November 2012 (v2)

Gurinder Sandhu named Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic EVPPage 3

50 lessons mybroker taught mePage 40

Take a page from the Property Brothers2

Issue #281 November 2012

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Wayne MoenREM interviews theCREA presidentPage 16

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urinder Sandhu, Re/MaxO n t a r i o - A t l a n t i c ’srecently appointed exec-

utive vice-president and regionaldirector, was only 18-years-oldwhen he earned his real estatelicence. A few months later, hesold his first condo to the son of alocal hardware store owner.

“I went in to buy a screwdriveror something and we just startedtalking,” says Sandhu. “He said hewas looking for a condo so I startedshowing him some. And, I remem-ber exactly where the one hebought is – Weston and Finch (inToronto). It was fantastic. I stillremember the thrill of that sale tothis day.”

Sandhu pauses, reflecting onhis first sale. A few seconds later,he bursts into laughter.

“Imagine, the person whobought the condo off of me wasn’ta friend or relative,” says the now45-year-old Sandhu. “I look backon it now and I think if an 18-year-old tried to sell me real estate, I’dlook at him kind of funny. It wasdefinitely an interesting and reallyfun time in my life.”

Sandhu continued selling realestate while he went to YorkUniversity to pursue a Bachelor ofArts Degree in economics, fol-lowed by an Honours ofAdministrative Studies degree.This eventually led Sandhu toobtaining his CharteredAccountant (CA) designation.

New designation in hand,Sandhu stopped selling real estate

REM NOVEMBER 2012 3

G

Gurinder Sandhu named Re/MaxOntario-Atlantic EVPSandhu takes over the position from Michael Polzler, but he says you shouldn’t expect changes in the company’s management style. By Tony Palermo

– six years from when he first start-ed – to focus on his new career atKPMG. All he had experienced tothis point was real estate but mov-ing to KPMG exposed him to awhole new world of business.

“Every couple of weeks therewas a new assignment or a newcompany,” says Sandhu. “And Iwas looking at all kinds of differentindustries – service providers, man-ufacturers, small companies, bigcompanies – and the world was justkind of opening up in my eyes.”

Three years later, Sandhuaccepted a position with publishinggiant TorStar Corporation, whichexposed him to business on a glob-al scale. While he says he loved thechallenges and experiences of trav-elling the world, he found thatsomething in his life was missing.

His passion for what he was doingday-to-day was fading.

After having been out of thereal estate industry for approxi-mately 10 years, Sandhu realizedthat’s what he really missed.

An opportunity came up withRoyal LePage on the relocationside of their business and forSandhu the move was like a breathof fresh air. He was back in thegame and his passion reignited. Acouple of years later, Sandhu waspromoted to vice-president offinance, residential real estate,where he remained for the next sixyears.

A few years later, Sandhu hadthe opportunity to meet withWalter Schneider and Pamela

Alexander of Re/Max – a momentSandhu says changed his life.

“Walter, Pamela and I connect-ed in a way I never connectedbefore in the business world andreal estate community,” saysSandhu. “From the very firstmoment we started talking, I real-ized that I belonged at Re/Max. Mygoals were definitely more in linewith theirs.”

And so the Re/Max journeybegan in 2010 when Sandhu washired as chief financial officer, aposition he held for about twoyears. Coincidentally, it was almosttwo years to the day that the exec-utive team asked Sandhu tobecome executive vice-presidentand step into Michael Polzler’sshoes (Polzler is now the managingdirector of Re/Max Europe.)

“I consider it an incrediblehonour that the Polzler familyasked me to run the Ontario-Atlantic region, especially consid-ering this is the first time in the 32-year history of the company that anon-family member has been inthis kind of leadership role,” saysSandhu. “It’s such a terrific feel-ing.”

Sandhu says he has no majorshift in direction planned andeveryone can expect a comparablemanagement style to Polzler’s.

“Our management styles arevery similar,” says Sandhu. “Weshare the same aggressive visionon how we grow our business.We’re both passionate about thebusiness and industry. He is anadvocate for the broker andRealtor, and so am I.”

Certainly, the charismaticSandhu’s passion quickly comesacross when he comments aboutthe ongoing Competition Bureau’shearing against the Toronto RealEstate Board (TREB). In his opin-ion, Re/Max and Royal LePagewere caught in the crossfire of sen-sational numbers and media head-lines. He points to the claims thatagents from both companies col-lected over 40 per cent of the com-

missions paid by GTA homeown-ers, totalling approximately $2.2billion.

“Wow, big numbers, right?”asks Sandhu. “I’m sure many peo-ple are thinking, pigs at a trough.”

But as he says, people need tosit back and boil it down. First, saysSandhu, no one can unequivocallyprove how much commissions arecharged because the data isn’treadily available. But even assum-ing $2.2 billion number holds, ifyou divide that amount by thenumber of sales reps in TREB,approximately 36,000, it works outto just over $60,000 per year, perRealtor.

“Pigs at a trough?” Sandhu asks rhetorically. “I don’t think so.This represents hard-workingCanadians making a living.”

Before parting, Sandhu offers afinal comment about theCanadian real estate market.

“There have been a lot of head-lines over the last few weeks abouthow the sky is falling in Canadianreal estate,” says Sandhu. “Butthey’re pointing out just monthlystats. You have to look at thewhole picture. Year-to-date Augustsales are up 2.8 per cent. Averageprices are basically on par.”

He says: “Go ahead and putthat on the front page.” REM

Gurinder Sandhu

“Pigs at a trough?” Sandhu asks rhetorically. “I don’tthink so. This representshard-working Canadians

making a living.”

4 REM NOVEMBER 2012

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

Scotia for closed transactionsannually.

Citadel and Metro’s combined160 plus licensed Realtors will con-tinue to operate from three loca-tions in Halifax, Bedford andDartmouth.

■ ■ ■

Shelley Porritt, broker/ownerof Porritt Real Estate Inc., hasjoined the Royal LePage franchisenetwork. The company will nowoperate under the name of RoyalLePage Porritt Real Estate, serving Toronto, Etobicoke andMississauga.

Porritt represents the third gen-eration of a family-owned business,

which has operated since 1955.She received her real estate licensein 1997 and went on to obtain herbroker’s license in 2001. Shelley isthe broker of record in the officeshe owns with her parents, Carland Liz Porritt.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Legacy officiallyopened its newest marquee loca-tion at Mississauga’s Square OneShopping Centre with a grand-opening celebration that com-bined “showmanship with innova-tion, showcasing new technologyand the brokerage’s plans to revo-lutionize the real estate experi-ence,” the company says.

Tariq Khursheed, broker/owner, says: “We’re serious aboutour role in advancing the customer

terling Stephens, owner ofExit Realty Citadel inHalifax, has purchased Exit

Realty Metro from owners WayneCochrane and Jeremy Cowan.The two brokerages will continueto operate independently. Theacquisition gives Stephens themost Realtors of any company inNova Scotia.

“Our decision to combineunder one management team withmore locations and more agentssupported by our great administra-tive teams made sense,” saysCowan. Cochrane and Cowan willcontinue as agents at Metro. Theyare consistently ranked in the topfive Exit Realty agents in Nova

S

experience and bringing it into the21st century. Consumers aren’tfully aware of the possibilities thatexist. Our goals are very ambitious.We’re not just going to raise thebar – we’re going to bring it to aremarkable level.”

The state-of-the-art, 4,500-square-foot facility incorporatesthe latest in technology and infra-structure, the company says. Itincludes a café/expresso bar andintegrated presentation suites.

“Re/Max Legacy is a pioneer-ing franchise, well ahead of itstime,” says Gurinder Sandhu,executive vice-president, regionaldirector, Re/Max Ontario-AtlanticCanada.

The brokerage has threeMississauga offices and 220 full-time sales professionals. It says thenew office “has the potential topropel Re/Max Legacy’s currentsales force to over 400 Realtors byyear-end 2013.”

■ ■ ■

In an industry of continuouschange, one thing has stayed con-stant for sales professionals Milton

Brandson, Ed Eggerer and KeithWilson – their commitment to thereal estate business and theirclients. This year, the three friendswill celebrate 35 years with theCentury 21 brand. They all work atCentury 21 Powerrealty.ca inAirdrie, Alta.

Brandson, Eggerer and Wilsonhave seen the industry evolve fromthe days of building wooden signsfor each listing to now, whenonline listings are king. They’vewatched the town of Airdrie growto become home for more than45,000 residents.

When asked their secret to suc-cess, persistence and a positive out-look was the general consensus. It’salso important to make sure youdon’t burn out.

As veterans in the field,Brandson, Eggerer and Wilsonhave this advice for new sales pro-fessionals and those consideringentering the industry: it’s hardwork and you have to keep at it.Technology has made businessmore efficient, but in the end, real

Continued on page 6

At the grand opening of Exit Realty Solutions, from left: Carson Beier;Spruce Grove Mayor Stuart Houston; Amy Beier and two of the three Beierchildren, Jaxon and Addison. Preston, Beier’s oldest son, was also present.

From left: Joyce Paron, president - Canada and Steve Morris, chairman andfounder, Exit Realty Corp. International; Wayne Cochrane, Exit RealtyMetro; Sterling Stephens, Exit Realty Citadel; Jeremy Cowan, Exit RealtyMetro; and Michael McCarron, supervisor of growth and development forCanada at the turnover meeting in Halifax.

Ed Eggerer Keith Wilson Vince Tersigni

Shelley Porritt Tariq Khursheed

Grenville Wharram Barry Lebow

Milton Brandson

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Travis Carmichael, Barry Clark

Sales reps take part in the Royal LePage Listing Lab.

Phil Soper with Jessica Holmes

Milton Mayor Gordon Krantz officially opens iPro Realty’s Milton branch.From left: Lynda Rao, recruiting manager; Rui Alves, co-founder; Krantz;Fedele Colucci, co-founder and Bob Pridham, manager.

The Realtors of Royal LePage Advance Realty in Campbell River, B.C. withtheir award. From left, presenter Darren Kardynal of Glacierview FinancialServices; Sandra Parkes; Diane Rogers; Stephen Grant, president; AnitaPainter; Debbie Sharko; Diana Grant and Bryan Watkins (general manager).

6 REM NOVEMBER 2012

PublisherHEINO MOLLS

email: [email protected]

Director, Sales & MarketingDENNIS ROCK


Manager, French EditionMICHEL [email protected]

Digital Media Manager WILLIAM [email protected]

Editor in ChiefJIM ADAIR


Distribution & ProductionMILA PURCELL

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Art DirectorLIZ MACKIN

Graphic DesignSHAWN KELLY

Brand DesignSANDRA GOODER

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 copyright2012 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.

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estate is a people business. Youhave to love working with peopleto be successful.

Brandson and Wilson focus onresidential real estate while Eggererdeals with land development andacquisitions as well as the agricul-

tural industry. The three onceowned their own company,Century 21 Castlewood, beforereturning to their sales roots.

■ ■ ■

Carson Beier, franchisee ofExit Realty Solutions in SpruceGrove, Alta. recently celebratedthe opening of his new office loca-

Multiple ListingsContinued from page 4

tion. He purchased and renovateda landmark bank in the city. At thetwo-day opening celebration, hun-dreds of Realtors, clients andfriends came out for the ribboncutting and to tour the 4,000-square-foot office. Guests includedBill Nasby, vice-president of per-sonal development for Exit Realty

and Anne Squires, regional ownerfor Exit in Alberta.

The festivities included acheque presentation to Habitat forHumanity, Exit’s charity of choice.

■ ■ ■

Vince Tersigni, broker/ownerof Prudential Elite in Mississauga,

Ont., has joined the Royal LePagefranchise network. His companywill now operate under the nameRoyal LePage Elite Realty.

Tersigni became licensed in1971 and obtained his broker’slicense in 1976. In 1989, he pur-chased Countrywide Realty withGrenville Wharram and in 1998,they converted the brokerage toPrudential Elite. Together, Tersigniand Wharram have more than 70years of real estate experience, cov-ering all facets of the industry.

More than 30 sales representa-tives and support staff work for thebrokerage, and plans are underwayto recruit more salespeople as aresult of joining Royal LePage. Theoffice services Mississauga,Brampton, Oakville, Burlington,Vaughan, King Township, Miltonand Georgetown.

■ ■ ■

MaxWell Capital Realtyrecently opened a satellite branchoffice in Sundre, Alta.

Nestled in the Foothills of theRocky Mountains, Sundre is afavourite destination for cowboysand foothill recreation properties,the company says. The office isoperated by Tom and Debra Kingin the town of 2,500 people, whichis approximately 100 km north-west of Calgary.

■ ■ ■

Barry Lebow has joinedRe/Max Ultimate in Toronto. Hislong and varied career has includ-ed roles as real estate broker andappraiser, an expert witness on thesubject of stigmatized propertiesand the founding of theAccredited Senior Agent program.Now he’s added radio commenta-tor to his resume.

“Two years ago, I sold the com-mercial division of LebowAppraisal to my long-time partnerLois Hicks. I sold the residentialdivision to long-time manager JimParthenis and in both divisions Iremain as an adviser and minority

Lee RhodenizerEric Willis

Continued on page 8

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8 REM NOVEMBER 2012

’m writing this column theweek before Thanksgiving inCanada and I’ll connect the

holiday to the topic in a paragraphor two. But my column notesreminded me of a conversationwith a shuttle bus driver while mywife and I were in Las Vegas thissummer. We had told him we wereCanadian and, considering wehave different Thanksgivings – theU.S. celebrates in November, on aThursday so they can squeeze inmore football games – he won-dered if we celebrated Christmason the same day.

“I’m pretty sure Jesus was bornon the same day world-wide in theGregorian calendar,” I suggestedkindly, but I took his point.

So in the run-up to our

I

Give the gift of educationMETES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

Remembrance Day – the U.S.Veteran’s Day – and the U.S.Thanksgiving on Nov. 22 this year,another iconic anniversary of thefirst Kennedy assassination, I wasstruck by how thankful I am to beassociated with the real estateindustry.

For a couple of reasons.Real estate – shelter, invest-

ments and careers – has been verygood to me and my family – par-ents, brother, sister and our chil-dren – since we immigrated fromEngland in 1951.

The real estate industry hasmade me very proud to be a mem-ber. I was recently reminded of thegood we do when I attended anawards presentation at NorthIsland College, our local commu-nity college. I was impressed by thenumber of students receivingfinancial assistance. I’m sure yourcolleges provide similar support,under appreciated by the generalpublic, but critical to the futuresuccess of a variety of marginalizedstudents who otherwise would notbe financially able to take the nextstep up in their lives.

And what a mixed group – sin-

gle moms, mature students, stu-dents retraining from other careerpaths, pursuing education in thetrades and in professions. Some ofthe recipients dressed for a formaloccasion – there would be photosafter all – some assumed the LadyGaga look would make an impres-sion. It did. There were impas-sioned thank-yous of course andfrequently children accompaniedmom to the podium, shyly peepingout from a sheltering leg or in thecase of the extrovert, posing for thephoto op in the theatre filled withproud family members.

What does it take to support acouple of students in a meaningfulway? About $25,000 would set up afund proving a couple of $500 bur-saries annually. Got that sort ofloose change lying around?Burning a hole in your pocket? No?Can you find it in someone else’spocket?

Our real estate board(Vancouver Island or VIREB)partnered with the Real EstateFoundation of B.C. two years agoand created two $60,000 legacyfunds to support students in busi-ness administration, construction-

related trades and apprenticeshiptraining at North Island Collegeand Vancouver Island University.This was the first year of theawards. Three students were theproud recipients and representa-tives from VIREB were happy toshake hands on the deal.

Many if not all post-secondaryinstitutions have their own foun-dations or are in partnership with abroad-based entity such as theVancouver Foundation in order tomaximize returns on investments.These foundations frequentlyhave matching funds programsenabling your contribution to besignificantly higher. And whilealumni are a favourite source ofcontributions, the business com-munity has a role to play becauseof the positive economic impact alearning institution has on thelocal economy.

With a predominant swing tothe trades and away from the stan-dard BA leading nowhere, localcolleges, especially those offeringtrades training, are more importantthan ever. With lower tuition costsand the opportunity for kids to liveat home, more families are consid-

ering a local college, especiallythose with transfer programs tomore traditional universities.

What have you or your broker-age or your real estate board orassociation done lately of a philan-thropic nature? Well, you shouldknow so you can include theRealtors Care program of CREA inyour listing resume. Looking for anidea? Where did you or your chil-dren go to school? Contact a localpost-secondary institution. If youwish, you can direct funds towardsstudents who are pursuing careersthat touch the real estate industry.

In 1964 Marshall McLuhanstated: “The future of work con-sists of learning a living.” Nearly 50years later it continues to be verygood advice.

You can find Marty Douglas onTwitter – http://twitter.com/41yrsrealestate – Facebook andLinkedIn. He is a managing brokerfor Coast Realty Group, with officeson Vancouver Island, the Discoveryand Gulf Islands and the SunshineCoast of B.C. Marty is a past chair ofthe Real Estate Errors and OmissionsCorporation of B.C., the Real EstateCouncil of B.C. , the B.C. RealEstate Association and the VancouverIsland Real Estate Board. [email protected]. REM

partner,” he says.“I started the Accredited Senior

Agent program for CanadianRealtors in 2009 and from nothingthere are now 1,300 members inthree provinces. It was never myintention to remain as CEO. I soldit last year to Chris Newell, a long-time friend and I remain as anadviser and minority partner.”

At Re/Max Ultimate, he willjoin Lou Berkovits on his radioshow, Inside Real Estate on 640AM in Toronto every other Sundayat 11 am. “Lou is not the first per-son to ask me to be his partner orassociate but within 15 minutes ofLou meeting with me, he started todiscuss Ve’ahavta, a great charitythat I am committed to as it helpspeople get off the streets. Lou want-ed me to partner with him in realestate and in turn to dedicate partof our joint income to this greatcharity,” says Lebow.

“This turning 65 and retiringmay be good for many but not forme. So, I am going back to my

roots. I want to knock doors, toreturn to basics, despite all of mysocial marketing skills and makedirect contact with people,” hesays.

■ ■ ■

Anissa Ho recently joined theiPro Realty management team asbroker/branch manager of iPro’sMississauga office.

“Anissa will be an invaluableasset to our team,” says iPro co-founder Rui Alves. Previously sheworked at Right At Home Realtyand Re/Max.

iPro Realty says it is one of thefastest-growing brokerages in theGTA, having attracted more than350 agents and opened eight loca-tions in less than three years. Thecompany now has offices in eastand west Toronto, Mississauga,Brampton, Milton, Georgetown,Orangeville and Shelburne.

■ ■ ■

Close to 900 Royal LePage salesreps and brokers from acrossCanada attended the 2012National Sales Conference in

Vancouver recently. The eventserved as the official kick-off of thecompany’s 100th anniversary in2013.

Comedienne Jessica Holmesbrought down the house with herbackwoods love duet with PhilSoper, Royal LePage president andCEO, and a variety of memorableimpersonations. John Furlong,CEO of the Vancouver 2010Olympic Organizing Committee,delivered the keynote address. Theevening events, including theThrough the Decades party, a100th Birthday Party and the RoyalLePage Rocks evening, providedample opportunity for attendees tonetwork and enjoy themselves.There was a trade fair along withmore than 60 breakout sessions.The 2014 Royal LePage NationalSales Conference will take place inToronto.

■ ■ ■

Recently Royal LePageAdvance Realty in CampbellRiver, B.C. was honoured as theintermediate-sized Business of theYear by the Campbell River

Chamber of Commerce.“Half the city seemed to be in

attendance and it was very wellpublicized due to this being theChamber’s 80th Anniversary,” saysmanaging broker Bryan Watkins.“During our acceptance speech itwas noted that it is Advance’s 30th,the Chamber’s 80th and RoyalLePage’s 100th anniversary and soit would appear to be the perfectconfluence of positive events.”

Watkins says, “In a time when itseems our reputation and skills areseemingly under attack from everydirection, it is nice to find a citywhere the community not only rec-ognizes Realtors’ value and supportsRealtors but also recognizes all theextras we do for and in the commu-nity…We are all quite proud.”

■ ■ ■

Gold Key Realty ofCharlottetown is the latest memberof the Aventure Realty network.Brokers/owners Eric Willis and LeeRhodenizer bring a history of suc-cessful independent operation andstrong market presence toAventure, says president Bernie

Vogt. “Delivering a full suite of bro-kerage services, Gold Key Realty isfocused on timely customer service,the growth of a strong local brandand the development of a nationalservice strategy,” says Vogt.

■ ■ ■

Barry Clark, a 47-year realestate veteran and president ofRoyal LePage Nanaimo Realty, sayshe is excited to celebrate the com-pany’s 65th year in business, servingthe people of Nanaimo, B.C.,Vancouver Island and area withtheir real estate, insurance andproperty management require-ments.

The company, founded byFrank Ney, has seen many changesover the years. Clark says the com-pany “helped mould the growth ofNanaimo by providing affordableaddresses to a multitude of settlers.

“It’s amazing that a lot of thedevelopments and housing projectswere sold on easy terms, with oneper cent down and one per cent permonth, which helped the local


Continued on page 26

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he Greater Montreal RealEstate Board (GMREB)will remain a CREA mem-

ber until after the national associa-tion finalizes its Map to the Futureproposals next spring.

The decision was made by theGMREB Board of Directors after avote by members “overwhelming-ly” rejected the status quo, saysboard president Patrick Juanéda.

Members were given threechoices in the vote: leave CREAon Jan. 1, 2013; postpone the deci-sion until after the spring meeting;or remain a CREA member. Themajority (40.4 per cent) pickedoption one, opting to leave CREA,but the Board of Directors hasdecided to wait.

“Although the option to leaveCREA was chosen by the largestnumber of members, the Board ofDirectors analyzed the results intheir entirety and has decided towait until after CREA’s annualmeeting before making a finaldecision,” wrote Juanéda in amessage to members. Before thevote, the Board of Directors hadrecommended that the board

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T

Montreal board will staywith CREA – for nowMembers will decide after CREA’s spring meeting if they’ll leavethe national association By Jim Adair

withdraw from the national asso-ciation.

The final vote was:Leave CREA: 1,394 (40.4%)Postpone: 1,086 (31.5%)Remain with CREA: 973

(28.2%)A total of 3,453 members out

of a possible 10,217 took part inthe vote, a participation rate of 34per cent, says Juanéda. LégerMarketing, which conducted theelectronic vote, says the margin oferror is 1.36 per cent, “whichmeans that if all members hadvoted, the final result would haveessentially been the same,” saysJuanéda.

Prior to the vote, Juanéda saidafter three consultation meetingswith members in early September,“there was consensus on the needto clearly define the role andresponsibilities of the differentorganizations (in organized realestate), to find a permanent solu-tion regarding the management ofadvertising money, to end duplica-tion between CREA and real estateboards, and, finally, to reviewCREA’s questionable expenses.”

He said, “Serious concernsexist with CREA’s future pro-jects, particularly regardingintrusions to the Real EstateBrokerage Act and the variouslegal disputes (CompetitionBureau vs. Toronto Real EstateBoard and a lawsuit fromRealtySellers) that are currentlyunderway. Finally, many mem-bers are calling for à la carte ser-vices” (where the board wouldpay only for services used).

Juanéda also said there was“strong consensus that Centris.ca,whose development is beingaccelerated, is a superior and moremodern tool than Realtor.ca.However, the loss of traffic com-ing from Realtor.ca has raisedconcerns…”

After the members’ vote,Juanéda said delaying the finaldecision “will enable us to evaluatethe decisions that will be made (atCREA’s meeting). Until that time,every effort will be made to defendyour interests and, above all, moveforward with our plan to promotereal estate brokers and increaseawareness of Centris.ca.” REM

hree more Quebec boardshave elected to discon-tinue their membership

in CREA effective Dec. 31,2012. Four boards and theQuebec Federation of RealEstate Boards have now resignedfrom the national association,but five other Quebec boardshave indicated they will contin-ue their membership.

On Sept. 19 MurielMongeau, president of theChambre immobilière du Centredu Québec, wrote to CREAadvising that under the provi-sions of bylaw 8.4.1 the 150members of her board had voted68 per cent to discontinue theboards’ membership in thenational association. The boardserves the Drummondville and

Victoriaville areas.On Sept. 21 Hugo

Gaillardetz, president of theChambre immobilière de laMauricie, wrote a similar letternoting that a majority of the 190members of his board had alsovoted to withdraw from CREA.The Mauricie board includes theTrois-Rivières and Shawiniganareas.

The Chambre immobilière deSaint-Hyacinthe in Saint-Hyacinthe has also indicatedthey will leave.

Earlier the Chambre immo-bilière de la Haute Yamaska andthe Quebec Federation of RealEstate Boards gave notice thatthey will not be renewing mem-bership in CREA.

After the federation

announced that it was leavingCREA, the association receivedletters from five boards confirm-ing that they will stay “withinthe CREA family,” says PierreLeduc, media relations officer atthe association. They are theChambre immobilière deQuébec in Quebec City; theChambre immobilière del’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, basedin Rouyn-Noranda; theChambre immobilière de l’Estrie,Sherbrooke; the Chambreimmobilière du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean in Jonquière; and theChambre immobilière del’Outaouais, based in Gatineau. –Michel Chevalier REM

See ARR votes to stick withCREA, page 40.

3 more boards leave CREAT

R7

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onathan and Drew Scott areyoung, good looking and asgenuine as they appear ontheir W Network television

show, Property Brothers. Andthey’re successful to boot. So whatRealtor wouldn’t want to follow intheir Gucci loafers/constructionboots to find clients fixer-uppers totransform into dream homes?

A television show might not bein your future, but you can followthe brothers’ lead.

Start by sitting down with yourbuyers and narrowing down theareas in which they’d like to live.Make up a list of their must-havesand help them determine theirbudget. This is where many buyershave a disconnect – they don’trealize they can’t afford the houseof their dreams.

On Property Brothers, this iswhen Drew steps in and takes thebuyers to a move-in ready homethat has all of their must-haves. Hethen reveals the price tag, shock-ingly tens of thousands of dollarsover their budget. It’s a nasty andextreme dose of reality.

Take a page from the Property BrothersBy learning more about renovation and construction, you can bring added value to your clients and yourreputation By Connie Adair

Although Jonathan says hefeels it is a mean thing to putpotential buyers through, it doesbring them down to earth. “Peoplewant move-in ready, but move-inready comes at a big cost,” he says.Instead of buying someone else’sdream home, buyers need to beeducated about how they can reno-vate to create their own.

Seeing a move-in ready housealso provides inspiration, and ideasfor furniture and décor, Drew says.

You might not want to go tosuch extreme measures, but it willbe helpful to show your buyerswhat move-in ready houses cost.

First, do your homework.Educate yourself about the neigh-bourhood and the types of houses itcontains. When looking for fixer-uppers, look for things you can’tchange such as location and squarefootage, says Drew.

Familiarize yourself with differ-ent types of renovations. ManyRealtors don’t understand renova-tions or the value those improve-ments bring, says Drew. Check outsome properties, renovated and

not, in the same area and compareprices.

You may not want to go back toschool for years to become a masterbuilder like Jonathan, but taking abuilding and renovating course willhelp you understand the process.

As a professional Realtor, youwill know about zoning issues. Ifthe buyers want to build an addi-tion or a garage, find out if it’sallowed. Also, if the home has anincome suite, ensure that it is legal.

If additions have been made tothe house, check with the city toensure proper permits were issued.If a renovation was not profession-ally done, you have to ask yourselfwhat’s inside the walls, Jonathansays.

Talk to neighbours, who canoften provide a lot of informationabout a house, and ensure the buy-ers get a home inspection.

Before they purchase, buyersshould get a quote from a contrac-tor so they can make sure they canafford the cost of the house as wellas the cost of the renovation. Beprepared to hold buyers’ hands andhelp them through the financialaspects, Drew says.

On Property Brothers, buyerswith limited resources often pitchin to do some work themselves,sometimes lending a hand withdemolition and painting. However,your buyers need to be realistic andonly tackle jobs they are able tocomplete.

Realize that the timeline of aTV show is not realistic and thatwork that takes five weeks to com-plete in the television world wouldrealistically take twice as long inreal life.

Although clients are responsi-ble for finding their own profes-sionals, you can provide them withresources. Just be sure that youknow the contractors you recom-mend. Make sure they are person-able and have a reputation for qual-ity, Drew says. “Interview a bunchof contractors. Remember that themost expensive doesn’t mean thebest quality.”

Never lie to a client, saysJonathan. If you don’t know, findout. Have a professional come in

and give you an opinionif you don’t know. On Property Brothers,Jonathan often calls hisengineer for professionaladvice. “A smartRealtor never hasanswers for everything,”says Drew.

Caution your buyersagainst over-renovatingor emotional buying.

“Go by the num-bers. Always thinkresale and consider howbig a buyer base therewill be to buy thehome,” Jonathan says.For example, a homebacking on to a trainline will (eliminate) 20per cent of potentialbuyers.

Make sure your buy-ers are not afraid to askyou questions. You should be thecentre point for all they need toknow. Establish a relationship, hesays.

Don’t be afraid to walk away.Some houses will simply cost toomuch to renovate and are not agood investment.

Having the right experienceand education is invaluable, andthe brothers put their knowledge towork every day. Drew got his realestate licence in early 2004.Jonathan got his soon after andlater that year the brothers foundedScott Real Estate, which overseesthe sales and construction of resi-dential and commercial projects.The firm has offices in Vancouver,Calgary and Las Vegas.

Jonathan and Drew have beeninvesting in real estate since 1996,

when they bought their first invest-ment property right after highschool. From 1996 until 2003, theyinvested in residential propertieswith the help of local Realtors, andthen decided to get their licensesand do it themselves.

They are no strangers to filmand television, having acted andhosted television shows since theywere children. They foundedDividian Production Group in2002 (now Scott BrothersEntertainment) with their olderbrother JD. The company producesshort films. Jonathan’s experienceas a master builder/contractor is theicing on the cake.

To see the guys in action, tunein to Property Brothers Tuesday at 8 pm ET/PT on the W Network.

REM

Jonathan (left) and Drew Scott

J

The Scott brothers have a new show set to debut in January.

New series for Scott brothersAs if they aren’t busy enough, Property Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott are

working on a new series, Buying and Selling with the Property Brothers, which willpremiere on the W Network in January.

On the show, the brothers will help homeowners sell their current homes andbuy a new property. Jonathan will tackle the renovation, transforming and stagingthe home for a successful sale, while Drew will help the family find a new homethat meets their needs, budget and deadline for moving out.

Want to be on the show?Visit facebook.com/PropertyBrothers or http://www.wnetwork.com/

BeOnTV.aspx#Property-Brothers


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here are scores of punditspreaching about thebiggest trends reshaping

our institutions and society. We arebeing “Apple-ized” or “Android-fied.” Social networking is theplace to be. Virtual realities are saidto be supplanting bricks and mor-tar. Texts and tweets echo throughthe airways. Tablets. Wi-Fi. Mobileplatforms. The list of technologicalinnovations is seemingly endless.Consequently, the future, particu-larly the future of real estate educa-tion, appears veiled with uncer-tainties.

Worse yet, the rate of change isaccelerating. My household has abounty of what I call “genuinefakes” – recent original, authenticgadgetry that have become today’sobsolescent trash. I have smart-phones that have been outper-formed by newer models, tabletsthat are too big or too heavy orlack HD screen performance, CD-ROMS that might as well be fris-bees, storage hard drives that runslow and look like portable safesand cables that misalign or haveno receptive outlet. I even possessbooks that have dropped to thebottom of the growing thoughtpyramid.

What is a poor aging profes-sional or profession to do?

It is the one person, company,institution or society that is mostadaptable to change that “will livelong and prosper.” Darwin wasright and real estate education isno exception.

For real estate education to sur-vive, adaptation is a must. Tablets,social media, Google searches,blogs and other technological

The cloudyfuture of realestate education

functionalities need to be chan-neled into the real estate educationcurriculum and become inherentcompetencies exercised by the realestate professional. Traditionaltools, paper directories, lecturing asthe dominant delivery methodolo-gy and other outdated and out-moded programs and trappingsmust be pushed aside. Interactivelearning, gaming and “cloud” edu-cational services must take prece-dence. To persist otherwise wouldcreate a “genuine fake” sickly edu-cation organism.

Marxism may have been closeto the truth in sensationalizingproperty as commodities.Education is a commodity. For itto retain its value, indeed increasein value, we need to monitor soci-etal trends and develop cost-effec-tive ways of integrating best prod-ucts and practices into the realestate education knowledge data-base. To “wait and see” is risky.We must become “experimental”within reason and we must beproactive.

Real estate education must bemobile, social and technological.Students will then encounter anenvironment for learning that isfundamentally motivating.Learning will be participatory andfun, so much so that younger folkswill be attracted to our profession.

I would have preferred to bemore definitive and descriptive inmy prognostication but:

I’ve looked at clouds from bothsides now

From up and down, and stillsomehow

It’s cloud illusions I recallI really don’t know clouds at all(Joni Mitchell - Both Sides,

Now lyrics © Sony/ATV MusicPublishing LLC)

Ozzie Logozzo is executive direc-tor of the Ontario Real EstateAssociation Real Estate College. Heis a Fellow of the Real Estate Instituteof Canada and was the 1993 recipientof OREA’s Education Merit Awardand the 1997 recipient of Real EstateEducators Association’s prestigiousEducator of the Year Award. REM

T


Edmonton Realtor Wayne Moen is the 2012 president

of CREA, in one of the association’s most tumultuous years in recent history. The ongoing Futures project is examining all aspects of how organized real estate operates in Canada and not everyone is happy. So far four boards and the Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards have announced they will leave CREA at the end of the year. The Montreal board voted to leave as well, but its Board of Directors has decided to wait to see how the Futures project plays out before making a final decision to leave (see stories, page 10).

Prior to CREA’s upcoming Special General Meeting in Winnipeg in late October, REM editor Jim Adair interviewed Moen in Ottawa. Also at the interview were CREA chief executive director Gary Simonsen and media relations officer Pierre Leduc. Here’s an edited summary of the interview. For more, visit www.remonline.com.

REM: You picked a great year to be president. How’s it going so far?

Wayne Moen: I’m really enjoying it. I’ve been involved

in volunteer work for well over 20 years now as president of the Edmonton board and president of the Alberta association. I love the dynamics of board work and I love the challenges – I’m enjoying it.

REM: What is the current status of the Futures project?

Moen: Last fall the Futures Implementation Team identified four strategic focus areas that they wanted to concentrate on: development of a state-of the-art technology platform, providing information and tools to Realtors and to consumers; increased emphasis and enhancement of professional development to increase our value to consumers; looking at restructuring organized real estate – the governance – to expedite decision making, and ultimately reduce costs and duplication; and finally to acquire consumer insight so organized real estate can understand changing consumer needs and improve our relationship with consumers.

Out of these strategic areas, we had 23 initiatives that were proposed. One of them that generated a fair amount of controversy was the proposed action to consider putting for-

sale-by-owners and non-MLS data on realtor.ca. But the Futures Implementation Team looked at it, looked at the legal considerations, and decided there was too much risk to the trademarks and so decided not to pursue that any further.

Gary Simonsen: It will be subject to our assembly approval, but that’s the recommendation.

REM: Have there been a lot of changes since the proposals were first introduced?

Simonsen: We are going to initiate a consumer engagement strategy that will be done on a national basis. We will use a consumer panel, which is not something we have done previously. That’s a facility we will be making available to boards and associations across the country. We will be talking about it at this upcoming assembly meeting.

We are going to seek some input with respect to the roles and responsibilities of the various levels of organized real estate. We have some study groups that are working away on those and they will be presenting some preliminary reports and seeking input from the members in attendance.

REM: Why is CREA looking at Rate Your Realtor?

Moen: It’s not CREA, it’s the Futures Implementation Team and the whole Futures process – so this is a member thing. There are pros and cons. Is this a way to improve engagement with consumers and improve professionalism? There are other groups that have tried it and there have been some negatives things as a result. So they are going to look at both sides and see if there is enough of a case to try and institute something and set up the right rubric for installing it if that’s the ultimate decision. I think there is a major board in

the United States that has had it for some time and it’s been pretty successful.

REM: What are some of the initiatives that you feel strongly about?

Moen: We are going to review the governance structure (of organized real estate). Is there a lot of duplication? Are there things we can do about it?

I think the buzzword is that we have to be more nimble. The way it goes right now, something coming from a member or a smaller board, it might take two or three years to really look at it and get a consensus and actually implement it – that’s way too long.

REM: You have small boards in Quebec that are pulling out of CREA and Montreal voted to pull out but they are going to wait until next year. Do you think there is a place for special rules for them?

Moen: I think we have to be really careful about that. I’m from Alberta and Albertans think they are special. We have 10 different provinces and the territories and we need to act in the best interests of our members right across the country.

REM: What do you think is going to happen if Montreal does pull out? How will that impact CREA, losing that many members?

Moen: We don’t think they are going to pull out. We have a year to communicate with our members and communicate what we do for them. I think they will see there is great value and I’m very confident they will stay.

REM: Communication with the members is important. We get a lot of complains about CREA on our comments on the REM website. Are you seeing a lot of the same comments?

Moen: There are those comments but we’ve been quite happy – people have thanked us for communicating with them directly. We now are communicating with over 90,000 of our members directly and I think that’s a real positive step – and we are getting very good feedback on that. Some of the comments say we wish you had done that before. Because of the protocols, we were not necessarily able to. Butt I think generally our members are quite excited to hear from us.

REM: Do you listen to the members if they lodge complains? Do you read their comments?

Moen: Absolutely. We all try to listen and respond and the staff has been great. That’s our job. You can always improve communications at all levels and we are working on that.

Simonsen: We undertook a communication initiative earlier this year to all members across the country and briefed them on some of the key issues in the Futures plan, and we asked for their input. That’s unprecedented. We have had literally thousands of members who have engaged in that process, which is ongoing.

REM: Some members have also said that CREA should have fought harder against the Competition Bureau, rather than sign the Consent Agreement. Do you think that was the right decision?

Moen: I think we made the right decision at the time. Under CREA, there is room for every kind of business model.

REM: Is there anything else you would like to tell the members?

Moen: We are there for them and we are listening. Please call us. Let us know what you are thinking. REM

REM interviews CREA president Wayne Moen

2012 CREA President Wayne Moen (Photo: Ryan Parent)

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hen I was a kid back inthe late 1960s and early’70s, I would join with

the other youngsters in my safesuburban neighbourhood and thewhole gang of us would play war.Most often we ended up playinggames inspired by the popular TVshows of the time, such as VicMorrow’s gritty Combat! or RatPatrol, which incidentally hap-pened to star a pre-The Young andthe Restless Eric Braeden (VictorNewman, FYI. It’s not like I watchthe show, I’m just a stockpile ofgeneral trivial knowledge. P.S. Hedidn’t have his trademark mous-tache back then.).

War as a game was great to playas a kid because you didn’t needmuch else aside from a stick or treebranch for a rifle. If you wanted to,you could spend your entireallowance on anything from a plas-tic camouflage helmet to a toybazooka that fired plastic missiles.True confession – a buddy and Iactually ordered the “real” subma-rine that you could order off theback page of a comic book. Sadly,the submarine never arrived, nordid we ever see our money again.Probably just as well, I would like-ly not fit into it today anyway.

Even more elaborate than thelife-sized war gear for us kids werethe countless accessories for ourrugged G.I. Joe action figures. Youcould purchase everything from ascuba set to snappy navy dresswhites. Oh yeah, and a very realis-tic-looking acoustic guitar, becauseElvis Presley had one in G.I.Blues.

We read war-themed comic

W

Rememberingtoy guns andsoldiers

By Dan St. Yves

books, like Marvel’s Sgt. Fury andcomic strips like Sad Sack & BeetleBailey. As I mentioned earlier, TVhad loads of serious war shows thatparents watched as well, and alsosome admittedly not so serious,like Hogan’s Heroes. As a kid, Ioften wondered how RichardDawson finally made it safely outof Stalag 13 and onto hostingFamily Feud.

Around the time my chumsand I were playing war, musicartists were shifting from tradition-al patriotic songs to protest efforts.Give Peace A Chance, For What It’sWorth, Springtime For Hitler. Okay,that last one was Mel Brooks, butthe point is the artists were reach-ing out to a society growingincreasingly weary of war. Thatlasted for decades.

Until 9/11.After that unprecedented

attack so close to home, musicquickly reflected the stunned feel-ings of peaceful nations. I remem-ber attending Elton John’s lavishLas Vegas Red Piano show, wherehe framed his classic song Danielas a moving video tribute toDaniel Pearl, the Wall StreetJournal reporter kidnapped andkilled in Pakistan. In the firstminute alone, a wounded youngsoldier in the foreground, you gotthe intended message loud andclear.

Playing war as a carefree kidmay have been fun, but as an adult,I couldn’t be happier that in mylifetime the sacrifices made by oth-ers over so many years ensured thatI’d never have to strap on a realgun with a group of my own youngbuddies. And for that matter, allowme to grow up to the ripe old agethat I have. Many others have notbeen as lucky. November is ourtime to remember that.

Lest We Forget.

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


Boo! Is there a paranormal chill in here?

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

Stan Albert: Jaye, tell us a bitabout your background, andwhen you became aware of yourextraordinary gifts or abilities?

Jaye McKenzie: I becameaware of this special gift at thetender age of four. I am thefourth generation intuitive/heal-er to have this special DNA.Point in fact, my first recollec-tion of this gift was exhibitingtelepathic abilities with my latemother.

Albert: How long have youbeen doing this professionally?

McKenzie: It’s been four plusyears. When I met my mentor,Allison DuBois, who’s the real-life inspiration for the long-run-ning TV series Medium and isrenowned as one of the bestmediums in the world, herendorsement of my abilitiescompelled me to take my gifts toa professional level.

Albert: Did you have tohave any special training/educa-tion and have you added to yourknowledge?

McKenzie: I had alreadymajored in psychology in univer-sity, which helps with my posi-tivity coaching and readingswork. In addition, I am aCertified Reiki Master, which

assists me in my “energy clear-ings”. What I have is a naturalability but I’ve also honed mygifts by studying with others inmy field.

Albert: You have had storiedeclectic careers. From actor tosuccessful real estate agent tonow healing/coaching profes-sional athletes, doctors, lawyers,brokers and company CEOs.And you are also working withToronto Police Services. Of allthe careers you’ve had in youryoung years, what made youdecide to specialize in the studyof the paranormal?

McKenzie: This job is notmerely what I do, it’s who I am.After soul-searching, I realizedthis is my passion/calling and Imust honour it. My path is tohelp those who need and willbenefit from my unique services.

Albert: Has there been oneclearing situation that was themost challenging? What made itso?

McKenzie: There have beenmany fascinating cases I’veworked on. One in particular, Iwas called by a top Toronto bro-ker to assist on a multi-milliondollar property that two otherbrokers also could not sell, over a

one-year time period. I discov-ered there was massive “negativeenergy” and an apparition thatsaid, “Boo!” After successfullyclearing the energy and theghost, the home sold in 14 hours.I’ve completed close to 200clearings in the past two yearsalone.

Albert: You’re also workingon a draft for a book on the para-normal, which you hope to havefinished in the near future, and aTV show is in the works. Whatare you usually called in for?

McKenzie: It ranges fromproperties for sale, to homes thatfeel strange to the homeowner(lights going on and off, unex-plained health issues, stovesturning on by themselves).Typical calls are to assist officesin promotion of their business bycleansing stuck energy andbringing in prosperous energy.Most recently it was the clearingof documents for a project for aGrammy/Gemini-nominatedcomposer. The range continuesin the removal of negative ener-gy from luxury cars to businessdeals to individuals themselves.My energy clearings have manyapplications with abundant, suc-cessful results.

Albert: Thank you Jaye forthis fascinating look into yourunique career.

McKenzie can be reachedthrough her website/blog atwww.jadeintuitive.ca; phone 416-784-4120 or [email protected].

Stan Albert, broker/manager,ABR, ASA at Re/Max Premier inVaughan, Ont. can be reached forconsultation [email protected]. Stan is nowcelebrating 40 years as an activereal estate professional. REM

Jaye McKenzie

elling a stigmatized home,office or apartment can bedownright tough. Some

agents puzzle about why a prop-erty has so many showings withno offers, or why people in anoffice feel weird sensations... orwondered if maybe, just maybe,they felt a chill of sorts whencoming down the stairs? (a quotefrom Barry Lebow’s Selling theStigmatized Home article)

Over the past 2 1/2 years, myoffice has been graced by a scin-tillating young lady by the nameof Jaye McKenzie. She is a pro-fessional “clearer” of paranormalsituations, an energy specialist.Our in-house stager, MichelleFinnamore, recently used Jaye’sservices in the cleansing of twohigh-end homes.

Now for a little background, Ispoke with Jaye recently about hermotivation for becoming involvedin this rather unique profession.

S

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omebody asked me theother day, “Bruce, whowrites all these daily sales

tips that you send out?” I wasrather taken aback. It seemed likea rather strange question. Iresponded, “Why, I do, of course.That’s one of the responsibilities Ihave taken on…. That’s what Ido.”

I thought more about thatquestion later on. In retrospect, Iwas glad the person asked me. Itmade me reflect on all the benefitsof writing meaningful daily salestips day after day. Doing so has cre-ated some amazing benefits for me.At this juncture, I know I have

S A L E S C O A C H

By Bruce Keith

sent out in excess of 700 differenttips. Here are some of the paybacksI have accrued:

Writing these tips1. Forces me to keep growing,

never getting stale.2. Induces me to research and

learn new material.3. Opens my mind to bigger

thinking.... getting outside my box.4. Connects me with and helps

literally thousands of people Iwould not meet otherwise.

5. Constantly reminds me ofthe incredible power of a rock-solidroutine.

6. Bottom line... it keeps meyoung!

Now let’s talk about you. Whatcan you do to grow and keepyoung? Consider these personalgrowth questions:

1. What new challenges areyou taking on to stretch yourself?

2. What books are you reading?3. What seminars are you going

to? How about something outsideyour current business universe?

4. What changes are you mak-ing to your sales presentation?

5. What routine changes couldyou introduce into your life rightnow?

6. What new aspects to yourhealth regimen should you takeon?

How much are you growing?Are you the same person youwere 12 months ago? Centuriesago, explorer Ponce de Leon setout in search of the “Fountain ofYouth”. He never found it but youcan! It’s called grow every day.Make sure you have a plan to doso. No excuses.

60 yards to go: In the salesbusiness it is easy to get wrappedup in “stuff” while the main goalgets lost in the shuffle. Considerif you were the quarterback for afootball team and you were trot-ting out on the field with yourteammates and it was the firstdown. Here’s what you would bethinking:

1. My main job is to get the ballover the goal line, which is cur-rently 60 yards away.

2. I can see the goal line fromhere and I know there is going to

be some opposition but it can bedone.

3. In order for me to get there Ihave to maintain control of whatwe are doing and move the ball for-ward 10 yards at a time.

4. The best part is I don’t haveto do it all at once. I can movetowards the goal line gradually.

5. For now, all I have to decideis: What play am I going to callnext? Do we run the ball “off tack-le” or do we do an “end around” ordo I “throw a pass”?

6. For now, all I have to do iskeep the goal line in sight and keepmoving the ball forward, one playat a time.

The business of selling is exact-ly the same as the process describedabove. Here is how it plays out:

1. Decide on your ultimate goalfor the next few months.

2. Post this goal on the wall andkeep it in sight at all times.

3. Keep moving the ball for-ward.

4. You don’t have to get to thegoal line in one play... be patientand keep doing the right things

over and over. You will get there!5. Critical point: You don’t

have to know what play you aregoing to call every step of the way.You just need to know what playyou’re going to call next.

Have faith in your ability toget to the goal line. Things willbecome clear as you move downthe field. Don’t expect to have allthe answers before you get started.You don’t need that right now.

The quarterbacks who fail arethose who try and throw the “longbomb” and hope for the best.They want everything to fall intoplace without doing the hardwork. Make sure you are one ofthose quarterbacks who followsthe process to the goal line bymarching down the field slowlybut surely... doing all the rightthings over and over. This wayyou will score every time. Noexcuses.

Bruce Keith, the “Results Coach”has over 23 years of experience. He isa sales and marketing coach and sem-inar leader in the real estate business,teaching what to say and how to sayit. He says, “Success is possible; thereare no excuses.”www.brucekeithre-sults.com REM

S

The fountain of youth

To learn more about Royal LePage Events,visit www.royallepageevents.ca

Thank you to our 2012 National Sales Conference attendees. You made it our most successful event ever!

Our keynote speakers shared inspirational insights, includingPhil Soper’s refl ections on his decade with the company and pledge to harness the collective power of Royal LePagers from coast to coast “to build on a wave of confi dence as we embark on our 100th year.”

The more than 60 breakout sessions and trade fair, provided the latest industry insights, tools and resources to help our REALTORS® grow their businesses.

Canadian comedienne Jessica Holmes brought down the house with memorable impersonations and a hilarious duet with President and CEO, Phil Soper

Setting a new record for any Royal LePage conference, raising more than $100,000 for theRoyal LePage Shelter Foundation.

Themed networking events, included the “Through the Decades” party, “100th Birthday Party,” and “Royal LePage Rocks” provided opportunities to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.


By Lloyd R. Manning

f you are buying into thereal estate brokerage thatemploys you and in effect

forming a partnership of somesort, many questions must beanswered. Consider the ramifica-tions of acquiring a partial interestonly, which could be either amajority or minority ownershipposition.

A majority interest is theholding of 50 per cent plus one ofall issued shares of an incorporat-ed company. A minority is lessthan this. At law, there is no suchthing as an equal interest. Ifexactly 50 per cent of the issuedshares are owned by any party, thisis a minority position.

In smaller companies such asmost real estate brokerages, con-trol is usually obtained by owningmore shares that anyone else or allother shareholders combined. Aminority interest holder may havea small voice, a growth invest-ment and perhaps a job withslightly more security than other-wise; but legally, little else. Theperson who holds the majorityinterest, special covenantsexcepted, controls the brokerage.With certain exceptions, thatindividual can make all of thedecisions and run the firm as hesees fit. Although there are somelegal protections in the day-to-dayoperation, minority shareholdersare at the mercy of the majorityshare-holder.

Although you may have beeninvolved in the brokerage forsome time, it is always wise tohave the financial statementsreviewed by an accountant who isnot connected with the broker-age. A common problem is thatinsiders allow sentimental attach-ment to hinder their good busi-ness judgement. An impartiallook-see will be well worth theexpense. This same professional

Buying a partial interest in abrokerageWhen buying a partial interest in a real estate brokerage you need to consider all ofyour options and select the one that works best.may be in a position to give you arundown on the value of the bro-kerage, from which the value of apartial interest can be calculated.If there is a professional practiceappraiser in your neighbourhood,this is the way to go. However, thesupply of professional practiceappraisers is limited.

An important factor is themarket into which the brokeragetrades, its growth potential andthe competition. Another consid-eration is the sales force, theirages, experience, abilities andlonger-term probability of theirremaining with the firm.

When selling partial interest,it must be to an employee of thebrokerage or, if to an outsider,only after obtaining the consentof all shareholders. These sales areusually the sale made at “fairvalue”. However, often there is amisunderstanding as to what theterm “fair value” means in prac-tice. A buyer would equate this as“fair market value”, which sug-gests the value of a minority posi-tion should be discounted. A sell-er would argue that a majorityinterest is entitled to a premium.Although several factors couldcombine to make the value of aminority interest less than its pro-portionate share of the total valueof the brokerage, a majority inter-est is seldom entitled to a bonus.

In this situation a “notionalmarket” must be inferred. Thisimplies an open market conditionwhen in fact no such market, asusually defined, actually exists.Valuation is always made on agoing concern basis, whichassumes continuance of the busi-ness, not a liquidation.

Subsequent to applying otherdiscounts, additional factors mustbe taken into account, particular-ly lack of liquidity or marketabili-ty for the partial interest. In prac-tice, a broker who wishes to sell apartial interest in his real estatebusiness will have difficulty with-

out reducing the pro-rata salesprice.

When valuing, much dependson what comes with the package.If, for example, you buy the inter-est of the broker and assume hisposition; or alternately, purchasethe interest of someone’s spousewho is part owner in name only,all else being equal, it would seemthat the broker’s shares wouldhave more value. Yet, legally, theper share value of both party’sinterest is the same.

A normal discount wouldrange from a low of 20 to a highof 50 per cent. The selection ismore of a “shoot from the hip”than one based on market crite-ria. A general rule of thumb, andit is very general, is discount a50-per-cent interest by one-third, a 25-per-cent interest byone half and all others around orbetween these ranges. There areno strict rules or infallible guide-lines. Often a discount, if any, isarrived at by mutual agreementbetween the parties. Sometimesfor a minority position a dis-count of 50 per cent may beinsufficient and in another 20per cent may be too high. It allcomes down to what you antici-pate gaining and what the sellerwill settle for.

Consideration should be givento:

• The percentage of the bro-kerage being acquired. The valueof a minute percentage is alwaysgreatly reduced, particularly if it isof the employee stock ownership,non-voting class.

• The division between the insitu value of the capital assets andgoodwill.

• The financial condition andearning capacity of the brokerage.

• The history and reputationof the brokerage.

• Its dividend paying capacity.If you only get the same remuner-ation you got without ownership,why buy?

• Limitations created by thearticles of incorporation.

• The capabilities and contri-bution of those who hold theremaining interests, particularlythe majority shareholder.

The highest premium wouldbe for 51 per cent of the broker-age, as control would be obtainedfor a lower investment, the premi-um declining as ownershipincreases to 100 per cent.However, these are being steadilyreduced as the rights and benefitsaccorded to minority holders arebecoming better protected by lawand better understood by theirowners. The criterion in establish-ing the bonus is measured by thebenefit to be derived by theacquiring party. It must be onaccount of added value withstrong subjective motives. It is nota fact of the market.

With a buy-in, the usual pro-cedure is that the seller’s interest isacquired over an extended time

frame, usually not less than twoyears and seldom more than five.The purchase price is agreed towhen the buy-sell contract isentered into. The major differ-ence between this and traditionalseller financing is that the sellerremains active as a transitioningpartner until the full debt owing isretired. However, there is no typi-cal template to fit all situationsand as such a buy-in should benegotiated carefully.

The last word is that beforebuying a partial interest in a realestate brokerage you need to con-sider all of your options and selectthe one that works best.

Lloyd Manning, AACI, FRI,CCRA, PApp is a semi-retired com-mercial real estate and businessappraiser and broker who nowspends his time writing for profes-sional journals and trade magazines.He resides in Lloydminster, Alta.Email [email protected] REM

I

population to gain a foothold inreal estate,” he says. “NanaimoRealty, carrying the RoyalLePage banner, continues to pro-vide professional services to thefamilies of yesteryear (nowgrandchildren), and new resi-dents.” He says he and managingbroker Travis Carmichael“would like to thank all thosewho have helped us along theway.”

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Real EstateServices recently launched a newtraining initiative in each of its15 branches. The Listing Lab wasdesigned to provide agents withcompelling materials and strate-gies to help them win more list-ings, and to do so at the commis-sion they want to earn. “The

feedback from the brokerage’sagents was unprecedented,” saysHeidi Noel, area manager,Mississauga. “A follow-up clinicis in the works and eagerly antic-ipated.”

The lab was designed withDebra Harris, director of profes-sional development, and present-ed by Trish Manning, manager,Royal LePage on Yonge Street;Lynn Hoffmann, manager,downtown Oakville; KevinSomers, area manager, CentralToronto; and Noel.

■ ■ ■

Michael Appleton has beencontracted to teach his MastersProgram exclusively with RightAt Home Realty. He has notjoined the company in asalaried position. Incorrectinformation was provided toREM and appeared in theOctober issue. REM


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f you are a small businessowner and you are in yourearly 60s or older, have you

given any consideration to themanner in which you will dealwith the business when you wishto retire? This is a matter of greatimportance whether you intend tosell the business to family mem-bers, employees or a third party.You want to ensure that in order toobtain the greatest net after-taxdollars, the transaction is struc-tured in the most efficient taxmanner.

It is common for a family busi-ness to be transferred to the nextgeneration. This may arise if oneor more of the children are alreadyinvolved in the business and haveexpressed an interest to continue

Tax implications of disposing ofa business

By Martin Rumack

I

working in it. Or, it may arise ifone or more children are interest-ed in becoming involved in thebusiness after possibly doing some-thing else, or after obtaining expe-rience either with a competitor orin another type of business alto-gether. A question that sometimesarises is, what are you to do if notall of your children are involved inthe business, or even if they allwork in the business, but you areof the opinion that one is morecapable of carrying on and grow-ing the business than the others?How do you treat them equallyfrom an estate planning perspec-tive in order to avoid future ten-sions and issues between you andyour children and among the sib-lings?

If you are dealing with yourchildren as parties in the disposi-tion of the business, you have sev-eral options available to you.These include selling or givingyour shares to your children. You

may initially be inclined to giftyour shares to only those childrenwho are already involved in theoperation of the business equally;alternatively you may choose togift your shares (whether equallyor not) to all of your children,even those not involved in thebusiness. In my opinion, this is nota good idea and may result infuture family problems and issues. Ihave seen this result too often!

Finally, the gifting option isonly feasible if you will not requirethe money you would receive froma sale of the company to a thirdparty.

The route of gifting or evenselling shares at a non-fair marketvalue will result in income taxissues that need to be carefullyconsidered in order to minimizethe income tax, which becomespayable as a result. Pursuant tothe income tax rules, CanadaRevenue Agency will take theposition that you gifted the shares

at a value equal to the fair marketvalue of the shares as of the dateof gifting. The gain, which isbased on the difference betweenthe cost of the shares and thedeemed fair market value, is sub-ject to tax on 50 per cent of thegain taxable at your own rate oftaxation in the year the shareswere gifted or were sold below fairmarket value.

If you sell the shares to yourchildren, as a good parent you willwant to give them a good deal onthe price. This well-intentionedgesture may result in a double-whammy of taxes under the provi-sions of the Income Tax Act: therules dictate that if you sell sharesto a related party you are treated ashaving received monies equal tothe fair market value of the shares,while the children will be treatedas having a cost base for the futuredetermination of any capital gains,based on the price actually paid bythem to you.

To paint a clearer picture, ifyour business is worth $4 millionbut you sell it to your children foronly $500,000 and they, at a futuredate, sell it for $6 million, they willpay tax on the $5.5 million capitalgain. Meanwhile, assuming yourcost in acquiring your share wasonly $1 because you started thebusiness, you would be paying taxon a deemed gain of $3,999,999.You and your children will ulti-mately both pay a major amountof income tax.

There are two methods thatcan be implemented to helpreduce, if not totally eliminate,income tax, or at least help deferthe payment of the tax owing.First, if you sell your shares to yourchildren and take back financing(a promissory note for the totalproceeds of sale payable over a 10-year term) you can defer the taxpayable, and have the tax payablestretched out over a 10-year periodbased on the provision of theIncome Tax Act permitting areserve for amounts not yet duefrom the proceeds of sale.

The other route that may assistyou in avoiding taxes completely,or in significantly reducing the taxpayable, would be to claim the$750,000 lifetime capital gains taxexemption. This exemption isavailable when the shares of anactive Canadian Small BusinessCorporation are sold; in otherwords, up to a maximum of$750,000 of the capital gainswould be exempt from taxespayable. This is also contingent onyou not having used up your$750,000 capital gain exemptionpreviously.

This type of planning mustinvolve both your accountant andyour lawyer. You should com-mence the process as early as pos-sible.

Toronto lawyer Martin Rumack’spractice areas include real estate law,corporate and commercial law, wills,estates, powers of attorney, familylaw and civil litigation. He is co-author of Legal Responsibilities of RealEstate Agents, 3rd Edition, availableat www.lexisnexis.ca/bookstore. VisitMartin Rumack’s website atwww.martinrumack.com. REM

On the streets of Montreal or by the water in Vancouver – the ICX.ca app keeps Canada’s commercial listings in the palm of your hand.

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Industrial,Commercial& Investment

Industrial,Commercial& Investment

DTZ appoints newCanadian president

DTZ recently announced theappointment of Colin Ross as pres-ident of Canadian brokerage oper-ations.

In his newly expanded role,Ross will assume responsibility fordeveloping and implementingDTZ’s growth strategy for theCanadian transaction and advisoryskill lines, with a focus on expand-ing business relationships with cor-porate occupiers, owners/ develop-ers and government/public sectorclients, the company says.

Ross originally joined DTZ(then known as JJ Barnicke Ltd) in1986 as a Toronto leasing transac-tion specialist and then returned tothe firm in 2007 as the brokerageleader for the firm’s downtownToronto brokerage operations.

UGL Services and DTZ(including the DTZ Barnicke subbrand) were recently rebranded toDTZ, a UGL Company. DTZ has47,000 employees including sub-contractors, operating across 208offices in 52 countries.

Jones Lang LaSallenames VPs inVancouver, Montreal

As part of its continued expan-sion in the Vancouver commercialreal estate market, Jones LangLaSalle has hired Matthew Brownas vice-president of agency leasing.Brown comes to Vancouver fromJones Lang LaSalle’s Londonoffice, where he was directorresponsible for leasing commercialspace for many of the U.K.’s largestinstitutional landlords.

Brown will focus on the devel-opment of leasing strategies,branding and marketing of officespace, market positioning, identi-fying prospective tenants andnegotiating lease terms, the com-pany says. For owners that requiremore extensive services, Brownwill advise on the development ofoffice space, realignment strategies

and leasing campaigns, it says.The company has also appoint-

ed Jean-Philippe Daunais as vice-president in the firm’s industrialbrokerage team and agency direc-tor for the Montreal office.Daunais will specialize in advisingtenants, landlords and investors ontheir industrial real estate inMontreal and the surroundingregion. Prior to joining Jones LangLaSalle, he was a chartered realestate broker at DTZ Barnicke.

Moscow is Europe’sskyscraper capital

Five out of the 10 tallest sky-scrapers in Europe are in Moscow,including the tallest building inEurope, called Mercury City.According to Emporis, a buildingdatabase, Moscow is also theEuropean city with the most sky-scrapers. Altogether, Moscowcounts 87 buildings that are at least100 meters high or have more than40 floors. More than two-thirds ofthem are not older than nine years.

Even the London-based sky-scraper The Shard, inaugurated inJuly and celebrated as Europe’stallest building with a height of310 meters, has been overshad-owed by Mercury City. After itscompletion, Mercury City will benearly 29 meters taller than itscompetitor in London, saysEmporis.

Matthew Keutenius, data ana-lyst at Emporis, says: “ManyRussian and foreign investors focuson prestigious building projects,such as are being built in the newurban district Moscow City, whereMercury City is located.” He saysthere are fewer building regulationsin Moscow than in other Europeancities.

Besides The Shard, onlySapphire Tower in Istanbul comesclose to the Russian skyscrapers.The tower, designed byTabanlioglu Architects, is 261meters tall – only three metersshorter than Triumph-Palace inMoscow.

Compared to internationalhigh-rise architecture, theEuropean skyscrapers are rathersmall. Even though the threetallest European buildings all hitthe 300-meters mark, the BurjKhalifa, the world’s tallest sky-scraper with a height of 828meters, is 2 1/2 times taller thanMercury City will be after comple-tion. The Torre de Cristal, whichholds the 10th place on the Europelist, only reaches one-third of BurjKhalifa’s height.

Toronto building getsLEED platinum certification

Telus House Toronto at 25York St. in downtown Toronto hasachieved LEED Canada PlatinumCertification for ExistingBuildings: Operations andMaintenance.

The development teamincludes managing partner MenkesDevelopments, Alcion Venturesand HOOPP Realty. AdamsonAssociates Architects andSweeney Sterling Finlay & Co. arethe architects.

Completed in October 2009,25 York St. includes such featuresas raised floor cold air delivery,deep water cooling, built-in blindsand perimeter radiant panels, all ofwhich help reduce green houseemissions, minimize operatingexpenses and provide year-roundcomfort for tenants, their employ-ees and visitors to the building.

The 781,236-sq.-ft. buildingincludes 29 floors of commercialspace topped with two mechanicalfloors on the roof and three floorsof underground parking.

Platinum is the highest level ofcertification awarded by LEED(Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design), an inter-national third-party certificationprogram.

Michael Davidsonmoves

Commercial sales rep MichaelDavidson has moved to Re/MaxWest in Toronto after five yearswith Re/Max CommercialAdvisors. He is a retail leasingexpert and does urban streetfrontinvestment property sales in thedowntown core. Davidson was alsoappointed to the Toronto RealEstate Board’s CommercialDivision Council. REM

Colin Ross Matthew Brown

Jean-Philippe Daunais Michael Davidson

25 York St. in Toronto

Mercury City in Moscow(Copyright: Liedel

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teve Jobs, one of the great-est minds, greatest sales-man and possibly worst

people recently left this world. Heleft behind a legacy that will behard to duplicate. But he also leftbehind some very good lessons forus. If we want to look at them andinstil them into our own business-es we can see incredible results.But what can a real estate sales-person learn from the CEO of amulti-billion dollar computercompany?

I think there are three lessonsthat everyone could learn andimplement, and see tangibleresults in a short period of time.

1. Earth stopping showman-ship – If nothing else Steve Jobs,was a showman. He understoodthe importance of being a spec-tacle. Apple became a worldwidephenomenon in 1984. It was acommercial that did it, not thecomputers or the innovationsbut a lone Super Bowl ad thathad amazing imagery and shock-ingly long staying power. The ad

What real estate salespeople canlearn from Steve Jobs

By Andy Herrington

S

really needs no introduction andif you don’t know what I am talk-ing about, go to Google and typeApple 1984 and you will find thevideo. It won many honours inthe advertising world. It got acontinent talking about Apple,and it was only telecast once.

Jobs then followed that upwith an amazing stage presenta-tion of the product and followedthat up with another great adcampaign, “Think Different”.While the lessons of 1984 andthe Macintosh unveiling areimportant, it is the campaign“Think Different” that I thinkRealtors need to pay most atten-tion to.

Real estate agents over theyears have fallen in a trap. Hardlyany stand out from the crowd.This is where you can find anadvantage. Think different thanyour competition; figure out howyou can be seen as different,because only then can you everbe seen as better. Then continuethe path and provide differentand better service and results. Ifyou are different you will betalked about and your reputationwill grow.

2. Fanatical attention todetail – Apple is known the worldover for its sleek and stylish

design. It is known for havingamazing innovations that no oneelse could think of. It is knownfor taking care of the little things,the details.

Real estate salespeople shouldbe no different. Ensure that thedetails are covered, the smallestones to the biggest ones. Don’thave spelling mistakes, or an offerthat has no flow to it. Have asocial media presence, and aPowerPoint presentation. Showyour clients that you are a profes-sional and that you take everyaspect of your job seriously.

They will feel better, safer andless stressed throughout theprocess, and remember that afterall is said and done, your clientsdo not remember the words thatyou say, they do not rememberthe things that you do or the adsthat you wrote, but they willremember how you made themfeel. Attention to detail is thesingle best way to make a hugelypositive impression on people,and if you make a positive impres-sion you will be talked about andyour reputation will grow.

3. Laser-like focus – Jobstook this lesson to another level,and frankly went too far, ostraciz-ing most of the people in his life.But there is still a huge lesson to

learn. Jobs took Apple down apath of focus. The companywanted to make the premier com-puter in the world. It would havefour products (in the beginning)of home and professional-stylelaptops and desktops. It wouldcontrol everything and be focusedon innovation and fine details,

making the experience the bestfor the end user.

Everything it did as the com-pany grew continued to havethis laser-like focus. It focused ononly a few products at a time,improving and perfecting themall. It didn’t worry about makinga zillion different varieties ofeach computer, but one or two.It targeted and captured the top10 per cent of the computer mar-ketplace, the people who werewilling to pay more for betterequipment, and it focused onthem. This focus slowly madethe Apple a mainstream productknown for its innovation andsuperior function. It can sell theproduct for more money andhave ridiculous loyalty from itsfocus group.

Realtors can do the same.Focus your attention on the peo-ple you want to work with – stoptrying to please everyone and doeverything. Focus on improvingone aspect of your business at atime and try to capture a specificaudience with your unique sellingproposition. Focus on small incre-mental changes over a period of

time, rather than looking forunimaginable results by tomorrow.

We tend to jump at every-thing we see and don’t give any-thing the focus it deserves. Thisleads to a jumbled mess andthings start to fall through thecracks.

Focus your efforts and soon

enough you will be known forthat focus. You will be able toprovide service to that focusgroup that no one else can match.You will be seen as providing aservice beyond what your compe-tition does. If you are known forservice beyond your competition,you will be talked about and yourreputation will grow.

If we look at Apple computersand Jobs we see an outline forsuccess. It wasn’t simply the inno-vations and well-built computers,but the philosophies behind thecompany that made it the successit is today. What are the philoso-phies behind your business? Canyou find the focus, the attentionto detail and the showmanship inyour business?

Andy Herrington is a real estatesalesperson who was a member ofsome amazing top producing teamsprior to becoming a real estate coachand inspirational speaker. His mainmessage is for all Realtors to have“belief in the message” and to createa higher standard of professionalismfor our amazing profession.www.andyherrington.com REM

Real estate agents over the years have fallen in atrap. Hardly any stand out from the crowd.

This is where you can find an advantage.

ou can show your clientsyou really care by givingthem a closing gift that

might save their lives. A SimpleGuide to Home Fire Safety, a DVDcreated by 27-year Ottawa FireServices veteran Capt. DalyMcLaughlin, offers fire safety sce-narios presented in an easy-to-understand format ideal for thewhole family.

McLaughlin created the DVDbased on his experiences as a firefighter. He says he has seen terriblethings over the years that couldhave been prevented by takingsimple measures, he says.

The DVD is divided into seg-ments and doesn’t take long towatch. But the time will be wellspent.

The one to three-minute sege-ments are:

1. Children’s fire safety. “It’s notthere to scare children. Kids haveto know about fire safety,” he says

2. Survival tips in event ofhome fire

3. How to prepare a homeescape plan

4. General home fire preven-tion tips including for the kitchen,fireplace and furnace

5. How to buy, operate and


Y

Daly McLaughlin

Fire safety DVD a greatclient gift

maintain smoke detectors6. Fire safety in condos7. Christmas fire safety8. How to use a fire extinguisher9. When to use a fire extinguish-

erThe big tip for all: Smoke

detectors are the most importantline of defence. “A smoke detectorgives you a heads up (so you can)get out,” Capt. McLaughlin says.

Most of the information on theDVD can be found scattered onthe Internet, but McLaughlinwanted to offer home and condoowners a convenient and time-sav-ing tool that would make fire safe-ty hard to ignore.

“Fire Safety Week in Octoberbrings fire safety to the forefront fora week, then it’s forgotten,”McLaughlin says. He hopes hisDVD will help keep the topic topof mind throughout the year andhe hopes Realtors can help himspread the fire safety word.

He says a Realtor he knowsgives gift baskets containing fireextinguishers, smoke alarms,escape ladders and his A SimpleGuide to Home Fire Safety DVDs. Infact, he came up with the idea forthe DVD after his real estate agentaunt inquired about fire safety

DVDs for her clients.The DVD was filmed at

McLaughlin’s house, with his 17-year-old son, Cody, recruited as anactor. Some footage, all shot specif-ically for the video, was filmed pro-fessionally and some is home videofootage.

McLaughlin, who has beenteaching fire extinguisher andcommercial high-rise fire safetytraining for years, did the voice-overs. He used professionals to pro-duce the DVD, design its coverand create his website, www.the-fireman.ca.

The DVD sells for $9.95. Avolume discount is available toagents. Visit the website for moreinformation, or email [email protected] for details. REM

Parking is pricey in Canadian citiesanadian drivers should notexpect relief any time soonwhen pulling into a park-

ing lot in major cities across thecountry, as parking rates continuedto climb this year according toColliers International’s 12thAnnual Parking Survey. The aver-age median rate for a monthly unre-served parking spot grew by 2.7 percent over the past year, now at$241.72, compared to $235.33 theyear prior.

Calgary maintains its title asCanada’s priciest city to park withan average median parking rate ofUS$439.93, second only to NewYork (US$562 Midtown, US$533downtown) and higher than otherlarge North American cities such asBoston (US$405) and SanFrancisco (US$375). However, therate increase in Calgary this yearwas somewhat moderate at only

two per cent, below the nationalaverage.

While Calgary experienced amoderate parking rate increase, dri-vers in Montreal ($330.96), Regina($182.50) and Edmonton ($295)saw their parking fares spike by 11.7per cent, 8.3 per cent and 7.3 percent, respectively, compared to2011. On the other end,Torontonians ($316.40) andVancouverites ($277.82) felt somerelief as the average median parkingrates in these cities decreased fromlast year by 4.8 per cent and 3.5 percent, respectively.

“Improving economic condi-tions, a strong office market andlimited future supply of new park-ing spots are all contributing to thecontinued increase of parking ratesin all categories and across thecountry,” says Ian MacCulloch,national research director with

Colliers International in Canada.“Currently, only Calgary, Ottawa,Saskatoon, Waterloo Region andWinnipeg are expecting to add newparking spots over the next yearand in limited numbers. This short-age of new supply will continue toput upward pressure on parkingrates.”

Canada monthly unreservedparking rates by city (in Canadiandollars):

1. Calgary $456.752. Montreal $330.963. Toronto $316.404. Edmonton $2955. Vancouver $277.826. Ottawa $2257. Victoria $184.808. Regina $182.50Canada national average $241.72

REM

C

George Heos, Senior Vice President, NetworkDevelopment is pleased to announce thateffective October 5, 2012 Vince Tersigni, broker/owner of Prudential Elite Realty hasjoined the Royal LePage franchise network.Vince’s company will now operate under thename Royal LePage Elite Realty.

Vince became a licensed REALTOR® in 1971and obtained his broker’s license in 1976.In 1989, he purchased Countrywide RealtyInc. with Grenville Wharram. In 1998, theyconverted their brokerage to Prudential Elite.Together, Vince and Grenville have more than70 years of real estate experience, coveringall facets of the industry – from residential,land, industrial, commercial and investments.

Vince is proud of his 38 years in real estate andto operate a traditional, successful brokeragewith his REALTORS®. A supporter of organizedreal estate, he has served on the Toronto RealEstate Board (TREB) on various committees.Both Vince and Grenville believe in giving backto the community and have been involved insponsoring local teams, a charity golf

tournament for handicapped children and raising money for the Ronald McDonald House.

More than 30 sales representatives and support staff work for the brokerage, and plans are underway to recruit even more sales people as a result of joining Royal LePage. They service Mississauga,Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Vaughan and King Township, Milton and Georgetown.

Vince, Grenville and their team can bereached at:5090 Explorer Drive #100Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4T9Phone: 905-629-1515 • Fax: [email protected]

Please join us in congratulating Vince, Grenville and the team at Royal LePage Elite Realty.

For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call:(416) 510-5827 or email [email protected]

Royal LePage Elite RealtyMississauga, Ontario

Vince Tersigni

GrenvilleWharram

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

†

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

George Heos, Senior Vice President,Network Development is pleased to

announce that effective October 1, 2012,

Shelley Porritt, broker/owner of Porritt RealEstate Inc., has joined the Royal LePagefranchise network. Shelley’s company

will now operate under the name of

Royal LePage Porritt Real Estate.

Shelley represents the third generation ofa family-owned business, which has

operated since 1955. She received herreal estate license in 1997 and went on to

obtain her broker’s license in 2001. Shelleyis the broker of record in the office she

owns with her parents, Carl and Liz Porritt.

Shelley is currently on the Toronto Real

Estate Board (TREB) Board of Directorsand is co-chair of the TREB Government

Relations Committee. She also runs an

organization that distributes gift baskets towomen in shelters throughout the Toronto

area during the holiday season.

Shelley looks forward to future growth

and expansion of her company with theRoyal LePage brand behind her. Her office services the areas of Toronto,

Etobicoke and Mississauga.

Shelley and her team can be reached at:

3385 Lakeshore Blvd. W.

Toronto, Ontario

M8W 1N2Phone: 416-259-9639Fax: 416-253-5445

[email protected]

Please join us in congratulating Shelley

and wishing everyone at Royal LePagePorritt Real Estate continued success.

For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call:

(416) 510-5827 or email:[email protected]

Royal LePage Porritt Real EstateToronto, Ontario

†

Shelley Porritt

TM

Join Us Today!

®

REB, the Calgary RealEstate Board, says itapplauds Alberta on its

intention to legislate expandednew home warranty protection.The new regulations will also helpprotect resale buyers and sellers ofproperties covered by the warran-ty, CREB says.

“New buyer protection is sucha contentious issue in our commu-nities, especially considering therecent problems with some condosthat have been identified aroundthe city, and it’s good to see theprovince is finally responding tothe need,” says CREB presidentBob Jablonski. “Buyers and sellerscan have greater confidence that astructure is sound.” But it says anumber of questions about theprogram remain to be answered.

CREB and its provincial part-ner, the Alberta Real EstateAssociation (AREA), are alsocalling on the province to adoptair quality standards for propertiesof all kinds and to complete thereview of the CondominiumProperty Act it began three yearsago.

This reminder comes in thewake of recent media coverage onreported leaky condos in the


C

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Calgary area. According to thosemedia reports, some condo ownersare facing thousands of dollars inrepair bills.

Without a provincial air quali-ty standard, there is no way ofknowing whether the air withinthe property has been adequatelyremediated for such problems asleaky building envelopes, illegalgrow-op activities or high levels ofcontinued humidity that producemould, says CREB. Without thesestandards consumers may be atrisk.

“Over the years, this hasbecome a problem area for con-sumers as safety codes and munic-ipal inspections have been out-sourced and downgraded,” saysJablonski. “Building envelopesseem to have fallen off the radarand have not been attributed toany particular inspection authoritythat we are aware of, and that is aproblem.”

■ ■ ■

For the fifth year in a row, theRealtors of the Greater Monctonarea held their Annual RealtorsCare Golf Tournament in sup-port of the Breakfast forLearning program in the region,

raising more than $11,000.“Although the weather was a

little torrential we had a greatturnout of 25 teams. One of thehighlights of our event was theauctioning off of an official WayneGretzky signed Oilers jersey thatwent for $800,” says PeterDickson, president of the GreaterMoncton Realtors du GrandMoncton.

Breakfast for Learning is theleading national non-profit orga-nization solely dedicated to childnutrition programs in Canada. “Itis very important that we recog-nize the support our members andthe community give our RealtorsCare initiatives. Without them wewould never achieve this level ofsuccess. I also would like to recog-nize our dedicated volunteer basewho ensured our golf tournamentwas a big success once again thisyear,” says Dickson.

■ ■ ■

The Vancouver Island RealEstate Board’s parking lot was anexciting place Oct. 1 as the entireCops for Cancer Tour de Rockcavalcade stopped off for a restbreak and to pick up a $4,000cheque for children’s cancerresearch. VIREB president GuyBezeau and past-president JimStewart made the official presen-tation to Tour de Rock memberChris Fernades. The money wasraised through personal donationsand by a donation approved by theVIREB Board of Directors.

The Tour de Rock is a 1,000-km fund-raising event featuringprimarily police officers, the media

and other members of law enforce-ment. It is one of four similarevents organized by law enforce-ment officials across the provinceeach year. Since its inception in1998 the Tour de Rock has raisednearly $17 million for theCanadian Cancer Society and it isone of the main fundraisers for thesociety in B.C.

■ ■ ■

Brian Walker, 2007 OREA

president and current CREAdirector, is hosting “Jam with aPast-President” at the CourtyardMarriott Hotel in Toronto onNov. 20. It is geared to attract the“built-in” Realtor audience whowill be staying at the hotel forOREA’s political action days.

Last October Walker hostedthe sixth annual Realtors CareFoundation “Jam with a Past-President” at the El Mocambo indowntown Toronto, which more

The Barrie & District Association of Realtors held its 9th AnnualCharity Golf Tournament recently. The golfers enjoyed a beautifulday of golfing and raised $2,860 in support of Samaritan HouseCommunity Ministries. From left: Dave Thomson, committee mem-ber; Bonnie Seymour, staff liaison; Kerry Ploughman, executive direc-tor, Samaritan House Community Ministries; Walter Doret, boardpresident; and David Burgess, chairperson, committee member.

Pat Maloney, Marlo Nickerson, Brian Lekas and Brian Richford fromRe/Max Quality Real Estate take part in the Realtors Care GolfTournament in Moncton.

The Tour de Rock collected a $4,000 donation at the VancouverIsland Real Estate Board.

REM NOVEMBER 2012 37

than 100 Realtors attended to seemore than 20 musicians displaytheir musical talents.

Walker is currently looking forfive sponsors for the event, to con-tribute $1,000 each. For informa-tion, contact Walker at [email protected] or StephanieO’Brien at the foundation.

� � �

The Nova Scotia Associationof Realtors (NSAR) raised$16,169 for Feed Nova Scotiathrough the Realtors Miles forMeals campaign. This province-wide effort united Realtors in aneffort to raise funds and awarenessfor its 2012 Charity of Choice aspart of the national campaign,Realtors Care.

Since every dollar donatedallows Feed Nova Scotia to dis-tribute $14 worth of food, thecampaign makes a big difference.

“The overwhelming worry thatcomes with staring into an emptycupboard or fridge and knowingthere won’t be any money for gro-ceries for three more days is some-thing no one should have toendure. Unfortunately, thousandsdo – in communities right acrossour province,” says DianneSwinemar, executive director ofFeed Nova Scotia.

The highlight of the campaignwas a two-week journey spear-headed by NSAR’s executive offi-cer, Roger Boutilier, who cycledfrom Sydney, N.S. to Yarmouth.He was joined by memberRealtors; some cycled with himand others organized fundraisingevents along the route or madedonations.

Boutilier cycled 731 km, thefirst time he has cycled such a longdistance.

� � �

Sir William Stephenson hasbeen selected as Winnipeg’s 2012Citizens Hall of Fame Inductee.

He was born in 1897 inWinnipeg as William SamuelClouston Stanger. Enlisted inWinnipeg’s 101st Battalion in theFirst World War, he transferred tothe Royal Flying Corps in 1917and was credited with downing atleast 16 enemy aircraft, earninghim the Military Cross. Betweenwars he patented wireless photog-raphy and became a wealthyindustrialist in Britain. His travelsthrough his high-level businessdealings in Europe gave him greatinsights and connections into

what was happening in Germanyand his own intelligence fromthese gatherings was communicat-ed often to British authorities andhis friend Winston Churchill.

Upon outbreak of the SecondWorld War, Churchill invitedStephenson to be his personalemissary to President Franklin D.Roosevelt. It became Stephenson’stask to garner favour from FDR toaccess the industrial might of theUnited States and sway publicopinion to join the allied wareffort. He ran a covert intelligenceoperation in New York City, a yearprior to the U.S. entering the war.His mission was to create a secretBritish intelligence networkthroughout the WesternHemisphere and operate it verybroadly on behalf of the Britishgovernment and the Allies in aidof winning the war.

Stephenson ended up oversee-ing a vast intelligence networkthat deciphered the GermanEnigma code, an accomplishmentsaid by historians to have helpedend the war earlier and savecountless more lives. He set upwhat is said to be the first trainingschool for wartime operations inNorth America. Around 2,000British, Canadian and Americancovert operators were trained inWhitby, Ont. from 1941 to 1945.

Ian Fleming, the author of theJames Bond books, was a graduateof one of his training schools inEurope and it is said Stephensonwas an inspiration to his spy nov-els. By the end of the war,Stephenson, who acquired thecode name Intrepid, was consid-ered the single most powerfulintelligence operative in theWestern Hemisphere.

Although Stephenson onlycame back to Manitoba once afterthe war, he was appointed chair-man of the Manitoba EconomicAdvisory Board in 1959 and kepthis connections with his homeprovince for many years to come.He endowed a major scholarshipat the University of Winnipeg.

Established in 1986 byWinnipegRealtors, the CitizensHall of Fame is a program honour-ing outstanding citizens whobrought recognition to the city orhave made outstanding contribu-tions to Winnipeg ’s quality of life.Each inductee has a likenesssculpted and prominently dis-played at the Citizens Hall ofFame site in Assiniboine Park.

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id you know that nearly60 per cent of Canadiansuse a forced-air furnace to

heat their homes, while 30 percent use electric heat sources?According to Statistics Canada,natural gas and electricity were themost common types of energy usedin 2007, accounting for 80 per centof all energy consumed byCanadian households. But thereare more eco-friendly ways to heatyour home this winter.

Pellet stoves are the new dar-lings of eco home heating. Theyare inexpensive to install as manydon’t require ventilation, so there’s


D

GREEN REAL ESTATE

By Elden Freeman

Eco home heatingno need for a chimney. They burnlittle compressed wood pellets thatare cheaper to buy than firewoodor even electricity, and best of all,they are a resource that can berenewed easily. Some burn corn ornut shells as well. Pellet stoves dorequire electricity, to keep the fanmotor running. But that cost issmall compared to other forms ofelectric heat.

Eco fireplaces might just soundtoo good to be true. Not only dothey burn a clean and renewableresource known as liquid bio-ethanol, but they’re easy to installand look quite stylish. The heat isefficient because the fireplaces areflue-less so all of the heat stays inthe room. They come in a varietyof styles, including fireplace insertsthat you place in your traditionalfireplace, and modern-looking,portable pieces of “fire” furniture.Here’s the catch: while these ecofireplaces are good for room or spotheating, they can’t replace thekind of whole home heating youget from a furnace.

Geothermal energy or ground-source heat pumps capitalize onthe constant temperature of theground or of a nearby water sourcesuch as a pond or lake. Geothermalsystems work with a heat pumpunit that’s connected to a loop ofpiping buried at a depth of six feetor more. Water and antifreeze cir-culating through the pipingabsorbs the heat from the groundand takes it back into the house.The opposite occurs in summerwhen the system draws on theearth’s lower temperatures to cool ahouse. A heat exchanger drawsenergy from the liquid in the pipesto either heat or cool the home.

Solar home heating is perhapsthe granddaddy of eco home heat-ing as its long history will attest.Passive solar technology relies onthe sun’s rays and doesn’t requiremechanical or electrical devices. Agood example of this is sunlightthat lights or warms a room.

Active solar technologyemploys pumps and fans to trans-fer the sun’s power to where it’sneeded. Solar photovoltaic (PV)systems consist of solar panelsthat convert sunlight into elec-tricity to power your home.While this does require an initialinvestment, there are a numberof programs that can help reducethe cost of the system.

Radiant heat is an interestingalternative to gas or electricityand it is also an ancient form ofheating. Using invisible electro-magnetic infrared waves, it does-n’t heat the air, it heats objectsthat come into contact with therays, like a bathroom floor. Onceit heats up, it radiates heat toother objects in the room. Otherexamples of radiant heating arefireplaces and fireplace inserts,wood stoves and portable elec-tric heaters.

The National Association ofGreen Agents and Brokers(NAGAB) provide a Greenbrokerand Greenagent certification programto Realtors across Canada. To getmore information or to sign up for acourse, visit www.nagab.org. EldenFreeman M.E.S., AGB, broker isthe founder and executive director ofthe non-profit organization. 1-877-524-9494 Email [email protected].

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By Ronn James

began selling in real estate in1982 when I was 21-years-oldand I already knew it all. My

only distractions were money, theopposite sex and not-so-occasionaladult recreational beverages. Therewere no computers. There was noInternet. Consequently there wasno Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,Pinterest or social games and therecertainly were no smartphones.When it came to selling real estateit was all about STP. I was given asticker for this well-known oilcompany from my broker. Ipromise to tell you the significanceat the end of this article.

Here’s what I learned:• Take a card and leave a card.

Build your database with friends,family, spheres of influences andother Realtors. They all help to sellyour listings and send you buyers.

• Return calls. It is rude toignore people. Even people youthink can do nothing for you.

• Carry a pen and somethingto write on. Always be ready totake a number down – it willalways lead somewhere. (Adjustaccordingly for the advent ofsmartphones!)

I

50 lessons my broker taught me• Always overdress. Someone

will always notice even when youdon’t think anyone’s watching.

• Wear a watch. Use it.• Make appointments. Keep

them. Showing up is half the bat-tle.

• Call if you’re going to be late.Yes, even 10 minutes. Aside fromcommon courtesy, this gives theother side a chance to reschedule ifthey haven’t left enough time foryou.

• Apologize. Ten minutes or 10years from now it may not matterto you, but it will to someone.

• Carry a hanky. You neverknow when you’ll need a tourni-quet or get invited to a Greek wed-ding.

• Know your limits. Too muchon your plate will make you lesseffective. Contrary to popularbelief, you can’t do it all.

• Don’t drink while you’reworking. Pick your moments andhave your time – on the job isn’tone of them.

• Listen to tapes. (Okay, MP3sor podcasts). Empty your walletinto your brain. Educate yourself.

• Read a book. There is alwaysa message for you in everything youread. It promotes thinking.

• Tune out. Know when to dis-engage. Fatigue doesn’t make youmore effective.

• Play against stronger players.You may lose, but you will gainincredible insight and skill.

• Practice often. Do whatyou do, before you have to do

it for money.• Follow up. Find out how your

sales call went. Pick up the phone.Accept criticism graciously.

• Get someone to teach youthe sales cycle. It’s real, it worksand it lets you know how close tothe sale you are.

• Picky people do buy. Theyjust need a good reason. Give themone.

• People who love everything,love nothing. If it seems to begoing too well to be true, it proba-bly is.

• Buyers are not really liars,they’re just still afraid to trust youwith the truth.

• G.T.M. Get the Money.Never date, befriend or marry theclient before they buy.

• Seventy-five per cent of yourrevenue is made by June 30th.Work accordingly.

• Never calculate your com-mission on the way to an offer.

• Don’t wing it. You are notthat good even when you thinkyou are. Practice your shtick. You’llactually believe it yourself one day.

• Always leave the other guycab fare. People respect a fair deal-er. Be one.

• Remember people’s names. Itis their favourite thing to hear.

• Go to company and industryevents.

• Always leave an empty seat.The person who finds it usuallyturns out to make your day.

• If you are not sure, shut up.The fastest way for someone to

know that you don’t know is whenyou speak.

• Introduce everyone in thecircle that gathers. New friends,old friends. It keeps the conversa-tion lively.

• Compliment people. Onanything and everything appro-priate.

• Always assume that you arecatching someone in the middle ofsomething. Give them an out.This courtesy will repay you.

• Ignore your smartphone. Theapp that slaps you every time youwatch your smartphone should beinstalled.

• Use language people know.Industry slang is inappropriate inmany situations, and it’s rude.

• Say thank you. And please.And all of the other manners peo-ple taught you.

• Let other people win everyonce in awhile. They’ll come backif they have a 50/50 chance.

• Smile. If required to do so,listen to something that makes youreally laugh before every appoint-ment.

• Take your shoes off. Everytime.

• Address all family members.This includes the kids, the dog andthe grandparents who don’t speakEnglish. They’ll notice.

• Know your audience. Amazepeople with the knowledge andrespect that you learned somethingabout them before you even met.

• Introduce your team. They’renot people who just work for you.Everyone plays a role.

• Be curious about the future.Invest yourself in understandingskills, tools and practices that canand will likely change your busi-ness.

• Find mentors. They come inevery age, size and gender. Learn to

spot them and learn from them.• Wash your car. Show some-

one you respect their business espe-cially, but not only, if they ridewith you.

• Be inspired. Inspire others.• Be humble.• Greed is good. Particularly

when it is about spending time

with people you love.• Share the wealth. You don’t

need it all, and sharing the loss aswell as the win is still a win.

• Know your strengths.Surround yourself with people whoare strong where you are weak.

• Know when it’s time to go.Making it uncomfortable willonly build resistance. Bow outgraciously.

So these are the 50 lessons thatI have spent 30 decades absorbing,learning from, remembering andhopefully employing in my day-to-day business. I am blessed andgrateful to have had a great manypeople show me how to be the bestI can be. Humbly, I am fortunate toshare the education I have withthe next generation of learnerswho wants it.

Earlier I promised to share themeaning of the red and silver ovalsticker. STP: See The People. Realestate is still about people needinghomes and those who help themdo this face to face.

With a track record that spans 27 years, Realtor Ronn James says his ambition is to educate the publicand Realtors alike. He has landedappearances on Breakfast Television,CityLine, Real Life and a host of radio shows. James has also been a regular contributor to New Homes and Condos For SaleMagazine, Toronto Sun andCanadian Homeplanner. Website:www.RealEstateCommissionMatters.ca, phone 289-242-9050. REM

embers of theAssociation of ReginaRealtors (ARR) voted

down a resolution to considerpulling out of CREA at the ARRAnnual Meeting in September.

The resolution, proposed bysales rep Stew Fettes, was notsupported by the ARR Board ofDirectors. It was defeated by ashow of hands.

In his presentation at themeeting, Fettes said CREA hadfailed its members by agreeing toco-operate with FINTRAC regu-lations, and by signing a consentagreement with the CompetitionBureau. He proposed that ARR

hold a secret ballot no later thanMay 1, 2013 “to decide onwhether we should withdrawfrom CREA in an orderly fashionand replace it with one dynamicassociation office inSaskatchewan to manage andinsure all members are protected,and that organized real estatecontinues to live on inSaskatchewan.”

After the meeting, Fettes toldREM: “Although the resolutionwas not passed today, it is veryevident that I have put a shotacross the bow of CREA, andthey had better start payingattention to their members.” He

says several people at the meet-ing came up to him after the pre-sentation to shake his hand.

Fettes says there is discontentwith CREA across the country.“We’ll see what happens as itspreads across the nation…Ithink the debate is just startingon this whole issue.”

Cliff Iverson, a CREA direc-tor and past-president of theAssociation of SaskatchewanRealtors, updated the meetingabout CREA’s Future Planningproposals, which will be formallypresented at a CREA meeting inWinnipeg in late October.

REM

ARR votes to stick with CREAM

Buyers are not really liars,they’re just still afraid totrust you with the truth.

Dan Steward, President & CEO Pillar To Post

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tradition of fundraisingin support of the RoyalLePage Shelter

Foundation was alive and well atthe company’s National SalesConference in Vancouver recent-ly. Royal LePage agents and bro-kers supported the foundationthrough a variety of events,


AGood WorksGood Works

including a silent auction, the“Grouse Grind 4 Shelter,” a golftournament, trolley rides, whiskytastings, a seaplane flight toWhistler, a poker tournament, atrivia contest and networking par-ties.

Volunteer auctioneer Kent

Michael Gouchie, broker at Royal LePageLifestyles in Lacombe, Alta., takes a faux fur coatfrom Hootie Johnston of Royal LePage Westside inVancouver as part of the auction held at the RoyalLePage National Sales Conference. The coat hasbeen auctioned off at every conference since 2008.Gouchie’s bid for the coat of $2,500 was matchedby another $2,500 from other bidders, helping tosend the total raised by this thrift store find to morethan $15,000 since it began making its rounds.

Jessica Prasad

At the Hot Dogs Under the Sutton Tent event, from left:Mike Murillo, Cary Ronspies, Harold Beaulieu and PhilHeninger.

Red Carpet Royal Realty in Toronto recently held a promotionaldraw to raise money for the SickKids Foundation. All prizes weredonated and a cheque for $1,000 was presented to the foundation.The lucky winners were clients of Nisanthan Nirthananthan, left,and Ranjan Francis, right, sales reps with Red Carpet Royal Realty.They are pictured with Joan Miller, office manager.

Right: Sutton Group - Showplace Realtyin Chilliwack, B.C. raised $1,600 for

Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Thirty people from Sutton Group - HeritageRealty in Oshawa, Ont. rode the Big Bike toraise more than $3,600.

Coast Realty has pledged $30,000 to Habitat for Humanity.

At the Royal LePage WolstencroftRealty office opening and chequepresentation, from left: ClaytonLindberg and Leo Ronse, co-own-ers of the brokerage; BridgetHoughton, general manager;Jamie Schreder, president; NancyBrewery of Ishtar TransitionalHousing Society; David Jarvis, co-owner of Royal LePageWolstencroft; and Phil Soper,president and CEO of RoyalLePage Canada.

From left: lawyer Yuri Tarnowecky; SuttonGroup - Masters Realty sales rep and eventorganizer Bob Steacy; Jeff Wilson ofMortgage Professionals; and Bill Steacy Jr.

Continued on page 43

REM NOVEMBER 2012 43

Browne, broker/owner of RoyalLePage Team Realty and RoyalLePage Gale Real Estate, workedhis magic at the Shelter LiveAuction lunch, where bidders con-tributed to a week of fundraisingthat set a new record: $100,000 wasraised in support of the founda-tion’s mission to help end familyviolence. Over the years, morethan $1 million has been raised atRoyal LePage conferences.

■ ■ ■

At the annual Whoop Up Daysparade in Lethbridge, Alta. thissummer, the team at Sutton Group- Lethbridge hosted the Hot DogsUnder the Sutton Tent event. Theteam offered food and refreshmentsto more than 250 people and raised$550 for Kidsport, an organizationthat offers assistance with sportsequipment costs and registrationfees so that all children have theopportunity to stay fit and havefun.

Trish Lyons, administrator atthe brokerage and the main orga-nizer, says, “This was a big under-taking, but almost all of the Sutton

Group - Lethbridge Realtors wereable to pitch in to help.”

■ ■ ■

Mobile community gardens arean innovative way to provide tem-porary garden plots to people whowish to grow their own food whilebeautifying neighbourhoods andproviding tax benefits to landown-ers. Jessica Prasad, a sales rep withSutton Group - West Coast Realtyin Coquitlam, B.C. sponsored anew mobile garden project inVancouver. The site had beenvacant since 1986 after a grocerystore was demolished.

“More than 60 volunteers cameout…to help set up the gardenboxes, shovel soil and engage withneighbours,” says Prasad. “Music,food and great weather created agreat community building event.The garden was created in just oneday.”

The initiative, called Can YouDig It, was made possible throughmany volunteer hours and partnersincluding Shifting Growth, a non-profit organization.

“Shifting Growth has a three-year land agreement with theowner to run the site at ClarkDrive and 12th Avenue as a com-

munity garden,” says Prasad. “For asmall commitment, the landlordwins, the street becomes morebeautiful and people have a chanceto flex their green thumbs. It willbe wonderful to see what grows outof this project – both in terms oflocal food and neighbourhoodinteraction.”

■ ■ ■

About a dozen Coast RealtyRealtors traded in their suits forworking clothes recently as theytook part in a Habitat forHumanity construction project inNanaimo, B.C. Coast Realty haspledged $30,000 over three years toHabitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island as the non-profitorganization builds a series of threeduplexes – created to provide lessfortunate families with new homesand a positive legacy for their lives.

The hands-on constructionblitz was a bonus “sweat-equity”investment in the project by theRealtors. Funding for the projectcame from Coast Realty’s Raise theRoof campaign, where nearly 100Coast Realty Realtors contributeon an ongoing basis to a charityfund set up specifically for the project.

■ ■ ■

The 4th Annual Hit ‘n GigglePutts Fore! Mutts GolfTournament was a resounding suc-cess for the players and organizerBob Steacy, a sales rep at SuttonGroup - Masters Realty inKingston, Ont., but especially forthe cats, dogs and other abandonedanimals at the Kingston HumaneSociety. The event raised $6,500,which will help provide animalswith adequate food, a warm placeto sleep and a chance for a betterlife. Last year, Putts Fore! Muttsraised $5,000 for the shelter andprior to that, proceeds benefitedthe Mission Food Bank ofKingston. The four-year fundrais-ing total is $19,500.

“The community participationat the tournament is always great tosee,” says Steacy. “This year, 124golfers teed up in a four-man scram-ble, which included local Realtors,lawyers and members of Kingston’sfinance community.”

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage WolstencroftRealty officially opened its newhome on Willowbrook Drive inLangley, B.C. on Sept. 14. As partof the celebration, $10,000 was

presented to Ishtar TransitionalHousing Society. The donationwas raised through a fundraisinggolf tournament and gala hosted insupport of the Royal LePageShelter Foundation.

■ ■ ■

Sutton Group - ShowplaceRealty in Chilliwack, B.C. raised$1,600 in the 4th Annual BigBrothers Big Sisters Bowl for KidsSake. With team names like theBowling Stones, Lane Rangers andThe Pinguins, “each team dressedup according to their team name,”says Rabia Shafi, the office admin-istrator. “It was a blast! We enjoy astrong family feel at our office.”

■ ■ ■

Sutton Group - Heritage Realtyin Oshawa, Ont. took part in theBig Bike event to raise money forthe Heart and Stroke Foundation.Thirty people from the office par-ticipated in the event and collect-ed donations totalling more than$3,600. Riding the oversized bicy-cle was fun and a great team-build-ing experience but one of the bestoutcomes was giving back to thecommunity, says office administra-tor Elaine Mayhew. REM

n 1975 Neil Sedaka wrote aboutthe end of romance – a songthat most Baby Boomers

remember well and could probablysing from memory....

“Don’t take your love away frommeDon’t you leave my heart in miseryIf you go then I’ll be blue‘Cause breaking up his hard to do”

(© EMI Music Publishing)According to Billboard Magazine

the song hit number one in 1976when the divorce rate was a fractionof what it is today.

Divorce will always be a part ofour society, caused by a variety ofcircumstances and cultural shifts.The current divorce rate in Canadais approximately 44 per cent – a ratethat has gone up over 1,200 percent in the past 50 years. It isexpected to increase in the nextdecade.

So what happens when theserelationships fail? The pressure is on

to equalize the couple’s assets (evenin the case of common-law mar-riage). This often includes preparingthe matrimonial home for a quicksale. Staging a home for this purposetakes great sensitivity and diploma-cy. It can be extremely stressful on allparties. One or both of the sellersmay be quite emotional, given thememories that linger. Sometimesthere are children in the home whoare watching this process unfold –struggling to understand.

When divorce or separation isthe motivating factor for listing ahouse for sale, there are a number ofthings to keep in mind.

First and foremost is sensitivity.A home that was once a place ofharmony may now be a place ofsome discomfort. The sale may ormay not be a mutual choice betweenthe joint owners – instead, it is beingsold out of necessity. There may stillbe emotional attachment to thehome so tact, respect and sensitivity

are all key factors.“Research has shown that

divorce and separation is one of themost powerful stresses of life, closelysimilar to the stress resulting fromthe death of a spouse,” says Kerry J.Mothersill, Ph.D.

I have experienced situationswhere one of the spouses has alreadymoved out and removed half of thefurnishings. The task of a good stagerin this situation is to work with theremaining contents and make thehouse appear full or to provide furni-ture and accessories that will makethe home feel complete again for thepurpose of showcasing it to potentialbuyers.

I have visited homes for a con-sultation that I could immediatelyidentify as a break-up situation.When you open a closet door andthere is only one gender of clothingpushed to one side, or when thelaundry room looks like a bombwent off – it’s obvious that, while it

appears to be a family home from theoutside, half of the partnership isgone and the party remaining is“toughing it out” and trying to keepthe house in shape.

For example, if the man remains,the house might lack a certain femi-nine scent and decorating touch.When a woman is holding the fort,the home is missing the expectedmasculinity – suits in the closet andshaving cream in the ensuite. I willsometimes add these elements tocreate a sort of “virtual person”, min-imizing any suspicion that a shift infamily dynamics has forced the saleof the home.

Providing a staging balance tothe home is necessary to reduce anyassumptions. If a potential buyerpicks up clues that the home “needsto be sold”, the door is open for alow-ball offer and for your sellers tobe taken advantage of. It’s myresponsibility – as a sales reps’s busi-ness partner – to assist in protecting

your client’s investment.It is inevitable in our society that

relationships will fail. However, cou-ples who have invested together inproperty deserve the best effort fromreal estate professionals (includingyour staging partner) in order tomaximize the return on their invest-ment and to help them bring closureto what is a stressful chapter in theirlives.

Susanne Morrow is the owner andcreative eye behind Stiletto Staging, aprofessional home staging companyserving the Burlington, Oakville,Milton, Mississauga and Hamiltonareas. As a former real estate sales rep,she understands the challenges thatRealtors face when convincing home-owners that they can successfully selltheir home. She offers a partnershipapproach that demonstrates an intelli-gent home marketing strategy.www.stilettostaging.com. [email protected]. REM

Staging a home after a marriage breakupBreaking up is hard to do… By Suzanne Morrow

I

Good WorksContinued from page 42

here are two steps toresearching your advertis-ing to guarantee its effec-

tiveness.First, test your ads before they

appear in any media. Professionaladvertising agencies pre-test theiradvertising campaigns to see iftheir message is right for their tar-get market.

As a professional Realtor whoshould know how to advertisesomeone’s property effectively,you can (and should) do thesame.

An ad is broken into sevenbasic elements and they all need


TBy Ian Grace

Research your advertising toensure it worksBonus tip no. 11 of the top 10 tips for writing great real estate adsto flow together properly:

1. Photo – matching theheadline – not the other wayaround.

2. Headline – Offering a ben-efit or implied benefit; new/newsor topical; curiosity that is rele-vant, not just a gimmick for gim-mick’s sake.

3. Qualifying copy – Quicklyconfirming the promise in theheadline.

4. Body copy – Where youwalk the reader through allaspects of “living there” in thatproperty and area.

5. Reinforcing copy – If aneffective headline has attractedthe reader, it makes sense at theend to remind them about whatattracted them initially.

6. Action copy – Pretty

straightforward but not alwaysdone properly – your full name(with the word “me” in front ofit), plus all contact details andopen house directions if neces-sary.

7. White space – An ad needsto “breathe” and should be easy toread, not crammed to capacity asI often see, sometimes with flash-es and strips and starbursts, wherethe eye doesn’t know where tolook first and read in a logicalsequence.

Once you have put youradvertising campaign together,give it to one or more of your col-leagues, with a checklist, so theycan objectively tell you if theytotally understand what you aretrying to impart. If not, don’t tryto convince them – you don’t

have that luxury with somebodyout there in the marketplacereading your advertising. Thiswill stop mistakes and wronglytargeted ads before they happen.Powerful stuff – now you shouldbe on track.

The second step to guarantee-ing your ad’s effectiveness is toresearch potential buyers whorespond. This stage can accom-plish a lot more for you, than justseeing if your advertising is effec-tive. Potential buyers are oftendefensive and now is a perfecttime for you to become theRealtor they remember after theyhave viewed the properties onshow at weekend open houses.See if the following suggested dia-logue works for you:

Greeting upon arrival at openhouse and exchange of names,establishing they have come as aresult of your ad, perhaps askingwhere they saw it.

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I won-der if I could ask for yourhelp/advice/opinion.” (Peoplelove helping, giving advice andsharing opinions. Now you havearoused their curiosity.)

“You see, with my advertising,my aim is to give the most honestand truthful depiction of whatthe property has to offer and whatliving here in this house and thisarea will be like. To confirm I amon the right track with my adver-tising, after you have had a goodlook through the property andasked me any questions you mayhave, it would really help me toknow if this property has matchedyour expectations from the adver-tising you saw.”

This will give you fabulousfeedback, to see if your advertis-ing message is on track or hasgone astray (particularly if theysay, “We were disappointedin.........”).

“Mr. and Mrs. Smith, thankyou for pointing that out. I cannow understand how it can beread that way. I appreciate yourfeedback and will make immedi-ate steps to change that in my

future advertising.”What is important now is to

ensure you make the change youhave promised. If by any chanceone of the media you are usingalready has a closed deadline,then tell them you will be too latefor the next ad, but after that itwill be changed.

This is really importantbecause if they see your ad againand it hasn’t been changed,you’re just another Realtor who isnot credible. However, if they dosee the ad again and it haschanged according to their feed-back, they will feel good havingcontributed and will have formedan opinion that they have met aRealtor they can trust.

Be the Realtor who is remem-bered. Think about it – if aprospective buyer has visited fouror five open homes and spoken tofour or five different Realtors,who are they going to remember?

Think of those words above –the most honest and truthfuldepiction – if you were to say, “Iam honest and truthful, trust me,”just like a used car salesman, theywouldn’t necessarily believe you.However, in this instance, youhave explained what you are aim-ing to do and invited them to bea part of the process. Out of thefour or five Realtors they mayhave seen, they will alwaysremember the one who involvedthem in putting honest and truth-ful to the test.

That’s the end of my top 10tips, including bonus Tip No. 11 –I hope it helps you become moresuccessful in your endeavours.

Known internationally as “Mr.Real Estate Advertising”,Australian born Ian Grace isacknowledged as one of the world’sleading authorities on real estateadvertising. Since 1994, he hasdelivered his programs throughoutAustralia, New Zealand, theU.S.A. Canada and the U.K. Hisarticles about real estate advertisinghave been published around theworld. www.iangrace.com REM

Manitoba “Master” of thecourt held that when anAgreement of Purchase

and Sale contained a conditionprecedent for solicitor’s approval, adefendant’s solicitor could advisereal estate agents that he wouldnot approve going through withthe sale.

The condition precedent pro-tected the defendant andalthough it was irrelevant howthe solicitor reached the deci-sion, the fact was that the defen-dant met with the solicitor anddecided not to proceed. Therewere no restrictions on that deci-sion even though the court found

the defendant “acted in goodfaith”. (Draper v. Morrow, 2010)

■ ■ ■

In 1998, the owner of landgave a mortgage to a private cor-poration. The balance of themortgage was due on May 1, 2003but default occurred as early as1999. A demand to pay wentunanswered.

The mortgagee did nothing. In2007 the owner petitioned for adischarge of the mortgage whilethe corporation countered for fore-closure.

The court held that claims(plural) on the mortgage werestatute barred. The right to sue onthe covenant and the right to fore-closure all arose on default on firstpayment because you look to whenthe mortgagee first had a right tosue on the covenant and bringforeclosure. The court dismissedthe notion that foreclosure couldbe brought when the mortgage firstbecame due in 2003. (492621B.C. Ltd. v. Bustin Farms Ltd.,2009)

■ ■ ■

An Ontario real estate agentassaulted his estranged girlfriendand was convicted. He received aconditional sentence. TheRegistrar of the Real Estate andBusiness Brokers Act issued anotice proposing to revoke the realestate agent’s registration.

The License Appeal Tribunalfound that the agent’s conduct didnot meet the threshold necessaryto revoke the license. However, italso found that his conduct war-ranted imposition of conditions.

On appeal to Divisional Court,it was held that the Act contem-plates conditions may be imposedwhere it is in the public interest,even if the revocation of thelicense is not warranted.

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

Solicitor approvalLEGAL ISSUES

By Donald H. Lapowich

A

Peter BurtonREALTOR®

IN Calgary & Area

403-660-3622 Cell403-250-5803 [email protected]

Realty Executives Apex105 - 1212 31 AVE N.E.Calgary, AB T2E 7S8

Referral fees paid on buyers andsellers in Calgary and area. I'm in RealEstate and would Love Your Business!

Susan PipesREALTOR®

IN Victoria & Sidney, BC

250-858-6923 Cell800-485-8188 Toll [email protected]

DFH Real Estate Ltd.3914 Shelbourne StreetVictoria, BC V8P 4J1

Independently Owned and Operated.

Expect prompt professional servicefor your referrals every step of theway to the successful completion andbeyond. Long term successfulbusiness built on referrals.

Mike SmithHome Inspection Services - Regional Owner

IN Central & Eastern Ontario

416-986-4321 [email protected]

A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections22 Berg Court

Stouffville, ON L4A 0K5Each franchise independently owned & operated

We have over 30 Certified and InsuredHome Inspectors in Central & EasternOntario and over 125 across Canada.All are available to inspect homes 7days a week.

Liz Spooner-YoungSales Representative

IN Greater Sudbury

705-691-3208 Cell800-601-8601 Toll [email protected]

RE/MAX Crown Realty1349 LaSalle Blvd., Suite 208

Sudbury, ON P3A 1Z2Independently owned & operated

Dedicated to Exceptional Service inthe Greater Sudbury area! For all yourclients needs in buying or selling ahome, please contact me!

Tracie TattrieSales Representative

IN Kingston, ON

613-384-1200 Office613-484-0225 [email protected]

Royal LePage ProAlliance640 Catarqui Woods Drive

Kingston, ON K7P 2Y5 Independently owned & operated

Helping the public make informedBuying & Selling decisions in Kingston& the surrounding area. Professionalservice & great customer care fromstart to finish and years to come.

Anthony SmrkeBroker Of Record

IN Ontario


Milestone Silver Realty Ltd.2410 Bay Estates Road

Sheguiandah, ON P0P 1W0

We specialize in warehousinglicenses in Ontario for those notwishing to be part of mainstreamreal estate.

Joanna ClarkeREALTOR®

IN Newfoundland and Labrador


Prudential Reardon Realty 67 Major's Path

St. John's, NL A1A 4Z9Independently Owned and Operated.

The great city of St. John's is myterritory. I have a background in sales& construction. I'm passionate aboutfinding the right home for my clients.

Ken GlauserBroker

IN Saskatoon


www.HomesInSaskatoon.com

RE/MAX Saskatoon200 - 227 Primrose DriveSaskatoon, SK S7K 5E4


I have been helping Buyers, Sellersand Investors in Saskatoon and Areafor 18 years. I Care How 'FOR SALE'Becomes 'SOLD'.

Ross GligicBroker of Record, President

IN Oakville-Burlington-Milton


Best Real Estate Inc.Suite 221, 2000 Appleby Line, Unit G3

Burlington, ON L7L 7H7

Brokerage Since 2002.

Progressive boutique brokerageserving West Toronto suburbs withhands-on technologically advanced,professional team of full-time agents,promptly paying 30% referral fee.

Ron PigeauBroker / Manager

IN North Bay & Area


Re/Max Legend Real Estate Inc.73 Lakeshore Drive,

North Bay, ON P1A 2A5Independently Owned and Operated.

Registered since 1974 and still enjoythe business with no intention ofretiring soon. Work commercial &residential as well as recreational.Will treat your referrrals with specialcare. Contact me at any time.

Terry AlmREALTOR®

IN Saskatchewan


Realty Executives Saskatoon3032 Louise Street

Saskatoon, SK S7J 3L8

I help people buy and sell real estatein and around Saskatoon. I’m nevertoo busy for your referrals.

John Douglas MorozBroker

IN London & Southwestern Ontario


Sutton Group Preferred Realty Inc.

181 Commissioners Rd. W.London, ON N6J 1X0


Marketing some of the finest propertiesthroughout Southwestern Ontario.Brokerage services & consulting withan emphasis on the hospitality industry.Inns/spas, motels, resorts, historic &development properties.

Professional RegistrySPONSORED BY:

Barbara Bell-OlsenInstructor and Managing Broker

IN British Columbia

604 261 9311 Office604 671 7211 [email protected]

Royal LePage Westside5970 East Boulevard

Vancouver, BC V6M 3V4Independently Owned and Operated.

Completed BCREA’s ProfessionalDevelopment outside accreditation program.I write and instruct "Multiple Offers" and"Writing Enforceable Contracts" 101through 104 courses. My MissionStatement: ‘Stay out of Real Estate Jail’!

Meera BankaBroker of Record

IN Greater Toronto Area


RE/MAX Skyway Realty Inc.2565 Steeles Ave E. #9Brampton, ON L6T 4L6


Sold over 3700 Homes (over $330 MillionIn Real Estate). Over 32 years ofExperience. 30% Referral paid. FreeEvaluation, No Obligation.

PLACE YOUR REM PROFESSIONALREGISTRY AD HERE

$25 for 25 wordsLimited time offer

Go to www.remonline.com to send in your application today!For more info, call 416-425-3504 x4 or email [email protected]

grew up in Toronto. Duringmy younger years I drove ataxi for extra money part-time

on weekend nights. I know everyalley way, every corner and everycurb side in town. I raised my old-est son here. For all the heartache Ihave had in this city, I have to saythat in my day it was a fabulousplace to live.

I left Toronto for a time andlived in the marvellous City ofStratford for 12 years when I hadyoung children again and my old-est son went out to B.C. for ateaching career in NorthVancouver. I visit my grandchil-dren there now on an annual jour-ney out west. So today I know myway around Lynn Valley and theSea Bus station as well as theFestival Theatre and the OldGrove in addition to the streets ofToronto.

We moved back to Toronto afew years ago. As I had made a badcareer choice to become a newspa-per publisher instead of a Realtor, Icannot afford to buy a house here.But we are happy in the heart ofdowntown Toronto. We found aco-op housing organization and are


THE PUBLISHER’SPAGE

IBy Heino Molls

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Compiled with the assistance of Bob Campbell atColour Tech Marketing, www.colourtech.com

Cityscapes andblinking lightspleased to live in this community.It is an oasis. The lake is just acrossthe street and we are lucky to see itevery day between the behemothsof buildings that surround us.

It is a real challenge to livedowntown in Canada’s biggestcity. It isn’t just big, it is massive.We are cheek-to- jowl down here,shoulder to shoulder with the hoipolloi. I can tell you first-hand,unless you live here, you don’tknow the meaning of the wordcrowded. The staggering numberof condominium towers and thethousands upon thousands ofapartments is boggling. It can seeman endless stream of building afterbuilding, filled with so many units,so many small little living spacesthat it is almost mindless becauseof its vast conformity. In past years,if you had challenged me todescribe its never ending samenessin a couple of words, I would say;extreme uniformity. In one word;monotonous.

Now that I am an old guy and Ihave the maladies that befall oldmen, I have been urged by themedical people I deal with to walkwhenever I can. I have been tryingto do that. I found the heat of day,especially the heat of the past sum-mer days, to be so unbearable thatI have taken to walking at night. Iconfess that my nightly walks havechanged my outlook and in somesmall ways have even inspired me.

Me, of all people, inspired by con-formity.

I walk along the waterfront tothe pier at the foot of SpadinaAvenue, which is one of Toronto’smajor streets. Spadina has a longhistory itself but these days it is asea of condo buildings. At nightalmost every unit in these build-ings is lit up. The lights from thou-sands of windows stretchingaround the curves and corners ofarchitecture that I previously onlygenerously called functional allbecomes brilliant. I have to admit,it is magnificent. Behind eachstructure is the presence ofToronto’s most iconic structures,such as the CN Tower, the sky-dome and the MetropolitanToronto Convention Centre. It isall so vibrant because it is all rightthere and immediate. With all theactivity going on it is shocking torealize that standing on the pier, itis so quiet you could hear a pindrop. At 10 o’clock the IslandAirport shuts down and mostwatercraft are tied up for the night.It is like holding a remote at thevery edge of the city and hittingthe mute button. The scene isnothing short of extraordinary andsurreal.

When I look up at all this I amin awe. Not just of what the cityhas become but what potential itstill has. To think that all the mad-ness and chaos could present itself

Realtors Association of GreyBruce Owen SoundTechnology & Trades ShowTues., Oct. 23Harry Lumley BayshoreCommunity CentreOwen SoundMarilyn Newbigging –[email protected]

2012 MTC TechnologyForumMon., Oct. 29Fairmont WinnipegWinnipegAnik Aube – [email protected]

National Association ofRealtors Conference & ExpoNov. 9 – 12Orange County ConventionCentreOrlando, Flawww.realtor.org/convention

Mississauga Real Estate BoardHome & Trade ShowThurs., Nov. 22Mississauga ConventionCentreMississaugaGay Napper – 905-608-6732ext. 29 or [email protected]

so peacefully is incredible to me.For the past few nights, one

small unit, amongst the thousandsand thousands that I see, standsout. It is in the middle of one of thetallest buildings. It has whatappears to be a string of whitelights along its tiny balcony witheach corner flashing. It is unobtru-sive. Probably no one notices, cer-

tainly no one in that building orthe building complex around it.But I see it.

It tells me that this unit is dif-ferent and that everyone does nothave to conform. I take a quietcomfort in that. It keeps me going.

Heino Molls is publisher of REM.Email [email protected]. REM

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Helping Canadians buy homes–from coast to coast to coast.

The RE/MAX & YOU Event is a great opportunity for

RE/MAX Sales Associates to join their colleagues from

around the province for a day of insightful information

on RE/MAX, and resources available. Whether new

to the real estate industry, new

to RE/MAX or a seasoned

RE/MAX real estate professional,

you stand to benefi t from attending

this event.

Each o� ce is independently owned and operated.

& YOU Tuesday, Nov. 20th, 2012

Mississauga Convention Centre

75 Derry Road West, Mississauga, ON, L5W 1G3

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Learn from Top RE/MAX ProducersEngaging Keynote SpeakersVisit the Supplier ShowcaseExplore the RE/MAX Toolbox

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Highlights

November 2012 (v2)

Documents

Transcript of November 2012 (v2)