April 2019

Issue #358

April 2019

Sarnia’s second gen Realtors Steven Park and Rob Longo Page 18

Barry Clark: 54 years in the business Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 42218523 - Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to 2255B Queen St. E., #1178, Toronto ON M4E 1G3

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Here’s a real ghost buster Page 12

Team of teams forms Union Realty Page 32

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REM APRIL 2019 3

Nanaimo’s Barry Clark: 54 years in the business The 80-year-old Realtor, president of Royal LePage Nanaimo Realty, is still passionate about his profession.

It’s a job he simply loves to do. By Mario Toneguzzi

R

eal estate has been in Barry Clark’s blood for more than five decades.

The 80-year-old Realtor is so passionate about his profession that he still goes to work every day at his office in Nanaimo, B.C. as president of Royal LePage Nanaimo Realty, which has been in business for 72 years. Clark has been with the company for 54 years.

It’s a job he simply loves to do.

And it all boils down to one simple thing – it’s a people business where forging relationships is critical to success. For more than 50 years, Clark has been doing that and he has become a fixture in the real estate industry on Vancouver Island.

“For me it comes down to the people, not only in the industry but the people that we deal with.

It’s a people business. We started off selling shelter but now it’s more of a stock market-like thing.

People like to make a profit on their home,” says Clark.

After being in the industry so long, Clark has some wisdom to share with younger salespeople about what it takes for someone to be successful in this industry.

“First, it’s integrity and treat people like you’d like to be treated.

We’re only people. We’re human beings. And if you can’t treat people in a proper manner, then of course it’s not going to be to your benefit,” says Clark.

“And there is an appreciation with people buying the home they love. They have an appreciation of the guidance they’ve had and I find that’s very rewarding.”

Clark sees himself working in the industry for another five years.

“If you like what you do and you feel comfortable about it, of course you stick it out… I’m not staying because of the money. I’m staying because I like what I do and I like the people and I would miss that if I wasn’t working…When you get into that situation where you enjoy what you do, I don’t know why you wouldn’t continue as long as you’re healthy and everything’s fine with you.”

Some of Barry Clark’s headshots, from 1965 to 2018.

Clark was born in Southampton England and immigrated to Canada in 1954. He was the son of a navy man and because of that, the sea had a special attraction to him. Early in life he found jobs on tug boats, fish boats and ferry boats.

The sea can be an exciting and adventurous place, but it also can be a lonely one. After many months out on the water in various capacities, Clark decided to come back ashore and ended up working in a variety of roles – upholstery, truck driving, logging camps and as a bartender.

“I got to know a lot of Realtors because I was a bartender at the time. I wasn’t making very much money where I was and I had two children. So, I thought I was going to give this a whirl, which I did and I was fortunate to pass the exams,” says Clark.

He found his home right from the start as he embarked on his new professional career at Nanaimo Realty Company, founded by Frank Ney, a well-known and respected business leader in the community.

Looking back, Clark recalls how different the real estate industry was at that time.

Technology was practically nonexistent. The office telephone was the main tool of the trade.

Realtors were employees of companies and worked on a 50/50 commission with the company.

Fast forward to today. It’s a completely different world in real estate. Technology has turned the real estate business into one that is instant: instant communication at your fingertips; instant data available to you. And social media has transformed the way we communicate.

“Now the people are more sophisticated – buyers and sellers.

They’ve gone online. They’ve been told a lot of things. So, when they come to buy a house now they’ve already seen the ones that are of interest online. In the early days that didn’t happen, of course.

We had to find the house for them,” says Clark.

Some of the people element of the business has been taken out of the industry because of that technological advancement, he says.

Over the years, more education for Realtors has also brought a more professional approach to the industry. And over the years, prices of properties have increased tremendously.

“Sometimes you wonder if they’re worth what the properties are being offered at. But you know, it’s what the buyers are ready, willing and able to pay for,” says Clark.

Royal LePage launches What’s My Home Worth oyal LePage’s new What’s My Home Worth feature on the company’s national website provides a home price value estimate, alongside a low to high point range. The range of values provides agents with the appropriate latitude to have a conversation with the consumer, the company says. The estimates are generated from the company’s proprietary data available through sister company Real Property Solutions.

R

With the new feature, Royal LePage says it is now capturing seller leads from its website in addition to the more typical buyer leads, to increase the overall lead volume they provide to their agents.

For a consumer to receive a valuation, they enter an address, property type, date purchased and purchase price. The data powering the estimate is updated monthly.

“Our home valuation tool also directs the consumer to fill out a

His career in real estate grew alongside the company’s growth.

In 1999, it entered into a longterm franchise arrangement with Royal LePage.

“The company specialized in developments in the earlier days and we had 12 offices on the island but in the ’80s when there was a little bit of a crunch going on, we had to reduce. We’re down to three offices right now. One in Nanaimo, one in Ladysmith and one on Gabriola Island,” says Clark.

“We do residential, commercial and property management. We’ve had a very, very active market. It certainly now is starting to balance off because there have been some interruptions, first of all with the government tax on foreign buyers.

Of course, interest rates and the mortgage stress test have also slowed it down a bit.” REM ships, Royal LePage says it will continue to develop and offer innovative tools. “The goal is to continuously demonstrate our commitment to both consumers and to our Realtors, establishing Royal LePage as the leader in real estate technology,” says Lee.

form to speak with an agent for a more accurate custom evaluaREM tion,” says Fred Lee, senior manager responsible for digital product development at Royal LePage. “In this way, we generate new opportunities for our agents.”

Leveraging their ongoing A screenshot showing the What’s My Home strategic partner- Worth feature.

4 REM APRIL 2019

Multiple Listings

By Jim Adair, REM Editor

Do you have news to share with Canada’s real estate community?

Let REM know about it! Email: jim@remonline.com

the Waterloo area.”

Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworksy helped out with the official ribbon cutting. The branch manager in Waterloo is Tony Olajide. Cloud Realty has just over 100 salespeople and brokers and 11 support staff.

■ ■ ■

T

he former Century 21 Multi-Services Inc. in Gatineau, Que. has merged with Century 21 Élite.

Sebastien Bonnerot and Rachel Viau opened Century 21 Élite in 2015. They started off with four agents and have grown to a team of 20 agents. The merger adds another 16 agents to the team. Century 21 Élite’s main office is in Cantley and it now has a second office in Hull.

“Change is always something we have embraced. This merger has given us the momentum to

rebrand, push our boundaries and become a powerhouse in Quebec.

Our focus is on training our agents and building a strong team. We are hoping to have five to 10 more agents join our team by the end of 2019,” says Bonnerot.

“I have been with Century 21 for 19 years and I am looking forward to joining Century 21 Élite with my agents,” says Gilbert Brisson, former owner of Century 21 Multi-Services. “I am sure our agents and clients will be in good hands. I know Rachel and Seb

will continue to deliver the gold standard as they take over in Hull and Maniwaki.”

■ ■ ■

Cloud Realty of Mississauga, Ont. recently opened a new office in Waterloo. Broker of record Lang Vuong says, “We decided to open up the office in Waterloo because it’s a great jump-off point for us based on how the market has moved out west. We also have a core group of talented agents who have served as the backbone of our new office. We’re excited about bringing something very fresh, tech-strong and culture-rich to

Century 21 MacMillan.com in Dauphin, Man. joined Century 21 Westman Realty in December.

Century 21 Westman Realty now has a team of 50 agents serving the Manitoba market. It has offices in Brandon, Neepawa, Killarney and now Dauphin.

“I have always believed that growth only happens when you step out of your comfort zone,” says Laurie Brugger, broker of record/managing partner.

“This has already been a big year of change with our merger with Century 21 MacMillan.com and re-branding our offices. By embracing change, we will continue to innovate, grow and learn as a company.”

■ ■ ■

Rachel Viau

Sebastien Bonnerot

Diane M. Ramirez

Exit Realty Corp. International recently held its 2019 Atlantic Canada Regional Retreat in Moncton, attracting franchisees and agents from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

The event featured an educational franchisee conference and rolled into a sales rally honouring Exit’s top sellers from all Atlantic

provinces. There was also a roster of guest speakers and a top producer panel.

“This is the most valuable way to kick off the spring sales market.

Input controls output and these functions increase everyone’s attitude and altitude, while enhancing their salesmanship skills,” says Joyce Paron, president - Canada.

“Everyone was equipped with the requisite tools and direction to have the competitive edge in their community. They left feeling good about themselves and the experience that we had all shared together.”

Always an anticipated highlight of the event, the awards dinner and dance was a night filled with cheering, team building and dance-until-you-drop camaraderie. “The culture and family feeling in the room was unsurpassed, with champions sharing with newcomers and everyone knowing something special was taking place,” says Paron.

■ ■ ■

Colpitts Realty of Fredericton has become the newest member of the Aventure Realty Network.

Brad Thomas brings years of real estate and construction experience to the network, says Aventure president Bernie Vogt.

“Sister company Colpitts Developments is one of the area’s primary builders of residential, commercial and rental properties,” says Vogt. Aventure is a network of independent brands with members in more than 1,200 markets from coast to coast.

■ ■ ■

Gilbert Brisson

Joyce Paron

Laurie Brugger

Brad Thomas

Cloud Realty just opened an office in Waterloo, Ont. From left: Eric Skicki, founder and broker/manager, Mississauga; Lang Vuong, broker of record; and Tony Olajide, Waterloo broker/manager.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE) announced that Diane M. Ramirez of Halstead Real Estate has been elected to a two-year term as chairman of the board of directors. The board provides strategic guidance for LeadingRE, working closely with the company’s executive team to deliver programs and services to the network’s 565 real estate firms in 70 countries.

Ramirez is chairman and chief executive officer of Halstead Real Estate, which has nearly three dozen offices in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

REM

Letters to the Editor I

had the opportunity to take the CREA Realtor satisfaction survey the other day and noticed that our national organization seems quite proud of their advocacy and political action efforts on behalf of Realtors.

I confess I’m not sure why – for this reason: General macroeconomics and pipeline issues aside, the single biggest impactor on our industry, at least in the Prairies, has been the perverse implementation of a national Ministry of Finance monetary policy (via CMHC) apparently designed to “cool” the GTA and Lower Mainland regional markets: the Stress (me out) Test.

I certainly can’t speak with any authority on the need to cool the two markets of the

finance minister’s greatest concern, but I can speak about my market: Rural Alberta. It didn’t need any cooling off, believe me.

Now, it seems even to us bumpkins out here on the Prairie that a Harvard Doctorate in Economics isn’t required to realize that Rural Alberta and Metro Toronto are pretty different markets, with different economics, different dynamics, despite (currently) sharing the same country.

And yet we have a national, one-size-fits-none mortgage qualification policy. The result of which is (out here in Bumpkin-ville) that the bottom end of the Alberta market is (spin it anyway you want) basically in free-fall, and as we all know, if the bottom end stalls, it dominoes right up the line to carriage trade.

Let’s remember, when this policy was initially conceived, there was a real possibility that mortgage rates would go up.

However, as governments often do, the feds took long enough to get to it that they managed to interfere in the marketplace just in time to accelerate a slowdown in a real-time economic retraction. This when significant rate increases in the near to mid-term are now pretty unlikely.

Which brings me back to CREA. Where are you guys?

This is just the kind of wellmeaning yet profoundly dumb political interference that I thought we were paying you guys to talk the government out of.

This policy is like swatting flies with a 2x4. I know that it is sometimes difficult for CREA to

see past the Ontario border, or even the Toronto municipal boundary, but honestly. You have the data. Aren’t you the teensiest bit concerned that CREB registered the fewest unit sales since (if I recall correctly) 1998?

When does the situation become serious enough that CREA makes a concerted appeal to the Liberals for some slack, at least in regions that are already stressed enough without Ottawa’s help?

So, show me some actual advocacy and political action and then send me a new survey. I promise my responses will be more enthusiastic on that one.

Universal basic income I was just reading Christopher Alexander’s article on stress testing potential home buyers out of the market and it is putting stress on sellers also. He is right. The government has to find ways to give incentives to help first-time buyers.

If this country would start a universal basic income there wouldn’t be the need for everyone to crowd into our two or three high-priced cities where all the jobs are and be enabled to move to lower cost rural areas as well.

Sadly, it’s mostly offshore money that is buying the properties here.

David Lowe Manager Century 21 Masters Sangudo, Alta.

Michael Smith Technician Richmond, B.C. REM

Mississauga brokerage debuts voice-powered real estate searches

Cover photo: DEAN HOLTZ

live, their budget and the features they want their home to have.

“This is the next evolution of home search using voice activation, and we are proud to be the first to provide this service to homebuyers in Canada,” say Nelson and Maria Goulart, brokers/owners of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Signature Service, in a news release.

“Now, you can ask Alexa or Google Home to find your next home while you are cooking dinner or sitting on your couch.

It’s a hands-free experience

and easy to use.”

Real Estate and Mississauga Real Estate are free for consumers to use on their Amazon Alexa or Google Home personal assistant devices. Users can make a cursory search based on just a few parameters or search based on several detailed home features. Amazon or Google Home will describe the first three matches and then send an email with a link to all the homes matching the search criteria.

“Voice-powered real estate search also benefits home sellers as

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their homes will gain more exposure to the larger market as potential buyers use their Amazon and Google personal assistants to find their next home,” says Goulart.

The brokerage partnered with U.S.-based Voiceter Pro to bring the technology to market in Canada.

“Nelson is the technology leader in his market and an industry visionary,” says Miguel Berger, co-founder of Voiceter Pro and a real estate broker. “He understands the future of this business and is providing the right tools at the

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

Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com 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. For subscription information, email distribution@remonline.com. Entire contents copyright 2019 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.

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 complies fully with the CREA’s Trademark Policy (section 5.3.2.6.1).

ISSN 1201-1223

right time for both consumers and the real estate professionals affiliated with his brokerage.” REM

Nelson Goulart

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B

etter Homes and Gardens Real Estate Signature Service, based in Mississauga, Ont., has introduced voice-powered real estate searches to Canada.

Consumers can ask their Alexa or Google Home assistant to help them search for their next home by saying, “Alexa, open real estate;” “Alexa, open Mississauga real estate” or other variations.

The home personal assistant will then engage them in a conversation, guiding them through questions such as where they want to

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10 REM APRIL 2019

The Mississauga REB’s future’s past T

his year the Mississauga Real Estate Board (MREB) celebrates its 65th birthday. It was born in the basement of the First United Church of Port Credit in 1954.

Thirty-eight real estate agents and brokers gathered together at the church and agreed upon a regulatory organization they named The Port Credit Real Estate Board.

Subsequently on Dec. 9, 1954, the board was renamed the South Peel Real Estate Board. Its main purpose was to generate and handle a database of listings that would make information available on properties, called co-op listings. Thirty years later, while surrounding communities expanded, the board gained over 1,800 members and became the Mississauga Real Estate Board. Today it is an advocate for the profession on issues relating to municipal, provincial and federal regulations and is a guardian of consumer homeowner interests in Mississauga.

MREB is celebrating its 65th birthday by introducing a myriad of community services including using social media to create “Throwback Thursday”, in which it posts archival material every week revealing the rich history of the organization. This spring the board will undertake a Habitat for Humanity build in Mississauga to assist a family in need, and it is preparing to launch a blood drive in the fall, partnering with the Canadian Blood Services. The board has asked Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and her staff to participate. MREB Members vs

Mississauga City Hall Staff will see who can donate the most blood – a win win for everyone.

But with all the celebrations circling MREB’s 65th birthday, there are those who question whether MREB and about 40 other Ontario boards should exist, or whether a single provincewide organization should be formed instead.

MREB’s president Helen Goljak is convinced the organization should remain a single entity and not merge into a collection of municipal real estate boards, as has happened in other provinces.

“It’s important for our members to have local representation when it comes to local municipal lobbying over issues like the sign bylaws, zoning and planning. It’s also important to have local representation both at a provincial and federal level on issues that impact homeownership,” she says.

A good example of this was how the board, along with others across Ontario, lobbied to stop the spread of a land transfer tax to the City of Mississauga. Goljak says that without a local presence, Mississauga Realtors wouldn’t have had a voice at city council.

“Every large city in Canada has its own real estate board and Mississauga, Canada’s sixth largest city with over 750,000 inhabitants, needs a voice which only a local board can support,” she says.

However, Goljak is 100-percent supportive of the different boards sharing, collaborating and supporting each other. “Over the years the industry has evolved and come to understand that sharing

An early ad from the South Peel Real Estate Board, now the Mississauga Real Estate Board.

By Myles Shane and collaboration is what benefits all of us who actively trade in real estate. At the same time technology has made the world smaller and allowed boards to share their MLS systems – enabling them to reduce costs and maintain current with ever-changing technology when it’s being shared amongst many boards.”

An example of this is a recent agreement between ORTIS (Ontario Regional, Technology & Information System, a shared MLS system that includes 10 other boards) and the Ontario Collective, which brings together 22 board MLS systems and 13,500 real estate agents covering 80 per cent of the province. “While I can see the sharing of MLS services merging into a few or even one MLS system at some point in Ontario, we will still need some sort of local board representation to champion local issues,” says Goljak.

Not only is the MREB collaborating with other organizations in Ontario, it’s also in a unique position since most of its members are both Toronto Real Estate Board and ORTIS members. “Our agents needed more access to those markets outside Mississauga and by joining ORTIS they now have access to listing and sales information to a large part of Ontario,” she says.

MREB continues to strive to add value services to its members.

Some of the upcoming initiatives include preferred cell phone rates, an esignature facility and showcasing its members’ listings on their REM corporate website.

Commercial firms embrace PropTech A

new report by Altus Group says driving efficiency through automation is a key priority for commercial real estate executives, and the use of AI and machine learning is “approaching a critical mass”.

The report is based on a global survey of 400 CRE executives at firms with assets under management of at least US $250 million.

“The combination of new market entrants, new technologies and changing demographics

have created disruptive models within CRE. This is having a profound impact on portfolio planning and decision-making,” says Bob Courteau, CEO, Altus Group. “At the same time, this presents new opportunities for organizations who rapidly embrace innovation and PropTech to reduce complexity, increase efficiency and drive performance.”

The report says 41 per cent of firms are using automation for benchmarking and performance

analysis, 39 per cent for scenario and sensitivity analysis and 36 per cent for budgeting and forecasting.

Disintermediation is also driving emerging technology adoption, says the report. New business models associated with the sharing economy, co-working and e-commerce are disrupting the CRE industry by cutting out middle steps and processes to create greater efficiencies, it says. The layers and stages of the financing, funding and transacting process

create inefficiencies in many core CRE functions. As a result, the rise of disintermediating technology platforms and solutions are having a major impact on the CRE industry.

Altus Group says the report findings suggest that transactionbased platforms such as online property exchanges, lending marketplaces and crowdfunding are now increasingly being used to streamline processes and create a more direct line between buyers and sellers, lenders and owners,

and investors and funds.

A large majority of firms have already invested in integrated software solutions for critical CRE functions. However, 60 per cent of executives said their firms are still using spreadsheets as their primary tool for reporting, 51 per cent for valuation and cash flow analysis and 45 per cent for budgeting and forecasting, which Altus Group says indicates that despite significant innovation, the industry continues to lag in certain areas.

REM

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12 REM APRIL 2019

Here’s a real ghost buster

Barbara Ford is a paranormal expert and psychic who offers workshops and specializes in “spiritual house clearings,” which get rid of negative energy in homes and businesses, she says. By Susan Doran

W

ho you gonna call for help with that house that’s lingering on the market?

Ghostbusters, of course.

Okay, admittedly Barbara Ford doesn’t actually go by that label. But if the supernatural shoe fits, well...

Ford, founder of the InSpirit Centre in Georgetown, Ont., is a paranormal expert and psychic who offers workshops and specializes in (among other things) “spiritual house clearings,” which get rid of negative energy in homes and businesses, she says. Homeowners and real estate agents regularly use her services to provide a property with a positive energy boost, she says.

It’s not always about a haunting, she adds, well aware there are sceptics. Sometimes the purpose is just a pick-me-up.

“Not every time a light flickers does it mean there’s a ghost,” says Ford.

She says that real estate salespeople “will often book clearings for properties that are not seeing enough activity, or where there may be an issue with the homeowners such as divorce, addiction, anger, prolonged illness or death in the home.”

She believes that a professional clearing refreshes a house and “should be an important step prior to listing for many properties.”

And that goes for new homes too. “It’s a myth that they can’t be haunted.”

Usually performed by a team, home clearings by the InSpirit Centre generally take about two hours. Techniques depend on the client and the situation and may include essential oil “protection”

sprays; non-ceremonial smudging with sage, grasses or fragrant wood; and/or the ringing of Tibetan bells.

Says Carol-Ann Schneider, a broker at Realty Executives Investment Group in Oakville, Ont., “All I can tell you is that when I have a funny feeling about a house, when something feels wrong even though the house may be priced right and pulled together like a model home, I call the InSpirit Centre for a clearing and it works. I have them into my own house yearly. My son and husband think I’m crazy.”

Ford, who has been showcased in a documentary and featured in several television shows, says she was consistently voted one of the top paranormal experts in Canada by online Q&A site Yahoo Answers. She has always been drawn to the occult and recalls being able to see things others can’t since childhood, when she would chatter to a long-deceased aunt she’d never met and watch apparitions float up the stairs.

Along with her husband Mark, she started the InSpirit Centre seven years ago, after decades of working alone and with other psychics. She and her handful of staff provide a range of services, everything from paranormal investigations, mediumship and tarot readings, to Reiki relaxation therapy and crystal healing.

As for home clearings, she says that when she’s in a house where someone died, she can almost always tell in which room it happened without being told. (In fact, most people can, she says.)

Regulations vary around seller disclosure when someone has

died in a house or it is reputed to be haunted. In Ford’s opinion, honesty is best. There have been cases in North America where the courts have allowed buyers of allegedly haunted houses to get out of the deal, but only if sellers didn’t disclose the information when they should have or misrepresented the property, she says.

“In the rare instances where a house cannot be cleared, sometimes it’s best to market it as a haunted house and seek the clients who are interested in that,” she says. “Embrace it.

Promote it to buyers who want an unusual place to live. This is particularly true for properties that may be used as a B&B or other touristy type of business.

A haunting can differentiate them from the crowd and be an attraction.”

More commonly recognized is that there’s a market for houses in which a famous person died.

According to statistics cited by Ford, interest in the paranormal is on the rise (perhaps due to the proliferation of television shows on the topic), creating new markets for ghostly tourism and haunted homes. She expects this to have an impact on the number of buyers and sellers who will be asking Realtors about home clearings.

Research also shows that properties stigmatized by rumours of haunting still tend to take much longer to sell than the average home. Only about onethird of survey respondents say they’d be willing to live in a house that is said to be haunted.

Barbara Ford

mostly they aren’t there,” she says. “If they are, I will help them cross over...It’s only in the last 50 or 60 years that dying at home has been an issue; prior to that it was common. There’s been a disconnect from this. People are frightened of things they don’t understand.”

Maybe we should chill, though. By no means are spirits necessarily a bad thing; many are benign, according to Ford.

That said, she has a few stories about demons who you wouldn’t want to get too friendly with unless you have a portal handy in your basement to hurl them through. She’s talking phantoms staring with red eyes, monsters in closets, shadows sliding down walls and slithering on all fours along the floor and Tibetan bells suddenly snapping in half at house clearings.

“If there was a peaceful death,

Ford recalls once being called

into an area heritage theatre after staff refused to enter the building. An apparition had been seen repeatedly in an empty screening room and phones kept ringing even when unplugged.

But that’s the stuff of night terrors. For the fainthearted, Ford may stick to gentler anecdotes, perhaps those about people feeling the weight of a phantom cat settling on them as they fall sleep or hearing their long-gone dog’s paws lightly treading down the hall.

For non-believers, she chooses her words carefully, noting that the clearing she’s about to perform will re-vitalize the space and provide a more peaceful home life. She ain’t afraid of no ghosts. REM

30 Years Coldwell Banker Burnhill Realty Burlington, ON

CELEBRATING CANADIAN MILESTONES! Congratulations to our affiliates celebrating over 25 years with our global brand Coldwell Banker believes commitment should be celebrated. We’re proud to recognize the staying power of these affiliates from our Canadian network of over 200 offices from coast to coast. Happy Anniversary to these dedicated brokerages, representing the Coldwell Banker brand for over a quarter of a century.

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For a confidential conversation about franchising, contact: Andy Puthon President, Coldwell Banker Canada andy@coldwellbanker.ca Burlington, Ontario

Join the blue. coldwellbanker.ca ©2019 Coldwell Banker LLC. All Rights Reserved. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker LLC. Each sales representative and broker is responsible for complying with any consumer disclosure laws or regulations.

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16 REM APRIL 2019

DR. LANDLORD

By Christopher Seepe

W

hat do Murder 8, Apache, China Girl, China White, Friend, Dance Fever, Goodfella, Jackpot, TNT and Tango and Cash all have in common? They’re all street names for fentanyl or fentanyllaced heroin.

Fentanyl is an incredibly powerful synthetic opioid analgesic approved as an anesthetic and to treat chronic pain. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety, it’s 100 times more powerful than morphine, 50 times more toxic than heroin, and 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin, all of which means the risk of an overdose is extremely high. The RCMP says that two milligrams –

Fentanyl a threat to landlords and real estate professionals about the size of four grains of salt – of pure fentanyl can kill the average adult.

Why read about this in a real estate trade magazine? First responders on the scene of an accidentally overdosed person or even a home-grown lab are at serious risk when they are exposed to fentanyl. That doesn’t just mean police, firefighters and paramedics – it could be a real estate professional, landlord, property manager or janitor.

Because fentanyl is synthetic, it can be easily and inexpensively made in a lab. It’s tasteless and odourless and difficult to detect. Exposure can occur unintentionally simply by touch or inhalation.

Several RCMP cases involved an officer who entered a vapourfilled vehicle or office, typically caused by smoked heroin, and became gravely ill and in need of immediate medical attention after

only a few minutes of exposure.

The Public Health Agency of Canada reported that more than 9,000 people died in Canada between January 2016 and June 2018. There were 2,066 apparent opioid-related deaths between January and June 2018. Ninetyfour per cent were accidental and 72 per cent involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogues.

Many overdoses and deaths have occurred because individuals weren’t even aware they were consuming fentanyl, which can be in the form of powder, liquid (injection), skin patch or pill.

Fentanyl can be mixed with other drugs such as cocaine, heroin and counterfeit pills made to look like legal prescription opioids.

Fentanyl works faster and in smaller doses than morphine or heroin to bind opioid receptors in the brain to quickly depress the central nervous system and respira-

tory function while boosting levels of the chemical dopamine, which controls the feelings of pleasure, euphoria, reward and relaxation.

Symptoms of a fentanyl overdose include difficulty walking, talking or staying awake; blue lips or fingernails; unusually small “pinpoint” pupils; clammy and cold skin, dizziness and confusion; nausea; extreme drowsiness; gurgling, choking or snoring sounds; slow, weak or no breathing; and the inability to wake up, even when shouted at or shaken.

The American Addition Centers (www.drugabuse.com) says if you believe someone may have come in contact with fentanyl, immediately contact 911.

Wash the skin with soap and water, keep them sitting upright if possible or lay them down on their side if not, and keep the person conscious as long as possible. Don’t use a hand sanitizer or bleach to clean the contaminated skin.

These items contain alcohol, which may increase the absorption of fentanyl through the skin.

A fentanyl safety website for first responders developed by the Justice Institute of British Columbia (www.fentanylsafety.com) cites naloxone as a temporary antidote for opioid overdoses, including those caused by fentanyl. When properly administered, it can restore normal breathing and consciousness to individuals experiencing an opioid overdose.

Chris Seepe is a published writer and author, “landlording” course instructor, president of the Landlords Association of Durham, and a commercial real estate broker of record at Aztech Realty in Toronto, specializing in income-generating and multi-residential investment properties. (416) 525-1558 Email cseepe@aztechrealty.com; website: www.drlandlord.ca REM

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18 REM APRIL 2019

Second gen Realtors make good in Sarnia

Steven Park and Rob Longo are shaking up the real estate market in Sarnia, Ont., opening both residential and commercial brokerages and bringing transparency to their office building and their business. By Sohini Bhattacharya

S

teven Park grew up working at the family’s poultry farm in Sarnia, Ont., but at a young age he decided not to put all of his eggs in one basket.

Park, broker of record and co-founder of the newest brokerage in Sarnia, Coldwell Banker Southwest Realty, says, “The eggs on our farm needed to be gathered at certain times during the day, but other than that, the farm took care of itself,” he says. Since going on vacation was out of the question for their farming family, Park would be out in the barn in the mornings, then from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., he’d work at his family’s office selling real estate. After returning to the farm to collect the afternoon eggs, he’d go back out at night to show and sell houses again. It was a perfect fit.

After learning the ropes from his father, who specialized in selling poultry farms across Ontario, Steven, at 20, decided to join a Sarnia real estate firm.

From 1988 to 1993, selling real estate wasn’t easy in Sarnia, Park says. Ontario Hydro had just downsized, and Dow Chemical had pulled out of the small town. His knowledge of selling farmland came through for Park when residential sales were few and far between. Back in the 1980s there were only a handful of real estate salespeople in the county. So, the Parks’ name was held in good stead for reliable real estate advice and sales.

At the independent firm where he worked, Magic Realty, Park met Rob Longo, his co-founder at Coldwell Banker Southwest Realty. Longo grew up following the footsteps of his own Realtor father.

Joining the real estate business straight out of university was but a natural step for Longo. Although there’s a 25-year gap between the two partners, real estate runs in

their veins and between them they share over 100 years of experience selling property.

The writing was on the wall, when a couple of years back, Park and Longo saw an opportunity to begin their partnership. The time was right not just to “design a business structure” from the ground up, “but also the physical structure in the environment,” says Longo.

After spending several months researching the infrastructure of their business, its design, and its location, the duo was awarded both Coldwell Banker residential and Coldwell Banker Commercial franchises. On Sept. 10, 2018, the grand opening of their brokerage followed.

Built at 780 Exmouth St., in the heart of Sarnia’s main commercial district, their 3,600-square-foot building is a “state-of-the-art” space, says Longo. It’s phase one of a 7,100-sq.-ft. office facility.

As you walk through the doors and on to the exposed concrete floors of their new office, you are immediately impressed by its high ceilings and glass walls. The feeling of transparency, light and space is inescapable. “We really wanted to stress on transparency in our brokerage,” says Park. “We wanted our agents to feel that everything was open and up front. There’s a lot of glass in the office and you can see inside my office as soon as you walk in the door. People can look in and see exactly what I’m doing because we wanted that transparency.”

Fitted with 25 private offices, a large bullpen area for agents known as the agent hub, a coffee bar, five meeting rooms and a lounge area, the sprawling groundfloor level office is custom-built to deliver a “concierge-style approach (which) will shoulder many of the transaction tasks,”

Steven Park and Rob Longo (Photo: Dean Holtz)

say the partners in a news release.

Construction is in full gear to complete phase two—the remaining 3,500 sq. ft. of their Exmouth Street location.

Both Longo and Park say a common problem they discovered in Sarnia was that agents weren’t collaborating enough. As top producing agents themselves, they decided to build their business upon a different mantra. “While a lot of new brokerages are pushing more workload onto the agents and making them more independent,” Longo says, their vision is to create “more of a collaborative team approach where we’re trying to offer more backend services to our agents in the office.”

Whether it’s photography, social media updates, government HST returns, filing their paperwork, or ensuring that they are RECO compliant, the 15 agents in the office are encouraged to rely on their secretaries to take on the

administrative work load. “Our agents need to concentrate on two things. One, getting out there and selling more, or spending time with their family or the things they enjoy doing most,” says Park.

In an era where agents are being forced to swing between a digital, cloud-based solution or a traditional brokerage model, Park and Longo have found a happy medium where they offer the oldschool, personal touch to their agents, along with all the modernday, hands-off technological advances in the industry. While being future forward, they are deeply rooted in their time-tested traditions.

“It sounds a little apple pieish,” says Park, but he says their agents believe in 100-per-cent attendance at Coldwell Banker’s meetings, and supporting each other all the way, even if that means driving for 40 minutes to celebrate each other’s successes.

“And in Sarnia, 40 minutes is a

long way away,” he says.

Park and Longo have already expanded by opening a satellite location in Petrolia, in a 150-year-old historic building that “solidifies our footprint in Southern Ontario and is further evidence of our commitment to growth,” says Longo.

As opposed to a habitually volatile market in Toronto, selling in Sarnia is more stable, says Park.

Now in the business for eight years, he says the value of relationshipbuilding and customer service are that much more important in a smaller community.

As second-generation Realtors, there isn’t much that surprises Park and Longo, but when 350 community members, peers and leaders turned up at the recent launch of their brick-and-mortar brokerage, both were left speechless and honoured. “That stuff sticks with me,” said a humbled Park. REM

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Mitchell Deslippe RE/MAX Preferred Realty Ltd. Amherstburg 7

Matthew Fernandes RE/MAX Professionals Inc. Toronto

Brad Barfoot RE/MAX Grey Bruce Realty Inc. Owen Sound

Manveer Dhindsa RE/MAX Realty Services Inc. Brampton

9

Trevor Clark RE/MAX Core Realty Inc. Ottawa

17

Nick Brunet RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd. Ottawa

4

Curtis Goddard RE/MAX Chay BWG Realty Bradford

8

16

Jason Tome RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc. Burlington

3

10

Steph Tripp RE/MAX Preferred Realty Ltd. Windsor 18

Ricky Rathore RE/MAX Empire Realty Markham

Jeff Knapp RE/MAX North Country Realty Inc. Gravenhurst 19

12

Jamie Rollins RE/MAX Sudbury Inc. Sudbury

20

Shannon Sullivan RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc. Burlington

Mark Antazo RE/MAX Community Realty Inc. Toronto

26

27

28

Andrew Palillo RE/MAX Hallmark First Group Realty Ltd. Pickering

Bryan Sipec RE/MAX Premier Inc. Vaughan

Alexander Wolfe RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd. Ottawa

Shawn Hinchey RE/MAX Jazz Inc. Oshawa

13

Ricardo Barros RE/MAX Solutions Barros Group Toronto 21

Brittany Brown RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd. Ottawa

25

Firas Swaida RE/MAX Realty Services Inc. Mississauga

11

5

29

Tristan Pelletier RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Group Ottawa

Rylie Cook RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd. Toronto 14

Lynsey Foster RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc. Burlington 22

Victor Vieira RE/MAX West Realty Inc. Toronto

6

15

Sai Tirulokan RE/MAX Empire Realty Markham

23

Zhen Liang RE/MAX Excel Realty Ltd. Richmond Hill

30

Stephanie Pilarski RE/MAX Realtron Realty Inc. Thornhill

RE/MAX INTEGRA, Ontario-Atlantic Internal Data, full year 2018.

24

Jamie Smith RE/MAX Sackville Realty 2000 Ltd. Sackville

REM APRIL 2019 27

Offer negotiations: right and wrong

By Ross Wilson “Admitting error clears the score and proves you wiser than before.”

– Arthur Guiterman

I

’ve witnessed all sorts of presentation styles, most of them appallingly amateurish. In this second of the series on offer negotiation (visit REMonline.com for the first one), I delve a little further into the subject, sometimes somewhat bluntly.

Some listing agents with whom I’ve briefly worked have vainly attempted to justify their existence by simply reading the entire offer (and not well) to their seller as though their client were functionally illiterate. Others have respectfully encouraged the seller to read for themselves, and then proceeded to read it to them – out loud – just in case they missed something during their private reading.

Boring, boring and did I say boring? It’s time-consuming and

THE GUEST COLUMN

By Karen Cox

T

he real estate business looks a lot different today than it did when I first started out as a Realtor 25 years ago.

I know that anyone who has been in this business longer than five years would agree with me. The technologies we use today are different. Our buyers and sellers are more sophisticated than ever before. And the role we play in the transaction process has also changed.

Staying on top of the latest

maybe a little insulting to their clients’ intelligence.

Upon receiving the offer, others have launched immediately into a brief abridgment of the terms, thereby not allowing the seller the opportunity to read and properly digest a document with which they’re probably unfamiliar. After the seller has read the offer, some agents have brazenly declared the price unacceptable – without any apparent client consultation – and without giving any due consideration to other critical terms.

This introduces an aggressive, antagonistic spirit to the proceedings. I’ve observed a listing agent hand over a copy of the offer to the seller, wisely allow them to read it thoroughly, sometimes quietly, and then immediately upon their finishing, ask for their comments, opinion or decision without any questions, discussion or explanation.

A list of terrible styles would be incomplete without the one wherein a listing agent just faxes or emails the offer to their seller for review; ridiculous and unprofessional. All of those agents – many of whom are probably long gone – neglected to take a professional holistic approach to what is arguably the most important aspect

of our service.

As a listing agent, you should arrive at your seller’s home early and prior to the arrival of the buyer’s agent. Walk them through basic procedure and ask that they follow your lead during negotiations. Answer any questions that might arise, and to help them be objective, review an updated CMA. Remind them that the other agent will almost certainly be representing the interests of the buyer. For this reason, they should not disclose anything of a confidential nature nor visibly react to the offer terms in the presence of the buyer’s agent.

Tell them to keep their cards close. Explain that once the offer has been reviewed and you’ve asked clarifying questions of the buyer’s rep, you’ll be asking the agent to leave the room. This will permit you to consult privately with your seller regarding the merits and shortcomings of the offer.

After the buyer’s rep arrives, to minimize a potentially adversarial environment, strategically seat everyone around the table by mixing it up a little. Don’t allow the table to be a subliminal boundary between two opposing sides.

Maybe have a seller on each side

and the two reps on each of the other ends. The buyer’s agent will then hopefully hand you an offer copy for each participant.

Until the sellers are finished their reading, both agents should wait patiently – and quietly. Resist the urge to discuss the offer or engage in idle prattle. Such behaviour will only distract the seller and prolong the presentation by stealing their focus. And don’t fidget in your seat like an impatient school kid waiting for the bell to ring.

Since all their questions will likely be answered during your summation, if your seller has a question, ask them to save it until that time.

Make it clear that prior to getting into details, you want them to get a general overview of the terms.

Controlling the presentation is the name of the game. Even though it’s their property, it’s your party.

After confirming that both sellers have finished silently reading the offer, starting from the bottom of the last page and working your way up and to each previous page, briefly summarize each clause. In other words, start with the least important clauses, which are typically those added nearer the end of the contract. (Offers should be drafted with clauses

ordered in priority of importance – most to least.) Don’t waste time rereading the entire document because everyone has already read it, maybe more than once. If your seller begins to opine or complain about something, particularly of a confidential or strategic nature, or voices an objection, politely remind them to hold that concern for your private session. Proceed as you had coached them in your premeeting by asking for verbal acknowledgment of understanding – not necessarily agreement – of each clause and advance in reverse through the offer until you arrive at the price.

In the next column, this series continues with more advice on how to proceed with a professional offer presentation.

Ross Wilson is a retired real estate broker with extensive experience as a brokerage owner, manager, trainer and mentor over a highly successful 44-year career. His book, The Happy Agent – Finding Harmony with a Thriving Realty Career and an Enriched Personal Life is available where print and e-books are sold, including the TREB, MREB, RAHB and OMDREB stores. For more details, visit Realty-Voice.com. REM

Ambitious agendas call for bold action technological trends, threats and opportunities can sometimes feel like a lot, regardless of how long you’ve been a Realtor. Which is why I chose, 12 years ago, to get involved with my local board, the Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound. I wanted to stay engaged and in-the-know on issues that affect my profession and my community.

And that is why I am thrilled to be president of the Ontario Real Estate Association today, an organization that has chosen to be at the forefront of change.

In 2018, we did a lot of new things and we also made some tough calls.

For one, we applied a new approach to our public affairs.

Today, when we go to the government with our asks, we go with support from the people. We choose to

be on the side of hard-working homeowners, the same people that we work with and advocate for every single day as Realtors and community builders. With this new approach, we have established ourselves as a go-to resource for the provincial government on issues that affect Ontario Realtors, as well as buyers, sellers and homeowners.

We also decided that we would have some difficult, but necessary, conversations with our members about the changes affecting their business. Our first ever REALiTY Conference was an unvarnished, clear-eyed and bold examination of the biggest issues confronting Canadian real estate today. We brought together some of the biggest disruptors and trailblazers for three days of information downloading. From blockchain to chatbots to artificial intelligence, our

speakers covered it all.

Our decisions to try new things, to be bold, weren’t always the popular choice. But by challenging our conventions and taking a new road altogether, we accomplished some big things for our members, home buyers and sellers.

In 2019, I’m excited to continue building on these accomplishments.

At the top of my list is nailing REBBA. After ten years of knocking, we finally got the government to open the door on REBBA reform. The legislation that governs our profession is badly out of date, and it needs to be updated to reflect our modern real estate market.

A review of the entire act is officially underway, and OREA has a front row seat at the table. So far, the government’s paper on REBBA reads a lot like our recommendations that we shared with the gov-

ernment last fall. We will continue to push for things such as personal real estate corporations, a more demanding education program and a tougher regulator (RECO). The government’s official review of REBBA is a big win for Ontario Realtors and a giant step forward toward higher professional and ethical standards.

I am also committed to continuing the work we started on turning more young and first-time home buyers into homeowners. Our Keep the Dream Alive campaign forced attention to the housing supply crisis in Ontario, and the real-life agony that first-time home buyers face in today’s undersupplied housing market, something I see every day in my own markets of Meaford, Beaver Valley, Thornbury and Blue Mountain.

Continued on page 32

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2018 TOP ACHIEVERS! AS AWARDED IN LAS VEGAS, FEBRUARY 24, 2019.

TOP PRODUCERS: COMMERCIAL

TOP PRODUCERS: RESIDENTIAL

Top Individual Western Canada JOEL GARISTO RE/MAX Treeland Realty Langley, BC #6 Canada Residential

Top Team Western Canada JUSTIN HAVRE & ASSOCIATES Team Leader: Justin Havre RE/MAX First, Calgary, AB #9 Worldwide Residential + Commercial #4 Canada Residential

Top Individual Alberta & Western Canada SONIA TARABAY RE/MAX Elite Sherwood Park, AB

Top Individual British Columbia RONNI LISTER RE/MAX Ocean Pacific Realty Courtenay, BC

Top Team Manitoba THE UNGER TEAM Team Leader: Keith Unger RE/MAX Performance Realty Steinbach, MB

Top Team Saskatchewan TEAM JOYCE TOURNEY Team Leader: Joyce Tourney RE/MAX Crown Real Estate - North Regina, SK

Top Individual Western Canada GORDON KLEAMAN RE/MAX Crest Realty (North Vancouver) North Vancouver, BC #4 Canada Commercial

Top Team Western Canada EXCELLENCE COMMERCIAL TEAM Team Leader: Sam Narayan RE/MAX Excellence Edmonton, AB #1 Worldwide + Canada Commercial

Top Individual Manitoba TERRY ISARYK RE/MAX Performance Realty Winnipeg, MB

Top Individual Saskatchewan ADAM SCHMALZ RE/MAX P.A. Realty Prince Albert, SK

Top Team Western Canada & Alberta JUSTIN HAVRE & ASSOCIATES Team Leader: Justin Havre RE/MAX First Calgary, AB #1 Canada Closed Transactions – Team Leaders

Top Team British Columbia THE DAVE TEAM Team Leader: Dave Koszegi RE/MAX of Nanaimo Nanaimo, BC

Top Office Alberta, Western Canada, Canada & Worldwide RE/MAX REAL ESTATE (CENTRAL) Calgary, AB Broker Owner: Pat Hare

Top Office British Columbia RE/MAX OF NANAIMO Nanaimo, BC Broker Owners: Charlie Parker, Graeme Parker Pictured: Justus Edmundson, Manager

Top Office Manitoba RE/MAX PERFORMANCE REALTY Winnipeg, MB Broker Owner: Tom Fulton

Top Office Saskatchewan RE/MAX CROWN REAL ESTATE (NORTH) Regina, SK Broker Owners: Gary Cossette (photo), Rob Nisbett

Largest Net Gain in Associates – Small Market Western Canada & Canada RE/MAX REAL ESTATE (EDMONTON) Leduc, AB Broker Owner: Terri Lynn Drynan

Largest Single Office Western Canada, Canada & Worldwide RE/MAX REAL ESTATE (CENTRAL) Calgary, AB Broker Owner: Pat Hare

TOP TRANSACTIONS AWARDS

SALES VOLUME: OFFICE

OFFICE SIZE

Top Single Office Worldwide + Canada RE/MAX REAL ESTATE (CENTRAL) Calgary, AB Broker Owner: Pat Hare

Top Multi-Office Canada RE/MAX CREST REALTY Vancouver, BC Broker Owners: Deborah Upton (photo), Kevin Li

Top Office Small Market Western Canada & Canada RE/MAX OCEAN PACIFIC REALTY Comox, BC Broker Owner: Dave Procter

OTHER DISTINGUISHED AWARDS

Robert H. Cherot Award PAT HARE Broker Owner RE/MAX Real Estate (Central) Calgary, AB

Distinguished Service Award ELTON ASH Regional Executive Vice President RE/MAX of Western Canada Kelowna, BC

TOP 5 CONTRIBUTING OFFICES IN WESTERN CANADA TOP CONTRIBUTING OFFICES BY FOUNDATION

Spirit of the West KENT FAUBERT RE/MAX First Calgary, AB

Broker Owner of the Year Low Density LORENE MACGREGOR RE/MAX Home Advantage Castlegar, BC

Broker Owner of the Year Single Office Western Canada & Canada TERRI LYNN DRYNAN RE/MAX Real Estate (Edmonton) Leduc, AB

Broker Owner of the Year Multi-Office Western Canada & Canada TOM FULTON RE/MAX Performance Realty Winnipeg, MB

Community Care Individual MICHELLE YU RE/MAX Real Estate Services Vancouver, BC

Manager of the Year Western Canada & Canada JUSTUS EDMUNDSON RE/MAX of Nanaimo Nanaimo, BC & RE/MAX Camosun Victoria, BC

Community Care Office RE/MAX MEDALTA REAL ESTATE Medicine Hat, AB Broker Owner: Dione Todd

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

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RE/MAX of Nanaimo

RE/MAX Crown Real Estate (North)

RE/MAX Real Estate (Central)

RE/MAX River City (S. University)

RE/MAX of Naniamo Nanaimo, BC

Nanaimo, BC

RE/MAX First

Calgary, AB

Regina, SK

RE/MAX River City (S. University) Edmonton, AB

Calgary, AB

Special Services Award MEREDITH SCHUTTER RE/MAX Sea to Sky Real Estate Whistler, BC

RE/MAX of Western Canada is the largest contributing RE/MAX region in North America for the 13th consecutive year. RE/MAX affiliates in Western Canada contributed over $1.9 million, collectively resulting in more than $4.5 million for children’s hospitals across Canada!

Spirit of the West GREGG BAMFORD RE/MAX Saskatoon (East) Saskatoon, SK

Calgary, AB

Administrator of the Year BOZENA MACIAS RE/MAX Real Estate Kamloops, BC

Edmonton, AB

RE/MAX Crown RE/MAX Performance Real Estate (North) Realty Regina, SK

Winnipeg, MB

TOP CONTRIBUTING AFFILIATES

RE/MAX CHAMPIONS OF HOPE AWARD: $500,000 IN CONTRIBUTIONS RE/MAX NYDA REALTY Chilliwack, BC Broker Owners (L to R): Alex MacDonald, Vicki MacDonald, Robert Lacerte

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30 REM APRIL 2019

Good Works M

ulholland Ross Real Estate Group has donated $20,000 to local charities in North York, Ont. as part of 100 Homes To Help, an initiative developed by Peter Mulholland, Ora Ross and the Mulholland Ross Group. They researched local charities, selecting four that have a solid grassroots connection to the North York community, and then decided to let the community determine how to disburse the money by inviting the public to vote for their favourite charity.

Shine Bright/Maddie’s Project received $2,000. It’s a grassroots group that supports access to help for teens. Abuse Hurts received $3,000. When he was nine-yearsold, Scott Elliot found a newborn baby, Lisa Hill, in the bushes beside his home in the middle of winter.

Now he and Hill have joined

forces with Abuse Hurts to promote a change in legislation that would permit safe havens so no baby needs to be left in the bushes on a cold winter’s night again.

The St. Johns Ambulance Therapy Dog program received a $5,000 donation, and the North York Harvest Food Bank was given $10,000.

“North York is a vibrant community. We, as a team, felt that we wanted to support the culture of North York and the folks who are contributing to it. Community building is extremely important to us,” says Ross.

■ ■ ■

When people go missing, usually after hiking or skiing in the back country on Vancouver Island, one of the first calls is to the local Search and Rescue. Ken Welte, a

Mulholland Ross Group presented $10,000 to the North York Harvest Food Bank. From left: Henry Chiu of NYHFB, Peter Mulholland, Ora Ross, Jordan Rozencwajg and Davis Mulholland.

sales rep with Sutton Group Realty Services in Nanaimo, B.C., and his wife and business partner Laura recently completed a year of training to become volunteers with the Ladysmith Search and Rescue team. They spent a night outdoors in below-freezing temperatures without a tent relying only on basic equipment such as a tarp, sleeping bags, a fire starter and years of experience.

“When the instructor came by to check on us, he referred to our campsite as the Hilton,” says Ken. “We were prepared.” But that does not mean everything was easy.

To become volunteers, they completed approximately 50 hours of academic instruction on topics as diverse as swift water awareness, radio communications, bear safety, using stretchers, SAR command procedures and more. There were monthly tests and field work.

“On average, I believe Central Vancouver Island gets about 60 calls a year,” says Ken. “That’s an average of more than one per week, although summer is the busiest time. This past summer, as members in training, we sometimes had a call every night.”

Century 21 Canada companies raised $704,152 for Easter Seals camps last year, the company reports. Since 1979, the company has raised more than $11.1 million for the charity.

Century 21 B.J. Roth Realty in Barrie, Ont. claimed the top spot as the No. 1 fundraising company for the fifth consecutive year.

The office hosts fundraising events such as The 8th Annual Dancing with the Stars, which raised $75,000. The office has 285 agents who actively participate in the events.

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

Ken Welte took a selfie in front of the wilderness camp.

■ ■ ■

Hanlon Realty of St. John’s recently held its second annual food drive for Emmaus House, a local food bank. The brokerage raised more than $6,000 in food and money.

“This is our third food drive in the past year,” says sales rep Debbie Hollett. “We have raised over $18,000 in food and money for two local food banks. When I called an organizer to let her know that Hanlon would be doing a second Christmas food drive for them, she said they were praying to hear from us. I was very touched by this.”

Nissa Clarkson of Sutton Group Realty Services in Surrey, B.C. moved to Canada from the Philippines decades ago, but she never forgot her home. For more than 20 years, Nissa and her husband Bob have returned each winter, bringing toys, clothes and the gift of health. Nearly 400 children visit their resort at Christmas to receive toys from Bob, who dresses as Santa Claus. Every few years, with help from military doctors and dentists, they also host a medical-dental mission providing free treatments, medication and meals for nearly 1,000 people.

“When I became a Realtor in 1994, I noticed that my clients often downsized and had bags of items destined for the thrift store,” says Nissa. “My husband was also a Realtor and we asked our clients to save those items for poor kids in the Philippines.”

Prior to this winter’s visit, they collected 20 boxes of toys and clothing, which they sent via container ship at a cost of approximately $2,000. Nissa sets aside a portion of each realty commission to finance this cause.

■ ■ ■

Continued on page 32

Right At Home Realty, based in Toronto, raised $77,318 in 2018 for Habitat for Humanity GTA. During the last 10 years, Right At Home has donated more than $600,000 to the charity.

From left: Howard Drukarsh, co-founder, Right At Home Realty; Ene Underwood, CEO, Habitat for Humanity GTA; Eva Liu, VP of finance and administration and John Lusink, president and broker of record, Right At Home Realty.

Century 21 Dome Realty in Regina was the second-highest fundraiser for Easter Seals in the C21 System.

Hanlon Realty in St. John’s recently held its annual food drive for Emmaus House. From left: Olga Pippy, Darlene Boone, Debbie Hollett, Larry Hann, Debbie Penney, Bob Frelich, Diane Hanlon, Martina Hanlon (wife of brokerage owner Wayne Hanlon).

Sameem Mohamed

Nissa and Bob Clarkson with some army and air force medical volunteers in the Philippines.

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32 REM APRIL 2019

Team of teams forms Union Realty in Toronto

By Mario Toneguzzi

T

hree Toronto real estate teams have joined forces in a unique initiative.

DeClute Real Estate, the Wright Sisters Group and the BREL team have come together to form Union Realty, which the teams say is an unprecedented real estate industry innovation, harnessing the power of collaboration to create a more consumer-centric experience.

Rochelle DeClute, broker and co-owner of Union Realty, said the new model is based on collaboration and not competition.

“First of all, it’s just teams.

There are no individual agents. So, it’s a little bit different that way.

The teams collaborate together,” says DeClute.

“The traditional brokerage model exists to serve all Realtors, whether they work as solo agents, partners or teams,” she says. “It’s often an agent-centric environment with a focus on attracting new agents. Yet this environment doesn’t always encourage people working at the same company to collaborate and share best practices which, in addition to being a more enjoyable environment, pushes people to succeed and ultimately serve their clients better.”

DeClute says the “team of

teams” approach brings the core strength of each team together through agent training, shared resources and a unified leadership group. She said all clients of Union Realty teams will benefit from the experience of DeClute Real Estate, the systems and sales processes developed by the Wright Sisters Group, and the leading-edge digital marketing delivered by the BREL team.

“Everyone maintains their same brand, their former names,” says DeClute. “They completely remain independent and have their own team environment and their own brand . . . The brands are very distinct and very different. So, they all attract very different people.

“The leadership in each of the teams is very different as well and what’s different is the skill-set in each team.”

In training sessions, the three groups openly share proprietary information about technology, lead conversion, reputation management and best practices.

“What we found was being able to collaborate with other team leaders and sharing training across the teams and sharing our best practices, our agents are able to kind of get to the next level,” says

DeClute. “They’re able to be a little bit more confident, a little bit more successful and we’re able to offer more to our agents that we couldn’t as a solo team.”

The three groups promote each other’s listings.

“We all work together to sell houses. We’re not looking to enhance our business by building a brokerage. We’re all working together as a team. A consumer would have the benefit of the three teams working behind the scenes,” says DeClute. “We’ve got a marketing department that’s second to none because we have a marketing co-ordinator as well as marketing staff who work together collaboratively sharing best practices on each of the listings.”

Services such as copywriting, photography and concierge can be shared among the three groups. While each of the groups has its own staging company, they work together. A 12,000square-foot warehouse is full of items to stage homes. Between the three, there are four moving trucks, six designers and three sets of staging staff.

“Anything that needs to be done to service that listing, we have the staff between the three of us that we never drop the ball.

Rochelle DeClute

Brendan Powell

That works quite well,” she says.

Between the three groups, there are about 25 salespeople.

DeClute says she foresees inviting other realty companies to join Union.

“I had nine calls the first day we announced it. I’ve had calls every day since. We have met with a couple of other teams. I think the most important thing is we’re looking for people who share our values,” she says.

“We’re happy to share and work with people who do a very good business, who share values with us and who are able to collaborate with us and can offer something that we can’t offer. And we can benefit each other that way. It really isn’t based on going out and selling franchises. That’s not what

this is about. It’s about being able to collaborate to make each other better.”

Brendan Powell and Melanie Piche led The BREL team to #83 out of 500 of Canada’s fastest growing companies in 2018 as ranked

by Canadian Business magazine.

“The idea is to have a bunch of people working together and collaborating rather than being competitors,” says Powell, broker of record and president of BREL. “We’re trying to turn the traditional brokerage model on its side or upside down, whatever you want to call it.”

Powell said that as far as he knows no one else in Canada, and perhaps even in the U.S., is doing what Union Realty has come up with as a brokerage model.

“Traditionally, a brokerage is at the top and you’ve got either agents or teams underneath it and we are both supported by but also feeding the beast up top above us.

The idea of what we’ve tried to create now is a situation where the brokerage literally exists to support the teams… The host brokerage is there to serve us, rather than the main goal for a typical brokerage promoting its own interest, making a profit and growing and promoting their brand. But (with Union) we all have our own brands, we are all promoting our own teams at our own ends and making our own profits and the brokerage exists solely to support that goal.”

“At the end of the day, we’re all here to provide the very best service to our clients. This new model gives us the opportunity to hone our strengths and push ourselves in new ways, all for the benefit of our clients,” says Melanie Wright of the Wright Sisters Group. REM

Good Works

Ambitious agendas

Continued from page 30

Continued from page 27

Century 21 Innovative Realty in Toronto recently held its 9th Annual Innovative Gala. Owner Sameem Mohamed started the scholarship program four years ago to help Ontario students pursue their dreams of attending post-secondary education. The program provides 15 students with a $1,000 scholarship. Four of the scholarships are given to family members of Century 21 Innovative Realty team members.

“Before I got into real estate I was an engineer, so I understand the financial stress of post-secondary education. The scholarships are awarded to those who have earned merit in engineering, medicine, community service and leadership,” says Mohamed.

Today, OREA is acting as a key advisor to the Ontario government on its Housing Supply Action Plan, which was a direct result of our campaign. This plan will lay the ground work for where we need to go in increasing housing supply and getting taxes down to create a new generation of homeowners.

Finally, our members have told us themselves that they want more engagement with OREA. So, that’s what we’re going to do through things like our monthly President’s Podcast, live townhalls, leadership training, Standard Forms outreach, Ontario Realtor Party Conference and 2020 REALiTY Conference.

We have an ambitious agenda before us at OREA. But, if I’ve learned anything in my time as a Realtor, long-time local and provincial volunteer, it’s that Realtors are some of the most determined, hardworking, unstoppable professionals out there. Despite our challenges, I know that we will come together, rise above and persevere in our collective mission to help build stronger communities.

■ ■ ■

The annual Rotary Carl Oake Swimathon took place recently in Peterborough, Ont., raising $48,000 for Easter Seals and the Rotary Club. There were 25 teams participating as well as several volunteers from Century 21 United Realty and the local Rotary Club. Carl Oake, owner of the brokerage, started the Swimathon 33 years ago and now his daughter, Vanessa Oake Hogan, is the organizer and host of the event.

REM

Karen Cox is the 2019 president of the Ontario Real Estate Association and a broker of record with Sea and Ski Realty Limited in Grey Highlands.

REM

REM APRIL 2019 33

Flexible working isn’t just changing the way we do business – it’s changing the very nature of society.

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other workers.2 It’s clear that whether this is the result of reduced commuting time or the option to work outside the city, flexible workspaces can and do improve the daily lives of the workforce.

And the benefits don’t stop there. As well as lowering overheads for companies, improving people’s quality of life and giving them more freedom in their work, flexible workspace will also improve how effectively people work.3 In a recent Regus survey conducted by independent economists, 91% of respondents agreed that flexible workspace enhances employee productivity.4 And as increased productivity contributes to economic growth, flexible workspace will strength-

With a range of office formats, as well as growing mobile, virtual office, and workplace recovery businesses, Regus is the world’s largest provider of flexible workspaces.

Customers include successful entrepreneurs, individuals and multi-billion-dollar corporations. To find out more, visit regus.ca

en the economy not just in cities, but wherever people choose to disperse.

This leads us to consider the bigger picture: by reducing the dominance of big city hubs, business and demand will spread more evenly around the country.

The trend towards flexible working, therefore, has the potential to completely reshape the geography of our lives. And as people no longer need to be in cities for work, they’ll be free to live and make a living wherever suits them – whether that be the countryside, a new city, or simply a different area of their current city. The flexibility and efficiency that flexible workspaces provide will not only satisfy the workforce, but strengthen the economy.

To find your nearest Regus workspace, or discover how the Regus network can benefit your business, visit regus.ca or call +1 844 2441 5515 today.

1 Regus economic study white paper 2 Regus economic study white paper 3 Regus economic study white paper 4 Regus economic study white paper

34 REM APRIL 2019

The narrow home advantage Tube houses in Hanoi, Vietnam make up for the narrow frontages with their depth and height.

Story and photos by Diane Slawych

I

t seems that property owners in Hanoi, Vietnam would go to any length (or height) to reduce their taxes. When the city government decided, centuries ago, to base the tax rate according to the width of a property’s streetfacing facade (the wider the home, the more you paid) it only seemed natural that citizens would try to find a way around it.

They began building narrower and taller homes. Thus, the proliferation of what’s come to be known as tube houses (nha ong).

Some are as narrow as six feet, and the house at No. 97 Hang Dao St. is just a little more than five-feetwide. But what they lack in width, they make up for in depth, stretching back as much as 230 feet, and height – five to seven storeys high is not unusual.

It’s believed the first tube houses appeared on the scene as early as the 15th century. Today you can find many examples,

both old and new, in the city’s Old Quarter with its maze of streets dating back to the 13th century, many of them named for the products that were originally made and sold here, such as Basket Street and Silk Street.

Tube houses typically have concrete floors, walls (external and internal) made with burned clay brick, and no thermal insulation.

The front of the home is generally where goods are sold and business is conducted. The private family quarters and the kitchen are usually at the back. The houses tend to be interspersed by courtyards, which allow light into the house as well as space for outdoor activities such as gardening. The older houses tend to be lower and were built of bricks “cemented” together with sugar-cane juice.

There are several more examples just beyond the 6.5- km-long Hanoi Ceramic Road, which is lined with dozens of colourful

mosaics. Here the tube houses, many of them built quite close together, rise several storeys high and are painted in a variety of colours including pink, green, blue, yellow and red.

Many of Hanoi’s tube houses suffer from lack of repair. Some conditions are cramped and squalid, or lack basic facilities, and there has been talk of tearing them down. The eye-catching narrow

Tube houses in Hanoi were originally built high and narrow to avoid paying higher property taxes.

Many of the newer houses are several storeys high.

By Evgeniy Vorotnikov

T

Many are based in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. Zakhar Fedorak, chief editor of Capital Real Estate, one of Ukraine’s leading real estate and property publications, says the leading market players are Blagovest, Park Lane, Expandia and Colliers International, most of which are based in Kiev.

Anatoly Topal, chairman of the Expert Inter-Branch Organization of Ukraine (a public association that includes real estate brokerages), says the share of real estate brokers who provide highquality services in the Ukrainian real estate market represents just 20 to 25 per cent of the country’s transactions. Most of them use some Western standards in their activities.

Mikhail Artyukhov, managing director of ARPA real estate, says lack of transparency currently remains one of the major problems.

“Taking into account that a signifi-

REM

It’s believed the first tube houses appeared on the scene as early as the 15th century.

Ukraine to reform real estate brokerage industry he government of Ukraine, a country of 45 million people in Eastern Europe, plans to adopt Western standards to organize the real estate brokerage industry over the next several years, according to recent statements by some leading Ukrainian real estate brokers and senior state officials.

A recent financial crisis in Ukraine resulted in a significant plunge in the national real estate market and with it declining demand for real estate brokerage services. The number of real estate brokers in Ukraine declined sharply during the last 10 years, according to statistics published by the Ukrainian Presidential Administration. The quality of services has also deteriorated.

According to the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, currently there are 9,000 to 10,000 brokers working in the market.

homes have their supporters though, and there is hope among conservationists that a solution will be found to maintain these iconic structures for years to come.

cant (number of the) real estate brokers in Ukraine prefer to work on an illegal basis, not paying any taxes or other mandatory payments, no one can name the exact percentage of transactions involving them. According to our assessments, these figures are varied in the range of five to 60 per cent.

This is, however, significantly lower than the figures for 2008, which reached 90 per cent of the total number of real estate transactions signed in the Ukrainian market at that period of time.”

Despite a gradual decline of the number of real estate brokers in Ukraine, the demand for their services remains high. This is due to the ever-growing activities of scammers and consumers’ desire to ensure legal support of their deals as well as guarantees of clean title.

Fedorak says demand for real estate brokers is especially high in the secondary market, where

almost 80 per cent of deals are signed with their participation. In the primary housing segment, a significant number of deals is settled by customers directly with developers, via their sales departments.

On average, Ukrainian brokers charge three to five per cent of the transaction value for their services, which is comparable with other European states.

As part of the planned reform, the government is creating an official register of companies that provides brokerage services, and it is launching specialized courses to train future brokers.

In addition, a new set of uniform professional standards regulating the activities of real estate brokers in Ukraine will be designed by the government, with the participation of members of the industry’s community, by the end of this year.

Ukrainian analysts believe that the introduction of uniform rules and the design of a new legislative base for the industry will put an end to the frequent problem of inaccurate and fake information being posted on behalf of real estate brokers in Ukraine.

The government says that currently up to 60 per cent of ads posted in the Ukrainian real estate market are inaccurate, while 30 per cent of them are complete fakes.

The situation in the rental market is even more complex.

Alexander Grishko, one of Ukraine’s most well-known independent real estate brokers, says, “The work of real estate brokers could be organized without the design of specific legislative norms and excessive state intervention in the industry. However, in this case much will depend on the ability of local players to agree among themselves. For this purpose, it is necessary to work out the rules and put them into a single code that could be similar to the experience of the U.S. and Canada. The government should only take a licensing role in this case.” REM

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36 REM APRIL 2019

brand values, were presented to Kristina Clement of Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Centre in Newmarket, Ont. and Kristy Stonehouse of Coldwell Banker Fort McMurray.

Dan Corsie honoured

by Fraser Valley Real Board Exit announces 2018 award winners Joyce Paron, president Canada of Exit Realty Corp.

International, recently announced the recipients of several top awards for the 2018 production year.

Nicole LeBlanc of Exit Realty Associates in Moncton is Exit Realty’s Top Agent in Canada for Closed Ends. Pam Norman of Exit Realty Oceans Edge in Bay Roberts, Nfld. was Top Agent for Listings Taken and Sandra Hussey of Exit Realty Group, with offices in Trenton and Belleville, Ont., is the recipient of the Top Agent for Gross Commission Income award.

For team production, the Tessier Team, headed by Maggie Tessier of Exit Realty Matrix, with three offices in the Ottawa area, took the awards for Top Team for Closed Ends and for Gross Commission Income.

Chantal Traversy of Exit Lifestyle Realty, with offices in Springwater and Midhurst, Ont., is the winner of Top Agent for Sponsoring. Gary Trembinski of Exit Realty Lake Superior in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. is the Canadian Rookie of the Year.

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Realty in Kelowna, B.C. was named the banner’s No. 1 Affiliate Company for Sales Volume and Unit Sales in Canada recently during a live online awards announcement.

In individual honours, Hudson Smith of Coldwell Banker Neumann Real Estate in Guelph, Ont. was No. 1 in total sales volume, while Albert Kantarjian of Coldwell Banker Essential Realty in Windsor, Ont. took top honours for total units.

Team honours (one to three persons) went to Team Eugene & Clara at Coldwell Banker Vantage Realty in Surrey, B.C. for both total sales volume and unit sales.

In the team category for four plus persons, the Jane Hoffman Group at Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty had the highest sales volume, while Kayley Spalding of Coldwell Banker Thompson Real Estate in Huntsville, Ont. had the most total units.

The Canadian Rookie of the Year in Sales Volume was Paige Cyr of Coldwell Banker Fort McMurray in Fort McMurray, Alta. The Canadian Rookie of the Year in Unit Sales went to Charmaine Hernandez of Coldwell Banker Preferred Real Estate in Winnipeg.

The Canadian Ambassador Awards, for individuals who best exemplify Coldwell Banker

Dan Corsie of Valley Pacific Realty in Surrey, B.C. recently received the 2019 John Armeneau Professional of the Year award for his contributions to real estate in the Fraser Valley.

The award is the highest honour the Fraser Valley Real Estate board (FVREB) bestows, recognizing outstanding leadership and conduct professionally and within the community.

“Knowing Dan personally, I can attest to his exceptional character and the qualities that make him so worthy of this award,” says past president John Barbisan. “He gives back to his community, profession, to those less fortunate, and has the respect of our members. I can think of no one better to be recognized as our 2019 Professional of the Year.”

Corsie is the 34th Fraser Valley member to receive the award, which was renamed in 1996 in honour of John Armeneau, a North Delta Realtor who for over two decades was a role model and mentor to other Fraser Valley Realtors. REM

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38 REM APRIL 2019

Reforming REBBA: Share your thoughts

By Joe Richer

I

t’s shaping up to be a busy spring at the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO).

The upcoming launch of the Real Estate Salesperson Program, a review of our Mandatory Continuing Education program, and preparations for our May 16 AGM are all top-of-mind issues at RECO, yet the biggest story (in my opinion) is that RECO’s governing legislation may soon be modernized by the Government of Ontario. This is very good news.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services asked Ontarians to comment through an online survey and feedback on a consultation paper about possible changes to

the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA). The government’s consultation paper presented a number of options to enhance industry professionalism and consumer protection, modernize regulation and promote a strong business environment.

The government is looking for innovative ways to achieve its objectives, and is in the early stages of possible reform of the legislation by obtaining feedback from the public. Consumers, real estate salespeople and brokers, and policy experts will all have their say, and the government – elected by the people – will amend REBBA as it deems necessary to serve the public interest.

RECO administers REBBA and its Code of Ethics on behalf of the Government of Ontario.

RECO’s agreement with the government requires us to keep the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services updated on

what’s going on in the marketplace, and to provide policy advice. Here are a few thoughts.

RECO believes REBBA and the code have served Ontario consumers well, but the legislation could be updated to better protect consumers and maintain strong public trust in the profession.

Changes to REBBA must balance the interests of consumers and registrants, buyers and sellers, and Ontarians in rural and urban centres. Consumer protection is important, but it must be balanced and not be drawn to the point that it creates an unnecessary administrative burden or red tape for salespeople, brokers and brokerages.

In 2017, RECO submitted a number of recommendations on REBBA reforms to strengthen consumer protection and confidence in the real estate brokerage industry. They’re available on the

RECO website. We developed our recommendations to reflect modern regulatory practices and accomplish four key objectives: • Preventing or prohibiting conflicts of interest; • Eliminating or significantly reducing financial incentives to act unethically; • Providing RECO with appropriate tools and penalties to respond to harm; and • Providing consumers with clear, consistent information to make informed decisions, including information regarding the nature of the relationship and services provided.

You might be wondering how these objectives might translate into practical policies; here’s an example from the RECO list.

One of RECO’s key recommendations is to require real estate salespeople, brokers and brokerages to provide consumers with a RECO-created plain lan-

guage document that would explain the rights and responsibilities of buyers, sellers and the registrants who represent them. It would also present information about navigating RECO’s complaints process if they have concerns about a salesperson or brokerage that can’t be resolved through a discussion with the broker of record.

If you have thoughts or ideas for reforming REBBA to better protect consumers and enhance the industry’s reputation, I encourage you to share them with the government.

Joseph Richer is registrar of the Real Estate Council of Ontario. He is in charge of the administration and enforcement of all rules that govern real estate professionals in Ontario. You can find more tips at reco.on.ca, follow on Twitter @RECOhelps or on YouTube.

REM

The dangers of pre-construction sales

By Natalka Falcomer aveat emptor – translated to “buyer beware” – is a legal concept that doubles as a popular warning used by real estate salespeople.

The reason for caveat emptor’s popularity is because it’s an important legal rule in resale real estate transactions. Generally, caveat emptor means that the purchaser will buy the existing property in the condition he finds it. The buyer must make himself aware of the condition of the property by doing his own due diligence and he cannot sue the seller if he fails to do his homework. While this warning is heeded by purchasers in the resale market, it is largely

C

ignored in the pre-construction market. This is a mistake.

In 2018, Ontario saw a steep rise in the number of condo projects being cancelled by builders.

The numbers are shocking: more than 4,000 units will not be built as a result of project cancellations, beating the 2017 record of 1,678 cancellations. The reason for the cancellations vary – from failure to obtain the number of units desired to make the project feasible to simply underestimating the cost of the build and bankruptcy. While the builders walk and often build elsewhere, the buyers are stuck with a variety of losses.

Buyers who forked over down payments also had to absorb corresponding legal fees. Buyers also no longer have the opportunity to find a home they can afford because prices have increased over the last few years while their money was tied up in a project they once could afford.

Could they launch a lawsuit?

Not that simple. Legal recourse is generally quite limited and may be ineffective considering how much buyers would have to pay in legal fees. Even if damages are awarded and lawsuits are won by the buyers, it is unlikely that an insolvent builder would be able to fork over the damages.

Given the risk associated with buying pre-construction, the application of caveat emptor is critical to the pre-construction real estate market; buyers must do their due diligence on the financial health, reputation and history of the builder before they buy. If they don’t, they may suffer the consequences with little recourse.

Here’s how to research a builder.

1. Check them out with your province’s building regulator. In Ontario, Tarion Warranty Corporation is the non-profit entity that is empowered by provincial legislation to administer new home warranty protections and to empower consumers when making

purchases of new homes. Builders of new homes must be registered with Tarion and Tarion, in turn, collects information about the builder on the Ontario Builder Directory. Searching this directory will ensure that the builder is registered with Tarion, which affords certain protections if the project is cancelled or poorly built. The directory dates back 10 years and provides information about claims against the builder.

2. Online reviews: While a good place to start, the directory is limited to only 10 years and claims may have occurred years before then. What is more, a builder can hide by changing the name of his company, effectively covering up whether or not lawsuits have been filed or claims have been made against him. Accordingly, it’s prudent to find the names of the management, executive team or the directors of the companies and conduct informal or formal background checks on various court

websites and social media.

3. Speak to homeowners: Talk to homeowners who’ve purchased property built by the builder. Homeowners are an important barometer of the quality of the builder as they – unlike media websites and the builder – have little to lose by telling the truth (unless they’re selling their unit!).

4. Review the financial plan: The financial plan holds information about whether or not a project is well capitalized or if the builder is running a thin margin (and risky) business. The financial plan will also reveal the quality of materials being used, how many fees you will be responsible for (such as development charges) and if the reserve fund will be healthy and able to withstand any massive repairs. The better capitalized and funded, the less likely a builder will be unable to proceed Continued on page 42

REM APRIL 2019 39

Industrial, Commercial & Investment T

he business model for Calgary-based Avenue Living Asset Management is a simple one. Purchase mid-market multi-residential properties that need some work in secondary markets in Western Canada.

Spruce them up and thereby add value to them. Increase rents and income.

That model has served Avenue well under the leadership of Anthony Giuffre, its cofounder and CEO, who has guided it to where it is today: a company with assets of about $1.2 billion and 375 buildings.

Its humble beginnings trace back to 2006 when it purchased its first property in Brooks, Alta.

– 24 rental units for $3 million.

“In 2006, the real estate market in any centre with ties to oil and gas was red hot, which didn’t leave much room for the little guys trying to break in. We had to run under the feet of the giants, which we did by exploring secondary and tertiary markets,” says Giuffre.

“Avenue Living began with the purchase of a modest, 24-unit building in Brooks, which we renovated and turned into a good earner within six months. We still have that building… We’re big believers in the value proposition of the Prairies, with properties diversified across 18 markets.”

In the fall, the real estate company announced its biggestever deal, bringing its portfolio to more than 8,000 residential units in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

It purchased the Delton Townhomes development in north central Edmonton, consisting of 280 homes on 17 acres of land. It was a $43.5million purchase and signalled two things to the market: Avenue is in aggressive expansion mode and it is expanding its core base to target opportu-

nities in major market areas.

It has set its sights on buying at least 3,000 units more this year, primarily in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Regina. Those major markets – including Winnipeg – represent 35 per cent of the company’s portfolio, but that primary market portfolio will likely grow to more than 50 per cent as the company expands its asset base.

Its current residential portfolio includes about 4,300 units in Alberta, 3,600 in Saskatchewan and 256 in Winnipeg.

“Our five-year plan is to achieve essentially a doubling of our portfolio,” says Giuffre. “We entered Calgary in 2018. First time in 12 years. The cornerstone of our business is chasing yield.”

But he says recently, “we’ve seen some geopolitical risk, headline risk, pipeline risk, the flight of capital into Alberta or major markets with the overhang of office space, the oil industry not driving as it has in yesteryear.”

That has “put a pause on some of your typical multi-family investors feeling comfortable with the Alberta and Saskatchewan geography. It went from the Alberta advantage to arguably the Alberta disadvantage.”

But Giuffre says “from the buy side from the Avenue Living’s perspective, this creates opportunity…when you have less pressure on the machine on the buy side all of sudden you have liquidity. With liquidity issues in those markets, fewer buyers, you might see opportunity.”

The company is also benefiting from increased rental demand, as potential homebuyers pause in the face of rising interest rates, tougher mortgage regulations and elevated home prices.

Avenue Living’s portfolio also includes more than 400,000 square feet of commercial real

Simple business model creates billion-dollar firm Avenue Living Asset Management co-founder and CEO Anthony Giuffre says, “We’re big believers in the value proposition of the Prairies, with properties diversified across 18 markets.” By Mario Toneguzzi estate space and just under 30,000 acres of agricultural land.

It has just over 300 employees in property management, capital and project management, sales and leasing and maintenance, as well as a dedicated call centre that operates seven days a week.

Giuffre co-founded Avenue Living with his brother Dr. Michael Giuffre and Carl Diodati.

Giuffre, who was born and raised in Calgary, is the youngest of seven children, coming from a family steeped in the entrepreneurial spirit. He has called himself a “consummate entrepreneur” with a penchant of starting smaller businesses at a young age.

Early on in his career, he was involved in the restaurant industry and re-manufacturing appliances. But real estate reined him in. It began when one of his siblings, a Realtor, asked Giuffre to help him out while he took some holidays.

Giuffre got his real estate licence and met Diodati, who was one of his brother’s clients, leading eventually to their connection in creating Avenue Living.

In its history, the company has navigated through turbulent economic waters and done so very successfully. First there was the financial crisis of 2008-2009, which hit the global economy and had an impact everywhere.

After the economy climbed out of that economic malaise, it wasn’t long before another economic crisis developed. The collapse in oil prices in late 2014 led to recessions in Alberta in 2015 and 2016.

“We’re proud of the fact that we’ve built a business that arguably is recession-proof in a bunch of headwinds… We’re not necessarily the shiny prize. We don’t buy big, fancy buildings but what we are able to determine

Anthony Giuffre

getting back to our niche was that our business was there to stay,” says Giuffre.

“Brick by brick, building by building, we’re in all of our investments for the long-term.

We’re one of the largest owner-

operators of multi-family residential real estate in Western Canada. Staying true to our entrepreneurial roots, we’re driven by a philosophy that includes investing with value focus, operating with discipline, monitoring appropriate diversification and pursuing opportunities with an unconventional approach.”

In 2016, Avenue Living established three investment offerings with diversified investment strategies – Avenue Living Core Trust, an open-ended mutual fund trust; the Avenue Living Opportunity Trust, a closedended mutual fund trust; and the Avenue Living Agricultural Land Trust, a closed-ended mutual REM fund trust.

40 REM APRIL 2019

Industrial, Commercial & Investment

“N

obody knows what the potential is for self storage in Canada,” says Reade DeCurtins, managing principal at Bluebird Self Storage.

But he says the country is underserved with Class-A self-storage facilities and “there’s a tremendous runway available for Canadian self-storage development.”

His company currently operates four self-storage properties in Ontario and has built, owned or operated 25 facilities in Ontario and more than 80 others in the United States, where the market is much more saturated. Bluebird estimates that the U.S. has approximately nine square feet of storage per person in the 25 largest markets, and about seven square feet per person overall. But in Canada, it’s about three square feet per person.

In the Greater Toronto Area, with a population of 6.4 million, Bluebird estimates that the market could handle an additional 224 self-storage properties of 100,000 net rentable sq. ft.

rey Highlands-based real estate broker Karen Cox has assumed the role of president of the Ontario Real Estate Association.

“For the first time in history, home ownership is on the decline.

Now more than ever, we need to keep the dream of home ownership alive for future generations,” says Cox. Active in real estate for 25 years, Cox is broker of record with Sea and Ski Realty in Grey Highlands. She is a member of the Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound, where she served as president in 2010 and 2015.

G

■ ■ ■

St. Thomas, Ont. Realtor Earl Taylor will serve as president of the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) this year. Taylor is the broker/man-

Underserved self-storage market attracts investors

By Jim Adair

DeCurtins says Canadians are not as transient as U.S. residents, and that Canada does not have as many military transfers. But the market for storage space in Canada is growing. Bluebird is partnering with private investors and hopes to build a portfolio with $1 billion in assets under management during the next five years.

The company has several new locations under development in the GTA and is looking for opportunities in large markets across the country, such as Calgary and Montreal.

Recently Bluebird purchased the former National Post office building on Don Mills Road, a block away from the Toronto Real Estate Board offices. It was purchased for $22 million and Bluebird intends to convert the 154,800 sq. ft. building into a storage facility with 1,491 units of various sizes, suitable for residential and commercial tenants. This will cost an estimated $20.4 million, including gutting the interior ager of Coldwell Banker at Success Realty in St. Thomas. He has been a member of LSTAR since 1993.

“The business of real estate continues to evolve and change at a rapid rate, with the ongoing developments in technology and data management,” says Taylor. “There are a number of projects LSTAR is working on to manage this change, collaborating with business, community and industry partners to enhance the services our Realtor members deliver to consumers across the region and beyond.”

Taylor holds the designations as a Market Value Appraiser – Residential and a Seniors Real Estate Specialist.

HVAC and electrical systems and replacing the building’s large atrium skylight with a flat metal roof.

The company projects an internal rate of return of 19.5 per cent per year during the six-year investment period, with occupancy expected to stabilize at 86 per cent in the fifth year. The property could then be sold at for $65 million, according to company projections.

A large parking lot behind the building may be severed and sold, or it could be converted into onestorey drive-up storage units, DeCurtins says.

Bluebird also recently built a new facility at 411 Cityview Blvd. in Vaughan, just north of Toronto. It purchased the vacant land for $4,592,500 and with a capital injection of $15.42 million, constructed a building with 105,150 NRSF and 1,083 units.

Its annual rent is $24.64 per sq. ft. and the cap rate is 5.5 per cent. It expects occupancy to stabilize at 90 per cent in year

five. Bluebird forecasts it will sell it for $34,450,000 in 2021.

Managing principal Jamie Bennett, who has been in the selfstorage business in the U.S. for more than 30 years, says Bluebird has “many tools in our shed that our competitors don’t have.” For one thing, the new Bluebird facilities offer year-round climate control. Many of their competitors

The new Bluebird Self Storage facility at 411 Cityview Blvd. in Vaughan.

Earl Taylor OREA president Karen Cox and Ontario’s Minister of Government and Consumer Services, Bill Walker

■ ■ ■

Darin Germyn is the 2019/2020 president of the The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB), following outgoing president John Barbisan. Germyn is a licensed Realtor of over 11 years and a representative of Macdonald Realty in Surrey.

Continued on page 42

say they have heated facilities but few offer air conditioning in the summer months, he says. The humidity from Canada’s hot summer months can do a lot a damage to some materials in storage, he says.

DeCurtins says Bluebird is also working to overcome the “tin and barbed wire” stereotype of storage facilities. The company’s goal is to

From left: Larry Anderson, FVREB vice president; Darin Germyn, president; and Chris Shields, president elect.

create buildings that are more retail than warehouse, with a welcoming front office that includes free coffee and water and a pleasant seating area with free Wi-Fi. The corridors are kept clean and well-lit and have coloured directional strips to help clients navigate to their unit.

Bennett says by building modern facilities in high-profile retail areas, the company can afford to charge top dollar for their storage rates. Residential users represent 65 to 85 per cent of clients, with most living within five square km of the facility.

Bluebird also partnered with Life Storage, a Buffalo-based firm that provides third-party management platforms. Life Storage has developed a digital self-service app that allows customers to skip the counter and rent a storage unit immediately. All the paperwork is done on the app. Customers can then go to the storage facility, even after hours, and enter with a personal access code. Inside the building, their app will direct them down the hallways to their unit.

REM

REM APRIL 2019 41

What buyers want in a condo

By Robert Van Rhijn he Toronto condo market has a staggering number of buildings and projects – just over 1,700 at the end of 2018.

As a local agent, I wanted to know which of these condos ranked as the top 10 highest in demand, and more importantly, what common trends they share.

Whether you’re an agent working in Toronto or not, the results of our study will undoubtedly apply to other urban Canadian cities. We’ll just talk about general characteristics here, but if you would like to read about the specific buildings that make up the top 10 in Toronto, check out the article on my website, Strata.ca.

How did we determine which condos to rank in the top 10?

We aggregated three sets of data from each condo in 2018, using data from the Toronto Real

T

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BisRing is an online platform for any companies involved in real estate, including brokers, salespeople, mortgage brokers, builders, architects, renovation contractors, building material suppliers, property managers, home stagers and more.

Estate Board. Specifically: 1. Sale to list ratio – on average, how much above list did the units sell for?

2. Days on market 3. Rate of appreciation Points 1 and 2 carried the most weight in our rankings, as they speak more directly to the demand in each condo (or frenzied bidding wars that ensued).

If you or an investment client is interested in building a low-maintenance investment portfolio, you’re probably targeting your local condo market. My advice is that you try to look for buildings with the following three characteristics.

1. Boutique, low and mid-rise condos are the most attractive.

Not one of the 10 condos on the list was a high-rise. Smaller buildings have less turnover, are more exclusive and foster a better sense of community. Owners tend to stay longer than they do in high-rises, where residents are more anonymous and transient.

Of the 1,700+ condos in Toronto, the average number of storeys is 19 and the average number of units per building is 243.

Among the top 10 condos, the

average number of storeys was only seven, with an average of only 84 units. That’s about a third the number of storeys and units of your average Toronto condo.

The catch (at least in the Toronto market) is that the boutique buildings tend to go for a bit of a premium.

2. Buyers want lofts and unique features. Of the 10 condos on the list, six of them were lofts (former factories or warehouses converted to condos). Two of the other buildings were condo townhomes.

I can’t speak for markets outside of Toronto, but I know most urban cities have lofts. The industrial and modern esthetic attracts a spectrum of demographics, from wealthy students to young professionals and empty nesters – most eager to buy anything that isn’t your typical bowling alley condo layout. High ceilings, wooden beams and exposed brick in particular are features most buyers crave.

Developers in Toronto have capitalized on this trend, resulting in the “soft loft” (purpose-built condo with loft-style features).

Three soft lofts and three conver-

sions (or “hard lofts”) made our list, with the No. 1 and runner up both hard lofts (not surprisingly).

3. Neighbourhoods with low condo inventory. The majority of the condos in Toronto are concentrated in the downtown core.

However, there are many desirable neighbourhoods with virtually no condo supply, meaning you’re either going to spend at least $1.2 million on a fixer-upper semidetached house, or if you’re lucky, you’ll have the opportunity to buy in a pretty decent condo for about half that price.

In addition to this list featuring predominantly mid/low-rise lofts, seven of the 10 condos here compete with virtually no nearby condos – only houses that have priced out most buyers in the market.

If you’re a seller in a dense neighbourhood like Cityplace, your condo unit will have to compete against five to 10 nearly identical units within a quarter kilometre radius. The most desirable condos don’t have that problem. Buy where affordable

inventory is scarce.

What about the 10 least desirable condos?

They’re essentially the inverse of the highest demand condos.

They’re located in neighbourhoods with dense condo inventory.

They’re all your average, garden variety condo. They’re all highrises, with over 400 units each.

And not surprisingly, they all had maintenance fees at 78 cents persquare-foot or higher (average in Toronto is about 65 cents persquare-foot).

I hope this study helps you target the best options in your local market. If you’ve noticed similar trends outside of Toronto, I’d love to hear about them. Happy condo hunting!

Robert Van Rhijn is a Torontobased Realtor and broker of record at Slate Realty, in the downtown Toronto area. He founded Strata.ca in 2018. It’s a Toronto-based condo website with a focus on easy-tounderstand data analytics for conREM sumers.

BisRing offers single platform for real estate services “As a property owner and long- become “ProBisRingers” at no cost. time investor in the real estate “This will allow new business users market I encountered difficulties to familiarize themselves with this finding reputable trades, profes- new ground-breaking real estate sionals and materials for my real platform while being able to marestate projects in multiple cities,” ket their business, generate leads says Akilan Theva, founder and and a lot more,” the company says.

CEO of BisRing, in a news release. “There are no hidden fees or con“My own frustration prompted me tract, and if a business user chooses to create a single online platform to unsubscribe from the services, dedicated for real estate where any- they could do it any time as they one could get into contact with the wish.” REM resources they needed to easily accomplish their real estate-related tasks. As an engineer by nature, I find ways to solve problems and by introducing BisRing I am solving the everyday frustration of many business owners and real estate owners.” The website is now accepting members from across Ontario and says it plans to include other provinces soon.

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42 REM APRIL 2019

Some clients I will never forget

By Tina Plett s I was considering which story to tell you this week, I had a load of happy stories to choose from. I love that my whole job is to meet people in this big, personal experience with all its memories, emotions and upheaval and help them navigate it. I get to be there for them in it, which feeds my soul. I’m humbled and elated all at once.

A few years ago, I had the joy of working with a couple who was selling their long-time home and moving into retirement. The proceeds from the home would be part of their retirement fund. As I took

A

measurements, uploaded photos and did my awesome, high-tech marketing thing, I smiled, feeling the importance of my role in getting them the best price so they’d have more to live on.

The problem was their location. The house was out in no man’s land. It was in one of the slower markets. They had already moved out, and to get top dollar for the house was going to take a long time. A LONG time. I worried that telling them this would frustrate or shock them. After all, they’d already moved on. They were ready to have it be done.

Instead, they just said, “We know.

That’s fine. We want our price, as long as it takes.�

I noticed how they made the transition a positive experience by moving first, then putting the house up for sale. It really helped them embrace their new home and

adjust slowly to it over time. Now the sale would be a relief (letting go of yard and home care) instead of a source of grief (suddenly parting with memories).

The marketing generated a lot of interest and quite a lot of showings. Many people dream of owning a country property. However, most lookers were not willing to commit to driving the distance.

For a year, they kept it listed with me. In that time, I was in a great deal of pain until I finally got my hip surgery. Now, normally, a client might decide to hire another agent if the house doesn’t sell in six months. They especially might hire someone else if the house doesn’t sell in 12 months, AND the agent couldn’t even physically come out to the house to do showings or sign documents. Not them.

They stayed loyal that whole time. “Don’t you worry,� my client

Pre-construction sales

Boards and Associations

Continued from page 38

Continued from page 40

with the project.

Along with the financial plan, dig deeper into the sale price of the units. If the price is higher than usual, determine if the higher cost is justified or if the builder has not done his homework, putting the project at risk.

If the price is lower than justified, the builder may be cutting corners, which will hurt the project and its resale value in the long run.

If you or a client are thinking about preconstruction ownership, dig beneath the surface and investigate who you’re buying from. Don’t get distracted by the glittery finishes because, as the old adage goes, all that glitters it not gold.

“I’m honoured to help lead our membership of over 3,000 Realtors through the coming year,� says Germyn. “Changes to the industry and local market continue to impact our clients, bringing opportunity and challenges in equal measure.�

The incoming president elect is Chris Shields of Sutton Premier Realty, Surrey. The vice president is Larry Anderson, Sutton Premier Realty.

Serving as directors are Leah Bach, Re/Max Performance Realty, Delta; Jeff Chadha, Century 21 Supreme Realty, Surrey; Karen Conyers, Sotheby’s International Realty, Surrey; Marylou Leslie, Macdonald Realty, Surrey; Linda Sue Peaker, Macdonald Realty, Delta; Darcy Reddicopp, Sutton Group - West Coast Realty, Abbotsford; Joel Schacter,

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said. “I know what it’s like to have hip surgery. We’re not going anywhere.� He gave me recovery pointers before I went under the knife. It was so special – they were more like friends or parents than clients.

It’s hard to explain in a short article just how much this couple means to me. They were loyal.

Deeply loyal. Even when I couldn’t make it to a showing, they were completely happy to have my colleague Eniko come in my stead. Even when it took months, as I predicted, to sell the house, they knew it wasn’t me or the price – it was the slow market of their location. So, they stayed the course with grace and contentment. And, as expected, a year later the house sold. “Thank you for your loyalty,�

I smiled as I handed them a document. I had poured a lot of time and marketing dollars into the

Re/Max Treeland Realty, Langley; and David Smith, Royal LePage Wolstencroft, Langley.

I I I

The Mortgage Broker Regulators’ Council of Canada (MBRCC) is promoting consumer protection through increased awareness of mortgage fraud risks and the adoption of anti-fraud strategies by mortgage brokers. “We conducted a jurisdictional scan of current anti-fraud strategies and consulted key stakeholders regarding MBRCC’s role in combating mortgage fraud,� says Charles Stevenson, chair of MBRCC’s Mortgage Fraud committee and registrar of the Real Estate Council of Alberta. “What we learned was that there is a need for anti-fraud information that is applicable to every Canadian mortgage customer and mortgage broker, regardless of the specific legislation

listing, so it was nice to get paid for my work. (In real estate, that doesn’t always happen.) “Absolutely!� they said, “you’ve served us really well and we appreciate your effort!�

In the end, it was an honor to help them secure their retirement fund. More than that, it was an honor to make a connection with people who are content, down to earth and loyal.

People are why this work is so important to me, and those are two people I will never forget.

Attentive from sign up until sign down, rural agent Tina Plett wins the affections of people near Steinbach, Man. with her unique blend of forward-thinking business savvy and down-home, countrified lifestyle.

Sutton Group-Kilkenny proudly calls her their own. www.tinaplett.com REM

that governs mortgage brokering in their province or territory.�

Mortgage customers can now refer to MBRCC’s website (www.mbrcc.ca/ Home) for reliable information on what mortgage fraud is, how to spot it and how to report suspected fraud.

Mortgage brokers can also refer to the website for information on their responsibilities to prevent mortgage fraud, an anti-fraud checklist and the consequences of fraud. “The enhancement of consumer protection is an important strategic priority for the MBRCC,� says Alaina Nicholson, chair of the MBRCC and director of consumer affairs at the Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick. “This new release is part of our commitment to promoting a common regulatory approach and consistent standards for mortgage brokers.� REM

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