,several agents have voiced theirsupport and loyalty to him.However, at least one agent hasmixed feelings about the whole sit-

uation and says it’s not just a matterof loyalty.

In a Facebook post onKhursheed’s wall dated May 27,Moezzam Alvi writes “I too wishLegacy to continue. BUT, weMUST NOT forget in our enthusi-asm and admiration of Tariq with-out asking why we are in this situa-tion today? We need to address thecause and effect both. Sinceritywith Tariq is not to say what he liketo hear BUT, what he must hear.My point of view anyway.”

Phone and Facebook messagesto Khursheed and Facebook mes-sages to a dozen Legacy sales repswent unanswered.

Re/Max informed Khursheed atapproximately 9 am on Monday,May 26 that it was terminating itsagreement with Legacy. Shortlyafter at 11 am, Re/Max executivesmet with Legacy agents to informthem of the situation.

Sandhu says Legacy agents whochoose to remain with Re/Maxhave the option to move to thenewly merged Re/Max Edge Realty,which includes Conrad Zurini ofRe/Max Escarpment Realty andRaneen Dhadli of Re/Max Edge

Realty, or to Mike Zuccato ofRe/Max Realty Services, who isopening a new office in the northend of Mississauga.

In a Re/Max news release datedMay 26, the company said buyersand sellers currently working withagents from the former Re/MaxLegacy brokerage could continue towork with their agent. However,Sandhu says the listings belong toLegacy so agents who choose toremain with Re/Max will requirepermission from Khursheed tomove their listings.

Sandhu says while there will besome minor inconveniences thatsales reps will have to go through totransfer their business, it is neces-sary to ensure the long-term bene-fits and viability of their business.

“Again, our responsibility is toensure the welfare and continuityof our Realtors’ business,” saysSandhu. “Our Realtors and theirfamilies depend on their business.”

REM

Gurinder Sandhu

Homeowners happy, confident about purchase

4 REM JULY 2014

Don Teuton

Rocky Gaudrault

Ross McCredie

Shannon Unger

Mary Boston

Mary-Ann Mears

Darryl Mitchell

Sterling Stephens

Sheila Barr

Multiple ListingsDo you have news to share with Canada’s real estate community?Let REM know about it! Email: [email protected]

By Jim Adair, REM Editor

step into the shoes of a broker/owner without having to sacrificetheir own commitment to excel-lent client service in their sales.”

The U.S.-based branddescribes itself as “a cloud-based,full-service real estate brokeragecompany.”

The company says, “eXpRealty provides 24/7 access to col-laborative tools, training andsocialization for real estate brokersand agents through its 3-D, fullyimmersive, cloud office environ-ment, while reducing their over-head, increasing their profits andproviding greater service value toconsumers…”

The company also says it has“an aggressive revenue sharing pro-gram that pays to agents a percent-age of gross commission incomeearned by fellow professionals whothey attract into the company.”

The company has brokeragesin 29 states and one otherCanadian office in Toronto.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Revelstoke inRevelstoke, B.C. was recentlyacquired by Don Teuton. Hebecame licensed as a broker in2008, specializing in hospitality,

ocky Gaudrault recentlycompleted the purchase ofRe/Max Chatham-Kent

Realty. He is a 16-year veteran oftechnology businesses. “Rockybrings private sector leadershipwith a heavy accent on customerrelations, business automation andstrategic planning, as can be seenthrough his various ownershiproles with over 15 companiesthroughout Ontario,” says Re/Maxin a news release. “With a manage-ment team providing services fromfinancial to technical expertiseRocky has accumulated assets inthe insurance, appraisal and con-struction industries.”

There are currently 13 agentsat the brokerage. Peggy Van Veenwill remain the broker of recordwith the firm.

■ ■ ■

Willie Ip and 26 sales reps fromUrban Realty Group in Calgaryhave joined the eXp Realty net-work.

“The opportunity to launchand grow the eXp Realty brand inAlberta represents a once-in-a-life-time opportunity for me and mypartners,” said Ip, adding that it is“empowering each of our agents to

R

Avenue SW, as well as the additionof exclusive new service arrange-ments with private aviation ser-vices company Albatros AircraftCorporation operating out ofMillion Air.

“Calgary has undergone a mas-sive transformation in recent years.Top-tier real estate in the city andsurrounding areas is in highdemand not just from local home-buyers, but from those travellingand moving here from other partsof the country and around theworld,” says Ross McCredie, presi-dent and CEO of Sotheby’sInternational Realty Canada.

Mary-Ann Mears, managingbroker for the brokerage, says,“With the changes that are takingplace in the market, home sellersnow need marketing solutions thatshowcase their properties withinCalgary, across Canada and aroundthe world. Expanding our opera-tions helps us offer our local andglobal marketing platform to meetthat demand – not only from luxu-ry clientele, but clients with homesat every price point.”

The brokerage currently hasabout 50 sales reps.

■ ■ ■

The Real Estate Council ofBritish Columbia suspended thelicence of Re/Max Tumbler RidgeRealty in Tumbler Ridge on May 9.

“The Real Estate Council sus-pended this licence in the publicinterest as a result of the failure ofRe/Max Tumbler Ridge Realty toaccount for trust monies held onbehalf of clients,” says the RECBC

development and commercial salesas an associate broker. He has alsoserved as vice-president and past-president of the RevelstokeChamber of Commerce and isactively involved with groups andcommittees to promote businessgrowth and tourism in Revelstoke.

Uldis Bokis, the former owner,will stay on with the firm as anassociate broker.

■ ■ ■

Shannon Unger is the newbroker/owner of Re/Max Legend inNorth Bay, Ont. As she takes overfrom previous owner PattiBentley, Unger says she knows shehas “big shoes to fill”.

The company says in a newsrelease that Unger has a strongunderstanding of franchise andbranding. Re/Max says it currentlyaccounts for 24.7 per cent of themarket share in North Bay. Thebrokerage has 40 sales reps andbrokers.

■ ■ ■

Sotheby’s International RealtyCanada is expanding its Calgaryoperations. Plans include the dou-bling of the company’s office spaceat a new location at 815 - 17th

in a statement. “Re/Max TumblerRidge Realty is prohibited fromproviding real estate services to oron behalf of any member of thepublic as a result of thisorder…Inquiries from concernedclients of Re/Max Tumbler RidgeRealty should be directed to theReal Estate Council at 604-683-9664 or toll-free at 1-877-683-9664.”

■ ■ ■

The Real Estate Council ofAlberta suspended the licence ofReal Property ManagementRentals, a real estate brokerageoperating in Medicine Hat on June2. RECA says the suspension “isthe result of Real PropertyManagement Rentals’ broker nolonger meeting the qualificationsof a broker.”

■ ■ ■

Licensed and affiliated withRe/Max since 1988, Dave Coppinsand his wife Noel Coppins pur-chased an existing Re/Max officein Oshawa, Ont. in 2009. Re/MaxJazz has grown from 48 sales associ-ates to 140, almost tripling in lessthan five years. Recently the cou-ple opened a second office becausethey ran out of space, as their agentcount continues to grow.

■ ■ ■

Sterling Stephens, franchiseeof Exit Realty Metro recently wel-comed veteran trainer and coachMary Boston to his team inHalifax. “Mary’s real estate careeris highly diverse,” says Stephens.“She joined us to help coach anddevelop our new agents; somethingin which she is very well versed.”

Boston’s career began in thelate 1980s when she formulated asix-week training course for newagents named Jump Start. Theconcept was centred on ensuringnew agents knew they had to goout and find business and that busi-

Continued on page 6

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Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership currently has franchise opportunities available in select markets across Canada. The intent of this communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a solicitation to anyone under contract with another real estate brokerage organization. ®/™ trademarks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC used under license or authorized sub-license. © 2014 Century 21 Canada Limited

Partnership. ® Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Inc. and Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership.

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Multiple ListingsContinued from page 4

6 REM JULY 2014

PublisherHEINO MOLLS

[email protected]

Director, Sales & MarketingDENNIS ROCK

[email protected]

Digital Media Manager WILLIAM [email protected]

Brand DesignSANDRA GOODER

EditorJIM ADAIR

[email protected]

Distribution & ProductionMILA PURCELL

[email protected]

Art DirectorLIZ MACKIN

Graphic DesignSHAWN KELLY

REM complies fully with the Canadian Real Estate Association's Rules for Trademarks (CREA Rule 16.5.3.1)

REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association(CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple ListingService® are trademarks owned by CREA and identify the services rendered by members of CREA.

REM is published 12 times a year. It is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with anyreal estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by directdelivery in selected areas. For subscription information, email [email protected]. Entire contents copyright2014 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is pro-hibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher.

ISSN 1201-1223

2255B Queen Street East, Suite #1178Toronto, ON M4E 1G3

Phone: 416.425.3504www.remonline.com

www.remenligne.com

Cover photo: MARKO SHARK

Prin

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by M

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Med

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, Ltd

. A

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SFI P

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ness did not come knocking.“An initial group of nine new

agents are currently working one-on-one with Mary focused ontraining and accountability andthey all love it,” says Stephens.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Professionals inToronto is opening its third officein the trendy Baby Point/BloorWest Village area. Broker/ownerLeah Ambler is creating a “hip,urban setting” for the new boutique-style office. Re/MaxProfessionals was named the sev-enth largest brokerage in the GTAby Real Trends in terms of dollarsales and transaction ends.

■ ■ ■

Zoocasa has appointed realestate veteran and mentor DarrylMitchell as broker of record.

Citing Mitchell’s two-plusdecades of real estate managementand strategic development experi-ence, Zoocasa president CarolynBeatty says, “Darryl has provensuccess growing and overseeing thedevelopment of premier real estatebrands and we are confident thathe will be a significant asset in for-tifying our position as an innova-tive customer-focused real estatecompany.”

Zoocasa also recentlyannounced the promotion of JoeTobia to director of real estateoperations. With extensive experi-ence in IT in both a sales and tech-nical capacity, Tobia joinedZoocasa as manager, real estateoperations less than a year ago.

Sandip Dagli, who has been atZoocasa since 2010, will remain asdirector of real estate businessfocusing on agent relations asZoocasa continues its expansionacross Canada, the company says.Formerly with Re/Max for eightyears running the Web Servicesdepartment, Dagli specializes inreal estate tech tools.

■ ■ ■

Recently Parise Cormier, fran-chisee of Exit Realty Associates,welcomed more than 200 guestsand dignitaries to the grand open-ing of the brokerage’s new location.

The 7,000-square-foot state-of-the-art office is in Dieppe, N.B.

“Parise and her staff have cre-ated a warm atmosphere thatbodes professionalism and a familyfriendly environment,” says AnneSquires, regional owner of ExitRealty Atlantic. “Everything fromthe design and the finishes to the

location are in a class of theirown.” says Squires.

Parise was named Exit’sBroker/Owner of the Year inCanada for 2013.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Real EstateServices in Mississauga, Ont. hada party at its Clarkson officerecently to celebrate its newly ren-ovated space. “We’ve made thecommon areas lighter, brighter andmore welcoming for our staff,

Opening the new office of Exit Realty Associates in Deippe, N.B., from left:Andre Malenfant, manager, Exit Realty Associates; Ernest Thibodeau,Dieppe councillor; Steve Morris, Exit Realty Corp. International founderand chairman; Parise Cormier, franchisee, Exit Realty Associates; and AnneSquires, regional owner, Exit Realty Atlantic.

Celebrating the Royal LePage Real Estate Services office renovation, fromleft, Mike Kennelly, broker/manager; Gino Romanese, SVP, Royal LePage;Heidi Noel, Mississauga area manager and broker; Phil Soper, president,Royal LePage; and Ahmed Helmi, broker/manager.

agents and clients. Now our spacebetter reflects the happy, profes-sional spirit of our company,” saysHeidi Noel, Mississauga area man-ager and broker. “Everyone whowalks through the door seems tolove it and I’m thrilled to have abetter space for training, meetingsand other events at this renownedlocation.”

■ ■ ■

Leading Real EstateCompanies of the World hasnamed Sheila Barr director ofbusiness development. Barr isresponsible for membershiprecruitment in North America forthe LeadingRE invitation-onlynetwork of 500+ real estate firms.She most recently served as direc-tor of business development for aninternational franchise organiza-tion, where she worked with bro-kers, relocation companies andcorporate clients. Previously, shewas a consultant focusing on salestraining and business development

for the real estate and relocationindustries.

Barr is based in the company’sChicago headquarters.

■ ■ ■

In an effort to equip agentswith shareable news items gleanedfrom print media across Canada,Royal LePage is now providing itsagents with a daily media monitor-ing report.

“This is content that will helpour agents to keep a finger on thepulse of the Canadian real estatelandscape,” says Phil Soper, presi-dent and CEO, Royal LePage. “Itwill help them to, in turn, easilykeep their clients and prospectsabreast of what’s happening in thehousing market, both nationallyand locally, via their social mediachannels.”

The report is delivered daily toRoyal LePage subscribers’ inboxes,via the company’s Leading Edgeblog. REM

CMHC announces more mortgage insurance changes

anada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) has discontin-ued its mortgage loan insurance for the financing of multi-unitcondominium construction.

The federal housing agency also announced that it has establishedmaximum house prices, amortization periods and debt servicing ratiosfor its low-ratio transactional mortgage loan insurance product, effectiveJuly 31.

CMHC says, “The changes are a business decision designed toincrease market discipline in residential lending while reducing taxpay-ers’ exposure to the housing sector through CMHC. They are notchanges to the government’s mortgage loan insurance parameters anddo not apply to private mortgage insurers’ products and services.”

CMHC introduced its multi-unit condominium construction prod-uct in 2010 to assist developers to access insured financing during theconstruction phase of condominium projects. It says that demand for theproduct has been low and that CMHC has not provided any insurancefor multi-unit condominium construction since 2011.

The agency says its insurance for mortgage loans to homebuyerswishing to purchase a condominium is unaffected by this change andwill remain available throughout Canada.

Beginning on July 31, the maximum purchase price for low-ratiomortgage loan insurance will be $1 million. The maximum amortizationwill be 25 years. The maximum gross debt service (GDS) is set at 39 percent and the maximum total debt services (TDS) will be 44 per cent.

REM

C

THE 2014 CANADIAN COMMERCIAL CONFERENCESeptember 15-16, 2014Parksville, BC

Day 2 Keynote Speaker

Douglas PorterChief Economist, BMO Financial GroupCapital markets expectations of the Canadian commercial real estate market

Day 1 - Sept 15EDUCATION DAY. Choice between:

Track 1 - Introduction to commercial real estate: types of commercial real estate, estimating market value, developing dynamic listing presentations and more

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BC REALTORS® will receive 3 one-time Category C PDP credits for attending both days

Register at events.crea.ca today. Space is limited!Conference co-hosted with the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board and held at the Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre

Day 2 - Sept 16 CONTENT DAY. Features presentations and panel discussions on:

• Emerging trends in commercial real estate Investments

• Tech trends that will help you go paperless• Trends in smart growth, LEED and energy efficiency• Opportunities and implications of working with

international buyers• Shifting demand patterns for office space• Things to know from the world of appraising

commercial real estate• Both days will be capped with networking events

25 lessons we learned in 25 years By Josie Stern

8 REM JULY 2014

This year my business partner Valérie Benchitrit and I

celebrate our 25th year in the business. We have learned many lessons throughout the years – most importantly that success is defined by your conduct and not the amount of money you earn. There are many agents who are not top earners yet embody the qualities of a great agent and there are many top earners who don’t – usually because of their misguided ego. So here are the 25 lessons we learned in 25 years that we believe define success:

1. Work with a reputable brokerage. Remember the saying, “Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are”. The reputation of your brokerage will reflect on you so ask, “Is this a brokerage whose reputation I want to carry with me every day?” Also, don’t move around often because instability won’t enhance your career. In fact, if you measure success in dollars, many top earners have been with the same brokerage for years.

2. Don’t count on family and friends for business. Many agents compromise relationships due to hurt feelings when their friends or family don’t use them. It’s wiser to pave your own way and create a business that generates leads through hard work instead of hand outs. Then it will matter less if people you know don’t use your services.

3. Guard your reputation like it’s gold. A bad reputation spreads like wildfire. People talk more about the bad things than the good, so protect your name. Always act in the client’s best interest and you won’t have to worry.

4. Be prepared when agents and consumers report you to the provincial real estate regulator. If you’re in the business long enough this will inevitably happen. Ultimately follow the rules that govern us and

keep documentation to protect yourself. To avoid mistakes that generate complaints, consult your broker if you’re unsure of a situation. Even after 25 years we still count on the knowledge, wisdom and guidance of our brokers, Henry Balaban and Scott Webster.

5. Report an agent who has done something wrong. Our industry has a dreadful reputation and it’s your duty to contribute to the clean up. Even if the agent does not get fined for wrong doing, a complaint filed with the regulator will make that agent think twice before crossing you again. One should command and demand respect in this industry.

6. Don’t let success go to your head. The world doesn’t have room for all the egos in this industry. Ego is destructive and leads you down the wrong path. Keep your success in perspective because, in the grand scheme of things, you’re not that important.

7. Don’t knowingly lie. We live in a litigious society and if a consumer sues you, your lies will not withstand an examination for discovery process in a civil law suit.

8. Don’t begrudge another agent who got business instead of you. We don’t mind when someone gets a piece of business that we didn’t IF the agent won fairly and is known to be ethical. If they are not, we shake our head and feel sorry for the unsuspecting client.

9. Respect long-serving agents because they paid their dues. Some young agents belong to the entitlement society and, since they have never worked a recessionary market, hard work is not in their repertoire. Yet they want it all – NOW. But good things come to those who wait… greater things come to those who get off their ass and do what it takes to make it

happen. Long-serving agents deserve respect and it will take you a little longer to get to where they are.

10. If you make a mistake, admit it quickly and make restitution. The longer you hide it, the worse the consequences will be when it’s inevitably discovered.

11. Stand up for what you believe in and make a difference, even if that means standing alone.

12. Mentoring others can be very rewarding. Be generous and give back to our industry, and contribute to improving it.

13. Give back to the community and make a difference. It is your responsibility and it will come back to you in spades.

14. If someone tells you it can’t be done, do it anyway. Many years ago I referred a client to an agent in Schomberg, yet the agent refused to sign the referral agreement. She arrogantly said she was well-known and would probably have received the call from my client anyway. Talk about ego. Every month I would check MLS to see if the property sold and, lo and behold, after 18 months it did. I wanted to report her but was told that the arbitration committee run by TREB members at the time had never before heard this type of complaint. I believe there’s a first time for everything so I submitted the case, it was heard and I was awarded my referral fee.

15. Don’t be intimidated by super agents. In my third year in the business I was cold calling in Chaplin Estates. A gentleman visiting from Calgary answered the phone. He was looking for an agent to sell his mother’s house and had set up interviews with six top agents. Being new and inexperienced, I didn’t think I stood a chance. Mr.

Client asked us all to answer six questions in writing. Ironically I got the listing because he said I followed his instructions while the top agents delivered “I’m number one” material laced with ego but did not answer a single question he asked.

16. If you’re angry with someone, don’t send them an email or text in that state unless you’re prepared to accept the consequences.

17. Don’t ever take cash or kickbacks. People are human and greed is not uncommon. A few consumers have offered me cash payment so they can save HST on commission. Don’t be tempted. The consumer is not bound by the rules that govern us as you are. It’s not worth losing your license over this.

18. Be very careful what you say on social media. Everything you post, comment and share paints a picture of who you are. How do you want to define yourself? This will be your brand.

19. Be kind to others. It doesn’t cost you anything yet it could brighten someone else’s day.

20. Put yourself in other people’s shoes. Be empathetic and ask yourself, “Would I want this to happen to me or my children?”

21. Always ask if you’re not sure. Don’t answer a question just because you don’t want to come across as unknowledgeable. Tell the person you will get back to them and ask your broker.

22. Cut your losses if it’s not working out with a client. It’s not in your best interest or the clients’ if your relationship is no longer working.

23. Disclose disclose disclose. Don’t hold back any material fact that is your client’s right to know.

24. Appreciate that you are privileged. We are part of

an industry that has enjoyed a stretch of 19 years of high returns. Therefore hard-working agents are financially rewarded so don’t take it for granted. Go above and beyond the call of duty for your clients. What other industry requiring no formal degree or an investment in inventory allows people to earn the kind of money we have the potential to earn?

25. Always do the right thing. Don’t opt to put your commission first. Ask yourself, What do I want my legacy to be? Is it, I made a lot of money selling real estate or I acted ethically and fairly in all my dealings with people? You decide. It comes down to the legacy you want to leave behind.

Josie Stern and Valérie Benchitrit have 50 years of combined real estate experience and together they have sold more than 1,250 properties in the GTA. They are with Sutton Group – Associates Realty in Toronto. Before real estate, Josie was director of information systems for Sanyo Canada for 14 years. Website: http://josiestern.com/ Email [email protected] REM

Josie Stern

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hose who know Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. brokerKevan O’Connor aren’t

likely to be surprised that he’d bean early adopter of an electricvehicle. On March 17 he plunkeddown a hefty amount for themuch-hyped Tesla Model S Sedanby Tesla Motors. As some ownershave pointed out, the word sedanhas no place in descriptions of thesleek new vehicle, named after theoriginal “mad scientist” NikolaTesla, who invented, among manyother things, Alternating Current(AC) electricity.

Tesla’s name was used by TeslaMotors not because of any humanconnection but presumablybecause the original inventor’sspirit seemed a good fit for thebrand that Tesla’s CEO Elon Musksaw for his company. Besides, copy-right on the name had expired andTesla, the man, died in 1943.

Seventy years later, it seemsonly appropriate that O’Connor,an Irishman, would hedge his betson St. Paddy’s Day, and on a carthat runs on electricity at a baseprice of $80,000. He dished outabout $125,000 to bring the silvermetallic, clean, lean, “green”machine (initially launched in2012) into his driveway. Add-onsincluded an upgrade to the largestbattery, a sunroof, bigger tires, tur-bine wheels and an upgradedsound system.

“I was also one of the first own-ers of the Commodore 64,”O’Conner says, referring to theearly home computer introducedin January 1982. It highlights hispenchant for new technology fromway back.

A committed BMW 7 Seriesowner, he was in the market for anew car when he test drove theTesla Model S at Tesla MotorsYorkdale. “I couldn’t believe thepower. The centre of gravity is real-ly low to the ground, which deliv-ers amazing handling.” The TeslaModel S can go from 0 – 100 km in5.6 seconds. “All I do is plug it in atnight. Typically, I’d never drivemore than 150 km during a busi-ness day.” Fully charged, the carhas a range of 480 km. “It’s nice to

10 REM JULY 2014

T

Turning green power into selling powerBroker Kevan O’Conner uses his Tesla electric car to show clients properties and deliver a “green” messageBy Gayle Mavor

forget about gasoline, grease andoil and I won’t be burning the3,000 litres of fuel I normallywould during a business year. Andclients love to be able to see and sitinside one of the most talked aboutcars today while they’re out findingthe ‘right’ property.”

The Tesla’s 17-inch touchscreen in the front console meanshe’s able to put mobile connectivi-ty to work in searching for listings,checking schools, finding outabout neighbourhood amenities orreviewing aerial maps on GoogleMaps. “And that’s before we’veeven left the car,” he says.

He highlights an app on iTunesthat pretty much does everythingbut drive the car. “You can turn theheater on and off, open the trunkand sun roof, honk the horn andcontrol the lights. You can see howmuch charge is still available and itwill even let someone else trackthe car on Google Maps as youmove from route A to route B.”Potentially, this could be an addedsafety feature for sales reps workingalone.

The most important part of thecar is underneath: the liquid-

cooled, lithium ion cell battery andthe power train between the backwheels.

Although there is the risk ofuncertainty associated with TeslaMotor’s future, it was a riskO’Connor was willing to take.Standard & Poor has predictedTesla Motors’ potential default by2017 but that didn’t impede thecompany from borrowing an addi-tional $2.3 billion in March 2014from investors riding their owndreams on a back-to-the-futurestyle car. They’re pinning theirprofit fantasies on Tesla’s expan-sion into the Chinese market,

which began, albeit very slowly, inAugust 2013.

Back in the small village ofNiagara-on-the-Lake, a lot haschanged since O’Connor got hisfirst job at a brokerage in 1971 andstarted his own brokerage, nowRoyal LePage Niagara-on-the-Lake Centre. He served on theOntario Real Estate Associationfor 11 years, becoming president in1992, and was a director for CREAfor six years. His sales successadmitted him to Royal LePage’sNational Chairman’s Clubbetween 2003 and 2007 and againin 2011.

Nowadays, he’s more likely tobe perfecting a strategy that seeksout Tesla Superchargers fromToronto to Florida, where hespends winters with his wife whileleaving the business in the handsof his son James O’ Connor.

For sales reps without themeans or will to purchase an elec-tric car, Elden Freeman, founder ofthe National Association of GreenAgents and Brokers (NAGAB),offers a more direct plan of actionfor mindfully getting up to speedon “green”. Accreditation inNAGAB teaches agents aboutnew building materials and envi-ronmental products and solutions.It helps them develop a competi-tive edge while doing their bit fortheir children’s future. Thinkingabout his own kids is what moti-vated Freeman to start theAssociation in 2007. It has nowgrown to 31,000 members.

He walks the talk with solarpanels on his home, drives a hybridcar and has a native plant gardenthat requires less watering. Withnew building materials, updatedbuilding codes and constantlyevolving building technologies,Freeman says it just makes sense forsales reps to educate themselvesabout “green” building. It’s the kindof knowledge that translates intoprofits, makes a stronger impressionon clients (who he says are typical-ly way ahead of sales reps in thistype of knowledge) and enablesagents to market the features of aproperty more convincingly.

“It’s not enough to describe ahouse as solar powered,” he says.“Clients want to know how itworks and what difference it’sgoing to translate into, how it ben-efits the environment and what itmeans for their wallets.”

The courses offered through hisnon-profit lead to Green Agentand Green Broker certification butcan be taken as one-offs and arebundled according to topic.

If you’re a sales rep who hasworked out your own unique waysto be mindful of the planet, letREM know what you do to be energy efficient in your practice.

REM

Kevan O’Conner with his TeslaModel S Sedan.

The 17-inch touch screen in the front console allows O’Conner to putmobile connectivity to work.

How this busy grandma stays on topGloria Valvasori runs a successful real estate business, stays on top of the industry’s evolving technology and is single-handedly raising her three grandchildren. By Connie Adair

12 REM JULY 2014

At 64, Gloria Valvasori said goodbye to her colleagues

and walked out the door. Retirement? No way. Impressed by the award-winning agent’s track record, another brokerage had enticed her to join its team and Valvasori was, as always, up for the challenge.

The spunky and endless well of energy joined Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Signature Service in Mississauga, Ont. six years ago and has been surprising and inspiring company executives and colleagues since.

Valvasori has won sales awards every year that she has been a real estate agent and since joining Better Homes and Gardens can add computer geek

to her list of accomplishments. The top producer has harnessed the power of social media to boost a career she has no intention of giving up any time soon.

St. Catharines-born Valvasori started in clerical work, changing jobs every couple of years when she became bored. Even then she needed a challenge. But the single parent of children five and nine years of age needed a regular income. Although sales appealed to her (she became interested in real estate after selling her marital home) a commission job was not realistic.

As luck would have it, she heard of a job at Mutual Life in St. Catharines and was hired in

1985 with a draw of $2,000 per month. “It was that draw that made me take a chance and step out of my comfort zone,” she says. “If I didn’t at least try, I would never know what I could accomplish.”

The training she received in sales, including how to cold call and turn leads into sales and how to close deals, was invaluable. In 1986 she won an award for sales achievement. Her time at Mutual Life was a stepping stone. “It was much easier to cross over into real estate with the valuable sales training I learned there for two years,” Valvasori says.

In 1987, she became an agent. She earned the $1-million Round Table Award in her first year and gold- or silver-level sales awards every year since. Her most cherished award is her Platinum Award, which she earned for ratings of 100 per cent for outstanding service to clients as voted by clients in confidential surveys.

She worked for a couple of independent brokers in St. Catharines. In the 1990s, still too new to the business to have enough clients to weather the effects of unemployment and inflation, she took two years off and worked as a receptionist to get back on her feet.

She moved to Oakville and re-entered real estate, working at Royal LePage Royal in Mississauga before being recruited by and joining Better Homes and Gardens. She had no intention to move, but was drawn by the forward-thinking and technologically savvy company.

Not long after she started with Better Homes and Gardens, Nelson Goulart, vice-president of network sales suggested she

create a website. “I told him I was too old and too tired. Nelson said, ‘You can’t afford not to’,” she says.

Not one to back down from a challenge, she got to work, applying lessons learned at company training sessions. In six months she was on the front page of Google.

She is on Twitter, Facebook and networking site Active Rain.

When he first met her, Goulart says he could see fire in Valvasori’s eyes and knew she was special. He just didn’t know how special. As well as being a successful full-time agent, Valvasori single-handedly raised two children and is now raising three grandchildren on her own. “They were 2 ½, 3 ½ and 5 when they came to me,” she says.

Real estate offers her the flexibility to make Trent, 13, Corina, 12, and 10-year-old Ryland breakfast every morning and to get them to the bus stop on time. Her work day begins at 8 am, when she checks her home page, comments or posts, and goes on to her fan page. She has more than 7,300 fans.

She spends the rest of the day in the office and on appointments. She has the help of a part-time nanny, who makes dinner or watches the grandchildren when she has evening appointments.

“It’s a lot of work but I get a lot of joy in return. When I walk in the front door, I get big hugs. They ask me, ‘How was your day’ and say “We’re glad to see you. We know how hard you work, sit down.’ They’re the joy of my life.”

Valvasori runs a tight ship, teaching her grandchildren to fend for themselves and to know that nothing comes easy. “I’m

teaching them to be productive citizens,” she says.

When the opportunity presents itself to rest, she does and every three or four months she takes four days to herself to recharge.

She visits the gym twice a week, weight-lifting with the help of a trainer to keep herself as physically strong as she is mentally. Valvasori, who has been on her own since she was 17, says, “Everyone has challenge in their life, some more than others.”

Real estate is a stress outlet. “I love it so much it’s not work. It gets rid of stress when I see happy clients,” she says.

She is an Accredited Senior Agent and was recently invited to become part of an elite group of hand-picked Master Accredited Senior Agents.

How does she do it? “I will be 70 in July,” says Valvasori, who has been a licensed real estate agent for 28 years. “It’s not about age but mindset.”

Many stories talk about shifting demographics and how older people are getting out of the business, but Goulart says that’s not the only story. The Millennials are coming, but those in their 50s, 60s and 70s should see themselves as an important part of the industry, he says.

“Gloria is a real character. She’s a doer,” Goulart says. “She’s an inspiration to the industry. If I could duplicate Gloria, I would.”

“It hasn’t been an easy journey. I’m grateful to be healthy and still able to support my grandchildren,” Valvasori says. She’s an inspiration to all, but modestly says, “If I can do it, anyone can.” REM

Gloria Valvasori with her grandchildren, from left: Ryland, Corina and Trent (Photo: Marko Shark)

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HOW TO MAKE A PAYMENTYou can make your payment online. Over 77% of registrants are making their insurance payments through MyWeb, RECO’s

exclusive web portal for registrants. If you do not already have a MyWeb account, creating one is easy and free; simply visit https://myweb.reco.on.ca to sign up. Use your MasterCard or Visa to pay your insurance online for immediate processing and confirmation of payment. Please note that insurance payments are non-refundable and RECO does not accept payments by phone.

ABOUT THE INSURANCE PROGRAMThe Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) works with insurance broker Alternative Risk Services to negotiate and secure the best coverage and rates for you, year after year. RECO’s insurance program provides essential protection for you and your clients and customers through its Errors & Omissions, Commission Protection and Consumer Deposit insurance coverage.Insurance renewal invoices will be mailed in early July to all registrants. A copy of the renewal package is also available on RECO’s website at www.reco.on.ca.

Contact RECO’s insurance department at: MyWeb: https://myweb.reco.on.ca | PHONE: 416-207-4841 or TOLL-FREE:1-866-757-7772 | FAX: 416-207-9020 or 416-207-4820 | EMAIL: [email protected]

RETIRING OR LEAVING THE BUSINESS BEFORE SEPTEMBER?Terminate your registration by August 1, 2014 to avoid becoming involved in the suspension process. You have two options for completing your termination:1. Send a completed “Notice of Employee

TERMINATION” form, found on RECO’s website under “Notice of Employee Change: Termination”, and a copy of your resignation letter to RECO’s Registration Department; or

2. Have your Broker of Record or Branch Manager complete the termination process for you on MyWeb. See RECO’s website for further details.

SUSPENSION PROCESS–WHAT HAPPENS IF MY PAYMENT IS LATE?Registrants who fail to make their insurance payment by the due date will become part of the suspension process and will be required to pay an additional $35 for expenses related to administration of the suspension process. The total insurance payment after the due date is $435. Failure to make an insurance payment results in the suspension of your registration and the right to trade in real estate effective September 1, 2014.

E&O CLAIM REPORTING DEADLINE IS APPROACHINGThe E&O insurance coverage is on a “claims made” basis. This means that any claim, or situation that may develop into a claim made against you, must be reported to the insurer during the policy period in which the event occurred. Reporting a claim or potential claim to the insurer by August 31, 2014 protects you if a situation escalates and a law suit is commenced against you.

The total cost of insurance, including taxes and expenses, remains unchanged at $400 for the 2014–2015 policy period.

Additional insurance program details are available on MyWeb.

To pay your insurance online please visit MyWeb at https://myweb.reco.on.ca.

Insurance Renewal 2014

Payments are due by August 15, 2014

Re: Who had the biggestimpact on the real estateindustry during the last25 years?

From my university business-educated and corporately trainedpoint of view, the biggest failure inthe history of organized real estateis the total disregard of the singlemost important goal of any realbusiness, and that is to earn profits.

Why does such a massive indus-try with enormous sales dollar vol-umes struggle to make profits, par-ticularly at the sales representativelevel? Why does our industry havethe unspeakable failure rate that noother major industry has? The truthis real estate has become a non-business-like industry. Take forexample any Fortune 100 corpora-tion – General Electric, Ford,Apple, Pepsi – in order to profit,they must function. That’s whythey have entire departmentsdevoted to critical functions:finance, accounting, compliance,sales, marketing, public relations,legal, human resources, technology,

Letters to the Editorproduct development, customerservice – and every employeebrings a specific expertise to theteam. Together, everyone benefitsfrom the momentum and synergyof the collective force.

There was a time when realestate salespeople performed noother task than just “selling” andthe brokerage took care of all theother critical functions required torun a real “business”. Then in the1980s along came Re/Max andintroduced the independent con-tractor concept to the real estateindustry, and destroyed the industryas we knew it. Independent con-tractor also means the salespersonnow has to be their own functionalexpert and do all the functionaltasks themselves, oh yes, and findtime to actually sell real estate too.

Let’s be clear, “if” an individualcame into real estate, already expe-rienced with deep knowledge ofcritical business functions, theycould become a real estate super-star. But let’s be honest, less thanone per cent of real estate salespeo-ple become a superstar. Statistically,

just about every newcomer thor-oughly lacks any real skills requiredto become profitable. Back to inde-pendent contracting – a model thatoffers the salesperson the allure ofkeeping a higher percentage of elu-sive commissions and in return, fora smaller share of commissions, thebrokerage no longer provides(meaningful) support in all the crit-ical functions necessary to run aprofitable business (key word, prof-itable).

Even more important thanthe gutting of business functionsfrom our industry is the completeand utter elimination of account-ability. Our industry has salespeo-ple running around ill-equippedto do their job properly and prof-itably, and then lets them dowhatever they want, wheneverthey want. It’s absurd and asinine.In the real business world (wherethey actually make profits) anyemployee who fails to show up forwork, every day, on time and actlike a professional, perform com-petently and achieve results like aprofessional, would simply get

fired. But in real estate such exis-tence is the norm. It’s so absurdthat most brands measure theirsuccess by the size of their tribe ofsuch “salespeople”, where by con-trast in the real business world theonly true measure of success isprofits.

Re/Max pats itself on the backas a trailblazer for bringing innova-tions to our industry, but in myopinion, bringing independentcontracting to real estate hasproven to be the cause of the singlebiggest failure of our industry in thepast 25 years. How ironic thatRe/Max recently announced thetermination of one of its fran-chisees, operating in a major lucra-tive GTA market, touted for hav-ing 350 “salespeople”, yet incapableof paying its franchise fees.

Ross GligicBroker of record, president

Best Real Estate Inc.Burlington, Ont.

I agree with Michael Freidmanand Carolyne Lederer, who

answered this question withMelanie Aitken, commissioner ofcompetition in 2009.

What was not mentioned wasthe expense (money and image)incurred by the real estate industryto address the bureau’s allegationthat CREA’s rules regarding MLSaccess denied consumer choice andstifled competition.

Every facet of organized realestate involves some level ofcompetition. Real estate trans-actions continue to be providedin the most competitive environ-ment – that being the MLS dataaccess administered by CREA’srules, which do afford consumerchoice in innovative services andprice. The proof is in the factthat consumers trust organizedreal estate for their knowledge,expertise and experience despiteCREA signing that 10-yearConsent Agreement.

Carrol Woolsey,Managing broker,

Pillar RealtyVancouver REM

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appy Canada Day,Fourth of July andBastille Day! Pretty well

covers the majors in the month. I’llbegin by complimenting HeinoMolls, Jim Adair and the staff ofREM for the 25th anniversary edi-tion. The summary of differencemakers in our industry, bothlicensed and civilian, gave mepause to consider the 44 years Ihave been an arms dealer in theconflict.

So I quit.Well, I’ve set a goal.To taper. That seems to be the

dominant phrase of the year.Starting with my REM

Canada has too many RealtorsMETES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

H

columns. This effort is number235. (Pause for long division andgasp from the reader.) I think 250is a nice round number although240 has a certain appeal. However,I think I can dredge up enough foranother year and a bit, bringing meto September 2015, plenty of timefor REM to plan the usual grandsoiree and golden handshake.

Now that the cheering has dieddown, let me stab a few of my fel-low licensees in the eye. Recently Ihave been forced to file a couple ofcomplaints with our real estateboard and one with our provincialregulator. I don’t do this lightly.But when salespeople slip over theline that divides honest mistakefrom wilful act or omission, ourindustry deserves respect. It doesn’tget respect when we fail to actbecause there may be repercussionsor the paper work is complex or wejust don’t want to get involved orit’s the manager’s job.

So if you fail to do a title searchand discover the occupants don’town the property or you list a ren-ovated mobile home without an

electrical safety certificate or youfall afoul of the warranty processon a new home, be prepared to dothe time.

What to do?Can you accept the premise

that there are too many Realtors? Idon’t mean to imply that top pro-ducers aren’t without sin but theyare at least around to take respon-sibility and most likely to be inter-ested in repeat customers. “A goodstart” is the punch line to that oldlawyer joke, edited to ask, “Whatdo you call 100 Realtors at the bot-tom of the ocean?”

If it is time to clean house,looking around, it’s hard to findthose without sin. Regulators couldrequire that licensees be restrictedin their employment to real estateonly. That was the case in B.C.until pressure from the federal gov-ernment on inter-provincial tradebarriers, amid the red herrings ofconstitutional challenge and inde-pendent contractor, caused theReal Estate Council of B.C. tochange the rules. Now you can runinto your Realtor at your favourite

restaurant or in the checkout aisle.Of course, brokerages could

make that their policy and manydo. But the fact remains that part-time members across Canada existand skim business. I’m surprisedthe consumer allows the practice.They would flinch if their lawyeror doctor popped up in the drive-through window to ask, “Wouldyou like fries with that?”

Real estate boards and associa-tions could do their bit too. Yearsago, listening to the majority ofunder-achievers, my board elimi-nated the Medallion Club perfor-mance results. Andy Smith, withB.C. Hothouse Foods, offered thisinsight: “We don’t focus enoughon winners. Rather we try tolessen the burden of failure ormediocrity. Why don’t we studyand reward winners?” There was atime we could readily determinethe number of sales a memberhad. Now we have to cruise thebus benches to determine whichNo. 1 is still available for us toclaim.

In the local zone or division of

our real estate board, year-to-dateMay 31st, there has been an aver-age of 2.8 completed unit sales permember, a unit being either a list-ing or selling side. For all of 2013,there were 8.3. Given an averageprice of around $310,000 for allcategories of real estate sales and acommission of $6,700 per side inmy business model, then on aver-age, local Realtors grossed $55,610.But of course there’s the old top 20per cent rule. Our offices’ two topindividuals averaged 42 ends, overfive times the local average. Otheroffices will have similar results,leaving no doubt there is a highpercentage of licensees who aren’tmaking a living.

Why are they here? Sadly weare slaves to membership numbersat the regulatory, board and broker-age level. No member, no fee. Nolicensee, no desk fee or commis-sion split. In a brief conversationon the very high percentage ofToronto Real Estate Board(TREB) members with fewer thanfive sales per year, Walter

Continued on page 18

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Schneider of Re/Max Integra said,“The best thing organized realestate could do is require a mini-mum number of transactions eachyear.”

It sounds like a throwaway linebut if you consider the result wouldinclude tens of thousands ofTREB members, it becomes asobering message very quickly.And let’s not just pick on TREB.They have been the heavy lifter forthe country for too long. (C’monCalgary, Vancouver, let’s have ashot at FINTRAC defiance!) Isuggest that all boards and associa-

tions do the math with a view tosustainable income and see wheretheir plimsoll line might be.

By the way, Re/Max is nostranger to straight-shooting lead-ership. In 2000, Dave Liniger wasquoted in REM: “Eighty per centof the people in this business arelosers. Eighty per cent of the peo-ple in this business don’t needtechnology – they need a cus-tomer.”

Thirty years ago, “Pip” Holmes,iconic Canadian Realtor, past-president of everything includingthe world organization of FIABCI,said: “So much of what is donetoday in our business is, because oftechnology, in the hands of ama-

teurs. It deserves to be in the handsof professionals.”

Thirty years later, the strugglecontinues.

Contact Marty Douglas by emailat [email protected] .Follow or connect with Marty onTwitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Heis a managing broker for Re/MaxOcean Pacific Realty in Comox andCourtenay, B.C. He is a past chair ofthe Real Estate Errors and OmissionsInsurance Corporation of B.C., theReal Estate Council of B.C., theB.C. Real Estate Association and theVancouver Island Real Estate Board.

REM

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NEWSLETTER & SHOWCASE ENVELOPE

Whether your yard is especially big, or you just don’t have enough time to devote to even a modest one, the following tips will make yard mai t

� Incorporate more hardscaping (i.e. non-living) elements into your yard.

� Plant native species.

� Buy quality tools, and store, maintain, and service them properly.

� Install an automatic irrigation system – obviously more worthwhile for larger yards.

LOW-MAINTENANCE LAWN CARE

Terminology TipCOLLATERAL — A security or guarantee pledged as security for the repayment of a loan if the borrower does not have enough funds to make payments on their loan. In respect to mortgage loans, the collateral is the property being mortgaged, and the lender’s claim to that property is called a lien. If the borrower cannot make their mortgage payments, the lender can foreclose on the home and take possession of it to sell and recoup the principal it lent the borrower

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

While we’ve always been told not to judge a book by its cover, there is certainly something to be said for first impressions when it comes to showing your home. That’s why, especially in this busy open house real estate season, it pays to call in your real estate sales representative to give you a fresh perspective on how your home presents.

realtyreport®

Volume 10, Issue 4


Courtney BrownReal Estate Agent

Market Connections Inc.®

94 Scarsdale Road

Toronto, ON M3B 2R7

Tel:Tel: (800) 38(800) 387-60587 6058

Fax: (800) 800-7093

courtney@marketconnections.

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LEGAL ISSUES

By Donald H. Lapowichn Ontario the LimitationsAct Statute of Ontario 2002(which came into force on

January 1, 2004) set a general lim-itation period of two years. This isthe amount of time a person has tobring an action for damages afterthey discover the facts that wouldsupport the lawsuit.

Subsequently, the statute wasamended so that parties to a “busi-ness agreement” could change thetwo-year limitation.

A recent case (Kassburg v. SunLife Assurance Company of Canada,2014 ONSC 1523) laid down thefollowing conditions:

a) the change must describethe limitation period in “clear lan-guage”;

b) the change must identify thescope of when the limitation peri-od will apply;

c) the new limitation periodmust exclude the operation of anyother limitation periods.

Without the strict compliancein this case, the attempt to changethe limitation period to one yearwas not successful.

In two other Ontario cases, thelimitation period was applied indifferent ways. In the first case, the

Limitation periods plaintiff negotiated a sale and thedefendant unilaterally changed thecommission in December 2006. InNovember 2007, the defendantpaid the lower rate of commissionand within two years of that datethe plaintiff sued for breach of con-tract.

The court determined that thelimitation period would start to runat the time the contract wasbreached. However, the defen-dant’s change in commission wasnot accepted by the plaintiff. Theplaintiff therefore did not knowwhether he would suffer damageuntil the payment of commissionsbecame due in 2007. That beingthe case, when the payments werenot made when due, the two-yearlimitation period then ran from2007 rather than when the noticewas given in 2006.

In the second case, a condo-minium corporation sought a dec-laration that a contract wasinvalid.

A member of the propertymanagement company entered thecontract with a natural gas supplier“without authority”. The Board ofDirectors discussed the contract in2009 and sent a letter to the gassupplier in 2010, but didn’t start anaction for an invalid contract until2012. In this instance the actionwas barred because the date onwhich the damage was discoveredwas in the board meeting of 2009,where the board discussed theinvalid contract (as alleged). Twoyears from then would have been2011 but the action was brought in2012 and therefore was past the

two-year limitation period. (YorkCondominium Corporation No. 62v. Superior Energy Management GasL.P., 2013 ONCA 789)

In a recent British Columbiacase it was confirmed that a limita-tion period could not commenceto run until discovery of allegedfacts, by which the claimant thencommenced litigation.

The plaintiff owned some land.In 2010 an appraiser for the citydetermined that the plaintiff’sproperty line was in the middle of aroad. It led to the plaintiff and thecity disputing ownership for part ofthe road, leading to an action todetermine whether the land was ahighway or not.

One of the defences of the citywas that there was lack of noticeand the limitation period hadexpired.

The court recognized that priorto October 2010, both the plaintiffand the city had no knowledgethat the property line was in themiddle of the road. Therefore, theplaintiff could not possibly havegiven the notice required beforethat date, nor could it have hadcommenced an action before thatknowledge came into its possession(discovery). (452195 B.C. Ltd. v.Abbotsford [City], 2013 BCSC2055)

Donald Lapowich, Q.C. is apartner at the law firm of Koskie,Minsky in Toronto, where he prac-tices civil litigation, with a particularemphasis on real estate litigation andmediation, acting for builders, realestate agents and lawyers. REM

I

Canada has too manyContinued from page 16

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20 REM JULY 2014

Switching from big brand to independentShawn Westerik and Ryan Hodge were top producers with a national brand before deciding to create theirown independent brokerage, The Realty Firm. By Susan Doran

eal estate valuation andadvisory professionalToivo Heinsaar has joined

Avison Young as SVP, valuationand advisory services, Ontario.Based in the company’s headquar-ters in Toronto, he will serviceclients throughout Ontario and ona national basis. Formerly director,real estate valuation at Deloitte,Heinsaar has 18 years of industryexperience.

Heinsaar has held senior rolesat Colliers International andCushman & Wakefield. His clientsinclude some of the nation’s lead-ing financial and public institu-tions, real estate developers, REITsand investors, the company says.

Ryan Cunningham has joinedAvison Young in Mississauga.

Cunningham, an 11-yearindustry veteran, joins as a princi-

pal and will continue to specializein industrial real estate.Cunningham was most recently avice-president with CBRE inToronto West.

“Ryan’s extensive real estateexperience and past successes, cou-pled with his enthusiasm and goal-oriented personality, will lead toexciting opportunities in the mar-ketplace,” says Martin Dockrill,principal and managing director ofthe company’s Toronto Westregion. “Moreover, his demeanourand desire to collaborate with thelarger team will fit in well with ourculture.”

■ ■ ■

JLL has hired Mark Chambersas EVP of office leasing inVancouver.

“We see the progress of down-town Vancouver and realize clientneeds are going to change,” saysBrett Miller, president of JLLCanada. “Mark knows the industryinside and out, and he will help usand our clients through this newcycle of Vancouver’s develop-ment.”

Chambers joins JLL fromCushman & Wakefield with 21years of experience. He has facili-tated more than 10 million squarefeet of leasing and nearly $500 mil-lion in sales over his commercialreal estate career. REM

Toivo Heinsaar Ryan Cunningham Mark Chambers

Industrial,Commercial & Investment

Industrial,Commercial & Investment

R

hy would a pair of hot-shot real estate profes-sionals who between

them had more than two highlysuccessful decades with Re/Maxchoose to leave all that behind tostart up an independent brokerage?

When that question is put tofriends and business partnersShawn Westerik and Ryan Hodge,who did just that, the answer seemsto boil down to wanting to providea new option for their hometownof London, Ont.

To put a finer point on it, firstand foremost they “want to buildthe best brokerage in London,”says Westerik.

Although the thought of leav-ing the largest real estate organiza-tion in the world was daunting,“We felt we could offer a uniqueand high-quality sales system for areasonable compensation plan toany type of Realtor, whether newagent or seasoned professional,” hesays.

After weighing the pros andcons of such a move, they finallymade the leap in September 2013.

Up to that point, “We had beenbuilding notoriety with our vol-ume...and a lot of Realtors werecalling us wanting to go out forbreakfast or lunch to get them-selves educated about how we weredoing what we were doing.”

Before they launched theirindependent brokerage, TheRealty Firm, they were the top-producing team at Re/Max CentreCity in London. Often, they say,those asking for advice were com-petitors from different firms. “Theywere requesting our help and wewere not really even supposed to begiving it to them,” says Westerik.“But it gave us the confidence weneeded to start our own broker-age.”

Hodge says they “did due dili-gence,” taking a full year toresearch and build a feasible planwhile continuing to work long daysat Re/Max. “We thought we couldcreate a turnkey business, becauseour own personal sales system istried, true, proven, easily repro-duced and salable.”

They say this system can be

duplicated by their sales reps,“allowing them to be successfulwithout making 200 cold calls orspending exorbitant amounts onadvertising.”

The pair wanted to make theirmove in a dignified and ethicalway, they say. They have a lot ofrespect for their previous broker ofrecord and did not want to “purge”that brokerage, as they had wit-nessed the animosity that suchactions had caused in other com-panies, they say.

“So we started from scratch,”says Westerik, although admitted-ly, as time passed and word gotaround, some agents from their for-mer brokerage wound up joiningthem.

Westerik and Hodge say thatno matter how high your confi-dence levels, one of the mostdaunting aspects of starting up anew brokerage is worrying aboutwhether people will believe in yourvision.

“I still recall when we firstopened,” says Hodge. “There werejust five of us – and all this office

space – wondering, ‘Should we setup a bowling alley?’”

With The Realty Firm, itappears for now that won’t be nec-essary. Since September, “over 30agents have joined us,” saysWesterik. “They want to do whatwe do...Here you can be mentoredby two guys selling 200 housesyearly.”

The Realty Firm brand “hasbeen very well received inLondon,” says Hodge. “For us, thebiggest success story is how ouragents are doing – some have dou-bled their production from lastyear.”

For the brokerage’s sales reps,the process begins with simple goalplanning. “We are very goal orient-ed,” Hodge says. Registrants areassisted in creating goals aroundnet profit and scheduling, whichcombine to help them design “theperfect day and week” in realestate, after which they developtheir business further with the helpof mentoring/training.

“It’s geared to the individual,”Hodge says. “If we get them to timeblock quality of life first, then leadgeneration time, the rest will fallinto place naturally. We believe ineveryone here and we have seenthis have great success. We setaside time to talk with them, keepthem on track, follow up. We arevery invested in our people.”

It comes down to goals, timemanagement and the desire togrow, Westerik and Hodge agree.

A positive and in-sync workenvironment is also crucial.

“We have the conviction toturn people away. We’re proud ofthat,” says Westerik. “We want theright mix. We’ve had to say no tosome registrants who have a desireto work here. They did not fit inwith how we look at the busi-ness...They don’t respect the busi-ness as a whole, do not have thepassion for the business.”

He and Hodge refer to this as“taking the business back.” Theybelieve that in many cases the realestate business is trending towardsturmoil, due to such issues as lackof knowledge, poor ethics and poorcommunication.

“At The Realty Firm, we facili-tate professional transactions,” saysWesterik. “We are broker/ownerswho are still actively selling. Ourregistrants like that; we’re in thetrenches with them...If there is aproblem or mistake, we address itand fix it. We are accountable toourselves, our competition andeach other.”

Both Westerik and Hodgehave vast reserves of passion forthe business. They say the chal-lenges include “finding enoughhours in the day.”

“And being tired,” addsWesterik with a laugh. “We are notreally fun guys,” he continues inthe same vein. “We are veryfocused, very business orient-ed...We’ve actually had six orseven top-producing agents call usabout franchise opportunities, butwe’ve put that on the back burnerfor now.”

Asked what drives him and hisbusiness partner, Westerik says,“People ask what motivates us. Weare both married with three youngboys, so running a brokerage andkeeping our wives and boys happy,we need good organizational andtime management skills. Thinkingof putting six boys through univer-sity motivates us!” REM

Ryan Hodge

Shawn Westerik

W

This is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, including a solicitation of any sales representatives or broker that is currently under contract. Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2014 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.

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24 REM JULY 2014

t is amazing to me how manypre-construction condomini-ums have prices that are out of

whack! By out of whack, I meandisconnected from prices in theresale market.

Don’t get me wrong – a newcondo is obviously better than a20-year-old condo, but it’s notworth much more than a recentlybuilt comparable building that isactively trading in the resale mar-ket. Not to mention, if you’re buy-ing pre-construction today, youshould be paying a price based ontoday’s resale market values.

Our advice and strategy fordetermining how much is toomuch for a pre-construction condois to simply find a fairly new com-parable condo – ideally in the samelocation – as a base for comparisonwhen analyzing a pre-constructioninvestment. If you have used ourwebsite, you will know thatCondos.ca can show you the dollarper square foot trends and priceranges for any resale condo inToronto.

Why do pre-construction con-dos “out sell” the resale market? It’sa combination of many factors.

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Pre-constructioncondo prices outof whackSome are quite controversial butworth mentioning.

1. Commission: Developers paynearly double the commission tosell a new condo vs. a resale condo(four to five per cent vs. 2.5 percent on the resale side).

2. Inaccurate market research:Developers support their prices toinvestors with somewhat mislead-ing data from organizations likeRealNet Canada that report priceper square foot trends of other newcondos by compiling price datafrom developer’s price lists and notthe actual selling prices.

Investors were told that theaverage new condo price in thecore was $961 per sq. ft. Obviouslythis makes any developers’ prices

look cheap, so we investigated thisfurther, as the number was substan-tially higher than our researchwithin the resale market. RealNetprovided the list of buildings usedand now that many of the condoson that list have registered, it clear-ly shows a disconnect between theasking prices and actual sellingprices.

3. Hidden fees and additionalcosts: Developers do a great job athiding the actual cost of a newcondo. When you buy a resalecondo, the price you see is theprice you pay, while the price on apre-construction condo has a list ofadded expenses. Parking anddevelopment charges are examplesof a couple of extras that need to beadded into the equation whenevaluating investment potential.

At the age of 29, CarlLangschmidt ranked #39 for RoyalLePage out of almost 15,000 agentsacross Canada. He says his secret tosuccess is hard work and passion. Heis a broker with Royal LePage YourCommunity Realty in Richmond Hill,Ont., and president of condos.ca,described as “the GTA’s most compre-hensive condominium guide featuringexclusive building and neighbourhoodprice trend data.” REM

By Carl Langschmidt

Why do pre-construction

condos “out sell” the resalemarket?

oe has a used car lot with 25to 30 vehicles in stock at anygiven time. He specializes incars that are just a tad older.

In January he sold five vehiclesat an average sale price of $10,200.In February and March his num-bers were pretty much the same –six cars sold in February at an aver-age price of $10,700 and five salesin March with an average saleprice of $9,950. That’s the pricepoint he feels most comfortableworking in.

Something different hap-pened with the way he did busi-ness in May. His number of unitssold remained the same at fiveunits, but his average sale priceincreased to $12,800. That’s anincrease of over 20 per cent.What happened to explain thisincrease? Well, Joe stepped out-side of his comfort zone and pur-chased and sold (pushed over thecurb as they say) a newer modelvehicle for $20,000. This onetransaction was all it took to raiseup his monthly selling average.

What is the point of telling thisstory? Strangely enough, there is asimilarity to the way all real estateboards across the country calculatetheir monthly home and condosales. As in the auto industry,newer units are typically moreexpensive. It could be suggestedthat the average condo prices willon paper always go up because withtime, more and more newer units

will be coming to the marketplace.In 2011, for example, high-rise

condo builder Tricar decided toemploy the services of the MLSsystem to sell out 35 units in itsnew downtown Renaissance build-ing on Ridout Street in London.Many units sold out in the$300,000, $400,000 and $500,000price range. Guess what this did tothe average selling price onLondon condos that year? Averageprices jumped up to $179,240 from$170,000 the year before and thenin 2013, one year after these high-priced sales happened, fell back to$170,493 in 2013.

What’s happening is that newcondo units coming to the market-place typically cost considerablymore and this is to a large extent iswhat is causing the “average”monthly condo sale price index togo up. The average selling price ofnew MLS condo sales so far thisyear in London is $353,272 and in2013 $291,947. That’s consider-ably above our current year-to-dateaverage condo selling price of$180,711.

Are average monthly condosales comparing apples to apples orapples to oranges? That’s the newquestion of the day.

Peter Daoust is a broker atRe/Max Advantage Real Estate inLondon, Ont. www.yourcon-doworld.com REM

Understanding condoprice increases By Peter Daoust

J

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ot long ago, a sales repshowed a house I had onthe market to one of his

buyers. Twenty-four hours later,when I still hadn’t heard from himabout what his client thought ofthe house, I called him and askedhow it went.

Well, by the way he answeredyou’d have thought I’d asked himfor his firstborn! He went on thistirade that went something like, “Isold six houses this week. I don’thave a clue what house was yours.I’m going to Mexico next

S TOP S ELLINGHOUSES & STARTMAKING MONEY

By Debbie Hanlon

No need to reinvent the deal

N

week…I need to recharge....”Click! End of conversation.The beaches and bars down

south, as we know, are litteredwith the sunburned bodies ofburned-out real estate agents likethat one. The sad thing is, theseagents aren’t trying to escape thebad times, they’re trying to escapetheir own success. And the reasonthey’re trying to escape it isbecause they haven’t planned forit.

A good real estate career hap-pens when you take care of thetwo sides of a sale: getting the list-ing and closing the deal.Unfortunately, most agents put alltheir time and effort into the firststage and very little into the sec-ond. We work, hustle, advertisefor and chase after listings. We’reso busy doing that, we don’t pauseand think about what we’re goingto do when all those listings turninto sales.

The agent I mentioned earlieris a prime example of that way of

operating. No doubt he did verywell getting listings – the fact hesold six houses in a week is testa-ment to that. The fact that he hadto run off to Mexico after sellingthem to recharge is testament tothe fact that he wasn’t preparedfor that success. He’s not alone. Idare say that if most agents outthere had a week like that, they’dbe in a spin as well and on a planeto an all-inclusive.

Early in my career I developeda series of systems that made get-ting and maintaining listings abreeze. However, if I hadn’t alsomade a plan for what happenedwhen I sold those listings I wouldhave been burned out long ago. Iwould not have been able to enjoymy family and have the life I’veled outside of real estate.

What they are is simply a dailyto-do list for when a property issold. Each step needed to makethe transition from the sold signbeing put in place to the buyingand sending of the client appreci-

ation gift is detailed in a way thateven a monkey could follow. Ithad to be simple – I was too busymaking money to have to thinkabout what I had to do next.

With technology today it’seven easier to do. I am magicallyprompted by my email calendar todo the things that have to bedone. I never have to wonder,okay, where am I on this proper-ty’s closing? What do I have to doon this one? I’m told what I haveto do each day and I take a smallpart of each day and do thosethings. When you have a thou-sand little things to do, none ofthem seem that scary alone, butput them all together and they arean avalanche of details that willbury you in no time. Like theagent I mentioned, you just meltdown from the pressure.

So whatever stage you’re at inyour career right now, please makeit a point to pause and ask yourselfif you’re ready for success. Are youready to start turning over a high

volume of inventory or will itoverwhelm you? Take an hourtoday and jot down the thousandlittle things you have to do, putthem in the order they need to bedone and program them into acalendar. If you’re lucky enough tohave an assistant, sit down withhim or her and do it. Make a planfor success. That way, when ithappens you can enjoy it. Isn’tthat what success is supposed tobe all about?

Debbie Hanlon is a real estatebroker who has helped train hundredsof sales reps and brokered and man-aged a national real estate franchise.She also founded an independent realestate firm. Currently she coachessales reps all over the world. She isthe CEO of All Knight Inc, a globaleducational mobile company, as wellas a published children’s author andthe creator of the national I’m NoBully Show. https://www.face-book.com/missdebbieandfriends

REM

Outstanding PAC Team Award (Large Board) – The Nova Scotia

Association of REALTORS®

Outstanding PAC Team Award (Small Board) – The Huron Perth Association of REALTORS®Most Innovative PAC Program Award – The Calgary

Real Estate Board

28 REM JULY 2014

Good WorksGood WorksLL Canada has formed anational partnership support-ing the Breakfast Club ofCanada. The company has set

a target to provide a healthy startto the day for school-aged childrenby providing 100,000 breakfastsacross Canada in the next year.

According to the Canadian2012 Report Card on Child andFamily Poverty, one in seven chil-dren arrives at school without hav-ing eaten breakfast. The numberincreases to one in four children in

First Nations, Metis and Inuitcommunities and is 2.5 times high-er among immigrants.

JLL has provided enough fund-ing to launch the program in twonew schools – one in Toronto andone in Vancouver. In the next year,the firm says it will sponsor eventsacross the country to raise moneyand get employees involved intheir own neighbourhoods.

■ ■ ■

A charity auction breakfast

that raised $46,543 for TheOttawa Hospital also brought asurprise honour for Kent Browne,owner of Royal LePage TeamRealty and Royal LePage GaleReal Estate. The United Way ofOttawa honoured Browne withthe Community Builder Award torecognize the wide range of causesthat Browne has contributed toover the years. These projectsrange from shelters for abusedwomen to programs for the home-less and children in need.

Browne’s name will be added tothe Scotiabank CommunityBuilder Wall of Inspiration, whichis a permanent display at theOttawa City Hall.

In addition, a soon-to-be-com-pleted expansion of the OttawaHospital Breast Health Centre willinclude a room to be named TheRoyal LePage MammographyRoom.

■ ■ ■

The team from Sutton Group- Lakefront Realty in Vernon,B.C. joined thousands of othervolunteers across the country inApril to participate in fundraisersduring Daffodil Month. Theflower deliveries in Vernon raisedabout $12,000, which is substan-tial for this community of 40,000people (a total of 58,000 inGreater Vernon). Funds raisedhelp the Canadian CancerSociety support Canadians livingwith cancer, advocate for publicpolicies to improve health andfinance research into cancer pre-vention.

The brokerage’s Beth Markswas nominated for the 2014Woman of the Year Award fromVernon Women in Business. She isa past-president of KalamalkaRotary and chair of HabitatChamps, a group raising money to

buy land for a Habitat forHumanity building project.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Niagara RealEstate presented 150 hampers tothree local organizations servingabused women and their childrenin local communities. These“Hampers of Hope” were assem-bled by members of the company,their business partners and clients.

Brenda Walker, a sales rep fromthe Royal LePage NiagaraSmithville office was the drivingforce behind Hampers of Hope.“We were moved when a motherwho received a Hamper of Hope inour 2013 campaign contacted theoffice to ask where she could pickup a hamper to fill and give back,”says Walker. “It’s important to hearthose sorts of stories and it keeps usgoing.”

Along with the hampers, more

J

The Re/Max Ocean Pacific Realty sales team presents a $12,500contribution to Brent Hobden, community ministries director forthe Salvation Army in the Comox Valley, B.C. Re/Max’s annualcontribution supports the ministries’ Tuesday lunch program.Re/Max Ocean Pacific has two offices in the Comox Valley with67 licensees serving real estate and property management clients.

Kent Browne is presented with the Community BuilderAward. From left: Dennis Jackson, past board chair ofthe United Way of Ottawa; Browne, owner of RoyalLePage Team Realty and Royal LePage Gale RealEstate; and Jeff Darwin, vice-president, Scotiabank.

Wendy Stewart,CanadianCancer SocietyVernon unitpresident, andsales reps fromSutton Group -LakefrontRealty prepareto deliver daffodils.

Posing with 150 Hampers ofHope are, from left: EmilyThompson, West NiagaraSecond Stage Housing; NicoleRegehr, Gillian’s Place; BrendaWalker, sales rep, RoyalLePage Niagara; and HaleyBateman, Women’s Place ofSouth Niagara.

Pictured under thetent at the Relayfor Life event inChilliwack, fromleft: MattStevenson, LukasMatheson, JoeMatheson, RabiaShafi, AlisonParvin, KathyWerner and ScottDavidson.

From left: Sutton Group – Seafair sales reps VipinBajpai and family; Kareen McKinnon; VickyHamilton and family; Kendall Ayres and family;Kelly Tsaoussis and family; Diane Vandahl; andMaryem Ahbib.Amy Flowers

If you have ever traveled to Penticton, B.C. in the OkanaganValley, you would have noticed the huge sign on Munson’sMountain with the city’s name on it. Recently the sales reps andstaff at Coldwell Banker Okanagan Realty donated their time andpaid for the hundreds of gallons of paint to have the sign refur-bished.

REM JULY 2014 29

than $31,000 was collected fromagents who donate a portion oftheir commissions to the RoyalLePage Shelter Foundation. It waspresented to Gillian’s Place in St.Catharines, Women’s Place ofSouth Niagara in Niagara Falls andWelland, and West NiagaraSecond Stage Housing inBeamsville.

� � �

Neither rain nor cold coulddampen the spirits of participants inthe recent Relay for Life inChilliwack, B.C. Throughout thenight on May 3, teams ran, walkedand rolled to raise money for theCanadian Cancer Society. SuttonGroup - ShowPlace Realty entereda 10-person team of sales reps, staff,family and friends. The SuttonStars raised $1,800 towards thegrand total of $18,000 for theChilliwack event. This is the thirdtime that the office has participated.

� � �

Amy Flowers, broker withRoyal LePage MeadowtowneRealty in Mississauga, Ont. recent-ly held a “Shop ‘till You Drop”event in her Milton home. Shefilled it with gently used designerclothes and accessories and hosteda weekend-long sale to raise fundsfor the Royal LePage ShelterFoundation. Over two days, buy-ers browsed over 1,000 pieces ofmerchandise, all beautifully orga-nized and displayed.

More than $5,400 was raised,100 per cent of which was donatedto Halton Women’s Place.

� � �

The Ladner Pioneer May DaysFair, which was established in1896, is one of British Columbia’slargest free, family fairs. SuttonGroup - Seafair Realty of Delta wasa sponsor and donated time andequipment for the event. It wasalso in the parade that meanderedthrough the heart of historicLadner Village.

“The theme of the parade wasHeroes and Villains so all of us,including the kids, were dressed assuperheroes wearing red capesemblazoned with the Sutton logo,”says Marie Piperni, administratorat Sutton Group – Seafair Realty.“We are a very family-orientedoffice and seeing the children ofthe sales reps on the float wavingand smiling at the kids lining thestreet was so exciting. We handedout 30 kilograms of candy. There

was no age restriction; seniorsloved being part of it too!”

� � �

Royal LePage Estate Realty inToronto took part in the AnnualNational Garage Sale for Shelterin support of the Royal LePageShelter Foundation, raising$13,758 in a few hours. There weresales by enthusiastic sales reps at 14homes in the Beaches, East York,Danforth and Scarborough neigh-bourhoods of Toronto. One hun-dred per cent of the funds raisedwill be directed to the Red DoorFamily Shelter and ScarboroughWomen’s Centre to provide safetyand hope for women and childrenfleeing violent homes.

� � �

Triovest Realty Advisors, anational commercial real estateinvestment and management com-pany, completed its premier entryin Canstruction Vancouver 2014recently. A team made up of vol-unteers from Triovest, PCI Group,Musson Cattell MackeyPartnership (MCMP) and ReadJones Christoffersen Ltd. (RJC)completed a Daft Punk-inspiredsculpture.

Over 20 teams of professionaldesigners, architects and engi-neers battled it out to completemagnificent, larger-than-lifesculptures in just seven hours,using only canned food and theirimagination. Once the sculptureswere taken down, all of the foodwas donated to the GreaterVancouver Food Bank Society.Canstruction Vancouver 2014raised 65,000 cans of food fordonation, adding to the over 1.3million cans donated over the his-tory of the event.

The “Can-tastic Four’s” DaftPunk-inspired booth took four anda half hours to complete andincluded 9,276 cans of food includ-ing tuna and tomato sauce. Inaddition to the hours volunteersspent getting ready for the build,PCI, MCMP and RJC donated$1,500 each to the team – on topof the $3,000 that Triovest hascommitted.

“Draft Punk’s hit Around theWorld, inspired our entry,” saysAdam Cochrane, director of devel-opment and construction atTriovest. “Our team seesCanstruction as a motivatingevent where people gather, collab-orate and create for the benefit ofothers.” REM

30 REM JULY 2014

Bernie Vogt

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t is a period of new begin-nings at the Toronto RealEstate Board as the associa-

tion finalizes its transition to a newchief executive officer.

This month CEO DonRichardson retires from his full-time position with the associationafter 14 years of service, segueinginto a part-time consulting rolewith TREB throughout the nexttwo years.

Stepping into the role of CEOis John DiMichele, who as chiefinformation officer and associateCEO has worked alongsideRichardson for several years.

A driving force behind theintroduction of numerous technol-ogy tools, DiMichele joined TREBin 2002 as director of informationservices. Before that he served onthe association’s Board of Directorsand as co-chair of its MLSSelection Task Force. The start ofhis staff role coincided with the

John DiMichele named TREB CEODon Richardson takes part-time consulting role

launch of a new MLS system,TorontoMLS. Surmounting thistrial by fire, he has been overseeingthe evolution of the MLS eversince. The system’s next genera-tion, New Stratus, has run concur-rently with TorontoMLS sinceApril 2012 and in March 2015,TorontoMLS will be officiallyretired.

DiMichele previously workedas a Realtor for more than adecade. He also served as a mem-ber of CREA’s Board of Directorswhile chair of its MLS andTechnology Council.

Richardson, who was recentlynamed in REM’s list of people whohad the most influence onCanada’s real estate industry dur-ing the last 25 years, joined TREBin 2000, at a time when the asso-ciation had undergone a very diffi-cult period. The board says hisleadership helped steer the organi-zation in a progressive new direc-

tion to a member-focused culture.In addition to a major culture

shift, the association rose to a num-ber of new challenges during his14-year tenure, including theintroduction of a new MLS system,required usage of MLS authentica-tors and the ongoing legal chal-lenge by the Competition Bureau.

Prior to joining TREB,Richardson had a 20-year careerwith the Ontario Real EstateAssociation where he served asCEO for six years and prior tothat, as an instructor and theprovincial association’s director ofeducation. During that time hehad an instrumental role inenhancing the courses required tobecome a salesperson in Ontario,says the board.

His vision of instituting highereducation standards in Ontarioalso influenced the Real EstateCouncil of Ontario’s ContinuingEducation program, which aimed

to offer a straightforward, achiev-able professional developmentprocess for real estate salespersonsand brokers across the province,says the board.

In 2003, CREA recognized hiscontributions by presenting himwith its prestigious Frank JohnsAward. At its recent SpringAnnual Meeting, TREB gave avideo tribute that included com-mentary from many of the presi-dents with whom he has worked.He was presented with TREB’shighest honour, the Award ofMerit, “in appreciation of the pro-found impact he has had on theassociation and the profession,”says the board.

Richardson started his career asa real estate salesperson, eventual-ly owning a brokerage inNewmarket, Ont. He plans tospend more time with his wife,children and grandchildren.

REM

I

Don Richardson

John DiMichele

REM JULY 2014 31

ver notice while workingout at the gym how weshort our progress even

though we have all the best inten-tions in mind? When you lift aweight that seems to be beyondyour capacity, you take an alterna-tive path.

It’s natural to try and engageother muscles to get the job done.You arch your back or lean to oneside or use one arm/leg in anunnatural way. It’s not uncommonto look for ways to reach your goalby cutting corners. This behaviouris simply a function of survival. It’sbuilt into our genes. It’s humannature to conserve energy. Theironic thing is that if the purposewas to build up your biceps, thesealternative paths are counterpro-

re you a people person? Have you ever wanted

to take complete andabsolute control over your ownemployment destiny? (If you’realready a licensed real estate salesrep, please keep your unbridledlaughter down…)

Would you be suited to a careerin real estate?

Well, before you decide to getinto the business, there are aptitudetests available that help to see if youmay be suited to just such a people-intensive career choice. Here are a

few sample questions and answersin a sliding scale:

1) Are you a goal-driven per-son that plans for success?

a) Absolutely! I make to-do listsand ensure that they are completedbefore I move on to my next task.

b) I’m somewhat motivated, butprefer to “allow for the day to leadme where it may.”

c) For my financial future, Iinvest regularly in lottery tickets,bet on ponies and lean heavily onDr. Phil’s weekly TV advice beforemaking any major decisions in mylife.

(Consider checking out realestate companies if you answered“A.”)

2) Do you listen appropriatelyand sincerely when other peopleare talking, without appearing dis-interested or interrupting?

a) Yes, I am genuinely interest-ed in getting the perspective anddetermining the needs of the per-son I am talking to, before Irespond.

b) A bit – say, is this going totake much longer? I have to tell youabout the adorable baby goat videoI watched on YouTube this morn-ing!

c) Huh?(If you answered “A”, there may

be a broker/owner out there lookingfor someone just like you!)

3) Are you able to work withminimal supervision, yet achieveregular goals and objectives?

a) Yes. I prefer to set my ownstandards of excellence and strivevery hard to make my goals a reali-ty, without the need of a micro-managing leader breathing downmy neck.

b) When you say “minimal

supervision”, is there such a thing as“maximum supervision”?

c) Hey, I broke par on the frontnine this morning and I don’t havea golf pro walking alongside me!

(Again, if you chose to answer“A”, you are what industry leadersare hoping to find.)

4) Are you confident in yourdress and personal grooming withrespect to projecting a professionalimage?

a) I certainly know that“clothes make the man” or woman.Appropriately professional clothingand grooming set you apart fromothers who are obviously less pro-fessional.

b) But these Crocs are likesoooo comfortable!!

c) Dress? Well, okay but I’m notso sure I’ll be able to pull off pumpswith these huge feet of mine…

(If you have answered “B” or

“C” to any of the above questions,consider the upcoming hiring fairsat your local mall’s food court.)

5) Are you contemplative,considering all the facts beforemaking decisions or dispensingprofessional advice?

a) I will need a few moments toabsorb the gravity of your questionbefore I respond, please.

b) I’m kind-of more aboutrolling the dice and seeing howthings work out, given the 50-50typical situation odds.

c) Caution? Isn’t that why I’mgoing to have to pay for errors &omissions insurance?

(Answered “C” to that one?Perhaps you would consider acareer in politics?)

Good luck!

Humour columnist and authorDan St. Yves was licensed with RoyalLePage Kelowna for 11 years. Checkout his website at www.nonsenseand-stuff.com, or contact him [email protected]. REM

S A L E S C O A C H

By Bruce Keith

By Dan St. Yves

6 shortcuts that costductive. You just trick yourself intothinking that you have reachedthe goal. The same dilemma showsup frequently in the sales business.

Let’s look at the danger of cut-ting corners in sales. As in thegym, all you’re doing is sabotagingthe opportunity to reach your goal.Once you recognize this, the battleis almost won.

Here are some examples ofwhere you might be shorting your-self right now:

1. “Winging it” on a listing pre-sentation rather than sticking to apowerful script.

2. Giving up after closing onlytwo or three times.

3. Not exercising, eating poor-ly, not enough sleep, not getting upon time.

4. Making just enough dailycontacts to get by.

5. Not doing the extra 10 percent that it takes to get amazingresults. (for example, one extracontact or stopping by that FSBOon the way home or sending a per-sonal thank you note).

6. Not calling your sphere ofinfluence every 90 days.

Cutting corners is personal sab-

otage. Have another look at theabove list. Find areas where you areguilty of this crime and eliminateshortcuts. Pick out one to act ontoday. No excuses.

■ ■ ■

What to say when they want tobuy first: Ever heard this one? “Wewant to find the house we aregoing to buy before we put ours onthe market. We don’t want to endup on the street, you know!”

It’s easy to comprehend whypeople would feel this way. Theproblem is that in a reasonablyactive market, the client is going tocontinually be disappointed whena cash buyer shows up and “bumpstheir offer” before their house issold. Your job is to help themunderstand that you can offer astrategy that gives them the best ofboth.

Here is your action step. Startby asking, “Just so I understand,can you afford to own two houses?”The answer is usually no.

The next step is for you tocatch their attention by offeringthis insight: “Let me share some-thing with you that’s going to help

you end up with the right house inthe long run. The home you aregoing to buy is not on the marketyet… may I explain?”

“You are looking for a nicehome, right?” (Of course)

“The challenge is that so iseveryone else. What this means isthat we need to put a strategy inplace so that you don’t fall in lovewith a particular home and thensomeone comes along and buys itout from under you before we getyour place sold. You certainly don’twant that, do you?” (Absolutelynot!)

“The good news is I have anapproach that has workedextremely well in the past for manypeople in the same position as you.Let me show you how we can workthis in your favour so that you getthe best of both.” (I’m interested.)

“Great… here are the threesteps that will get the job done justthe way you want.

1. Let’s get together at yourhome so I can view your place andwe will set the wheels in motionfor this to be a successful venture.

2. We will then go out andlook at three or four homes so you

can be comfortable that there willbe properties that meet yourneeds.

3. The last step is for us to putyour home on the market, sup-ported by my aggressive marketingplans, and getting it sold with alonger closing date. That waywe’ll have time to go out and findyour new home, and put in a cashoffer, make sense? (Yes it does.)

As usual, the most effectiveobjection handlers combine theuse of logic, common sense anddealing with their fears. Put all thistogether and the motivated clientwill always move forward. Learnthis approach and help themunderstand how everyone will win.No excuses.

Bruce Keith is a leading trainer forsales organizations in North America.He was a marketing and sales manag-er for 15 years and then spent 25years in the real estate industry, 10years as a successful sales rep followedby the last 15 years as a keynotespeaker, seminar leader, author andone-on-one coach. His high energycoupled with a “No ExcusesAccountability” approach has helpedthousands increase their productionsignificantly. He says, “It’s all aboutresults”. BruceKeithresults.com

REM

E

Real estate aptitude test

A

32 REM JULY 2014

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hen the CanadianMuseum for HumanRights opens its doors

to the nation in September,Realtors will receive named recog-nition near the main entrance.

“The right to own property andlive safely in our communities is atthe heart of so many human rightsconversations among us. The pur-pose of the Canadian Museum forHuman Rights aligns with our pro-fession’s philosophy that we arehere to improve the quality of lifefor all people,” says HarryDeLeeuw, past-president of CREA.

The Realtor campaign’s $2-million fundraising goal is now met

and DeLeeuw presented the finalroundup of donations to DianeBoyle, CEO of Friends of theCanadian Museum for HumanRights. Permanent signage identi-fying the contributions of Realtorswill face Israel Asper Way, wherevisitors approach the mainentrance of the national museum.

The goal was met thanks tocontributions from real estateboards, provincial associations, pri-vate real estate companies, fran-chises and individual Realtordonors from across the country.

■ ■ ■

The Woodstock-Ingersoll &

District Real Estate Board recentlyhosted its 4th Annual RealtorsCare Food Drive in Woodstockand Ingersoll for their respectiveSalvation Army food banks. Therewere 195 volunteers for the events,including about 100 Realtors cov-ering 80 per cent of routes.

It’s estimated that 4,000pounds of food were collected inIngersoll and between 13,000 and14,000 pounds of food inWoodstock. “The generosity fromour communities is amazing and itis estimated that the food raised inWoodstock alone will keep theshelves stocked for the next fivemonths,” says board presidentWilliam Cattle.

■ ■ ■

Former International SpaceStation Commander ChrisHadfield shared some insightsgained throughout his career at theToronto Real Estate Board’s(TREB) annual Realtor Questconference in May. Hadfield, whotouched on the subjects of goal set-

W

Sarnia Lambton Real EstateBoard EO Dave Burkereceived a plaque in recogni-tion of the board’s participa-tion in the City of Sarnia’s100th Anniversary TreeLegacy Planting Project.

A group from the Valley ParkMiddle School Children’s BreakfastProgram performed at RealtorQuest (GP Photos).

Kelly Byers, left, of Sutton GroupRight Way Real Estate and ReneitaGossier of Century 21 HeritageHouse pose with food collected dur-ing the Woodstock-Ingersoll &District Real Estate Board fooddrive.

Part of the trade showfloor at Realtor Quest(GP Photos).

Celebrating at theCanadian Museum forHuman Rights afterRealtors raised $2-million in donations,from left: HarryDeLeeuw, past-presi-dent, CREA; PeterSquire, director ofpublic affairs,WinnipegRealtors;

Carolyn Basha, Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rightsregional campaign manager; Meghan McGill, executive secretary,Manitoba Real Estate Association; Sheldon Zamick, past-president,CREA; Kelly McArthur, Friends regional campaign manager; andBrian M. Collie, CEO, MREA.

REM JULY 2014 33

ting, diligence and teamwork.Day one of the conference fea-

tured a “what’s next” panel of realestate executives who offered theirinsights into the current state ofthe real estate market and its out-look. Moderated by AM640’sJohn Oakley, the panel includedAndrew Cimerman, chairman andCEO of HomeLife; Phil Soper,CEO of Royal LePage; HowardDrukarsh, co-founder and VP ofRight At Home Realty; BrianRushton, EVP of Century 21Canada; Gurinder Sandhu, EVPand regional director of Re/MaxOntario-Atlantic Canada; andRick Taron, national director offranchise relations and businessdevelopment for Sutton Group.

As part of the meeting, elec-tion results were announced forTREB’s 2014/2015 Board ofDirectors. The president is PaulEtherington and president-elect isMark McLean. The past-presidentis Dianne Usher.

Elected to director-at-largepositions: Sandra Rinomato,Donald Patterson, John Lusink,Don Kottick and Shirley Porter.

Also elected were central bro-kerage director Tim Syrianos; cen-tral non-brokerage director LarryCerqua; west brokerage director Garry Bhaura; west non-brokeragedirector Michael Collins; east bro-kerage director Rosalind Menary;east non-brokerage directorMichelle Makos; north brokeragedirector Joseph Shum; and northnon-brokerage director KarenGerrard.

The meeting also included anupdate from Usher and CEO DonRichardson on recent TREB ini-tiatives as well as addresses fromOntario Real Estate Associationpresident Costa Poulopoulos,CREA president Beth Crosbie andReal Estate Council of Ontariopresident and CEO Tom Wright.

Real estate coach and trainerBrian Buffini complementedRealtor Quest’s line-up of expertspeakers, offering two sessions atthe conference. Also featuredthrough the conference’s freeLearning Quest component weresessions about TREB’s MLS systemNew Stratus and its public recordsoffering Propertyline as well as aseminar about issues surroundingthe home inspection condition,offered by lawyer Mark Weisleder.

The gathering of more than6,500 TREB members also includ-ed its share of entertainment offer-ings. REM

34 REM JULY 2014

In late May, Walter Schneider, RE/MAX INTEGRA President & Co Founder, received the J. Tuzo Wilson Award from his alma mater, University of Toronto. The J. Tuzo Wilson Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes outstanding alumni for their dedication to both enriching the lives of others through community service and achieving a level of distinction in their professional field. Walter was the inaugural recipient of the award. Upon receipt of this award Schneider said, “I’m humbled and honoured to be the inaugural recipient of this award. The biggest gift my time at University gave me was to think in critical dimensions. I have much to be grateful for that.”

Last year Schneider was also the recipient of the Queens Diamond Jubilee Award and in addition to his day-to-day responsibilities with RE/MAX, plays a very active role in the community serving on several boards including, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Team Up Foundation, Canada’s Walk of Fame Foundation and The David Foster Foundation.

Walter Schneider President and Co-FounderRE/MAX INTEGRA

RE/MAX INTEGRA President & Co-Founder, Walter Schneider, receives J. Tuzo Wilson Award

Announcement

The Pearce family’s latest expansion within the RE/MAX network.

Announcement

RE/MAX INTEGRA Ontario-Atlantic Canada would like to congratulate The Pearce Family at RE/MAX Rouge River Realty Ltd. who have purchased RE/MAX Ability Real Estate Ltd. from Ian Smith and Patricia Begley. We would like to thank Ian Smith for his countless contributions as a RE/MAX Broker-Owner over the past 22 years and wish him well in this new chapter of his career. Ian and Patricia will both continue their affi liation with RE/MAX.

With this latest expansion, RE/MAX Rouge River Realty Ltd. now has 7 locations with over 230 sales associates from East Toronto through the Durham Region including Scarborough, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Courtice & Bowmanville.

Our sincere congratulations go to the entire Pearce Family (David, Dolores, Jennifer and Melody) on their latest expansion within the RE/MAX network.

Congratulations to The Pearce Family

Stay Out of Real EstateJailBy Barbara Bell-OlseniUniverse$20 plus shipping

B.C.-based Barbara Bell Olsensays she is “is fiercely proud to be areal estate agent who has neverworked a day in her life sinceentering into the real estate profes-sion more than 34 years ago.”

Bell Olsen says she knows howhard real estate agents work, “butyou must have a paper trail in placeto be able to prove what you dis-cussed, reviewed and suggested toyour clients.”

She says there are far too manydiscipline cases against real estateagents, “and most of them areabsolutely unnecessary if an agentjust took a little more care and hada plan of action.” By following herguidelines to put procedures inplace, and “once you own all thedocuments, checklists and state-ments, you will be the creator ofthe most notable and respectedcontracts,” she says. It will removeany apprehensions about writingup a contract of purchase and saleand ultimately help you makemore money, she promises.

Available at: www.barbarabel-lolsen.com

Make More Money, FindMore Clients, Close DealsFasterBy Claude BoironWiley$49.95

Subtitled The Canadian RealEstate Agent’s Essential BusinessGuide, Claude Boiron’s book aimsto teach real estate agents how to“practice real estate salesmanshipproperly, ethically, morally and toeveryone’s mutual benefit.”

Boiron, a Toronto real estatebroker, walks agents through allaspects of the real estate profes-sion, from getting started as anewbie to real-life stories aboutreal estate deals, contributed bylocal sales reps. It includes achapter about potential pitfalls

Real Estate BooksReal Estate Booksand how to avoid them.

Available at chapers.indigo.caand amazon.ca.

Buy or Run: I’m a RealHome Inspector, Not a TVCelebrityBy Bruce McClureThe Inspector’sInternational Press$30

Former sales rep and homeinspector Bruce McClure’s contro-versial book takes aim at “celebri-ty” home inspectors who get a lotof publicity, but his real target isreal estate professionals.

“If you ask any group of homeinspectors in North Americaabout who controls their industry,the answer will be an overwhelm-ing, ‘The Realtors,’” he writes.“Until the home inspectionindustry is taken out of the con-trol and direct influence of thereal estate community andbecomes a truly independenttransaction between the homeinspector and his or her client,the industry will remain flawed.Inspectors will continue the fightfor respect, simply becauseRealtors dramatically outnumber

us and are the first line of contactand have the most influence overour potential clients.”

McClure outlines a number ofsituations where real estate agentshave tried to cover up or lie aboutissues with homes they have listed.But it’s not all agent-bashing as hepraises those sales reps who “get it”and put their clients first.

His book is a blunt inside lookat the issues and problems with thehome inspection industry inCanada.

Available at chapers.indigo.caand amazon.ca

Prefabulous World:Energy-efficient andSustainable HomesAround the GlobeBy Sheri Koones Abrams$40

A foreward by actor RobertRedford says: “Sheri Koone’s bookshave inspired professionals andhomeowners to consider using pre-fabrication methods that reducewaste, inherently conserve energyand limit the need for fossilfuel….I hope these examples willinspire you as they have me.”

It doesn’t sound like a coffee-table book, but it is because it’sillustrated with dramatic photos ofhomes all over the world. Canadais represented by homes in WhiteRock, B.C., Naramata, B.C.,Toronto and Morris Island, Ont.They all feature the latest in sus-tainable home designs and tech-nologies.

Available at chapters.indigo.caand amazon.ca REM

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36 REM JULY 2014

RE/MAX INTEGRA Ontario-Atlantic would like to congratulate Shannon Unger, new Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Legend in North Bay. Shannon recently purchased her existing brokerage from the previous owner Patti Bentley.

RE/MAX in North Bay has been growing since the franchise was opened by Patti, and RE/MAX currently accounts for 24.77% of the market share in North Bay. Shannon is not only looking forward to being a professional advisor to home buyers and sellers, but also to continue being a role model and service provider to the 40 sales reps and brokers.

Coming from a background in retail management, Shannon has a strong understanding of franchise and branding. Her strong ethics and management previously provided will continue to be a top priority, and Shannon looks forward to taking that challenge to the next level.

Congratulations Shannon Unger

Shannon UngerBroker/Owner RE/MAX Legend

Change of Ownership at RE/MAX Legend

Announcement

RE/MAX INTEGRA Ontario-Atlantic would like to congratulate Rocky Gaudrault as the new Owner of RE/MAX Chatham-Kent Realty Inc.

Rocky is excited to join the number one real estate brand in Canada. He brings over 15 years of leadership expe-rience from the private sector with focus on customer relations, business automation and strategic planning.

Peggy Van Veen will remain the Broker of Record with RE/MAX Chatham-Kent Realty Inc. and wel-comes Rocky and his wealth of knowledge and experience to further RE/MAX Chatham-Kent’s presence in the marketplace.

Congratulations RE/MAX Chatham-Kent Realty Inc.

Rocky GaudraultOwnerRE/MAX Chatham-Kent Realty Inc.

New Ownership at RE/MAX Chatham-Kent Realty Inc.

Announcement

rom the Toronto Star, June 7,2014: “Sales in the GTAsoar to over 11,000 – an 11.4

per cent rise in sales over the pre-vious year…average sale pricesrose by over 11.8 per cent, withaverage selling price of $585,204.”

As I asked in a recent article,where’s the bubble?” Here we arehalfway through the year and allthe pundits predicted almost theopposite would happen in the mar-ket. Where are they now? Hidingbehind their laptops, I presume.

But I find recent stats, not onlyhere in Toronto but elsewhereacross Canada, reveal the samereality: there’s a lack of affordablehousing.

For those starting out in lifeand in business, there is a very lim-ited number of housing options:

a) Rely on parents/grandpar-ents to fund a mortgage for them;

b) Keep living at home andput their hopes of independent liv-ing and possibly starting a familyon hold;

c) Rent an apartment untilthey have enough saved to buyeither a condo apartment or asmall home outside of a large cityor town and face a commute.

Many of our young people havehuge student loans to contendwith after graduation. What aretheir chances of home ownershipwith those loans looming overtheir heads for several years, even ifinterest rates continue to remainlow? Students are returning hometo live with parents after gradua-tion more and more often, as Ihave personally experienced.

Another fly in the ointment isthe recent decision by CMHC toincrease the requirements forobtaining a high-ratio mortgage.

It seems the roadblocks forowning a home are mountingevery year, yet in spite of these factsand other speed bumps, the hous-

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

Where will ourchildren live?

F

ing market continues to roll alongat a remarkable growth rate acrossour nation.

All levels of government mustramp up their individual efforts toprovide affordable housing for ourfuture generations. What most of ushave seen over the years is pathet-ic. There’s so much land in everycommunity that could be reason-ably developed to assist our young-sters in what should be everyone’sright to a decent living space.

Sure, there’s a niche in buildingrental units, but that’s no answer toone’s desire to own their ownhome. A Band-Aid approach willappease the desire for decentaccommodations for those startingout in life.

Builders across this countryhave a lot of problems with localmunicipalities, because the devel-opment fees are over the top. As aresult we have towering monstercondo buildings or stacked town-homes to fulfill the demand forhousing.

I am not suggesting here, myfellow agents, that we stop buildingall of these kinds of units. They’rea viable choice for those wishing tolive and work in the downtownareas of cities and it makes sense tobuilders and developers to maxi-

mize the land usage, as we knowland is non-renewable.

But what about some cities andsmall towns whose downtownshave been decimated by urbansprawl and large box stores andmalls? I think that a market nicheis available, as seen recently in aCBS documentary, where anentrepreneur/developer has takenover vacated properties in NewYork and converted them toaffordable housing. It’s working inother cities as well.

So, here’s the challenge:become involved in working to getaffordable housing in your localcommunities. Reach out to yourlocal councils and provincial andfederal representatives. Get them

interested and involved in theissue.

It may be a start to a solution towhat I see as a housing crisis for thenext generation of home buyers.

Until next month, see youonline at stanthecoach.com.

Stan Albert, broker/manager,ABR, ASA at Re/Max Crossroads’iRealty office in Toronto can bereached for consultation [email protected]. Stan is now cel-ebrating his 44th year as an active realestate professional. REM

Many of our young people havehuge student loans to contendwith after graduation. What

are their chances of home ownership with those loanslooming over their heads forseveral years, even if interestrates continue to remain low?

Students are returning home tolive with parents after

graduation more and more often,as I have personally experienced.

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eal estate professionals puta lot into building andmaintaining their personal

brand. A key component of this isthe management of their onlinereputation. This involves morethan having a Facebook page andwebsite. Real estate professionalsmust be aware of the conversationsthat are taking place about them.

Try this little experiment:open your Internet browser andstart typing in the name of yourfavourite car. Chances are thatbefore you have completed typingthe name of the car, the searchengine will provide a few sugges-tions for search terms. One ofthem should be the make andmodel of the vehicle.

It is very likely that you willsee an entry with the word“review” included with the

other suggestions.It seems that reviews are avail-

able on almost any product or ser-vice that you can think of. Theyhave been known to crop upinformally on social media (thinkabout your Facebook news feed –have you seen your friends com-plain about or compliment aproduct or service?) and special-ized platforms that serve a partic-ular market niche.

There is still some hesitancyin the real estate industry inCanada to fully embrace onlinereview platforms. This stems pri-marily from a concern that the“impossible-to-please” client(everyone has at least one!) willbe more likely to submit a hurtfulreview than a happy client will beto provide a positive one.

Reviews do come with manybenefits. A well-planned commu-nications strategy and activemaintenance of your online pres-ence can generate new businessby letting your satisfied clientsendorse your services. Here arefive tips to manage the reviewsthat you’ve received:

1. Have a plan. How do you go

about your social media andonline activity? Do you have aplan that includes goals, metricsand a “crisis” response protocol? Itdoesn’t have to be fancy, but abasic plan will take away the anx-iety when a review does pop up.Don’t forget to set up GoogleAlerts with your name and a fewassociated keywords. That wayyou’ll be aware of any new reviewsor content that comes up and cantake active steps to manage howthey affect your reputation.

2. Take a breath. Regardless ofwhether the review is positive ornegative, take a minute to reflecton what is being said. Taking astep back will ensure that youdon’t throw out an emotional

response and gives you time to goback to your plan.

3. If it gets sensitive - take itoffline. Instead of allowing yourconversation with a client todegenerate into a war of com-ments and CAPITAL LETTERS,take the opportunity to engageoffline. It will give you time tocreate measured responses and thechance to “be heard” might beenough to show the client thatyou care. Also, a telephone con-versation or face-to-face meetingcould go a long way in repairing arelationship.

4. Reflect on the review. Onceyou’ve had a chance to investi-gate and deal with the review,evaluate what it actually meant to

you as a professional, to the clientand for a potential client. Arethere ways that you couldimprove your service? Are youdoing something so well that itshould become a focus of yourmarketing efforts? Critical intro-spection can yield some very pow-erful insight.

5. Ask for reviews from happyclients. It’s no secret that con-sumers are more likely to post anegative review on their ownaccord. If you have a list of happyclients a mile long, then you havea great source to begin with. Makeit easy for happy clients to say agood word. The positive reviewswill ensure that negative ones areseen as outliers – as crazy as itsounds, they might actually makeyour profile a little bit morebelievable too.

Riti Verma is the founder andpresident of RankMyAgent.com, aratings and review platform that con-nects clients with reputable, recom-mended real estate agents in theirarea. The reviews include qualitativeand quantitative data and must fol-low strict guidelines. REM

38 REM JULY 2014

By Riti Verma

R

3% model gains acceptance By Connie Adair

iscounted commissionsand part-timers – they’resubjects that make some

agents’ blood boil. But in the ever-changing world of real estate, arethey the future, as long as service tothe client doesn’t suffer?

“Although we expected a lot ofstigma and pushback from otheragents in terms of the commissionstructure, the acceptance has beenpleasantly surprising and we con-tinue to have multiple successfultransactions with other compa-nies,” says real estate agent AshleySharpe of 3% Realty FortMcMurray, a company whosename says it all. “The 3% Realtyconcept has been a huge part in mygrowing success.”

Ten years ago, Newfoundlandborn and raised Sharpe moved toFort McMurray, Alta. for the sum-mer, hoping to save money fortuition. But being a teacher wasnot to be. She loved FortMcMurray so much she never left.

She began on site as an apprentice,working as a welder for eight yearsdoing heavy equipment mainte-nance on haulers and shovels forthe mines.

But the girl with long dark hairand a welder’s mask had a dream.“Real estate was always in the backof my mind,” she says. After con-versations with two real estate salesrep uncles in Newfoundland, shedecided the flexibility of real estateappealed to her. Seven years intoher welding career, she purchasedan online real estate course, com-pleting it in less than a year.

She started real estate part-time, using money from her weld-ing job to pay for an advertisingcampaign that would get her photoand slogan (Make Your MostImportant Decision a Sharpe One)in front of home buyers and sellers.She ran newspaper and billboardads and also ran radio spots daily,five days a week. She also hit socialmedia hard.

“I started radio right away and acouple of weeks later started paperads as more listings came in. Therest followed,” says Sharpe, who isactive on Facebook, Twitter andLinked In. Facebook is her biggesthub, where she posts promotionsand listings to her approximately1,000 friends.

“The advertising paid off morequickly than I expected. When Igot busy, I gave up welding to beavailable for my clients,” saysSharpe, who was the company’stop producer in 2013, just 18months into her career. She says afocus on client satisfaction and thethree-per-cent concept has led toher success.

Happy agents and happyclients are the keys to a successfulbusiness. “I chose early on tobecome a full-time agent becausemy business grew rapidly and Iknew that the more clients I had,the more available I had tobecome,” says Sharpe, whose first

sale was a $1-million house.There appears to be no stop-

ping Sharpe, who along with herbroker, Kathy Bowers, and her sis-ter, Brittany McCarthy, whobecame an agent a year ago,“decided to bring 3% Realty toNewfoundland based on the over-whelming success we have seen inthe Fort McMurray market. Ourclients know that we are a full-ser-vice company that strives on com-pleting the sale while they keepmore of their investment. We offer100-per-cent service for three-per-cent commission.”

The company has received the same acceptance inNewfoundland, she says. “We haveonly been open a month and thesupport in the community andwith other members has beengreat.”

Sharpe, who has cousins inAlberta and met herSaskatchewan-born husband inFort McMurray, plans to travel

home more often now that thenew brokerage is up and running.“Being away from the water is diffi-cult. You don’t miss it until you’reaway,” she says.

“My advice to anyone startinga career in real estate would be tojoin a team that has the same goalsand vision you do,” Sharpe says.“To be successful you have to bepassionate in what you do anddevote the time and hard work toexcel in the market.” REM

Ashley Sharpe

D

How to manage online reviewsThere is still some

hesitancy in the real estateindustry in Canada to fully

embrace online reviewplatforms.

REM JULY 2014 39

Paul Etherington President

Mark McLean President-Elect

Dianne UsherPast President

Gurcharan (Garry) BhauraWest Brokerage

Director

Larry Cerqua Central Non-Brokerage

Director

Michael Collins West Non-Brokerage

Director

Karen Gerrard North Non-Brokerage

Director

Don KottickDirector-at-Large

John LusinkDirector-at-Large

Rosalind Menary East Brokerage

Director

Donald Patterson Director-at-Large

Shirley Porter Director-at-Large

Toronto Real Estate Board2014/2015 Board of Directors

Sandra Rinomato Director-at-Large

Joseph C.W. Shum North Brokerage

Director

Tim Syrianos Central Brokerage

Director

Michelle Makos East Non-Brokerage

Director

exico is a beautiful coun-try. If you enjoy a visithere, you may begin to

think about acquiring a bit of ourparadise. We have mountains,lakes, rivers, forests, deserts andseashore in Mexico. We also havehistory, ancient cultures, hand-crafts, folklore and many otherwonderful things to share.

Buying property in any countrycan be stressful. A property pur-chase in Mexico can be just as safeand secure as in the U.S. orCanada… if it is done correctly!

Here are some guidelines forsuccess in a real estate acquisitionin Mexico:

1. Be sure the agent you selectto represent you is a member ofAMPI, the Mexican National Real

By Linda Jones Neil

Buying real estate in MexicoEstate Association. Ask for refer-ences and check them out. Be sat-isfied that the person representingyou is experienced in Mexicantransactions.

2. Insist that the person repre-senting you is representing ONLYyou, the buyer, and not also theseller unless you understand, agreeto and sign an agency disclosureagreement.

3. Consider only the purchaseof private property. Ejidal property(communal land) is often offered ata far lower price but it cannot legal-ly be sold or promised to be solduntil it becomes private property.

4. Be certain that you and youragent are dealing only with theowner of record or his legitimatepower of attorney. Insist on receiv-ing a copy of the seller’s deed as acondition of your offer. If you and/or your agent don’t understandSpanish, get it translated.

5. Avoid costly and time-con-suming litigation. Insist on includ-ing a binding arbitration clause inyour contracts with the seller and

other parties involved. 6. Get a title investigation and

buy title insurance for the fullamount of your purchase price.While the initial search may seemexpensive for some areas, the titlepolicy transfers risk to the insur-ance company and minimizesyours as the buyer.

7. Think carefully about howyou acquire title in order to avoidor minimize probate and transfercosts in the future.

8. Closing costs may run from13 to 20 per cent of the cost of a$50,000 property. A multi-million-dollar property will be about 3.5per cent of the purchase price.Certain costs are fixed regardless ofvalue. Be sure to budget for closingcosts and get a full estimate in writ-ing from the company supervisingyour transfer.

9. The major portion of yourpayment for the property should bewithheld or held in escrow untilthe deed has been signed by theseller and, if applicable, the banktrustee (if a fideicomiso).

10. Insist on receiving a regis-tered title document for your prop-erty. If the seller is financing theproperty, sign a document protect-ing his interests in the event ofyour default. Be sure you know theamount that is declared in yourdeed and understand the tax impli-cations.

11. Use an experienced neutralthird party to supervise the transferof title to you.

Linda Jones Neil CIPS, ABR,TRC, PIC is the founder of The

Settlement Company, which special-izes in real estate transfers andescrows. Licensed as a Californiareal estate broker, she has pursuedher profession in Mexico for morethan 35 years. Her skills in negotiat-ing contracts between parties fromthree distinct cultures have placed herservices in demand as a consultantand for speaking engagements onMexican law and customs inMexico, the United States andCanada. Email [email protected]; website www.settle-ment-co.com REM

M

40 REM JULY 2014

RE/MAX INTEGRA Ontario-Atlantic would like to congratulate Dave Coppins and his wife Noel, for recently opening an additional brand new offi ce, located at 193 King St. East in Oshawa.

In 2009, Dave and Noel purchased an existing RE/MAX offi ce and have grown the company from 48 sales associates to 140, more than tripling their size in less than 5 years. It was only fi tting that they opened their new additional offi ce to make room for their expanding business as they continue to grow.

Dave and Noel’s focus on professional develop-ment within RE/MAX JAZZ Inc. creates an environment that is true to RE/MAX’s culture of working with the Best.

Congratulations RE/MAX Jazz

Dave Coppins Broker/Owner RE/MAX Jazz Inc.

RE/MAX Jazz Opens Additional Offi ce

Announcement

Mark RichardsonRepresentatives from Royal

LePage Crown Realty Services inCambridge, Ont. gathered recentlyat the Waterloo Wellington FlightCentre to honour one of theirown. 2nd Lt. Mark Richardson, asales rep with the firm, was amongthe 40,000 from across Canadarecognized when Prime MinisterStephen Harper proclaimed May 9as a National Day of Honour tocommemorate Canada’s 13-yearmilitary mission in Afghanistan.

Richardson was 23-years-oldwhen he left for a seven-monthtour of duty in April 2010.

“For me… it was difficult leav-ing my friends and family. I knowfor many soldiers that I was over-seas with, you always try to reassurepeople back home, because the

stress that’s put on family andfriends is quite high,” Richardsonsaid in an interview with theKitchener Post. Today, he continuesto serve in the Reserve with theRoyal Highland Fusiliers ofCanada.

“Mark has always been veryhumble about his mission inAfghanistan,” says broker-ownerAngela Asadoorian. “We are grate-ful for his outstanding service to hiscountry and proud to have Markamong our ranks at Royal LePageCrown.”

Walter SchneiderWalter Schneider, Re/Max

Integra president and co-founderrecently received the J. TuzoWilson Distinguished AlumniAward from his alma mater,University of Toronto.

The award recognizes out-standing alumni for their dedica-tion to enriching the lives of othersthrough community service andachieving a level of distinction intheir professional field. The awardis named in recognition of theformer principal of U of TMississauga (1967-1974) whoachieved worldwide acclaim for hiscontributions to the theory of platetectonics.

Schneider was the inauguralrecipient of the award. “Thebiggest gift my time at universitygave me was to think in criticaldimensions,” says Schneider. “Ihave much to be grateful for that.”

Last year Schneider was therecipient of the Queens DiamondJubilee Award, recognizing hiswork with the Canadian Forces. Inaddition to his day-to-day responsi-bilities with Re/Max, he plays anactive role in the community, serv-ing on several boards including the Maple Leaf Sports andEntertainment Team UpFoundation, Canada’s Walk ofFame Foundation and The DavidFoster Foundation.

Avison YoungAvison Young has received

TREB’s Commercial Networkrecently awarded its Merit Awardto member Graham Purvis. It waspresented at Realtor Quest byTREB past-president Cynthia Lai.

TREB members, fromleft, Arthur Caplan, JoePanchyshyn and MarioVitelli were presentedwith the David RossiCommittee ServiceAward by presidentDianne Usher duringRealtor Quest.

From left: Royal LePage Crown Realtybroker Faye Schultz; broker of recordAngela Asadoorian; sales rep andAfghanistan veteran Mark Richardson;and sales rep Sarah Middleton.

NSAR was named winner of CREA’s 2014 Outstanding PACTeam (large board).

Presenting WalterSchneider with hisaward are Deep Saini,vice-president andprincipal, U of TMississauga campusand Kevin Golding,right, communitymember of the cam-pus council.

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REM JULY 2014 41

RE/MAX INTEGRA Ontario-Atlantic would like to congratulate Broker/Owner, Leah Ambler of RE/MAX Professionals Inc. for opening an offi ce in the trendy Baby Point/ Bloor West Village area in Etobicoke.

The store front boutique style offi ce will cater to the tech savvy demographic, will feature the RE/MAX world class global brand and will welcome visitors in a hip, urban setting.

RE/MAX Professionals Inc. was named the seventh largest brokerage in the GTA by Real Trends Top 200 Canadian Brokerages in terms of dollar sales and transaction ends sold.

Congratulations RE/MAX Professionals.

Leah AmblerBroker/Owner RE/MAX Professionals

RE/MAX Professionals Opens New Boutique Offi ce

Announcement

Have you stopped receiving our emailnewsletter?

Inbox Update

On July 1st, Canada’s restrictive new spamlegislation came into effect.

As a result, many of our weekly email newsletter subscribers had to be removed from our mailing list, to comply with the new law.

If you no longer receive our newsletter,please visit our website to subscribe: www.remonline.com/newsletter

Orlando Corporation’s TopBrokerage of the Year Award for2013. Orlando Corporation isCanada’s largest private industrialreal estate developer and landlord.

Avison Young principals JeffFlemington and Ben Sykes, basedin the company’s Mississaugaoffice, were presented with theaward at Orlando Corporation’sannual GTA brokers reception. In2013, Flemington and Sykesworked with Orlando Corporationto complete three lease transac-tions covering more than one mil-lion square feet.

The annual award, open to allof GTA’s industrial brokers, is pre-sented to the brokers who havedelivered the greatest lease trans-action value to OrlandoCorporation.

NSAR wins CREAPAC award

The Nova Scotia Associationof Realtors (NSAR) was namedwinner of CREA’s 2014Outstanding PAC Team (largeboard) recently. The award recog-nizes and honours volunteer initia-tive and enterprise in advancingfederal Realtor issues.

CREA noted the engagingwork that NSAR does to equip itsmore than 1,700 members withknowledge of federal governmentissues – including monthly

updates, a new and expanded gov-ernment relations committee andexpanded engagement with local,provincial and federal politicians.

Recently 12 Realtors fromNova Scotia visited ParliamentHill as part of the group of morethan 300 Realtors from acrossCanada lobbing the federal gov-ernment to improve the HomeBuyers’ Plan (HBP).

Toronto Real EstateBoard

The Ontario Real EstateAssociation (OREA), which over-sees the Ontario Realtors CareFoundation, recently presented theToronto Real Estate Board(TREB) and its members with anumber of awards.

Carolyn Griffis received theSpirit Award in recognition of herwork to establish the Children’sBreakfast Program, which providesnutritious breakfasts and snacks toschoolchildren in need. Now in itsseventh year, the Children’sBreakfast Program has grown toinclude more than 280 volunteersserving more than 40,000 break-fasts per month to children in 17different Greater Toronto Areaschools.

TREB was also presented withthe Spirit Award for its support ofthe foundation’s initiatives. TREBmembers have voted to participate

in the Every Realtor campaign forthe past six consecutive years,allowing TREB to contribute morethan $442,000 on their behalf lastyear alone.

TREB also received theQuality of Life Award for its manyinitiatives that support the princi-ples of ensuring economic vitality,providing housing opportunitiesand building better communities.

TREB also collaborates on pro-viding housing solutions andopportunities, exchanging ideaswith representatives of public andprivate sector organizations at anannual National Housing DaySymposium it has hosted for thepast two years. The board also sup-ports the Children’s BreakfastProgram through volunteer andfinancial contributions. It support-ed children in need through anannual golf tournament, raisingmore than $13,000 for RonaldMcDonald House Toronto in2013. The board’s Past President’sScholarships are awarded to fourgraduating high school studentseach year.

Rounding out OREA’s awardswere several fellowships, granted tothose who have contributed to theFoundation’s goals through contri-butions of $1,000 or more. Theywere presented to Dawna Borg,Fawzi Mattar, Azizali Kanjee andIan Smith. REM

Lone Wolf purchaseseWebEngine

Lone Wolf Real EstateTechnologies has purchasedeWebEngine Internet MarketingSolutions from Reflect Resources.The purchase expands the private-ly held company’s offerings to realestate brokerages and real estateagents for website tools and leadgeneration.

“A true end-to-end technologysolution is what real estate broker-ages are looking for and with theacquisition of eWebEngine, wewill continue to enhance our glob-al WOLF product line-up,” saysLorne C. Wallace, CEO of Lone

Wolf. “Over half of theeWebEngine clients are alreadyusing our brokerWOLF solutionand the joining of websites andlead generation on the front endto the accounting on the back endtruly gives our clients what theyneed to run an efficient, successfulbrokerage.”

Lone Wolf currently offersbrokerWOLF for back office oper-ations, WOLFconnect for the vir-tual office and globalWOLF forthe public office of the real estatebrokerage. The company’s com-bined customer list now servicesalmost 10,000 real estate officesthroughout the United States andCanada.

Jumptools addsChinese language

Jumptools is now offeringcustomers the ability to publish aversion of their website in bothtraditional and simplifiedChinese.

Jumptools president JonMacCall says, “Our plan is tocontinue enhancing our productby adding additional languagesaccording to our customer needs.We added simplified Chinese toour languages roster last year andare excited to launch the tradi-tional Chinese option now.”

The latest Statistics Canadacensus reports nearly 6.6 millionpeople speak a language otherthan English or French at home,the company says.

Jumptools websites includethird-party listings via CREADDF, Google-powered maps, freemobile version and QR codessays MacCall. For information:jumptools.com. REM

Real EstateTechnologyReal EstateTechnology

42 REM JULY 2014

THE PUBLISHER’SPAGE

By Heino Mollshirty years ago I asked avery successful sales pro-fessional if he could give

me one word that would bestdefine a great salesperson. Hethought for a moment and thensaid, “Teacher.” I believe that is astrue today as it was then.

The best salesperson is ateacher who simply explains aproduct or service well. Noembellishment, no exaggeration.

The most important way to sella product is to teach “this is whatthe product is”, followed by, “thisis where it is, this is why it is ben-eficial, here is its potential, this iswhen it is available and here ishow this particular one works.”There are no tricks in sales. If youthink there are tricks, you are apoor salesperson and you shouldthink about doing something elselike factory work or rocket science,because selling is not for you.

All of these factors go hand-in-hand with hard work and, mostimportantly, attitude. There aresales aids that help but fundamen-tally they don’t make much differ-ence compared to the ability ofteaching.

If you teach someone well,they should be able to see a prod-

Realtor, teacheruct’s function and how it fits intotheir world. They should be ableto understand its value and make atimely decision on whether or notto buy it. You must be straightfor-ward and honest about the productbecause if you are wrong or youembellish anything, your reputa-tion as a teacher is shot and youwill be out of a job. A teacher, likea sales rep, is all about reputation.Once you have ruined your reputa-tion as a teacher, you might as wellleave town. No one will trust youto work with their family again.

I have often thought that oneof the best services a real estatesalesperson could provide to hiscommunity would be to teach ahigh school course on buying realestate and managing property. Itshould be mandatory in publicschool education to know aboutbuying a house and maintaining it.With all the cutbacks that ourgovernments are imposing on edu-cation, why not ask a good localreal estate agent to come into theclassroom and teach somethingimportant and meaningful, such ashow to acquire and maintain aplace to live? A good sales rep,after all, is a good teacher.

I wish I had experienced agood agent’s explanation abouthow things worked in acquiringand maintaining a home when Iwas young. I admit I was not thesharpest knife in the drawer whenI went to school. Nor am I todayfor that matter, but I did retainsome things from good teachers. Icould have learned a great dealfrom an agent if I had been luckyenough to have one offer a course

back in my day. When I came outof the school system I did notknow what a hydro bill was or thedifference between a radiator anda forced-air system. I did not knowwhat a mortgage was or the differ-ence between renting a home andbuying one. I will wager that veryfew young people today know themeaning of the word mortgage. Idoubt that a lot of adults know themeaning of that word either.

Way back when I was young, Iwas going to rock concerts, I washanging around and really notlearning anything useful when,out of the blue, the most beautifulgirl in all of Scarborough, Ont.told me that we were pregnant. Itwas the greatest thing that everhappened to me. I was still ateenager but right in that instant, Ichanged from a kid to an adultwith a family to take care of. Ithought I knew everything backthen. Yet I did not know how torent an apartment or run a house-hold. If only I had learned the fun-damentals of how to read a hydrometer at my high school instead ofalgebra. To this day I have neverneeded to know about algebra butI still have so much more to learnabout buying and operating ahouse.

Take it from a seasoned oldman who still can’t run a house-hold efficiently. You want to be agood real estate professional?Share your knowledge. Give itaway. Teach and you will prosper!

Heino Molls is publisher ofREM. Email [email protected].

REM

T

Trade Showsand ConferencesTrade Showsand Conferences

For complete listings, visit www.remonline.comTo add a listing to this calendar, email [email protected]

Century 21 CanadianConference, Supplier ExpoSept. 10 - 12Sheraton On The FallsNiagara Falls, Ont.Carla Ty –[email protected]

WinnipegRealtorsTechnology Conference andTrade ShowThursday, Oct. 16Victoria Inn, WinnipegLucy Hajkowski – [email protected]

Realtors Association ofEdmonton Conference andTradeshowWednesday, Oct. 22Ramada Edmonton atKingswayLixmila Serrano - [email protected]: 780-868-4978

National Association ofRealtors Conference &ExpoNov. 7 – 10New Orleanswww.realtor.org/conven-tion.nsf/

Realtors Association ofGrey Bruce Owen SoundTrade ShowTuesday, Nov. 18Harry Lumley BayshoreCommunity CentreOwen Sound.Marilyn Newbigging [email protected]

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CANADA PROUD!RE/MAX INTEGRA is Canadian to the core.

The founders of RE/MAX INTEGRA, Frank Polzler and Walter Schneider, are proud Canadians who operate a third of RE/MAX around

the world. Our franchisees and sales associates share our deep passion for making Canada a better place to live.






or













or


Ontario REALTORS® are eligible to earn 5 CE credits for Day 1 and 4 CE credits for Day 2







*Rankings calculated by RE/MAX based on 2014 REAL Trends Canadian 250 data, citing 2013 transaction ends for the 252 largest participating brokerages. Per-agent averages include brokerages reporting agent count. ©2014 RE/MAX, LLC. All rights reserved. Each RE/MAX o� ce is independently owned and operated. 140595

2014 2014

Of the 250 Canadian

real estate brokerages

with the most sales, 158

are branded RE/MAX.

The source: the 2014

REAL Trends Canadian

250 survey. The same

data shows RE/MAX

averaging 60% more

transaction ends per

agent than competitors.*

RE/MAX agents closed

58% of the 485,930

transaction ends in the

survey, and 54% of the

$184 billion in sales

volume.

SALES VOLUME: AVERAGE PER AGENT

TRANSACTION ENDS: AVERAGE PER AGENT

Take Your Career To The Next Level.

RE/MAX AGENTS ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE IN CANADA

Visit Join Remax.ca

CANADIAN 250

RE/MAX agents averaged 61% more transaction ends, compared to the average of all other agents at the largest brokerages.

RE/MAX agents averaged 43% higher sales than the average of all other agents at the largest brokerages.

252 QUALIFYING BROKERAGES BY BRAND

$5.7 $4millionmillion

RE/MAX

Competitors

SOLD

16.1SOLD

10.4

RE/MAX

Competitors

16.1

15.6

14.7

13.6

12.0

11.4

10.8

10.4

6.1

16.1

15.6

14.7

13.6

12.0

11.4

10.8

10.4

6.1

16.1

15.6

14.7

13.6

12.0

11.4

10.8

10.4

6.1

RE/MAX

Royal LePage

Sutton

Keller Williams

Century 21

Coldwell Banker

158RE/MAX

of the qualifying Canadian 250

Realty Executives - 2

HomeLife - 1

Better Homes & Gardens - 1

Royal LePage - 27

Coldwell Banker - 20

Keller Williams - 13

Non-Franchise - 10

Century 21 - 8

EXIT - 6

Sutton - 6

Each o� ce is independently owned and operated.

July 2014

Documents

Transcript of July 2014