December 2018

Issue #354

December 2018

CREA President

Barb Sukkau Dealing with challenging times

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

Page 3

David Medeiros and Delio Oliveira:Their journey to No. 1 Page 8

Selling a house beside nightmare neighbours Page 10

The rock star of real estate video Page 18

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3 REM DECEMBER 2018

Barb Sukkau urges unity in ‘challenging’year

The CREA president talks to REM about the Competition Bureau court battle, adding sold data to Realtor.ca and how organized real estate is faring this year. By Jim Adair

I

t’s been a lively year for the real estate industry in Canada, marked by declining real estate sales and affordability challenges for buyers.

A Supreme Court decision sealed the Competition Bureau’s victory in its long-running dispute with TREB and CREA, and a vote at CREA’s AGM in the spring enables boards to apply for direct membership in the national association, bypassing their provincial organizations.

Not to mention the constant barrage of disruptors from outside the industry who are hoping to take business away from the country’s Realtors.

For her year as CREA president, Barb Sukkau adopted the theme of We R One. “It means we’re stronger together,” she says. “As we move forward in these challenging times, it’s important for us to work together. I know real estate is local but that doesn’t preclude the fact that we are all Realtors and part of the Realtor community.”

In an interview at the CREA headquarters in Ottawa, Sukkau said that so far no boards have applied for direct membership, and she believes that since the AGM, provincial associations and boards are working together better. She says that there are discussions in Saskatchewan and Quebec to amalgamate some of the boards, and she is pleased that in Ontario, two separate groups of boards – ORTIS and the Ontario Collective – have combined resources and are now sharing MLS systems.

“That’s a positive thing,” she says. “Do we need 39 boards in Ontario? Probably not. As long as their decisions are based on

what’s best for the membership, I think those partnerships make a lot of sense. I could see the Ontario Collective joining with ORTIS, and then we would have only three or four MLS systems in Ontario, which would be a big step forward.”

Recently CREA announced some major upgrades to Realtor. ca, including the addition of sold data for those boards that request it.

“I’m really proud of the Board of Directors for making such a bold and timely decision, because we really feel it’s time there was sold data on Realtor.ca,” says Sukkau. “It’s important to remember that it’s each board’s choice. We are creating the facility to post sold data and if they choose not to, that’s their choice.”

CREA and TREB spent seven years fighting the Competition Bureau about whether sold and other data would be allowed on passwordprotected virtual office websites (VOWs). The Realtor groups cited privacy concerns of their members’ clients as a major reason why the data should not be provided. But Sukkau says posting sold data on Realtor. ca is different than what TREB and CREA were batting to keep private.

and listen to what our members are asking for at the boards.

That was the genesis of the decision, because the boards and associations were coming and asking us for the facility.”

CREA CEO Michael Bourque says there are still a lot of unanswered questions about posting the sold data on Realtor.ca. “In Ontario, the Real Estate Council of Ontario takes the position that this sold information cannot be released without consent…If you read their rules and then you read the decision in the Competition Bureau (case) and the fact that the Supreme Court essentially agreed with the Competition Bureau…it’s a contradiction. It’s like any other change. We just legalized cannabis in this country and it’s full-on with contradictions – you’ve got different places with different rules. Over time these things get worked out.

“So, we can’t post sold data if it’s not allowed by a provincial regulator,” Bourque says. “But the spirit of putting it there is in keeping with the decision of the Supreme Court.”

“The TREB case was specific to VOWs and other disputed data. What we are planning is a different animal. We are planning on posting historical data and the most recent sales data of listings that are currently on Realtor.ca for a very short period of time.

He says the Supreme Court “essentially agreed with the Competition Bureau because they didn’t hear the case. That’s not a passive thing, that’s an active decision to not hear the case because they agree… If you look at the rulings the Supreme Court makes on a whole range of societal issues, they are often at the leading edge of where they see society going. They make a decision and society follows. I think that’s where we are in this case.”

“We were very supportive of TREB as we should be, and unfortunately that litigation is over. So now we move on

Sukkau says that Realtor.ca is “wildly popular; it’s Canada’s No. 1 listing website. We are committed to improving it. We

Barb Sukkau (Photo by Union Eleven Photographers)

want to continue to deliver on our brand promise, which says we are going to generate leads and promote the value of using a Realtor.”

Sukkau, a sales rep with Royal LePage NRC Realty in St. Catharines, Ont., has been a Realtor for 23 years and for most of that time she has served on committees or the boards of directors at the local, provincial and national level of organized real estate. “Once you become involved in an association you realize how rewarding it is,” she says. You get to be part of major decisions that have impacts on your members. And it’s a lot of fun. I get to meet Realtors from all over the country. They are fun, kind people,” she says.

Her business partner is taking care of business for her while she’s away, but Sukkau says when she’s not doing CREA business she’s an active Realtor and having a “pretty good” year. She encourages everyone to volunteer at their local boards.

Finally, she says, “I just want to remind everyone that there is always going to be a lot of choice out there, but I truly believe the Realtor will always be central to the real estate transaction. Data doesn’t sell houses, people do. Those Realtors who stay interactive with their clients, stay on top of technology and provide good service are going to the be ones who thrive.” REM

4 REM DECEMBER 2018

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

V

ia Capitale Centre and Via Capitale Innovation, with five offices located in Laval, Mont-Tremblant and Mont-Laurier in Quebec, have joined Royal LePage Humania.

The offices now carry the Royal LePage Humania Centre and Innovation banners. Owner Maxime Béland welcomed Royal LePage Humania owners François Léger and Christian Bouvrette as co-owners of his brokerages. Royal LePage Humania is the largest traditional real estate brokerage in Quebec.

The expansion, mainly con-

centrated in Laval, brings 60 real estate brokers to the network.

There are now 345 brokers affiliated to Royal LePage Humania in the north of Montreal.

■ ■ ■

Keith Tarswell of Toronto, a 38-year real estate veteran, died Oct. 29 of multiple myeloma.

When he began his career in real estate, he rode a bicycle to meet clients until he could afford a car, says his published obituary. He was a salesperson with Cimerman Real Estate, HomeLife Cimerman, Darrell Kent Real Estate and

Family Trust, but he spent more than 25 years with Bosley Real Estate as agent, broker, trainer and senior vice-president.

He served on the Board of Directors of the Toronto Real Estate Board and was former chair of the Real Estate Council of Ontario.

■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker Southwest Realty, a new residential and commercial brokerage in Sarnia, Ont., has opened an office in Petrolia.

The brokerage is owned by Rob

Longo and Steven Park, both second-generation Realtors with more than 40 years combined experience selling real estate in Sarnia and Lambton County. The Petrolia office is in an established location formerly associated with a local independent.

Robert Leaper, a local developer, joins the operation and will serve a diverse book of business including land lots, custom builds and resales from the Petrolia location.

■ ■ ■

A Kitchener, Ont. sales rep used humour and Halloween to turn the vandalism of her sign into a social media victory. Chantel Williams, a sales rep with Re/Max Real Estate Centre, had one of her for sale signs vandalized a few months ago. Someone used a black marker to draw horns, an eye patch and a beard on Williams’ photo on the sign. She told the Kitchener Post that the sign had been sitting in her garage ever since, but she “sorta forgot about it until Halloween was approaching and we had a party to go to.”

She decided to go to the party dressed as the vandalized sign.

Photos were posted to social media

sites and Williams says she was surprised to get hundreds of likes and shares, as well as news media coverage.

“In this situation, I took the lemons and made lemonade,” she told the Post.

■ ■ ■

The Weir Team Brokerage of Toronto is the newest member of the Aventure Realty Network.

“Brokers/owners Cameron Weir and Scott Hanton bring an enviable record of high performance and customer satisfaction to their new company, and together with a stellar sales team will leverage their success and continue to build a strong independent brand focused on a superior level of personal service,” says Bernie Vogt, president of Aventure.

■ ■ ■

Engel & Völkers in Halifax has formed an exclusive partnership with Ramar Homes to represent more than 120 of Ramar’s listings from its seven subdivisions.

“Our expert team is collaborating with Ramar Homes to bring their quality, custom builds and Continued on page 8

Keith Tarswell From left: Maxime Béland, coowner, Royal LePage Humania Centre and Innovation; and François Léger and Christian Bouvrette, co-owners of Royal LePage Humania.

Keller Williams Signature Realty recently opened a new office in Oakville, Ont. Cutting the ribbon at the grand opening, from left: Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board president Rick Kedzior; Oakville Ward 6 Councillor Natalia Lishchyna, operating partner/broker of record Penny Mackenzie; and team leader Donna Beach.

Cameron Weir

Scott Hanton

Chantel Williams

A grand opening celebration of Coldwell Banker Southwest Realty was held recently at the Sarnia brokerage. It has now added a second office in Petrolia.

6 REM DECEMBER 2018

Opinion: The courts have been loud and clear in TREB case R

e: The Truth about TREB (REM, November 2018) Legal counsel for the Toronto Real Estate Board recently wrote that the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to not hear TREB’s appeal “leaves open many legal questions”, particularly regarding consumer privacy.

I would like to set the record straight.

The truth is that the Supreme Court’s decision has brought this case firmly to a close. After a costly seven-year legal battle, the privacy arguments TREB raised to defend its anticompetitive data

Industrial, Commercial & Investment

A

vison Young has acquired Edmonton-based Veritas Management Services.

Founded in 2009 by Tarek Merhej, Veritas is a commercial real estate management company specializing in property management, acquisition due diligence and consulting.

Merhej is now a principal at Avison Young and will play a leading role in managing the company’s day-to-day property management operations in Edmonton and expanding services throughout Northern Alberta, the company says.

Cover photo: UNION ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHERS

Merhej brings 11 years of commercial property management experience to Avison Young, most recently as president of Veritas.

Also joining Avison Young from Veritas are: Nova Rocha, general manager; Louise Leclerc, Katarina Bednarcuk and Tyler Rudyk, property accountants; Larson Smith, business analyst; Linda Fordham, executive assistant; Gannat Rakha, service co-ordinator; and Mark Royer, building operations manager.

As a result of the acquisition, Avison Young adds 65 office, retail,

pelling” evidence that TREB’s intent was to limit competition, not to protect privacy. Like the tribunal, the court analyzed the historical consents that TREB had secured from previous buyers and sellers. And like the tribunal, the court rejected TREB’s argument that it did not have sufficient consent from clients to share sales data through websites.

The Supreme Court’s decision to not hear TREB’s second appeal does not mean that there are unanswered questions. Instead, it means that the decisions of both the Competition Tribunal and the Federal Court of Appeal are final.

TREB’s privacy arguments related to the case have had their day in court, and the courts have spoken.

With TREB’s restrictions struck down, Realtors in the GTA

are now free to offer home buyers and sellers insights into sales prices – such as innovative tools that provide information on local trends – with the added convenience of online access.

Since the Supreme Court’s decision, the Competition Bureau has had many encouraging conversations with other real estate boards across Canada. We are hearing that many of their members, like many members of TREB, welcome this decision and are keen to embrace the opportunities the internet offers to better serve their clients.

We all want the same thing: for Canadians to have access to the best and most innovative real estate services possible.

For TREB, and for real estate boards across Canada, the message

industrial and multi-family properties totaling more than two million square feet (msf) under management. The addition of Veritas’ property management portfolio brings Avison Young’s total square footage under management to more than 4.5 msf in Alberta and to more than 18 msf in Canada, the company says.

with,” says Ranalawala.

During his first year of operation, Ranalawala plans to add 30 properties to his firm’s portfolio.

■ ■ ■

Mustafa Ranalawala recently opened Real Property Management Accord to service clients in Richmond Hill, Ont. and the surrounding areas.

Ranalawala has been associated with the residential property management business since 2013.

“Property management is a very demanding, service-oriented, 24/7 business. I am hoping to capture clients who are looking for a loyal organization to partner

President & CEO WILLIAM MOLLS will@remonline.com

Editor JIM ADAIR jim@remonline.com

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

Production Coordinator JUDY CUPSKEY production@remonline.com

Brand Design SANDRA GOODER

Art Director LIZ MACKIN

Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY

Questions or comments? info@remonline.com

■ ■ ■

from the courts is loud and clear: this matter is settled. It’s time to move forward, embrace policies that align with the law and open the door to innovation in real estate services.

Matthew Boswell was appointed interim commissioner of competition for up to one year beginning May 31, 2018. He joined the Competition Bureau in 2011 and became a senior deputy commissioner in 2012. He has led numerous merger reviews and directed major investigations targeting criminal cartels, abuse of dominance and deceptive marketing practices.

Prior to joining the bureau, he prosecuted securities fraud as a senior litigation counsel at the Ontario Securities Commission and prosecuted all types of criminal offences as an assistant Crown attorney in Toronto. REM comprised senior leaders of the firm’s global partnership. Earlier in his 32-year tenure with EY, he led the company’s New York real estate industry and tax practices. REM

Howard Roth has been hired as an independent advisor by Avison Young and will report to CEO Mark Rose. Most recently global head of EY’s real estate, hospitality and construction practice, Roth will provide advice and counsel to Rose and the Avison Young management team on the direction and impleTarek Merhej mentation of the company’s growth strategy. Roth’s role will include advising on strategic acquisitions and capital transactions, supporting the firm’s expanded global footprint in new markets in Europe and Asia, and direct involvement in key corporate projects, the company says.

Roth was previously a member of EY’s global practice group, which Mustafa Ranalawala Howard Roth

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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 2018 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).

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By Matthew Boswell

restrictions have been dealt with exhaustively by the courts.

In 2016, the Competition Tribunal ruled that TREB’s privacy arguments were a “pretext” and an “afterthought” used to justify its anticompetitive restrictions. The tribunal also found that TREB already had sufficient consent from home buyers and sellers to display the relevant data, including historical listings and sale prices, through virtual office websites.

After all, Realtors in the GTA freely share the same information with their clients in a variety of other ways many times each day.

TREB then took the case to the Federal Court of Appeal, raising the same privacy arguments that were shot down by the tribunal.

In 2017, the court cited “com-

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8 REM DECEMBER 2018

From ‘desperation’ to No. 1 office Almost 20 years ago, when David Medeiros and Delio Oliveira struck out on their own, their former manager said they would go bankrupt in months. Now they run one of Canada’s top Re/Max brokerages.

By Sohini Bhattacharya

J

une 2019 will mark the 20th year of David Medeiros’ and Delio Oliveira’s partnership as co-founders of Re/Max Real Estate Centre, an Ontario firm named Canada’s No. 1 Re/Max brokerage for the most closed transactions in 2017.

But when the duo ventured into their business in 1999, they weren’t sure how far they’d get.

Back then, both Medeiros, 30, and Oliveira, 33, were experienced Realtors and top agents within Re/Max at its Cambridge, Ont. office. They thought they had what it would take to launch their own brokerage business. When they resigned in June to firm up their partnership, their manager warned they would go bankrupt by Christmas.

Today, their company has offices in 16 locations across the province with 734 agents and counting.

Medeiros admits that getting to this point was a tall order. In the nascent stages of their business, they struggled to operate their brokerage with few clues about the level of detail required to run one.

In their first year together, they sold real estate, ran the brokerage and recruited non-stop, he says.

“We had no administrative background and we didn’t realize how much capital it would take.

The hardest was to recruit agents,” says Medeiros, “because we were two young guys with a new office, so agents doubted us.”

And yet, their company went from 25 to 75 agents within the first 12 months.

Medeiros followed a meandering path to real estate. At 14 he spent his summer and Christmas holidays and March break working at a Brampton construction firm, alongside his cousin who was a lead hand. At 18 he went to college. General Motors’ diesel division in London, Ont. was his next port of call. A few years later, he joined his family’s specialty grocery business in Cambridge. In short order, a family friend introduced him to the real estate business.

At the age of 10, Oliveira

Louise Stephens

immigrated to Canada with his family from Azores. He worked at a company in Cambridge making vinyl for the automotive industry.

Eventually, he too joined the promise of the real estate industry.

The pair met at the Re/Max office in Cambridge, where their careers took off.

Medeiros credits his staff and managers at Re/Max Real Estate Centre for the company’s success.

Their broker and manager, Louise Stephens, joined the company in 2014 after 25 years in real estate sales and management, and was nominated Manager of the Year for Re/Max Ontario/Atlantic region in November 2017. She quickly followed it up by bagging the Manager of the Year award for all of Canada in the same year.

In 2014, Stephens got the green light to initiate a new training and mentoring program to benefit Realtors at all levels. “They allowed me the freedom to develop the ‘90-day Commit to Success Challenge’ – an in-house program for new and seasoned Realtors that includes one-to-one coaching, lead generation training, open discussions and accountability,” says Stephens. The program has rolled out across all 16 of their locations, training upwards of 500 agents. “It helped with not only being able to set those agents on their path to success, but also created a huge cultural synergy where agents from different and diverse markets were working with each other,” she says.

The creation of their training program was a defining moment in Stephens’ career, and one of the key differentiators that makes Re/Max Real Estate Centre stand

Delio Oliveira, left, and David Medeiros

apart from its competitors.

Over the years Medeiros has seen the real estate industry evolve in leaps and bounds. But between then and now, the change that has affected the real estate business the most, he believes, is the impact of technology.

“Back then there used to be MLS books. There was no such thing as social media. Prospecting was done through door knocks and print ads,” he says.

Today, buyers understand pricing well. They are equipped with most of the knowledge they need.

“The quality of service has to be that much better,” he says.

Re/Max Real Estate Centre has invested heavily in staff and social media management over the past five years. Most recently, it launched Broker Bay – a cloudbased appointment and scheduling software that acts as a repository of all and any real estate information.

In addition to the 90-day training program, the brokerage is spearheading another coaching program. Realising the potential of video marketing in the industry, the company houses three inhouse video studios.

Re/Max Centre’s agents have embraced video. The company plans to house studios in 10 of their 16 locations. “We don’t just give them a space and a green room and ask them to shoot their own video.

We help them to get a good-quality video out,” says Medeiros. Then they help agents market that video via social media.

As the company grows on a steady trajectory, Medeiros says his people personality is the perfect yin to Oliveira’s matter-of-fact yang.

Multiple Listings Continued from page 4

staged model homes to the market with professional listing resources including photography, drone footage, video and in-model marketing,” says Donna Harding, who is the owner of the brokerage along with Sebastien Latulippe.

Founded in 1985, Ramar Homes is the largest builder in the Halifax region. Engel & Völkers Halifax has more than doubled its size since opening in June. It recently opened a new retail location in the city’s downtown core on Gottingen Street across from historic Citadel Hill.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Connect Realty, with locations Toronto and Durham and York Regions, is providing its agents with a personally branded property search app that they can offer to their clients.

“Oliveira is special because his training and systems enable him to sell over 100 houses a year,” he says. While Medeiros is the go-to man for nurturing relationships, agents turn to Oliveira, the company’s broker of record, to tap into his how-to knowledge for dealing with buyers, conducting listings presentations, attending an inspection and understanding lawyers or mortgage brokers.

“He has a lot of systems in place that we can now duplicate and pass on to our agents,” says Medeiros.

Averaging one new location every year since it was formed, Re/Max Real Estate Centre has plans to expand to five new locations within the foreseeable future. Their success indicates that brick-and-mortar brokerages aren’t going out of style any time soon. Looking back at the naysayers in their past, Medeiros says, “We used the discouragement then as a good motivator.

We did what we had to do out of desperation. We knew we had to make it work.”

REM “We believe in our agents and in the power of communication and technology, which is why we are providing this to our agents at no cost to them,” says Michelle Risi, broker/owner of Royal LePage Connect Realty. At a company-wide kick off meeting, the brokerage also introduced Videolicious. It’s an “easy-to-use, innovative video platform, enabling agents to create and send impactful video messages to their clients,” the company says.

Risi was joined by co-owner Justin Risi as well as Vivian Risi, broker/owner of sister company Royal LePage Your Community Realty, along with guest speakers Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage, and Chris Cummins, a coach/speaker from Richard Robbins International.

There are more than 1,300 salespeople in the Royal LePage Connect Realty/Your Community Realty network.

REM

Se a s o n ’ sGr e e t i n g s&Be s t Wi s h e sFo rSu c c e s s& Pr o s p e r i t yi nt h eNe wYe a r Wewi s ha l lo u rMe mb e r s , Fr i e n d s , Bu s i n e s sCo l l e a g u e sa n d Cl i e n t sawo n d e r f u lHo l i d a yS e a s o nwi t hPe a c ea n d J o yi nt h eNe wY e a r .

Hi g h e rS t a n d a r d sAg e n t s . . .

Hi g h e rRe s u l t s !

TM

©2018HomeLi f eReal t ySer v i cesI nc.Al l Ri ght sRes er v ed.EachOf f i cei sI ndependent l yOwnedandOper at ed.

10 REM DECEMBER 2018

Selling a house with nightmare neighbours

We’ve all heard the stories of late-night partying neighbours and dogs next door that bark nonstop.

But that’s just the beginning. By Toby Welch when it comes to their neighbours may not upset someone else.

It may not be as hard to find a buyer as anticipated. For example, a neighbour with a yard full of semi-functional vehicles may not faze a weekend wannabe mechanic. A buyer who loves to gossip may not be put off by a neighbour who sits on their porch all day shouting at passersby.

S

elling a home that has challenging neighbours adds another level of complexity. But it can be done!

Jasmine Lee, a broker with Re/Max Hallmark Realty in Toronto, had a neighbour issue with one of her sales. “We had a listing and the neighbours with connecting lawns would never cut their grass and maintain the curb appeal. So, our seller clients ended up cutting the grass and maintaining the curb appeal to add more value to their listing and the way it showed.”

Angela Langtry, a broker at Century 21 Immo-Plus in Montreal, also had a listing with less-than-ideal neighbours.

“Several years ago, I had an attached house for sale in Pointe-St-Charles in Montreal with neighbours who basically used their backyard for leftover construction materials, which potential buyers could see from the upper back balcony of the house. In addition, the soundproofing between the neighbouring wall was poor and we could sometimes hear the kids yelling and the neighbours arguing. We found a soundproofing solution and buyers who didn’t mind the junkyard, and got the house sold.”

In many cases, the offending neighbour may not even realize that they are doing something offensive. They truly may be unaware that their behaviour is affecting others. Unless safety is a concern, encourage the sellers to have a respectful and diplomatic discussion with the neighbours to see if they can come to a resolution that works for both parties. With their bottom line at stake, it’s worth a shot.

That is exactly what Jennifer McIntosh-Davies, a sales associate with Re/Max Realty Professionals in Calgary, did.

Her sellers lived in a duplex and the people who lived in the other half of the residence had a backyard full of junk.

McIntosh-Davies knew that in the current Calgary market, they couldn’t afford to have the home look shabby. They approached the neighbours, who were accommodating; they didn’t want to do any of the work but were happy to have it done for them. McIntosh-Davies told the sellers to add into their budget the cost of cleaning up the neighbour’s yard. Problem solved.

On the upside, what your sellers think of as obnoxious

Lee offers advice for what to do with a listing’s nuisance neighbours. “Introduce yourself to the neighbour and see if you can offer some of your referrals to help with the yard clean up. If they party 24/7, work on possible hours and days for the partying. With a nuisance dog, have a conversation about a solution for both parties. It’s about creating the win-win for all parties involved.”

McIntosh-Davies adds: “It’s all about spinning things.” By the time people are at odds with each other, it is to the advantage of the neighbour who is staying behind that the seller’s house is sold. McIntosh-Davies suggests talking to the neighbours and encouraging them to do whatever is possible to help sell the house, the best possible outcome for both parties.

We’ve all heard the stories of late-night partying neighbours and dogs next door that bark nonstop. But that’s just the beginning. These horrid neighbours, all real-life examples, could really put a kink in a home sale: • Neighbours who come into the backyard to hang their laundry on your clothesline • Neighbours who constantly call the police because you back into your own driveway • Neighbours who erect a

Jasmine Lee

Jennifer McIntosh-Davies

pool – complete with a wooden jumping platform – in their front yard, bordering your property and the sidewalk

deal with it. There is a solution to every problem, and a good Realtor is a great problem solver.”

• Pilfering neighbours who steal from your garden

But use caution when interacting with questionable neighbours. This summer, an agent in Pelham, Ont. was confronted by a nightmare neighbour while conducting a showing. The neighbour approached them brandishing a gun. The agent immediately got himself and the prospective buyers to safety and called the police. It turned out to be an airsoft gun, although it looked like the real thing.

The neighbour was charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, among other things.

• Hoarders whose piles of stuff encroach on your property • Neighbours who slash your tires • Neighbours who install barbed wire on the top of your shared fence • Neighbours who dig trenches to undermine the foundation of your garage Langtry shares her thoughts on what to do about troublesome neighbours: “I would advise the agent or seller to speak with the neighbours and/or landlord of the neighbours, if rented.

Century 21 has discounts with 1-800-Got-Junk who can clean up the yard (if the neighbour agrees). The agent or seller could offer to pay to remove the debris. Police can be called for noise disturbances, especially after 11 p.m. Either way, be fully transparent with potential buyers about the situation. For the right price and at the right time, a buyer will come along that will be willing to tolerate or

In January, a Kelowna, B.C. man was so fed up with his bullying neighbour that he decided to put his house on the market. He staked a sign on his front yard that read “Home for Sale by Owner Because Neighbour is an A**hole.”

Despite the sign, the family received multiple offers on the house, giving hope to the rest of us that even the most horrific neighbours won’t kill a deal. REM

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12 REM DECEMBER 2018

Realty One Group comes to Canada

By Mario Toneguzzi

R

ealty One Group, an established U.S. real estate brand, is aiming to expand aggressively across Western Canada.

Shami Sandhu, formerly broker at Re/Max River City in Edmonton, has secured the rights to Realty One Group of Western Canada and plans to expand the brand to as many markets as possible in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

“We’re willing to look at every market out there. As well as the larger markets, I’ve recently been contacted from markets like Wetaskiwin and Leduc (in Alberta). I’ve had people contact me from Nanaimo, Fort McMurray and Brandon, Man.,” says Sandhu.

He says in the major markets, “my intent is to have about one office for roughly every thousand agents that are registered with the local real estate board. So for

example, Edmonton’s got roughly 3,800 registered real estate agents so we’re going to have close to four offices in the Edmonton area.”

He says interest in the brokerage is very strong from two main groups – independent brokerages that see the value of affiliating with Realty One Group to grow their business, and real estate teams, who are now looking at taking their business to the next level by starting up a brokerage.

Sandhu has over 15 years of industry experience and was previously awarded Broker/Owner of the Year by Re/Max of Western Canada.

“The success of a franchise system is having the right concept and the right partner,” says Vinnie Tracey, president of Realty One Group Affiliates in Irvine, Calif. “I have known Shami Sandhu personally for 10 years.

He has the pedigree, knowledge,

work ethic and respect of the real estate community to make Realty One Group a major player in Western Canada.”

Sandhu says no one has disrupted the Canadian real estate market in 35 years but it’s time for a new disruptor.

“I believe Realty One Group will be very well received just like they have proven to be in the U.S. I want to show the Canadian real estate industry what we need and to remind them that it’s our agents that truly drive this business and the focus needs to be on them,” he says.

“While most of the industry is focusing on promoting themselves and shareholder value, Realty One Group maintains its focus on technology, corporate culture and a you-first focus to serving their associates.”

Sandhu says what differentiates Realty One is that it’s a 100per-cent company, meaning that its agents don’t pay a commission

split. They pay a flat fee monthly or a flat fee per transaction.

“Where we’re different from the other companies in Canada, especially, is two main areas. One is corporate culture. Our organization is all about everyone having a voice. Everyone’s an equal participant in our organization.

The agents are finding out what’s happening with the company the same time the broker owners are.

They’re encouraged to provide feedback to the company,” says Sandhu. “We’ve been described as being very Silicon Valley, Google-esque in a way in our approach.

“A big foundation of ours is supporting collaboration and it’s all about working together. It’s not about competing against one another…there’s a lot of business out there to be had. That translates to our office design. A key element in many of our offices is the One Cafe. So instead of having an office full of 20 private

Shami Sandhu

offices, for example, most of our offices have fewer private offices and more of a cafe-style space – more of a collaborative space where agents get to work together and learn from one another.”

Another key point about the brand, says Sandhu, is the level of support it provides agents through tools and resources.

Realty One Group was founded in 2005 in the U.S. by owner and CEO Kuba Jewgieniew, a former stockbroker.

REM

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14 REM DECEMBER 2018

More questions about cannabis

By Natalka Falcomer

T

he sale of marijuana, along with growing a few plants, is now legal.

How to manage the sale of marijuana and the potential tax base it will provide is being widely studied and debated across all media platforms and by all levels of government. However, what’s not being as hotly debated is what this could mean for the sale of your house or, worse yet, what happens if you buy a hazardous home.

Growing cannabis indoors requires high humidity and high temperatures. These conditions create perfect conditions for mould and fungus to grow and spread, which is difficult and

expensive to remediate. The risk is uncontrivable: mould poses serious health and safety issues for home buyers. This is why cannabis grow-operations, regardless of size, have been villainized in the real estate industry.

In the past, grow-ops were easier to identify: the home was typically abandoned, boarded and unkept. Heating bills were unusually high and the neighbours, should you ask them, would tell you of their suspicions. This is all about to change.

The federal legislation allows individuals to grow up to four plants in their home. While there are corresponding fire, plumbing and electrical regulations, it’s highly unlikely that everyone will comply. When legalization occurred in Denver, Colo., for example, one in 10 homes grew marijuana and very few complied with the health and safety regulations created to prevent the growth of mould and damage to

the structure of the homes.

Limits on home growth and ensuring health and safety compliance in someone’s home – as opposed to a business – is hard to police. If you’re growing four plants, for example, and need to keep a certain level of humidity and heat, how can you prevent mould from building and then spreading?

The risks extend just beyond health. Some Realtors have shared cases with the Ontario Real Estate Association where buyers purchased a home, had the property remediated and brought up to building code standards, but were denied insurance coverage.

There’s serious lack of clarity regarding how home insurance compliance will fit into the legalization puzzle and what level of remediation is acceptable to obtain insurance. What’s also unclear is whether or not legal marijuana “grow-ops” pose a stig-

ma that needs to be disclosed by either Realtors, when appropriate, or by the seller. Who’s responsible, for example, if a seller covers up the legal “grow-op” with a fresh coat of paint? Does that even need to be disclosed?

When does a legal grow up become one that needs to be reported due to health and safety issues?

Home inspectors, one could argue, can be the shield to protect an unsuspecting buyer. The problem is that home inspectors do not have any mandatory training on how to identify a former marijuana grow-op – legal or not.

The best solution as a buyer is to ask the seller pointed questions about whether marijuana was grown or known to be grown in the home. Meanwhile, the public should support the real estate associations along with the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Association of

Chiefs of Police and the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations’ position that “no personal cultivation of cannabis be allowed inside homes and any provisions related to indoor personal cultivation be removed from the legislation and regulations.”

That would be the best way to protect home buyers from incurring significant costs to properly remediate the home and from losing their home insurance.

Natalka Falcomer is a lawyer and Certified Leasing Officer who has a passion to make the law accessible and affordable. She founded, hosted and coproduced a popular legal call-in show on Rogers TV, Toronto Speaks Legal Advice.

She founded Groundworks (www.groundworksfirm.com), a firm specializing in commercial real estate law, and is the EVP of corporate development at Chestnut REM Park.

At this special season, we’d like to thank the many people who helped make 2018 a great year! On behalf of the entire Coldwell Banker Canada team, sincere thanks to the dedicated Coldwell Banker affiliates and sales professionals who represent our brand so well.

Happy holidays to all our friends and colleagues and all the best in 2019!

Andy Puthon President, Coldwell Banker Affiliates of Canada

coldwellbanker.ca

Half empty... or half full?

DEPENDS ON WHO’S HOLDING THE GLASS. RE/MAX Top Producers make that glass overflow with their experience, productivity, training and tools – even in an uncertain market.

Cheers, to our RE/MAX leaders across the country!

Thank you for helping us remain #1 in more than half of Canadian markets.*

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.

Western Canada MLS and RE/MAX LLC internal data as of August 2018. Ontario-Atlantic REStats and RE/MAX INTEGRA internal data as of August 2018. Quebec internal data as of August 2018

That’s the sign of a RE/MAX agent.

Half empty... or half full?

DEPENDS ON WHO’S HOLDING THE GLASS. RE/MAX Top Producers make that glass overflow with their experience, productivity, training and tools – even in an uncertain market.

Cheers, to our RE/MAX leaders across the country!

Thank you for helping us remain #1 in more than half of Canadian markets.*

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.

Western Canada MLS and RE/MAX LLC internal data as of August 2018. Ontario-Atlantic REStats and RE/MAX INTEGRA internal data as of August 2018. Quebec internal data as of August 2018

That’s the sign of a RE/MAX agent.

18 REM DECEMBER 2018

The rock star of real estate video Amy Youngren’s innovative North Group team aims to create experiences worth talking about for every client – and do the same for every agent on the team. By Susan Doran

N

orth Group’s Amy Youngren has been described as the rock star of Facebook video.

She has raised the bar of digital real estate marketing to a level inconceivable to those of us without thousands of followers on every possible social media platform. Youngren thrives on innovation and has won various coveted awards for it.

It’s hard to believe that just a few years back she had no idea where she was heading.

“I went to a motivational breakfast almost six years ago. I didn’t hear anything the speaker said except, ‘If you’ve outgrown the pot you’re planted in, you need a bigger pot or you’re going to die,’” says Youngren. “That was on a Friday. On Monday morning I gave my resignation.”

She spent the previous decade working her way upwards in the corporate office of a successful real estate franchisor, from reception through the ranks to management. But she says she increasingly felt that she was bumping against a self-imposed glass ceiling.

After that fateful breakfast, Youngren changed the course of her career and went into sales, landing at Keller Williams Referred Urban Realty in Toronto. “I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone. So, I did,” she says.

In 2017 Youngren was instrumental in re-launching the brokerage’s Urban Lifestyle Group as the larger and more wide-ranging North Group team, which has rapidly grown to 15 agents and an expanding number of satellite locations in southern Ontario.

“We have aggressive growth plans for 2019,” says Youngren.

As co-founder of North Group (she has parted ways with her business partner), she built her team into a top Keller Williams’ entity, ranking in the franchise’s top 10 in Canada. There’s no question that her creative digital

video and social media marketing strategies have had a hand in this.

Recently North Group was named ‘most innovative real estate team’ in North America by Inman News. As well, Youngren has been singled out as being among the industry’s most innovative real estate agents on social media and a major industry influencer.

“It’s a credit to our brand, our growth and our marketing,” says Youngren. “A lot of companies lose momentum when they rebrand. But we gained.”

North Group’s marketing is designed to stand out and get recognized, Youngren says. The team tries to be innovative in everything from video marketing to

print and overall design.

“We pull our marketing style from outside the real estate industry. We look at advertising, fashion, lifestyle and so on. We want simplistic and stylistic. Not cluttered.”

And definitely, she adds, “not like the rest of the industry,” which tends to be “so cookie cutter when it comes to marketing,” with most salespeople continuing to do the same old things.

Youngren’s use of slick digital marketing for listings and open houses has made her a soughtafter speaker on how to leverage technology, video and social media to build a brand.

Fuelling this is the idea that video tends to have a wide reach.

She says studies indicate that people are much more likely to share a video on social media than they are to share text, links or photos.

“I’m really passionate about video marketing and how it can increase client engagement,” Youngren says. “No one else was doing lifestyle video marketing when we started – painting a picture of the lifestyle clients could have with that property. We’ve used actors, we’ve interviewed sellers, we’ve talked about the top 10 reasons for living in that neighbourhood. I’ve told the story of how I sold my house.”

She and her team are always trying to “tell a story about the property,” its history and the neighbourhood, she says.

“Our mantra is to create experiences worth talking about for

pick up the phone, knock on doors.” But she says, “There’s going to be a time when we won’t be able to phone someone unless they’ve provided their number.

Those days are coming.”

She also predicts that teams are the way forward and that individual agents will increasingly be unable to compete.

Although Youngren’s direction is now “crystal clear,” when she first started at Keller Williams she did not really have a marketing plan.

“I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off,” she says. “Then I decided to hire an operations manager. It has been a game changer. My advice is to hire staff who are strong in all the areas you are weak.

“Now I’m constantly pushing

The North Group team at Keller Williams Referred Urban Realty.

Amy Youngren

every client – and also to do the same for every agent on the team.”

In keeping with fostering a generous business culture that supports social change, North Group has partnered with Giveback Homes, so a portion of every transaction goes towards building a home for a local family in need.

Although North Group invests heavily in video advertising and social media (“that’s where most of our business is,” Youngren says), the team does not rely on online tools alone.

“We still get down to grass roots. We understand the power of face-to-face marketing. We’ll

myself out of my comfort zone through new opportunities, taking risks, and always being coached,” she says. “Fail often, fail forward and do it fast so you can learn from it and move on to the next opportunity. If you’re not failing, you’re probably not growing.”

You’d think that with all her accolades, Youngren would count being tech-savvy among her strengths, but she hedges when asked that question.

“Am I tech savvy? Yes and no,” she laughs. “I know how valuable and important technology is, and I have operations staff who are tech wizards.

“I hire people who make me look better!”

REM

Congratulations PAC Award Winners!

The Canadian Real Estate Association’s 2018 Political Action Committee (PAC) Award winners highlight the dedication of REALTORS® to advancing federal policies that benefit home buyers, property owners and communities.

Outstanding PAC Team Award – Large Board REALTORS® Association of Edmonton

Outstanding PAC Team Award – Small Board Quinte & District Association of REALTORS® Inc.

From left to right: Michael Thompson; Jennifer Lucas; Michael Brodrick; Darcy Torhjelm; Peter Jonkman; Jay Herrick; Terry Halter; Rahim Jamani.

From left to right: Cathy Polan; Lisa Comerford; Natasha Huizinga.

Pierre Beauchamp Award for Individual PAC Achievement Brian Walker

From left to right: Michael Bourque, CREA CEO; Brian Walker, Toronto Real Estate Board; Barb Sukkau, CREA President.

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.

20 REM DECEMBER 2018

Bidding wars: Ministration, deliberation and orchestration

By Ross Wilson “The only competition worthy of a wise man is with himself.”

– Washington Allston

L

egal and ethical protocol dictates that during a bidding war, buyers are deliberately kept unaware of the terms of competing offers. To ensure a blind bid, all offers are typically presented separately in one session, and in the same order as they were registered with the listing brokerage. Each buyer agent is given a brief private opportunity to argue the merits of their client’s offer.

To help develop a feel for each buyer’s intention and position, a smart listing agent will take advantage of these moments by asking questions of each agent (who often inadvertently disclose too much)

regarding their client’s offer. The length of each presentation will obviously depend on the quantity and complexity of the offers.

Afterward, each agent is asked to leave a copy with the listing agent for later comparison during a private consultation with the seller.

This continues, usually with all agents (and sometimes the buyers) waiting elsewhere in the home or outside, until all bids have been presented.

With a copy of each offer spread before them, the seller and their agent compare the pros and cons of all bids. Sometimes, the seller may reject the least acceptable and work with only the best few, or they may simply accept the best one. If the irrevocable dates permit, they might counter one while holding all others in abeyance. If that counter-offer is accepted, the show is over. However, if it’s rejected, the seller may repeat the procedure with the next best offer until an APS is executed.

When countering, it’s critical

to be ever mindful of irrevocable dates and times. If a seller counter-offer is verbally rejected by a buyer, but the seller’s written irrevocable time and date haven’t strictly expired, that buyer could change their mind prior to the technical expiry of the seller’s offer and accept the counter-offer.

Assuming a verbal report of its rejection to be binding, if the seller proceeds to deliver another fully executed counter-offer to a second buyer while the first counter remains officially valid, and the second buyer accepts it, the seller has risked contractually committing to two separate buyers. Be very careful – this is really easy to do. And you may pay the price for your negligence, maybe a big one.

Nevertheless, sellers often elect to return all offers untouched to the respective buyer agents, thereby allowing each buyer a chance to improve their bid. In this event, the listing agent should forewarn their seller of the possibility of

some or all of the offers being withdrawn. When the remaining offers are re-registered, the entire process begins anew in the order of their return. After a brief private consultation with the listing agent, the seller usually chooses one.

When given the chance to enhance the terms of their offer, if a buyer is unable or prefers not to increase the price, they should resubmit anyway. One never knows; some or all of the other buyers may feel the same way and refuse to alter their offer terms or even withdraw from the competition. It would be a shame to lose a bid because your buyer gave up, especially since it costs nothing to persevere. Instead of quitting, consider other ways to improve their offer. Removing conditions, adjusting the closing date to comply with a seller’s preference, excluding chattels, eliminating seller requirements or increasing the deposit might do the trick. During a competition, if offer prices soar into the stratosphere and well over your

Barbara Meyer’s empowering journey hen people think about breast cancer awareness events, walks and rides come to mind. Dragon boat races not so much. However, thousands of breast cancer survivors participate in local and international competitive dragon boat racing events every year.

Barbara Meyer, manager with Royal LePage Triland Realty in London, Ont., is a breast cancer survivor and has been a member of London’s Rowbust Dragon Boat team since 2015. The team won three gold medals (200 and 500 metres and 2,000 km) in Hungary this year in the breast cancer survivors division. On the same trip, they also participated in an international event in Florence in the breast cancer survivors division. The event drew 4,000 participants of all ages and from all walks of life.

It’s a club no one wants to belong to, but those who do feel privileged to do so, says Meyer, a glass half-full

W

kind of person. She was blind-sided one day in January 2015 when she went in for a mammogram, expecting to be on her way to the gym a few hours later. However, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Not too long after, an acquaintance told her about Rowbust. It would be the first of three people who told her she’d be perfect for the team. She had crossed paths with all of them in the past, and all were connected to Rowbust. She said she thought the angels were trying to tell her something.

Meyer says she believes everything happens for a reason that’s positive even though it may not seem to be at first, and that every person she meets, she meets for a reason.

Rowbust was started in 1995 in Vancouver by Dr. Don McKenzie, a sports medicine physician and exercise physiologist researching rehabilitation after breast cancer treatment.

He determined that regular exercise benefits everyone, including breast

cancer survivors.

A few years later, Dr. Annette Richard encouraged survivors to attend an information session, and Rowbust Dragon Boat Racing Team was born, the Rowbust website says.

Coincidentally, or not, Meyer had been a student of McKenzie when she attended the University of British Columbia decades earlier.

Richard had once been her physician. They were two more signs that she should join the team.

Meyer says if something feels right, go for it. “Believe in signs.

Listen to your inner goddess.”

When Meyer, 49, joined she was one of the youngest of the London club’s 70 members, she says.

Meyer’s husband, broker/manager Peter Meyer of Royal LePage Triland Realty, put together teams to raise awareness in the community.

Meyer has been with Royal LePage for more than 10 years. She jokes that she’s been the guinea pig for the training programs developed

buyer’s previously determined maximum, encourage them to resist the temptation to join the frenzy. Bidding wars can be emotionally challenging and exceedingly expensive. If they lack sufficient financial clout or the stamina to continue, and/or prefer to avoid paying top dollar, tell them to walk away. There’ll be another property somewhere sometime that they’ll love just as much and maybe more.

In the final of this three-column series, I opine on the controversial topic of what has become known as the infamous bully offer.

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, REM visit Realty-Voice.com.

By Connie Adair

by her husband, who is in the world to come charge of training and and participate. We development. “The trainare still looking for a ing programs work. It title sponsor and works if you do all the encourage anyone steps,” says Meyer, who interested to reach sold houses for more than out. We are a registwo years before Peter tered charity,” she bought out the partners. “I says. Meyer encourdidn’t want to be a selling ages any Realtors manager or owner who across the country competes with the agents who have been in the office,” she says. She affected by breast is still licensed but pro- Barbara Meyer shows cancer or know off her gold medal. vides referrals to the other someone who has to agents in the office. see if there is a dragTriland has 230 salespeople with on boat team in their area. “It’s offices in London, St. Thomas, empowering,” she says. “I’m so proud Woodstock and Ingersoll. “It’s amaz- to be part of Rowbust and the amazing how people come together, she ing group of women/athletes it repsays. People in her office have also resents. I’m honoured to be coached by world-class coaches former been supportive.

Rowbust is celebrating its 20th Olympian Cheryl McLachan and anniversary in 2019 with a two-day Sarah Shellard.”

For more information about dragon boat race/festival on June 8 Rowbust, visit www.rowbustdragand 9.

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22 REM DECEMBER 2018

Here’s what the future Realtor won’t be

By Christopher Seepe

S

Welcome, RE/MAX Hallmark Trends Group Realty!

Please join us in welcoming veteran Broker Ana Pronio and the team at Trends Realty on joining RE/MAX! Ana has been in the real estate industry for 13 years, and a Broker for 10. With her successful boutique brokerage based in King City, Ana is welcomed to RE/MAX by RE/MAX Hallmark Brokers Ken McLachlan, Debra Bain, Steve Tabrizi, and Barbara Brindle. Along with her extensive real estate experience, Ana is a committed community member having served as President of the King City Business Community Association for the past three years. Ana and her team will also be highly committed to the Children’s Miracle Network, as is the rest of the RE/MAX brand.

RE/MAX Hallmark Trends Group Realty stands by their mission: to be instrumental in helping people realize their dreams and leave a lasting, positive impression on clients, beyond the transaction.

Ana and her team will operate under the brokerage name RE/MAX Hallmark Trends Group Realty, a fullservice brokerage serving York Region – specifically, King Township, Vaughan, and Richmond Hill.

Congratulations to Ana Pronio and the team on joining the RE/MAX Network as RE/MAX Hallmark Trends Group! We can hardly wait to see your continued and future success as part of our globalal powerhouse brand.

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.

As a new RE/MAX brokerage part of the RE/MAX Hallmark brand, Ana is thrilled to continue her success as a Broker and join a widely recognized brand that offers training programs, marketing support, and up-to-date technology. RE/MAX’s tech-savvy reputation and dedication to creating innovative, impactful marketing is what positions this real estate powerhouse above the crowd, which is what drew Ana to the brand in the first place.

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everal Canadian real estate industry pundits recently said that we won’t recognize the Realtor five years from now.

None of them said why. Here’s why.

High-tech companies are pouring billions into next-generation technologies for real estate. Do an Internet search on “proptech” and find out which companies are looking to make Realtors irrelevant and racing to win this multitrillion-dollar business. None are talking about the Realtor’s future role and some are implying Realtors won’t be needed.

Then research “blockchain”.

This technology is doing for “value” transactions what the internet did for information sharing. The internet was created to move data instantly between parties worldwide around a design foundation of reliability, which was naïve given the pervasiveness of viruses, hacking and fraud. Yet a value transaction such as clearing a cheque, wiring money or closing a real estate transaction takes days or weeks.

Blockchain is a peer-to-peer (think consumer-to-consumer) transaction technology that is removing the need for traditional trusted entities like banks, lawyers, government financial policing agencies, accountants, mortgage brokers and Realtors, in all types of value or asset transactions – money, artwork, patents, music, vehicles, property – between two parties. Combined with artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, smart contracts and the internet, blockchain is already seeding a worldwide decentralized ecosystem for value exchange without need for traditional trusted entities.

Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff announced in September that Zillow will aggressively embrace blockchain. If blockchain means directly connecting buyers to sellers, what is the Realtor’s role within Zillow five years from now?

Zillow-like companies need Realtors today because they don’t have the sales force to populate their listings database. But once consumers learn and appreciate the convenience, low cost and worldwide market reach of a peerto-peer listing service with a builtin trusted entity (blockchain, not Zillow), artificial intelligence property pricing, auto-managed and executed agreements of purchase and sale, encrypted currency like Bitcoin, instant mortgages (Zillow offers “mortgage origination” via its subsidiary, Mortgage Lenders of America), and a technology infrastructure that is “immutable”, consumers will flock to these online services to manage the end-to-end process of selling and buying a house.

What’s a Realtor to do? If you give your listings to an online listing company, you could be contributing to your own future business demise. If you don’t embrace proptech, you’ll definitely find yourself without a career within the coming decade.

Will Canadian organized real estate save the day? Do you think spending millions of membership dues to limit the publishing of certain data outside the MLS or registering trademarks will make one iota of difference?

CREA’s and TREB’s 2016 revenue were each under $40 million.

CREA spent $500,000 on technology; TREB spent $15 million on computer technology. Zillow invested more than $100 million just in R&D. Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Facebook, which have all stated they want in on the real estate business, spent $16.1, $14.3, $12.3 and $5.9 billion in R&D, respectively. CB Insights monitors real estate tech markets.

It says newer residential real estate technology startups have focused on mortgages, direct-home buying and title and closing. Commercial sector startups focused on data, valuation and analytics, investment crowdfunding and energy management.

How many commercial list-

ings do you find on the MLS? The commercial real estate old boys’ network will also take a beating.

What developer or property owner needs a Realtor if they can directly access thousands of small investors for any one project via crowdfunding and provide them with myriad analysis tools and information in order to make an informed decision?

Realtor.ca and the traditional board-level MLS as we know it today will become irrelevant within a decade.

Opendoor, a startup, raised $725 million and is valued at $4.4 billion. It and Zillow flip homes with the press of a button.

Point.com empowers homeowners to sell small fractions of their home equity to investors. WeWork is turning office space into real estate-on-demand. Slock.it offers a smart lock that opens when contract conditions have been met and enables anyone to rent, sell or share any asset without a middleman. OpenBazaar is a free online marketplace where you can create a store and sell anything. It’s not a company or organization. It’s open source software that nobody controls.

Realtors are intended to be “trusted” middlemen. What a future Realtor’s role might be requires a separate article but, with absolute certainty, it won’t be gatekeepers of MLS data.

Whatever the role, if you’re not tech-savvy – social media, online advertising, blogging, email drip marketing, aerial and 3D video, social graphics, conversion rates – you’ll consistently lose to those who are.

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

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24 REM DECEMBER 2018

THE GUEST COLUMN

I am a Realtor I am a Realtor And I give you my life

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I begin working for you On a promise

By Victor Khong

I

n June 2018, the rules of real estate changed in British Columbia. The ensuing aftermath caused confusion among consumers and licensees as the rollout progressed. The chaos made me to reflect on the essence of agency and a Realtor’s life.

www.peakrealestate.com

A promise to do my best To be honest To be truthful A promise To value your property To show it To sell it This is not my right It is my privilege To serve you at the highest level Requires constant professional education It requires me to grow

click the button YOUR OWN OFFICE

You trust me to be a professional So I promise to put your needs above my own If I am honest about this There are holidays missed Birthdays, not taken Celebrations, shortened Personal time, sacrificed That is the price I pay For the service I commit to deliver You trust me to be a professional So I put your needs above my own This is not my punishment It is my privilege I am a Realtor And I give you my life

A former vice-president, finance of a property management firm in downtown Vancouver, Victor Khong moved to the small rural town of Horsefly, some 65 km northeast of Williams Lake, in 2012. He is a sales rep with Horsefly Realty and has volunteered with the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board and the B.C. Real Estate REM Association. cariboorealtor@gmail.com 250-620-3440

Group pushes to raise awareness of radon “Just as it’s now second nature for Canadians to buckle their seatbelts and change the batteries in their smoke detectors, we need to encourage people to take action to reduce their cancer risk and test their homes for radon,” says Pam Warkentin.

A

coalition of national health organizations is urging Canadians to test their homes for radon, a naturally occurring and cancer-causing radioactive gas. The groups say radon is responsible for the deaths of more than 3,200 Canadians a year, which amounts to more deaths annually than car collisions, house fires, carbon monoxide poisoning and drowning combined.

The Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST) and CAREX Canada are launching Plan to be Here: an initiative that aims to raise awareness about the cancer risks associated with radon and the importance of having homes tested.

“Many Canadians are unaware

that radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers,” says Pam Warkentin, executive director of CARST and project manager, Take Action on Radon. “Just as it’s now second nature for Canadians to buckle their seatbelts and change the batteries in their smoke detectors, we need to encourage people to take action to reduce their cancer risk and test their homes for radon.”

Radon is a radioactive gas that is present in the air and can accumulate in high concentrations in homes. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon damages the DNA in lung tissue and can lead to increased lung cancer risk, say the groups.

According to Health Canada, more than one million Canadian homes have high radon levels.

“Radon can find its way into any home, regardless of location, age, upkeep or design,” says contractor and TV host Mike Holmes Jr. “Help keep your family safe and get your home tested for radon levels.

Testing is easy, and if your home has high levels of radon, the mitigation process is straightforward and affordable.”

Kelley Bush, manager of Radon Education and Awareness for Health Canada, says Canadians need to be more proactive when it comes to protecting themselves and their loved ones from radon exposure.

“A recent study commissioned

by Health Canada found that only six per cent of Canadians have tested their home for radon,” says Bush.

“We need to increase that number.”

REM

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Woodbridge, Ontario Real Estate Agent Forced to Succeed After Leaving 6-Figure Job Real success in any business means not only healthy earnings, but also time off to enjoy life. The fact is, however, that most Canadian real estate agents sacrifice their 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 business at all.

What you have instead is a “job”, and for many, it’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.

The fact is that agents leave our industry in droves, not because 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, they don’t find enough time to properly follow up and thus convert their leads, they don’t know exactly 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.

A profitable and “real” business MUST be based on solid systems. In real estate, that means a system to generate leads, a system to convert those leads, and a system to convert qualified prospects into paying clients. Every successful business in the world, from McDonalds to Amazon to FedEx, is based on proven and duplicatable “systems”, and the agents who achieve mega success in our industry have done so on the strength of solid, proven, efficient business systems.

As revealed in the profile of Woodbridge agent, Hugo

Castrillon on this page, and of multiple other agents you can read about at www.FreeProctorWorkshop.com, creating a highly profitable real 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, and regardless of which franchise you’re with.

Each of the agents profiled credits the same real estate 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 Millionaire Agents than any other coach or trainer, but Proctor was 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 fact, for 6 years straight, no one listed or sold more homes in the Greater Toronto Area than Proctor 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 worldwide to transform their real 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 methodically to your goals…a plan you could show a banker or investor or new partner or key associate… a plan you have reasoned, complete confidence in, then why wouldn’t 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 Day (visit www.FreeProctorWorkshop.com, for details). Yes, Craig Proctor will openly share with you how he 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 Proctor will spill the beans and share with you exactly what to do and what it takes to be a Super-Successful Real Estate agent in Canada.

For more information, visit: www.FreeProctorWorkshop.com,

Read More About Successful Agents Like Hugo at www.FreeProctorWorkshop.com

by Hugo Castrillon (Woodbridge, ON) “I got my real estate license

in April of 2014. I had just left a

six-figure job in the corporate sector and was full of optimism that I was about to embark on a great career selling real estate. I had 3 very young kids at home and was the sole bread winner, so I HAD to make it work.

“My broker sent me to another sales trainer who advocated cold calling and door knocking.

I began doing exactly what I

was told and knocked doors and made cold calls daily. It didn’t take me long to begin regretting the decision to change careers. “‘What have I done?’, I thought.

“The other trainer I looked up kept pushing referrals. Well, I was new in the business, so I had no clients to get referrals from.

“One night, in my desperation, I was reading a book that outlined successful marketers in various industries. One of the case studies was a Real Estate Agent from Newmarket, ON, who was selling over 500 homes per year using effective marketing techniques, which caused prospects to reach out to him. His name was Craig Proctor. I immediately Googled him and called his office the next morning to sign up for his SuperConference.

“Going to that Super Conference was life changing. Everything he said made perfect sense. He talked about offering the prospect value first. That way when it came time to ask for the order, the

natural response was ‘Where do I sign?’. This was such a contrast to the arm-twisting method that the other trainer had pushed.

The way my first trainer taught made it feel like I was in a fight with a prospect and whoever could push harder won. With Craig’s system, it felt much more

more time to spend with my family. I have the luxury of choosing when I want to work, and perhaps even more importantly – WHO I WANT TO WORK WITH. No more abusive clients that have no respect for you or your time.

No more clients who try to beat you down on commission.

“The way my first trainer taught made it feel like I was in a fight with a prospect and whoever could push harder won.” natural. Offer the prospect what THEY want. Give them so much value that their natural response is to want to work with you.

Craig also provided me systems to incorporate in my business that gave me the confidence I needed to walk into a listing presentation and KNOW that I was the best person for the job.

“By implementing Craig’s system, I have been able to multiply my income by TEN TIMES!! Not only that, I have

“Aside from providing me a great lifestyle, the thing I am most thankful for is the person I have become in the process.

I no longer live in scarcity, but instead believe in abundance.

I no longer believe that my success has to come at the expense of another agent’s, or vice-versa. We can all thrive if we just apply our energy to the right things. Craig’s system has provided me financial and personal freedom.”

MILLIONAIRE AGENT-MAKER DISCOVERY DAY: Responsible for the Biggest Success Stories in the Industry Full City Schedule at:

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26 REM DECEMBER 2018

Good Works

R

e/Max Little Oak Realty, with five offices in the Fraser Valley, B.C., recently donated $138,000 for the purchase of a new central cardio-respiratory monitoring system at Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre. It’s the largest donation the pediatrics unit at the hospital has ever received.

“This hospital means so much to the community and has played such an important role in the health and well-being of our children,” says Todd Hendrickson, a sales rep at the brokerage. “We’re proud to support the pediatrics unit with the purchase of this vital equipment.”

A story in The Abbottsford News says that the central cardiorespiratory monitoring system monitors patients’ heart rates, car-

diac rhythm, breathing frequency and oxygen saturation. It will replace small, portable monitoring units that are currently being used.

■ ■ ■

Chris Kloot, a sales rep with Sutton – Showplace Realty and a Chilliwack, B.C. city councillor, had the idea to hold the Rosedale Harvest Festival a few years ago.

He launched it with the help of his wife Nella, his sister-in-law Jocelyn Kloot, and friends Jack Klaassen, Kristy Klaassen, Lisa Neels and Laura Terhaar. The fourth annual festival was held in October, celebrating autumn country style with a pancake breakfast, hay rides, a plowing match, food fair, parade and more. There were more than 65 entries in the parade and at least 1,000 people were fed at the break-

fast feast, which was prepared by firefighters with donated eggs, drinks, coffee, pancakes, whipping cream, blueberries and sausage.

“An involved community is a successful community, and as always we encourage our neighbours to get to know each other a little bit better,” says Kloot.

■ ■ ■

Avison Young held its fifth annual global Day of Giving recently in all of the company’s markets. “This is our small way of trying to make a big difference in the lives of others who need assistance, often due to no fault of their own,” says chair CEO Mark E. Rose. “As we help initiate change at the grassroots level, we will also be promoting the principles of sustainability through action and partnership.”

Each Avison Young office chose its own community volunteer project in consultation with the charity that will receive the assistance. Activities ranged from packing food at food banks; to painting, cleaning and landscaping at youth shelters; to making crafts with senior citizens.

■ ■ ■

A group of men in Montreal recently donned red high heels and

Chris Kloot and his wife Nella, along with friends and relatives, launched the Rosedale Harvest Festival.

The Trentadue Torres team collected bags of food from the neighbourhood for the local food bank.

The Modern Real Estate Team at Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty: From left: Tasha Medve, Saira Waters and Lindsay BlockGlass.

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Re/Max Little Oak Realty staff presents the cheque to the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre.

Susan Taylor of Re/Max Prime Properties in Markham, Ont. with the Accessible Trick or Treating sign.

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Cliff Barron and daughter Lizzy.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Fredericton organizer and Royal LePage Gardiner Realty broker/owner Lincoln Thompson is joined by fellow Royal LePager and Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Montreal organizer Georges Gaucher.

REM DECEMBER 2018 27

walked a mile together in support of ending violence against women.

Led by organizers at Royal LePage Village, the group raised $31,000 in donations to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, which benefits Auberge Transition, a women’s shelter that helps transition women out of violent situations and into healthier and safer lives.

More than 50 men participated in the fourth annual event, including walkers from five Royal LePage Village offices, local police officers and firefighters. One hundred supporters and community members joined with them and lined their route. â– â– â–

Cliff Barron’s third annual Great Pumpkin Giveaway was another success. Barron, a sales rep with Sutton Group - Summit Realty in Mississauga, Ont., purchased a load of 200 pumpkins weighing approximately 1,500 pounds and gave them away by donation before Halloween.

Families stopped by a Milton, Ont. park to choose the perfect pumpkin for jack-o’-lanterns and pies, enjoy a scarecrow display and snap photos at the cut-out photo booth.

With public donations and a contribution from Barron, the event raised $500 for the United Way of Halton & Hamilton. â– â– â–

More than $20,000 was raised at two Walk a Mile in Her Shoes events in Halifax and New Minas, N.S., hosted by Royal LePage Atlantic. All proceeds support local women’s shelters, Alice House and Chrysalis House via the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. “We had an absolutely great event, with double the walkers from last year,â€? says Gary Morse, manager at Royal LePage Atlantic in New Minas. â– â– â–

Re/Max Integra organized a pilot program to promote “Accessible Trick or Treating� yard signs and inclusivity on Halloween. The company encouraged brokers and agents to distribute Accessible Trick or Treating yard signs designed to show support for children with accessibility issues. When the sign is posted on the front lawn or in the window, it signifies that the homeowners are aware that some children may have trouble getting to the front

door to get their Halloween treats, and pledge to do whatever they can to be inclusive. Homeowners with staircases, steep or long driveways, crowded front entrances or narrow pathways distribute candy from their garage or driveway, or promise to just be on the lookout to make trick or treating easily accessible. â– â– â–

Donations totalling $64,000 in support of local shelters were gathered at the Royal LePage Network Realty annual golf tournament in Red Deer, Alta. Funds raised are directed to the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter via the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, and a local youth shelter.

In addition to tournament fundraising, Royal LePage Network Realty arranged for $20,000 in in-kind donations to the local youth shelter, including a fresh coat of paint for the building; new security system, front deck and entrance; and new bedding. Another $40,000 was secured in in-kind donations for suite renovations at an Elder Abuse shelter, which the brokerage was instrumental in opening in Red Deer. â– â– â–

Once per quarter, the Trentadue Torres Team at Re/Max All Stars in Stouffville, Ont. works to help replenish the shelves of local food banks after a busy holiday season. They leave one bag on the doorstep of each home in a select community, with a call to action for households to fill their bag and make a difference to community members in need.

This year the team dropped off donation bags to 400 homes on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

They then hit the streets the following week to collect the bags and deliver them to a local food bank. They made a big splash with a huge branded sprinter truck, complete with music to alert the community of its arrival. “It’s amazing to see people running outside, knowing what we are doing,� says sales rep Dolores Trentadue. “It allows us to meet the community and give back.

Our community support was even mentioned by the mayor and his wife. What a great feeling.â€? â– â– â–

More than $15,300 was raised for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation at the sixth annual Raise the Roof for Shelter fundraising event, hosted by the Modern Real Estate team with Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty in Victoria.

Organizers Saira Waters, Tasha Medve and Lindsay Block-Glass surpassed their fundraising goal. In just three hours they broke their existing fundraising record via donations at the door, a silent auction, a draw and offering guests the opportunity to buy a pair of John Fluevog shoes (the event space host), with 50 per cent of the price donated back to the cause.

The funds were donated to four local women’s shelters. â– â– â–

Living Realty raised $2,000 and collected a lot of food recently for the local food bank.

Following the success of its 2017 Thanksgiving Food Drive, the brokerage launched its drive in mid-September, installing collection boxes at all six of Living Realty’s branches in the Greater Toronto Area. Honouring a pledge made at the start of the food drive to match donations with an equivalent cash donation, Living Realty presented a $2,000 cheque along with the food to the Daily Bread Food Bank – a well-established organization that has become one of Canada’s largest food banks.

WELCOME

Coldwell Banker Four Seasons Real Estate Vernon, BC

The Coldwell BankerÂŽ global network is pleased to welcome franchise brokerage Coldwell Banker Four Seasons Real Estate of Vernon, British Columbia. Owners Norm Brenner and Carla Dahlen and their sales force bring a long history of serving clients in the market and GLSWI XS EÇ˝ PMEXI XLIMV FVSOIVEKI [MXL XLI (SPH[IPP 'EROIV FVERH 8Ĺ…Ĺł Âą Ă?ŅĚĀ ĂšĂĽÄšĆ‹ÄœÂąÄŹ Ă?Ĺ…ÄšĆ´ĂĽĹłĹ¸ÂąĆ‹ÄœĹ…Äš ¹ÆŅƚƋ ßų¹ĚĂ?Ä˜ÄœĹ¸ĂĽ Ĺ…ĹžĹžĹ…ĹłĆ‹ĆšÄšÄœĆ‹ÄœĂĽĹ¸Ă˜ Ă?¹ďď× Mark Lindsey, RVP, Franchise Sales I\X QEVO PMRHWI]%GSPH[IPPFEROIV GE

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WELCOME

Coldwell Banker Southwest Realty Petrolia, Ontario

â– â– â–

Royal LePage Gardiner Realty in Fredericton welcomed local men who are keen to “stand up and step in� to end violence against women at their fifth annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraising march. More than 100 participants – including local police officers, firefighters, RCMP and Canadian Forces personnel took part.

Walkers of all ages were supported by spectators cheering them on.

Walkers also kindly supported each other, holding up friends struggling in their new shoes or those who quickly developed blisters.

All funds raised will be donated via the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation to Fredericton’s Women in Transition House, a secure and safe shelter for women and their children who are fleeing abuse. Fundraising at this annual event has now surpassed $104,000.

REM

The Coldwell BankerÂŽ global network is pleased to announce that Coldwell Banker Southwest Realty owners Steven Park and Rob Longo have expanded their brokerage through the rebranding of ER IWXEFPMWLIH PSGEP MRHITIRHIRX SÇ˝ GI PSGEXIH MR 5IXVSPME 4RXEVMS 8LI SÇ˝ GI MW QEREKIH F] 7SFIVX 1IETIV (SRKVEXYPEXMSRW XIZIR ERH 7SF ERH [IPGSQI 7SFIVX

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Join the blue.

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l (SPH[IPP 'EROIV 11( &PP 7MKLXW 7IWIVZIH *EGL 4Ç˝ GI MW .RHITIRHIRXP] 4[RIH ERH 4TIVEXIH (SPH[IPP 'EROIV XLI (SPH[IPP 'EROIV PSKS (SPH[IPP 'EROIV ,PSFEP 1Y\YV] ERH XLI (SPH[IPP 'EROIV ,PSFEP 1Y\YV] PSKS EVI VIKMWXIVIH WIVZMGI QEVOW S[RIH F] (SPH[IPP 'EROIV 11( *EGL WEPIW VITVIWIRXEXMZI ERH FVSOIV MW VIWTSRWMFPI JSV GSQTP]MRK [MXL ER] GSRWYQIV HMWGPSWYVI PE[W SV VIKYPEXMSRW Petrolia Photo by User: P199 at Wikimedia Commons

28 REM DECEMBER 2018

T

he Realtors Association of Edmonton joined with partners in the St. Albert area to raise more than $250,000 at the recent sold-out Jersey Gala in honour of victims of the tragic Humboldt Broncos bus crash earlier this year.

More than 650 people attended the wear-your-favourite-jersey event that paid tribute to Jaxon Joseph, Logan Hunter, Conner Lukan and Stephen Wack, who were all from the area and among the 16 players, coaches and staff who lost their lives in the fatal crash last April.

The star-studded event, which raised funds for four annual scholarships in the players’ names, was hosted by Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean. It included a keynote address from former CBC

news anchor Peter Mansbridge, a poignant performance of Big League by prairie singer/songwriter Tom Cochrane and an emotional rendition of O Canada by Wack’s younger brother Justin.

The evening was also attended by families of the players, who wore Broncos jerseys with the names and player numbers of their loved ones.

“The event sold out in 36 hours at $200 a seat,” says Jersey Gala vice-chair Chuck Mulholland, a long-time Realtor in the area. The money raised will go toward funding memorial scholarships, with the goal of helping future St. Albert students. It will also help fund a stick memorial inside Akinsdale Arena, as well as four memorial benches on pathways in the city.

Mulholland says that while the event came together quickly, organizations such as the Realtors Association of Edmonton and celebrities Mansbridge, Cochrane, Maclean, Olympian Meaghan Mikkelson and Edmonton Oilers legend Paul Coffey all came on board as soon as they were approached.

The gala also included touching moments such as the auctioning of Cochrane’s signed guitar, sold for $10,000 to Coffey, who immediately brought it to Joseph’s parents.

■ ■ ■

Each year the Newfoundland Association of Realtors awards two scholarships valued at $1,000 each to family members of the NL Realtor community who are beginning their post-secondary education.

This year’s recipients are Abigail Ann Bennett, the granddaughter of Gerard Trainor of Royal LePage Vision Realty, and Mia Winsor, the daughter of Arthur Winsor of Exit Realty Shoreline.

■ ■ ■

The Association of Regina Realtors (ARR) has donated more than $125,000 to the North Central Youth Centre (NCFC) over the years. Recently the association donated another $5,000 to support the NCFC After School Program.

Past support from Regina Realtors has included providing books and supplies for the centre’s classes, equipment for Clean the Neighbourhood Project, construction of an outdoor courtyard and funding for the Youth Empowerment Program.

“Year after year, we see the difference NCFC is making to the youth and their families involved in various programs,” says Tim Otitoju, ARR president and Regina Realtor. “They’re helping to build a better future, not just for the participants, but for the whole community. It’s inspiring to see the great work being done and to know that we’ve played a small role in their success.”

■ ■ ■

CREA recently hosted 77 developers and programmers for a Realtor.ca “hackathon” to seek ideas that will improve the website.

“Amazing things can happen when talented and passionate people come together with a common goal,” says Barb Sukkau, president of CREA. “CREA hosted developers from across Canada and beyond over a weekend of designing, building and ‘demoing’ solutions that were focused on facilitating the homebuying and selling journey.”

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in an intense 48-hour hackathon in which teams moved from challenge to idea, to pitching a fully functional demo to a panel of real estate and technology-focused judges.

This is the first of several hackathon challenges that CREA plans to host.

The winning proposal was developed by team propGram, composed of Bahar Eghtesadi, Maryam Moafi and Reza Farahani. “We had an amazing experience and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to really dive into Realtor.ca’s data sets,” says Eghtesadi, propGram team leader. “We’re looking forward to elaborating on our idea and optimizing it.” REM

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Celebrities joined Edmonton-area Realtors and other partners to raise more than $250,000 in honour of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.

From left: CREA CEO Michael Bourque with propGram team members Bahar Eghtesadi, Reza Farahani and Maryam Moafi.

Right: North Central Young Centre executive director Sandy Wankel accepts the cheque from ARR president Tim Otitoju, left, and ARR CEO Gord Archibald.

The Lethbridge and District Association of Realtors Charity Golf Tournament raised $25,297 for the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign this year. From left: Cathy Maxwell, LDAR EO; Cary Ronspies, LDAR president; Jennifer Petracek-Kolb, CEO, YMCA Lethbridge; and Justin Myer, LDAR Golf Committee chair.

From left: NLAR CEO Bill Stirling, Abigail Ann Bennett, Gerard Trainor and NLAR past-president John Whalen.

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In addition to the educational sessions, the conference features: n several pre- and postconference sessions n a tradeshow with over 30 exhibitors n networking receptions

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30 REM DECEMBER 2018

Kamloops board honours members The Kamloops and District Real Estate Association (KADREA) recently honoured Realtor members and industry partners for their contribution to Kamloops and area.

The winners are: Outstanding Affiliate: Doug Barclay, Barclay Home Inspections. As an affiliate member, Barclay was nominated for outstanding customer service.

Rookie Realtor of the Year: Trent Thompson, Brendan Shaw Real Estate. He was nominated for exemplary community service.

Brokerage Award: Royal LePage Westwin and Kamloops Realty. The nominees for this award make community contribu-

tion and quality of life a priority in all aspects of their practice for those in the areas they serve.

Non-Member Citizenship Award: Finlay Sinclair. These nominees are not members of KADREA but have had a significant positive impact on the real estate industry in the KADREA jurisdiction. “Finlay Sinclair has been at the forefront of The Reach development since the beginning.

He is a visionary and the impact he made will benefit our community for decades to come,� says the board.

Distinguished Service Award: Bob Gieselman, Coldwell Banker Kamloops Realty. This long standing KADREA member “has dedicated his life to the real estate industry. Bob played an integral part in the real estate education

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field, putting his heart into the betterment of the entire industry,� says the board.

Realtor of the Year: Scott Andruschak, River City Realty. “Scott is very deserving of this award, not only because of his work as a Realtor but also his work in the community. For eight years Scott has volunteered at Kidsport Kamloops and led the organization to become one of the most successful chapters in British Columbia.�

Blair and Beverly Gordon honoured in Okotoks, Alta.

Beverly and Blair Gordon, owners of Century 21 Foothills, recently received the Mrs. John A. Campbell award from Sheep River Health Trust in Okotoks, Alta.

The Sheep River Health Trust aims to promote health and wellbeing throughout Okotoks and the surrounding communities. The Gordons were recognized for raising money for the Health Champion Program, which supports local initiatives and helps to facilitate health services in Okotoks and the surrounding communities. “Our entire family from grandchildren to parents is involved and donate monthly to the trust,� said the Gordons in a news release. “Our sales representatives always get involved with the golf tournament, Radiothon, Avenue of Trees and the Photos with Santa campaigns. All the funds raised from these campaigns go to the trust.�

The Gordons were both born and raised in the Foothills. “We have been married for 50 years and have been licensed real estate brokers since 1977. We love the Foothills area because we have all the luxuries, culture and entertain-

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ment of the city, but with all the benefits of small-town community.

It truly is the best of both worlds.�

Angela Boyle honoured in Bathurst, N.B. Angela Boyle, broker/owner at Royal LePage Parkwood Realty in Bathurst, N.B., has been named female entrepreneur of the year by the Bathurst Chamber of Commerce. “I’ve been in this business for 25 years and took over ownership at Royal LePage Parkwood Realty three years ago during a period of fierce competition and admittedly some setbacks,� says Boyle. “Now, it’s great to see all the hard work and solid business strategy coming to fruition – I am humbled and honoured to have this recognition coming from my community.�

Julio Florez named A.E. LePage Realtor of the Year Julio Florez, an associate broker at Royal LePage True North Realty in Fort McMurray, Alta., was

Angela Boyle accepts her award as female entrepreneur of the year in Bathurst, N.B.

named national winner of the A.E. LePage Realtor of the Year award at the company’s recent National Sales Conference. “Julio is an exemplary brand ambassador for Royal LePage and well deserving of the national A.E. LePage Award,� says CEO and president Phil Soper. “We are grateful for his contributions and proud to recognize this entire group of highly esteemed regional winners.�

The award is bestowed annually to a select group of Royal LePage agents from across Canada. It is based on a variety of criteria including productivity, representation of the company’s motto, “Helping you is what we do� and brand engagement. Earlier this year, five regional winners were recognized.

The regional winners were Susan Forrest, Royal LePage Parksville-Qualicum Beach Realty, B.C.; David Halls, Royal LePage Royal City Realty, Guelph, Ont.; Libby Broady, Royal LePage Elite Realty, Beaconsfield, Que.; and Paula Langille, Royal LePage REM Atlantic, Halifax.

Phil Soper, left and Julio Florez.

Beverly and Blair Gordon, right, receive the Sheep River Health Award.

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