December 2017

Page 1

Issue #342

December 2017

Kim Heizmann Success secrets of Century 21’s Associate of the Year Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 42218523 - Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to 2255B Queen St. E., #1178, Toronto ON M4E 1G3

Page 10

Online ratings come to Realtor.ca Page 3

Zillow to accept Canadian listings Page 4

Terry O’Reilly on the world of real estate marketing Page 18

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3 REM DECEMBER 2017

Online ratings come to Realtor.ca

To gain credibility in the public’s eye, reviews can’t all be positive, say the rating companies. But are salespeople brave enough to post some negative ratings on their sites? By Don Procter

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Kells says that more than 99 per cent of the agents that signed up with RealSatisfied through the ASR display all of their data. So far, close to 50 per cent of the ASR’s agents use RealSatisfied. He believes the service has attracted “all of the productive agents” in the association.

our years ago, members of the Canadian Real Estate Association voted against using a Realtor rating system on Realtor.ca, but times have changed. And rating services have evolved. The Association of Saskatchewan Realtors (ASR) moved ahead with one of those services – RealSatisfied – this year, after it conducted a pilot project in partnership with the company and CREA in 2016. Phil Kells, co-founder of RealSatisfied, says the company’s objective goes beyond Realtor ratings to provide a platform “to collect detailed customer satisfaction information” for a broker at the conclusion of a transaction. “We see the ratings as a complete by-product of that process.” Kells, who says agent and broker ratings are simply a marketing tool, believes ASR chose his company in part because it provides “detailed data” collected through feedback that is “driving changes in the behaviour of agents and brokers. “Making the industry better is the idea,” he says. This October, RankMyAgent.com became the second such service to provide agent rankings and reviews on Realtor.ca. While RankMyAgent is an opt-in program, not mandatory, the company has seen “strong interest” from agents and is largely growing through word of mouth. Riti Verma, president and founder of the Calgary-based company, says with young techsavvy people moving into the real estate profession – and the

Rita Verma

Phil Kells

Larry Romito

popularity of online reviews and ratings on services thriving in other industries – it made sense that CREA would move to provide a service to its members.

While agents can decide whether they want to show their “overall ratings” to the public or not, “they can’t decide what ratings they want to show,” Kells says. “We won’t remove data they don’t like. We include everything.”

of RealSatisfied, says Kells, pointing out that the company separates its rating data from “what we call the testimonial data.” All of its surveys have a rating but only surveys that are positive have testimonials.

RankMyAgent, which has agreements with Re/Max Integra and Re/Max of Western Canada, is structured to confirm the authenticity of Realtors and their clients. It eliminates the potential for “fake negative reviews” – a concern of many agents – by fact-checking the details provided on its rating surveys of all transactions, Verma says. “If there is something that we see that we find out is false…if it is slanderous it is never allowed on our site,” Verma says. RealSatisfied has a couple of proprietary mechanisms to prevent fake reviews from going online, says Kells. An “audit and quarantine” program includes an assessment of all reviews by RealSatisfied management. The reviews are also “checked with the brokerage, specifically, and not necessarily the agent…” Checks are, furthermore, in place in its transaction management system “to understand where the data is from.”

He says RealSatisfied has lost customers (agents) who aren’t willing to play by these rules. Twenty years ago, Larry Romito started looking at how to create “greater accountability and transparency to positively influence professional behaviour and the service provided” by Realtors, he says. Romito, who heads Quality Service Certification, says QSC’s feedback ratings are based on evaluations of information of a software program of five areas of a broker’s work, after a closing and a commission has been paid. Romito says he understands why some realty associations might choose rating companies that “selectively present (feedback) information” because they want to keep their association members happy. But he says it can lead to false advertising. That is not the approach

“We only ask for a testimonial for public display when it is a positive review but that doesn’t mean we suppress negative reviews – we actually display everything,” says Kells. “We do give our agents the option of whether to display ratings on their profile page or not and whether they display all their ratings or just an aggregate number. If they display the aggregate number, they still display the aggregate of everything.” Verma says critical reviews can be posted on RankMyAgent, but agents are given 14 days to respond to the criticisms before postings go live. “It helps them (Realtors) to handle the situation in a better way.” She says that in order to gain credibility in the public’s eye, its reviews “can’t all be positive.” Furthermore, “it is hard to know how they can improve and enhance their business” if their only reviews are positive.

While the real estate industry has had “a very bright light” on its sales and production metrics, there has not been any light on the behaviour between agents and their clients, says Romito, noting that feedback (when negative) can alter agent behaviour. And that can be positive. Romito says the problem starts with the definition of a top Realtor: “He or she that sells the most.” It might have worked in the 1950 and ‘60s, he says, but service quality is as, or more, important today for consumers than sales numbers. He says while it is important for agents to make post-closing service calls to consumers to avoid dissatisfied customers that can lead to negative reviews, it is “very hard” to convince some agents paid on a commission basis to make those follow-up calls. “The companies we do business with, according to those buyers and sellers, are contacted after their agent’s closing over 90 per cent of the time.” Verma says when agentcustomer communications start on day one and follow through without wide gaps to the transaction stage, there is less chance of things going wrong. She adds that every rating system should provide “a balanced perspective and really paint a complete picture because we do want them to be credible and unbiased.” REM

4 REM DECEMBER 2017

Zillow to accept Canadian listings Zillow.com will also offer its Zestimate feature in Canada – an often controversial computer algorithm that provides estimates of the current value of houses. By Danny Kucharsky

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illow Group will begin accepting Canadian home listings next year on its U.S. consumer real estate sites, including Zillow.com and Trulia.com. The goal is “to get exposure for Canadian listings with the U.S. audience, more so than creating a Canadian experience for Canadian consumers,” says Errol Samuelson, the chief industry development officer for Zillow Group. He says there have been several requests from American consumers seeking the same consumer experience for Canadian properties that is available for American properties. American interest in Canada primarily involves properties in major cities and in resort sites such as Whistler and the Okanagan area in B.C. Americans are traditionally one of the top three foreign buyers of Canadian homes, Samuelson notes. “What we found is there’s a definite segment in the U.S. market that is interested in Canadian properties. We see this when someone types Toronto, Ontario in the search bar on Zillow for example.” With a monthly consumer audience of 170 million people on its various sites, “we think there is real potential to drive more exposure for Canadian properties.”

Zillow Group has been interested in carrying Canadian properties for the last four or five years but only now has the bandwidth to do so, he says. Samuelson, who is Canadian, is based in Vancouver where Zillow has been operating a software development office in Yaletown since 2014. Zillow.com will offer its Zestimate feature in Canada – an often controversial computer algorithm that provides estimates of the current value of houses. Zestimate currently provides price estimates for 110 million properties in the U.S. Zillow Group’s various software tools will be available to Canadian real estate agents and the company will accept advertising from brokers, mortgage companies and others in the real estate field. As in the U.S., agents will be allowed to create online profiles and request reviews from clients. In the U.S., “agents have used reviews to generate a ton of business, a ton of, quite frankly, free business,” says Samuelson. The plan is to start providing Canadian listings in the first quarter of 2018. There is no charge to carry house listings on the site, but Zillow Group sells advertising to

buyers’ agents. “As soon as I can get the content we’re going to start loading on the site,” says Samuelson. “It’s a question of how quickly we can reach agreements with various MLSes,” in Canada. Zillow Group has been meeting with “a number of the big MLSes around the country,” seeking approval to have their listings appear on the company’s various sites. Zillow.com currently provides listings from more than 625 MLS feeds in the U.S. They are updated, on average, every five minutes. “Our goal is to talk with all boards and get as many as possible to participate in the program,” he says. “Part of the plan is to not only go speak to the boards and the MLSes but also to meet up with the large franchisors, the large brokers and help them understand who we are and how they can leverage us to reach new marketing for their listings.” Samuelson says he has seen excitement in Canada about some of the software products Zillow Group can provide agents to help them reach interested buyers. These include a CRM (customer relationship management) database that helps agents stay in touch with clients and DotLoop,

Ontario boards launch new MLS system

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group of 13 Ontario real estate boards, which calls itself The Ontario Collective, recently launched the first phase of an enhanced regional MLS System. The system uses the CoreLogic Matrix platform, which is currently used by 670,000 MLS users across North America, the company says. It will be the common data platform for more than 5,000 Realtor members of the Ontario Collective once the third and final phase is completed in early 2018. The phase one launch includes London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors, Tillsonburg District Real Estate

Board and Woodstock-Ingersoll and District Real Estate Board. “This group represents a great range of real estate from residential, to cottage country with its unique waterfronts and seasonal homes, to farm land, as well as commercial and diverse population densities,” says Cathy Polan, chair of the collective’s Board of Governors. The board includes representation from each of the 13 member associations, which includes Bancroft and Area Association of Realtors, Kawartha Lakes Real Estate Association, North Bay Real Estate Board, Northumberland Hills Association of Realtors, Parry

Sound and Area Association of Realtors, Peterborough and The Kawarthas Association of Realtors, Quinte & District Association of Realtors, Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound, Southern Georgian Bay Association of Realtors and The Lakelands Association of Realtors. “As a group, we are keenly focused on the future, both for our members and also consumers,” says Polan. “With better access to data, our unified efforts will give our members the best-in-class tools to give consumers stronger information to make the big decisions on property ownership.” REM

an electronic forms product that enables e-signatures. The company has also recently launched a new 3D home tour app, Zillow Group Home Capture, that lets real estate agents use their iPhone to take panoramic photos of each room. It “essentially creates a Google Street View of homes. As a consumer, you can literally walk from room to room. It’s really cool.” A Canadian version of the Zestimate algorithm is being developed that will provide features such as estimated price ranges for houses in Canada, best estimates (a single price), estimated values in one year and graphs showing how a property’s value has trended over time compared with local neighbourhoods and the city. “Right now, in the U.S. the accuracy is pretty good,” Samuelson says. “The median error for Zestimate is 4.3 per cent, meaning half the time the price is within 4.3 per cent of what the property sells for.” However, given that it is more difficult to obtain information on house transactions and assessments in Canada than in the U.S., “we don’t know yet what the accuracy is going to be in Canada. Will it be 4.3 per cent as it is in the United States on day one? I would suspect it probably won’t be.”

However, Samuelson notes preliminary testing of Zestimate was conducted in one Canadian market and the accuracy “was good enough I think that you can create something compelling for consumers.” Launched 10 years ago, Zillow Group led the way in publishing real estate data online aimed to consumers. Aside from Zillow.com, the company runs the real estate sites Trulia.com (similar to Zillow but with more neighbourhood information on everything from schools to crime rates), Realestate.com (geared to firsttime buyers and millennials), StreetEasy.com in New York City and rental sites HotPads.com and NakedApartments.com. The Canadian venture will mark the first time Zillow Group will show non-U.S. listings on its sites. “A sizable part of our population will be really intrigued to see what’s for sale in Canada,” Samuelson says. For example, in Atlantic Canada “you can buy beautiful vacation homes at what Americans would consider very reasonable prices,” he says. Boston residents “who buy a vacation home in Maine probably don’t realize that they can buy twice the home in Nova Scotia.” REM

Walter Schneider honoured by David Foster Foundation

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e/Max Integra president and cofounder Walter Schneider received a David Foster Foundation Visionary Award recently. The award recognizes individuals making extraordinary contributions to local, regional, national and international business and humanitarian efforts. David Foster, a 50-time nominee and 16time Grammy Award winner and the recipient Walter Schneider of many other awards and honours, launched the foundation in his hometown of Victoria in 1986. Across Canada, it financially supports families for all non-medical expenses while their children are undergoing lifesaving organ transplants. “When he’s not head down in his numerous business ventures, Schneider commits his extra time to a variety of philanthropic initiatives,” says the foundation. Earlier in 2017 Schneider was recognized as a Fellow by the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation. REM

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2017-11-14 8:40 AM

6 REM DECEMBER 2017

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

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entury 21 Masters is now open in St. Albert, Alta. Broker and co-owner James Mabey, who is also the chair of the Realtors Association of Edmonton, joined Realty Executives five years ago with partner Dave Malko, who had been with the brand for 15 years. When the franchise agreement was up for renewal this year, they moved to Century 21. “We knew that a change was coming,” Mabey says. “So, we gathered all 46 of our agents and asked them what they wanted. We heard loud and clear that they wanted a name with international reach and iconic roots in Canada.” Century 21 Canada EVP Brian Rushton says, “We now have two

James Mabey

well-established offices in the St. Albert market. We look forward to helping both franchises grow and become the No. 1 name in the area. This opening also enhances our presence in the overall Edmonton market.”

includes brands Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Coldwell Banker Commercial, Corcoran, ERA and Sotheby’s International Realty. It also owns NRT, Cartus, Title Resource Group and ZapLabsSM, an in-house innovation and technology development lab. Realogy is based in Madison, N. J.

Ryan M. Schneider has been named president and chief operating officer at Realogy and has been appointed to its Board of Directors. He will become Realogy’s CEO on Dec. 31. Richard A. Smith, Realogy’s chairman and current CEO, will retire on Dec. 31 after 21 years of at the company. Michael J. Williams, Realogy’s lead independent director, will succeed Smith as chairman of the

company’s Board of Directors. Schneider joins Realogy after nearly 15 years of senior leadership experience at Capital One Financial Corporation. From 2007 to 2016, he was president of Capital One’s Card division, its largest business, where he oversaw all of Capital One’s consumer and small business credit card lines in the United States, U.K. and Canada. He managed a staff of more than 10,000 employees. Smith has led Realogy’s business operations for the past 21 years, including 10 years at the helm of Cendant Corporation’s Real Estate Services Division, from which Realogy was formed as a spinoff in 2006. Realogy Holdings Corp.

The Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) has named Brian Klingspon as chair of council and Bonny Clarke as chair-elect. Klingspon has been a member of council since November 2013 and serves as an appointee of the Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) from the Realtors Association of Edmonton. He has been in the real estate business for more than 25 years and is currently VP of regional development at MaxWell Realty Canada. Clarke became a council member in November 2015. She was appointed from industry members who are not members of AREA. She has spent majority of her

Dave Malko

Ryan M. Schneider

Brian Klingspon

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

career in the broker-lending channel and she is an active participant in the Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association and Mortgage Professionals Canada. Amina Deiab has been appointed by the Minister of Service Alberta as a public member. Over the last few years, she has worked on key energy policy issues with the Government of Alberta and is currently the senior director, economic policy in Economic Development and Trade. ■ ■ ■

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) has frozen the bank accounts of Re/Max Right Choice in Toronto, stating that a RECO inspection revealed irregularities in the finances of the brokerage. The matter is still under investigation and additional action may be taken, RECO says. Co-operating brokerages for trades in which Re/Max Right Choice holds the deposit and/or are owed commissions by Re/Max Right Choice should contact Jeremy Meuris at (416) 207-4841; toll free: 1-800-245-6910, ext. 4841; or e-mail: insurance@reco.on.ca. Employees of Re/Max Right Choice with questions about commissions should contact the claims adjuster for RECO’s insurance program: ClaimsPro LP, toll free: 1-877-740-1913; e-mail: claims@reco-claims.ca. In a statement, Re/Max Integra says: “Right Choice Realty was terminated as a Re/Max franchise on Oct. 23, 2017, prior to the RECO investigation that is currently underway. At Re/Max…we pride ourselves on the values of honesty, fairness and accountability and we support RECO in their efforts to protect consumers.” ■ ■ ■

Lacy Watson and Kindra Sowden have joined Randy and

Cover photo: COVINGTON STUDIO

Lacy Watson

Kindra Sowden

Publisher HEINO MOLLS heino@remonline.com

Editor JIM ADAIR jim@remonline.com

Director, Sales & Marketing AMANDA ROCK amanda@remonline.com

General Manager MILA PURCELL distribution@remonline.com

Digital Media Manager WILLIAM MOLLS web@remonline.com

Art Director LIZ MACKIN

Brand Design SANDRA GOODER

Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY

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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 2017 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher. REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned by CREA and identify the services rendered by members of CREA. REM complies fully with the CREA’s Trademark Policy (section 5.3.2.6.1). ISSN 1201-1223

Continued on page 8

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Bonny Clarke

This is home. It’s a place called confidence. It’s home because your clients feel positive and sure about the choice they’ve made. In partnering with you, they place their trust in your advice, counsel, and expertise to lead them there. Our commitment is to always be there for you, and them, on this journey home.

pillartopost.com Each office independently owned and operated.

8 REM DECEMBER 2017

Multiple Listings Continued from page 6

Sherri Singler as co-owners of Coldwell Banker Signature Realty in Saskatoon. Sherri Singler will remain as the firm’s broker of record. The new ownership team has a diverse and extensive base of experience gained in serving the Saskatoon market for many years, the company says. Watson and Sowden are award-winning sales representatives who operate as the LacyKindra Real Estate team. ■ ■ ■

The former Century 21 MaxImmo brokerage in Laval, Que. has joined the Royal LePage network. Owned and managed by André Charbonneau, the brokerage is now operating as Royal LePage Expert. It has about 50 brokers. This is the fifth real estate brokerage conversion to Royal LePage in Quebec since June 2016, adding almost 400 real estate brokers to the network. “An important portion of our clientele deals with commercial real estate and Royal LePage is a leader in this market segment,” says Charbonneau. ■ ■ ■

The Real Estate Council of Ontario has appointed Michael Beard as its new CEO. Beard most recently served as president and CEO of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) and was previously TSSA’s VP, operations. He has “a strong regulatory background, familiarity with the Delegated Administrative Authority model and knowledge of how to lead an organization with a wide array of stakeholders,” says a statement by Mike Cusano, chair of the Board of Directors.

representatives currently do business in Burlington, as it’s a similar market and clientele. This location will give some of our sales representatives the flexibility to work out of both offices. “We currently provide exceptional in-house training throughout the week. I will continue to put emphasis on compliance and ethics in our training in order to ensure that our sales representatives are equipped with the tools and systems they need to succeed. “Providing a safe and inviting workspace is a top priority for Realtors when they are at their second home,” she says. ■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker Universe Realty in Surrey, B.C. has a new leadership team. Experienced sales reps Jay and Raj Hundal have now taken on an ownership role in the company, partnering with Jag Bhandari. They were top producers with the company before taking on their new roles as co-owners. The company has 150 sales representatives. The new owners have also expanded their leadership team with the addition of Donna Fuller as managing broker. Fuller has more than 30 years of real estate experience in the Vancouver area, gained through roles with other major brands. ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Estrie is now open under new owners in Magog, Que. Mélissa Côté and Maxime Pothier say they are excited to take the company to the next level. The franchise was previously owned by Daniel Leblanc, who will remain as a broker. He leads a team that was recently named as one of the most successful Century

21 teams worldwide. The new management team already has a new broker working in the office. They say that is the first step to position themselves as the leaders of the Eastern Townships. They plan to provide a quality work environment with many training opportunities for new and established agents. ■ ■ ■

Engel & Völkers has opened a new brokerage in Richmond Hill, Ont., led by owner Derek Li, who will serve as license partner and managing broker. Jay Zhang is also license partner. “The Richmond Hill market attracts a blend of both domestic and international consumers, especially from Asia,” says Li. “Engel & Völkers is a global brand and has established itself as a leader in the luxury real estate industry – it was an easy choice to join the company for its international ties and top-tier marketing tools.” ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Arbutus Realty is now open in Courtenay, B.C. Owner and managing broker Janet Scotland says they’ve been working with customers in the Comox Valley for seven years and felt it was time for a physical location in the area. The brokerage will also serve the military community at 19 Wing Comox. The new office has four sales reps. With 2,700 square feet of space, Scotland plans to grow to more than a dozen sales reps. The brokerage is moving its main location in Gold River just around the corner from the current address. Along with the new Courtenay office and one in

Michael Beard

Mélissa Côté

Maxime Pothier

Janet Scotland

Jay and Raj Hundal

Éric Bilodeau

Nancy McNay

Marilyn Brock

Continued on page 20

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Century 21 Dreams Inc. is now open in Burlington, Ont. This is the second location for local broker of record/owner Shireen Preksta, who has 33 years of industry experience and has operated a Century 21 franchise in Oakville for 13 years. The new office is in North Burlington, where there has been considerable development and growth. “We had been thinking about the expansion for several years,” says Preksta. “Many of our sales

Staff and special guests celebrate the grand opening of Century 21 Dreams’ new office in Burlington.

Celebrating the grand opening of Engel & Völkers Richmond Hill, from left: Richard Brinkley, Sr. VP of expansion, Engel & Völkers Canada; Derek Li; license partner; Julie Thompson, VP of brokerage services, Engel & Völkers Canada; and Jay Zhang, license partner, Engel & Völkers Richmond Hill.

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10 REM DECEMBER 2017

Sales rep wins with hugs, not handshakes

Kim Heizmann of Vernon, B.C. was recently named Century 21 Canada’s Sales Associate of the Year. The top producer says, “I care about people, not just transactions.” By Susan Doran

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im Heizmann, who recently took home Century 21 Canada’s Sales Associate of the Year award for 2017, is grateful to her husband Tony for talking her into a career in real estate a decade ago. “He thought I’d be good at it because I’m good at supporting people. He kept bugging me until I finally took the real estate course,” says Heizmann. After getting her license, she started looking for a place to work in her community – Vernon, B.C. – and she wound up at Century 21 Executives Realty. She’s been working there ever since (now as a manager as well as a sales rep). Heizmann had only been in real estate for a year when the market crashed in 2008. Tony got nervous and changed his tune for awhile, attempting to convince her to ditch real estate for a more stable career. “But by then I was invested and wanted to stick with it,” says Heizmann. “And now he is happy that I did.” Having learned how to survive in a challenging market, she went on to become a top producer for her brokerage. Although production is an important factor when determining the winner of Century 21’s Sales Associate of the Year award, it is not the sole criteria. (“Little old me in Vernon obviously does not make as much as someone in Toronto or Vancouver,” Heizmann says.) Based on peer recognition as well as corporate, the award considers all aspects of a recipient’s career and how he/she represents the brand, including volunteerism and ongoing learning, as well as community, industry and social media involvement.

Heizmann’s career emphatically ticks all the boxes. She’s a director of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board and a strong fundraiser for Easter Seals (Century 21’s long-time national charity of choice). She volunteers for local food drives and for events such as the Vernon winter carnival. Where social media and technology are concerned, she is always looking for ways to “stay ahead of the curve.” And her credentials keep growing – she’s a certified luxury home marketing specialist and recently obtained her ASA (Accredited Seniors Agent). An unpretentious person who admits she is uncomfortable talking about herself, Heizmann is surprised and honoured to have been chosen for the award. “For me the biggest compliment is that this award is peer nominated. I am extremely humbled to be chosen. There is a long list of people who have won this award before me, and it is amazing to be on that list. I am proud of where I am and honoured just to be noticed.” Previously Heizmann worked in the mental health industry. She got her Human Service Worker certification in 2000, managed a home for adults with severe mental illness and volunteered with the RCMP’s Victims Assistance program. She found that the skills she learned in the mental health sector transfer handily to real estate, where clients’ stress levels can be high and often transactions are due to death or divorce, making it important for agents to know how “to listen and to validate clients’ emotions.” Says Heizmann; “I care about people, not just transactions.”

Kim Heizmann (Photo: Covington Studio)

She’s aware this is one of the main reasons for her success in the business, as her husband Tony initially intuited. “I am being genuine,” she says, laughing. “I am not the Realtor to give a hand shake. When they get a house, they get a hug from me.” Minimizing the impact of the unexpected by ensuring that clients are fully prepared is another way in which she ensures that transactions are as smooth and stress-free as possible. “The more you prepare people the better they will handle a situation,” says Heizmann. She covers all the bases, walks buyers and sellers through every step of the process, forewarns clients about what could come up during an inspection, makes sure that potential clients are ready to buy before she takes them out and tailors a detailed marketing plan to each property (making full use of staging, state-of-the-art professional photography and videography, drones and 3D tours).

“I do a lot of explaining the process, a lot of pre-qualifying, which is really important. I think a lot of Realtors waste time by taking people out without prequalifying them or asking the right questions.” Her advice to new agents? “Concentrate. You can’t do it all in the first year. Implement one or two ideas from every course you take. Then next time pick up more. If you get too many ideas at once it can be overwhelming.” Asked what she loves about real estate, Heizmann responds: “I love the fact that although I work long hours, it does not feel like work. I love showing people the process and seeing the smiles after a home purchase.” She deals with the uncertainly in the industry by managing her business in a systematic manner. “There are a lot of peaks and valleys in real estate and to take the instability out of it, I write myself a regular pay cheque every two weeks. No matter how many deals I do, I only take that amount,

even if I earn much more. So, I always have something socked away for when the market changes...I decided to treat myself as an employee of my company.” Not that the market in Vernon, Kelowna and surrounding communities seems poised to take a turn for the worse any time soon. “It’s going strong,” says Heizmann. “I like to call it the Napa Valley of Canada, because we’ve got lakes, mountains and wineries.” Heizmann gets much of her business from referrals and networking, and from Facebook and other social media. “Cold calling is just not me,” she says. Neither apparently is being part of a large team. Not long ago she hired an unlicensed assistant to help with admin and marketing. She finds this ideal, as it gives her more time for clients. “I want them to know that I have their best interests at heart.” REM

Today’s homebuyers want to experience the world. We have a world of experience to share. Today’s consumers know no limits to the world around them. Neither do we. We are the expert guides for those who aspire to love where they live in places near and far. With our collaborative global network, bold technology integrations, and a passion for real estate worldwide, we are doing more for those who expect more. We don’t simply say we are international, we are. While the world seems to be getting smaller our network continues to grow.

Engel & Völkers Canada 2 Bloor Street West, Suite 700 · Toronto · ON M4W 3RI · Phone +1 416-323-1100 evcanada.com · info@evcanada.com

©2017 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. This advertisement is not an offering of a franchise, and where required by law, an offering can only be made 14 days after delivery of the applicable franchise disclosure document.

12 REM DECEMBER 2017

Be a top producer without sacrificing home life By Jesse Loader

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ork/life balance…. that phrase holds a lot of power. How you execute this can be the difference between success and failure, between extraordinary and mediocre, or even the difference between a happy marriage and divorce. We all know how demanding this industry is so I won’t ramble on about specific examples to illustrate that. At some point in your career (if you are aspiring to do more than you currently are), you will run into a problem where your daily schedule simply doesn’t work anymore. The amount of time you are spending at work seems to creep longer and longer as the weeks pass and before you know it, you’ll feel as if you missed a decent chunk of your home life. We all know or have heard of someone who is successful, but has zero relationship with their children, or has been divorced three times, or is continually chasing that happiness they think is at the end of the next sale, the next project or the next business deal. I truly believe that you can have it all. I do not and refuse to believe that it’s simply one or the other. You can be successful at your craft AND be an amazing, supportive partner and parent. I have a wife of nine years and two children, ages seven and five. They are my everything. I’m not

saying that because that’s what I should be saying. Every decision I make is with those three in mind. When you become a top-producing Realtor, it becomes difficult to maintain that balance, so here are a few tips to strive to have it all. 1. Shared calendars. We have amazing technology – make it your friend. I put everything in my calendar that I share with my wife. I really mean everything. I have a recurring appointment late in the evening labelled, “Uninterrupted wife time”. No joke. I found that when I had friction in my relationship, it didn’t have anything to do with the fact that I was working, it was that I didn’t communicate it properly. 2. Limit your time for set appointments. Currently I have Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings and one day on the weekend available for showings or listing presentations. That’s it. I am flexible on which days I choose to fill depending on my client’s availability, but not on the amount of days per week. These days also change as my kids’ extra-curricular activities change throughout the year. Kids come first. 3. Teach your clients how to communicate with you. If you are available at the drop of a hat, you will be taken advantage of. I tell my new buyers which days I am available and when I am not. So far, not one single person has stood

up and walked away because I am not available 24/7. 4. Wake up early. By getting up early, it allows me more time in the evenings to spend time with my wife and kids. This point is always controversial because I hear this all the time: “I just work so much better late at night, I can’t do mornings.” Okay, but I believe that most of the time that is a BS excuse. I do understand that some people work better and are more productive late at night, but I think it’s the minority. Your body has limitations and when it’s taxed all day I can’t imagine it’s running at peak performance at 1 am (but I’m not a doctor). I get more done in the 90 minutes before anyone in my house is awake, than I do the rest of the day in the same amount of time. 5. Go on vacation. Seriously, this might be the most underused tactic to becoming more productive. Have you ever noticed how busy you get right before going on vacation? That’s not a coincidence. You have a set deadline that you sure as hell aren’t going to miss, so you become laser focused on the top priorities and you ignore the stuff that can wait. Either learn to do this daily…or go on a lot of vacations. I choose the latter. 6. Prioritize with a familyfirst mentality. No one will care how many houses you sold, how

Jesse Loader and family in Dubrovnik, Croatia during a trip to Europe.

much money you made, or what awards you won when you’re on your death bed. Family is truly the most important thing in anyone’s life, and although it’s hard not to care about the materialistic things in the moment, try to think about the bigger picture. Plan vacations, hockey, dance, anniversary getaway and other family events first. They take priority in your new shared calendar. If you plan on spending the evening with your kids to just hang out at home this Wednesday, put that in your calendar. When someone calls and asks to see a house Wednesday at 7 pm, your response needs to be, “I’m sorry, I already have an appointment at that time, but

how does Thursday at 6 pm sound?” Work/life balance, time management…these are topics that we all struggle with and I’m definitely no exception. This topic is an evolution for me always. I hope to share new tips with you in the future. I have found though, that since I made a conscious decision to prioritize my family first, everything improved, including my bottom line. Jesse Loader is a Realtor in the greater Edmonton area and a real estate mentor with Reach Your Peak Coaching. www.facebook.com/reachyourpeakcoachingandconsulting REM

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14 REM DECEMBER 2017

Home for sale: The musical? I

t worked for rock stars, why not real estate salespeople? For years, musicians made videos to help sell their records. Now one Quebec broker is getting in on the act by creating an online music video designed to help sell a home. He’s so pleased with his first effort he plans to make more. “We launched on Oct. 26 and four days later it already hit 18,000 views – that’s considered a success for someone who’s not known,” says Gatineau-based Michael Lederman, who believes he’s the first in Canada to have tried the novel idea. “I invited a mortgage broker, a notary and a Realtor from Ottawa to participate and act in the musical. We all had to work together. I posted it on Facebook first, my partners re-shared it, and then all their friends saw it and it grew from that point onwards,” he says. “So that’s an example of how to successfully use social media to benefit the client.”

The four-minute parody, set to the music of an Ed Sheeran tune, begins when a Realtor (played by Lederman) overhears a couple in a restaurant who are looking for their ideal home and offers to help. He brings them to his listed property in Aylmer, in Canada’s National Capital Region, and shows them all the features of the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house with income unit, which is listed at $359,900. Everyone sings their lines, including a lender who can help make the sale happen. And when the words they lip sync don’t match up, oh well, that’s just part of what some see as the video’s quirky appeal. It’s proof that a video doesn’t have to be slick or well-polished to attract viewers. In fact, Lederman says, an amateur look might help. Describing the entire experience as “so much fun and positive,” Lederman says he got the idea from an American Realtor

friend who was making music videos to sell homes in Nashville. He invited his friend to Canada to help write the script and shoot and edit the video, which took about two weeks. Though he won’t divulge the cost (or whether the homeowner has been asked to chip in for the production), he says such an undertaking could be done for between $1,000 to $5,000. He says the costs will be shared by some of the participants such as the mortgage broker and notary. But the big question is, has it worked? Has the home sold? “Not yet,” says Lederman. In the days after the video came out, he said the weather was “terrible” and raining. “That put a damper on visits.” But he remains optimistic. “We got a lot of positive comments online and a few of them said, ‘you should see this house.’” Lederman says the home has been on the market since September and that the average

By Diane Slawych

time to sell a home in Gatineau is 85 to 90 days. “Aylmer has the highest valuation in Gatineau. It’s close to Ottawa, it’s on the river, has bike paths, a marina, a sandy beach and a gorgeous picturesque town with old Victorian buildings. It’s a gem in the Ottawa valley,” he says, playing up the home’s benefits. Lederman is planning to make more videos including some in French. He says he’ll make the next one shorter (under three minutes) and ask participants to promote the video sooner to catch Facebook’s algorithms. He’s impressed with the reach of his online video. “What kind of listing on the MLS gets that kind of exposure (18,000 views in four days)?” While he acknowledges that not all those viewers are potential home buyers, he says those who aren’t might know someone who is and pass on the information. “I really believe in doing every-

thing in creative marketing to reach as many people as possible for my clients….and that’s why I took a leap of faith to do it (make the video),” he said. “In the Facebook paste, I tag each one of the performers and viewers can click on their names and go to their Facebook pages. It’s huge publicity for them that they wouldn’t have otherwise.” A few days after the video appeared, he said they received 136 comments and 142 shares. “I expected some people might say ‘how unprofessional, you’ve debased the real estate industry,’ but instead, all the comments were wonderful. I didn’t expect that,” says Lederman. There was one little criticism, but the Gatineau Realtor didn’t take it personally. “Half the comments were ‘I love it, but please don’t sing again!’” The video may be viewed at www.facebook.com/gatineaurealestate. REM

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18 REM DECEMBER 2017

Free pizza with house! The world of real estate marketing Adman extraordinaire Terry O’Reilly explored real estate marketing in a recent episode of his popular CBC radio series Under the Influence. Here are some of his observations. By Diane Slawych

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hy do real estate agents often use their photos on business cards? Are attractive agents more successful? And how did a hot air balloon end up as the Re/Max logo? Adman Terry O’Reilly answers these questions and more as he investigates the world of real estate advertising in a recent episode of his hugely successful and entertaining CBC radio documentary series Under the Influence. REM caught up with the multi-award-winning radio host for an email interview. REM: You’ve covered many topics in Under the Influence, from gender marketing to the “crazy world of trademarks” and brands that go political. What prompted you to explore real estate advertising for one of your episodes? (The episode is called Selling the Dream: Real Estate Advertising) O’Reilly: I have always thought that real estate marketing is a world unto itself. It involves personalities, lots of advertising and the biggest purchases in our lives. There are a lot of staples in the real estate world – like using agent’s faces in lawn signage, billboards and print ads, employing the MLS, evaluating pricing, judging neighbourhoods…It is also an industry with intense competition. All of this was interesting to me and I wanted to go back in history to see how it all started – and why. REM: Why do real estate agents, perhaps more than people in any other service industry, so often use their photos on business cards and other advertisements? O’Reilly: My research told me that this practice started in the late 1800s/early 1900s. People were moving to cities from the country and unscrupulous conmen would meet these people at train stations and sell them non-existent property. These land sellers were called “land sharks” and took advantage of good people looking to start a new life. The term “swampland in Florida” was coined in this period. Legitimate real estate agents

wanted to distance themselves from these scam artists, so they began to organize by creating real estate boards and they established standards of practice. Using a face in their marketing and opening offices with fixed addresses suggested accountability. No conman would ever advertise his face and they certainly didn’t want offices where they could be tracked down. In other words, the use of a face in real estate marketing was the ultimate sign of trust. REM: You say that real estate has its own rules, techniques and own breed of salespeople. How so? How is it different than other industries in terms of advertising and marketing? O’Reilly: Generally speaking, a real estate transaction is the biggest purchase a person makes in their lifetime. So, the price tag is great. Real estate agents try to bring two parties together: a willing seller and a willing buyer. That middleman position is somewhat unique in marketing. Agents must be power listeners to understand what a client really wants. Virtually every transaction is a negotiation, and negotiating is an art. Agents love to use their faces in their marketing, as I mentioned earlier. Not many service industries do that. The advertising industry – which is to say, my industry – is a service business but we never use our faces to win clients. Real estate agents are not selling houses, they are selling homes. That makes it an extremely emotional purchase. Navigating that much emotion requires a unique skill set. REM: In your show you mention a fascinating study done by three American universities that looked at physical attractiveness as it relates to a real estate professional’s success. Could you elaborate? O’Reilly: It was an interesting study because this is an industry that relies on faces. Essentially, it said that attractive agents had listings with higher selling prices and higher commissions. The study confirmed that physical attractive-

ness is an asset. But, there was an interesting side note: Less attractive agents had lower selling prices but more listings and more sales. Which I interpret to mean, they worked harder. Attractive people use their beauty in place of other work skills. Less attractive people must work harder and they do. REM: You discovered that real estate played an important role in the evolution of the advertising business. How so? O’Reilly: To begin with, the very first advertising agency in North America was started by a Philadelphia real estate agent named Volney Palmer around 1837. Second, the very first radio commercial ever aired was for a real estate development. It was broadcast in 1922 on radio station WEAF in New York. Close to $14 billion is spent on real estate advertising in North America annually, so it is a powerful marketing sector. REM: What are some offbeat ways real estate agents or homeowners have used to gain attention, and do any of them work? O’Reilly: I was very interested to see what novel techniques real estate agents are using these days. Many are employing humour. Signs that say, “Free pizza with house” and “zombie free” are examples of that. Remember, attention is the oxygen of any business, and more so in real estate marketing. Some home sellers are offering potential buyers an Airbnb night in their home to give buyers a real sense of what it would be like to live in the house. That’s a smart insight – we sometimes spend more time buying socks than we spend in the homes we’re buying. Some Realtors are producing very creative videos. Some are creating songs! I have to say I like the fact agents are starting to break the traditional rules of real estate selling. Do all of these ideas work? Hard to say but standing out is job one in marketing. Fortune favours the bold. REM: You say that few real

estate companies have readily identifiable logos, but Re/Max is a notable exception. How did it get a hot air balloon as its logo, which on the face of it doesn’t have much of a connection to real estate? O’Reilly: Brokers sell agents. Agents sell property. I believe that real estate companies should be doing more branding to distinguish their businesses in the marketplace. When they do, they give their agents a powerful calling card. Most real estate companies have weak brand personalities. Re/Max is an exception because it is one of the few companies that has a powerful brand and a memorable brand icon. The Re/Max balloon is instantly recognizable, as is their slogan, “Above the Crowd.” Many years ago, two Re/Max franchisees in New Mexico approached head office with a drawing of a red, white and blue hot air balloon and said, “This should be our logo.” Management said a hot air balloon had nothing to do with real estate and turned them down. A year later, those same two franchisees came back with an 8mm film of a Re/Max hot air balloon they had flown the day before at a hot air balloon festival and said, “This should be our logo!” Again, management gave them a hard pass. A year after that, Re/Max hired a consultant to gauge how wellknown the company was in its hometown of Denver. The survey showed they ranked number eight. Clearly, they were in desperate need of some branding. Then somebody remembered the Re/Max balloon. So, they hired a plane, got some footage of the balloon floating in sky and created a TV commercial with it. At the end of the eight-week campaign, the consultant came in with his annual survey and told Re/Max they were now the number one real estate company in the city. Re/Max said that’s great. Wait, the consultant said, you don’t understand, 66 per cent of the people surveyed said Re/Max

Terry O’Reilly is host of the CBC radio series Under the Influence.

has a red, white and blue balloon, and 36 per cent said your theme is “Above the Crowd.” After only eight weeks, this kind of feedback is unheard of. This balloon should be your logo! So, Re/Max took another vote and this time the unanimous response was... yes! And that’s how one of the most recognized logos in the real estate business took flight over 40 years ago. REM: As someone with extensive experience in the advertising business, what would you do today if you were a real estate agent in a tough market? O’Reilly: Stand out. Amateurs think marketing is all about selling stuff. But the pros know marketing is all about differentiating your business. Once you can do that, once you become top-of-mind in your town or your industry, the real selling starts. I would analyze what other smart agents are doing in other markets. Other countries. I would look beyond real estate and see how other smart service-based industries are marketing themselves. There is a reason most real estate advertising all looks the same – Realtors are inhaling their own fumes. But those boundaries are artificial. Push the guardrails back. Deliver above and beyond the services that your competitors aren’t offering. Identify the friction points in real estate transactions and eliminate them. Think big. When was the last time you REM wowed your clients?

SCOTT BENSON

KATE BRODDICK

CHANDER CHADDAH

STUART CLELLAND

JOSEPH DELUCA

TARIK EL BEKRI

DAVE FORAI

ERIKA GARDNER

DAN GRANTHAM

GRANT HUNTER

BILL KINDOU

WINNIE LAM

RACHAEL LEBLANCPALMER

DOC LIVINGSTON

BLAKE MOREAU

KIM MULLAN

RAYISSA PALMER

SUKH PARMAR

JOHN PATRICELLI

ANNE PICHÉ

LORI ROBERTS

CARY RONSPIES

SCOTT RUSSELL

ALI SHAYAN

JOSIE STERN

NANCY TAJICK

JACQUELYNN SUKH TANNER TOOR

KARIN WHITE

BRUCE WITCHEL

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2017 RECIPIENTS OF SUTTON’S

NATIONAL AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Each winner demonstrates tremendous leadership and represents what it means to be a Sutton agent.

20 REM DECEMBER 2017

Multiple Listings Continued from page 8

Campbell River, it now has three offices in the region. ■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Harmonie, located in the Lanaudière region in Quebec, has joined Royal LePage Habitations. Éric Bilodeau, agency owner of Royal LePage Habitations, has taken ownership of the merged brokerages. The former owner of Royal LePage Harmonie, Guylaine Pelletier, will continue working at the newly merged brokerage as a real estate agent. Royal LePage Habitations, which already owns and operates

offices in Blainville and Mascouche, has 74 brokers. It is based in Sainte-Julienne. ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Real Mountain Living has opened a new brokerage on 2nd street in Fernie, B.C. Coowners Nancy McNay and Marilyn Brock say they waited nearly a year for the perfect office location to become available. McNay has been in the real estate industry since 2000 and Brock since 2007. The owners say they hope to expand their brokerage. To attract agents, they plan to offer a different model of what has been done Continued on page 28

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1-888-806-8080 | www.dominionlending.ca Re/Max Legacy recently opened in Merritt, B.C. at #112 – 1700 Garcia Street. The broker/owner is Brad Marsh and the manager is Ken Magel.

Cutting the ribbon at the new shop, from left: Jim Diodati, mayor of Niagara Falls; owners Carmela D’Amico, Peter Fischer and Cosmo Condina; Julie Thompson, VP, brokerage services for Engel & Völkers Canada; Minnie King, advisor.

THE POWER OF BLUE OWNER PROFI LE NAMES:

Rod Stirling and Del

la Fraser Co-owners, Coldwel l Banker Northern B estsellers OUR COMMUN ITY: Yellowkn ife, Northwest Territ ories YEAR OUR CO MPANY WAS FO RMED: 1984 OCCUPATION:

YEAR WE BECA

ME COLDWEL

L BANKER® FR

ANCHISE OWNE

RS: 1992 Building relationship s over the years to he Yellowknife grow in lp to the vibrant, thrivi ng pl ac e it is WHAT’S UNIQUE today. ABOUT OUR CO MPANY: We’ re proud of our northern and our ability to pu roots t Yellowknife on the w or ld st ag e as Banker office intern a top Coldwell ationally. BIGGEST ACCO

MPLISHMENT:

WHY WE CHO

SE THE COLDW

ELL BANKER SY STEM: Coldw ell Banker ‘awards’ franchises; they do n’t just sell them. Th ey support small fran like ours with cuttin chises g edge technology an d m ar ke ting. WHAT WE VALU E ABOUT OUR AFFILIATION W ITH COLDWEL L BANKER: W Coldwell Banker na ith the me behind us, we es ta bl is h im mediate trust and credibility with our clients. We’re able to access world-clas s resources.

Empowering our team through innovation As co-owners of Coldwell Banker Northern Bestsellers, we’re proud of the unique talents, knowledge and experience of our powerhouse team. Our shared values of trust and integrity and a strong tradition for professionalism and client service, have helped us become a leader in the Coldwell Banker system worldwide. Moving forward, we recognize the importance of being innovative and utilizing new tools and technologies to further support our realtor team and our clients, empowering our team for success through innovation. Rod Stirling and Della Fraser, Co-owners, Coldwell Banker Northern Bestsellers Yellowknife, Northwest Territories © 2017 Coldwell Banker LLC. All rights reserved. Each office is independently owned and operated. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker LLC. Each sales representative and broker is responsible for complying with any consumer disclosure laws or regulations, as well as applicable Real Estate Association rules and codes of conduct. The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS®, and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA.

To discuss franchising opportunities in Canada: Andy Puthon President Mark Lindsey Regional VP Franchise Sales John Alexander Director, Franchise Sales coldwellbanker.ca/franchising 800-268-9599

22 REM DECEMBER 2017

M

ichael Bourque is the new CEO of CREA, effective later this year. Bourque is currently the CEO at the Railway Association of Canada (RAC). He has 30 years of experience in public policy roles on Parliament Hill, as a senior federal public servant and in government relations for Bayer and the Chemistry Industry Association. The RAC is a trade association representing over 50 railways and more than 33,000 employees from coast to coast, as well as over 75 supplier companies who build and maintain railway equipment. Bourque will take over from Gary Simonsen, who will retire at the end of the year.

Michael Bourque

can lobby the government for better policy to ensure available and affordable housing, and we can support local initiatives and create our own industry solutions and strategies.” The first-place team, called Bare Essentials, won $3,000. The team identified that the average income in Barrie is significantly lower than the average home price. Their solution, the Barrie Affordable Real Estate application, seeks to secure mortgages for first-time homebuyers by considering supplemental income streams such as rental income and clean energy revenue. The second-place team proposed Hütte, a clean and effective platform for matchmaking landlords and tenants. In addition to making it easier for tenants to find a home, the application also allows landlords to find tenants without just waiting to see who applies. The team suggested their app was “like Tinder for renters and landlords.” Happy Together, the thirdplace team, proposed an innovative solution to home ownership through co-housing and creative financing solutions such as Social Impact Bonds.

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

The Barrie & District Association of Realtors, in partnership with the City of Barrie, recently hosted the Housing Hack, where participants used their skills, expertise and collaborative efforts to propose an informed and forward-thinking solution to improve the future of living in the Barrie area. “We know that finding a way for everyone to access the housing ladder is a complex issue that needs to be addressed at a local level,” says Rob Alexander, president of BDAR. “We are in a unique position to be a leader in finding solutions for more affordable housing. Realtors

Ontario Real Estate Association CEO Tim Hudak recently spoke to members of the Chatham-Kent Association of Realtors about the upcoming review of Ontario’s Real Estate and Business Brokers Act as part of OREA’s Emerge Conference tour. Hudak was the minister in charge of overseeing the act when it was drafted in 2002, but he says the real estate market is much different in 2017. Michael Gibbons, vice-president of the association, told local media that Chatham-Kent is seeing an influx of homebuyers from the Greater Toronto Area due to the area’s cheaper prices for entryREM level homes.

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Hamilton, Ontario Couple Win Prestigious Real Estate Award Craig and Coleen Bush have a combined 60 years in the real estate business. Craig was previously in sales management with a degree in business and marketing with a large international firm, but when he and Coleen went to their very first Craig Proctor SuperConference many years ago, Craig Proctor’s system spoke to them. They joined Craig’s system about ten years ago and began the process of growing their real estate enterprise. They will tell you, from their experience, that Craig’s system, at ANY level of growth, offers something any Realtor would die for – PREDICTABLE INCOME and more OPPORTUNITY. It becomes hard NOT to evolve and grow as Craig and Coleen have. “It was with Craig Proctor’s help and staying by our closeknit family of successful Craig Proctor top producers that we were able to get to that proverbial ‘next level’� said Craig Bush. “When you get completely involved with others who embrace the Craig Proctor system, you can’t help but grow and succeed. The ability for others to experience the very same results and beyond is limited only by the speed by which you implement the systems, your persistence, and your drive.� Craig and Coleen have grown to a team of nine members, including themselves, with a goal of backing bit by bit away from the daily operation of the business and taking more time away from the business to pursue other interests, including their

growing extended family. Being associated with Craig Proctor and his team has allowed them to experience a level of personal growth and true business success. That success has also

enabled them to give back to their community by establishing a relationship with CityKIdz in Hamilton and raising more than $10,000 to help young people in Hamilton live better lives. Craig & Coleen Bush receiving their Award from Craig Proctor

“When you get completely involved with others who embrace the Craig Proctor system, you can’t help but grow and succeed. The ability for others to experience the very same results and beyond is limited only by the speed by which you implement the systems, your persistence, and your drive.� -- Craig Bush, Hamilton, ON

Read More About Successful Agents Like Craig and Coleen at AgentsMakingMillions.com Real success in any business means not only healthy earnings, but also time off to enjoy life. The fact fa ct iiss, hhow owev ever er, th that at mos mostt Ca Cana nadi dian an

entire lifestyle in pursuit of success and, ironically, instead of gaining more freedom, they become slaves to their real estate business. If you don’t have a real business system, you don’t really have a busi bu sine ness ss aatt al alll. W Wha hatt yo youu ha have ve instead t d is a ““jjob� b�, an andd fo forr ma many ny, itit’s ’s a really bad job: one that consumes your time, keeps you away from friends and family, and doesn’t pay enough. Even though you work so hard, it’s just so random. Some days you win. Some days you lose. Thee fa Th fact ct is is th that at age agent ntss le leav avee our inddustry t iin droves es, no nott be beca caus usee they’re not great at working with clients, but rather because they don’t have enough clients to work with. They don’t have enough leads, properly follow up and thus convert thei th eirr le ei lead adss, ad s, tthe heyy do he don’ n t kn know ow exa exa xact ctly ct ly why they win or lose a listing. Even though they work very hard, too much is left to chance. Trying to “do it all� without a clear understanding of what works and what doesn’t ultimately sows the seeds of failure

for many.

MUST be based on solid systems. In real re al est estat atee, tha thatt me mean anss a sy syst stem em to to gene ge nera rate te llea eads ds, a sy syst stem em ttoo co conv nver ertt those leads, and a system to

paying clients. Every successful business in the world, from McDonalds to Amazon to FedEx, is based on proven and duplicatable “systems�, andd th an thee ag agen ents ts w who ho aach chie ieve ve ssuc ucce cess ss in our our ind indus ustrtryy ha have ve ddon onee so oonn th thee business systems.

of Hamilton, Ontario agents Craig and Coleen Bush above, and of multiple other agents you can read abou ab outt at Age Agent ntsM sMakingM g illions.com,,

estate business is certainly possible, regardless of whether you’re a brand new agent or have been in real estate for years, whether you’re a man or a woman, a solo agent or team, whether you live in the U.S. or Canada, andd re an rega gard ga rdle rd less le ss ooff wh whic ichh frfran anch chis isee you’re with. Each of the agents pro system as being responsible for their success: The Ultimate Real Estate Success System pioneered by Canadian Real Estate Coach

Craig Proctor. Not only is Craig Proctor’s real estate system responsible for more Millllio Mi iona nairiree Ag Agen ents ts ttha hann an anyy ot othe herr coac co achh or tra train iner er,, bu butt Pr Proc octo torr wa wass a highly successful AGENT himself for more than 20 years right here in Canada. As you may know, he was twice named the #1 RE/MAX agent in the world and was in the top 10 for RE/MAX International for 15 years. In fac factt, ffor or 6 yea years rs str strai aigh ghtt, nnoo on onee lilist sted ed oorr so sold ld mor moree ho home mess in the the

methodically to your goals‌a plan you could show a banker or investor or new partner or key associate‌a plan pl an yyou ou hhav avee re reas ason oned ed,, co comp mple lete te

you examine Proctor’s Ultimate Real Estate Success System – for free? For a limited time, you can have a “sneak peek� at what your real estate business could look like by attending Proctor’s upcoming Free Discovery Dayy (s Da (see ee A Age gent ntsM sMak akin ingM gMilillilion onss.co com m forr de fo deta tailils) s). Ye Yess, C Cra raig ig Pro Proct ctor or

“If you don’t have a real business system, you don’t really have a business at all. What you have instead is a “job�, and for many, it’s a really bad job.� Greate Grea terr To Toro ront ntoo Ar Area ea tha thann Pr Proc octo torr did. (Source: TREB Statistics). No one in Canada has sold more homes than Proctor has, and by sharing the system he used to achieve his own success, he’s been able to help over 30,000 agents worlrldw wo dwid idee to ttra rans nsfo form rm tthe heirir rrea eall estate jobs into highly lucrative real estate businesses that don’t come at the expense of high lifestyle costs. If you do not have a clear, detailed business system (key word, system) that you are using to move

will oope will penl nlyy sh shar aree wi with th you you hhow ow hhee became Canada’s top agent. Learn from a real doer, not a talker. Craig will share “real Canadian real estate strategies� with you that actually work. No theory, ideas or motivational hype. At this 3 hour meeting Craig Proc Pr octo torr wi willll spi spi p ll the the bbea eans ns aand nd ssha hare re with you exactly what to do and what it takes to be a Super-Successful Real Estate agent in Canada. For more information, visit: AgentsMakingMillions.com

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24 REM DECEMBER 2017

Good Works F

aisal Susiwala, a broker with Re/Max Twin City in Kitchener, Ont, has pledged to donate $130,000 to Cambridge Memorial Hospital. Cambridge has a population of 130,000 and Susiwala says he will donate $1 on behalf of every resident. “Sometimes, it’s hard to realize that if everyone stepped up and donated a fraction of their income, together, we can make a huge difference,” says Susiwala. “Cambridge Memorial Hospital is looking for donations as the institution works towards redeveloping and expanding to accommodate our growing community. I’m honoured to be part of that.” Susiwala has been in the real estate industry for 29 years. He ranks in the top one per cent of

GET

Re/Max salespeople worldwide. ■ ■ ■

For the second year in a row, Nischal Ram, a sales rep with Sutton - Premier Realty in Surrey, B.C. provided families in need in the Lower Mainland with a full turkey dinner, with the help of friends, clients and office colleagues. In 2016, his Surrey Basket Brigade assisted 48 families and this year they delivered baskets to 80 families – the equivalent of more than 500 individuals. “More than 20 volunteers contributed financially and gave their time,” says Ram. “The volunteers were mostly my friends and clients, but broker Larry Anderson and Manny Sraw, the office administrator, did an awesome job providing support and allowing us to use the

training room to fill the baskets and two other Realtors from our office kindly donated money to buy cooking pans. “We raised just over $4,000,” he says. “Our group of volunteers donated $3,150 and the City of Surrey donated $1,000 for this great cause.” ■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Your Community Realty sales rep James Milonas and dance partner Valerie Casault were the winners of the Arthur Murray Dance Studio’s recent Dancing with Toronto Celebrities event. The pair’s winning performance was a sassy salsa number to Marc Anthony’s Vivir Mi Vida. Contestants competed for a mirror ball trophy and for the proceeds from the evening’s auction to benefit the charity of their choice. They selected the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. A donation of $3,385 will be directed to Nellie’s Shelter in Toronto. ■ ■ ■

Living Realty in Markham, Ont. celebrated a successful Continued on page 26

Nischal Ram’s Surrey Basket Brigade delivered baskets to 80 families.

AT HOME

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Faisal Susiwala

A food bank worker and Bob Ysseldyk, manager of the Markham Food Bank, receive the cheque from Stephen Wong, chairman of Living Realty.

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*plus applicable sales tax

The Guess Who team at Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services’ Halloween Chili Bowl, from left: administrative assistant Brittany Asquith; and sales reps Michael Brejnik, Jules Morris and Robert Simek. Valerie Casault from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio and her partner James Milonas from Royal LePage Your Community Realty pose with their Dancing with Toronto Celebrities mirror ball trophy.

The Sales Cycle team at Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services’ Halloween Chili Bowl, from left: sales reps Thomas Kaczmarski, Richard Harrison, Katie Reynolds and Alez Zijlstra.

Congratulations PAC Award Winners! The Canadian Real Estate Association’s 2017 Political Action Committee (PAC) Award winners highlight the dedication of REALTORS® to advancing federal policies that benefit homebuyers, property owners and communities.

Outstanding PAC Team Award – Large Board WinnipegREALTORS® Association

Outstanding PAC Team Award – Small Board The Chatham-Kent Association of REALTORS®

From left to right: Claudia Sarbit; Kourosh Doustshenas; Shirley Przybyl; Peter Squire; Dana Downey; Brenden Morgan.

From left to right: Amber Pinsonneault; Bill Myers; Janice Wieringa.

Pierre Beauchamp Award for Individual PAC Achievement Debbie Vernon

From left to right: Andrew Peck, CREA President; Debbie Vernon, The Lakelands Association of REALTORS®; Gary Simonsen, CREA CEO.

To find out how YOU can get involved in REALTOR® federal advocacy and be part of an award-winning PAC team

visit REALTORActionNetwork.ca REALTOR®. Member of The Canadian Real Estate Association and more.

26 REM DECEMBER 2017

Good Works Continued from page 24

Thanksgiving food drive when Stephen Wong, president of the Living Group of Companies, presented a cheque for $2,000 to a local food bank. The drive was launched with the aim of collecting 2,000 pounds of non-perishable food items in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Wong pledged that the company would donate $1 for every pound of food collected, with a promise that a minimum of $2,000 would be donated. A total of 1,700 pounds of food was donated. While Living Realty did not meet its goal of 2,000 pounds, Wong said the food drive will become an annual event going forward, with the aim to meet and exceed the goal next year. ■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services of Burlington, Ont. held its 8th Annual Charity Halloween Chili Bowl recently to raise money for Halton Women’s Place and The Carpenter Hospice. The Charity Halloween Chili Bowl is the major fall fundraising

event of the brokerage’s annual fundraising campaign. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the turnout,” says JoAnn Landry, president and broker/ owner. “Not only did we have our largest number of participants and sponsors ever, we also raised a record amount of money.” Brenda Macdonald, Angie Mackie, Marion Benson, Krisztina Bencsics and Lauren Brannen made up the organizing committee. Many of the participants dressed up in Halloween costumes with prizes being awarded for best team theme, best individual costume, best bowling technique and worst bowling technique. “The company’s unique team spirit makes raising funds a very pleasurable experience for everyone involved,” says Rebecca Ryder, VP and broker of record. Over the past 14 years, it has raised more than $300,000 in support of Halton Women’s Place and the Carpenter Hospice. This year’s Chili Bowl raised $6,204. ■ ■ ■

Sutton - Premier Realty in Surrey, B.C. has set a goal of providing 990 balls for the 990

teenagers currently registered with the Surrey Christmas Bureau. “Last year, it was brought to our attention that out of 4,000 kids who rely on the Surrey Christmas Bureau, 900 teenagers were left without gifts,” says Sadaf Baig, managing broker. “No child should be overlooked on Christmas, so this year, keeping in mind how important active play is for children of all ages, we have vowed to bring on the balls!” The brokerage is asking Sutton members across Canada to donate balls to Christmas charities. Closer to home, they ask for assistance from all realty companies in the Lower Mainland (not just Sutton offices) to reach the goal. The deadline to finalize donations is the end of November. ■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty sales representatives Tasha Medve and Saira Waters hosted their popular Raise the Roof for Shelter cocktail party in Victoria recently. The pair set a new fundraising record for their annual event, raising more than $12,000 for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

From left: Sutton Premier managing brokers Kelvin Neufeld and Sadaf Baig; and broker/owner Larry Anderson.

Congratulations RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Ltd.! After 25 years of real estate success, RE/MAX First Broker/Owners Ron Gordon and Brian O’Donoghue have made the decision to sell their brokerage as Ron has met one’s dream of retirement. We thank both Ron and Brian for their commitment and all they have done to grow the RE/MAX brand in the Durham region. They have been wonderful partners with RE/MAX INTEGRA and we wish them both the very best in their futures. Their four reputable offices in the Durham region: Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, and Brooklin will operate as RE/MAX Hallmark First Group Realty Ltd.

The new Broker/Owners, Debra Bain, Ken McLachlan, and Steve Tabrizi said it right, “Here We Grow Again!” in a recent email welcoming this change, and are now approximately 1300 agents strong! With the addition of over 130 agents, RE/MAX Hallmark can now extend their eminent services beyond Greater Toronto, Ottawa, and Boston. Join us in congratulating RE/MAX Hallmark on expanding their RE/MAX presence. We are so proud to see such fine real estate professionals come together! With RE/MAX, your future opportunities are truly endless.

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Jennifer Dominey at 1.647.519.7735 to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

remaxintegra.com

Above: Golfers at the Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty Golf Party for shelter, from left: Bryan Franey, Bill Ethier, Sarah West and Andrew Whidden.

The proceeds will benefit four local organizations serving women seeking safety from domestic violence: Victoria Women’s Transition House, Cridge Transition House for Women, Sooke Transition House and Margaret Laurence House. In five years, the event has raised more than $28,000 in support of the foundation. Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty also raised $30,273 at its annual Golf Party for Shelter event. “This year’s Golf Party was our best year yet,” says organizing committee member and sales representative Sarah West. “We continue to be humbled by the support of our golfers and sponsors. Together, we help our shelters break the cycle of domestic violence and provide women and children a starting point towards a better, safer future.” ■ ■ ■

The Exit Realty Group brokerages in Trenton and Belleville, Ont. joined forces recently to collect food items for Gleaner’s Food Bank. Eighteen sales reps, staff members, friends and their families

Saira Waters and Tasha Medve of Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty in Victoria celebrate the success of their 5th annual Raise the Roof for Shelter fundraising event.

collected several truck and trunk loads of food for the local food bank. This has become an annual event for the brokerage’s sales reps. “I am really proud that my agents and staff have taken the initiative to take on this challenge each and every year,” says Sharon Shortt, broker of record/owner of Exit Realty Group. ■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Atlantic recently hosted two Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraising events. Offices in Halifax and New Minas, N.S. participated, raising $13,000 in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. The events are a way for men to raise awareness in their community about the seriousness of violence against women and to raise funds in the process by collecting donations to walk a mile wearing red high-heeled shoes. Proceeds raised in Halifax benefited Alice Housing, while funds raised by participants in New Minas were directed to Chrysalis House. ■ ■ ■

Continued on page 28

Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty Golf Party for Shelter participants, from left: Al Turnbull, Rosemarie Colterman, Tammi Dimock and Peter Faulkner. Sales reps and staff from Exit Realty Group in Trenton and Belleville organize food collections for the local food bank every year. Left: Century 21 Trident Realty in Dartmouth, N.S., owned by Marg Bowlen and Gary Chambers, was recently named Century 21 Canada’s Franchisee of the Year. The brokerage raised the largest amount of donations for Easter Seals in Atlantic Canada.

Work by Referral. Live the Good Life!â„¢

28 REM DECEMBER 2017

What’s

New Lone Wolf acquires Instanet Solutions Real estate software company Lone Wolf Technologies, based in Cambridge, Ont., has acquired Instanet Solutions, a provider of transaction management, electronic forms and eSignature solutions for the real estate industry. “Instanet is an industry leader in transaction management solutions for the residential real estate market. The company has over 500,000 licensed users, as well as a tight integration with some of the largest MLSs in North America,” says Patrick Arkeveld, CEO of Lone Wolf. “The acquisition strengthens our stance in this market by providing our clients with a unique end-to-end solution to drive all of their operations. A fully integrated transaction management-to-back office accounting solution is exactly what our clients are looking for, as it will radically improve the day-to-day experience of running and working in a real estate brokerage.” Instanet is the provider of TransactionDesk, a transaction management solution comprised of

several cloud-based products for document and file management, electronic forms, eSignatures and file review and compliance. Lone Wolf says it plans to invest millions of dollars into the combined platforms to enhance the product suite and further integrate the solutions. Lone Wolf also recently announced that Steve Murray, president and owner of Real Trends, has joined Lone Wolf’s Board of Directors. Murray joins Lorne C. Wallace, founder and executive chairman of Lone Wolf Technologies and Vista Equity Partners, on the board. They provide guidance on the company’s direction, the company says. Real Trends is a privately held publishing, communications and consulting company based in Castle Pines, Colo.

GryphTech enters market for brokerage back office software GryphTech, a real estate data and franchise software firm, has entered the North American brokerage market with iBroker back office management software. It says it has integrations in place with QuickBooks Online, dotloop and SkySlope, and the company says DocuSign will also sign on soon. “Brokers don’t want to be tied to a sole company’s stand alone back office or accounting product,” the company says in a news release. “iBroker allows brokers to have real estate specific back office management software while integrating all accounting needs and G/L entries with the industry gold-standard, QuickBooks Online. It makes everything for the office simpler to operate and gives bro-

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Collective brainpower team of analysts with decades of experience and know-how in the Real Estate Industry • BREACH OF BUYERS REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT • LANDLORD/TENANT DISPUTES • RECO AND TREB COMPLAINTS, REPLY LETTERS, APPEALS AND REPRESENTATION BEFORE THE BOARD

• SMALL CLAIMS COURT

NexOne and Repree announce merger Repree and NexOne, providers of online paperless real estate solutions, have merged operations. While both products will still be available independently, the teams of Repree and NexOne are also merging all employees across Canada. “This is a win-win-win situa-

Patrick Arkeveld

Carlos Matias

tion for NexOne, Repree and real estate professionals,” says NexOne CEO Maxime Vaskelis. Brent Lauinger will take on the role as NexOne’s VP of business development. Lauinger says, “Our mission was always to drive innovation in real estate technology. Joining NexOne greatly increases our capability to do so. We are excited at this new oppor-

tunity and look forward to continued work with both existing and new clients.” Founded in 2010, Repree Online Real Estate Business Manager offers an online solution for taking the entire buying and selling process online. NexOne is an electronic document management solution for real estate professionals. REM

Good Works Continued from page 26

Century 21 Green Realty in Mississauga, Ont. recently raised $21,000 for Easter Seals at a golf tournament in Caledon. “I had always wanted to hold an event like this for Easter Seals,” says Lakhvir Randhawam broker/owner at Century 21 Green Realty. More than 100 golfers turned out for the day and an additional 75 people came for the dinner. Corporate sponsors helped make the event more exciting by providing prizes and sponsoring holes during the game.

Multiple Listings

■ ■ ■

Continued from page 20

Engel & Völkers recently officially opened its new shop in the Niagara area of Ontario. The brokerage is owned by Cosmo Condina, Carmela D’Amico and Peter Fischer, who will serve as the broker of record. It serves the communities of Niagara Falls, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Port Colbourne, Welland and St. Catharines.

in the past, embracing a workplace of flexibility and transparency, along with the latest technology to help agents to succeed. ■ ■ ■

Real Estate Broker (Nearly 50 Years) • Paralegal Direct: (416) 818-6130 • www.rosen.ca Legal Focus on the Real Estate Industry

• OWNER CONFLICTS WITH NEIGHBOURS OR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

kers the opportunity to hire administrative staff that fits their brokerage needs versus their software demands.” The company says GryphTech has not been a highly visible brand to North American brokerages to date, but the software has been “the system of record for franchise and regional office management, reporting and listing needs globally. By example, global.remax.com, featuring hundreds of thousands of listings in 40 different languages, is powered by GryphTech. Many franchises have been able to grow aggressively into international markets with the GryphTech technology as their foundation,” the company says. “Building a new platform for real estate with 20 years of experience allows us to innovate and deliver key integrations quickly for our customers, versus having to rebuild an old and dated program,” says Carlos Matias, CEO of GryphTech and creator of iBroker. “One of our top priorities is investing in technology that simplifies the way brokers do business.”

Matt Santagapita and his Santa Sells Houses Real Estate Team have joined Re/Max Centre City Realty in London, Ont. The brokerage says Santagapita has over a decade of real estate expertise and will be getting his broker’s license later this year. He made the move because of broker Carl Vandergoot’s reputation in the industry, the company says. “Carl is well known for being a leader, an innovative businessman and a real estate expert known to inspire his associates.”

■ ■ ■

Century 21 Entreprises Immobilières Kafena in Montreal has partnered with Centum Financial Group. Owner Hala Kafena says the brokerage now has a full-time mortgage broker in the office to help clients with financing a home. “We are now one-stop shopping for people in Montreal,” says

■ ■ ■

Clients and friends joined Royal LePage Real Estate Services broker Fionna Gossling for her 8th annual Ladies Dinner in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. Fifty guests were treated to dinner and drinks while hearing from development co-ordinator Kaitlin Gordon from Halton Women’s Place, who spoke about the critical services and support their donations would fund. More than $7,500 was raised in just a few hours, bringing this event’s eight-year total to over $56,000. REM Kafena. “We started thinking about this addition to our business about a year ago and have been able to line up seven banks with which to do business. We’ve already heard from clients that this makes the stress of buying a home easier.” Entreprises Immobilières Kafena has been in the Montreal market for 30 years. So far there is one mortgage broker in the office, but others have already shown interest and that part of the business is expected to grow quickly, Kafena says. Centum Canada president Chris Turcotte says, “We have seen this time and time again. Having a mortgage broker inhouse to help buyers navigate their purchase and (get) the best rate possible often makes the process go smoother.” REM

30 REM DECEMBER 2017

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

T

MARKETPLACE

he key to solving the national dream of owning a home is transit. There is math involved in this, but it sure isn’t rocket science or nuclear fission. In every city in Canada, we have a problem of over crowding on the roads. There are no reasonable alternatives. When was the last time you were in Ottawa? Did you enjoy that drive on the 417? I have no doubt it was bumper to bumper whenever you were there. It must be terrible to have to make that drive everyday if you live there. How about you good folks in Vancouver? I’ve been on the Hastings Street parking lot with you. I’ve lined up with the rest of the mooks on Highway 1 waiting to get on the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. In all our cities there are other ways to get around, but they are so

The key to stimulating the housing market unfavourable and so challenging to use it is simply better to just sit in our cars and fume. Nerves are frayed, tempers are short and emotional fuses are popped. No wonder normally kind and patient people are turned into monsters who go into full psychotic episodes on the highway. The person in front of them is too timid or the person behind them is too aggressive. It doesn’t matter, it’s just too damn crowded on the road and that’s just the highway, wait till they get on to city streets with you. People in America apparently shoot at each other. You think they’re crazy? Just wait. We’re not that far away. The answer is transit. Frequent, comfortable, restive transit. We have public transit in all our cities, but it is not restive or comfortable and it is hardly frequent. If you need to take a bus you have to wait, in the rain, in the snow and in the heat of a blazing hot day. Usually some lout has spilled coffee or thrown a soda on the one bench that has not been cleaned since it was installed 10 years ago, so you can also count on standing during

905.731.7455 888.548.7725 www.kitspak.com

the wait. Once the bus arrives, it is crowded and filled with folks, once again standing cheek to jowl. If you are a woman, it is likely that you will be standing next to some creepy guy. So, come on! Government, bureaucrats, planners, smart thinkers and above all you voters! Elect somebody who will make transit, real transit, a priority. What difference would it make? If we had frequent, comfortable, restive transit people would flock to it. It must be reasonably priced, and it is going to cost a for-

tune to build. But it would be worth it, and we can do it. If the journey was more civilized than it is today we would have a better country with far less harried, haggard, short-tempered people. Think of the housing development that could happen 100 km away from your city, even Vancouver. I am tired of the talk about how Vancouver cannot grow because of the mountains and the ocean. Yes, it can! I have driven for hundreds of kilometres outside of Vancouver. There are lots of places for development. A good rapid

In every city in Canada, we have a problem of over crowding on the roads. There are no reasonable alternatives.

transit system could easily make a 100-km journey in about an hour or less. I am not referring to a highspeed train. I mean a train that is rapid, frequent and comfortable with a seat for everyone. Once in the city, a good local transit system is paramount. The only thing that can stop a system like that from being built is a group of narrowminded people who say it can’t be done. No is such stupid word. Have you ever wondered why it is so narrow in letters and how short it sounds? It has no substance. Ask any real estate agent, what is the best thing to stimulate the economy of the country? Every one of them will tell you it is housing. The purchase and sale of housing represents an endless list of economic stimuli that includes every kind of job imaginable from home renovations to building schools and hospitals, and from retail jobs to entrepreneurial kids cutting lawns. What could create a huge market of thousands and thousands of houses bought and sold in every city in Canada, all within an hour’s commute to downtown? It’s transit, for crying out loud. It’s transit. Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email heino@remonline.com REM

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