February 2016 by Real Estate Magazine (REM)

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

Issue #320

February 2016

Tiny town is home to international brokerage Working with your family Page 3

5 ways to avoid closing problems Page 10

Burnout and real estate professionals Page 18

Nova Scotiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Martina Robinson and Frank Harmsen Page 8

INVESTING IN

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For more details and to apply go to remax.ca Entry deadline: March 14, 2016 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.

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REM FEBRUARY 2016 3

Working with your family: Genius or lunacy? Working with family members at the same brokerage or real estate firm can be a great success or a heartbreaking failure. Thinking of giving it a try? Jerry Rush did. By Toby Welch

erry Rush, a sales representative with Royal LePage Network Realty in Red Deer, Alta., works with his two sons, Lyndon and Nathan Rush. Lyndon joined the firm in 2005 when he needed to work eight months of the year in his off-season as he was training to pilot the Canadian Bobsled Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. After Lyndon came home with a medal, he became a full-time Team Rush member in the commercial side of the company. Younger brother Nathan joined the firm in 2008 and works in the residential arena. Jerry does both. Working in real estate with family members has been a success for Team Rush. Jerry says this is how they’ve made it work: “We have had great family relationships throughout this time, probably due to the way the team is set up. I do not micromanage the team. Everyone is doing their own business at their own pace. We assist each other only when asked to. We share the expenses of running the office but each gets paid whatever they make in commissions. The proof of the closeness is that the wives get along and there is lots of love.”

Advantages of working with family can include: • They understand the demands of the real estate industry on your schedule and your time. • They may be more understanding when commitments outside of real estate claim your attention. • They may be a better fit when it comes to sharing the workload. • You know your coworkers well from day one, often including a level of trust you may not have with non-family members. • You are familiar with their strengths and weaknesses. • Kinfolk may be more motivated to see the business succeed than non-relatives.

Disadvantages of working with family may include: • Work stresses and issues can spill over into family life. • You may feel additional pressure to succeed. • It may be tougher to admit mistakes to family members than others. • It may be easier to take advantage of workers who are family members. • Family rivalry to be the best can be detrimental to the work environment. • Non-familial staff members may be resentful or assume colleagues are more loyal to family members. • Family members may become resentful if they feel like more work is expected of them because they are family. Sascha Heinrich, a sales rep with Prudential Kelowna Properties in Kelowna, B.C., has worked with Yvonne Zwardon, his mother-in-law, for almost eight years. Heinrich was a residential framing contractor for almost a decade before that, but Zwardon was getting too busy to handle everything on her own. When she asked Heinrich if he was interested in taking the real estate course to become a real estate agent, he said yes. Heinrich took the course, quit his construction job six months later when he got his license and has been working with his mother-in-law ever since. Joining a family business “has to be a case-by-case decision,” he says. “Yvonne and I have very strong communication skills so when we have some sort of issue, we ‘lay it out on the table’ so to speak. Everything can be solved with the right conversation. Our partnership shows how business partners can have the same interest to keep the combined clients happy and ensure that things are attended to straight away, even

Jerry, Nathan and Lyndon Rush

when one of us is out of town.” When blending work with often-emotional family relationships, the following tips may improve your odds of success: • Draw clear boundary lines between family life and work life and try not to let the two merge. • Avoid talking about work when you’re on personal time. • Arrange schedules so you don’t spend 24 hours together every day. • Make sure each person’s roles and responsibilities are clearly defined; crafting detailed job descriptions will help. Focus on one another’s strengths when establishing roles. • Never lose your sense of humour. • Keep the focus on improvement instead of blame to avoid negative feelings or bruised egos. • Leave family issues, patterns and rivalries at home when you go to work. • Put aside traditional family roles, which is especially important when parents and children work together. • Focus on keeping things professional and not personal when you are at work, as you would with non-familial colleagues.

Sascha Heinrich

Yvonne Zwardon

• Have everything in writing to avoid misunderstandings. • Avoid nepotism by treating family members the same as nonfamily members, especially with wages and performance reviews. (Ensure there aren’t two employee classes, family and nonfamily.) • Clear and open communication is imperative. • When you go home at the end of the day, leave your work issues at the office. • Like you would with any staff member, have the discussion upfront regarding how someone can exit the company if it’s not working out. • Keep your family bond a higher priority than your work

relationship. If you have disagreements, don’t forget that you will be eating together at Christmas or spending time together on vacation so it’s to everyone’s advantage to move past issues. Heinrich says, “Preventing workplace stress from spilling into our personal relationship is actually pretty simple. We (Yvonne and I) both primarily handle our own clients and when the other one needs help, there’s always the other to depend on. So I guess the only real stress would be from third parties, which having another agent who happens to be your mother inlaw there to listen to you when you need to vent is really handy.” REM

4 REM FEBRUARY 2016

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

he independent brokerage in Surrey, B.C. formerly known as Omax Realty, with 250 sales reps, is now Coldwell Banker Universe Realty. Brokerage president Jag Bhandari was previously with a Vancouver brokerage affiliated with a national brand, where he helped a start-up operation grow to 400 agents. He founded Omax Realty in 2008. Bhandari is also the owner and president of the JBC Institute of Learning, a real estate licensing school connecting with new agents entering the industry. ■ ■ ■

Draco Realty, based in Markham, Ont., has joined Engel & Völkers. The brokerage is owned by Herman and Sophia Hu and has eight sales reps. “The world is now flat and Engel & Völkers is a global luxury brand that is in line with my vision,” says Sophia Hu. “Engel & Völkers’ extraordinary background makes me proud to affiliate and be their brand ambassador for

Markham. We are committed to providing outstanding service that is expected in the Engel & Völkers international network.” ■ ■ ■

Re/Max Crossroads’ office in Thornton, Ont., which was Re/Max International’s 2013 award recipient for “highest net growth,” has been sold to managing partner Heidi Kostyra. The franchise has been renamed Re/Max Crosstown and Kostyra has already opened a second office in Barrie. Re/Max Crossroads broker of record Barney Johnson says the sale was part of a three-year plan that he and Kostyra implemented. Re/Max Crossroads still has offices in Scarborough, North York and Markham. “Plans are for all five of these offices to network a lot and still share facilities and ideas even if the ownership is now separate and the offices are in different communities,” says Johnson. There are more than 250 sales reps in the five offices. Steve Silver has joined the management staff. He will have

the dual roles of office manager and recruiter for the brokerage’s Markham, Ont. office as well as director of training and agent development for agents at all three of the Re/Max Crossroads offices. “Steve is a dynamic, entrepreneurial sales and management strategist with a 15 year record of achievement and demonstrated success in real estate in Edmonton and the GTA,” says Johnson. Silver has written two books about real estate – List to Last and Foundations for Success - Eight Weeks to Real Estate Success. ■ ■ ■

Toronto lawyer and long-time REM columnist Donald H. Lapowich retired at the end of December. “It has been my pleasure to be able to submit articles for publication in REM and to act throughout my career for the real estate industry and brokers and agents,” he says. REM thanks Donald for his many columns and wishes him all the best in his retirement.

Jason Yu, with more than 15 years in the real estate industry and over 10 years with Re/Max, recently opened Re/Max Partners Realty in Richmond Hill, Ont. Re/Max Integra says it has made a recent sizable investment into the Chinese community, which will generate more leads and referral business for Yu’s sales associates. The brokerage’s focus is on helping clients buy and sell homes, as well as commercial properties, new developments, investments and land. ■ ■ ■

Peter Holgate is joining Chase Realty as a full partner in the organization and will operate the brokerage’s new office in Burlington, Ont. He joins Bruce Moran, broker of record and past president of Real Estate Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB). Holgate will be managing partner. He is also a board director at RAHB. The brokerage has operated in Hamilton, Ancaster and Caledonia locations for the past 19 years. “With our new partnership with Peter, we will be focusing on top producers in the markets that

are not getting sufficient support in today’s landscape and lack a great office culture, which Peter has been known to provide over the course of his career,” says Moran. ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Urban Realty recently opened in Edmonton’s rising downtown core. The owners are Doris Keung and Denis Lamothe, who were formerly with a local Coldwell Banker office. The owners say their brokerage offers a team environment based on collaboration. Keung started in real estate 25 years ago and got her broker’s license in the fall. She’s won awards for her sales records and is a member of the Asian Real Estate Association of America. Lamothe is a 35-year industry veteran. He’s a well-known businessman in a variety of local industries, attributing his success over the years to helping others succeed. He supports the industry and brings regulatory knowledge back to his team by volunteering on the local MLS arbitration committee. ■ ■ ■

Continued on page 6

■ ■ ■

Johnson, Jason, and Janet Yu of Re/Max Partners Realty

Jag Bhandari

Steve Silver

Barney Johnson

Donald Lapowich

Peter Holgate

Bruce Moran

Draco Realty is the latest Engel & Völkers franchise in Canada. From left: Steve Scire, director of market development, Engel & Völkers North America; Herman Hu; Sophia Hu; and Richard Brinkley, senior vice president, Engel & Völkers Canada.

OVER

2,200 top awards given, every year

CITIES ACROSS CANADA

CANADA

HAS CLAIMED

NEARLY

1/2

OF THE TOP

CENTURY 21 OFFICES IN THE WORLD

Partner with Prestige.

6 REM FEBRUARY 2016

Multiple Listings Continued from page 4

Just in time for ski season, broker/owner Gerry Wayland recently opened Re/Max at Blue Realty in Blue Mountain, Ont. For the past five years he has owned and operated a boutique brokerage, Village Realty, which will now operate under the Re/Max banner. Wayland, with 15 years of experience in the real estate industry, began his career as an agent. He consistently won Intrawest’s Best of the Best award. After taking over the brokerage from Intrawest during the downturn in recreational real estate in North America in 2010, Village Realty was the exclusive listing

brokerage for a 600 single-family home development called Windfall. ■ ■ ■

Marco DiPietrantonio and Rob Colangeli, both former Re/Max Platinum Club award winners, have returned to the banner to join Re/Max Finest Realty. Their team will serve the eastern Ontario communities of Kingston, Amherstview, Bath, Napanee, Gananoque and South Frontenac County. DiPietrantonio has 10 years of real estate experience, while Colangeli has been in the business for eight years. They say their motto is “A team approach to exceptional service.” REM

Gerry Wayland

Engel & Völkers Toronto Uptown had a surprise visitor during their holiday party when hockey legend Eddie Shack dropped by. From left: Andrew Moresi, broker Richard Rutkowski, Eddie Shack, Guido Cristano and Roman Havlin.

Re/Max Crosstown’s new Barrie brokerage

Calgary’s Royal LePage Foothills closes all six offices Marco DiPietrantonio and Rob Colangeli

ed Zaharko is closing his Calgary-based Royal LePage Foothills brokerage, which had six offices and 163 sales reps. The agents are being transferred to Royal LePage Benchmark or Royal LePage Solutions. The Foothills Commercial Division will also move to Royal LePage Solutions. Zaharko told the Calgary Herald that “it becomes increasingly apparent that in this current economic climate that a multi-branch organization like mine becomes difficult because the expenses have accelerated and revenue is dropping…Less cash coming in and we’re just a bit behind in our commissions

payable to our Realtors. You see the writing on the wall…” Royal LePage says in a statement that the economy “may have played a role in increasing stress over the past year on Royal LePage Foothills, but this situation is attributable to unique financial challenges for the owner of one brokerage firm.” It adds that the company’s brokerages across Alberta are “weathering the impacts of very low oil prices very well.” The statement says that “consumers are not impacted by these changes as they are protected by trust accounts and real estate regulations in Alberta.” The former Foothills Commercial team’s move to

Royal LePage Solutions will cause no interruption in existing services, the company says. Phil Soper, Royal LePage’s CEO, says, “These people have thrived in a very challenging market in the Calgary region by understanding that an economy in flux requires innovative approaches to managing commercial property needs. The merger of the former Royal LePage Foothills Commercial group with the professionals at Royal LePage Solutions creates our largest commercial brokerage team in Western Canada, a move that will allow us to continue to invest and grow in this very important Alberta market segment.” REM

Cover photo: Cover photo by JULIA ROBINSON, shot at the new home development of NatureRidgeHomes.com

Publisher HEINO MOLLS heino@remonline.com

Editor JIM ADAIR jim@remonline.com

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

Distribution & Production MILA PURCELL distribution@remonline.com

Digital Media Manager WILLIAM MOLLS web@remonline.com

Art Director LIZ MACKIN

Brand Design SANDRA GOODER

Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY

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

Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com REM complies fully with the Canadian Real Estate Association's Rules for Trademarks (CREA Rule 16.5.3.1) REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned by CREA and identify the services rendered by members of CREA. REM is published 12 times a year. It is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any real estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by direct delivery in selected areas. For subscription information, email distribution@remonline.com. Entire contents copyright 2016 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1201-1223

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Doris Keung and Denis Lamothe

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Pillar To Post Home Inspectors can test your client’s home for radon.* For more detailed information, visit the website below.

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8 REM FEBRUARY 2016

Tiny town home to international brokerage

The Nova Scotia community of Musquodoboit Harbour (pop. 2,139) is home to the head office of an international real estate firm and a glossy lifestyle magazine By Dennis McCloskey her broker’s license in 2008. Harmsen continued to live and work between Germany and Nova Scotia until 2013 when he immigrated to Canada.

Frank Harmsen and Martina Robinson (Photo: Julia Robinson)

uten Tag. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Martina Robinson and Frank Harmsen certainly do. The married couple from Hamburg, Germany, have carved out a successful niche market in Nova Scotia selling real estate to Europeans – as well as to Canadians and Floridians – through their brokerage, Robinson & Harmsen Lifestyle Real Estate.

in Germany and single offices in Austria, Switzerland and Naples, Florida.

About one-quarter of their clients are home buyers from Europe who, say Robinson and Harmsen, “are attracted to the natural beauty of a place that engenders their sense of adventure and the values of a clean, safe environment.”

Born, raised and educated in Hamburg, Harmsen is a former investment banker who has an EU German real estate broker’s license. He met Robinson in the early ‘80s through a mutual acquaintance. She was visiting Hamburg and lived with her family in Montreal. There was an initial attraction but both were married at the time “with lives and families underway.” Martina moved once again with her family to Nova Scotia in 1981 when her businessman father was re-located to the province’s Eastern Shore.

The small firm has a main office in Musquodoboit Harbour, N.S. (pop. 2,139) where Robinson is broker/owner and Harmsen is managing director/ owner of the company. There are branch offices in nearby Salmon River Bridge and Yarmouth. The company is represented internationally in three offices

It wasn’t until 2005 when the couple encountered each other again. Now both divorced with seven children between them (four for him, three for her) they say the attraction between them was re-kindled. They married in 2007 and a new life and business was born. Robinson obtained her real estate license and earned

The couple share an entrepreneurial spirit so they formed a company to offer a variety of services for the province’s 84,000 people of German ethnic origin, 2,300 Swiss and 1,500 Austrians. Initially, the services included helping with translation, immigration and relocation of German-speaking people to Nova Scotia. In 2008, they incorporated a brokerage in the province in conjunction with the exclusive brokerage firm of Robinson & Harmsen die Makler, which they had previously established in Germany. Robinson calls herself a “serial lifestyle entrepreneur” and says her husband shares her values of “Life. Work. Harmony.” They own a house on the Eastern Shore in Oyster Pond, 45 km east of Halifax. “We are here by choice,” she says. “The air doesn’t vibrate here as it does in the big cities. It’s all about balance, but life comes first. Small is fine and less is more.” Robinson is an inveterate “meditative” knitter and Harmsen is an avid Atlantic salmon fisher. Both say they are team players who operate the family-owned business as equal and complementary partners. “The acknowledgement of our dependence on one another liberates us,” says Robinson, who calls her husband and business partner “an excellent teacher who exudes a style that is a calm and measured approach coupled with an intellectual logic.” As for her own logic, she says “it comes from a more intuitive place,

or what people call emotional intelligence.” Harmsen agrees, adding that his wife sees the big picture “and that allows her to visualize possible situations and scenarios and chart a positive approach toward solutions.” Robinson adds it is important that the solutions arise from harmony that requires a certain introspection from both of them. They named their company Lifestyle Real Estate because harmony, balance and work satisfaction are the pillars of their life and business. Their attitude reflects the ideas of author Heather Schuck, who wrote, “You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life.” Robinson says their real estate careers involve “serious fun and good business” and she easily identifies with historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi who believed that “happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do is in harmony.” Several years ago they created Connect, a quality, glossy magazine as a platform for marketing their inventory and added lifestyle articles. The annual publication contains 64 pages or more – in German and English – promoting their properties in Europe, Nova Scotia and Florida. There are also articles about subjects ranging from a feature on the local Salmon River Country Inn, to a four-page profile of a Nova Scotia luthier (a maker of stringed instruments such as guitars or violins) titled, A Life in Tune. It includes photos by Halifax professional photographer Julia Robinson, who is Martina Robinson’s daughter and who helps design

and produce the magazine. (She also took the photos for this story for REM.) A peek at the eight previous editions of the magazine – one was 72 pages – reveals scores of articles about provincial history, community, culture, ecology, lifestyle and other stories and poems that reflect the couples’ ideology, business practices and way of life. One article is titled How to Live on an Island while another is about keeping warm with cookies and chocolate. One two-page ad reads, Don’t wait to buy land; buy land and wait. (Full disclosure: A onepage article by the writer of this REM article was published in the eighth annual 2015-2016 edition, for which no payment was requested or received.) Robinson is editor and Harmsen serves as the magazine’s financial controller. It is published in association with their familyowned, communication design and marketing firm CC Group Publishing. Marketing considerations aside, Robinson says the magazine “engenders a symbiotic connection with their community.” Printed copies of the magazine are available for free upon request and are showcased at select locations. It is also available online at www.robinsonharmsen.com. Robinson admits the magazine excites her, calling every issue “an adventure that provides a distinctive and visually engaging cross-marketing medium that appeals to a wide range of professionals.” It’s pretty obvious that Robinson and Harmsen are not ready to say Auf Wiedersehen to their lifestyle, real estate firm or Connect magazine anytime soon. REM

“No other brand can provide what I need to bring my business to the highest level. Engel & Völkers’ values align with my personal values, and I need their passion, outstanding standard for service, and global reach.” Sophia Hu, License Partner, Engel & Völkers Markham

Only the best in the business join our brand. Nestled inside the Greater Toronto Area, Sophia Hu and her team at Draco Realty Inc. have cultivated an expertise in Markham that have made them real estate forces in their local market. This Markham team has joined Engel & Völkers in response to their exclusive clientele’s evolving needs. They can now elevate their team’s extraordinary background and leverage their city’s prominence in heritage and as a center for corporate operations. Seeking to provide a premium level of service, having access to an international network and geared with necessary technology and marketing tools, Engel & Völkers Markham will redefine real estate service in Markham and abroad.

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

©2016 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. This advertisement is not an offering of a franchise, and where required by law, an offering can only be made 14 days after delivery of the applicable franchise disclosure document.

10 REM FEBRUARY 2016

5 ways to avoid closing problems By Mark Weisleder ere are five ways that you can protect both yourself and your clients and stay out of legal trouble. 1. Check out all contracts that need to be transferred in advance and follow through. When buying or selling, it is not enough to just remember that the hot water tank is rented. There are now a variety of contracts that must be dealt with when a property is sold. These can include furnaces, air conditioning systems, alarm systems and even oil tanks.

Check the gas bill for any extra charges. In some cases, the contract has been sold to a security company while the maintenance is provided by someone else. I have seen situations where the maintenance company has gone bankrupt, forcing the owner to now find someone else to pay for repairs, while they still owe money to the finance company. Ask questions about any contract that is being assumed. Call the supplier to see if the buyer must sign an assumption agreement before closing. In some cases, if the assumption agreement is not signed, the company will still go after the seller for payment of future charges. 2. Ask about the keys and make sure the seller provides two sets on closing. Never assume that the buyer

will receive two sets of keys and garage door openers. Include a clause in the contract to make this clear. If a condominium fob has to be obtained from the management company in return for a security deposit, let the buyer know this will have to be done after closing. Do not forget to include the mailbox key, or let the buyer know if they will have to obtain one directly from Canada Post after closing. 3. Always recommend a home inspection, even in a bidding war. Buyers are always pressured to submit an offer without any conditions in a bidding war. Advise buyers to conduct a home inspection in advance of making their offer. I understand that their offer may not get accepted, but they will still be better protected if their offer is accepted. If the buyer refuses, in

Ontario use OREA Form 127 (Acknowledgement re: Conditions in Offer) to make sure the buyer understands the risks in making an offer without conditions. 4. Get expert advice, when you need it. If you are not sure about anything during the negotiations, make the offer conditional, whether it is an issue related to zoning, HST, parking or basement apartments. It is enough to just make it conditional upon lawyer approval, or have the client consult with a private planner regarding any zoning or parking issue as part of their due diligence. 5. Stay involved in the deal until closing. Once the contract is signed, your work is not over. Besides making sure that all deposits are paid

and conditions are waived in a timely manner, anticipate potential closing issues and deal with them. If you know a seller has to complete work on the property before closing, or remove debris, do not wait until the last minute. Be a pest. This will save a lot of potential headaches on closing. If there is any damage noticed at the final pre-closing visit, take a picture, get an estimate and try to make a deal to get it resolved. Solving problems at closing means happy clients, repeat business and referrals. Mark Weisleder is a partner, author and speaker at the law firm Real Estate Lawyers.ca LLP. Email mark@realestatelawyers.ca or call 1-888-876-5529. REM

Listening when you’d rather talk By Ross Wilson “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” – Ernest Hemingway here are two types of passive listener – reverent and irreverent. The former, a more respectful, non-reactive hearing, is acceptable at a cinema, lecture or theatre where, beyond participating in collective applause, a personal response is not expected. The latter, the by far more common type, is subdivided into two subcategories – the Wandering Mind and the Noise Catcher. When listening with a passive Wandering Mind, you’re paying only sporadic, unfocused attention to the speaker and allowing your mind to meander away on mental errands. Where are you going to have lunch? Your back is aching. How can you escape this talking head? While the speaker drones on, you’re distracted by your cell phone

or eavesdropping on a nearby conversation. While impatiently awaiting the first opportunity to escape or break into what is essentially a monologue, you’re already composing a response to your fragmented understanding of what’s being said before they even finish. Noise Catchers, even worse passive listeners, absently hear few of the words spoken and aren’t even close to comprehending the underlying meaning. In such cases, you’re not present. There’s no connection whatsoever. Because you fail to focus on the continuity of the communication, you miss the real or implied message. You respond with general comments, if at all, and gamble that your replies make sense. You smile, nod and more or less tune out. You’re disrespectfully disengaged. If you want to encourage someone to honestly express themselves, to be absorbed in the buying or selling process, to truly get to the heart of a matter (and you enjoy a good conversation), being an Active Engager is far more productive. While your client is talking, pay undivided attention with appropriate eye contact and body gestures. Put down your pen or personal communication device and quietly

focus exclusively on them. Listen to what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. Sense the nuance, the feeling behind the words. Observe their body language, their gestures. Don’t let their quirks, mannerisms, speech patterns, personality or physical appearance interfere with listening. Listen for the true intent of the message. Nod occasionally and maintain a body posture to show interest and understanding. Resist judging prematurely and mentally formulating a reply or interjecting until they’ve finished articulating their thoughts. Why? Because your response may change before they finish their monologue. Certainly, be aware of your thoughts and feelings as they manifest, but resist the urge to interrupt to express them. When you detect a pause in their monologue, and not merely when they break briefly to breathe, seek necessary clarification. Sensitive questions bespeak sincere respect and caring interest. After they’re finished making their point – and you might have to ask repeatedly if they are – ask for further clarification, summarize what they said and paraphrase it back to them.

To be an effective listener, you must concentrate. Respectful, considerate, focused, active engagement tends to increase rapport. You might even learn something of value about them. What they say is obviously important to them. If you care, it should be to you too. After you’ve answered their questions and provided the information they need to make a decision, be quiet. Stop talking and listen to their replies. And when you get the cue, when the time is right, trial close them. Now, that’s salesmanship. With recurrent and persistent practice, this valuable skill will eventually become habit. Remember that giving appropriate feedback, including sending both verbal and non-verbal signals, is a large part of the process. Whether your client consciously realizes it, if you’re a Wandering Mind or Noise Catcher, the usual consequence is they’ll feel unimportant because you’re essentially ignoring them. Passive listening does not demonstrate the respect they deserve. As no doubt you can imagine, an Active Engager usually generates quite a different feeling – one of trust and respect. I guess it’s obvious that I equate

a good salesperson with being a good listener. Hear what people say and don’t say and you’ll be better equipped to present acceptable solutions, handle objections, present logical arguments and fulfill your fiducial responsibility. When the dust settles, they’ll be grateful for your thoughtful guidance. Provided their decision was in their best interests, they won’t feel they’ve been pressured. With professional attention to detail and sensitivity to their feelings, it will be obvious you honourably put their interests ahead of your own. And since you courageously, considerately and attentively listened to them, you become a hero. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill Ross Wilson, broker with iPro Realty, has extensive experience as a brokerage owner, manager, trainer and mentor. His new 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, BREB, RAHB and OMDREB stores. Visit RealtyVoice.com. REM

Craig Proctor Millionaire Agent Maker SuperConference

Keynote Speaker: Dave Liniger

C h a i r m a n a n d C o - F o u n d e r, R E / M A X I n t e r n a t i o n a l No stranger to hard work from an early age, Dave Liniger grew up on a farm and served in the Air Force, including three tours in Vietnam. He first became interested in real estate after successfully buying and selling properties to supplement his income while stationed in Phoenix, AZ. In 1973, he co-founded RE/MAX International, and over the past 40 years his company has grown into one of the most recognized corporate brands in the world with nearly 96,000 sales professionals. As Chairman and co-founder of RE/MAX International, Liniger could easily rest his laurels on this achievement alone. But the man behind RE/MAX is far more accomplished, diverse and inspiring than his important business legacy.

No Bucket List The life Liniger has lived is the stuff of someone else’s bucket list. He’s raced cars, parachuted out of planes, scuba dived, and even attempted to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon. He had a small jet that he did aerobatics and military maneuvers in, and has a car collection that numbers 40, including a custommade Ford GT. He breeds Arabian horses, has hunted, fished, gone on safaris and camped, with his favourite destination being Africa, living in a tent surrounded by wildlife. He’s built several companies, and has a wonderful relationship with his wife and kids. “I’ve got people in my headquarters that have worked with me for 35 years or more,” Liniger said recently. “Power, prestige, money, that’s the world! I really have no bucket list.”

The Brink of Death … and Back

• •

•

In January 2012, Liniger awoke in the middle of the night to find himself paralyzed from the neck down and in excruciating pain from an undiagnosed staph infection (the worst his doctors had ever seen). He had organ failure, flat-lined at one point • and faced the possibility of permanent paralysis. After four months in a coma, he emerged from the darkness with what he describes as “the cognitive level of a kindergarten child.” Weeks of intensive care were followed by months of rehabilitation. He had to learn to walk again. After three critical surgeries and six grueling months in the hospital, he returned home and was back at the RE/MAX helm by October.

Best Selling Author Liniger’s New York Times Best Selling book, My Next Step: An Extraordinary Journey of Healing and Hope chronicles how he found reserves of strength to fight through his pain. Calling on his extraordinary entrepreneurial strengths, Liniger reveals how, refusing to quit, he battled back and built a goal-oriented plan to survive.

Craig Proctor receiving his #1 RE/MAX Agent Worldwide Award from RE/MAX Chairman and Co-Founder Dave Liniger in 1991 Craig Proctor’s dual track record speaks for itself. While an active agent himself, Proctor was twice #1 for RE/MAX Worldwide and has won every possible RE/ MAX Award. He consistentIn 2011, Liniger was named the In- ly sold more than a home a day (over 500 homes a year man News “People’s Choice” Most for annual GCI of almost Influential Real Estate Leader. $4 Million), and his success has been profiled in In 2010, he was included in media across the country. Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s profiles By openly sharing his stepof the 50 Most Powerful People in by-step approach, Proctor has not only taught his stuReal Estate. dents how to dramatically He has been featured in Entrepre- increase their results, but neur, Forbes, Fortune, Inc., Sucalso how to vastly improve cess and other leading publications their quality of life. His sysand media outlets across the globe. tem has been responsible for the biggest success stoHe received the Warren Bennis ries in the industry.

Award for Leadership Excellence FREE WEBINAR from the Global Institute for LeaderFOR SUCCESS-MINDED ship Development and has been AGENTS inducted into the International Create a 7-Figure Franchise Hall of Fame, the Council Real Estate Business of Real Estate Brokerage ManagThat Runs By Itself ers (CRB) Hall of Leaders, the Real Peek inside the businesses Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (ABR) of the most successful agents in the country. Get: Hall of Fame, and has earned the F the ads they run to Council of Residential Specialists generate dozens of leads (CRS) Special Achievement Award. every day

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F the scripts they use to convert more prospects F the presentations they use to secure more contracts, and much more.

12 REM FEBRUARY 2016

Netflix-inspired training part of new Sutton dashboard “I think as we see a lot more agents in their 20s, 30s, even 40s, (similar programs) will be recognized as a huge way to elevate business,” says sales rep Mariko Baerg By Neil Sharma

Real Estate Technology W

ith no shortage of duties for salespeople to juggle, frittering time on the profession’s finer details is something neither sales rep nor brokerage can afford. With the installation of a new intranet that marries all programs and software relevant to sales reps, Sutton has found a way to minimize time spent on prosaic duties. Its agents have responded positively to the November implementation and the company says it is a useful recruiting tool. Jon Chung, national director of marketing for Sutton Group, whose team designed the program called Sutton Homebase Dashboard, says given how many tools brokerage employees need to access, streamlining them into one coherent system made sense. “We noticed Realtors need to access more tools than ever, but from different sources and it’s frustrating to remember different sites, logins and passwords,” says Chung. “It saves them time when they can access them all from just one place.” Sutton agents can use the Print and Design Centre to customize their own marketing material, like postcards and personalized labels, and they can easily construct presentations – which upload to cloud software – that can be accessed via mobile devices. Another easy-to-use tool is Sutton University, a Netflixinspired training module through which agents can progress as quickly or as incre-

mentally as they choose, continuing from where they left off whenever they log back in. “With a lot of real estate training sites, people give up on them because they don’t want to spend 45 minutes on the site,” says Chung, adding that typical training sites use PDFs, whereas Sutton uses pictures and videos. “As with Netflix, you can watch five minutes of a training video (on Sutton University). We benchmarked Netflix and applied it as best we could. It’s a more efficient and enjoyable way to learn about how to be a Realtor, broker or office manager. “It has a really awesome search bar where you can search any keyword or relevant information, so you can easily find anything you’re looking for. We made our training centre brokerage-flexible, meaning if you’re a brokerage somewhere in Ontario, you can make it tailored specifically to your office. Brokers can also track progress to see which agents are using the courses and to see who’s doing what.” Additionally, referrals aren’t being lost in a fray of disjointed websites; they enter the dashboard and, thanks to smart technology, find their way to suitable agents, no matter where they’re located. That means a referral from Toronto can easily find its way to an agent in Regina with a higher chance of conversion. “A positive side effect is, in the past, a lot of leads weren’t being accepted or used or dealt with because you’d have to log in

Jon Chung

Laura Marks

“We can take time to explain the value of this to our salespeople so that they realize they’re getting better-qualified leads through this system. It’s good for the public, it’s good for the brokerage and it’s good for the agents.” to different websites or emails, but now you can go through the dashboard,” says Chung. Laura Marks, managing broker for Sutton Group - Heritage Realty in Markham, Ont., says Sutton Homebase Dashboard has improved lead generation in ways that far exceed what anybody expected. “Lead generation is unbelievable,” she says. “We’re getting hits on a regular basis and it’s much more successful than any other lead system we’ve had in the past because they’re more qualified leads.” Along with the intranet, Sutton.com has been updated with smart technology as well and now agents and brokers can track potential clients’ viewing habits. “You know what the public

client had been looking at, so you’ve got a little bit of information there when you contact them,” says Marks. “At least you know what they’re looking at and what their interest is. Turning that into a bona fide lead is so much greater than opening the conversation with no previous information. It gives you more depth and you sound more capable.” Perhaps the biggest advantage of the new system is the ability to recruit. Mariko Baerg, a relatively new sales rep, credits the dashboard with her decision to join Sutton Group West Coast in Coquitlam, B.C. “One hundred per cent it helped recruit me,” says Baerg. “At that point in time I was already doing research and knew how much time and money I’d

have to invest, and when I saw it was all resolved (in the dashboard) that’s all I needed. One thing I like is it’s very organized and straight forward, and I have all the resources in one place.” Baerg says the simplicity of the dashboard permits her to be conscientious with time by prospecting potential clients instead of passively prospecting with haphazard marketing ploys. “I think a lot of us come from sales backgrounds, not marketing, design or communications – things that focus on look and appeal and how consumers take things in – so I believe this saves a lot of time,” she says. “As a salesperson, I want to be out there prospecting, knocking on doors and being where I need to be. I can outsource the passive prospecting to the Sutton Brand and Resource Centre.” Though a neophyte, Baerg believes a tide of change is about to wash over the industry, as younger, tech-savvy sales agents take over from the old guard. “I think as we see a lot more agents in their 20s, 30s, even 40s, (similar programs) will be recognized as a huge way to elevate business,” says Baerg. “It’s about wanting to learn and all the information is there.” As a managing broker, Marks extols the dashboard’s oversight capabilities, but she is especially cognizant of the necessity to remain competitive among other sales reps and, most importantly, the public. “You don’t want to be sending off leads to somebody who isn’t going to do anything – your reputation will go down the tube,” she says. “We can coach the agent. We can take time to explain the value of this to our salespeople so that they realize they’re getting better-qualified leads through this system. It’s good for the public, it’s good for the brokerage and it’s good for the agents.” REM

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14 REM FEBRUARY 2016

Social media tips for sales reps By Brian Buffini

f it seems as though everyone is on social media, you’re right. Facebook has more than one billion users, YouTube has more than 800 million active users, Twitter and Instagram each have nearly 300 million active users and Pinterest has more than 70 million active users. Small businesses across all industries are finding ways to incorporate social media into their marketing strategies. However, social media is more than a way to build your brand; it’s also a smart way to connect with your clients and emphasize your expertise. Provide value. Regardless of the social media site, it’s important to ensure that what you’re posting is valuable to your clients. Look for interesting real estate related articles that offer tips for buyers and sellers or information about mortgages, as well as articles about events in your local area. If you’re among the 12 per cent of real estate agents who maintain a blog, share a link to your post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. Keep the medium in mind. Each social media platform focuses

on a different type of content delivery. For example, you wouldn’t post a text article to Pinterest just as you wouldn’t post cute cat videos to your LinkedIn page. Adapt your posts to where you’re posting them. Facebook is perfect for longer text and multiple images, Pinterest is ideal for images and Twitter is for short blurbs of text.

Encourage your clients to share your posts. The more interesting or engaging your post, the more likely your network is to share it with their connections. Keep “shareability” in mind when you post and be sure to thank your clients and connections when they share it. Social media is often confus-

Social media is more than a way to build your brand; it’s also a smart way to connect with your clients and emphasize your expertise. Include your clients. When you tag or mention your clients in your posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you’re helping to expose your business to the people in their networks. When you close a transaction, take a photo of your clients or the home and post it to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or even LinkedIn (with their permission) and tag or mention them. You’ll introduce yourself to their networks and may prompt potential buyers and sellers from their networks to contact you.

ing. With so many social media sites gaining popularity, it can be difficult to know what to post where. To learn more, visit http://resources.buffiniandcompany.c om/the-social-media-survival-guide/ to download The Social Media Survival Guide, a short printable how-to to help you navigate each social media site. Whether you’re brand new to real estate or a seasoned pro, I’ll make sure to give you some great tips to start building your business by referral and living the good life! REM

Dominion Lending Centres acquires Mortgage Architects ominion Lending Centres (DLC) says it is now the largest mortgage originator in Canada after acquiring Mortgage Architects from Pacific Mortgage Group. DLC now owns three brands (Dominion Lending Centres; Mortgage Centre Canada and Mortgage Architects) and it plans to continue operating all of them. It says the DLC group of companies will now reach close to 40 per cent market share, with a combined $32 billion in annual mortgage volume, translating to more than 100,000 individual mortgages per year. With the addition of Mortgage Architect’s 1,287 mortgage brokers and agents, DLC now has more than 4,800 accredited mortgage professionals in the three companies. Gary Mauris, president and CEO of DLC, says: “Since its inception in 2005, Mortgage Architects has been a strong brand in the Canadian mortgage space. They’ve been very technology focused and developed some very comprehensive and powerful systems. We look forward to sharing our best practices with them, but also learning how we can better serve our clients and our accredited mortgage professionals.” Albert Collu, president of Mortgage Architects, says: “DLC is an unquestionable leader in the Canadian mortgage space and I know that our network of accredited mortgage professionals will thrive working alongside DLC.” DLC says the “process of the purchase was initiated approximately six months ago.” REM

Dominion Lending Centres president and CEO Gary Mauris, left, and co-founder Chris Kayat.

Visit us at AmeriSpec.ca to download your free Home Improvement & Repair Cost Guide

2015 Royal LePage National Chairman’s Club

1. Mark Faris° Royal LePage First Contact Realty, The Faris Team‡ Barrie, ON (705) 797-8485

2. Loretta Phinney*† Royal LePage Real Estate Services Loretta Phinney‡ Mississauga, ON (877) 822-6900

3. Cathy Rocca Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services‡ Burlington, ON (800) 290-0163

4. Daryl King* Royal LePage Your Community Realty‡ Richmond Hill, ON (905) 731-2000

5. Simon Giannini° Royal LePage Signature Realty‡ Toronto, ON (888) 954-4100

6. Cailey Heaps Estrin*† Royal LePage Real Estate Services Heaps Estrin Team‡ Toronto, ON (416) 424-4900

7. Dan Cooper*† Oakville, ON (800) 514-4094

8. Sue Mills Royal LePage Signature Realty‡ Toronto, ON (888) 954-4100

9. Kirby Cox*° Royal LePage Benchmark Calgary, AB (403) 247-5555

10. Matthew Regan† Mississauga, ON (877) 822-6900

11. Jason Soprovich Royal LePage Sussex Jason Soprovich West Vancouver, BC (604) 925-2911

12. Shaheen Zareh Royal LePage Regina Realty Regina, SK (877) 359-1900

13. Rina DiRisio*† Oakville, ON (800) 514-4094

14. Marie-Yvonne Paint*° Royal LePage Heritage R.E. Agency Westmount, QC (514) 934-1818

15. Michael O’Sullivan* Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services‡ Burlington, ON (800) 290-0163

16. Brock Smeaton§ Royal LePage Sussex West Vancouver, BC (604) 925-2911

17. Eugen Klein° Royal LePage Sussex Klein Group Vancouver, BC (604) 408-9311

18. Kelly McKelvie* Royal LePage Benchmark Calgary, AB (403) 247-9988

19. Susan Forrest§ Royal LePage Parksville-Qualicum Beach Realty Parksville, BC (800) 224-5838

20. Theodore Babiak*†° Toronto, ON (866) 335-1900

21. Paul Nusca† Toronto, ON (888) 336-1871

22. Elli Davis*† Toronto, ON (800) 622-9536

23. Andrea Morrison*† Toronto, ON (866) 335-1900

24. E. Martin Mazza° Royal LePage State Realty‡ Stoney Creek, ON (877) 574-7441

25. Amy Flowers° Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty‡ Milton, ON (800) 514-3316

26. Barbara Beers*° Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services‡ Burlington, ON (800) 290-0163

27. Leo L. Ronse*° Royal LePage Wolstencroft Realty Langley, BC (877) 611-5241

28. Tracey Bosch*§ Royal LePage Wolstencroft Realty Langley, BC (877) 611-5241

29. Jean-François Bérubé° Royal LePage Evolution R.E. Agency Sherbrooke, QC (888) 820-8363

30. Kevin Lapp° Royal LePage Network Realty Sylvan Lake, AB (403) 887-2286

31. Leigh Sugar° Royal LePage York North Realty‡ Newmarket, ON (866) 773-9595

32. Christine Lefrançois° Royal LePage Tendance R.E. Agency Mont-Royal, QC (514) 735-2281

33. Patrick Morris*° Royal LePage Performance Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (877) 757-7386

34. Andrew Keyes† Oakville, ON (800) 514-4094

35. Danny Gerbrandt Royal LePage Brookside Realty Maple Ridge, BC (888) 467-5131

36. Brent Roberts*° Royal LePage Brent Roberts Realty Surrey, BC (800) 220-0202

37. Amir Ghaffari§ Royal LePage Sussex West Vancouver, BC (604) 925-2911

38. Karen Millar*° Royal LePage Signature Realty‡ Toronto, ON (888) 954-4100

39. Kate Vanderburgh*† Oakville, ON (800) 514-4094

40. Chris Pennycook* Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate Winnipeg, MB (877) 800-5066

41. Thomas Hassan Royal LePage Sussex Tom Hassan West Vancouver, BC (604) 925-2911

42. Jackie Peifer† Oakville, ON (888) 999-3084

43. Steve Thompson Royal LePage Locations West Realty Penticton, BC (800) 734-0457

44. Tom Pobojewski Royal LePage Signature Realty‡ Mississauga, ON (866) 754-2121

45. Drew McGinnis Royal LePage Network Realty Red Deer, AB (403) 346-8900

46. David Weir* Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty‡ Trenton, ON (800) 263-2177

47. Rob Ohs Royal LePage Parksville-Qualicum Beach Realty Qualicum Beach, BC (800) 224-5906

48. Sylvia Smith Royal LePage Solutions Calgary, AB (403) 252-5900

49. Sandy Smallbone† Oakville, ON (888) 645-4267

50. André Dussault° Royal LePage Inter-Québec R.E. Agency Sainte-Foy-Sillery, QC (418) 653-0488

51. Jonathan Doucet° Royal LePage Vallées de L’Outaouais R.E. Agency Gatineau, QC (819) 561-0223

52. Patrick O’Donnell§ Royal LePage Sussex West Vancouver, BC (604) 925-2911

53. Case Feenstra† Oakville, ON (800) 514-4094

54. Charles Sezlik Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (613) 744-6697

55. Christine Simpson*† Toronto, ON (888) 336-1871

56. Jackie Jiang†° Mississauga, ON (888) 828-0422

57. Bob Clarke Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka Realty‡ Port Carling, ON (800) 763-3398

58. Fernande Sirois*° Royal LePage Vallées de L’Outaouais R.E. Agency Gatineau, QC (819) 561-0223

59. Melissa Charlton° Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty‡ Milton, ON (800) 514-3316

60. Amir Hamzehali§ Royal LePage Sussex West Vancouver, BC (604) 925-2911

61. Nutan Brown Royal LePage West Realty Group‡ Toronto, ON (800) 515-9783

62. Kevin Durling Royal LePage Network Realty Red Deer, AB (403) 346-8900

63. Libby Broady° Royal LePage Elite R.E. Agency Beaconsfield, QC (514) 697-9181

64. Mark Jontz* Royal LePage Kelowna Kelowna, BC (800) 421-3214

65. Diane Allingham° Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (800) 307-1545

66. Sheree Cerqua Royal LePage Signature Realty‡ Toronto, ON (888) 954-4100

67. Amy Assaad° Royal LePage Heritage R.E Agency Westmount, QC (514) 934-1818

68. JoAnne Gludish† Toronto, ON (888) 336-1871

69. David Dunn Royal LePage Atlantic Halifax, NS (902) 453-1700

royallepage.ca/joinus †Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage. ‡Denotes firms are Real Estate Brokerages. *Denotes Lifetime National Chairman’s Club Members. ºDenotes a licensed Broker, all other members are considered licensed Sales Representatives and/or Realtors®. § Denotes PREC. Designate: A sales professional who has joined Royal LePage after February 1 of the previous year. Royal LePage is a registered trade-mark used under license. This is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, including a solicitation of any sales representatives or broker that is currently under contract. All offices are independently owned and operated, except those marked as “Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage”, “Royal LePage West Real Estate Services” and “Royal LePage Sussex.” Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2016 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.

2015 Royal LePage National Chairman’s Club 70. James Wright*° Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Manotick, ON (800) 490-8130

71. Marc Bonenfant° Royal LePage Inter-Québec R.E. Agency Sainte-Foy-Sillery, QC (418) 653-0488

72. Manon Sénéchal° Royal LePage Heritage R.E. Agency Westmount, QC (514) 934-1818

73. John Hripko* Royal LePage Benchmark Calgary, AB (800) 741-5741

74. John King° Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (613) 695-8181

75. Brian Lamb Royal LePage West Real Estate Services Coquitlam, BC (604) 939-6666

76. Michael Brierley° Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services‡ Burlington, ON (800) 290-0163

77. Jared Chamberlain Royal LePage Solutions Calgary, AB (403) 252-5900

78. Blair Mackey† Oakville, ON (888) 645-4267

79. Margorie Grime*° Royal LePage RCR Realty‡ Orangeville, ON (800) 268-2455

80. Silvana Bezina Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty‡ Georgetown, ON (866) 865-8262

81. John Jennings Royal LePage Sussex John Jennings West Vancouver, BC (604) 925-2911

82. Glen R. Bohnet Royal LePage West Real Estate Services Coquitlam, BC (604) 939-6666

83. Jeremy McCarthy§ Royal LePage Brookside Realty Maple Ridge, BC (888) 467-5131

84. Cheryl Bejcar* Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty Victoria, BC (800) 263-4753

85. Shawn Zigelstein Royal LePage Your Community Realty‡ Richmond Hill, ON (905) 731-2000

86. John Fraser° Royal LePage Solutions Okotoks, AB (403) 938-4078

87. Anthony Fata° Royal LePage Your Community Realty‡ Richmond Hill, ON (905) 731-2000

88. Kelly Ebbs Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (613) 729-9090

89. Christine Hauschild* Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Kanata, ON (888) 757-7155

90. Susan Froese McHardy† Toronto, ON (800) 622-9536

91. Joan M. Smith*° Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Kanata, ON (888) 757-7155

92. Mary Zhang° Royal LePage Golden Ridge Realty‡ Markham, ON (905) 513-8878

93. Joel O’Reilly§ Royal LePage Sussex Sechelt, BC (604) 885-3295

94. Joseph Brazeau Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty‡ Milton, ON (800) 514-3316

95. Jason MacDonald Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Nepean, ON (613) 825-7653

96. Brett Smiley† Oakville, ON (888) 999-3084

97. Wilma Fournier† Oakville, ON (800) 514-4094

98. Roman Grocholsky Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre‡ Welland, ON (866) 771-7764

99. Robert Marland* Royal LePage Performance Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (877) 757-7386

100. Lance E. Phillips° Royal LePage Sussex North Vancouver, BC (604) 984-9711

101. Steven Friendly Royal LePage Signature Realty‡ Mississauga, ON (866) 754-2121

102. Mani Bagga Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate Edmonton, AB (855) 431-5600

103. Krishan Nathan Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty‡ Kingston, ON (800) 247-6311

104. Suzanne Havard Grisé*° Royal LePage Privilege SHG R.E. Agency Saint-Bruno, QC (450) 441-1576

105. Rocco Manfredi RoyaL LePage Team Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (613) 723-5300

106. Jeff Ham Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty‡ Mississauga, ON (866) 821-3200

107. Glen MacAngus* Royal LePage Top Producers Real Estate Winnipeg, MB (866) 989-6900

108. Iain Edmonds Royal LePage Sussex Iain Edmonds North Vancouver, BC (604) 984-9711

109. Bill Schiavone†° Oakville, ON (905) 338-3737

110. Shawn Murray Royal LePage State Realty‡ Ancaster, ON (905) 648-4451

111. Lorraine O’Quinn Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty‡ Trenton, ON (800) 263-2177

112. John Corcoran Royal LePage Solutions Calgary, AB (403) 252-5900

113. Mike Scrannage* Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty‡ Kingston, ON (800) 247-6311

114. Clinton Miller° Royal LePage Parksville-Qualicum Beach Realty Parksville, BC (888) 224-5838

115. Jila Rezai Royal LePage Sussex West Vancouver, BC (604) 925-2911

116. Michael Wilcox Royal LePage Sussex Vancouver, BC (604) 408-9311

117. Nevin Hollett Royal LePage Atlantic Homestead St. John’s, NL (709) 579-8106

118. Ken Morris° Royal LePage Integrity Cochrane, AB (403) 932-2101

119. Béatrice Baudinet° Royal LePage Heritage R.E. Agency Westmount, QC (514) 934-1818

120. Clayton Oldford Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Winchester, ON (613) 774-4253

121. Don Evans Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka Realty‡ Port Carling, ON (800) 763-3398

122. Ross Hughes Royal LePage RCR Realty‡ Orangeville, ON (800) 268-2455

123. Jesse Dhaliwal° Royal LePage Your Community Realty‡ Vaughan, ON (905) 832-6656

124. Michael Brejnik Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services‡ Burlington, ON (800) 290-0163

125. Linda Knight° Royal LePage First Contact Realty‡ Angus, ON (705) 424-3232

126. Mike Heddle Royal LePage State Realty‡ Stoney Creek, ON (877) 574-7441

127. Suzan Trottier* Royal LePage Atlantic Moncton, NB (888) 444-7572

128. Chris Coveny° Royal LePage Performance Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (877) 757-7386

129. Lauretta Stewart†*° Toronto, ON (800) 622-9536

130. John McKenzie§ Royal LePage Sussex Sechelt, BC (604) 885-3295

131. Lesley Kennedy† Oakville, ON (888) 645-4267

132. Steve Simon Royal LePage Locations North‡ Thornbury, ON (519) 599-2136

133. Mary Ann Keary*° Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty‡ Brockville, ON (866) 345-3664

134. Jeff Golding Royal LePage West Real Estate Services Coquitlam, BC (604) 939-6666

135. Stuart Bell Royal LePage Sussex West Vancouver, BC (604) 925-2911

136. Linda Vadala Royal LePage Royal City Realty‡ Guelph, ON (800) 475-2251

137. Tod Niblock* Royal LePage Top Producers Real Estate Winnipeg, MB (866) 989-6900

138. Jay Burton Royal LePage Frank Real Estate‡ Lakefield, ON (877) 652-1598

139. Robert Nimmo† Toronto, ON (888) 336-1871

140. Jean Dunn*° Royal LePage By The Sea Sidney, BC (800) 326-8856

141. Mike Mullin Royal LePage RCR Realty‡ Orangeville, ON (800) 268-2455

142. Rob Kelly° Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty‡ Mississauga, ON (866) 821-3200

143. Chris Keleher° Royal LePage Locations North,‡ Collingwood, ON (705) 445-5520

144. Eugenio Sturino Royal LePage Your Community Realty‡ Vaughan, ON (905) 832-6656

145. Sheila Barry Royal LePage Realty Plus Oakville‡ Oakville, ON (905) 825-7777

146. Dimitrios Kalogeropoulos Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Nepean, ON (888) 780-7747

147. Cliff Stevenson Royal LePage Benchmark Calgary, AB (403) 253-1901

148. Julie Morielli° Royal LePage Global R.E. Agency Kirkland, QC (514) 697-4460

149. Matthew Hill Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty‡ Georgetown, ON (888) 877-5165

150. Cindy Gering§ Royal LePage West Real Estate Services Coquitlam, BC (604) 939-6666

151. Jason Clermont Royal LePage Regina Realty Regina, SK (877) 359-1900

152. Jeff Greenberg* Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (800) 307-1545

153. Lori Goldhawk Royal LePage Triland Realty‡ Ingersoll, ON (519) 485-2227

154. Don McKay* Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate Sherwood Park, AB (888) 797-7653

155. John Aben Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka Realty‡ Huntsville, ON (705) 789-9677

156. Luc Jodoin° Royal LePage Mértias du Suroit R.E. Agency Salaberry-deValleyfield, QC (450) 377-6636

157. Sébastien Parent° Royal LePage Haut-Richelieu R.E. Agency St-Jean-SurRichelieu, QC (450) 349-5883

158. Adam Mills° Royal LePage Team Realty Adam Mills‡ Ottawa, ON (888) 780-7747

159. Susan Gucci† Toronto, ON (416) 424-4900

160. Caroline Baile° Royal LePage Your Community Realty‡ Aurora, ON (905) 727-3154

161. Betty D’Oliveira Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty‡ Georgetown, ON (866) 865-8262

162. Dario Mattei*° Royal LePage Porritt Real Estate‡ Toronto, ON (866) 753-7243

163. Philip LeMay*° Royal LePage Vallées de L’Outaouais R.E. Agency Gatineau, QC (819) 684-2000

164. Steve Anderson Royal LePage Brookside Realty Maple Ridge, BC (888) 467-5131

165. John Lawler° Royal LePage First Contact Realty‡ Barrie, ON (877) 728-4067

Karen Kenyon Designate Royal LePage Parksville-Qualicum Beach Realty Parksville, BC (888) 954-4433

Aaron Nicklen§ Designate Royal LePage Parksville-Qualicum Beach Realty Qualicum Beach, BC (800) 224-5906

Gordon Axford Designate Royal LePage Sterling Realty Port Moody, BC (604) 421-1010

Susan Ninow° Designate Royal LePage Westside Vancouver, BC (877) 716-4740

Leslie Battle*† Toronto, ON (888) 336-1871

Mary T. Cardamone*† Oakville, ON (888) 645-4267

Maureen Chan*° Royal LePage Westside Vancouver, BC (604) 261-9311

Norm Cholak* Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate Edmonton, AB (780) 431-5600”

Yves de Niverville* Royal LePage Performance Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (613) 830-3350

Paul Delaney* Royal LePage Your Community Realty‡ Toronto, ON (416) 213-5736

Jacques Doucet*° Royal LePage Vallées de L’Outaouais R.E. Agency Gatineau, QC (819) 561-0223

Jacinthe Dubé*° Royal LePage Jacinthe Dube R.E. Agency Sherbrooke, QC (819) 564-5000

Morley Forsyth*† Toronto, ON (800) 622-9536

Evelyn Froese* Royal LePage Westside Vancouver, BC (604) 263-8800

Serge Gabriel*° Royal LePage Heritage R.E. Agency Westmount, QC (514) 934-1818

Ben Gauer*° Royal LePage Ben Gauer & Associates Surrey, BC (888) 649-4299

John Gerber* Royal LePage Signature Realty‡ Toronto, ON (888) 954-4100

Todd Guergis* Royal LePage First Contact Realty‡ Barrie, ON (877) 728-4067

Heather Heaps*† Toronto, ON (416) 424-4900

Robert Johnston* Royal LePage First Contact Realty‡ Barrie, ON (877) 728-4067

Doreen Kirkwood*° Royal LePage Champlain R.E. Agency Brossard, QC (450) 672-6450

Paula Mitchell* Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty‡ Georgetown, ON (866) 865-8262

Mary Montgomery* Royal LePage Realty Plus‡ Mississauga, ON (877) 828-6550

Yoki Nichol* Royal LePage Solutions Calgary, AB (403) 252-5900

Isaac Phillips* Royal LePage State Realty‡ Hamilton, ON (905) 574-4600

Barbara Polson*† Toronto, ON (888) 336-1871

Michael Regan*† Mississauga, ON (877) 822-6900

Paul Richardson* Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty‡ Belleville, ON (613) 966-6060

Karen P. Scott* Royal LePage Team Realty‡ Ottawa, ON (800) 307-1545

Raymond Tsim*° Royal LePage Champlain R.E. Agency Brossard, QC (450) 672-6450

Frances Wedlake*† Oakville, ON (888) 645-4267

Congratulations to our 2015 National Chairman’s Club, an elite group whose outstanding performance has placed them in the top 1% of our national network of more than 16,000 Realtors®. I am very proud of these people, as much for their humanity and immense capacity for hard work as for their business accomplishments. They succeed by living up to the core values of Royal LePage and our brand promise — Helping you is what we do™. With sincere congratulations and best wishes for the coming year. — Phil Soper President & CEO

royallepage.ca/joinus †Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage. ‡Denotes firms are Real Estate Brokerages. *Denotes Lifetime National Chairman’s Club Members. ºDenotes a licensed Broker, all other members are considered licensed Sales Representatives and/or Realtors ®. § Denotes PREC. Designate: A sales professional who has joined Royal LePage after February 1 of the previous year. Royal LePage is a registered trade-mark used under license. This is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, including a solicitation of any sales representatives or broker that is currently under contract. All offices are independently owned and operated, except those marked as “Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage”, “Royal LePage West Real Estate Services” and “Royal LePage Sussex.” Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2016 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.