April 2010 by Real Estate Magazine (REM)

Real Estate Marketing

Issue #250

News

Mortgages

April 2010

In conversation with HomeLifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Andrew Cimerman Page 12

Industry reacts to censure of part-timers Page 3

Bucking tradition: 3 business models Page 8

And the honours go toâ&#x20AC;Ś Page 26

Te c h n o l o g y

Opinion

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REM APRIL 2010 3

Industry reacts to Polzler’s criticism of part-time agents By Kelly Putter

e/Max Ontario-Atlantic executive vice-president Michael Polzler says he’s encouraged by reaction to his public criticism of the professionalism and value of part-time agents. “Ninety per cent of the reaction I’m getting is very positive,” Polzler said in an interview. “People have told me I’m right on track and that it’s totally ridiculous what’s going on out there.” Polzler launched his assault in REM’s March issue when he placed an advertisement with an open letter calling for tougher standards for part-time Realtors. He invited Realtors to voice their thoughts on his newly launched website, www.takingbacktheindustry.com. “The apathy and lack of expertise among the non-committed affects the entire industry,” wrote Polzler in his open letter. “We need to send the message, once and for all – real estate is not a fall-back profession.” Not all industry insiders see eye-to-eye with Polzler. Calgary’s Dick Oakes thinks restricting agents is akin to imposing quotas, a move that would have trouble flying especially in Alberta’s free enterprise business system. Oakes, who owns one of the largest independent real estate organizations in western Canada, doesn’t buy Polzler’s argument that part-time agents are less effective. “I believe his letter is selfserving,” says Oakes. “He’s going after the discount houses, those Realtors who offer low fees. I think there’s a place for everybody. I know a great many people who do real estate full-time and they are miserable failures. I know of firemen and policemen who are in real estate part-time and they do a tremendously high-quality job.” In his open letter, Polzler calls for introducing a one-year apprenticeship program, a referral license program in which inactive agents can earn a fee by referring clients to active agents and higher educational requirements. “I’m not saying we should kick anybody out,” says Polzler, “I’m saying we should change what peo-

ple are allowed to do. Real estate is far too big, far too complex to be letting someone whose main job is a school teacher or a bus driver to be showing property and trying to negotiate complex financial transactions.” Polzler says his actions are motivated out of his concerns for consumers, some of whom are getting a raw deal thanks to inexperienced and “iffy part-time agents.” Polzler said his criticism extends to brokers as well. “You’ve got companies out there who have hundreds of agents all based on cheap, cheap, cheap,” he says, “holding licenses where 70 per cent of their agents don’t do a deal per quarter. So then, the question becomes what about broker accountability? Are these agents even being monitored in the field? There are a lot of people that say this goes right to the broker level.” Bernie Vogt, president of Aventure Realty Network, says the consumer is well protected by various legislative bodies and industry organizations. He thinks it’s wrong to assume part-time agents are not as effective as full-time agents. Besides, adds Vogt, the real estate industry is heavily regulated and there are plenty of avenues for recourse. “I think it’s wrong to decide that someone delivers poor advice based on the number of deals they do,” says Vogt. “Realtors over the years have been compared many times to used-car salespersons and I don’t have a problem with either. Some do a good job and some don’t. There is recourse if they don’t do a good job.” HomeLife Realty president Andrew Cimerman thinks the industry needs to show a kinder, gentler side when it comes to dealing with part-time agents. “There are individuals who don’t want to leave their family without food on the table,” Cimerman says, “so they want to make a transition into this business and work six months at two jobs. Is there anything wrong with this? I say no. It gives them the opportunity to feed their family and gives them the opportunity to learn this

business. They are professionals and they are qualified individuals. They need just a little more time.” CREA and the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) declined to comment specifically on Polzler’s letter, although RECO’s communications manager Sherri Haigh suggested Polzler take his concerns to Ontario’s

Ministry of Consumer Services. Despite his strong words and forthright tactics, Polzler suspects the industry will stay with the status quo. “I understand I’m probably not going to get my way because the boards and CREA and OREA and RECO and all these organizations are about member-

ship numbers,” he says. Polzler says his comments apply to those Realtors doing less that one deal per quarter. “Somebody explain to me why we need over 50,000 real estate agents in the province of Ontario?” he says. “Why do we need so many? How can these part-time people do a good job?” REM

FINTRAC fines brokerage $27,000 T

he Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has assessed its first fine against a real estate brokerage. HomeLife Effect Realty in Hamilton was fined $27,000 for violating the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. FINTRAC says the brokerage was fined for committing four violations: • Failure of a person or entity to appoint a person to be responsible for the implementation of a compliance program; • Failure of a person or entity to develop and apply written com-

pliance policies and procedures that are kept up to date and, in the case of an entity, are approved by a senior officer; • Failure of a person or entity to assess and document risk; and • Failure of a person or entity that has employees, agents or other persons authorized to act on their behalf to develop and maintain a written ongoing compliance training program for those employees, agents or persons. FINTRAC has had the authority to issue administrative monetary penalties in response to non-compliance with the act and related regulations since December 30, 2008. It says penal-

ties are used as a last resort after other measures to ensure compliance with the law have been exhausted. “FINTRAC remains committed to working with reporting entities in ensuring compliance with the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act and related regulations,” says the agency in a news release. “The new penalties are a tool to encourage compliance.” FINTRAC is an independent federal government agency with a mandate to assist in the detection, deterrence and prevention of money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities. REM

Tessa Bonhomme and Rebecca Johnson of Canada’s gold medal women’s hockey team stopped by the Re/Max Crown office in Sudbury, Ont. recently. Staff and their families had an opportunity to meet the Olympians and wear the medals. Bonhomme’s grandfather Conrad Bonhomme was a partner at Re/max Crown Realty until his death in 2002.

4 REM APRIL 2010

Multiple Listings By Jim Adair

Do you have news to share with Canada’s real estate community? Let REM know about it! Email: jim@remonline.com

utton Group Incentive Realty has opened a branch in Alliston, Ont. Broker of Record Bill Kindou says, “We just opened our Alliston doors on Feb. 1 and have had an overwhelming response. On site we offer the services of a mortgage manager, sales manager and sales reps and share the facility with a local lawyer.” The company has other branches in Cookstown, Innisfil, Orillia, and three in Barrie, where the head office is located. Sutton Group Incentive has more than 150 sales reps.

Rob Brown is the new office manager at the Clayton Park branch office of Exit Realty Metro in Bedford, N.S. Brown has five years of real estate expertise in the Halifax area. Brokerage owner Jeremy Cowan says, “We’re strategically positioning ourselves for further growth in our marketplace and are making the appropriate changes to our infrastructure to support our goals. We’re expecting 2010 to be our best year yet.” ■ ■ ■

Alta., just west of Calgary, under the leadership of Elaine Webb. She is a 26-year industry veteran and is currently a director for the Calgary Real Estate Board. The MaxWell Realty Invermere, B.C. office has opened a satellite office in Fairmont, B.C. Owner Dick Oakes says the office serves a strong recreational condo market in the Kooteneys. ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Innovative Realty, led by broker/owner Sameem Mohamed, recently opened on

■ ■ ■

MaxWell Realty recently opened a new office in Cochrane,

Bob Pedler

David Peerless

Karen Grunlund

Karen Gertzen

Sid Doucette

Rob Brown

Elaine Webb

Kelly Towle

Ross McDonald

Ken Lamb

Jeremy Cowan

Glenn Nimmo

Eric Putoto

Greg Long

Jack Petrie

Continued on page 6

Lyndon Rush, wearing his Olympic bronze medal, celebrates his win with his daughter, Olivia, and wife, Krysta.

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6 REM APRIL 2010

Multiple Listings Continued from page 4

Markham Road in Toronto. The brokerage has plans to add to its real estate sales team in the coming months. ■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Weber in Innisfail, Alta. has been acquired by Glenn Nimmo and Kelly Towle. The previous owner was Glenn’s father Allan Nimmo, who will remain with the company. Glenn started with Royal LePage Weber in 2002; Towle joined the brokerage in 2006. Both are consistent top producers. The brokerage plans to increase its market share in the Innisfail, Bowden, Penhold, Caroline, Spruceview, Markerville, Dickson, Glennifer Lake and Pine Lake areas. ■ ■ ■

The Aventure Realty Network continues to grow rapidly, with the addition of several independent real estate brokerages from across the country. The latest additions: • Kamloops-Platinum Realty in Kamloops, B.C., under the leadership of broker/owner Eric Putoto. • Lighthouse Realty, with locations in Abbotsford and Mission, B.C. Under the leadership of broker/owner Ross McDonald, the organization has grown in 20 years of operation to more than 100 sales reps operating throughout the Fraser Valley. • Hugh & McKinnon Realty, one of Canada’s oldest real estate organizations with more than 100 years of independent brokerage. Headquartered in South Surrey, B.C., broker/owner Greg Long, and the staff serve White Rock, South Surrey and the Fraser Valley. • Real Estate Professionals, with two locations in Calgary and Red Deer, Alta. Broker/

Cover photo: MARKO SHARK

owner Ken Lamb operates the company with more than 200 sales reps. • Newport Realty Ltd. in Victoria with broker/owner Jack Petrie has been in operation for more than 30 years with a team of 60 sales reps. • Well-known real estate veteran Bob Pedler of Bob Pedler Real Estate in Windsor, Ont. with more than 45 years of brokerage and industry leadership. Pedler is past-president of the Canadian Real Estate Association, the Ontario Real Estate Association and the Windsor Essex County Real Estate Board. • Dexter Associates Realty of Vancouver, serving the Vancouver and Lower Mainland market with more than 120 sales reps. Broker/owner David Peerless remains focused on building an independent brand known for integrity, leadership and committed service, says Aventure. • First Capital Realty in Fort Langley, B.C. Broker/owner Karen Grunlund has operated the company for 20 years in residential and commercial real estate, as well as real estate development. • Cariboo Team Realty Group Ltd. of Williams Lake, B.C. Serving ‘the hub of the Cariboo’, Karen Gertzen and the Cariboo team have established a reputation for local knowledge, outstanding service and community commitment, the company says. • Doucette Realty Ltd. of Prince George, B.C., which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. The broker/owner is Sid Doucette. “The Aventure Realty Network is proud of its membership; some of the strongest and best-known independent real estate brokerage brands in Canadian markets,” says

Aventure president Bernie Vogt. “With many years of successful operation each of these member organizations is focused on delivering market leading service to their communities and their Realtors, and the continued growth of their own strong independent brands.” ■ ■ ■

Lyndon Rush, a commercial sales rep with Royal LePage in Red Deer, Alta. won a bronze medal in the four-man bobsled at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. This is only the second time in the history of the sport that a Canadian team has brought home a medal in the four-man bobsled. The last time was the Vic Every team in 1964. Rush, the driver for the Canada 1, and his crew were ranked second after the first day of the bobsled heats at the Whistler Sliding Centre. On the final day, the Germany 1 sled came from third place, and with a one-hundredth of a second lead, garnered the silver medal. “I’m finally catching the excitement of this accomplishment and I’m pumped about what the team has accomplished in such a short time,” says Rush. His crew members were David Bissett, Lascelles Brown and Chris Le Bihan. ■ ■ ■

Franchisor Realty Executives International announced franchising rights to six countries of the Middle East’s Gulf Region: United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. “The natural resources and destination status of the Gulf Region has positioned it as a major global leader in business and tourism,” says Glenn Melton, CEO of Realty Executives International. “Being able to tap into that network adds great value to our

Publisher HEINO MOLLS email: heino@remonline.com

Editor JIM ADAIR email: jim@remonline.com

General Manager JOHN COOPER email: john@remonline.com

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system of Realtors.” In a three-year, phasedgrowth plan, franchise owners Ahmed Alshaer and Eissa Alhateri plan to open 12 brokerage offices with approximately 100 sales reps by the first quarter of 2013. The first office will open this quarter in Saudi Arabia followed by a second office in Qatar. Offices in the UAE, Muscat and Oman are slated for 2011; offices in Manama, Bahrain and Kuwait are planned for 2012. Alshaer, formerly with Realogy for Gulf Council Countries, is currently working in collaboration with the UAE governments to build a standardized MLS. ■ ■ ■

Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates has signed an exclusive 25-year licensing agreement for the United Kingdom with Countrywide, the U.K.’s largest estate agency and property services group. Under the agreement, Countrywide has the exclusive license to the Sotheby’s International Realty brand across the United Kingdom and Channel Islands. Countrywide will create a new subsidiary called United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty to operate its new luxury brokerage business in those regions. As part of the transaction, Countrywide acquired the Sotheby’s International Realty London office in Mayfair, previously owned and managed by NRT LLC, the largest owner and operator of real estate brokerages in the United States. The office will be renamed London Sotheby’s International Realty. The Sotheby’s International Realty network has approximately 500 offices in 38 countries and territories worldwide. Franchise affiliates benefit from an association with the world-renowned Sotheby’s Auction House, estab-

lished in 1744. ■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker Real Estate has signed a master franchise agreement with Top Czech Partners Real Estate to bring the Coldwell Banker and Coldwell Banker Commercial franchise systems to the Czech Republic. The Coldwell Banker residential and commercial real estate networks now extend to 49 countries and territories. Led by Petr Král, Top Czech Partners Real Estate is based in Prague. The company was founded in 2006 and has been focused on project management and land sales. ■ ■ ■

Basketball player, coach and commentator Leo Rautins and real estate technology speaker Matthew J. Ferrara will headline the Coldwell Banker Canadian Conference in Vancouver April 8 – 10. The conference will offer a full schedule of break-out educational sessions and workshops, geared to the Canadian real estate market. There will also be an Awards Gala and Closing Night party. ■ ■ ■

Realogy veteran Rick Davidson has been appointed as president and CEO of U.S.-based Century 21 Real Estate. Davidson replaces Tom Kunz, who resigned after serving in this role since June 2004. Most recently, Davidson served in a dual capacity as chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC and as president and chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates. Previously, Davidson founded his own real estate brokerage firm in 2003, serving as chief executive officer of Coldwell Banker Commercial Capitol Realty Services in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan market. REM

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Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com 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 Listing Service® 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 any real estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by direct delivery in selected areas. Subscriptions are $40.95 per year (including $1.95 GST), payable by personal cheque. Entire contents copyright 2010 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1201-1223

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8 REM APRIL 2010

Bucking tradition: 3 business models

With the real estate industry’s traditional business models under scrutiny, REM looks at how three non-traditional companies across the country are faring. By Kathy Bevan One Percent Realty One Percent Realty in B.C. is now one of the “veterans” of Canada’s non-traditional brokerages. With a network of 140 salespeople serving most of B.C., the firm’s business model has changed very little since it first started up in 1998 in Vancouver. The company’s share of commission is still its namesake one per cent, but as of January 1, the minimum charge increased to $6,000 from its original $5,000. The firm also charges $900 per listing for MLS fees, title searches and a set amount of advertising; if the vendor wants more ads, there’s an additional fee. “I come from a project marketing background where the developer paid all your costs, so that’s where the business model came from,” says company founder and broker/owner, Ian Bailey. “I’d show them a book and say, ‘Here’s what an ad in the Real Estate Weekly costs, here’s what a virtual tour costs, what do you want to do?’” Bailey points to the addition of Schedule A to B.C. listing agreements, about four years ago, as a big plus for his business model. “Schedule A basically says what you’re going to do – are you going to hold open houses, have a lockbox, advertise, what’s the deal? It’s been perfect for us, because prior to Schedule A, other Realtors could say, ‘You don’t get the level of service that we offer’,” says Bailey. “It puts everything on the table and that’s what we’re all about. Realtors don’t really like discussing what the commission is, but we do. We talk about everything, what we’re going to do, what you’re going to get for that.” Bailey says One Percent had about 2,000 sales last year – a recovery year for the B.C. mar-

ket – and notes that his business model does particularly well working with consumers in small towns. “These are people who, if we’re saving them $10,000, know what that looks like and how long it takes them to get that $10,000.”

Donald Hewie Real Estate Ottawa Realtor Don Hewie had been working in real estate sales for more than two decades when he decided to start up a flat fee brokerage in 2006. His business model was based on unbundling all aspects of the real estate transaction. “I estimated that, from the time I listed a house to the time it sold, on average it took about 11.5 hours of my time per listing.” Hewie then came up with an hourly fee of roughly $150/ hour and let his clients choose which services they wanted him to provide. “I wanted to be the Canadian Tire or the Home Depot of Realtors,” says Hewie. “If a real estate company is a pure real estate company, they would be offering whatever services consumers wanted. They’d be selling the marketing tools, the signs and the lockboxes – providing consumers with whatever services they could to help them sell successfully privately. If I go to Canadian Tire, they’ll either fix my car or they’ll sell me the parts and show me how to fix it myself. So does Home Depot. I want to be that for real estate.” Hewie revised his business model in 2007, when CREA introduced its MLS interpretations. Today his three-person office offers three different fee structures, with the highest commission at 3.5 per cent for full services – Hewie retains one per cent and selling agents get 2.5 per cent.

Hewie says, “In real estate, we’re all the same – we have the same tools at our disposal, there is no difference with MLS, the sign, the lockbox. So in order to distinguish ourselves from everyone else, we have to market ourselves. That’s why you see a lot of agents marketing themselves – the girl with the hat, the guy with the dog. There’s this team, that team. We’re all the same, there’s no difference. My marketing strategy is, I offer lower fees and that resonates with consumers more than the girl in the hat and the guy with the dog.”

ViewPoint Realty Halifax-based ViewPoint Realty is one of the newest nontraditional real estate operations in Canada. The company launched its technology-driven real estate services in January,

Bill McMullin

after more than 12 months of software development and data acquisition. Its full service listing package is priced at three per cent, of which two per cent goes to co-operating brokers and one per cent goes to ViewPoint. The company has three people working as Realtors, including founder and CEO Bill McMullin, plus a half-dozen people working behind the scenes in technology support. A key differentiator for ViewPoint Realty – all salespeo-

ple and staff are on salary, none are working on commission. “We don’t believe in the commission model of real estate, we really don’t – there’s a simple reason for that,” says McMullin. “We don’t believe Realtors can sell houses – and I want to be clear: Realtors can help market a house, but we’ve yet to find a buyer who ever bought a house because of something the Realtor told them or some sales pitch the Realtor gave them. Almost 100 per cent of the time buyers indicate they bought because No. 1, they knew it was for sale – that’s a marketing challenge. No. 2, it was in the right location. No. 3, it was the right price. It obviously met their needs, of course. None of those involve selling.” McMullin describes his firm as a traditional real estate brokerage focused on streamlining the transaction process for consumers. “Everything the consumer wants to be easier, we want to make it easier – that’s our mission. Not to get rid of the Realtor, because the consumer will decide, okay, I need a human to help me with that negotiation and a human to help me with pricing and a human to deal with a scenario or situation in a counter-offer,” says McMullin. “You’re not going to have a self-service checkout where you take your house, put it on the conveyor and go through with your debit card. I really do believe there’s going to be a role for the professional for the foreseeable future. All we’re doing is streamlining the front end – the explore stage for buyers and sellers – and the back end.”

Looking ahead McMullin doesn’t foresee ViewPoint Realty changing its business model, regardless of any future ruling by the Competition Tribunal, but he questions what

a changed MLS would look like. “This national central MLS works really well; it’s an efficient system of disseminating information. If we break up that, how does that help the consumer?” McMullin asks. He adds that he’s seen the MLS changes CREA had shared with the Competition Bureau in January. “I’m still at a loss: what is the Competition Bureau looking for? I’d like to know. I’m not skeptical or critical, I just want to know – what is it, what outcome do they want? Because, except for taking the Realtor completely out of the listing process of listing MLS, I don’t know what’s left.” Ian Bailey of One Percent doesn’t anticipate his business model will be impacted by any changes to MLS access, as long as the MLS information itself remains intact. “What I hope it doesn’t do is destroy the data. What if you’ve got all these For Sale By Owners on there and they’re not reporting their sales? What’s wonderful right now is our access to information. We know what every house sold for, we can look at the pictures, the digital photos for everything that’s been on MLS for the last 10 to 15 years and go and see the guy’s living room. You know the dimensions of the place, you know everything about it and what it sold for in 1996 and 1998 and 2002. And now, it could turn into a mess, which would be a shame.” Meanwhile, Donald Hewie of Donald Hewie Real Estate is anxious to see changes to MLS access, so his business model can work the way he wants it to, offering everything “from full service to no service”, serving FSBOs as well as full-service clients. REM

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laudia Fannon, office manager with Re/Max Garden City Realty in St. Catharines, Ont., died on Feb 26th 2010. “Claudia was one of the real pioneers both within the Re/Max organization and here at Re/Max Garden City Realty Inc.,” writes broker of record Wayne Quirk. “Born and raised in St. Catharines, Claudia began her real estate career in 1984 and made the move to Re/Max in 1985. At the time we were one office with about 20 agents. “Claudia assumed a management role in 1990, first in our newly opened Fonthill office, and over time she expanded her duties to include St. Catharines and Grimsby.” She worked closely with Quirk “in the shared dream of growth, expansion and development of excellence,” Quirk says. “Under her guidance the Re/Max Garden City network grew from just a handful of agents to its current size

Claudia Fannon

of almost 200 salespeople in six offices. “In addition to all the daily duties of hiring, training and oversight, Claudia truly took the time to get involved in the lives of her people. Many strong bonds of friendship developed. Her home was a drop-in centre for one and all. She was lovingly referred to as ‘Mom’. “She will be truly missed.” REM

Former broker jailed for a year

former Toronto real estate broker who misappropriated funds deposited to him in trust was sentenced to a year in jail, and his brokerage was fined $200,000. David Seto pled guilty last November to eight counts of failing to ensure that while acting as a broker of record of Re/Max Executive Realty Inc. (1996), the brokerage complied with the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002. The brokerage was also convicted of eight counts of failing to deposit trust money into a real estate trust account and depositing the money directly into a general account. For each of the eight counts, it received a fine of $20,000. A $40,000 victim surcharge fine, standard in such cases, was also levied, says the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). It began an investigation into Seto and the brokerage in January 2009 after receiving a tip from an anonymous source about irregu-

larities regarding a trust account, says the regulator. After an initial investigation, RECO issued a freeze order, freezing the bank accounts of Re/Max Executive Realty. The investigation by RECO found that Seto had signed deposit slips indicating client funds had been deposited into trust accounts when they had not. At the same time, there was a 10-month period where Seto had authorized payments to himself from the general account totaling more than $120,000, says RECO. Though figures show consumer losses exceeded $133,000, they are not out of pocket due to RECO’s consumer protection insurance, says the regulator. During his sentencing, the court was told that Seto had lost $1.2 million of his own money and was driving a taxi for $750 a week to pay off his debts. His lawyer, Marvin Flancman, said Seto did not profit from his actions, but was simply trying to keep the business afloat. REM

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12 REM APRIL 2010

In conversation with Andrew Cimerman HomeLife Realty Services is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The Canadian owned and operated franchisor is part of a real estate family that now includes Red Carpet Realty – in the U.S. and Canada – as well as U.S.-based Realty World International, all headed up by HomeLife founder and CEO Andrew Cimerman. In early March, Cimerman spoke with REM senior editor Kathy Bevan about HomeLife and also shared his views on the current MLS dispute between CREA and the Competition Bureau. REM: Five years ago, HomeLife underwent what you described as “an extreme makeover” – what has emerged since then? Cimerman: Our makeover worked extremely well. Now we can go out with pride with our distinct identity, with our Higher Standards model: higher standards agents, image and education. We have what we call HomeLife “MBA” education – Marketing By Agents for salespeople, Management By Accountability for brokers. We also offer our agents and brokers free 24/7 worldwide classified advertising for their clients, on a site called AdsandDeals.com – no one else is offering this in real estate. Not only can our agents and brokers tell their clients that they’ll advertise their properties 24/7, they also can tell their clients they can advertise their autos and any household items they have for sale. If someone has a car dealership, they can advertise all their dealership’s cars, compliments of HomeLife; if they own a furniture shop, they can advertise their furniture for free. We also can give clients the opportunity to advertise for free for a year or more beyond the date of their listing contract. We believe in building longterm relationships and we have affiliations with our sister companies to help us do this. That’s where we’re so different, because this is all within our affiliates’ control. We aren’t limited to 30 or 60 days of using these services. That’s an incredible value proposition for clients – the only thing you can compare with is Kijiji or Craigslist. We also have a rewards points program that our agents can offer to potential buyers and sellers – reward points not worth $10

or $100, but usually worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Through our affiliates, we’ve built this program and it’s very simple. If you’re buying through us, we agree upon how many points we’ll give to the client – either 100, 200, or one million points, all depending on the size of the property. Then the client can go into an online “shopping mall” with tens of thousands of items to choose among, as a thank you for giving HomeLife agents and brokers the opportunity to do business with them. Our clients can also post, if they’re between jobs, free résumés and go on and seek job opportunities – all compliments of HomeLife and our affiliates. REM: You’ve also expanded into a number of other countries over the past few years – is this now your focus, or are you still looking for growth opportunities in Canada as well? Cimerman: Internationally, we’re in Dubai, Panama, Portugal, Romania and Bulgaria. We’re negotiating with the Baltic states and we should be opening in China within 60 days.

at this month’s AGM and the bureau’s commissioner filing for a formal hearing before the Competition Tribunal. Do you think MLS access rules and regulations should be changed? Cimerman: Our industry is regulated – and I mean, choked-todeath regulated – with FINTRAC and all the rules and regulations that have been imposed at almost every government level. Now a new commissioner comes in, attacking a fundamentally strong infrastructure that protects buyers and sellers more than they would probably be protected under any other circumstances. You want to see homeowners and investors being protected – how better can you protect them than by having the regulated parties servicing them, with strong education and strong rules and regulations in place? At the same time, buyers and sellers have total freedom for what they want to do, who they want to choose and how much they want to pay to the salesperson and the company they want to engage on their behalf.

We are equally interested in growth in small-town Canada. Our product has been designed in a way that is very community oriented. Jerome the Gnome, our goodwill ambassador, is doing a superb job in building relationships in communities. Our focus now is smaller communities in Canada, while our eye is on major deals internationally, to continue to expand as aggressively as we can.

What has been forgotten in this entire process – maybe it’s for lack of knowledge on the part of the commissioner and the people looking at this situation – is that Realtors are commissioned people. There is no paycheque. Realtors go out and prospect clients for listings – residential, commercial, industrial – at zero cost to anyone. That is not being acknowledged whatsoever by the commissioner.

REM: Here at home, the dispute between CREA and the Competition Bureau over MLS access has intensified, with CREA’s membership scheduled to vote on proposed changes

Realtors go out and meet the challenge, meet the client, build the relationship and trust with the client. Why would any buyer or seller entrust a $100,000 or a million-dollar property or

Andrew Cimerman with Jerome the Gnome (Photo by Marko Shark)

investment to someone they have no relationship with and no knowledge whatsoever of their expertise?

mendous role in our expansion and rise and we will continue to add to our value proposition for our agents and brokers.

To have a property listed on MLS where no due diligence has been done, I think that is nothing but walking buyers and sellers into the hands of the courts, because there could be huge mistakes. Now, more than ever, with the costs of homes so high and any investment properties too, you need a pro to do it. REM: What do you see HomeLife providing to consumers and your sales force over your next 25 years in business?

HomeLife’s social involvement in the community and giving back to the community is a high priority. Our motto is, for every home we sell, we’ll plant a tree in your honour. With our HELP program – HomeLife Environmental Leadership Program – we’re committed to do our part in preserving clean air and water and helping future generations to enjoy at least the same lifestyle, if not better than what we have.

Cimerman: We want to be a powerhouse organization, with a big role at the local, national and international level. We will continue to build on our principle of higher standards and high quality at all our brands, with distinct differences from our competitors. My belief is that a strong education will continue to play a tre-

The one thing we want in our living legacy is community involvement – we want to give back to the communities we get so much from. That is why we are so protective of the buyers and sellers. It’s just a way to say a big thank you for giving us the opportunity to do business with you. REM

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Letters to the Editor Competition Bureau It appears the Competition Bureau has an axe to grind and they have chosen us as their test case. Their contention that we are restricting competition is neither factually nor conceptually correct. If you type in anything but MLS to inquire about property sale alternatives there are pages and pages of them that come up on the Internet (bytheowner.com – propertysold.ca – propertyguys.com – housemaxx.ca – canadabyowner.com – canada-fsbo.com – canadianhomes4sale.com – canadahomesforsale.com – and the list goes on). These alternatives are largely unknown, disorganized and lacking in choice, and most members of the public don’t trust the information available on these unregulated sites. However, anyone who does not want to pay the commission is fully entitled to choose one of these models. In addition the public can place an ad in the newspaper, they can place their own sign on their lawn, they can hire an auctioneer, they can try Craigslist or any other similar option. There is no end of choice for the consumer, so the argument that there are no alternatives and we are restricting competition is absolutely false. Realtors have spent decades and millions of dollars building a business model that works. The MLS including Realtor.ca is the gold standard for property sales and 90 per cent or more of all property sellers utilize our system. This is a privately owned system that belongs to all of us. The Competition Bureau claims that we discourage and deny access to our very effective business model from discount brokerages and in fact we may be responsible for their ultimate failure. The Competition Bureau feels our privately owned and highly successful Realtor.ca should become a public utility open to all FSBO organizations and corporate entities as well as members of the public. In their view this will increase competition

and reduce what they feel are exorbitant commission rates. Ultimately this will lead to large conglomerates being able to have open access to our information, market themselves and our information to the public, and then sell our own customers back to us or even to buy and sell real estate directly through their corporate websites. At one point in a previous attack on our system the Competition Bureau even suggested that the amount paid to a selling salesperson should be hidden until after the offer has been accepted so the selling agent cannot discriminate against those who do not wish to pay us fair compensation. There are many discount brokerages on all real estate boards. We do not discriminate against them nor do we prevent the public from seeking their services. Many fail because their business models do not generate enough profits to keep them in business. Agents earn their living through commissions. There is a natural tendency for agents to promote those properties that pay them the most. That being said, buyers still make their own choices. We do not and cannot prevent lower commissions from being part of the marketplace. That is the definition of competition and it exists now. Through RECO and provincial licensing requirements as well as our local boards we are responsible for the accuracy of the information on the Realtor.ca site. If this is opened to corporations, FSBO organizations and the general public, those safeguards will be gone and the trust the public places in our system will soon follow. The unfortunate consequences of that may be that we simply close the system down and everyone loses. CREA has tried every reasonable and rational effort to co-operate with the Competition Bureau but they are insistent on prosecuting (do I hear persecuting?) our MLS. As salespeople we have a natural tendency to try to avoid discord and conflict. We cannot allow that to become a weakness

and allow the Competition Bureau to turn our privately owned, highly successful business model into a public utility. Sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand and defend your position. That time is now. Ms. Aitken and the Competition Bureau are intent on making us their horrible example and forcing us to turn our private business model into a public utility. Tom Booth Broker of Record Century 21 Results ASAP Realty Ltd Sarnia, Ont.

Are we professionals? I read with considerable interest Michael Polzler’s opinions in the March 2010 edition of REM. (Re/Max advertisement). Michael refers to us as “professionals”. We want to be treated as professionals. We want to be rewarded as professionals. But first we must behave as professionals. To do that we must believe deep down that we are professionals. We must acknowledge what a true professional is before we can aspire to be one. It follows that we must know what a profession is. Let’s not quibble about it... Webster’s New World Dictionary defines a profession as: “...an occupation requiring advanced education and training, as medicine, law etc. (So, just what is a professional?) The dictionary defines professional as “...engaged in, or... (key words...worthy of).” By definition, we are not professionals in the truest sense of the word; we are wannabe professionals. If we want to refer to ourselves as professionals and have members of the public treat us that way, then we should damn well act the part. Actions speak louder than words. But it seems that it is almost impossible for some in our business to even act professionally. Maybe it’s not in their nature to do so; it’s too foreign to their mind-set. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. These are the people who give our industry a bad name; it is just not in their nature to force themselves to be something they don’t care about; they’re just in it for the money. Regarding professional/ethical behaviour: No amount of education (such as answering ethics Continued on page 16

18 REM APRIL 2010

The new mortgage rules…and what they mean to your clients By Jeremy Shaffner

ith three new mortgage rules coming into force on April 19, as announced on February 16 by federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, it’s important to know how this will affect your clients in their bids to obtain mortgages moving forward. The good news is that most of your clients will not be significantly impacted by the latest changes. The intention of the new rules is to curb speculation housing and encourage homeowners to use their homes as a savings tool, rather than borrowing home equity to pay down loans and credit cards. Rule #1 – Minimum down payment requirements for non-

owner-occupied homes will increase to 20 per cent from five per cent, and the way that rental income is considered will be scaled back from a maximum 80 per cent offset to 50 per cent added to income. With 20 per cent down, most rental property applications will be approved with conventional guidelines, so it will ultimately come down to the lender’s policy. This rule will have the most dramatic impact of all three changes, but only on your real estate investor clients. Being required to put more money down and being able to use less potential rental income for qualifying purposes will displace many new real estate investors (who currently only make up around four per cent of all mortgage consumers in Canada). This change is intended to avoid any kind of future housing bubble in Canada by curbing spec-

ulation building. The recent economic downturn caused builders to stop building and many new homes sat vacant throughout the early stages of 2009. When rates started to drop and buyers began to gobble up property that had been on the market for some time, the supply/demand ratio started to lead to higher demand and escalated prices. Rule #2 – All borrowers will have to meet qualification standards for a five-year fixed-rate mortgage even if they choose a mortgage with a lower interest rate and shorter term. Current standards for mortgage qualifying are typically based on a lender’s three-year fixed rate (if your clients are opting for a variable rate, home equity line of credit, or one-, two- or three-year fixed-rate product, which typically carry a lower interest rate). This qualifying standard has, in the past, been sufficient to protect consumers from

rates increasing over the term (at least on paper). Essentially, the government is forcing people to prepare for a likely rate hike over the next five years. Considering the average difference between discounted threeand five-year fixed rates is only between 0.30 per cent and 0.49 per cent, this should truly not have a drastic impact on the average mortgage applicant – if, in fact, the new rules intend to have mortgage applicants qualify based on discounted rates. It is still unclear if the upcoming alterations are meant to have your clients approved based on “posted” five-year rates, which would mean a difference of more than two per cent. Rule #3 – The maximum amount Canadians can withdraw when refinancing their mortgages will be reduced from 95 per cent to 90 per cent of the value of their homes. This final change will likely

have the most impact on those Canadians who have a current government-backed insured mortgage and would like to take advantage of the equity in their homes to consolidate debt in the future. In recent times, with rates at historical lows, it’s been advantageous for consumers to roll their unsecured debt into their mortgage to decrease monthly payments – so much so that the government has sought an end to this trend of high loan-to-value mortgages. Only time will tell if the government’s measures to curb spiking house prices and encourage equity savings will be a positive change for Canadians. Jeremy Shaffner is a licensed mortgage broker with Dominion Lending Centres Solutions based in Vernon, B.C. Phone 250-558-1111; Email jschaffner@dominionlending.ca; Website www.jeremyschaffner.ca REM

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16 REM APRIL 2010

Letters to the Editor Continued from page 14

questions correctly on an exam) will miraculously convert an unethical person into an ethical one; one is either ethical or one is not. Question: If this statement is not true, why are there crooked lawyers, financial advisors, priests, politicians and real estate sales representatives? They all are supposed to adhere to their industry related codes of conduct/ethics. Answer: As with all things human, it boils down to a matter of personality. Some personality types will never be fit to conform to society’s moral values or to the definition of a professional. I think that Michael is right when he says that our members should be better educated, but the education should be inherent with the prospects before they become candidates. We need a higher underlying foundation of education going in; a true professional is already well educated before attaining certification in one’s profession. However, there is one criterion that if genuinely possessed

innately within one’s personality, will tend to increase one’s chances of becoming a “behavioural” professional (one who is perceived to be a professional via observable behaviour). That is an altruistic attitude. An attitude geared toward a public service mentality can help to overcome all kinds of barriers to “success” within the real estate industry (success as measured by the quality of one’s service to one’s fellow beings, regardless of how much money is involved). The money will come over time as the result of one’s reputation becoming known for what it is. Well regarded/consumer tenured real estate careers evolve over time via reputations built on foundations of integrity. Your reputation is made by others. Your character is made by you. There are no courses that create character. One either has it, or one does not. Brokers, stop hiring people with a lack of character; you of all people can tell the difference. Get rid of those already employed who lack character; they are the ones who make us all look bad. Discriminate – it’s the right/smart

thing to do over the long run. Consumers will benefit. Then all real estate professionals will benefit because we, the bricks and mortar making up the structure, will collectively be perceived as being of higher quality. High quality begets professionalism. Our industry may indeed need a structural overhaul as Michael has suggested, but the best engineered product and/or service made up of defective parts and/or bad attitudes is still a lemon. Our industry also needs a mass cognitive overhaul of the cultural-centric, negative attitude toward the consumer (the hand that employs/feeds us) that seems to me to exist within the minds of many of our members. Michael has challenged us to access his website at www.takingbacktheindustry.com. I also challenge you, if you disagree with my position, to access my website at www.century2l.calbrian.martindale and read an article that I wrote soon after I received my salesperson’s license in August 2008, entitled Real Estate Sales Representatives...Salespeople or Advocates? Tell me if I am wrong,

but tell me also why I am wrong. Michael says we are apathetic. If I don’t see a spike on my website hit list after you have read this article, then he is right. Michael also challenges us in his article by asking, “Just who is looking out for the real estate consumer?” Answer: Look in the mirror; he/she will always be looking at you. Brian Martindale Sales Representative Century 2l United Realty Inc. Peterborough, Ont.

Above the crowd? Re/Max has recently been practicing pure “puffery”, conducting a national radio and TV advertising campaign that claims they are “Canada’s Favourite Agents”. While new agents are taught that you can’t make such claims unless the source or basis on which the claim is based accompanies the ad, most tenured agents know better. Since any claims in advertising must comply with all applicable laws, including the Competition Act, here in Canada, one must

assume that Re/Max has been thorough in performing their due diligence. This advertising is not particularly professional, shows a complete lack of any substance or real value, and does nothing to enhance the public perception of Re/Max or our industry. IMHO, resorting to “puffery” really cheapens our profession and industry, neutralizes national efforts to correct and promote favourable public perception and professionalism and seems counter intuitive. In fact I’d be embarrassed if I were a Re/Max agent knowing this is where my fees were going, and I wouldn’t be in a hurry to get on that balloon if I was a prospective agent either. John Grasty Sales representative Prudential Sterling Realty Burnaby, B.C. See many more comments about REM stories, and add your opinion, at www.remonline.com. REM

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THE UN-COMFORT ZONE

By Robert Wilson

hen my son was two years old we got a Samoyed puppy, and for the next 18 months they were the best of friends. Then the dog changed. Suddenly she started growling at my son and biting him. At first I thought that maybe he was pulling her tail or something else was irritating her, but that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it. My dog had become an adult and instinct kicked in. She became concerned with her place in the pack hierarchy. I learned

Pack mentality that our family was her pack, that I was alpha-dog and that she had no intention of being at the bottom of the pecking order. That meant someone had to be beneath her and the easiest choice was my toddler. Through training and discipline we got the biting to stop, but to this day she still considers my son subordinate to her. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about status and exclusivity. Human beings are just as motivated by these as a pack animal. When Abraham Maslow created his Theory of Human Motivation in 1943, he identified five levels of motivation or five needs that humans strive to satisfy. Those needs are, in order: survival, safety, social, esteem and fulfilment. Status is an esteem need and regardless of where we fall on the economic ladder, we all strive to achieve status before we can move on to the highest need. Whether we admit it or not, we all want to

feel as if we are a little bit better than the people around us. We begin to establish that â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at least in our own minds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with the accouterments of wealth such as branded clothing, jewelry, luxury automobiles and exclusive neighbourhoods. Even the poorest of people find symbols with which to establish their status. The visibility of these status symbols can create the powerfully motivating emotion of envy. Most happiness that is acquired by achieving status symbols is short lived. Over time, such trappings become meaningless to us. Then we seek genuine achievements to prove our worth. Studies have shown that after reaching a certain income level (usually around $250,000 a year) an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happiness does not increase until they reach the status of super rich (approximately $10 million a year). But status can continue to

motivate us long after money ceases to do so. Bestowing a new title with added responsibilities yet without any added pay is a common method for rewarding employees. Volunteers can be motivated in a similar fashion. I have been a Boy Scout leader for the past five years. The Boy Scouts of America rewards its leaders with patches embroidered with colourful square knots that are worn on the adult uniform. Different coloured square knots represent the variety of services a volunteer has provided or achievements earned. Some square knots represent achievements earned years earlier when the volunteer was a Boy Scout. When I attend formal full uniform functions, I find myself scanning fellow leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; square knots to note their status. There is one we all look for; it is the red, white and blue knot that

indicates the wearer earned the highest status in scouting as a youth: the Eagle Scout award. When the United States was founded, one of its distinguishing characteristics from the rest of the world was the lack of a feudal or caste system. That doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean status doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist in America. Indeed it does, but here we must earn it. Best of all, people have a choice and can rise above the station they were born into. Lacking status puts us in the Un-Comfort Zone and drives us to achieve. When you help someone up the social ladder, you can motivate them in a powerful and positive way. Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist. He works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information: www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com. REM

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Now that the holidays are over, your thoughts may be shifting back to your housing situation, including a 2010 move. The real estate market is still front-page news in many cities, with numerous mentions of “short sales.” What are short sales, and how might they apply to you?

Gre e Greetings! You’re receiving this new w newsletter with hopes that you ﬁnd informative and entertaining. it in nf

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In a nutshell, short sales are homes extensive paperwork involved and that sell for less than the amount expedite your transaction. owed on them. Sellers may choose Usually, short sales are anything but If yo o you’re thinking of making a move, this route over foreclosure to avoid a short process. You’ll benefit from a or ar re just curious as to real estate are damaging their credit rating, as would real estate sales representative who trend d in your area, please feel free trends happen if the bank actually took over is knowledgeable about this specific Market calll at any time. It’s always good to cal their home. Buyers are always looking type of transaction, and who will to hea a from you! hear for a good deal, so if they have the research each short sale situation for wn Bro patience toDa waitnny out the longer of you carefully, and pay attention to the All thee best, s closing period often involved in short many details involved. Compliment sales, they may reap the rewards in n y Brow DannThere are many Inc. of real estate many markets. nstypes et Connectiothat are101 Mark transactions Suite specific to Yonge Street, Whether you’re a seller or a buyer, 4950today’s market. The more educated to, ON M2N 6K1 maneuvering your way through the Toron you are on your options, the short sale process is not something to more satisfactory your real estate do alone. Working with an experienced experience will be. Please call with real estate sales representative is your questions on short sales, or highly advisable in order to protect other types of real estate transactions Name your interests, take care of the you may be interested in. Your Client’s

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s Realtors in 2010 we need to understand exactly how the marketplace is changing. One of the most impressive changes is that the Baby Boomers are no longer the only generation driving the marketplace. While they are obviously a major factor, they are being quickly bumped out of top spot by the emergence of Generation Y, along with the smaller counterpart, Generation X. As a group they represent more than 20 per cent of the population, which for Canadians means approximately 6.7 million people. By 2012 Gen Y will encompass the entire 18-34 age bracket (our first-time home buyers). Gen X and Gen Y encompass people born from 1960 through 1994. Gen X is a smaller group but they share very similar upbringing and styles of behaviour. They are the mild mannered version of Gen Y. As a quick metaphor, Gen X is Canada, and Gen Y is the USA. The important part is that together they are a major force in the marketplace and they deal with salespeople and technology very differently from their predecessors. Let’s get to know this ‘new clientele’ just a little more intimately. As Realtors, when we know how they think we can adjust ourselves and provide the level of service they want. • Gen X and Y are very independent, due to working mothers, divorce, day care and technology. A quarter of them are in a singleparent family, and three-quarters have a working mother. • They feel empowered – they believe they are owed something from the world – they are the “trophy generation.” • They are one of the most educated generations of all time. More than 60 per cent have completed a college diploma or university degree. • They have always lived in a

disposable society – there are always new iPods, video game machines, cars, clothes, cell phones, computers, printers. • Money has little to no value as they have always spent and bought whatever they wanted. (Home values rising for 11 years in a row told them that getting money is easy.) • They have access to unprecedented information – on the Internet, hundreds of TV channels, a shopping mall on every corner, outlet malls, online shopping, DVDs, Wikipedia. • They are not loyal – they are about making life easy and simple and whoever provides that is who they will use. What does this mean? 1. Everything in their lives has lead to the belief that if they cannot get what they want here, they can get it there. So if they do not get what they want they will move on to the next source until they get it. 2. They prefer directness over subtlety – give it to them straight. They’ll make decisions when logic is seen. They will initially want things based on emotion but will not buy without logic. 3. Eighty-six per cent have clicked on banner ads and sponsored links – that’s a 47 per cent higher rate than older generations. 4. They do a lot of independent research when choosing what to buy. How can Realtors use this knowledge to provide better service? 1. Use their mediums. Attract and communicate with them using quick response techniques – email, web forms, social media and via text message. Remember, they are not loyalty based like Baby Boomers; they are ease-of-use based. Make things work for them in their lives and they will stay. 2. Provide immediate value. To overcome the new clientele’s need for information RIGHT NOW,

provide them access to the best information as quickly as possible. Be available and reachable when they need you to be. This does not mean become their slave, but have many options for the client to reach you. 3. Use a personalized approach. The new clientele responds amazingly to experiences that allow them to personalize and customize their interactions. They have always been the centre of attention and had things done with their specific needs in mind – they are not interested in following your system, but in creating a system for themselves. Put them in charge or at least make them feel that way. 4. Take a logical approach. The new clientele responds well to straight shooters and is used to making logic-based buying decisions based on information and fact. They have been programmed through their upbringing to make decisions based on logic. Emotional attachment is first but solidified through logic. Taking the time to identify your clients and their needs, then selling to them the way they want to be sold, is the first step to becoming a successful Realtor. We cannot use the same techniques we have always used, not because they no longer work, but because the new client doesn’t respond to them. When dealing with Baby Boomers, what they have always wanted remained mostly intact, but as our clientele shifts, so too must our style of service. Andy Herrington is a Realtor with 10 years’ experience. He has worked for six years as a lead conversion agent on three top producing teams across the GTA. A founding member and master coach with Dan Plowman Team Systems Inc., he is regarded as a specialist in human behaviour, scripting and team development. Email andy@danplowmanteamsystems.com. REM

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Marketing gone awry f the many skills a Realtor must possess in order to succeed, there are a few that tend to slip below the radar for mastering – advertising and promotion perhaps heading the list. That may refer just to the marketing strategy of listed properties to be sure, but sometimes as well to the actual sales agent’s self-promotional campaigns. Before I cast stones in a glass house, let me confess that I made a few blunders of my own back when I still held my own real estate license. I held it in constant fear of a marketing guru grabbing it out of my hands, after some of the ad campaigns I came up with. One of my all-time favourite blunders was a series of cartoon caricatures that I commissioned about two years into my practice. Several actually worked out quite nicely; in spite of the recurring Clark Kent/Elvis curl the cartoonist exaggerated onto my forehead. If you’re going to take artistic license, at least fill in the bald spot in the BACK of my head! The one in that series I wish I could have taken back before it ran was a cartoon of myself swinging through the African jungle on a vine – which may not have been quite so embarrassing if I hadn’t been drawn while clinging apelike and loin-clothed to a similarly loin-clothed Tarzan, grinning like the local village idiot, bone-in-ahair-knot-on-my-head, while making some sort of pointing gesture to a house for sale in the treetops. Politically incorrect on multiple levels, AND embarrassing – quite the coup! Even the first set of business cards I had printed were a soon-tobe-classic example of “Do Not Do This” for new Realtors. Conscious of keeping costs down when I first started my career, I went out the front door of our real estate office and into the photo studio next door. An ad that ran on their window proclaimed, “Passport Photos, 2 Pics For 1 Price”. Those savings would keep me in Kraft Dinner for weeks. As the photographer wearily explained that he’d be taking two photos for the price of one for yet

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another thrifty fledgling sales agent, I thought to myself, “How should I pose for these pictures?” To my surprise, passport photos (back then) were shot two at a time, in a single snap, while I was still deep in thought trying to figure out how glamorous my pose should be. Instead of “I’m a successful winner”, I ended up with identical shots of myself in a casual sweater, chewing on my bottom lip, and winking like a pirate without his eye patch. The only thing missing in those shots were a series of numbers running across my chest. Another apparent flaw in the arsenal of marketing choices I made was my vinyl car signs. If you are going to festoon your vehicle with signage, try not to: • Park for hours “accidentally” outside your competitor’s national recruitment office. Which is on your manager’s way home. • Read a newspaper while you’re driving, even if your ad does seem to be missing. • Drop off advertising copy at a radio station that’s just below Cougars Nite Club. • Go to a Commissionaire’s office to contest a parking ticket at length, where the only open parking meter is in front of a wellmarked massage parlour/escort service. Which is on your manager’s way home. Humour columnist and author Dan St. Yves was licensed with Royal LePage Kelowna for 11 years. Check out his website at www.nonsenseandstuff.com, or contact him at ThatDanGuy@shaw.ca. REM

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Century 21 Canada Century 21 Canada recently announced its annual awards for outstanding achievements by its members in 2009. First place in the individual production category went to May Young, broker/owner of Century 21 South Breeze Realty, in Markham, Ont. Sales representative Serge Normand of Century 21 NordSud, Riviêre-du-Loup, Que., earned top spot for most number of units sold. In 2008, Normand was awarded the prestigious 20-Year Centurion Producer Award for two decades of production success in

Barry Cohen

Paul Rushforth

the Century 21 System. The Goodale Miller Team of Century 21 Miller Real Estate Ltd. in Oakville, Ont., earned first place for team production in Canada for the second year in a row, achieving Top 10 Teams ranking for the tenth consecutive year. The top team award for units sold went to L’Équipe Cheff/Lanctôt at Century 21 Innovation in Montreal, giving the firm Top Teams ranking for the second year in a row. Century 21 Percy Fulton in Toronto was the top office in Canada by production for the 20th consecutive year.

Century 21 First Canadian of London, Ont. edged out Percy Fulton to gain top spot in the Office category by units sold for the sixth time. Century 21 Conexus Realty of Regina once again swept the Firm award category. It is the 13th consecutive year that Conexus has led the Century 21 System by units, and the fourth year in a row that the firm has ranked highest by both units and production.

Exit Realty Exit Realty rocked the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel recently as Exit Realty franchisees and agents learned, laughed and danced up a storm at the company’s Canadian Sales Rally. Ron Young, franchisee of Exit Realty Specialists, was named Canadian Broker of the Year. Pamela Norman, sales representative at Exit Realty on the Rock, received Canadian Rookie of the Year honours.

Serge Normand receives his award from Century 21 Canada chairman and CEO U. Gary Charlwood (left) and Don Lawby, president and COO (right).

May Young with Century 21 Canada chairman and CEO U. Gary Charlwood (left) and Don Lawby, president and COO (right).

FVREB Realtors Make Good Neighbours award recipients, from left: Sheila Potter, Laura Thibeault, Rick Dubord (Corporate award), Donna Whitehead and Chris Whitehead.

Peter Hogeterp

Sam McDadi

Deborah Burton (left) and Karen Jordan

Canadian Rookie of the Year Pamela Norman of Exit Realty on the Rock with Exit Realty Canada senior vicepresident of franchise sales Ed Martens (left) and president Joyce Paron (right).

John Tillie receives his award from Lisa De Leeuw, branch manager of Coast Capital Savings, Nanaimo.

Kelly DaCosta (left) and Cliff Rego

FVREB president Paul Penner, Bridget Houghton

VIREB’s Bob Clarke (left) presents Marty Douglas with his award.

REM APRIL 2010 27

Keller Williams Keller Williams Realty’s International convention was attended by almost 8,500 sales reps. The spotlight was on Canada and especially Keller Williams Ottawa Realty and its top agent, Paul Rushforth. With 265 agents, Keller Williams Ottawa, under team leader Sunny Daljit, was named the number one office in the entire Keller Williams system in terms of agent volume, number of units written and gross commission income. It also achieved the No. 3 status in terms of owner profit and profit share back to the agents. After only seven years in the business, Keller Williams Ottawa’s Paul Rushforth and his Rushforth Team were also honoured as the No. 1 team in the entire Keller Williams system for gross commission income.

Re/Max Ontario Re/Max Ontario – Atlantic Canada recently honoured its Ontario Realtors for 2009. Leading in terms of Top Commissions – Individuals were Barry Cohen, Peter Kwan, David Batori, Paul Oulahen adnd Robert Kroll – all from Re/Max Realtron Realty; Frank Leo, Re/Max West Realty; Vesna Kolenc, Re/Max Excellence Realty; Peter Hogeterp, Re/Max Del Mar Realty; Zia Abbas, Re/Max Vision Realty; and Shahid Khawaja, Re/Max Performance Realty. Christopher Invidiata, Re/Max Aboutowne Realty, secured top spot in Top Commissions – Teams, followed by Sam McDadi, Re/Max Performance Realty; Melanie Wright, Monica Thapar and Thomas Cook – all of Re/Max Hallmark Realty; Dan Plowman, Re/Max Rouge River Realty; Cliff Rego, Re/Max Real Estate Centre; Craig Proctor, Re/Max Omega Realty; Drew Woolcott, Re/Max Escarpment Realty; and Sylvia Houghton, Re/Max Classic Properties. Sales associates by Transactions in the population over 150,000 category were Frank Leo, Re/Max West Realty; Peter Kwan, Re/Max Realtron Realty; and Sandy Kennedy of Re/Max Realty Services. Peter Hogeterp, Re/Max Del Mar Realty took the No. 1 position in the category of populaContinued on page 28

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And the honour goes to... Continued from page 27

tion between 50,000 and 150,000, followed by Faisal Susiwala, Re/Max Twin City Realty and Emily Gillan, Re/Max Garden City Realty. In population under 50,000, Jennifer Turcotte of Re/Max Pembroke Realty ranked first; Maurice De Laere, Re/Max Tri-County Realty, took second; and Helen Vincent of Re/Max Metro-City Realty (Renfrew) placed third. Top Teams by Transactions for 2009 were as follows: In the population over 150,000 category, Sam McDadi, Re/Max Performance Realty took first, followed by Melanie Wright, Re/Max Hallmark Realty and Monica Thapar, Re/Max Hallmark Realty. Cliff Rego of Re/Max Real Estate Centre claimed top spot for population between 50,000 and 150,000, followed by Dan Plowman, Re/Max Rouge River Realty and Craig Proctor, Re/Max Omega Realty. Karen Jordan of Re/Max Pembroke Realty ranked first for transactions in the population under 50,000 category, followed by Judy DeGeer of Re/Max Pembroke Realty and Tony Pulla of Re/Max Lakeshore Realty.

Fraser Valley Real Estate Board Bridget Houghton, associate broker of Royal LePage – Wolstencroft in Langley, B.C. is the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board’s 2010 (FVREB) John Armeneau Professional of the Year. Houghton has been a Realtor since 1980 and managing broker since 1990. The award is named in honour of North Delta Realtor John Armeneau, a role model and mentor to other Fraser Valley Realtors. It recognizes professional excellence, integrity, dedication to fellow colleagues, clients and community, as well as devotion to organized real estate. Houghton has volunteered on FVREB committees for 14 years. She is also a strong advocate of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, helping her office facilitate annual fundraising drives in support of shelters for the safety and security of women and children. The Cloverdale office of

HomeLife Benchmark Realty in Surrey is the recipient of the FVREB’s Realtors Make Good Neighbours Corporate Award for its outstanding community contribution outside of the real estate profession in 2009. Receiving individual awards for their community contribution last year were Sheila Potter of HomeLife Benchmark Realty (Fleetwood) in Surrey, Laura Thibeault of HomeLife Benchmark Realty (White Rock) in South Surrey, and Chris and Donna Whitehead of Macdonald Realty Olympic in Surrey. HomeLife Benchmark Realty (Cloverdale) provides an annual scholarship to Kwantlen Polytechnic University, raised over $38,000 for the Variety Children’s Charity through its annual golf tournament, supported a Habitat for Humanity build and is a partner in the Elikia Village Project in the Congo, Africa. Rick Dubord is broker/manager of the brokerage. Potter is known throughout her community for her involvement with the Surrey Food Bank, Christmas Bureau and Newton Advocacy Group. She also manages her office’s community fundraising for local events, shelters and scholarships. Thibeault focuses on giving back to her neighbourhood, Ocean Park, South Surrey. She has led the community’s business association and has volunteered for the Ocean Park Community Association as an event director, organizing fundraising events and Christmas and community celebration events. Chris and Donna Whitehead devote hours each week volunteering for the Surrey Food Bank. They not only help sort, drive and assist in the office, they personally hold fundraising and food collection events every year and donate a portion of their commission to the food bank.

Vancouver Island Real Estate Board John Tillie, Re/Max of Duncan, B.C. is Vancouver Island Real Estate Board’s (VIREB) 2009 Realtor of the Year. Tillie was chosen for his significant contributions to the real estate profession. He served on VIREB’s Board of Directors from 1999 – 2002 holding numerous portfolios and was its 2001 president. He has been on the Board of Directors of the

British Columbia Real Estate Association since 2002 and was elected as its President in 2009. The board says he has demonstrated “exceptional leadership qualities, co-operation and support for his peers, and has made a broad impact that benefits all of the industry, while being involved in his community.” Realtors Care Awards were presented to members within each of the geographical zones within the VIREB region, from the Malahat to the North Island, for their personal leadership and service to their communities. Honoured were Reg Eaton of Royal LePage Advance Realty in Campbell River, Rick Gibson of Royal LePage in the Comox Valley, Jan Christenson of Royal LePage in Ladysmith, Glynis Hayes of Coast Realty Nanaimo, Dan Jack of Sutton Group Whitecap Realty in Parksville and Frances Kimura of Sutton Group - West Coast Realty in Port Alberni. Marty Douglas was named the seventh Honourary Member in the almost 60-year history of VIREB. This honour is given to a member who by their exceptional contributions to the industry have significantly aided in its growth and development. Douglas was first licensed as a real estate salesperson in 1970. Since then, he has been employed as a salesperson, branch manager and managing broker. He is an owner manager and oversees nearly 40 representatives. Douglas has served on the Real Estate Council and the Real Estate Errors & Omissions Insurance Corporation. He has served in many capacities at the British Columbia Real Estate Association and served on many VIREB committees. He served five terms as a director and one year as president. Douglas is also a long-time REM columnist. “Marty exemplifies all the attributes of a great leader,” says VIREB. “His dedication and significant contributions to the industry and his community are extraordinary. He is an exceptional mentor not only for the Realtors in his office, but for Realtors in B.C. He has an outstanding ability as a teacher and columnist to effectively communicate and engage his audiences with knowledge and humour.”

Re/Max of Western Canada Re/Max of Western Canada recently announced its top affiliates for 2009. Top 5 Individuals – Residential – 1. Victor Kwan, Re/Max Select Properties, Vancouver. 2. Sam (Salvatore) Corea, Re/Max House of Real Estate, Calgary. 3. Sam McCall, Re/Max Masters Realty, West Vancouver, B.C. 4. Kevin Moist, Re/Max Performance Realty, Winnipeg. 5. Jessica Chan, Re/Max Real Estate (Mountain View), Calgary. Top 5 Teams – Residential – 1. Terry Paranych, Re/Max Elite, Edmonton. 2. Joyce Tourney, Re/Max Crown Real Estate North, Regina. 3. Donna Rooney, Re/Max Real Estate Central, Calgary. 4. Ron Antalek, Re/Max RidgeMeadows Realty, Maple Ridge, B.C. 5. Len T. Wong, Re/Max House of Real Estate, Calgary. Top 5 Associates – Commercial – 1. Bill Goold, Re/Max Real Estate Services, Vancouver. 2. Scott Predenchuk, Re/Max Crown Real Estate North, Regina. 3. Tim Walsh, Re/Max Fort McMurray Realty, Fort McMurray, Alta. 4. Peter Hall, Re/Max Central, Burnaby, B.C. 5. Kent Hage, Re/Max Real Estate Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alta. Transaction Awards: Manitoba – Team – Lorin McLachlan, Re/Max Executives Realty, Winnipeg. Individual – Kevin Moist, Re/Max Performance Realty, Winnipeg. Office – Re/Max Performance Realty, Winnipeg, with broker/owners Tom Fulton and Eric Joseph. Saskatchewan – Team – Joyce Tourney, Re/Max Crown Real Estate North, Regina. Individual: Bob Redpath, Re/Max Saskatoon (North), Saskatoon. Office – Re/Max Saskatoon (East), Saskatoon with broker/owner Larry Stewart. Alberta – Team – Terry Paranych, Re/Max Elite, Edmonton. Individual – Alice Mateyko, Re/Max Real Estate Central, Calgary. Office – Re/Max Real Estate Central, Calgary, with broker/owner Pat Hare. British Columbia – Team – Ron Antalek, Re/Max RidgeMeadows Realty, Maple Ridge. Individual – Helen Ralph, Re/Max Real Estate (Kamloops), Kamloops. Office – Re/Max Camosun, Victoria with

broker/owner Wayne Schrader. Western Canada – Team – Joyce Tourney, Re/Max Crown Realty North, Regina. Individual – Alice Mateyko, Re/Max Real Estate Central, Calgary. Small Market Office – Re/Max Action Realty, Fort St. John, B.C. with broker/owners Rich Petersen, Doug Petersen and Trevor Bolin. Top Office – Re/Max Real Estate Central, Calgary with broker/ owner Pat Hare. Broker/owner of the Year Awards – Single Office – Bill Briggs, Re/Max Real Estate (Edmonton), Central Edmonton. Multi-office – Allan Fox, Re/Max Real Estate Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alta. (offices in Coaldale, Taber and Picture Butte). Small Market – Brent Melville, Re/Max Real Estate (Edmonton), Morinville, Alta. Robert H. Cherot Award – Norm Winters and Jean Winters, Re/Max Advantage, Sherwood Park, Alta. Manager of the Year – Richard Laurendeau, Re/Max Westcoast, Richmond, B.C. Administrators of the Year – Julie Edwards, Re/Max Kelowna, Kelowna, B.C.; Linda Cropper, Re/Max West Real Estate, Cochrane, Alta. Spirit of the West – Lynne Heintz, Re/Max Performance Realty, Winnipeg. Re/Max Hockey Team Organizers – John Humphreys, Re/Max Masters Realty, West Vancouver; Ken Eddy, Re/Max Real Estate Central, Calgary; Philip Cote, Re/Max Progroup Realty, (Tsawwassen), Delta, B.C.; Ron Neal, Re/Max Alliance, Victoria; Kelly Rissling, Re/Max Real Estate (Edmonton), Edmonton; Brent MacIntosh, Re/Max Advantage, Sherwood Park, Alta.; Greg Steele, Re/Max Real Estate, St. Albert, Alta.; Paul Blais, Re/Max Elite (South), Edmonton; Lee Yule, Re/Max Excellence, Edmonton; Glen Teghtmeyer, Re/Max Real Estate (Edmonton), Edmonton; Eric Hasenhuendl, Re/Max Kelowna, Kelowna, B.C. Community Care Award – Léo Bruneau, Re/Max All Points Realty, Coquitlam, B.C. and Shami Sandhu, Re/Max River City, Edmonton. Special Services – Brian Naphtali, Re/Max Select Properties, Vancouver. REM

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Industrial, Commercial & Investment Canadian firms lag on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; issues says report A new report says the Canadian commercial real estate industry is playing catch-up with respect to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when compared to international peers. The Canadian Commercial Real Estate Sustainability Intelligence Report, released by research firm Jantzi-Sustainalytics in association with the Real Property Association of Canada (REALpac), evaluates the ESG performance of 18 of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest commercial real estate companies and compares them to some of their international counterparts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe this study helps to inform Canadian commercial real

estate organizations of the areas in which they can improve,â&#x20AC;? says Michael Brooks, REALpac CEO. The report found that although Canadian companies showed relatively high performance in the areas of business ethics, labour practices and health and safety, they lagged behind on environmental and disclosure issues. The authors recommend that the real estate sector as a whole incorporate an integrated corporate responsibility and sustainability policy, as well as implement sustainability strategies and tactics and communications planning to keep stakeholders informed about initiatives and achievements. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stakeholders, including governments, tenants and investors, are putting increasing pressure on companies to adopt green initia-

tives. This is about more than just the bottom line. This is a movement toward corporate responsibility and sustainability having a concrete impact on the real estate industry,â&#x20AC;? says Simon MacMahon, director of sustainability services at Jantzi-Sustainalytics and author of the report.

Stephen Leopold joins Avison Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quebec operations Stephen Leopold has been named chair of the Avison Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quebec operations. Leopold has acted as lead advisor in some of the continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most prominent real estate transactions, the company says. His career spans four decades. In his new position, Leopold will advise on strategy and growth of Avison Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quebec operations, which includes tenant representation, investment sales, leasing, mortgage advisory and brokerage, and strategic consulting, and assist in establishing a property management and project management capability in Quebec. He will be based in Avison Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Montreal office. In 1976, Leopold became vice-

president of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest mortgage bank, Marcil Trust (now RBC Capital Markets) and in 1977 he formed his own firm, Leopold Property Consultants, which was based in Montreal and became the largest company in North America to exclusively represent the corporate user of space. As a result, Leopold and his company represented some of North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading companies and professional firms. In 1993, Leopold began to pursue large-scale property development in Manhattan, where he conceived and created Skymarkets in the World Trade Center. In 2002, Leopold assumed the chairmanship of William B. May International, a leading name in New York real estate since 1866. Leopold has been a guest speaker and lecturer at numerous universities in the United States and Canada. He has served on the boards of directors of the University Club of Montreal, the Art Gallery of Alberta, and the Montreal Alouettes, among others. Donald Trump devoted a chapter in his book, The 100 Best Pieces of Real Estate Advice I Ever

Received, to Leopoldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real estate insights. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m elated at the prospect of returning to Montreal and participating again in the real estate industry of my home town,â&#x20AC;? says Leopold. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have always said that Quebec would one day be the place to be because of its energy base.â&#x20AC;?

Anthio Yuen joins DTZ Barnicke Vancouver Anthio Yuen has joined DTZ Barnicke Vancouver as director of research. Yuen will oversee DTZ Barnicke Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research team and will manage the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s information databases and key research, which includes market reports, media releases and development studies. Prior to joining the company, Yuen was completing his M.Sc in Urban Planning at the University of Toronto, where he specialized in commercial real estate and land development. During his time in Toronto, Yuen also worked with REALpac, as well as with the Ontario Realty Corporation.

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32 REM APRIL 2010

Hot property: Whistler without snow

By Chris Chopik

magine Whistler, B.C. without snow. We saw this year’s Olympic coverage threaded with a constant flow of flippant comments about rain and fog. For the lower altitude ski areas of Whistler Mountain, and resorts globally, it is an ongoing and prominent public discussion. Impacts are so pressing that resort operators have been looking to climate forecasters to help them mitigate risk and creatively plan for future business success. Real estate holdings, mountain operations, development and profitability are on the table. Whistler was the host for the

Real Estate Institute of British Columbia’s (REIBC) Conference about the Effects of Climate Change on Real Estate. I attended a series of talks presented by insurance experts and scientists. As a lifetime skier and snowboard fanatic, I was saddened to hear that many of the world’s ski resorts are bracing themselves for a lasting decline in natural ski conditions. Arthur deJong, spokesperson for Whistler Resort said, “Within a projected four degree increase in global average temperature we anticipate the closure of 75 per cent of the world’s ski resorts.” This should come as no surprise with mounting awareness of world-wide glacial melting and general atmospheric warming. The question weighing on my mind is what are the implications for real estate holdings as a result of the hard-hitting messages from scientific researchers evaluating impacts of climate

change on real estate values? Here are some of the issues: “McMansions” – Speaking with local residents revealed distaste for the persistent “McMansion” developments and the extreme opulence and wastefulness near Whistler. According to a 10-year resident and homeowner, “many of these homes are kept heated and cooled, with hot tubs running, lawns manicured and swimming pools operating, standing at the ready for occupants who visit for two weeks out of the year. This town has a long way to go to achieve sustainability and it should start with the McMansions.” I think the challenge for any municipality is achieving sensible tax base growth while ensuring the long-term viability of real estate. Perhaps Whistler and other Canadian municipalities should move to 80-year tax base planning by incenting sustainable building forms and discouraging the

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McMansion phenomenon. Whistler Mountain is planning for climate change – As the snowline moves up the mountain, there is a plan to move skiable areas higher into the alpine terrain. There are also plans to intensify the snow making on the mountain. Power generation is being proposed, and there is a micro-hydro plan for the mountain that could generate a significant portion of the power used by the resort. There is also a feasibility and wind monitoring system in place that will allow for the erection of wind turbines in windy alpine locations. Once installed, the renewable energy sources could make the resort a net energy producer. The future of ski resort real estate – The ski lifestyle that we have become accustomed to will change. Real estate values that are grounded in seasonal weather patterns will be impacted. In 2006 Whistler saw a dismal season of snow. We have seen simi-

lar struggles in Ontario, with local mountains reducing services, laying off staff and pushing off-season attractions. Based on what I have read, all of this is a part of the future climate reality. Ski areas that are complacent in mitigating financial risks through diversification of attractions are likely to find a difficult future. Real estate values that are harmonized with these resorts will be impacted. For now, I am strapping on my snowshoes, enjoying the first excellent dump of snow. I will keep my fingers crossed that it just keeps snowing all winter long. But alas, as I tune in to the Weather Network, my hope wanes as mid February weather in Toronto reports temperatures of 10C. Chris Chopik is a Toronto-based Realtor, sought-after public speaker, real estate trainer and writer. Email Chris@EvolutionGreen.Com, Twitter: EvolutionGreen or call 416993-4870. REM

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34 REM APRIL 2010

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

oving day. Is there a day more dreaded, particularly by men? My office is embarking on a long overdue renovation involving a threemonth sojourn in a temporary location a block away. Sounds simple until you discover you can’t take your furniture because it doesn’t fit and instead of a 10 x 12 space to yourself it will be three men and a baby. All nonessential items and some personal treasures have to go home or into storage. Fourteen years I’ve been accumulating detritus. A Toronto Blue Jays baseball, one from the Arizona Diamondbacks, one Seattle Mariner souvenir complete with Ichiro head band, some bits of cedar carvings from a spirit pole, three 2010 hockey pucks, a pan flute, an empty wine gums box, a 40mm shell casing, some awards, a superman hardhat, a coal-oil lamp, a carved tugboat, a glass bottle of ink with built-in well for a Mont Blanc

What’s in your office? fountain pen – note to self, where’s the pen? Those items are on two shelves of a six-shelf bookcase. Then there’s the top of the filing cabinet. Two sets of Chinese musical spheres in ornate boxes, a mortar and pestle, a disjointed dog gazing at a computer monitor, a goat, a talking stick, a mismatched pen in a commemorative holder, a gavel engraved with the words “The High Commander”, a fossil-looking raku, a box of Bic markers, a glass frog, an owl, a picture of my daughter Sarah and a flat stone plaque engraved with the warning, “Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.” On one wall are plaques, photos, prints, one original oil painting and a few First Nations carvings. Opposite, a framed map of Bermuda from the first British settlement, certificates from the Real Estate Council of B.C., my commission as a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve), page one of the minutes from my first real estate board meeting in 1977, a one-year planning calendar and a small bulletin board with only two items – my REM deadlines and a travel photo of Mauritius. The deadlines I’ll meet. Mauritius I’m not too sure about, but it’s a dream. Not one of those items is essential to my daily role as a managing broker, although the plan-

ning calendar reminds me of my next holiday and that is essential. In fact, I take up more space with the things that mark my passage through this career and life than the things that earn my paycheque. Work items are the keyboard, mouse and monitor, Post-it notes, a shredder and the filing cabinet. Largely invisible. On the bookcase are some more tools of the trade. Several dictionaries, a thesaurus, reference books, motivational stuff – a lot of Tom Peters, The Tao of Pooh and the Real Estate Encyclopaedia, Canadian Edition, which couldn’t define a bedroom for me, by the way. More about that in a minute. An out tray, a vertical file holder, two pen holders – one with Disney’s Tasmanian devil spilling over the brim, a granite pen and business card holder, a really old Rolodex, a red phone (from the Cold War days), a potted silk orchid and a calculator surround my mouse pad and dot my desktop. On the corner closest to my one visitor chair is Steven Covey’s box of 50 cards from the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It’s open to “Learn to say no.” Wish I’d read it. The Book of Answers by Carol Bolt. Let me demonstrate. According to the instructions you hold the closed book in your hand while taking 15 seconds to concentrate on your question. Then,

with one palm on the cover you stroke the edge of the pages from front to back and when you sense the time is right, open the book and there will be your answer. Here goes. Question: “Is this column going to rank as one of the best ever?” Hold and stroke. (Sounds like my dad’s wedding night advice!) Answer: “Ask again, count to 10.” I got more insightful answers from the old magic eight-ball. Skimming through the book – there are about 500 answers, one to a page – I was grateful I dodged the more pointed replies, “Don’t bet on it” and “Absolutely not.” Back to the Real Estate Encyclopaedia. The publication date is June 2002. Colourful, filled with definitions like “economic obsolescence”, “internal rate of return” and “transaction broker”. Diagrams of roof trusses, casement windows and P traps intersperse the definitions from Abandonment to, what else, Zoning. So when one of my youngsters burst into my sanctum, hair afire and cheeks glowing from a difference of opinion over what constitutes a bedroom, the Real Estate Encyclopaedia seemed to be the likely arbiter. Nothing. It may be “a fact packed real estate resource” and “a practical compendium of vital topics” but when it comes to the bedroom – I couldn’t find my

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way. Not the first time. Google it is. And Google wins the day for my young charge. Bedrooms do not require a closet, just a minimum ceiling height and a window egress with a maximum sill height. For the defenestration one assumes. No need to have books when there’s Google. A couple of days later I’m in my new quarters in the zoo. Fresh straw, printer drivers finally operable, coffee plugged in and a couple of familiar pieces perched precariously atop my desk. Desk! As if! Not much more than a particle board keyboard tray on legs with a credenza of overhead doors in which a three-ring binder won’t fit. In three months we have to pack and move back. Maybe I’ll be on holidays. Where’s that planning calendar? Marty Douglas is a managing broker for Coast Realty Group (Comox Valley) Ltd., managing two of 15 Coast Realty Group offices on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast of B.C. He is a past chair of the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Corporation of B.C., the Real Estate Council of B.C., and the B.C. Real Estate Association, and is a current director of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. Email mdouglas@island.net; 1-800-715-3999; Fax (250) 897-3933. REM

36 REM APRIL 2010

Maureen O’Neill of Toronto; for Northern Ontario, Richard Leroux of Timmins; for Western Ontario, Phil Dorner of Belle River; for Northeastern Ontario, Mike Douglas of Barrie; and representing Southern Ontario, Mike Cusano of Stoney Creek. ■ ■ ■

arkham real estate broker Dorothy Mason assumed the role of president of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) at its annual conference on March 3. Active in the real estate profession for 32 years, Mason is a broker with Royal LePage Your Community Realty. She is a pastpresident of the Toronto Real Estate Board, where she served as chair of the finance committee and buyer registry system task force and as a member of the government relations, arbitration and education committees. She has served on the OREA board since 2007 and has served as chair of OREA’s Leadership Development Committee and a member of the MLS trademark task force. Most recently, Mason served as a member of the Ontario Commercial

Council and the AE advisory group. Barbara Sukkau of St. Catharines will serve as presidentelect. OREA directors-at-large are Ronald Abraham of King City; Josephine Manna of Orillia; and Cassandra Agnew Walker of Richmond Hill. Greg Harris of London will serve as commercial director and Mike Carson of London will continue as the director representing the association to the Canadian Real Estate Association. Tom Lebour of the Toronto Real Estate Board will serve as substantial membership director and Pauline Aunger of Smiths Falls remains on the board as past-president. Provincial directors representing different geographic areas are: for Eastern Ontario, Patricia Verge of Ottawa; for Central Ontario, Deborah Khoury of Whitby and

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Cowichan Valley Realtor Cliff Moberg has been sworn in as the 2010 president of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB). Joining him are Jim Stewart, president-elect, and Ray Francis, pastpresident, who were installed during VIREB’s Annual General Meeting and Tech Fair recently. The 2010 Board of Directors include Karol Power in Campbell River/North Island; Ray Francis and Marty Douglas in the Comox Valley; Jim Hoffman in Parksville/Qualicum; Lyle Price in Alberni Valley; Jim Stewart and Subhadra Ghose in Nanaimo; and Cliff Moberg, Jason Finlayson and Guy Bezeau in the Cowichan Valley. Guests at the AGM included CREA president-elect George Pahud and training and marketing co-ordinator Lynn St-Germain; B.C. Real Estate Association president John Tillie and Region III director Jennifer Lynch; Real Estate Council of B.C.’s County of Nanaimo (broker member) John Finlayson; Randy Forbes representing the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Insurance Corporation; and Victoria Real Estate Board president Randi Masters and EO David Corey. ■ ■ ■

Members of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board elected their 2010/2011 Board of Directors at an annual general meeting on February 17. Officers serving for the coming term are president Deanna Horn, Re/Max Treeland Realty, Langley; president-elect: Sukh Sidhu, Re/Max Little Oak Realty, Abbotsford; and vice-president Scott Olson, Macdonald Realty Olympic, Surrey. The directors are Christine Caldwell, Landmark Realty, Abbotsford; Stephen Gammer, Macdonald Commercial Real Estate Services, Surrey; Ishaq Ismail, Century 21 Coastal Realty, Surrey; Jorda Maisey, HomeLife Benchmark Realty, Langley; Mohamed Mansour, Sutton Group - Medallion Realty, Surrey; and Ray Werger, Royal LePage Coronation Park, Surrey.

Also serving on the Board of Directors, elected prior to the AGM: Ron Todson, Re/Max Little Oak Realty, Abbotsford (chair Brokers Council) and Charles Wiebe, Landmark Realty, Abbotsford (chair Commercial Executive Council). Past-president Paul Penner, Re/Max Little Oak Realty, Abbotsford will serve as an ex-officio member of the Directorate. ■ ■ ■

Gary Chambers, owner, managing partner and director of Century 21 Power Realty in Drumheller, Alta., has been elected president of the Realtors Association of South Central Alberta (RASCA). ■ ■ ■

The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) elected Brenda Moshansky of Peachland as president for the 2010/2011 term. A Realtor since 1995, Moshansky has been with Coldwell Banker-Horizon Realty in Kelowna for nine years. Serving as a director for the past five years, she has been a member of OMREB since 1998. She replaces outgoing president Bob Cliffe of Sorrento, who stays on as past president. “As president, I look forward to continuing to raise the profile of our board locally and within the province while working with local governments and other stakeholders to enhance housing opportunities for families in the board area,” says Moshansky. George Cwiklewski of Macdonald Realty in Kelowna was officially installed as the vice-president of the Board of Directors. He has been a member of OMREB since 1994 and has served as a

director for four years. The other members of OMREB’s 2010/2011 board: Francis Braam (Royal LePage Kelowna – Central Zone); George Cwiklewski (Macdonald Realty Kelowna – Central Zone); Barret Watson (Coldwell Banker Horizon, Kelowna – Central Zone); Kent Jorgenson (Re/Max Kelowna – Central Zone); Scott Mayne (Points West Realty Group, Kelowna – Central Zone); Howard Neufeld (Century 21 Executives Vernon – North Zone); Joe Pearson (Re/Max Vernon – North Zone); Darcy Griffiths (Re/Max Vernon – North Zone); Steve Lewis (Shirley Real Estate, Salmon Arm – Shuswap Zone); and Karen Singbeil (Re/Max at Mara Lake, Sicamous – Shuswap Zone). ■ ■ ■

The Ontario Real Estate Association is calling on the province to provide relief from the harmonized sales tax (HST) for homebuyers by reducing the provincial land transfer tax (LTT) rate. OREA says the recommendation would save the average homebuyer almost $1,600. Under the HST, home buyers and sellers will pay eight per cent more on legal fees, appraisals, real estate commissions, home inspection fees and moving costs, adding about $1,500 in new taxes to the average residential real estate transaction in Ontario. OREA is proposing that the province reduce the provincial LTT rate by 0.5 per cent on all property value tax brackets. This would save the average Ontario homebuyer $1,591 and cost the provincial government $311 million annually. REM

The Vancouver Island Real Estate Board’s 2010 Board of Directors: (Standing, from left) Jason Finlayson, Jim Hoffman, Karol Power, Lyle Price, Marty Douglas, Subhadra Ghose, EO Bill Benoit and Guy Bezeau. (Sitting, from left) Jim Stewart, Cliff Moberg, Ray Francis.

Dorothy Mason

Brenda Moshansky

Gary Chambers

38 REM APRIL 2010

Green shoots

GREEN REAL ESTATE

he colder months aren’t generally thought of as the real estate season. Houses don’t always show as well as they would in warmer months, and getting to and from listings consumes more time. But as we move along into warmer seasons, just as green shoots begin to sprout from the ground, opportunities for renewing and improving your real estate practice abound as well. It provides a new opportunity for re-inven-

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tion, and real estate professionals looking to give their business a boost can give themselves a leg-up by adopting greener practices. The most obvious signs that people are going green can be seen in the sale of lower-emission automobiles, but that is only one example of how consumers are changing their behaviour. The number of LEED-certified developments in Canada has skyrocketed over the past five years, and the number slated to begin development keeps growing. As well, increasing numbers of existing housing stock are being retrofitted to improve energy efficiency. The buildup of green properties is not just part of a passing trend. With energy price stability a question mark and energy independence a high priority for governments everywhere, increases in energy and resource efficiency are becoming important factors in the development and sale of any property. “Going green” is sometimes looked at as a fad, but increasingly the public is becoming more educated and concerned about the environmental impact of their lifestyle. In residential real estate, the majority of the buyers who are attracted to green properties tend to be a wealthier and better-educated demographic. Mastering

information that will appeal to this group is always useful to the real estate professional, but it’s also important to note that their status as early-adopters is a bellwether for overall trends. What makes sense at the top end of the market makes sense at any level. Investments in green home construction lead to higher rates of homeowner satisfaction, and ultimately pay off with savings in ownership and utility costs. It’s not just single-family residential real estate that is affected by these changes. Large developers have devoted resources and in some cases established departments to determine how to cut emissions in the construction and operation of their developments. As well, many new industrial, commercial and government buildings are being built to LEED or equivalent standards. This means the public is more likely than ever to work, play, visit or live in a green building, or know someone else who does. Public awareness of and demand for these kinds of buildings is already significant, and will only grow in the future. Anyone operating in the real estate industry needs to get a handle on the changes that going green entail. Green real estate doesn’t just mean anticipating what the next government regulation about efficiency standards is going to dictate – it means understanding why the biggest develop-

ers in Canada are sinking their money and resources into making their projects more green, and how that affects your clients. It also doesn’t just mean having a sticker on your car window or a logo on your newsletter, but examining the efficiency of your own real estate practice – how green your office is, whether you are using efficient light and water fixtures, and how well-insulated your office space is. Green real estate isn’t just about installing a new, more efficient furnace, and getting some money to do it from the government – though it does include that. It also means understanding the whole spectrum of resources that go into the construction and maintenance of properties, including freshwater, lumber, electricity and others. It means understanding and communicating all this to help educate those in the market who don’t yet fully grasp it, and by doing so help them save money while simultaneously benefiting your business. For more resources on how you can improve your real estate practice through green real estate, visit www.NAGAB.org . Elden Freeman B.A., M.E.S, broker is the founder and executive director of the non-profit National Association of Green Agents and Brokers (NAGAB). Phone 416-536-7325; Email elden@nagab.org REM

Home purchase intentions strong: RBC poll

ome buying momentum continues to gain steam with Canadians who are very likely to purchase a home in the next two years, rising to 10 per cent from seven per cent two years ago, according to the 17th Annual RBC Homeownership Study. Younger Canadians, aged 18 to 24, will lead the charge this year, with those very likely to buy almost doubling to 15 per cent from eight per cent in 2009. The RBC study conducted by Ipsos Reid found that 91 per cent of Canadian homeowners believe a home is a good investment, the highest level in 12 years, and onequarter (26 per cent) expect their home to be their primary source of income when they retire. “With the Canadian housing market showing continued vigour,

it’s not surprising that Canadians feel more confident in the longterm value of owning a home,” says Robert Hogue, senior economist, RBC. “Exceptionally low mortgage rates and improved affordability have been key reasons for the resurgence in the housing market.” Most Canadians who intend to buy a new home in the next two years are planning to take a fixedrate mortgage (44 per cent). However, combination mortgages had the highest increase in popularity this year, with 40 per cent intending to take both a variable and fixed-rate component, up from 32 per cent last year. For Canadians planning to take a fixed-rate or combination mortgage, seven-in-10 intend to take a term of five years or longer. Sixteen

per cent said they intend to take a variable rate mortgage, down from 20 per cent in 2009. “Canadians seem to be opting for more caution this year and may be factoring in potential rate increases down the road,” says Marcia Moffat, RBC’s head of home equity financing. “Choosing a combination mortgage can take some of the guesswork out of making a decision between whether it is better to lock in to a longer term or stay in a variable rate.” In the wake of the recent housing rebound, most Canadians (sixin-10) also believe housing prices will rise in 2010, up significantly from 25 per cent in 2009. Similarly, a majority (64 per cent) believes mortgage rates will be higher over the next year, also up from 33 per cent a year ago. REM

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40 REM APRIL 2010

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert “It’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you use that makes the difference.” – Zig Ziglar o the Competition Bureau and all its advocates, including a strong and well-funded lobby group in Ottawa, have proclaimed that what we’ve been doing in providing an excellent facility for posting listings is now unfair to the public and we must bend or else! I’ve been at home these past two weeks, recuperating from knee replacement surgery and have had ample time to pursue various articles in the National Post,

Take a walk in our shoes The Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail about the impending doom that will eventually, in one form or another, befall our industry. Look, I’m not against free agency or the right for John Q. Public to post his “listings” on the present sacrosanct MLS system and pay us to bring them a buyer. Not at all. But let me pose these questions to the public and the honourable lady who heads up the Competition Bureau. 1. Who is going to ensure the owner’s listing is correct? 2. Who is going to ensure that on closing, the seller has given all pertinent information regarding latent or patent deficiencies? 3. Where is the security deposit cheque to go to? 4. Has the seller filled out all the prescribed government forms, i.e. FINTRAC and the like? 5. How does the buyer know that the seller is who he says he is? 6. What happens if some of the chattels seen on inspection disappear on closing?

7. Here’s a good one! What happens if the spouses are divorcing/separating? 8. What if the seller is not a Canadian citizen…who will ascertain his/her citizenship? 9. What happens if one of the owners disappears at closing and who is going to find him/her? 10. Who are you going to contact for answers to any or all of the above, once the seller posts his listing on MLS? A writer from the Globe and Mail points out that with the HST coming in, our world will collapse or something near to it. Frankly, like most of you, I’m fed up with these writers taking “pot shots” at us every time there’s a blip on our radar. So, here’s the challenge: That’s right; I’m throwing down the gauntlet now! Step into our shoes for, not a month, just a week, to see what it takes to make a commission on a residential sale. Work all week in the hopes that your offer will be accepted. Work all week and hope that there are not multi-

ple offers. Check any seasoned agent out for a week. See what it takes to earn a living totally on commission, as most of us have for many years. Stop writing only from the objective view point and get “down and dirty” with a professional for a change! And by the way, maybe some of you writers should check out the classified ads for a job soon, as those of us in the industry choose other media, including the social network that many of us have adopted. Because as your papers’ revenues go down, do you really think that your employers will need you? By the way, I just called into our Deals Desk and we’ve never had so many closings. It’s a good thing that many readers are not driven to react adversely to the writings in the national papers, or else we’d be applying for EI benefits! Bob Aaron, a well-known real estate lawyer, had a jousting match with me over property disclosure forms. He’s probably going to have a little fun with this newest gambit

to invade our “sanctuary”, known as MLS. Bob, should we get the litigators lined up now, because as I see it, there will be ample opportunities for them to reap the rewards. Who’s going to pick up the challenge? Let me know because I’ve got a few Realtors who would just love the opportunity to show you how/what it takes to be a commission earning individual. When you do the research on Realtors, get both sides of the “story” for a change. Does one pay a surgeon for his three or four hours of surgery, or for the maybe 10 to 12 years it took him to get to the O.R.? Hmmm. Interesting for you writers who may take the time to read REM. With thanks to Barry Lebow, for his many commentaries to me on these subjects. Stan Albert, broker/manager, ABR, ASA at Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. can be reached for consultation at stanalb@rogers.com. Stan is now celebrating 40 years as an active real estate professional.

ARE YOU A PART OF CANADA’S LARGEST REAL ESTATE CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW?

MAY 5 & 6, 2010

TORONTO CONGRESS CENTRE Member Reception Enjoy refreshments, live music, prize draws & an exciting live auction. OREA Centre Stage The OREA Centre Stage will feature continuous entertainment, speakers, demonstrations and, the return of our popular real estate game shows, "Is Your Price Right?" and "Variable Rate." REALTOR® QUEST: Health & Wellness Fair Featuring interactive health screenings, information booths, health & ﬁtness vendors & exciting giveaways!

TREB Spring General Meeting for Members May 5, 10am - 12pm: The meeting includes a panel of Toronto mayoral candidates moderated by TVO’s Steve Paikin. TREB’s 90th Anniversary! In celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the Toronto Real Estate Board, we are proud to showcase "A History of TREB" gallery to be located in Hall A. The gallery will be ﬁlled with banners, artifacts and interesting tidbits from the last nine decades, including special interactive anniversary displays. Test your TREB IQ: ﬁnd out what you never knew. Don’t miss it!

WEB: www.realtor-quest.ca s EMAIL: realtorquest@trebnet.com s TEL: 416.443.8136

REM

REM APRIL 2010 41

Trade Shows and Conferences For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Century 21 Insight 2010: Your path to profit Tuesday, April 6 Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza, Regina Thursday, April 8 Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, Surrey, B.C. Friday, April 9 Capri Hotel, Trade & Convention Centre Red Deer, Alta. Monday, April 12 Delta Halifax, Halifax Tuesday, April 13 Hilton Garden Inn Ottawa Airport, Ottawa Wednesday, April 14 Canad Inns - Club Regent Casino Hotel, Winnipeg For tickets and more information, contact your local Century broker. Tickets required for entrance. Coldwell Banker Canadian Conference Achieving the Dream April 8 - 10 Westin Bayshore Hotel Vancouver Coldwell Banker Broker Synergy Meeting Thursday, April 8 Westin Bayshore Vancouver, 1- 4 pm Brokers do not need to register for the conference to attend the Synergy meeting. Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board Realtor AGM & Xpo Thursday, April 15 Bingemans Conference Centre Kitchener, Ont. www.kwreb.on.ca/blog/wordpress/

2010 AE Institute Beyond Borders Conference April 16 - 20 Quebec City The single largest gathering of real estate association executives from Canada and the U.S. http://events.crea.ca Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario Conference, Trade Show and Awards Gala April 21 and 22 Toronto Congress Centre Toronto www.imbaconference.ca/conference.html New Brunswick Real Estate Association AGM & Conference April 27 - 29 Fairmont Algonquin Hotel St. Andrews, N.B. www.nbrea.ca/conference/2010_conference.html HomeLife 2010 International Conference Celebrating 25 Years April 29 and 30 Fallsview Casino Resort Niagara Falls, Ont. Info: 1-800-668-0186 Toronto Real Estate Board Realtor Quest May 5 and 6 Toronto Congress Centre Toronto www.realtor-quest.ca Real Estate Institute of Canada Annual Conference June 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 Marriott Fallsview Hotel & Spa Niagara Falls, Ont. Register at www.reic.ca

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

42 REM APRIL 2010

Network 14 member hospitals and foundations in 2009, helping the 2.6 million children who are treated each year. Since 1992, Canadian Re/Max sales associates have raised more than $35.5 million.

Good Works C

oldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty in Kitchener, Ont. celebrated its 25th anniversary by holding a fundraising gala benefitting Habitat for Humanity that raised more than $100,000. The full evening of entertainment included live and silent auctions, offering many items including an authentic 2010 Olympic Torch. The Olympic Torch package also consisted of lunch at Waterloo Restaurant Uptown 21 with Cheryl Pounder, two-time Olympic gold medal winner with Team Canada, and an autographed Team Canada hockey sweater. It prompted a bidding frenzy and was sold for $3,200. The proceeds from the Building Dreams Gala will be used to sponsor the first of 16 units in a townhouse condominium complex in Kitchener. The gala was attended by over 600 guests and included more than 50 corporate tables, highlighting the high level of support from businesses in the region. Local, provincial and federal politicians were also in attendance. ■ ■ ■

A sales rep at Sutton Group – West Coast Realty in White Rock, B.C. is helping entrepreneurs in developing countries. Alain Zaidel says a loan of even $25 can “give a tailor in Cambodia enough money to buy thread and fabric. It can help a farmer in Africa buy tools.” Recently, Zaidel created a team called Lend 25 Dollars on Kiva.org and built a website to promote it at www.lend25dollars.com. Kiva is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2005 to link individual lenders with low-income entrepreneurs around the world. To date, more than 600,000 people have loaned over $120 million to people in 52 countries. “To me it’s an incredible, wonderful thing,” says Zaidel. “It’s a loan, not a donation; one hundred per cent of your loan goes to the person you support. Sometimes,

you get back your money in a few months, and then with the same $25 you can help another person or exercise the option of taking back your money. It’s a way to empower people who otherwise could never receive a loan and follow their dreams.” ■ ■ ■

Re/Max of Western Canada’s silent and live auctions at the annual Breakfast of Champions, held during the company’s 27th Annual Conference in Edmonton recently, raised $52,962 to support Children’s Miracle Network member hospitals. “Re/Max affiliates have truly embraced this worthy cause,” says Marie Sheppy, senior co-ordinator, corporate affairs (Children’s Miracle Network liaison). “This is especially evident when we gather annually to celebrate our successes as an organization and as individuals.” Stories of children recovering and receiving successful treatment were shared with more than 600 Re/Max delegates in attendance. Edmonton Mayor Stephan Mandel proclaimed it “Miracle City Day” for the Edmonton Re/Max sales associates. Re/Max River City in Edmonton was recognized for being the top contributing office for the Stollery Children’s Hospital for the fourth consecutive time. Re/Max Kelowna and Re/Max Kelowna Westside real estate agents gathered for their own annual Live & Silent Auction at the Rotary Centre for the Performing Arts in Kelowna recently. The event raised $45,335 for B.C. Children’s Hospitals. In 2009 Re/Max Kelowna was once again recognized as the top contributing office in the Re/Max of Western Canada organization. Re/Max of Western Canada is the largest contributing region in the entire Re/Max organization. Sales associates across Canada helped raise more than $3.5 million for the Children’s Miracle

■ ■ ■

The London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors held its 13th annual Homes for Hope Bonspiel recently. This popular event is a fundraiser for Mission Services, which has provided shelter and assistance to the homeless and disadvantaged in the community for well over 50 years. “Mission Services has been one of our principal beneficiaries since 1992,” says LSTAR president Richard Thyssen. “They strive to meet what has become in the last decade or so a greater and greater need in our community and they richly deserve all the help and support we can offer them.” This year’s event raised more than $11,000 for the charity, bringing the total raised by the bonspiel since its inception to more than $91,000 and the total raised by the association through the bonspiel and other fundraisers, including Homes for Hope pins, to well over $200,000. The winning team was comprised of Kate Hoornaert, John DeBlock, Jim DeBlock and Scott Galpin. ■ ■ ■

Keller Williams Realty has supported relief efforts in Haiti by donating money both corporately and at the local office level, but the KW Advantage Realty office in Toronto recently managed to lend their support on a more personal level. The office collected and delivered basic medical and food supplies directly to the people of Haiti with the help of some organizations. The Dream Project, a U.S.based non-profit organization that operates out of the Dominican Republic, together with a group called Hands for Haiti, delivered much-needed medical and food supplies by truckload to Port au Prince and nearby affected towns and villages. A single email to the associates and staff of KW Advantage Realty in Toronto resulted in the office collecting several crates of supplies and some toys in just a matter of days. Money was donated from the

office’s KW Cares fund, a trust normally used to support Keller Williams agents and their loved ones in times of significant financial hardship, to purchase additional supplies. In the end it took over a dozen boxes, the special co-operation of Air Canada, the aid organizations and the dedication of several real estate professionals to deliver these supplies and play a part in bringing relief to a country that has experienced such loss and hardship. ■ ■ ■

The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board’s Central Zone Division has raised $12,000 to benefit the local hospice and women’s shelter. The Central Zone Committee recently donated $6,000 each to the Central Okanagan Hospice Association and Kelowna Women’s Shelter. The Women’s Shelter plans on using the funds for a variety of programs and services offered, and the monies for the Hospice Association will go towards the training of volunteers. “The donations are the result of fundraising efforts by the 730 plus Realtors of the Central Zone during 2009,” says OMREB pastpresident Bob Cliffe. The Central Zone of OMREB covers an area from Peachland to Lake Country and east along Highway 33 to Westbridge (including the Christian Valley). ■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre recently entered the St. Catharines Chili Cook Off for the first time to raise money for Community Care. The “Royal Flush” team gave away free hugs with each bowl of chili, calling it “lunch with love”. Five Royal LePage sales representatives – Carol Lotz, Tracie Giesbrecht, Liz Barr, Terri McCallum and Alison Scott – made huge pots of chili, feeding hundreds of attendees. More than $4,500 was raised. ■ ■ ■

Continuing their eight-year tradition, Renald Guindon and Dan Grantham of Sutton Group Preferred Realty in London, Ont. have given a portion of their commissions to local charities. Despite a particularly challenging year in the housing market, they donated $11,000, bringing the eight-year

total to more than $80,000. In 2009, they assisted the Boys & Girls Club, Children’s Health Foundation, Women’s Community House, Alzheimer Society, London Humane Society, Hospice of London, Heart & Stroke Association, Doctors Without Borders, Canadian Cancer Society, Youth Opportunities Unlimited, St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. “These are the charities most frequently requested by our clients,” says Renald. “Eight years ago, we started asking them to select the charity that they preferred. We now let clients choose from the list of 12. We submit the donations quarterly to each charity.” ■ ■ ■

Over recent years, members of the Durham Region Association of Realtors have held Christmas Charity Auctions with proceeds being presented to the various Lakeridge Health facilities within Durham Region. Recently DRAR presented the Memorial Hospital Foundation-Bowmanville with a donation of $10,430. The theme for all fundraising activities undertaken by the foundation is “We’re Better Together” and the money raised will be used to purchase a new Lionville Medication Cart. Unrivaled in their ability to adapt to a wide variety of nursing requirements including automated applications, these carts continue to set industry standards in medication cart design. ■ ■ ■

On May 15, Royal LePage offices across Canada will come together to host the 2nd annual National Garage Sale for Shelter with 100 per cent of proceeds going to help women and children living with abuse. Members of the community are encouraged to get involved by donating their gently used items to their local Royal LePage office. All proceeds of the sale stay in the community in which it is held. The funds raised at the sale are used to fund the local shelter and violence prevention programs. In its first year the National Garage Sale for Shelter raised more than $120,000. ■ ■ ■

Members of the Real Estate

REM APRIL 2010 43

Board of Greater Vancouver’s (REBGV) commercial and six geographical divisions converted a year’s worth of meetings, seminars and other events into thousands of dollars for the people most in need within their respective communities. All totalled the seven divisions raised $52,932 for local charitable causes in 2009. Scott Russell, REBGV president, says, “There is a deeply rooted culture of giving within the Realtor community, which is exhibited through many hours of volunteering, planning and sheer dedication.” The funds raised went to help a broad cross-section of organizations throughout Greater Vancouver. The Delta Boys & Girls Club, Tri-City Women’s Shelter, the Lions Gate Hospital Hospice, the B.C. Cancer Foundation and Covenant House were among the recipient charities.

eral litres of petroleum to produce and take many hundreds of years to decompose. Reusing or recycling them is cost effective and environmentally friendly. Hamilton takes batteries he collects to the City of Barrie Hazardous Waste Disposal Depot. “I realized what one family could collect just from our own efforts at home over the years and thought that I should bring that initiative to the workplace. With such a large office of over 140 sales agents and support staff, I wanted to give everyone an easy option for safe disposal rather than taking the convenient route of pitching their batteries and cartridges into the garbage pail.” ■ ■ ■

The Royal LePage network raised $41,874 for earthquake relief in Haiti. In a meeting with their largest donors including Royal

LePage, the Red Cross reported on how these funds were spent: - A joint Canadian/Norwegian field hospital set up within days to provide essential surgical and medical care for up to 300 people a day. - A 70-bed ward, customized modules for surgery, first aid and triage. - A community health unit and a psychosocial support unit. - Over $400,000 worth of Canadian Red Cross pre-positioned stock that included tents, blankets, buckets, jerry cans, tarps and mosquito nets. Haiti has now entered its rainy season that brings strong winds and up to five cm of rain each day, with the Caribbean hurricane season quickly following. This weather makes providing waterproof shelter the top priority. Haiti is still facing a long and difficult road ahead. REM

Karen Cox, president and Jason Steele, chair of the Community Services Committee of the Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound (RAGBOS) were recently presented with a “gold hammer” plaque from Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce in recognition of donations by RAGBOS member Realtors of more than $10,000 in 2009.

■ ■ ■

Every year, sales reps at Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty in Trenton, Ont. donate to the CFB Trenton Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) for its Invisible Ribbon Gala, which raises funds for the spouses and children of military personnel. The donated items are part of a well attended dinner and auction that has raised over $100,000 for local families.

Renald Guindon

Dan Grantham Bill Hamilton

■ ■ ■

When Bill Hamilton, a sales rep with Sutton Group - Incentive Realty in Barrie, Ont. filled in his application to be one of 12,000 Olympic torchbearers across Canada, he pledged to help improve the environment by starting a battery and ink cartridge collection program at his office. Hamilton says he is still reliving his torch experience “when I am invited to bring my Olympic Torch to various groups including school children, Cubs, Beavers, Brownies and Sparks. The kids are so excited and have lots of questions. They share their aspirations and national pride. I hope that the Olympic spirit inspires them to reach for their goals.” The battery collection program began in November. Hamilton takes the toner printer cartridges to a local school, which receives funds from a recycling rebate program. The small effort is worthwhile since cartridges require sev-

OMREB’s Central Zone Division donated cheques of $6,000 each to the Kelowna Women’s Shelter and the Central Okanagan Hospice Association. Committee members from left: Mark JenningsBates, Sheryl Lobsinger, Cathy Cherka, Avril Paice (Women’s Shelter), Gloria Bedwell, Deborah Moore, Bob Switzer (executive director of the Okanagan Hospice), Kevin Philippot, Nancy MacKellar, Greg Dusik and Mike Craddock.

At the DRAR cheque presentation, from left: Rose Kuipers, vice-chair of the Memorial Hospital Foundation-Bowmanville; Dierdre Mullen, president of DRAR; Marilyn Patterson, Charity Task Force member; and Carol Vromille, nurse. The “Royal Flush” chili cook-off team from Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre.

Realtors from the REBGV Commercial division donate to the Ride to Conquer Cancer. From left: Sheldon Scott, Don Mussenden, Lani Jo Weaver, John Weiss, Andrew Chan, David Kearney, Cheryl Carter (Business In Vancouver), Tammy Dunn, Graeme Erickson, Peter Remillong and Ian MacLennan (Fraser Valley Real Estate Board).

Chelsea Weir of Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty at CFB Trenton (centre) presents Leah Howe and Dianne Campbell, co-chairs of the MFRC’s 6th Annual Invisible Ribbon Gala, with a framed limited edition print ‘Hands Across Quinte’.

44 REM APRIL 2010

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What’s

New A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections ‘good news story’ A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections says it has “a good news story that flies in the face of all the recent doom and gloom about the state of the economy.” It’s the rapid growth of the home inspection industry. A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections says it is “the #1 fastest growing home inspection franchise in Canada, and one of the top in North America.” “The home inspection industry

is experiencing rapid-fire growth and quality inspectors are in high demand across North America. Ninety-five per cent of real estate transactions involve a home inspection and Money Magazine named home inspection as one of America’s 50 hottest jobs and one of the top 10 highest income home businesses,” says the company. “We’re thrilled with our rate of growth in Canada,” says CEO Bill Redfern in Halifax. “A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections is already aggressively expanding across the United States, and we’re eyeing opportunities in Europe and beyond.” For Redfern and his partner, real estate veteran Arne Tjerno, president of international franchise development, the secret to A Buyer’s Choice’s growing success is their business model. “We offer opportunity for ongoing sales and royalty income, plus our structure of regional franchises and unit franchises provides local guidance and support, thereby strengthening the success rate for everyone,” says Tjerno. A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections offers people the pride of owning their own business with

the freedom of being their own boss, the company says. It also provides complete training as part of the franchise package. For information: www.abuyerschoice.com

Zaio website offers appraisals Zaio Corporation has launched a new consumer website at www.zaio.com that connects homeowners with local appraisers assigned to their area. Zaio says it differs from other online valuation services in that “values are produced and supported by local appraisers rather than computer algorithms.” While membership to the site is free, appraisals will be sold on a one-time basis or on a regular subscription. Brad Stinson, CEO of Zaio Corporation says, “Connecting directly with homeowners increases our market power, promotes our brand and establishes a local marketing program we can deliver today, as the National Valuation Database is being developed and marketed by local appraisers. Not only will Zaio and affiliated appraisers be

delivering a game-changing appraisal service, but the new social network will allow us to help our lending and real estate clients connect with their homeowner-customers too.” Zaio develops and maintains a database of photos, valuations and property information on virtually every residential property in entire cities, using a proprietary GeoScore property rating system, the company says. Zaio says it licenses its technology to networks of local appraisers who can then appraise and monitor values across entire cities, one home at a time.

Attractive staging furniture made of strong cardboard NextStage Furniture has developed a line of cardboard furniture products that minimizes the cost and simplifies the process of staging properties on the real estate market. The furniture products are lightweight, collapsible, durable, versatile, cost effective and environmentally friendly, the company says. “The core of our furniture is corrugated cardboard. Usually,

the first question people ask is ‘What happens if someone sits on it?’ and the answer to that question is ‘Nothing’,” says Jeff Waltrip, vice-president of sales and marketing for NextStage Furniture. “We’ve lab tested our products for crush strength, and tests showed the furniture supports over 1,000 lbs., making it completely safe. Our beautiful slipcovers are designed specifically for our corrugated frameworks and allow the pieces to be nearly indistinguishable from traditional furniture. Prospective buyers are looking at the property for sale. Most often, they don’t even realize traditional furniture has been replaced.” Waltrip says the products allow a once expensive, multiple person job to be done more cost effectively by a single person. “These savings are realized not only in the cost of the furniture, but in the storage and transport as well. NextStage Furniture products will put more money to the bottom line for everyone involved,” said Waltrip. The company will ship its products to Canada. For information: www.nextstagefurniture.com. REM

LEADERS WANTED A large Toronto Real Estate organization is growing rapidly throughout the GTA and is looking for two talented individuals with leadership potential. Excellent base salary and bonus structure based on performance Leadership candidates should have the following characteristics: • • • • • •

Wants to build and lead a successful team Wants to be in control of their destiny Thrives and enjoys interacting with real estate professionals Proven record of success in real estate sales Commitment to continuous learning Brokers license an asset, but not required initially

Respond by phone 416-495-2319 or email at kaprix@allstream.net

46 REM APRIL 2010

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

Certified Mentor Royal LePage Binder Real Estate is proud to congratulate Fred Shaw in becoming a Certified Mentor in our exclusive local mentor training program from Brian Buffini International called 100 Days to Greatness. As a Certified Mentor, Fred will oversee recruiting and retention for our dynamic Sales Team. If you are interested in getting your career started in the right direction or would like more information on how Buffini and Company real estate training can take your career to another level, please contact:

Fred Shaw Director of Sales Training & Development

Royal LePage Binder Real Estate Brokerage Tecumseh, Ontario

519-735-7222

t has been a mystery to me for many years why so many people think that a hot and sunny day is a great day. What in the world is the matter with these people? In the blazing heat without a cloud in the sky you have to squint all day, sweat buckets, withstand unbearable humidity and endure sunburn, not to mention sun stroke, unless you find some kind of shade for relief. This is a nice day? Are you kidding me? What is the matter with people when they look at a weather forecast that says, “We’re gonna have sun all day long with temperatures of 37 C” and think that is a real good thing? It is the dumbest thing I hear every summer. It occurs to me that if you want to start a conversation by talking about the weather, you should get it right. A blazing hot, mercilessly bright, excruciatingly humid day is not a great day. Please don’t declare that to me in the form of a question. A rainy day is a great day. A cloudy overcast summer day is fantastic. A day when light rain is gently falling into the warmth of a July morning is about as perfect a day as you can get. You know it and I know it. Give me a summer day with rain and I’ll show you a great day. Give me any kind of rain, even pouring rain. We all know how to deal with pouring rain. Have you ever sat in a coffee shop when it’s raining outside? Do you have a kitchen window you can sit by with a cup of tea during a good summer thunderstorm? Have you ever fallen asleep with the rain pelting on the roof? It is pure magic. Wonderful magic days and nights like that are rare. Why don’t we treasure them in our memories?

I love a rainy day Why don’t we appreciate rainy days when they are upon us? Why don’t we make plans for an overcast day? Why would you ever take a day off when it is so hot outside you could fry an egg on the sidewalk and have to squint your eyes to see it? If there is rain in the forecast, take that day off and take a walk or stop in a favourite restaurant or write a letter on the porch. How wonderful it is when it is raining. What a joy it is to look over the horizon without having to shield your eyes or put on a pair of sunglasses and spread all that sun block goop on your arms and forehead. I have heard that rain brings

bursting with colour and if you are lucky enough to be in the country or take country drives you know the crops are higher, fuller and full of flavour for dinner tables across the land. Summers with long sunny days lend themselves to drought, unbearably hot uncomfortable nights mitigated by grinding air conditioners that churn up energy that becomes more precious each year. Lawns are brown, animals are dopey and the ground is hard and dry. Dust is flying everywhere. It’s a sad state of affairs. Looking forward to hot sunny days? What’s the matter with you? People seem more pleasant during overcast days. I wonder if

Looking forward to hot sunny days? What’s the matter with you? negative ions to the air. I am not scientist but I heard that negative ions are good for you. Have you ever felt an extra spring in your step when you have walked about after a good rain storm has just passed through? Have you felt just little more energetic? It is likely from the negative ions brought by the rain. Rain is essential to life. If you are around my age or when you reach my age you’ll have seen lots of different summers and realize that when we are blessed with a summer that has many days of rain, the grass on the lawn is lush with a vibrant green, the flowers are

anyone has done a study of the economics of a rainy day. I think people would be more receptive to making a purchase or willing to sell on a nice rainy day than they would on an overbearing hot sunny one. I realize there is little choice in the real estate business as to what day you can schedule a property showing but if there was, I would suggest a check on the weather forecast. Pick a rainy day. Even if you don’t make the sale it’ll still be a great day. Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email heino@remonline.com. REM

46 REM APRIL 2010

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

Certified Mentor Royal LePage Binder Real Estate congratulates Fred Shaw on becoming a Certified Mentor with Brian Buffini International and will exclusively mentor our " 100 Days to Greatness " program. Fred will develop and oversee all recruiting, training and retention of our dynamic sales team in the Windsor-Essex area. If you are interested in getting your career started in the right direction or would like more information on how Buffini and Company real estate training can take your career to a greater level, please contact:

Fred Shaw Director of Sales Training & Development

Royal LePage Binder Real Estate Brokerage 13158 Tecumseh Road East Tecumseh, ON N8N 3T6

519-735-7222

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