April 2020

Issue #370

April 2020

Andrew Cimerman Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 42218523 - Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to 2255B Queen St. E., #1178, Toronto ON M4E 1G3

To celebrate HomeLife’s 35th year, he’s giving it a ‘killer’ makeover Page 10

Raising the bar on real estate photography Page 3

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices comes to Canada Page 4

Lessons from the baseball cheating scandal Page 8

The Price is Right Unlock in-depth and exclusive local market insights with the MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) and validate your comparative market analysis with confidence.

Learn more at CREA.ca/HPI. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA.

REM APRIL 2020 3

Raising the bar on real estate photography It’s not exactly a newsflash that photography plays a powerful role in promoting your listings and your business. Yet for real estate professionals, the expectations have ramped up. By Connie Jeske Crane

I

n Vancouver, Suzanne Rushton is a highly rated photographer with a passion to “raise the bar for real estate photography.” Recently, Rushton says a Realtor friend of hers was having problems selling a property. As a next step, “He had it staged professionally and then had me come to take photographs.” In short order, says Rushton, that once-stagnant listing flew off the market, $50,000 over asking to boot. “So there’s an actual case that shows that staging matters, and photography matters.”

It’s not exactly a newsflash that along with staging, photography plays a powerful role in promoting your listings and your business. Yet for real estate professionals, the expectations have ramped up twofold. First you need to keep up with all the trends and then decide how and where to best focus your time and money.

To get a sense of photography trends and best practices today, we talked to Rushton and successful Canadian Realtors in two of Canada’s largest cities. Here’s their advice: Understand the “why”: The digital revolution has only made

photography more vital, Realtors told us. We know, for example, that for most buyers going online is an integral part of their property searches. As a result, the role of visuals has morphed. Rather than simply documenting a home’s features, photos must grab the attention of buyers as they scroll.

In Montreal, Catherine Dawe, a broker with Keller Williams Urbain, agrees, stressing that professional photography is a must for property listings: “Visuals are the No. 1 way that you’re going to get people interested. That’s what we get paid for.”

And there’s also evidence to suggest good photos can speed up your sales cycle. One study by the National Association of Realtors Center for Realtor Development found homes with high-quality photography sell 32 per cent faster.

But the final reason for investing in visuals is the great chance to convey your brand – and sell yourself. To online browsers, Rushton says, “The quality of the photos that the Realtor gets says more about the quality of the Realtor than about the property.”

Strategies for standing out:

A study by the National Association of Realtors Center for Realtor Development found homes with high-quality photography sell 32 per cent faster. (Photo: Suzanne Rushton)

How to stand out? Salespeople looking to make a mark face stiff competition. “We’re all used to seeing visuals and the bar has been raised. Every year it seems to get higher,” says Rushton.

In Toronto, Melanie Wright, broker and owner at the Wright Sisters Group, says choosing a professional, engaged photographer whose style you like is a great start.

Sounds simple but surprisingly,

Wright says she sees more salesperson smartphone shots than you’d think. “It’s sad for me to see a nice property get listed and they’re iPhone photos that the agent took at 8 p.m.”

To elevate your listings, Rushton says, “You don’t have to get a full set of images for everything – for a smaller property or on a fixed budget. But I do think it’s worth getting at least a few really Continued on page 4

Catherine Dawe

Melanie Wright, broker and owner at the Wright Sisters Group, says choosing a professional, engaged photographer whose style you like is a great start. (Photo courtesy Melanie Wright)

Melanie Wright

Suzanne Rushton (Photo: Alison Wandzura, Soulfire Studios)

4 REM APRIL 2020

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices expands to Toronto B

erkshire Hathaway HomeServices, a U.S.-based real estate brokerage franchise network with more than 50,000 agents and nearly 1,500 offices throughout the U.S., Europe and the Middle East, is coming to Canada.

Toronto-based Blue Elephant Realty will officially join the network on March 18, operating as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Toronto Living Realty. The luxury residential brokerage was founded in 2015 by Blair Johnson and Mark Wadden, who along with Stephanie Newlands are the principals of the company.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices owns more than 40 real estate brokerage brands in the United States, including Long & Foster, Wood Bros Realty and Huff Realty. It also owns mortgage and insurance companies. It is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which owns 63 companies including such well-known brands as Duracell, Geico, Heinz, Kraft, Dairy Queen and Fruit of the Loom. Its CEO is billionaire Warren Buffett.

“Establishing a franchise pres-

Raising the bar Continued from page 3

good photos that draw people in.”

With bigger listings, Wright also advises asking the photographer to take any extra shots that might raise offers. If a property has public lane access, for example, Wright might ask for some shots of the garage area “so people can see they could create laneway housing.”

For physically outstanding properties, Wright adds aerial photography. “For example, we’ve had two lakefront properties in the Beach, and in both of those situations we used drone footage.”

When it comes to higher-end listings, salespeople might pay for HDR (High Dynamic Range) digital images, twilight photography or arrange Matterport photogra-

ence in Canada has been a major focus of our network’s global expansion,” says Gino Blefari, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, in a news release.

“To that end, we are delighted to have innovative market leaders like Blair, Mark and their team join the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network and we look forward to supporting their continued growth.”

Johnson, president and broker of record of the company, says one of the reasons why Berkshire was attracted to Blue Elephant Realty is “because we have a very modern company, a very modern approach to things. We think we are the best-kept secret in real estate because (although) we are a little independent, we act like a big company.

“If you want to be a high-service brokerage, which we are, you better do a lot of things for your Realtor. They can go and get technologies elsewhere – what they need from the brokerage is really great training and really great support and they want you to do some stuff for them.”

That “stuff” includes social media advertising, website design

and CRM implementation, says Johnson. “It’s not just that we have the tools, it’s that we actually do the work for you,” he says. “I think that’s what’s really going to be unique about what we offer. I don’t think there is anyone who will compete with us.”

Wadden, the CEO, says the brokerage had been involved in merger talks with another brokerage for about a year, but when an opportunity came up to talk to Berkshire, they flew to the company’s California headquarters and after four days, decided to make the move.

“We carved out a very big territory for ourselves – basically all of the GTA – so we have a lot of work to do,” Wadden told REM. “We are in acquisition and partnership mode.”

He says one of the company’s focuses will be on working with large teams and high gross-commission teams.

“We are looking to make big moves within our territory,” says Johnson. “We are looking for people who want to want to be partners – maybe they are currently Realtors but they want something more than that – they want a

phy to create 3D walkthroughs and schematic floor plans. Dawe says, “I had a photographer come in with a Matterport camera, and from that you can pull stills. It also takes all the measurements for me so that I don’t have to spend my time doing that.”

Video: Video is increasingly popular for property listings and social media. Dawe says, “I will put together all of that stuff because some people like videos, some like to look at stills… These days, you really need to cover a whole gamut of different kinds of media.”

While she generally uses photographers for full videos, Wright says sometimes she’ll also shoot on-the-fly 30-second “coming soon” videos with her smartphone. “But we would never shoot a video just with the iPhone. We have a mic, we have a diva light…to make it

somewhat professional.”

Lifestyle photography: Another trend Wright sees is lifestyle photography and listing photos that include close-up shots of little details. “It’s zooming in on a beautiful marble countertop with a bowl of fruit, so using different images just to set yourself apart, that’s something we’re starting to see more and we’re integrating into our marketing.”

At the very top end, Wright also sees a lifestyles-of-the-richand-famous trend crossing over from luxury U.S. markets into Canada.

“It’s not unheard of for them to use models and horses and have luxury vehicles, Porsches and Mercedes, pulling up… It would be pretty rare for us to do that but if I had a luxury property I wanted to promote, that’s something I would definitely look at,

Mark Wadden, CEO; Stephanie Newlands, senior VP of sales; and Blair Johnson, president of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Toronto Living Realty.

legacy. Those are the type of people we want to reach out to us.”

“We are excited about this next stage in our evolution as industry leaders,” says Newlands, senior VP of sales, in a news release. “By joining the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network, which carries the name of one of the world’s most respected companies, we will have the capabilities for providing our clients with an unparalleled level of resources and personalized services.” depending on what my sellers wanted.”

Injecting personality: Influenced by social media, Rushton sees real estate professionals revealing more of themselves, their team, personal interests and community life into their visuals and digital marketing.

Head shots of real estate teams for digital platforms, she says, should be updated at least every five years and express personality.

“But also have some lifestyles shots in there – ‘I have a dog. I drink coffee. I’m interviewing a client. I’m immersed in the city!’…People like to know that,” says Rushton, “because we all do business with people as opposed to companies.”

Putting together a lifestyle shoot doesn’t have to be complicated, she says. “Hire a photographer for an hour or two with your

Wadden has a background in medical emergency response, including a vice president role in an air ambulance operation and 14-year career as a critical care helicopter paramedic. He was born in Cape Breton and has lived in Toronto for 10 years.

Johnson is from Toronto. He built and sold his own successful small business. His career in real estate started out with him investing in his own properties.

Newlands began her career in pre- construction sales. REM team or by yourself, have it planned. It’s almost like a dating profile to be honest, but it’s not.

Take your dog to the park, get some shots. This is content you can use for the next several months.”

On the horizon: Ultimately, the key to success for Realtors seems to involve creativity, trying new things – trying lots of things – and being open to whatever can help them serve clients better.

As for what’s next, the industry is getting ready for virtual reality. Dawe says, “One other trend that Keller Williams has been talking about for a few years now is virtual visits, where people don’t even have to leave their living room – they can put on their VR glasses and visit a house… We’re not there yet. But that’s where REM we’re going.”

If you truly do what is best for people, success will follow.

Dan Wojcik, Alex Elieff CENTURY 21 B.J. Roth Realty Ltd. | Barrie, ON

In this business, you get what you put into it. If you can provide quality service, people will want to keep coming back to you.

Gavin Heintz CENTURY 21 Advantage Red Deer, AB

There’s always a solution to every problem—have a positive mindset and nothing will get in your way.

Samantha Katouzian CENTURY 21 Atria Realty Inc. Richmond Hill, ON

When you reach out to your network, provide added value if you are sharing information.

Christina Giuffre CENTURY 21 Bamber Realty Ltd. | Calgary, AB

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#GOLDSTANDARD Join the gold standard in real estate.

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6 REM APRIL 2020

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 Valley. He will work with the managing brokers in the area, Kevin O’Toole and Ruth Hanson.

Based in Vancouver, Morrison brings 30 years of real estate experience. He is currently a director of

the British Columbia Real Estate Association and was recently named as president-elect of BCREA. “Dan Morrison is an accomplished leader and possesses leadership qualities that will drive Sotheby’s International Realty Canada to prosper in the new decade with a special focus on strategic planning, agent productivity and growth,” says Don Kottick, president and CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada.

■ ■ ■

Dan Morrison

Marie Kozak

Brian Rosen

Cover photo: ELIJAH SHARK

Shae Invidiata

Marie Kozak has been appointed regional director for the Greater Toronto Area by Exit Realty Corp. International. Kozak has more than 25 years of real estate business development experience, including serving as director of new agent development with Re/Max Hallmark, team leader for Keller Williams’ first luxury inter-

national office in Canada and as a luxury specialist with Chestnut Park Real Estate. Exit says Kozak has more than 2,000 “front-of-theroom hours” as a sales and personal development coach.

“Possessing an in-depth understanding of recruitment, retention, the sales process and the essential systems of success coupled with the psychology of sales and human performance, Marie will assist Exit Realty in surpassing our growth and development goals for franchise sales in the Greater Toronto Area,” says Steve Morris, founder and chairman of Exit Realty.

■ ■ ■

Colliers International recently announced that Brian Rosen, currently COO, Canada, will succeed David Bowden as president and CEO, Canada, effective March 31. Bowden will transition to a new role as CEO, Colliers Real Estate Strategy &

Joanne Hamblin

Anne Tanner

Consulting, reporting to Rosen.

In his new position, Bowden will integrate Colliers’ existing consulting practices into a national Real Estate Strategy & Consulting entity, the company says.

Rosen joined Colliers last year.

“He brings a wealth of senior leadership experience from roles including Canadian country lead in a related industry and corporate strategist,” the company says. He will be based in Toronto.

■ ■ ■

Joanne Hamblin recently joined the Paul and Christian Associates team at Sotheby’s International Realty’s Toronto office. Hamblin has been selling luxury real estate for 16 years with a large independent Toronto brokerage. She previously worked in management roles in the luxury goods/fashion sector, with brands such as Chanel and Cartier.

The team is lead by Christian Vermast, sales rep and senior VP, sales and Paul Maranger, broker and senior VP, sales.

■ ■ ■

The panel at the Invidiata Realty Team Real Estate Forum, from left: Shae Invidiata, Sasha Cucuz, Heather Mcdonough Domi, Christopher Invidiata and Greg Casey.

President & CEO WILLIAM MOLLS will@remonline.com

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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 2020 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.

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ISSN 1201-1223

Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty on Vancouver Island has added Anne Tanner to its team as EVP of commercial leasing and sales. Broker/owner Sean Burns says the addition “will help to further establish Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty as a dominant commercial player across Vancouver Island.”

Continued on page 8

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S

otheby’s International Realty Canada has appointed Dan Morrison as regional director and managing broker for the Greater Vancouver Area, Whistler and the Okanagan

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8 REM APRIL 2020

What business can learn from the baseball cheating scandal

By David Eisenstadt

F

or as long as I can remember, my late father always said, “The best lie is the truth.” How pertinent those words are in today’s world of doubtful and even fake news.

Anyone in business would be wise to heed such advice and be truthful across the board.

Transparency is much more than a buzzword; it’s the best policy to live and work by, because in the end, as the cliché goes, “truth will out.”

The truth (or lack of truth) became the story that blew up in the major league baseball scandal, specifically involving the Houston Astros. Baseball has forever been considered to be as American (with an apology to Toronto Blue

Jays and the lamented Montreal Expos fans) as apple pie, hot dogs and ice cream. Then all of a sudden, the scandal erupted because of cheating and the lies surrounding it. Shades of the Chicago Black Sox, Pete Rose and steroids era misdeeds.

There are lessons from this crisis that can benefit us all.

Reputation management: The first rule of avoiding scandal is to build a reputation for integrity. Real estate professionals, builders and developers – and their sales and marketing agents – that are not upfront with clients, tradespeople, news media, government or any other stakeholders, will end up tarnishing the very reputation upon which they rely. In other words, word gets around.

In Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area, government and the home-building industry have

made provisions to avoid problems and have amended practices when warranted. For example, for more than 40 years, the former Tarion Warranty Corp. made sure builders honoured the warranties on their new homes. But in October 2019, it was announced that an audit resulted in the objectivity of the organization being questioned.

The Ontario government has instituted several changes, including handing over regulatory powers to an outside agency to avoid conflicts of interest.

Another example is the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), which heard appeals on municipal and planning disputes and was replaced by the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal in 2018. Again, the complaints against the OMB had to do with bias in favour of builders and developers. These scenarios are similar to the baseball mess. When an industry plays a

part in policing and investigating itself, there is the real possibility of cover-ups.

Crisis management: The moral of the story is that if you don’t have your reputation managed, you may end up with a crisis issue. At this point, crisis management becomes the goal. Invariably, the truth comes out, and the best way to deal with having stretched the truth or outright lies, is to confess, apologize, fix the misdeeds and try over time to rebuild your reputation.

Unfortunately, this is not always the approach the guilty parties take. The baseball scandal uncovered the fact that cheating has been going on for years, and the number of people affected by it is growing. When Carlos Beltran, who played for the Astros in 2017 and more recently became manager of the New York Mets, lied and said he was

Time to commit to proptech, says KPMG C

anadian real estate companies have been slow to embrace property technology, or proptech, putting them at risk of losing market share or falling behind their global peers, says a new KPMG in Canada report. It says only 36 per cent of companies surveyed have a digital strategy, compared to 58 per cent globally.

“All industries are experiencing some form of disruption; Canada’s real estate industry is no exception,” says Lorne Burns, partner and national industry leader for KPMG’s Building, Construction and Real Estate group. “Historically, it’s been a conservative industry, but companies can no longer afford a waitand-see approach. If you’re not already embracing digital technology and leveraging data, you run the risk of either losing market

share or experiencing revenue income erosion or both.”

Technology – from blockchain, green tech, the Internet of Things, deep data, artificial intelligence and augmented reality applications – is disrupting and improving how real estate companies buy, rent, sell, design, construct and manage residential and commercial property.

“There are several ways to try out proptech solutions, whether on a large or a small scale,” says Burns. “You won’t be successful with everything you try, but that’s what innovation is all about. Like any significant change, it will feel uncomfortable.”

The report says that all of the real estate companies surveyed in Canada have appointed a digital leader to oversee their technology efforts, which demonstrates that they understand the importance of

a digital approach. However, only 28 per cent come from a technology background, comparatively similar to 30 per cent globally.

In terms of cyber preparedness, while 70 per cent say they feel prepared for a potential cyberattack, only 39 per cent have formally tested how they would handle one.

The report highlights a number of bold steps Canadian real estate companies can take to embrace the technological revolution, including: • Hiring leaders with digital/technology backgrounds to lead the transformation, rather than appointing real estate leaders from within • Embedding data and analytics into how they run their business • Building a company-wide digital strategy

• Partnering with proptech companies to co-create solutions • Looking beyond streamlining operations and cutting costs to find ways to use technology to improve engagement with tenants, customers and customers’ tenants • Assessing their cyber security readiness to ensure their data is well protected “Canadian real estate companies are awakening to the digital era, albeit a bit slowly. Now’s the time for them to really dive in,” says Saqib Jawed, partner and the proptech lead for KPMG’s Building, Construction and Real Estate group. “This will look different for every company… large companies with deeper pockets will explore technology in different ways than smaller companies will. But, the only way to find what works for your business is to get started.” REM

unaware of the cheating, he made things worse. He was quickly fired before ever coaching his first Mets game. Curiously, baseball’s way of managing the crisis is to place a gag order on Major League Baseball teams commenting on Beltran parting company with the Mets. One should question the wisdom of this decision.

In the context of real estate, building and development, consumers need to be told the truth by everyone involved in the industry.

In short, honesty is the best policy in every walk of life. It all goes back to the golden rule.

No one likes to be lied to or cheated, so conducting business in an unethical manner is hypocritical. Learn from baseball so you don’t strike out in business.

David Eisenstadt is the founding partner of tcgpr in Toronto. Website: https://www.tcgpr.com/ REM

Multiple Listings Continued from page 6

Tanner has been in the real estate industry for 18 years, starting her career in downtown Vancouver. In 2008 she returned to her hometown Victoria as managing director for Cushman Wakefield, to establish the brokerage on Vancouver Island.

■ ■ ■

Recently the Invidiata Realty Team from Re/Max Aboutowne Realty in Oakville, Ont. held a its annual Real Estate Forum. The night kicked off with a reception, followed by a panel discussion about the state of the luxury real estate market. Panelists included Christopher Invidiata, Invidiata Realty; Heather Mcdonough Domi, Compass New York; Sasha Cucuz, Greybrook Realty Partners; and Greg Casey, Genworth Canada. The discussion was moderated by Shae Invidiata.

REM

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10 REM APRIL 2020

Andrew Cimerman marks a milestone year

As he celebrates 50 years as a Realtor, and HomeLife turns 35, Andrew Cimerman is giving the company a “killer” makeover. By Susan Doran

H

omeLife Realty Services founder and CEO Andrew Cimerman recently received his 50-year pin from the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, a marker of the passing years that has him jokingly reflecting on “whether it’s something to celebrate, or to be concerned about.”

Seems it will be the former, seeing as HomeLife too will soon be hitting a milestone – its 35th anniversary. There’s no way Cimerman is going to miss that. It will be marked by the company’s Starganza conference and awards ceremony being held at Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Ont. on April 24.

“It’s a celebration of our innovation and growth. And we will be sharing our plans for the future,” says Cimerman. “We will continue to be ahead of the pack.

We are positioned to be a global organization.”

The featured guest speaker at the conference is successful Hyundai dealer and Toronto Raptors supporter Nav Bhatia, who recently became one of the first honourees into a new “superfan gallery” at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Through hard work, Bhatia has reputedly achieved a net worth of $50 million.

His entrepreneurial spirit is a good fit for the HomeLife event, says Cimerman, who loves a success story, having also come from humble beginnings. Both Cimerman and the world of real estate have prospered since the day many decades ago when he arrived in Canada from Slovenia – “a young fellow with only $20 and one suit” – unable even to string a coherent sentence together in English.

After working in construction for awhile, Cimerman decided to

get his real estate license. He was so determined to pass the licensing exam that he memorized the entire textbook. It was 1969, and he’d been drawn to the real estate industry by a newspaper ad promising he could make $250 a week.

But what kept him in the business was his passion for hard work and entrepreneurialism.

“The most exciting thing for me was that there was no limit on how many hours you could work and how much you could make. I like to work hard,” says Cimerman, today a father of two teenagers. “It’s the opposite for many others probably, but I wanted to work with no limits to be extremely successful.”

He holds this premise close to this day, so much so that he explains that he can often still be found in the office as midnight approaches. “I put in a lot of hours,” he says. “I have been blessed with tremendous energy.

Going 14 hours a day is a breeze for me.”

After heading up independent brokerage Cimerman Real Estate for years, he started the HomeLife franchise in 1985. From a modest start with just a few agents, HomeLife, headquartered in Toronto, has now grown into a strong player with more than 10,000 sales reps and 150 offices across North America, as well as a presence in Europe.

Looking to stand out as a premium franchise with higher standards as its foundation, the brokerage is currently in the midst of what Cimerman refers to as a “killer” company-wide rebranding initiative. This is expected to take a year or two to complete and is being promoted via a costly advertising campaign.

But Cimerman isn’t letting

all the cats out of the bag just yet. “We’ve been quiet with our rebranding,” he says. “We don’t want our competitors to start building fences.”

He is quick to point out though, that in a push to thrive in the current changing marketplace, virtually all HomeLife materials, tools, systems and services are being upgraded and revamped, from marketing/advertising, recruiting and community involvement to the core company pillars of education and technology.

“This is like gutting a house to four walls. It’s a huge process,” Cimerman says.

Even the corporate headquarters is being upgraded, thanks to an upcoming move to a larger (40,000-square-foot) office space.

“Andrew likes to carve our own path, not follow in others’ footprints. We want to be on the cutting edge…to deliver a ‘next generation experience,’” says Matt Dusenbury, HomeLife’s head of branding, brand marketing and communications.

Dusenbury says that “Higher Standards” has always been the company motto, and that 2020 seems like “a good time to come out swinging” and further deliver on that promise, especially with the 35th anniversary making it a milestone year.

He says the rebranding evolution started about a year ago, following a doubling down on quality with the launch of the Five Star Higher Standards Service Certification program. A rigorous course available either in-office, online or at one-day events, the training is designed to give HomeLife members the tools and strategies to provide a recognizably higher level of service. Dusenbury refers to

Andrew Cimerman launched the HomeLife franchise in 1985. (Photo by Elijah Shark)

this as the “crown jewel” of HomeLife’s comprehensive Five Star branding initiative and says that the response from member agents and brokers across the country has been terrific.

At the time of this writing, the company estimates that several thousand Homelife members have now been “Higher Standards Certified.” Cimerman has been quoted as saying that he believes the inaugural graduation ceremony this past fall, attended by hundreds of graduates, set a “new bar” for education in real estate.

“When you see 700 agents graduating from one course, you know you’ve got support,” says Cimerman. “This is standing out and empowering through education. We are proving we are different.”

Another distinguishing factor he singles out is HomeLife’s

multi-level earning/wealth sharing program. “We have tremendous collateral and can do deals in ways that are beneficial to both parties.”

Also setting HomeLife apart, he believes, is the company’s practice of continually researching, developing and introducing new resources. Among these is the Reallium Technology Pack, a suite of technology and digital tools in one package, which allows agents to jumpstart their digital marketing and online communication. Consumers can also take advantage of an array of HomeLife services, including help with property management needs.

“We’re recreating ourselves, taking things to the next level,” Cimerman says. “Why fight the competition when you can bypass them?” REM

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12 REM APRIL 2020

What to expect from Ontario’s new act

By Joe Richer

I

n November 2019, the Ontario government introduced the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2019, a bill proposing changes to the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA), Ontario’s real estate consumer protection legislation, administered by the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). The bill recently passed third reading.

The current rules will remain in place until the government can develop and implement new regulations. There is a lot of work to be done and the government has not committed to a timeline yet, but RECO expects that new rules could come into place as early as 2021, though changes around incorporation

may take effect sooner.

The changes will support and strengthen consumer protection and professionalism in the real estate sector.

There are many important reforms in the legislation that will improve protection for Ontario’s buyers and sellers. Here are a few highlights.

A modern, efficient and effective regulator. RECO’s regulatory authority would be updated, allowing it to issue financial penalties for specific breaches of the legislation, under specific circumstances.

There would be fines for specific infractions, which can be appealed.

• The Discipline Committee’s oversight would broaden to include the ability to impose conditions on registration, suspend a registration and revoke a registration, authority it currently does not have. Appeals of all matters decided by the Discipline Committee

would progress to the Licence Appeal Tribunal rather than a RECO Appeals Committee.

• The registrar’s authority to inquire into conduct and refer a matter to the Discipline Committee would be expanded, to include allowing for a referral to the Discipline Committee, whether there has been a formal complaint filed or not.

• RECO’s registrar would be able to consider additional factors when determining eligibility for registration, including the past conduct and past financial position of an applicant.

• New regulation-making authority would allow regulations to enhance the registrar’s authority to request specific information and how and when it is to be provided. This would bolster RECO’s ability to gather the necessary data required to maintain sector information and enhance its data-driven

approach to enforcement and risk-management.

Enhanced consumer protection. The term “customer” would be removed from the act, effectively eliminating the customer relationship as currently defined.

Instead, the law would seek to clarify whether someone is represented by a brokerage or is selfrepresented. Changes in regulation would clarify the relationship between a registrant, clients and other people. Such a change would strengthen the effectiveness of the laws surrounding multiple representation.

• The registrar’s authority to make information public would be expanded and clarified. For example, this would make it easier for a consumer to confirm the registration status of a person they are dealing with, including more details about their disciplinary history.

New rules for registered real

estate brokerages, brokers and salespeople. New provisions would allow real estate brokers and salespeople to have their remuneration (commission) paid to a corporation that meets certain conditions. Future regulations would outline the conditions and restrictions under which this might take place, to maintain consumer protection and minimize the level of administrative burden on registrants.

• The use of the term specialist will be restricted to those who have met specific requirements, to be established.

RECO has been advocating for REBBA reform and is very supportive of the government’s commitment to substantive reforms. Updating REBBA will ensure that the regulations keep pace with the evolving real estate marketplace.

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

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14 REM APRIL 2020

Buyers’ deposits not above the law

By Shaneka Shaw Taylor & Princess Okechukwu

T

he Ontario Court of Appeal’s ruling in Benedetto v. 2453912 Ontario Inc. is set to dampen the hopes of buyers looking to shield their deposits in the purchase of property through a corporation. In this case, the court decided that the use of the phrase “without any personal liabilities” in a pre-incorporation contract does not prevent the forfeiture of a deposit when a buyer fails to perform his/her obligations under the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.

Salvatore Benedetto signed an Agreement for Purchase and Sale as a buyer “in trust for a company to be incorporated without personal liabilities”. He provided the listing brokerage with a $100,000 deposit to secure the purchase.

When the transaction did not close, he sought the return of the deposit.

When the seller, 2453912 Ontario Inc., refused, Benedetto sued. The seller brought a motion for summary judgment, and the motion judge ruled in favour of the seller. Benedetto appealed on the basis that the motion judge erred in his interpretation of the contract and section 21 (4) of the Ontario Business Corporation Act, which reads: “If expressly so provided in the oral or written contract referred to in subsection (1), a person who purported to act in the name of or on behalf of the corporation before it came into existence is not in any event bound by the contract or entitled to the benefits thereof.”

The law with respect to deposits states that, unless the parties agreed otherwise, where a purchaser provides a deposit to secure the performance of a contract for the purchase of real estate, the deposit is forfeited to the seller if the purchaser refuses or is unable to close the transaction.

The Court of Appeal said that

section 21 of the act modifies the common law by defining the rights and obligations parties assume in pre-incorporation contracts. Pre-incorporation contracts are contracts executed by a person on behalf of a company intended to be incorporated at a later date. The Court of Appeal said that in applying section 21 (4) of the act to a pre-incorporation contract, a forfeited deposit does not constitute damages for breach of contract but stands as security for the performance of the contract. There is an implied term on the deposit, that on breach of the contract by the buyer, the deposit is forfeited to the seller, especially since the seller is unable to obtain damages against the intended corporation because the intended corporation, if it even came into existence, did not adopt the contract.

Benedetto argued that signing the contract with the express provision of “without any personal liabilities” should be broad enough to exclude personal liability, not only for damages for breach of contract, but also with

respect to the deposit.

The Court of Appeal disagreed. It found that the phrase “without any personal liabilities” was to be interpreted in the context of a contract as a whole, not applying just to the deposit.

Benedetto’s argument, if accepted, would render a deposit meaningless, providing no incentive to a buyer to close the transaction, and no compensation to the seller for the buyer’s failure to close. In order for Benedetto’s argument to be accepted, there had to be an express provision in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale concerning the deposit stating that the deposit was “not to be forfeited upon the failure of the purchaser to perform his or her obligations under the Agreement of Purchase and Sale”. The Court of Appeal concluded that the provisions of the act addressing preincorporation contracts does not displace the common law rules governing deposits in real estate transactions. These are the same rules that govern individual buyers and sellers, applied to preincorporated entities.

The Court of Appeal dismissed Benedetto’s appeal and the seller was allowed to keep the deposit.

In summary, the phrase “without any personal liabilities” does not satisfy the express provision stipulated by section 21 (4) of the act. Therefore, buyers beware. If you want your deposits returned for any reason, spell it out in the contract.

Shaneka Shaw Taylor is a partner at Boghosian + Allen LLP where she practices municipal, commercial and real property litigation. She is also a licensed real estate salesperson with Forest Hill Real Estate. She has authored several articles and speaks regularly on topical municipal ligation and civil litigation matters. She recently authored The Annotated Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 and Regulations (LexisNexis Canada). Phone 416-367-5558 ext.

214; email staylor@boglaw.ca Princess Okechukwu is an articling student with Boghosian + Allen LLP. She obtained her law degree from the University of South Wales and is looking forward to being called REM to the bar in 2020.

How organized real estate must change

By Trevor Koot

T

here is a future that exists without Realtors. We must be cognizant of this fact and contemplate other possible futures, which see the role of the Realtor different than it is today.

We often hear about the profound changes that the real estate industry has experienced and Realtors regularly comment about their difficulties in keeping up with the vast changes. Though change may be prevalent when all aspects of a Realtor’s day-to-day business is considered, I wholeheartedly argue that organized real estate has not undergone any change at all in the

past couple of decades, and very little change prior to that.

Appreciating this may not be a popular opinion, I’ll put some context to it.

Realtors have gone from pagers to flip phones to smart phones.

From sending contracts, to faxing contracts, to emailing contracts.

Brokerages have become more efficient. Franchises have leveraged technology to offer more tools and better business environments for the Realtors who fly their flag. Regulation continues to evolve to accommodate a changing business landscape.

Consumers, having access to more information, continue to demand more information.

What has changed relating to the role of real estate boards and associations across the country?

Organized real estate was founded on the function of a central organization, designed to manage listing

data so brokerages could work in a co-operative environment to sell each other’s listings. This started with collecting information and redistributing it back to the brokerages in printed form, typically catalogues.

With the introduction of the business computer, these catalogues were digitized and moved to an electronic format. Then came the short-lived fad known as the internet that created a new opportunity for the data to become interactive.

Boards could now share the data with brokerages and Realtors in real time, allowing for the system to become more interactive and consumer friendly.

Organized real estate is built on managing property data. What has really changed?

Leadership within organized real estate across the country needs to accept that the evolution has been close to non-existent. We

cannot be distracted by a false sense of progress because our members have experienced change in their environment. We must be visionary about what the future role of the Realtor is, where organized real estate fits into that role, and start to change to ensure relevance of both in the future.

So, what is our next move? We can agree that the role of the Realtor five to 10 years from now will look vastly different than it does today. This change will be predicated on the way the consumer will navigate a real estate transaction in the future.

I see the consumer gaining more control of their experience.

Empowered by information and technology to support the security and flow of that information, the consumer will be in the driver’s seat and be far less dependent on outside participants (appraisers, mortgage brokers, conveyancers, lenders,

insurers, notaries and potentially even Realtors). It is time to consider the Realtor as part of the entire real estate transaction continuum, rather than just filling one gap out of many.

This is only possible if organized real estate begins building the infrastructure necessary to create this future. Rather than waiting for the development of such systems, which could be less focused on the Realtor as part of the transaction, we need to lead these conversations, to ensure the continued viability of the Realtor.

There is a future that exists without Realtors. It is our job as leaders in organized real estate to ensure that is not the future that is realized.

Trevor Koot is the executive officer of the Kootenay Real Estate Board and the Kamloops and District Real Estate Association. REM

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Troy Schmidt RE/MAX TWIN CITY REALTY INC. Waterloo

Sandy Smallbone RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Burlington

Faisal Susiwala RE/MAX TWIN CITY FAISAL SUSIWALA REALTY Cambridge

Ruby Thambiah RE/MAX REALTY SERVICES INC. Brampton

Bill Thom RE/MAX REALTRON BILL THOM GROUP REALTY INC. Toronto

David Vu RE/MAX ULTIMATE REALTY INC. Toronto

Geoffrey Walker RE/MAX ABSOLUTE WALKER REALTY Ottawa

Aaron Wan RE/MAX REALTRON REALTY INC. Thornhill

Alexander Wilson RE/MAX WEALTH BUILDERS REAL ESTATE Toronto

Drew Woolcott RE/MAX ESCARPMENT WOOLCOTT REALTY INC. Waterdown

Victoria Zhang RE/MAX REALTRON REALTY INC. Richmond Hill

Wendy Zheng RE/MAX CENTRAL REALTY Richmond Hill

Mustafa Zia RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC. Mississauga

2

Julie Seo RE/MAX ULTIMATE JULIE SEO REALTY BROKERAGE Toronto

3

Stuart Hyman RE/MAX ULTIMATE REALTY INC. Toronto

2019

Craig Snow RE/MAX NOVA Dartmouth

RE/MAX INTEGRA, Ontario-Atlantic Internal Data, full year 2019.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR 2019 AWARD WINNERS Rob Golfi RE/MAX ESCARPMENT GOLFI REALTY INC. Hamilton

Jerry Gould RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC. Orangeville

Angela Goulet RE/MAX PREFERRED REALTY LTD. Windsor

Geoffrey Grace RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Toronto

Peggy Hill RE/MAX HALLMARK PEGGY HILL GROUP REALTY Barrie

Chuck Hogeterp RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Stoney Creek

Sunny Purewal RE/MAX REALTY SERVICES INC. Brampton

Mark Richards RE/MAX HALLMARK RICHARDS GROUP REALTY LTD. Toronto

Chris Richie RE/MAX IN THE HILLS INC. Caledon

Peter Hogeterp RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Stoney Creek

Seyfeddin (Mike) Hosseini RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Toronto

Stuart Hyman RE/MAX ULTIMATE REALTY INC. Toronto

Christopher Invidiata RE/MAX ABOUTOWNE REALTY CORP. Oakville

Michael Inwood RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SIDOROVA INWOOD REALTY Toronto

Beverly Jones RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS INC. Toronto

Albert Kantarjian RE/MAX CAPITAL DIAMOND REALTY Windsor

Daryl King RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Richmond Hill

Vesna Kolenc RE/MAX PREMIER INC. Woodbridge

Frank Leo RE/MAX WEST REALTY INC. Toronto

Sarah Logue RE/MAX ESCARPMENT TEAM LOGUE REALTY Burlington

Frank Merigliano RE/MAX PREMIER INC. Toronto

Bill Meyer RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY GROUP Ottawa

Michael Jawanda RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE MY INVESTMENT Mississauga

Tony Johal RE/MAX INSPIRED LIVING REALTY Breslau

Jeff Johnson RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS INC. Toronto

Liz Johnson RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS INC. Toronto

Julie Seo RE/MAX ULTIMATE JULIE SEO REALTY BROKERAGE Toronto

Maha Shahbazian RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY GROUP Ottawa

Mimi Shew RE/MAX GOLDENWAY REALTY INC.

Al Sinclair RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Toronto

Sukhvinder Singh RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS INC. Caledon East

Peter Kostecki RE/MAX TWIN CITY REALTY INC. Waterloo

Anuja Kumarasamy RE/MAX REALTRON AD TEAM REALTY Toronto

Michelle Kupe RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY GROUP Ottawa

Steven Kuula RE/MAX CROWN REALTY (1989) INC. Sudbury

Andrew la Fleur RE/MAX CONDOS PLUS CORP Toronto

Goran Todorovic RE/MAX PREFERRED TEAM GORAN REALTY Windsor

Sonya Torres RE/MAX ALL-STARS REALTY INC. Stouffville

Angelo Toscano RE/MAX DELTA REALTY TEAM Ottawa

James Turner RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Burlington

Jim Mo RE/MAX REALTRON JIM MO REALTY Toronto

Robert Moore RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS LTD. St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Marg Morren RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Burlington

Ryan Mulligan RE/MAX CENTRE CITY MULLIGAN REALTY GROUP London

Ranjit Nijjar RE/MAX REALTY SERVICES INC. Brampton

Mary Wylde RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC. Guelph

Alaa Yousif RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS INC. Mississauga

Johnson Yu RE/MAX PARTNERS REALTY INC. Richmond Hill

Sue Zhang RE/MAX REALTRON SMART SOLD REALTY Richmond Hill 1

Nick Oppedisano RE/MAX PREMIER THE OP TEAM Woodbridge

Paul Oulahen RE/MAX REALTRON REALTY INC.

Peter Papousek RE/MAX REALTY ENTERPRISES INC. Mississauga

Nick Pavlov RE/MAX WEST REALTY INC. Toronto

Manjit Pawar RE/MAX DYNASTY HOSPITALITY INC. Brampton

Jason Pilon RE/MAX HALLMARK PILON GROUP REALTY Ottawa

George Politis RE/MAX ALL-STARS THE PB TEAM REALTY Markham

Brandon Polsinello RE/MAX REALTRON POLSINELLO REALTY Newmarket

Frank Polsinello RE/MAX REALTRON POLSINELLO REALTY Newmarket

RE/MAX INTEGRA, Ontario-Atlantic Internal Data, full year 2019.

2019

Manjit Pawar RE/MAX DYNASTY HOSPITALITY INC. Brampton

Tav Schembri RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS INC. Mississauga

Wayne Schilstra RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Stoney Creek

Troy Schmidt RE/MAX TWIN CITY REALTY INC. Waterloo

Sandy Smallbone RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Burlington

Faisal Susiwala RE/MAX TWIN CITY FAISAL SUSIWALA REALTY Cambridge

Ruby Thambiah RE/MAX REALTY SERVICES INC. Brampton

Bill Thom RE/MAX REALTRON BILL THOM GROUP REALTY INC. Toronto

David Vu RE/MAX ULTIMATE REALTY INC. Toronto

Geoffrey Walker RE/MAX ABSOLUTE WALKER REALTY Ottawa

Aaron Wan RE/MAX REALTRON REALTY INC. Thornhill

Alexander Wilson RE/MAX WEALTH BUILDERS REAL ESTATE Toronto

Drew Woolcott RE/MAX ESCARPMENT WOOLCOTT REALTY INC. Waterdown

Victoria Zhang RE/MAX REALTRON REALTY INC. Richmond Hill

Wendy Zheng RE/MAX CENTRAL REALTY Richmond Hill

Mustafa Zia RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC. Mississauga

2

Julie Seo RE/MAX ULTIMATE JULIE SEO REALTY BROKERAGE Toronto

3

Stuart Hyman RE/MAX ULTIMATE REALTY INC. Toronto

2019

Craig Snow RE/MAX NOVA Dartmouth

RE/MAX INTEGRA, Ontario-Atlantic Internal Data, full year 2019.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR 2019 AWARD WINNERS 1

Faisal Susiwala RE/MAX TWIN CITY FAISAL SUISWALA REALTY Cambridge

2

Vesna Kolenc RE/MAX PREMIER INC. Woodbridge

3

4

Peter Hogeterp RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Stoney Creek

7

Chuck Hogeterp RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Stoney Creek

Bijan Barati RE/MAX REALTRON BIJAN BARATI REAL ESTATE Toronto

1

Jason Munn RE/MAX EAST COAST ELITE REALTY Fredericton

2

Sarah Justason RE/MAX EAST COAST ELITE REALTY Fredericton

8

9

Mustafa Zia RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC. Mississauga

Andrew la Fleur RE/MAX CONDOS PLUS CORP Toronto

8

Lacey Fisher RE/MAX COUNTY LINE REALTY LTD. Amherst

Rob Golfi RE/MAX ESCARPMENT GOLFI REALTY INC. Hamilton The Golfi Team

Frank Leo RE/MAX WEST REALTY INC. Toronto Frank Leo and Associates

Peggy Hill RE/MAX HALLMARK PEGGY HILL GROUP REALTY Barrie The Peggy Hill Group

Mark Richards RE/MAX HALLMARK RICHARDS GROUP REALTY LTD. Toronto The Richards Group RE/MAX Hallmark

5

Stefan Cormier RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SAINT JOHN INC. Saint John

Brian Belyea RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SAINT JOHN INC. Saint John

9

T. Chandler Haliburton RE/MAX NOVA Dartmouth

3

Fatima Bregman RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Toronto

2019

7

2

1

6

Colin Crowell RE/MAX BANNER REAL ESTATE Middleton

1

Roger LeBlanc RE/MAX AVANTE Moncton Equipe Roger LeBlanc Team

Robert Moore RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS LTD. St. John’s Moore/Decker/Dunn

8

Daryl King RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Richmond Hill The Daryl King Team

Jeff Kitchen RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SAINT JOHN INC. Saint John Jeff Kitchen

RE/MAX INTEGRA, Ontario-Atlantic Internal Data, full year 2019.

Parveen Arora RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC. Brampton Team Arora

8

France Pelletier RE/MAX RESIDEX ENTERPRISES INC. Grand Falls Valley Team

6

Christopher Invidiata RE/MAX ABOUTOWNE REALTY CORP. Oakville The Invidiata Team

10

David Batori RE/MAX HALLMARK BATORI GROUP INC. Toronto David Batori

9

Wendy Flemming RE/MAX CHARLOTTETOWN REALTY Charlottetown The Flemmings Team

5

Thomas Bagogloo RE/MAX NOVA Halifax The Bagogloo Team

Jim Burton RE/MAX INFINITY REALTY INC. Conception Bay South Team Burton

2019

7

Brad Colbert RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS LTD. St. John’s

9

4

Pam DeCourcey RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SAINT JOHN INC. Saint John Pam DeCourcey and Company

10

Barry Cohen RE/MAX REALTRON BARRY COHEN HOMES INC. Toronto Barry Cohen Homes

Drew Woolcott RE/MAX ESCARPMENT WOOLCOTT REALTY INC. Waterdown The Woolcott Team

2019

3

2

5

4

7

4

Nassim Klayme RE/MAX NOVA Dartmouth

6

10

3

Lisa MacIntosh RE/MAX EAST COAST ELITE REALTY Fredericton

Alaa Yousif RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS INC. Mississauga

Claudio Cerrito RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Toronto

2019

5

6

Kris Fournier RE/MAX CHARLOTTETOWN REALTY Charlottetown The Fourniers Team

10

Rebecca Steeves RE/MAX EAST COAST ELITE REALTY Fredericton Rebecca Steeves

RE/MAX INTEGRA, Ontario-Atlantic Internal Data, full year 2019.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR 2019 AWARD WINNERS 1

Faisal Susiwala RE/MAX TWIN CITY FAISAL SUISWALA REALTY Cambridge

2

Vesna Kolenc RE/MAX PREMIER INC. Woodbridge

3

4

Peter Hogeterp RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Stoney Creek

7

Chuck Hogeterp RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Stoney Creek

Bijan Barati RE/MAX REALTRON BIJAN BARATI REAL ESTATE Toronto

1

Jason Munn RE/MAX EAST COAST ELITE REALTY Fredericton

2

Sarah Justason RE/MAX EAST COAST ELITE REALTY Fredericton

8

9

Mustafa Zia RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC. Mississauga

Andrew la Fleur RE/MAX CONDOS PLUS CORP Toronto

8

Lacey Fisher RE/MAX COUNTY LINE REALTY LTD. Amherst

Rob Golfi RE/MAX ESCARPMENT GOLFI REALTY INC. Hamilton The Golfi Team

Frank Leo RE/MAX WEST REALTY INC. Toronto Frank Leo and Associates

Peggy Hill RE/MAX HALLMARK PEGGY HILL GROUP REALTY Barrie The Peggy Hill Group

Mark Richards RE/MAX HALLMARK RICHARDS GROUP REALTY LTD. Toronto The Richards Group RE/MAX Hallmark

5

Stefan Cormier RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SAINT JOHN INC. Saint John

Brian Belyea RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SAINT JOHN INC. Saint John

9

T. Chandler Haliburton RE/MAX NOVA Dartmouth

3

Fatima Bregman RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Toronto

2019

7

2

1

6

Colin Crowell RE/MAX BANNER REAL ESTATE Middleton

1

Roger LeBlanc RE/MAX AVANTE Moncton Equipe Roger LeBlanc Team

Robert Moore RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS LTD. St. John’s Moore/Decker/Dunn

8

Daryl King RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Richmond Hill The Daryl King Team

Jeff Kitchen RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SAINT JOHN INC. Saint John Jeff Kitchen

RE/MAX INTEGRA, Ontario-Atlantic Internal Data, full year 2019.

Parveen Arora RE/MAX REAL ESTATE CENTRE INC. Brampton Team Arora

8

France Pelletier RE/MAX RESIDEX ENTERPRISES INC. Grand Falls Valley Team

6

Christopher Invidiata RE/MAX ABOUTOWNE REALTY CORP. Oakville The Invidiata Team

10

David Batori RE/MAX HALLMARK BATORI GROUP INC. Toronto David Batori

9

Wendy Flemming RE/MAX CHARLOTTETOWN REALTY Charlottetown The Flemmings Team

5

Thomas Bagogloo RE/MAX NOVA Halifax The Bagogloo Team

Jim Burton RE/MAX INFINITY REALTY INC. Conception Bay South Team Burton

2019

7

Brad Colbert RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS LTD. St. John’s

9

4

Pam DeCourcey RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS SAINT JOHN INC. Saint John Pam DeCourcey and Company

10

Barry Cohen RE/MAX REALTRON BARRY COHEN HOMES INC. Toronto Barry Cohen Homes

Drew Woolcott RE/MAX ESCARPMENT WOOLCOTT REALTY INC. Waterdown The Woolcott Team

2019

3

2

5

4

7

4

Nassim Klayme RE/MAX NOVA Dartmouth

6

10

3

Lisa MacIntosh RE/MAX EAST COAST ELITE REALTY Fredericton

Alaa Yousif RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS INC. Mississauga

Claudio Cerrito RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD. Toronto

2019

5

6

Kris Fournier RE/MAX CHARLOTTETOWN REALTY Charlottetown The Fourniers Team

10

Rebecca Steeves RE/MAX EAST COAST ELITE REALTY Fredericton Rebecca Steeves

RE/MAX INTEGRA, Ontario-Atlantic Internal Data, full year 2019.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR 2019 AWARD WINNERS 1

2

Mitchell Deslippe RE/MAX PREFERRED REALTY LTD. Amherstburg

Manveer Dhindsa RE/MAX REALTY SERVICES INC. Brampton

8

Steph Tripp RE/MAX PREFERRED REALTY LTD. Windsor

Kelsey Geer RE/MAX ALL-STARS REALTY INC. Uxbridge

16

4

Ricardo Barros RE/MAX SOLUTIONS BARROS GROUP Toronto

7

Michael Holder RE/MAX REALTY ENTERPRISES INC. Mississauga

3

Jason Tome RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Burlington

17

Jordan Quaresma RE/MAX RISE EXECUTIVES Kingston

18

25

Nolan Banasco RE/MAX REALTY SPECIALISTS INC. Mississauga

10

Jennifer Langille RE/MAX HALLMARK FIRST GROUP REALTY LTD. Whitby

Bessa Lika RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS INC. Toronto

Shawn Hinchey RE/MAX JAZZ INC. Oshawa

Lynsey Foster RE/MAX ESCARPMENT REALTY INC. Burlington

9

11

Matthew Fernandes RE/MAX PROFESSIONALS INC. Toronto

19

Nick Brunet RE/MAX AFFILIATES REALTY LTD. Ottawa

20

Tristan Pelletier RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY GROUP Ottawa

Alexander Wolfe RE/MAX AFFILIATES REALTY LTD. Ottawa

26

27

Ferro Payman RE/MAX WEST REALTY INC. Kleinburg

12

Michael Duggal RE/MAX PREMIER INC. Toronto

21

28

Firas Swaida RE/MAX REALTY SERVICES INC. Mississauga

13

Andrew Palillo RE/MAX HALLMARK FIRST GROUP REALTY LTD. Pickering

Tayyib Shariff RE/MAX PREMIER INC. Toronto

Ashley Barker RE/MAX GREY BRUCE REALTY INC. Tobermory

6

Mark Antazo RE/MAX COMMUNITY REALTY INC. Toronto

14

Trevor Clark RE/MAX AFFILIATES REALTY LTD. Ottawa

22

29

Nik Handa RE/MAX REALTY SERVICES INC. Mississauga

5

Bryan Sipec RE/MAX PREMIER INC. Vaughan

23

Emily Scott RE/MAX LAND EXCHANGE LTD. Kincardine

15

24

Sina Azimi RE/MAX WEST REALTY INC. Kleinburg

30

Mike Cote-DiPietrantonio RE/MAX FINEST REALTY INC. Kingston

RE/MAX INTEGRA, Ontario-Atlantic Internal Data, full year 2019.

REM APRIL 2020 23

B

urlington-based real estate broker Sean Morrison has assumed the role of president of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA).

Active in real estate for 14 years, Morrison is a broker and manager for Coldwell Banker Momentum Realty and is a member of the Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB).

OREA is providing a one-time grant of $5 million to the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation, an organization that has been dedicated to supporting shelter-based organizations throughout Ontario since 1977 and receives funding from Ontario’s Realtors.

“Ontario’s Realtors are deeply connected to the people, places and happenings that make our neighbourhoods home,” says Morrison. “No other profession even comes close to being as active in their local communities as Realtors are.”

The grant will augment the foundation’s invested capital fund and increase the foundation’s ability to meaningfully support muchneeded shelter services across the province, OREA says.

In 2019, the foundation raised more than $1.2 million for shelter-based organizations throughout the province on behalf of Ontario Realtors. OREA represents 80,000 brokers and salespeople, who are members of the 37 real estate boards throughout the province.

■ ■ ■

The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) has signed an agreement with CoreLogic to offer the Matrix MLS platform as another MLS front-end option, in addition to Stratus.

“As part of our vision for the reinvented MLS, we promised multiple MLS front ends, and our agreement with Matrix is the first step in delivering on that promise,” says TRREB CEO John DiMichele in a news release.

TRREB recently announced that it will develop a new MLS platform. It says offering the Matrix option is separate to TRREB’s current Request For Proposal (RFP) to develop the new system.

“The process to select an innovative MLS system platform that can deliver modern technologies to meet the needs of members,

other users and their clients continues in full force,” says DiMichele. The board says having more than one MLS front end will provide flexibility and choice to brokerages, members and partner boards.

“The MLS RFP initiative is a much broader project. Of particular interest in implementing a new MLS platform will be mobile usage, new add/edit capabilities, voice and integration with blockchain and artificial intelligence,” says DiMichele.

The Ontario Realtors Care Foundation fundraiser, Jam with a Past President, raised more than $12,000 in November. The event has been organized by Ontario Real Estate Association pastpresident Brian Walker since 2007. It features Realtors and others in the real estate industry who are also musicians. Over the years the event has raised more than $80,000 for the foundation.

■ ■ ■

Gregory Klump, CREA’s chief economist, has retired after 28 years at the association.

Klump joined CREA in 1992, serving as staff economist.

Promoted to chief economist in 2005, he grew CREA’s economic and data team into a much-quoted source of Canadian real estate data and market analysis.

Klump was instrumental in the development of the MLS Home Price Index, CREA says. He was a member of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s National Housing Research Committee as well as a contributor to the Economic Research Committee of the Canadian Home Builders Association.

Sean Morrison

John DiMichele

Gregory Klump From left: Tania Artenosi, pastpresident of BDAR; Lucy Gowers, Youth Haven executive director; Martin Andrews, Youth Haven director; and Robin Jones, 2020 BDAR president.

■ ■ ■

The Barrie and District Association of Realtors (BDAR), in partnership with the Realtors Care Foundation, recently gave more than $13,000 to shelterbased organizations across The

Greater Simcoe Region. Youth Haven will use the donation to support its efforts to tackle youth homelessness across the region, as well as helping youth become successful adults by providing transi-

tional housing. The other major recipient, Habitat for Humanity Huronia, builds and rehabilitates houses to create affordable housing for families who are caught in the REM vicious cycle of poverty.

Nova Scotia Association of Realtors celebrates 20 years On April 14, 2000 the Cape Breton, Halifax-Dartmouth, Highland, Northern and South Shore boards merged with the NSREA to become NSAR.

T

he Nova Scotia Association of Realtors (NSAR) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The association acts as one voice for real estate in Nova Scotia and serves more than 1,500 members through a wide variety of education programs, training, advocacy and administration of the MLS system.

Through an agreement with the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission, NSAR also provides all real estate licensing courses in the province.

The final meeting of the Nova Scotia Real Estate Association was held on April 14, 2000.

On that day the Cape Breton, Halifax-Dartmouth, Highland, Northern and South Shore boards merged with the NSREA to become NSAR. The Yarmouth and Annapolis Valley Boards voted to keep their local boards independent until 2006 and 2013, respectively.

Over the first decade of this century, real estate advertising went from predominantly print to

predominantly digital. The Nova Scotia HomeGuide ceased publication in 2011 as the focus had fully switched to Realtor.ca for online property listing information.

“June 8, 2016 saw the legacy of all NSAR’s past board members and volunteers memorialized with the premier declaring June 8th Nova Scotia’s first Day of the Realtor, a day that would be repeated for years to come,” says NSAR. In an official proclamation at Nova Scotia Legislature,

The NSAR Board of Directors 2019/20

Premier Stephen MacNeil recognized Realtors’ impact on the province’s economy and communities through real estate transactions and charity work.

Today, NSAR has a profes-

sional staff team of 12. The staff works with NSAR’s Board of Directors and more than 90 volunteers to advance the work of the association and support Realtors.

REM

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2019 TOP ACHIEVERS! AS AWARDED IN LAS VEGAS, FEBRUARY 23, 2020.

#1 Team Western Canada JUSTIN HAVRE & ASSOCIATES Team Leader: Justin Havre RE/MAX First Calgary, AB #5 Worldwide Residential + Commercial #1 Canada Residential

#2 Team Western Canada TEAM JOYCE TOURNEY Team Leader: Joyce Tourney RE/MAX Crown Real Estate North Regina, SK

#3 Team Western Canada CHAMBERLAIN PROPERTY GROUP Team Leader: Kirk Chamberlain RE/MAX Penticton Realty Penticton, BC

#4 Team Western Canada FRASER ELLIOTT GROUP Team Leader: Fraser Elliott RE/MAX Progroup Realty Delta, BC

#5 Team Western Canada STONE SISTERS GROUP Team Leader: Shannon Stone RE/MAX Kelowna - Stone Sisters Kelowna, BC

#1 Individual Western Canada SIMON HUNT RE/MAX House of Real Estate Calgary, AB #8 Canada Residential

#2 Individual Western Canada SONIA TARABAY RE/MAX Elite (Sherwood Park) Sherwood Park, AB #9 Canada Residential

#5 Individual Western Canada BRIAN CYR RE/MAX Professionals St. Albert, AB

Broker Owner of the Year Multi Office AKASH BEDI RE/MAX Executives Realty Winnipeg, MB

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

#2 Team Western Canada THE PETER HALL TEAM Team Leader: Peter Hall RE/MAX Crest Realty (Burnaby Kingsway) Burnaby, BC #3 Worldwide Commercial #2 Canada Commercial

#3 Team Western Canada COMMERCIAL CAPITAL GROUP Team Leader: Scott Hughes RE/MAX Commercial Capital Edmonton, AB #4 Worldwide Commercial #3 Canada Commercial

#4 Team Western Canada COMPLETE COMMERCIAL EXPERTS Team Leader: Roger Ledene RE/MAX Complete Commercial Calgary, AB

#5 Worldwide Commercial #4 Canada Commercial

#5 Team Western Canada FVCRE Team Leader: Gordon MacPherson RE/MAX Commercial Advantage Vancouver, BC #6 Worldwide Commercial #5 Canada Commercial

#1 Individual Western Canada GORDON KLEAMAN RE/MAX Crest Realty (North Vancouver) North Vancouver, BC #6 Worldwide Commercial #3 Canada Commercial

#4 Individual Western Canada MARK THIESSEN RE/MAX Professionals Winnipeg, MB #9 Canada Commercial

#5 Individual Western Canada ZAHRA JIWA RE/MAX Realty Professionals Calgary, AB

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

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

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

Broker Owner of the Year Small Market HEATHER MALIN & WAYNE PIPER RE/MAX Vision Realty Drayton Valley, AB

Broker Owner of the Year Single Office Western Canada SCOTT HUGHES RE/MAX Commercial Capital Edmonton, AB

Broker Owner of the Year Single Office Canada & Western Canada RICHARD GREAVES & DALE SARNA RE/MAX Alpine Realty Canmore, AB

Top Individual Manitoba ANITA SHARMA TURNER RE/MAX Associates Winnipeg, MB

Manager of the Year Canada & Western Canada SUE LYNCH RE/MAX Centre City Realty Prince George, BC

Administrator of the Year LILIANA MANEA RE/MAX Select Properties Vancouver, BC

Administrator of the Year DEDA PLISKA RE/MAX Blue Sky Realty Cranbrook, BC

Special Services Award PHIL MOORE RE/MAX Crest Realty (Burnaby Kingsway) Burnaby, BC

Spirit of the West JENNIFER BERRY RE/MAX Crest Realty (South Granville) Vancouver, BC

Community Care - Office BIG GIVE FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE RE/MAX Westcoast, RE/MAX Select Realty, RE/MAX Select Properties

Community Care - Individual SCOTT COMFORT RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty Yorkton, SK

For the 14th consecutive year, RE/MAX of Western Canada is the largest contributing region out of the entire RE/MAX organization. RE/MAX affiliates and offices in Western Canada contributed over $1.9 million, collectively resulting in more than $4.5 million in Canada and $11 million in North America!

TOP 5 CONTRIBUTING OFFICES IN WESTERN CANADA

TOP CONTRIBUTING OFFICES BY FOUNDATION

TOP TRANSACTIONS AWARDS

#3 Individual Western Canada DYLAN KELLEY RE/MAX Real Estate (Edmonton) Central Edmonton, AB #8 Canada Commercial

Robert H. Cherot Award & Distinguished Service Award BRAD MARSH Broker Owner RE/MAX Vernon Vernon, BC

#3 Individual Western Canada EDITH CHAN RE/MAX Masters Realty West Vancouver, BC #10 Canada Residential

TOP PRODUCERS: COMMERCIAL

#2 Individual Western Canada TED CAWKWELL RE/MAX Saskatoon (Downtown) Saskatoon, SK #6 Canada Commercial

Top Small Market Canada RE/MAX CITY REALTY Gibsons, BC Broker Owner: Glenn Warren

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

TOP PRODUCERS: RESIDENTIAL

#4 Individual Western Canada RONNI LISTER RE/MAX Ocean Pacific Realty Courtenay, BC

DISTINGUISHED AWARDS

TOP OFFICE: LARGEST NET GAIN IN SALES ASSOCIATES

TOP OFFICE: TOTAL SALES VOLUME & PAID ASSOCIATE COUNT

#1 RE/MAX FIRST Calgary, AB RE/MAX OF NANAIMO Nanaimo, BC

#2

#3

#4

#5

RE/MAX OF NANAIMO Nanaimo, BC

RE/MAX REAL ESTATE (CENTRAL) Calgary, AB

RE/MAX 2000 REALTY Surrey, BC

RE/MAX RIVER CITY (STRATHCONA) Edmonton, AB

RE/MAX FIRST Calgary, AB

RE/MAX RIVER CITY (STRATHCONA) Edmonton, AB

RE/MAX CROWN REAL STATE (NORTH) Regina, SK

RE/MAX PERFORMANCE REALTY Winnipeg, MB

RE/MAX CHAMPIONS OF HOPE AWARD: $500,000 IN CONTRIBUTIONS

TOP 5 CONTRIBUTING INDIVIDUALS IN WESTERN CANADA

RE/MAX REAL ESTATE (EDMONTON) - CENTRAL Edmonton, AB Broker Owner: Bill Briggs #1 - JUSTIN HAVRE RE/MAX First Calgary, AB #1 Canada

#2 - KATRINA AMURAO RE/MAX 2000 Realty Surrey, BC #3 Canada

#3 - JUDY GRAY RE/MAX Mid-Island Realty Ucluelet, BC #7 Canada

#4 - RON NEAL RE/MAX Alliance Victoria, BC #8 Canada

#5 - CHRISTOPHER AUDETTE RE/MAX First Calgary, AB #9 Canada

For the complete list of winners, please visit the remax.ca media newsroom.

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

Top Team British Columbia KATRINA AND THE TEAM Team Leader: Neil Bellosillo RE/MAX 2000 Realty Surrey, BC

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

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

Top Office Worldwide, Canada, Western Canada, & Alberta RE/MAX FIRST Calgary, AB Broker Owners: Rick Campos, Cliff Stevenson

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

Top Office Saskatchewan RE/MAX CROWN REAL ESTATE - NORTH Regina, SK Broker Owner: Gary Cossette

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

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

YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION IS WHAT MAKES RE/MAX #1 IN CANADA!

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS: TAKE YOUR CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL!

Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated. This advertisement is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for informational purposes only. If you own a franchise affiliated with another organization, this advertisement is not intended to offer a RE/MAX franchise or to solicit a change in your affiliation.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2019 TOP ACHIEVERS! AS AWARDED IN LAS VEGAS, FEBRUARY 23, 2020.

#1 Team Western Canada JUSTIN HAVRE & ASSOCIATES Team Leader: Justin Havre RE/MAX First Calgary, AB #5 Worldwide Residential + Commercial #1 Canada Residential

#2 Team Western Canada TEAM JOYCE TOURNEY Team Leader: Joyce Tourney RE/MAX Crown Real Estate North Regina, SK

#3 Team Western Canada CHAMBERLAIN PROPERTY GROUP Team Leader: Kirk Chamberlain RE/MAX Penticton Realty Penticton, BC

#4 Team Western Canada FRASER ELLIOTT GROUP Team Leader: Fraser Elliott RE/MAX Progroup Realty Delta, BC

#5 Team Western Canada STONE SISTERS GROUP Team Leader: Shannon Stone RE/MAX Kelowna - Stone Sisters Kelowna, BC

#1 Individual Western Canada SIMON HUNT RE/MAX House of Real Estate Calgary, AB #8 Canada Residential

#2 Individual Western Canada SONIA TARABAY RE/MAX Elite (Sherwood Park) Sherwood Park, AB #9 Canada Residential

#5 Individual Western Canada BRIAN CYR RE/MAX Professionals St. Albert, AB

Broker Owner of the Year Multi Office AKASH BEDI RE/MAX Executives Realty Winnipeg, MB

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

#2 Team Western Canada THE PETER HALL TEAM Team Leader: Peter Hall RE/MAX Crest Realty (Burnaby Kingsway) Burnaby, BC #3 Worldwide Commercial #2 Canada Commercial

#3 Team Western Canada COMMERCIAL CAPITAL GROUP Team Leader: Scott Hughes RE/MAX Commercial Capital Edmonton, AB #4 Worldwide Commercial #3 Canada Commercial

#4 Team Western Canada COMPLETE COMMERCIAL EXPERTS Team Leader: Roger Ledene RE/MAX Complete Commercial Calgary, AB

#5 Worldwide Commercial #4 Canada Commercial

#5 Team Western Canada FVCRE Team Leader: Gordon MacPherson RE/MAX Commercial Advantage Vancouver, BC #6 Worldwide Commercial #5 Canada Commercial

#1 Individual Western Canada GORDON KLEAMAN RE/MAX Crest Realty (North Vancouver) North Vancouver, BC #6 Worldwide Commercial #3 Canada Commercial

#4 Individual Western Canada MARK THIESSEN RE/MAX Professionals Winnipeg, MB #9 Canada Commercial

#5 Individual Western Canada ZAHRA JIWA RE/MAX Realty Professionals Calgary, AB

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

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

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

Broker Owner of the Year Small Market HEATHER MALIN & WAYNE PIPER RE/MAX Vision Realty Drayton Valley, AB

Broker Owner of the Year Single Office Western Canada SCOTT HUGHES RE/MAX Commercial Capital Edmonton, AB

Broker Owner of the Year Single Office Canada & Western Canada RICHARD GREAVES & DALE SARNA RE/MAX Alpine Realty Canmore, AB

Top Individual Manitoba ANITA SHARMA TURNER RE/MAX Associates Winnipeg, MB

Manager of the Year Canada & Western Canada SUE LYNCH RE/MAX Centre City Realty Prince George, BC

Administrator of the Year LILIANA MANEA RE/MAX Select Properties Vancouver, BC

Administrator of the Year DEDA PLISKA RE/MAX Blue Sky Realty Cranbrook, BC

Special Services Award PHIL MOORE RE/MAX Crest Realty (Burnaby Kingsway) Burnaby, BC

Spirit of the West JENNIFER BERRY RE/MAX Crest Realty (South Granville) Vancouver, BC

Community Care - Office BIG GIVE FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE RE/MAX Westcoast, RE/MAX Select Realty, RE/MAX Select Properties

Community Care - Individual SCOTT COMFORT RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty Yorkton, SK

For the 14th consecutive year, RE/MAX of Western Canada is the largest contributing region out of the entire RE/MAX organization. RE/MAX affiliates and offices in Western Canada contributed over $1.9 million, collectively resulting in more than $4.5 million in Canada and $11 million in North America!

TOP 5 CONTRIBUTING OFFICES IN WESTERN CANADA

TOP CONTRIBUTING OFFICES BY FOUNDATION

TOP TRANSACTIONS AWARDS

#3 Individual Western Canada DYLAN KELLEY RE/MAX Real Estate (Edmonton) Central Edmonton, AB #8 Canada Commercial

Robert H. Cherot Award & Distinguished Service Award BRAD MARSH Broker Owner RE/MAX Vernon Vernon, BC

#3 Individual Western Canada EDITH CHAN RE/MAX Masters Realty West Vancouver, BC #10 Canada Residential

TOP PRODUCERS: COMMERCIAL

#2 Individual Western Canada TED CAWKWELL RE/MAX Saskatoon (Downtown) Saskatoon, SK #6 Canada Commercial

Top Small Market Canada RE/MAX CITY REALTY Gibsons, BC Broker Owner: Glenn Warren

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

TOP PRODUCERS: RESIDENTIAL

#4 Individual Western Canada RONNI LISTER RE/MAX Ocean Pacific Realty Courtenay, BC

DISTINGUISHED AWARDS

TOP OFFICE: LARGEST NET GAIN IN SALES ASSOCIATES

TOP OFFICE: TOTAL SALES VOLUME & PAID ASSOCIATE COUNT

#1 RE/MAX FIRST Calgary, AB RE/MAX OF NANAIMO Nanaimo, BC

#2

#3

#4

#5

RE/MAX OF NANAIMO Nanaimo, BC

RE/MAX REAL ESTATE (CENTRAL) Calgary, AB

RE/MAX 2000 REALTY Surrey, BC

RE/MAX RIVER CITY (STRATHCONA) Edmonton, AB

RE/MAX FIRST Calgary, AB

RE/MAX RIVER CITY (STRATHCONA) Edmonton, AB

RE/MAX CROWN REAL STATE (NORTH) Regina, SK

RE/MAX PERFORMANCE REALTY Winnipeg, MB

RE/MAX CHAMPIONS OF HOPE AWARD: $500,000 IN CONTRIBUTIONS

TOP 5 CONTRIBUTING INDIVIDUALS IN WESTERN CANADA

RE/MAX REAL ESTATE (EDMONTON) - CENTRAL Edmonton, AB Broker Owner: Bill Briggs #1 - JUSTIN HAVRE RE/MAX First Calgary, AB #1 Canada

#2 - KATRINA AMURAO RE/MAX 2000 Realty Surrey, BC #3 Canada

#3 - JUDY GRAY RE/MAX Mid-Island Realty Ucluelet, BC #7 Canada

#4 - RON NEAL RE/MAX Alliance Victoria, BC #8 Canada

#5 - CHRISTOPHER AUDETTE RE/MAX First Calgary, AB #9 Canada

For the complete list of winners, please visit the remax.ca media newsroom.

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

Top Team British Columbia KATRINA AND THE TEAM Team Leader: Neil Bellosillo RE/MAX 2000 Realty Surrey, BC

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

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

Top Office Worldwide, Canada, Western Canada, & Alberta RE/MAX FIRST Calgary, AB Broker Owners: Rick Campos, Cliff Stevenson

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

Top Office Saskatchewan RE/MAX CROWN REAL ESTATE - NORTH Regina, SK Broker Owner: Gary Cossette

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

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

YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION IS WHAT MAKES RE/MAX #1 IN CANADA!

SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS: TAKE YOUR CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL!

Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated. This advertisement is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for informational purposes only. If you own a franchise affiliated with another organization, this advertisement is not intended to offer a RE/MAX franchise or to solicit a change in your affiliation.

26 REM APRIL 2020

How exercise helps you sell real estate

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heady stuff to think that a workout could help you sell a house... but experts say that maybe it can.

By Ylva Van Buuren

R

egular exercise is often associated with physical benefits such as heart health and weight maintenance but did you know that there are different ways it is linked to how your brain operates too?

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how exercise can help everyone have more brain power â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and maybe even do a better job.

1. Work tasks. Research has shown that exercise can support â&#x20AC;&#x153;executive functionâ&#x20AC;?, says Matthew Heath, professor in kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. Executive function refers to things like â&#x20AC;&#x153;the ability to remember what it is that you are doing on a moment-to-moment basisâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;switching between tasksâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;things that keep you on track during the workday.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is thought that when you exercise thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an increase in blood flow to the region of your brain that supports these executive

functions,â&#x20AC;? says Heath. While you may not notice improvements as you go about your work, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would think that exercise would have a qualitative benefit in the efficiency of your work.â&#x20AC;? Resistance training and aerobic training are linked to a post exercise benefit to executive function, says Heath.

2. Brain fitness. Award-winning fitness trainer Oonaugh Duncan says having to learn and perform patterns of movement is beneficial for cognitive function.

In a dance or aerobics class, for example, the brain has to process and learn different movements.

Duncan says itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also beneficial when you cross the midline of the body with one of your limbs or do different movements with limbs at the same time (raise one arm and kick the opposite leg). This type of movement uses both sides of the brain, says Duncan.

3. Disease free. Exercise helps keep your body free of chronic

Welcome Coldwell Banker Hometown Realty Wainwright, Alberta

conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and provides a healthy home for a healthy brain, says Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Canada research chair, physical activity, mobility and cognitive neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The brain is highly metabolic and requires lots of oxygen and blood supply (which exercise provides). Any level of reduction can, over time, acutely impair brain function,â&#x20AC;? says Liu-Ambrose.

4. Less stress. Regular physical activity promotes mental wellbeing and stress control. Chronic stress, anxiety and depression are associated with poor cognitive function, says Liu-Ambrose.

Regular physical activity also promotes better sleep â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and good sleep is critical for cognitive performance as well as brain health.

5. Fitness mindset. The way you do one thing is the way you do everything, says Duncan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you wake up every morning and give yourself a challenging workout, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re training yourself to meet challenges and exceed them.â&#x20AC;? But if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re neglecting your body, says Duncan, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more likely that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to kick butt in other spheres of your life.

6. Positive attitude. People often experience an â&#x20AC;&#x153;exercise highâ&#x20AC;? after they exercise and these feelings of exhilaration can translate into a more positive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and winning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; attitude. Heath says the euphoric benefit associated with exercising is due to a release of certain bio-molecules. Heath and

other experts go so far as to recommend activity (10 jumping jacks, a brisk walk or a workout at the gym) before a meeting or presentation.

The activity will increase your ability to pay attention to the situation and help with mood.

Keep in mind that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be a long workout, says Heath. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A couple of years ago our research showed that exercise done at moderate intensity for as little as 10 minutes can make a difference.

Moderate intensity would be as if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re walking up a slight incline and you notice that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re beginning to breathe a bit more.â&#x20AC;?

7. Good thinking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I get my best ideas when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going for a run or a walk,â&#x20AC;? says Duncan. She suggests that if you have an issue you are trying to solve, go for a run or walk or ride a stationary bike.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much intuition and information stored in the body and sometimes physically moving your body can help you get unstuck. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get out of your head and into your physical body â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and see what happens.â&#x20AC;?

According to Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, adults aged 18-64 should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more, to achieve health benefits.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important is stressing the body with a highintensity workout, says Heath. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seems to have the best overall benefit in terms of cardiovascular and

brain health.â&#x20AC;? He recommends exercise performed at a high intensity (it should make you sweat) at least twice a week.

Any activity is better than none, and quick hits of activity (Liu-Ambrose calls them â&#x20AC;&#x153;activity snacksâ&#x20AC;?) are recommended throughout the day. Take the stairs, walk around your office while you are on a call, walk up and down the stairs while you wait for people to come and view the house you are showing, get up from your chair and sit back down.

People who exercise live longer even though they might have an underlying disease. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a neuro-protective effect associated with exercise,â&#x20AC;? says Heath. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also systemic and influences all the major organs and protects them from disease and just general wear and tear associated with aging.â&#x20AC;?

In a study of 55-year-olds, Heath says individuals who had underlying ailments such as cardiac impairment, cancer and other disease and who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exercise died within five years. But individuals who had an underlying ailment and who were committed to regular exercise had a much longer lifespan.

To make exercise a regular part of your life, choose physical activities you like and will continue to do over months. Consider taking up a new physical activity that requires learning (such as tennis or squash, or a new yoga class) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it will be good REM for your body and mind.

Kitchener home gets 53 offers Chad Lawson 6^ULY

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A

s an indication of just how hot the real estate market is in Southern Ontario, a Kitchener agent recently was flooded with 53 written offers for a home that was advertised as needing extensive updating.

Re/Max Twin City sales rep Michael Saunders listed a home for sale at 285 Connaught St. The list price was $299,900. Within one week, Saunders had 53 written offers, ultimately resulting in

the sale of the home for $491,000. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We held the offers for one week and then basically focussed on price and zero conditions,â&#x20AC;? says Saunders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Next, we went back to anyone who had offered $450,000 or higher, drilling down to eight offers. Then, we gave them a chance to improve their offer and took the best of the best.â&#x20AC;?

Saunders, a 30-year industry veteran, formed the SaundersTremblay Realty Team in 1992 with broker Looey Tremblay. The

team now has six agents.

T h e KitchenerWaterloo real estate market remains strong with a Michael J. median price Saunders of $630,000 for detached homes sold in Kitchener-Waterloo in February, says The Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors. REM

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28 REM APRIL 2020

Gaudi’s “masterpiece of nature” still draws crowds

Once ridiculed apartment block in Barcelona is now a tourist attraction. Story and photos by Diane Slawych

The undulating façade is made of sand-coloured limestone.

W

hen the residential building La Pedrera was constructed on a prominent corner of Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona, it was immediately ridiculed by critics.

Today it attracts thousands of people a year – local citizens and visitors from around the world who regularly line up to pay admission for a peek inside. In 1984, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named it a World Heritage Site in recognition of its “exceptional universal value.”

Sometimes it takes awhile for bold, new architecture to gain a following. Built by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi when he was 54 and at the height of his powers, La Pedrera is made up of two blocks of apartments interconnected by interior courtyards and a shared façade.

Constructed between 1906 and 1910, it pays homage to various art forms, not just architecture, but also woodwork, painting and wrought iron design.

But because it veered from established construction

This staircase includes painted scenes, carved columns and a view onto an inner courtyard.

principles it was denounced.

Until, that is, a reevaluation based on creative merit sparked a change in public perception.

At first glance, the building doesn’t appear entirely radical, at least not by today’s standards (think of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao) though it’s certainly original. First, there’s the undulating façade of sandcoloured limestone and an entranceway that was purposely concealed so that no angle of the building, which wraps around a corner, would take precedence over any other.

Then there are the wrought iron balconies in shapes taken from nature, which contain no straight lines. Gaudi was described as a connoisseur of ironwork techniques and designed the models for the main doors of the house.

The name La Pedrera translates as the stone quarry due to its stone-like appearance, though the building is sometimes also known as La Mila because it was commissioned as a residence for the Mila family

with apartments to rent out.

One of the features that made the eight-floor building so innovative was that it was designed organically around two large courtyards that form the basis of the entire floor plan, maximizing the buildings’ light and ventilation. The shapes, light and colour within the courtyards as well as the outside staircases going up to the main floor have been compared to clearings in a tropical forest.

On the fourth floor, where the Mila family lived, visitors can tour a typical apartment of a bourgeois family in Barcelona in the early 20th century, recreated with the furniture and appliances of the time. Apparently when one of the former owners complained there was no straight wall to place her piano, Gaudi suggested she play the violin instead!

The Modernist apartment gives a good sense of the building’s interior layout and ornamental elements designed by Gaudi such as various handles, knobs, mouldings, doors and flooring.

On the top floor is an exhibition devoted to Gaudi’s

The extraordinary roof has multiple chimneys that, at first glance, could almost pass for alien warriors from a sci fi movie.

life and work called Espai Gaudi.

It’s located in one of the spaces that best represent Gaudi’s style of architecture, the attic at La Pedrera where the laundry used to be washed and hung up to dry.

It consists of 270 catenary arches made of brick and arranged to resemble a whale skeleton.

From here, you can access the extraordinary roof with its multiple chimneys that, at first glance, could almost pass for alien warriors from a sci fi movie.

Clustered into groups of three or four along the entire width of the building, the somewhat threatening appearance of these sculptured ducts and chimneys have prompted some to call them “espantabruixes,” or “witch-scarers.”

La Mila was Gaudi’s last work before he began his masterpiece La Sagrada Familia, which is visible from here. Some say the architectural elements on La Mila’s roof give the impression that they were meant to frame the famous basilica.

The building also contains basements and semi basements that were used for carriages,

stables and wine cellars, and were reached via a spiral ramp of conical and rounded forms and shapes known as “revolution paraboloids.”

One feature missing from La Mila is a four-metre high sculpture of the Virgin created by Carles Mani that Gaudi wanted to have placed at the top corner of the building. The Mila family was opposed to the idea, which prompted Gaudi to sever the relationship, though he signed the certificate of completion two years later in 1912.

After Gaudi’s unexpected death, the family decided to destroy all the interior and exterior decorative features the architect had installed. However, along the upper cornice of the building, it’s still possible to make out the stone reliefs invoking the archangels that read, “Ave gratia M plena Dominus tecum” (“Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee”).

Inspired by religion, nature and art in all its forms, La Pedrera remains one of Gaudi’s greatest contributions to Barcelona’s civic architecture. REM

REM APRIL 2020 29

Drew Johnson named top Coldwell Banker award winner

Red Deer’s Gavin Heintz top C21 rep in world Gavin Heintz of Century 21 Advantage in Red Deer, Alta. was recently named the No. 1 Century 21 producer by units in the world in 2019. Heintz accepted his award at the Century 21 global conference in Los Angeles. Other Century 21 award winners for 2019: No. 1 company in Canada

by GCI and units: Century 21 Leading Edge Realty (Paul Baron, Tasis Giannoukakis and Anthony Bungaro), Toronto.

No. 1 office in Canada, by GCI and units: Century 21 First Canadian (Vito Campanale), London, Ont. No. 1 team in Canada by GCI: Goodale Miller Team (Don Goodale and Brad Miller), Century 21 Miller Real Estate, Oakville, Ont. No. 1 team in Canada by units: L’équipe Je m’en occupe (Sébastien Bonnerot), Century 21 Elite, Cantley, Que. No. 1 producer in Canada

by GCC: Sam Elgohary, Century 21 Leading Edge Realty, Toronto.

The Wolf Pack Team from Century 21 Atria Realty in

Richmond Hill, Ont. won the Grand Centurion Team award, while the Centurion Producer Award went to Kari Calder at Century 21 Fusion in Saskatoon.

Asif Khan named Re/Max Broker/Owner of the Year Asif Khan of Re/Max Prime Properties in Markham, Ont. has been named Single Office Re/Max Broker/Owner of the Year for Canada. The award honours successful broker/owners who have demonstrated outstanding business performance in 2019. This is the first time Khan has received this award after being honoured as Rookie Broker/Owner of the Year in 2017.

“I am extremely proud of this recognition and it’s an honour to be surrounded by an incredibly supportive team. This award belongs to all of us. It’s a reflection of the high level of care they have towards their clients,” says Khan.

Khan has been a real estate professional with Re/Max since 2006. Re/Max Prime Properties was founded in 2015. It has 25 Realtors specializing in residential and commercial real estate.

Coldwell Banker Affiliates of Canada is rebranding its customer satisfaction program, Ultimate Service with new graphics to complement the brand’s new North Star logo. The new marketing assets feature the claim that Coldwell Banker real estate professionals have attained a 98-per-cent customer satisfaction rating from more than 85,000 Canadian home buyers and sellers.

“Ultimate Service is a uniquely Canadian program, founded on the business philosophy of listening to the customer and putting their needs first,” says company president Andy Puthon.

The company also announced this year’s award winners. Drew Johnson of Coldwell Banker Power Realty in London, Ont. was named Top Ultimate Service provider in Canada. The Top Ultimate Service team in Canada (1 – 3 members) is the Krasowski & Miller Team, Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Centre, in Innisfil, Ont. Team members are Sheila Krasowski and Stephanie Miller.

The Top Ultimate Service team in Canada (4+ members) is Nyrose & Associates, Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty, Kelowna, B.C. Team members are Darcy Nyrose, Darren Nyrose, Danny Kupkowski, Jennifer Williamson, Justin Gaspari, Christine Gaspari, Karen Mustard and Rob Chapman.

Sixteen brokerages from across the company were recognized with the Ultimate Service company award, based on independently tabulated customer surveys. REM

Gavin Heintz

From left: Gary Busch, broker/owner, Century Fusion and Chiyoko Kakino, VP marketing, Century Canada, right, present the Centurion Producer award to Kari Calder of Century 21 Fusion.

Asif Khan

Stephanie Miller and Sheila Krasowski

Drew Johnson

Stephen Chow, broker of record, Century 21 Atria Realty in Toronto, left, and Brian Rushton, EVP of Century 21 Canada, right, present the Grand Centurion Team award to The Wolf Pack team from Century 21 Atria Realty.

Darcy Nyrose

Canada’s tallest condo tower coming to 1 Yonge St.

P

innacle International says the next phase of its Pinnacle One Yonge development in Toronto will have Canada’s tallest residential condominium tower, at 95 storeys and more than 313 metres high. It will include more than 800 condominium suites in a variety of layouts, ranging from 520 to 2,300 square feet, with prices starting from just over $800,000.

The previous contender for tallest condo tower was The One at

1 Bloor St. W., by developer Sam Mizrahi, which is currently under construction and will be 85 storeys tall and 306.3 metres high.

The SkyTower at Pinnacle One Yonge was designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects.

“Our approach to this phase, and the other elements of this master-planned development, was predicated on a commitment to not just merely add yet another condo to the downtown core. Instead, we recognized the unique privilege pro-

vided by this site to forever reshape the Toronto skyline,” says Pinnacle vice president of sales and marketing Anson Kwok.

Amenities within SkyTower will include a pool, yoga studio, games centre and party space, as well as outdoor barbecues and lounge areas, the company says.

SkyTower is the second of three tall towers at Pinnacle One Yonge.

The first was The Prestige, a 65storey condominium tower now under construction. Details of the

third tower have not yet been released.

With more than 2,200 condominium suites between the three buildings, the residential towers will anchor a master-planned 4.4million-square-foot development, the company says. It will also include 1.5 million square feet of office space, 160,000 square feet of retail, a 250-room hotel, a 50,000-square-foot community centre and a 2.5-acre public park.

REM

The SkyTower will include more than 800 condominium units.

30 REM APRIL 2020

DR. LANDLORD

By Chris Seepe

New Brokerage

RE/MAX North of 60 Realty Yellowknife, NT

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Rhonda Navratil RE/MAX River City, Edmonton, AB

Why RE/MAX? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Really the question should be why not somewhere else? If there were another company able to come close to RE/MAX for market share, technology, staying ahead of the competition, brand awareness, and quality of colleaguesâ&#x20AC;ŚI would consider moving to that company. I have been with RE/MAX since 1987 and have not once regretted it, I am honored and proud of the company I work with.

I prefer to associate with the best in the industry so I am constantly challenging my skillset and never becoming complacent. I do believe there are great agents in many real estate companiesâ&#x20AC;Ś but there are simply more great agents at RE/MAX. I want to learn, share, and compete with the best. With RE/MAX, I am continually challenged and given an exciting environment within which to grow my business.â&#x20AC;?

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ery little of substance from any level of government in Canada gives me hope that affordable housing (AH) in Ontario will become a reality within the next decade, but I see much evidence that it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen.

AH is a municipal-level issue but cities like Oshawa have sold off all their AH inventory.

Toronto closed 1,100 uninhabitable units in 2017. They discovered it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t affordable. The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2019 Federal Program Spending on Housing Affordability report stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Ś Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Housing Strategy (NHS) largely maintains current funding levels for current activities and slightly reduces targeted funding for households in core housing need. CMHCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assumptions regarding the impact of NHS outputs on housing need do not reflect the likely impact of those programs on the prevalence of housing need.â&#x20AC;?

In other words, nothing the federal government is doing today is any different than before.

Infrastructure Canada reported in their Inventory of Publicly Owned Social and Affordable Housing Assets (2016) that there were 252,450 available social and affordable housing units. Statistics Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s May 2017 Dwellings in Canada stated there were 14,072,080 occupied private dwellings. Therefore, 98.2 per cent of Canadian residential housing was financed by the private sector.

The provincial government canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t solve the AH issue. Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2018 debt of $343 billion, for example, was the largest subnational debt worldwide â&#x20AC;&#x201C; higher than 166 other countries and ranked No. 20 worldwide.

The Ontario Ministry of Housingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s April 2019 Community Housing Renewal Strategy report stated that 106,600 AH units are

V

No affordable housing for another decade at risk of exiting the community housing supply inventory within the next seven years.

Purpose-built apartment buildings arguably house the vast majority of vulnerable tenants, yet many Ontario municipalities levy up to 2.5 times more property tax for multiresidential properties than single-family homes and condos. Property tax is by far the single largest cost in tenant rent.

Even if we find the money, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to build it? A 2020 BuildForce Canada reports states that Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction and maintenance sectors are currently operating at full capacity and will need to recruit an additional 100,000 workers by 2029. Current apprenticeships arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keeping pace with retirement levels.

CMHCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pervasive yoke to demand that a percentage of all housing they fund maintain a 20to 30-per-cent lower-than-market rent for 40 years is fatally flawed.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an immutable AH paradox: The more affordable the rent, the lower the municipal income (property tax) available to provide and maintain affordable housing infrastructure, services and programs. Therefore, the more quickly affordable housing falls into disrepair and ruin, especially in public housing.

Ontarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plan to make secondary suites in residential homes more attractive has failed dismally.

The provinceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brutal anti-landlord tenancy laws and the literally broken Landlord and Tenant Board are driving small-to-medium landlords away in droves or into bankruptcy.

The Centre for Urban Research believes AH will remain challenged. Its February 2020 report states, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Demographically driven housing requirements are likely to remain strong. CUR expects there to be underlying demand for 50,000 (GTA) dwelling units per year between 2016 and 2031 â&#x20AC;Ś compared to an annual average of 38,000 households created between 2006 and 2016.â&#x20AC;?

Government believes seniors downsize or leave homeownership, which contributes to increasing housing supply. The expected great baby boomer downsizing event didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen.

If residential landlords donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go bankrupt in the process, at least the governmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; multi-decade systemic failures will continue to fuel high demand and low supply.

Rents (and house prices) will continue to outpace family income growth. The paltry cash flow (net income) of rental properties will continue to shrink but resale values will increase sharply. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to sell your rental property to realize this upside but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never been a better time in Canadian history to sell than today.

Governments seem oblivious to the fact that AH isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just about affordability for home buyers and renters. The AH pandemic will never be solved until the problem is properly defined: AH is â&#x20AC;&#x153;self-sustaining housing that is affordable for the tenant, the landlord and the builder.â&#x20AC;? Most mainstream lenders wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fund affordable housing and the few that might demand CMHC mortgage guarantees.

There are solutions. The late 1960s and early 1970s boom in rental property construction proves it. All the current solutions are universally hampered by discouraging tenancy law, political cowardice and vote pandering, media sensationalism, debilitating self-interest groups, fatally flawed housing policies, a broken tenancy judicial system and a misplaced belief that any level of government has the financial means to solve the AH crisis.

Chris Seepe is a published writer and author of two books on â&#x20AC;&#x153;landlording,â&#x20AC;? 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

REM APRIL 2020 31

Powers of attorney and living wills

By Connie Adair

A

long with a will, there are three other separate freestanding documents you need to have to protect your family: two types of powers of attorney (financial and medical) and a living will, also known as an advance care directive.

Many people think they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need a power of attorney because they have a will, but a will doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take affect until an individual dies, says lawyer Les Kotzer of Fish & Associates in Toronto.

The following advice is for Ontario only. For other provinces, contact a lawyer in your area.

Powers of attorney (POA) offer protection when an individual is alive but is deemed incompetent and unable to handle their own financial or medical affairs.

Without these financial and medical powers of attorney, the government may step in and freeze your assets and make your financial and medical decisions for you. And no one wants that.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important, Kotzer says, to have your POAs prepared now when you are competent. He says everyone over the age of 18 should have both types of POAs, with medical POAs covering both mental and physical incapacity.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Engel & VĂślkers launches business intelligence app for its advisors Engel & VĂślkers recently introduced E&V Command, a custom-built mobile app designed

Some people have a POA that names someone they trust to act on their behalf should they become mentally incapacitated.

However, the medical POA should also include physical incapacity.

As an example, Kotzer tells the story of a woman who has multiple sclerosis. She is mentally competent but is unable to sign her name.

If the POA covered only her mental incapacity, her appointees would have difficulty acting on her behalf.

In a first marriage, in most cases spouses who trust each other appoint each other.

In another case, a man in his late 50s had a stroke. He and his spouse were listed as joint tenants on the title of their house. The matrimonial home is often in the names of both spouses as joint tenants. However that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that one spouse can sign the otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name without a financial power of attorney, for example to refinance or sell the house. Having joint ownership means the other will get ownership upon death.

If a doctor declares you mentally incompetent, if you have a POA, all the person you appoint has to do is tell the government you have a POA, sign some forms and the government will to serve the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s network of real estate advisors as a portal for client services and business intelligence.

The app gives Engel & VĂślkers advisors the capabilities to view, manage and track all of their listings and pending transactions in one place. It is part of the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s integrated product suite powered by data from EVI, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary data centre.

Advisors can track their award status and how they rank within their market and across the Engel & VĂślkers network, and they are able to create personal notes about prospects, clients and listings.

Nathan Kimpel, senior vice president of technology at Engel & VĂślkers Americas, says the app â&#x20AC;&#x153;delivers our network with complete client management and CRM integration built into its

relinquish control.

An encompassing POA, which is what Kotzer says he and lawyer Barry Fish call the document provided in their Power of Attorney kit, is like an umbrella that covers all assets until death, when the will takes over.

The living will, or advance care directive, is an important document that outlines your medical wishes.

Kotzer and Fish created a financial and medical power of attorney kit that you can fill out at home. The documents are not online. They are paper copies that can be witnessed by two friends or neighbours. The kits are available for $50 each plus tax and shipping.

Visit powerofattorneyinfo.com or call 877-439-3999 for information.

Kotzer also has videos about wills and powers of attorney on his website at www.leskotzer.com.

POAs should be kept at home for easy access in case of an emergency. Tell your family where they are.

The financial Power of Attorney kit also comes with a wallet card that is considered a legal document. If you get into an accident, the doctor will see you have a POA and contact the person you have listed. REM interface, allowing advisors to keep in touch with and manage their clients in real time, from lead gen to closing. It is the backbone of next generation client service at Engel & VĂślkers.â&#x20AC;?

Key benefits include: â&#x20AC;˘ Instant lead notification.

Push notifications and respond faster to new leads. â&#x20AC;˘ Listing performance data.

Tracking all current listings with associated marketing investment analytics. â&#x20AC;˘ Global collaboration. Call, text, chat or email other members of the global Engel & VĂślkers network for referrals and knowledge sharing. â&#x20AC;˘ Enhanced client experience.

Add new clients and communicate directly with existing clients.

REM

Michele Cummins RE/MAX Little Oak Realty, Mission, BC

Why RE/MAX? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted to align myself with the #1 selling brokerage that is the most respected and is known not only locally, but also internationally. I simply knew I would do more transactions moving to RE/MAX which has proven to be true. I practically doubled my business!â&#x20AC;?

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32 REM APRIL 2020

Good Works T

he Royal LePage Shelter Foundation announced that more than $3 million was raised in 2019 in support of women’s shelters and domestic violence prevention and education.

Since 1998, the foundation has raised more than $33 million for this important cause.

Executive director Shanan Spencer-Brown says, “Our very successful Sahara Desert Challenge for Shelter campaign along with the ongoing generosity of our commission donors, fundraising event organizers and other supporters will allow us to help more than 50,000 women and children seeking safety from domestic violence in communities across Canada.”

Royal LePage is the only

Canadian real estate company with its own branded charity.

Royal LePage agents from across Canada make donations from their commissions and agents, brokers and employees organize fundraising events, including the annual National Garage Sale for Shelter, taking place this year on May 9.

■ ■ ■

Golf enthusiasts helped raise $92,000 in support of local charities at the 8th annual Royal LePage Network Realty Corp.

Charity Golf Tournament in Red Deer, Alta. Funds were directed to the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter via the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation for the development of a children’s heal-

ing and therapy room, and to the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre for the purchase of a specially trained therapy dog.

To date, the event has raised more than $500,000. The 9th annual tournament is scheduled to take place on June 12, 2020 and will be held in memory of tournament founder Marlo Ruttan.

■ ■ ■

Brandon, Man. sales rep Pat McKenzie has been a volunteer curling instructor for 11 years, teaching the game to junior curlers aged six to 14. Some of her students have become top competitors. She says she hopes some of them make it to the provincial level. “I was very proud last season to have two of three former students move to the Manitoba Hit, Draw and Tap competition in Brandon at the Brier. At the regional level, two of my students moved onto the provincial level and one of them won her age group. I was like a proud mom.”

■ ■ ■

The mother-daughter realty team of Sandy Bodnar and Rayissa

Palmer collected 150 pairs of goodquality shoes recently in the 24th annual Ron White Shoe Drive.

This is their fifth time participating in the largest shoe drive in Canada.

Donations of footwear for men, women and children are distributed to charitable organizations in the Greater Toronto Area, assisting individuals, families and jobseekers who are struggling to make ends meet. Since 1996, this drive has collected more than 40,000 pairs of shoes for those in need.

On Valentine’s Day, Bodnar and Palmer, who are with Sutton Group - Old Mill Realty, dropped off their baskets and bags at Ron White’s corporate office and were greeted by White in person. Each year, he enlists international celebrities such as Vanessa Williams, Celine Dion and Eric McCormick to donate shoes and raise awareness of the drive.

Another event close to the Realtors’ hearts is the Caledon Community Services Home for the Holidays Gala. This is the second year in a row that the motherdaughter duo created a custom piece for the auction.

“This time we created two oversized Christmas wreaths that went for auction to raise funds for Caledon Community Services,” says Palmer. One was named ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’ as it featured all kinds of sweet treats on it in glass and ornaments. The other we created was called the Maison Bird and featured a painted birdhouse

by Sandy. Our wreaths were auctioned off.”

■ ■ ■

Sutton Group - Quantum Realty in Oakville, Ont. recently presented $1,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The donation included contributions from the Realtors and broker of record Tina Gardin. According to government figures, approximately three million Canadians (or 8.1 per cent of the population) were living with diagnosed diabetes in 2013 – 2014, representing one in 300 children and youth ages one to 19 years. Over the years, Sutton Group - Quantum Realty has supported numerous causes including the Oakville Gallery through the Dinner in Gairloch Gardens event. REM

Representatives from Royal LePage Network Realty Corp. in Red Deer present funds raised at their 8th annual charity golf tournament to the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter.

Right At Home Realty recently presented Habitat for Humanity with a cheque for $83,000. From left: John Lusink, president of Right at Home Realty; Adwoa Buahene, Habitat for Humanity vice president of donor partnerships; Francine Negre Laroche, Habitat for Humanity senior manager, corporate partnerships; and Howard Drukarsh, co-founder and broker, Right At Home Realty.

Pat McKenzie could not resist rubbing the famed Brier cup for luck at last year’s competition.

Paul Belhumeur and Ken Cowie of Re/Max 2000 Realty in Surrey, B.C. dropped the puck at the Vancouver Giants’ WHL Suits Up for Organ Donation game recently. In 2004, Cowie gave a life-saving kidney to Belhumeur. The game night was a huge success, with more than $1,000 in donations received from Logan Boulet wristbands that were available at the game.

Sutton Quantum donated $1,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Sandy Bodnar and Rayissa Palmer deliver 150 pairs of shoes to Ron White, CEO and creative director of the annual Ron White Shoe Drive.

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34 REM APRIL 2020

Presentation persuasion: Winning the listing

By Ross Wilson “Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower realize that nowadays the strategy that oft wins the listing is how much actual service a salesperson offers for how small a fee. Sometimes it’s about how many advertising dollars are promised, which really means nothing, other than the agent has deep pockets and/or a big ego. As I’ve always said, ads don’t sell real property – skilled people do. Well, technically, homeowners sell property and agents hope to create opportunities to sell, but that’s a topic for another day.

In this series of articles, which are abridged excerpts from my book, The Happy Agent, I address the philosophy, skills and ethical techniques that I practised

I

throughout my highly successful 44-year realty career.

Agents are usually happy, if not thrilled, for the chance to present to a prospective seller and gratefully do so free of charge. They hope to convince them to list – realistically – and hope the property sells and hopefully closes successfully, after which they hope to finally receive a sizable fee for their efforts and hope that their brokerage doesn’t claim all those dollars for account arrears. That’s a lot of hoping. As expert entrepreneurs, they operate on the premise that the potential reward is worth the risk. I suggest, though, that you not rely so heavily on hope.

Before accepting an invitation to consult with a homeowner, it’s smart to discern why they want an evaluation. They may be serious about selling; if this be true, go for it. They could, however, just be curious about their home’s market value and have no immediate plans to list. They may need a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) or Letter of Opinion of

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Value for a credit application, matrimonial conflict or court case.

Don’t be shy – ask if they’re seeking opinions from other agents. Sometimes they choose to list with the agent who promises the highest price or the lowest fee.

So that you can be properly prepared, it’s only fair they disclose their intentions. Or perhaps you might refuse to play their game; it’s always your choice. In any case, you should make an informed business decision whether to proceed to spend your precious time.

If they’re forthright and disclose they have no plans to sell anytime soon, before you commit to the task, you could request a flat fee for service, to be deducted from any commission if the property is listed and sold with you, say, within six months. If they agree, to prevent possible future conflict, it would be prudent to confirm in writing. You may not mind working for free, but don’t allow them to take unfair advantage of you.

You could still do the work and hope they remember your generosity, but don’t count on it.

Memories can be short, especially for those infected with Money Madness.

What’s a property worth? It’s a common question not easily or always accurately answered because it demands the conversion of subjective opinion into objective fact. Unless you possess psychic foresight, it’s impossible to foresee. The inherent nature of an open market, hence market value, is dependent on the law of supply and demand. This most basic law roughly states that an increase in supply can deflate market values, whereas an increase in demand

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can inflate them, and the opposite holds true. Supply and demand boil down to subjectivity.

Nevertheless, even though a CMA is far from definitive, it’s one of the foundational pillars on which our industry was built and can undoubtedly provide clues to establishing a rough estimate of value.

Offering a verbal opinion without research is just an unsubstantiated guess. It might ultimately prove accurate, but why amateurishly gamble with a homeowner’s foremost asset? If a prospect insists on your best informal estimate, at least preface it with a disclaimer that it’s just that – an educated guess. Since you may be unaware of a recent sale that could significantly affect their property’s value, favourably or otherwise, it shouldn’t be relied upon for a major decision. Also, without thorough research, why would they necessarily believe you? A meticulous investment of resources is the path to credibility and trust.

What you create for a prospective new and sometimes existing seller (or buyer) is not unlike a report prepared by a certified appraiser. However, there are a couple of significant differences. A residential appraiser is paid a flat fee to produce – with or without a personal property inspection – a written standard form report containing a precise considered opinion of value based on historical data. For lenders and lawyers, whose needs normally demand specific and easily substantiated calculated amounts, form appraisals are considered standard procedure. But unlike appraised value, market value is more

abstract, more subjective. The same basic methodology is involved, but the evaluation process goes to what I feel is, at least for agents and most consumers, a more practical level.

Since you’re actively working the market, your instincts may be more honed than those of someone mining data from behind a desk. You’re familiar with competing or sold listings because you actually viewed them. The ultimate sale price of your prospective seller’s home may differ substantially from an appraised value (or even your original estimate) since a formal appraisal doesn’t involve exposing the property to a competitive marketplace where virtually anything can happen. Just as stock market bidders can frantically push a share price beyond its arithmetically calculated book value, fervent realty buyers can drive prices into nose-bleed territory.

In the next column I continue this topic by addressing more specifics about market evaluations and the helpful conclusions that can be drawn from a thorough CMA. The listing details used in its preparation are not just a bunch of numbers to average together.

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

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