Working in real estate is a challenge at the best of times, but combining it with single parenthood is even more daunting.Raising a family on your own while working as a REALTOR® is a difficult combination, according to several Ontario parents doing just that. They talk about the unpredictable hours and erratic schedule, and how they cope with demands on their time that can some-times feel overwhelming.

Work encroaches on family life because a great deal of residential real estate activity happens in the evenings and on weekends. Without a spouse at home to share the load, single parents have to figure out how to manage their work and life.

“It’s hard to wear all the hats at once,” says Joanne Morrison, a Belleville salesperson who has worked for 15 years in real estate. “Running a household and a business at the same time is very demanding.”

Setting boundaries is one way to deal with potential conflicts between family and work, says Morrison, a sin-gle mom of two sons aged 20 and 23. Clients often call on weekends wanting to see a property immediately. “I tell them that I’m not available today, but ask if we can do it another day. People are usually accommodating.”

Early in her career, neighbours sometimes showed up at Morrison’s house to ask real estate questions. They’d walk up to her porch where she was with family and ask her to look up the sold price for a house in the neighbour-hood. “As REALTORS®, we want to be friendly and approachable, but some people confuse personal with business. Without being rude, I set boundaries,” she says.

Single parents working in real estate say they sometimes feel guilty when they are away from their children in evenings and on weekends, or when work distracts them at home.

“During my son’s birthday party, I got stuck on the phone dealing with a client’s issue and I didn’t feel fully attentive to my son,” says Toronto broker Faithe Sversky. “Another time, I went with his class on a field trip by bus to the Science Centre. Then I got an offer on a property and had to leave by cab. I sometimes felt like I could never shut down.”

Look for solutions or other options when a schedulingconflict occurs, says salesperson Maggie Whitcroft ofSt. Marys, Ont., single mom to a 13-year-old daughter.

Single parenting a challenge in real estate

Many people are not aware of all of the charitable work and volunteer time that REALTORS® in the province contribute to worthy causes. The REALTORS Care Foundation plays a key role in supporting shelters and shelter-based charities across the province.

“Many REALTORS® work tirelessly behind the scenes and are unsung heroes,” says Richard Hawkins, president of the foundation. “At the provincial association we’re understandably proud of the work

of Ontario REALTORS® and we’re getting better at giving them the recognition they deserve.”

A broker from Peterborough, Hawkins notes that REALTORS® make a commitment to their clients and communities – a commitment that goes well beyond

helping people to buy or sell a home. “Fundraising activities are an important way for them to give back to their community.”

The Every REALTOR® campaign has been a phenomenal success, raising $620,000 for shelters and charities in 2012. In this campaign,

InsideEnhancing your websitepage 2

Plenty of blame in RECO casepage 4

New OREA board of directors page 4

HotsheetMany boomers don’t plan to downsize: surveyDespite the perception that aging baby boomers may create a glut of tradi-tional single-family homes as they downsize into smaller residences, a new survey shows that demand for suburban detached homes remains strong among those born between 1947 and 1966. A Royal LePage survey reveals that almost half (43.5%) of this demographic group who plan to move are looking to buy something larger or thesame as their current home.For details of the survey, visit www.royallepage.ca.

Market Watch Housing starts show moderation Housing starts in Canada totalled 195,087 units last month, revealing a moderation in demand for housing that means builders are adjusting accordingly, according to a recent news release from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The trend reflects a six-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rates of housing starts. Seasonally adjusted annual rates showed an increase of urban starts in Ontario of 46.8%, according to the CMHC news release. Visit www.cmhc.ca and click on Newsroom for details.

April 2013

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Foundation supports many worthy causes

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Taking your website from static to standout

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participating real estate boards across the province collect one dollar a month from each member, with funds going to the foundation to provide grants to worthwhile charities. This campaign was first launched in 2007 and raised $70,000. Since then its success has been growing each year. One board contributes $2 per member per month – an option for any board.

The motorcycle ride for charity is a key event

that has taken place each summer since 2006. The amount of funds raised from the ride has grown each year. Last year’s ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls, led by 2012 OREA president Ron Abraham, raised $31,000.

The REALTORS Care Foundation gave out $568,000 in grants to 133 charities and programs across Ontario in 2012. That compares to $483,000 in 2011, an increase of 18 per centover the year. For more information, visit www.realtorscareontario.ca.

by Amie Ferris

Is your website in need of a reno?Taking your website from static to “standout” was the subject of a talk I heard recently in New York. Nicole Nicolay (@nik_nik), founder of Agent Evolution, spoke about ways to transform your website from the same old static venue into something that stands out from the rest and helps generate more business leads.

I realized that most of the advice was common sense and that I had not been following it. Hearing what you should already know from someone else is both a motivator and a refresher. Here are Nicole’s five key tips to move your website from static to standout.

1. Is your platform responsive? People today search for real estate from many different sources. Can your website be viewed on all sources (tablet, phone, laptop etc.)? Decide which items should be viewable on which platform. For example, when potential buyers view your website from a smartphone, first and foremost they should be able to search the site for listings. If your site is not responsive, consider using WordPress. WordPress is an open-source blogging platform but also functions as a content management system.

2. Is your branding obvious and consistent? When people visit your site, can they immediately see your brokerage name, your specialty, and whether you are an owner? Marketing yourself and your expertise effectively gives you a better chance of turning these viewers into clients. If you’re not part of a large brand, consider redesigning your logos or slogans so they are eye-catching and obvious.

3. Is your content unique? You can have a template site but not template content. Template content will not allow you to stand out. Consider adding neighbourhood content and “about” pages. Give your visitors something unique. If your site is not unique, start sharing your story. What differentiates you from a “run-of-the-mill” REALTOR®?

4. Is your IDX home search worth using? IDX is an MLS® application for your website that allows the public to search listings. Do you utilize home search options to the best of its ability? Make it snappy! Consider a quick search on your home page or a search that requires people to sign up to get listings by email – giving you the opportunity to build up your potential client base. Consider setting up specific areas with predetermined searches. For example, if you specialize in a specific neighbourhood, provide a page of homes in that neighbour-hood alone. If buyers don’t have to enter any criteria and can just click on the neighbourhood name, they can see what’s available for sale.

5. Does your website contain a clear call to action? A call to action invites viewers to do something and suggests a path to get them there, such as a link on which they can click. Your site should include a value-added call to action, something that promotes your strengths in exchange for an email address. For example, you can invite viewers to sign up to receive a free home buyer’s guide or a free market valuation. This allows you to create or increase your pool of potential buyers or sellers. If your site lacks a call to action, create one. Be sure that the call to action and your entire site plays to your strengths.

All of these tips will help transform your website so that it works harder for you and helps you to grow your business.

Amie Ferris is a salesperson from Port Rowan, Ontario, president of the Simcoe and District Real Estate Board, and a member of the OREA Young Professionals Network.

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Taking your website from static to standout Single parents can feel overwhelmed

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She recalls having to withdraw from a school trip and missing meet-the-teacher-night due to sudden work commitments. Her daughter was disappointed, but Whitcroft arranged to meet the teacher another time. “There are challenges, but I can usually make it work,” she says. The younger the children, the harder it is for single parents in real estate, the sources say. When duty called, Whitcroft learned to ask for help from others. “I would ask if a friend could come over to watch my daughter or if I could drop her at her Dad’s place for a bit.”

When her sons were younger, Morrison hired a babysitter if she had to work evenings. She tried to do errands, chores and other tasks during the day and “tried to cram as much into the daytime as possible. But if one of the kids got sick and needed the doctor, my whole schedule turned upside down. I didn’t tell clients that my kid had a runny nose, but instead said that I had to reschedule.”

Exchange favours with other parents, arrange play dates and hire help if you can affordit, advises Sversky. “I did carpooling for other people’s kids so that when I needed help, I could drop my son off with them for a few hours.” She hired a nanny when her son was young, and since she didn’t have time to help with homework, used a tutor.

Good planning is essential to juggling work and family life, says Whitcroft. However, this can be frustrating with a daughter who doesn’t always bring home information about school trips or other events, she says.

Communicating openly with your children about the challenges you face is important, say all of the parents. “Although you may feel guilty about changing plans at the last minute, you try your best to make up for it in other ways,” says Whitcroft. “And you must remind your chil-dren of this too.”

Sversky says she was always honest with her son about her unpredictable schedule. “I told him that I need to make a living to pay the bills, and that this line of work has unusual hours.”

It is sometimes difficult for her daughter to understand why clients need so much time and attention, says Whitcroft. “I’ll be on the computer searching for comparables, and she sometimes gets upset when I ask her not to interrupt me.”

Whitcroft also tries to be open with her daughter. “I tell her that if I make this sale, I’ll have money to make a better life for us. This work keeps a roof over our heads, feeds and clothes us, and pays for activities like horseback riding.”

When a client suddenly called Sversky and wanted to meet when she had arranged to pick up her son from school, she says it was hard not to panic.

When possible, she tried to suggest an alternate time, but some last-minute schedule changes are unavoidable, as all REALTORS® know.

Life got easier as her son grew older, says Sversky. “The second he turned 16, I got him a car – for me,” she says. “It took the pressure off me driving him around and it gave him more flexibility.”

Although it can be tough working nights and weekends when most people are off duty, real estate’s flexible hours can be a plus. “Your schedule is somewhat your own, so I don’t spend Saturdays at the grocery store when

it’s crowded. I often helped on school trips, which most parents couldn’t do. And I’d pick my son up from school and we’d hang out until after dinner,” says Sversky. She often prepared dinner in the morning so it was ready ahead of time if she had to work evenings.

Morrison also appreciates the flexibility of her real estate career, which has enabled her and her sons to take two vacations a year, usually in August and December when the market is slower.

A support system is vital for all REALTORS® who are parents. “Good relationships help,” says Whitcroft. Friends and family can often assist in a pinch, and talking with other REALTORS® about the stress and challenges helps to let off steam, she says.

Being organized and staying positive are crucial, advises

Morrison. “If your personal life is chaotic, you’re not going to be able to do this job. Spend time with people who are positive and supportive,” she adds. “In the office, hook up with a mentor. I worked every Sunday for three years doing open houses and being a gopher for a successful REALTOR®, and my own business grew from that.”

Morrison’s strategy to balance work and personal life has been to strive to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Although she

has to work a bit later some days and the occasional weekends, she mainly sticks to that schedule.

Careful budgeting is also impor-tant if you are entering real estate as a single parent because you will incur business expenses without a spouse’s income for support.

Monthly brokerage fees, board and association dues, insurance, transpor-tation, advertising and office expenses can all add up.

“Real estate is challenging enough as it is,” says Whitcroft. “And being a single mom throws in an extra wrench. But with the flexibility it works out. And I always keep in mind that as a self-employed REALTOR®, I have greater opportunities to increase my income.”

Asked what she would tell other single parents who are considering work in real estate, Morrison responds: “There will be times when everyone wants a piece of you, when you feel tugged in every direction and flying by the seat of your pants, but it’s still an awesome career.”

I tell my daughter that this work keeps a roof over

our heads, feeds and clothes us.

Sue was found to have acted unprofessionally for two reasons. First, she disclosed the substance of the second offer, causing her brokerage to con-travene the code of ethics under REBBA. Second, she provided services to more than one party in the same trade, failing to confirm, in writing at the earliest opportunity and before either the first or second offer had been made, that she had informed all parties of the nature of her rela-tionship to each. Sue was fined $5,000.

Deb was also found to have acted unprofessionally on two counts. First, after learning that Yasmin’s second offer was being disclosed and that her client could improve her offer even more, Deb failed to protect her client's best interests by not telling Yasmin of this opportunity within a reasonable amount of time. Second, she failed to provide conscientious service to her client, or in the alternative failed to demonstrate reasonable knowledge, skill, judgment and competence by failing to share this with the client in a reasonable amount of time. Deb was fined $7,000.

The brokerage was found to have acted unprofessionally on three counts. First, in providing services to more than one party in respect of the same trade in real estate, it failed to inform all parties, in writing, at the earliestpracticable opportunity, and before either the first or second offer had been made, of the nature of its relationship to each. Second, it disclosed the substance of a competing offer, specifically the complainant's second offer, to other potential buyers. Third, it failed to ensure that all sales-people at the brokerage were carrying out their duties in compliance with the REBBA code of ethics. The brokerage was fined $2,000.

The full case is among those dated 2010/05/25 and can be viewed at www.reco.on.ca. Look under Complaints and Enforcement and scroll down to Discipline and Appeals Hearings and Decisions. Choose the appropriate year and search by date only.

MERV’S COMMENTS

If your clients tell you to share details of competing offers, remind them of your ethical obligations. Ontario REALTORS® are bound by section 26 of the REBBA code. As well, if a brokerage with a seller client receives a competing written offer, the brokerage must disclose the number of competing offers to every person making an offer, but not the substance of the competing offers. Otherwise, as with this case, there may be plenty of blame to go around.

This situation involved two salespeople who worked at the same broker-age. (Names have been changed.) The bank signed a listing agreement with the brokerage through Sue, the first salesperson, for $345,000. All offers on a property were to be held until May 31, when they were to be presented simultaneously.

The complainant, Yasmin, retained the brokerage through a buyer repre-sentation agreement, with Deb, the second salesperson at the brokerage, as her representative. Yasmin made an offer on the property for $356,000. A few days later, Yasmin learned that eight competing offers had come in and so she made a second, improved offer of $360,600.

An assistant to the bank’s lawyer faxed Sue an authorization to “disclose the contents of the highest offer to all of the persons making an offer.” The assistant also asked that any re-submissions be made to Sue by 3:30that day.

At about noon, Sue contacted Deb to tell her that although Yasmin's offer was the highest, Sue was authorized to disclose the contents of Yasmin’s second offer to all those who had made competing offers. Sue also informed Deb that the deadline for any improved offers was 3:30 p.m. the same day. Shortly after 3:00 p.m., Deb contacted Yasmin to let her know the situation. However, Deb failed to let Yasmin know at that time that she too could improve her offer.

Details of Yasmin’s second offer were disclosed. The property was soon sold to another buyer for $361,500, an amount $900 more than Yasmin’s second offer.

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LEGALBEATPlenty of blame to go around in RECO decision

To: REALTORS®

From: Mervin Burgard, Q.C.Memo

New OREA board of directors for 2013 The Ontario Real Estate Association officially installed its new President and Board of Directors at the Annual Assembly Meeting on March 6. Phil Dorner of Belle River, Ontario is the President for 2013. Costa Poulopoulos of London was elected President-Elect and will become President in 2014. Ron Abraham of King City becomes Immediate Past President. Directors-at-Large are: Patricia Verge of Ottawa (two-year term); Tom Lebour of Mississauga (one-year term); and Richard

Leroux of Timmins (one-year term). The Commercial Director is John Filipetti of Sault Ste. Marie, and CREA Regional Director for Ontario is Gerry Weir of London. Paul Etherington of Pickering is Substantial Membership Director. Provincial Directors are: Maureen O’Neill of Toronto and Ettore Cardarelli of Mississauga (Central Ontario); Linda McCallum of Ottawa (Eastern Ontario); Valerie Miles of Bancroft (Northeastern Ontario); Diane Erickson of Thunder Bay (Northern Ontario); Ray Ferris of Port Rowan (Southern Ontario) and Anna Vozza of Windsor (Western Ontario).

OREA NEWS

Address inquiries or comments about REALTOR® EDGE newsletter to: Editor: Mary Ann Gratton • Writers: Joanne Milner, Amie Ferris, Mary Ann GrattonREALTOR® EDGE • Ontario Real Estate Association • 99 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 1Z2 1-800-265-6732 • Email: orea@orea.com

Website: www.orea.com • OREA Real Estate College • 1-866-411-6732

REALTOR® EDGE newsletter is published 11 times a year by the Ontario Real Estate Association. The newsletter aims to provide practical and useful news and information about the real estate industry to members of the association. The opinions expressed in the newsletter are not necessarily those of the publisher. Submissions from the real estate community are welcome, including letters to the editor, opinion pieces, events and news. The newsletter reserves the right to edit, based on space restrictions and/or suitability, and/or to refuse submitted material for inclusion in the newsletter without reason. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Contents are copyright of the Ontario Real Estate Association.

The brokerage must disclose the number but not the substance

of competing offers.