February 2016

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 Scotia’s Martina Robinson and Frank Harmsen Page 8

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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

J

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

T

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

IN

7

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

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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

Printed by Metroland Media Group, Ltd. A certified FSC® Printer

Doris Keung and Denis Lamothe

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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.

G

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.

H

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

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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

Don’t Miss this Opportunity to Learn from One of the Industry’s Most Influential and Inspiring Entrepreneurs at the Craig Proctor SuperConference FT. LAUDERDALE F March 12-13, 2016 ANAHEIM FApril 15-17, 2016

More information or Register at:

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CPSuperConference.com

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

Register for this FREE Webinar at: BecomeAMillionaireAgent.com

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

WHY EXHIBIT OR SPONSOR AT REALTOR® QUEST, MAY 4 - 5, 2016?

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The conference features new technologies,

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TOP 3 REASONS REALTORS ATTEND

Access to Customers

Exhibitors and sponsors have an exclusive opportunity to showcase products and

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This event widens exhibiting opportunities by attracting REALTORS® with a comprehensive

lineup of professional development sessions, presentations, and workshops, making this event one that cannot be missed.

For exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, contact Stella Guo at 416-443-8136 or sguo@trebnet.com May 4 - 5, 2016 @ Toronto Congress Centre

Visit realtorquest.ca for more information

14 REM FEBRUARY 2016

Social media tips for sales reps

By Brian Buffini

I

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

D

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.

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.

18 REM FEBRUARY 2016

Burnout and real estate professionals

The city’s top producing sales rep worked non-stop, day and night, seven days a week to stay at the top. Then one day he just disappeared. By Lloyd R. Manning who are basically lazy. It hits those who work non-stop, often beyond their market comprehension or ability to list and sell real estate.

It’s trying to be or do too much, over-taxing one’s normal stressors for too long a period.

Although not everyone displays them the same way, the signs of a burnout, or a pending burnout, are usually obvious, even to the untrained eye. Being a workaholic, being unable to handle negative or conflicting influences, being unnecessarily critical of others, and the need to continue at a high pace are the first and most common signs.

A

real estate salesperson I knew casually was the city’s top producer for several years running. His sales were well over $1 million per year, which at that time was a lot of money. He won every contest and received every top producer prize.

The other salespeople at the same firm were constantly badgered to keep up with him.

He worked non-stop, day and night, seven days a week to ensure that nobody did. Then one day he just disappeared. He got out of real estate. He was mentally and physically burned out and incapable of continuing. Gold was turning to mud – a not completely unexpected happening.

Most senior executives and professional practitioners are susceptible to burnout. This includes real estate professionals, particularly the top sellers and highly productive brokers and

managers who work day and night, every day and every night, never taking time off for family, relaxation or personal pleasures, as did this hotshot. They just fizzle out and are gone. It’s more common than many of us realize.

There are several definitions for burnout that are unrelated to jet airplanes running out of fuel and crashing. Still, that is a good metaphor. Burnout well describes the real estate professional who runs out of fuel and eventually crashes.

Burnout can be defined as being out of sync with one or more aspects of a person’s life.

For the most part it is work related. This generates a loss of energy, enthusiasm, confidence and at times ability, all of which, when combined, bring about a deterioration in that person’s mental and physical well being.

Burnout is not having a bad

day or depression, although both could be contributors and forecasts of what comes next. It is the longer period of exhaustion, disillusionment, difficulty in handling routine tasks, loss of energy, loss of self confidence and the longer term effects of having an unbalanced life, with mental and emotional deterioration.

It is frequently found among high-pressure managers who drive their sales staff to greater and greater performance. Burn out, or its potential for happening, affects the star and borderline producers equally. The stars constantly struggle to remain on top of the heap. Many lower production listing and selling agents overwork and over-extend their capabilities, just to survive. Most of this class starve themselves out.

They realize they are in the wrong occupation and move on.

Burnout seldom affects people

Disillusionment and frustration probably come next. “I just can’t seem to get interested or get going.” Lack of motivation; loss of interest. “I’m ticked off, harassed. Nothing is working out. I’m tired all the time. I just can’t get a listing or make a sale”. “I feel like I’m being trapped in some psychological quicksand from which there is no escape”. A feeling of inadequacy is taking over.

There are several known cures for burnout, the most obvious of which is to get out of real estate! Do something different where there is less demand and far less stress. Strive for a better balance between work and home life. Strive to bring about a permanent cure.

Several years ago I was in Clear Water, B.C. While there I met a lady who said that she came from Colorado. She told me that one day, about four months earlier, her husband returned from work and said, “I quit my job and bought a truck. We’re going to Alaska!”

She said Clear Water was as far as they had gone. “In Colorado my husband was a senior executive with an aero-space company,” she said. “He was constantly under intense pressure. Every night he

came home tired, as bitchy as all get out and with a splitting headache. Here, he is working at the local sawmill, pulling lumber off the green chain, a common labourer. He has never made less money, or had fewer headaches or fewer worries. He has never been in better physical shape and happier. The daily stress that was killing him is gone. We are both enjoying life here in Canada.”

The cure for burnout usually comes down to getting a more balanced life; one more in tune with your abilities and capacity to withstand stress. Both vary from person to person. Some have a far higher tolerance level than others. This would include your physical stamina, not working beyond your mental and physical capacity and understanding yourself and your limitations.

It’s all about eliminating stressors. It’s about accepting your own limitations and working within them. In selling real estate it’s all about learning how to take “no” for an answer and not pushing it, hoping for a reversal. Were I writing this for an appraisal magazine, I would add; “Accept the fact that some clients will think you are an idiot who does not live in the real world.”

For you stars; slow down, smell the flowers, enjoy life. Eliminate or as best as you can, avoid the multitude of stressors. Being more active physically really helps.

Golf more in the summer and curl in the winter. Burnout does not need to happen.

Lloyd Manning, AACI, FRI, CCRA, PApp is a semi-retired commercial real estate and business appraiser and broker who now spends his time writing for professional journals and trade magazines. He resides in Lloydminster, Alberta Email: lloydmann@shaw.ca REM

20 REM FEBRUARY 2016

Real estate in the animal kingdom

By Dan St. Yves

S

ure, we take for granted that only humans might be so educated as a species that we’d use a professional Realtor when selling or buying a home – but what if you saw a furry critter carrying a briefcase and feature sheet pulling up to look at a hole in the wall, with a family of his wildlife brethren?

Just me?

Well, humour me then for a moment – this is what I think it might look like if animals used a professional Realtor.

Squirrel with smartphone and lockbox key: “Well, Mr. and Mrs. Tree Rodent, as you can see, this

particular tree burrow is MUCH larger than the one we just viewed! What you can’t readily see from outside is that there is a deep crevice underneath the main level that allows for considerable winter storage. The opening is large enough for you and your family to come and go, but prevents larger birds of prey from snatching you in your sleep. The sound protection is quite good, considering the dense nature of the tree wood. And, you have a wide range of electrical and telephone wiring right out your front door branch, so you can scamper along to and fro all day long!

Frankly, I think you’d be NUTS not to make an offer right now!”

Balding middle-aged rabbit with spectacles: “Look here Mr. Bunny: Just what you wanted in a warren! Sure, as a single rabbit, you probably just wanted a burrow, but you know how we rabbits are, eh? Nudge Nudge Wink Wink! You’ll fill all the other bur-

rows in this warren in no time, a good-looking fella like yourself!

And check out the garden right over there! I hear the humans in the house there don’t own a shotgun, so you can graze away to your heart’s content. Now, we just need to discuss the down payment…you mentioned something about 24 karats?”

A harried-looking bear with a visible sense of fidgety urgency: “Mrs. Bruin, we’ve looked at so many dens today I can’t even keep them straight, and frankly, I really need to go take a stroll in the woods over there. Now look, you need to start thinking hibernation sooner rather than later, so let me run down the features of this particular den – plenty of nuts and berries to fatten you up for…uhh, sorry, PREPARE you for hibernation…oh…oh dear…Mrs. Bruin, please put down that heavy branch.”

An oriole landing on a branch with a couple of robins: “Will you

This is what I think it might look like if animals used a professional Realtor.

LOOK at that birdbath over there! Magnificent! Why, from this nest you can dive over for a dip, hop down and grab a worm from the garden and be back up here feeding the kiddies in no time! Over there on that pole there’s a feeder – they’re literally GIVING AWAY food just to have you guys live here! What’s that?

The magpies on the upper branch? With the tattoos and facial piercings? Well, maybe we

should keep looking.”

That could be how things work for other “homeowners” – it’s not like we see these critters before they move in around us, after all!

Humour columnist and author Dan St. Yves was licensed with Royal LePage Kelowna for 11 years. Check out his website at www.nonsenseandstuff.com, or contact him at danst.yves@hotmail.com. REM

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22 REM FEBRUARY 2016

Good Works

J

ohn Hope, owner of Re/Max Eastern Realty in Peterborough, Ont. and his local agents have donated $100,000 to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation in support of surgical innovation at PRHC. Hope donated $50,000, which was then matched by the sales reps in the office. The money will be used to update one operating room with new minimally invasive surgical tools and technology. It’s one of nine rooms the PRHC Foundation has committed to funding through community support.

“The opportunity to support our community in this endeavour was very appealing to me,” says Hope. “Once my commitment was known throughout Re/Max Eastern Realty, our sales associates

and staff created the challenge to match that commitment. I am extremely proud of everyone for taking on such a challenge and fulfilling it.”

■ ■ ■

At the 17th Annual Royal LePage R.E. Wood Realty Children’s Swim/Skate charity event in Tillsonburg, Ont., 560 students from Grades 4, 5 and 6 in all Tillsonburg schools enjoyed their choice of swimming or skating followed by a snack of Timbits and juice. The children brought non-perishable food items that were hung on a special Christmas tree and collected by the Salvation Army for their food hampers. The Wood Realty Team was helped by local sponsors.

■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty’s Annual Trees for Toys event collected more than 350 toys for the Waterloo Knights of Columbus New Toys for Needy Kids Toy Drive in Waterloo, Ont. In its ninth year, the festive customer appreciation event has now raised approximately 3,600 toys. Sales reps participating in Trees for Toys purchase trees, wreaths or poinsettias for their clients and invite them to come and pick up their gifts and enjoy refreshments, pictures with Santa, face painting and pony rides.

Participants are encouraged to donate toys to be distributed to local children.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Wolle Realty in Kitchener, Ont. marked its 22nd year of supporting the Food Bank of Waterloo Region as the 80 sales reps weighed in with contributions of over 2,700 lb. of food and more than $15,000 in cash.

During the past 22 years the brokerage has raised more than $100,000 and 25,000 lb. of food for charity. That represents about 300,000 meals.

More than 1,200 of the firm’s

customers, families and friends filled eight theatres at Landmark Gateway Cinema for the movie Peanuts. The price of admission was at least one non-perishable food item per family member and cash donations were made by appeal to local businesses.

■ ■ ■

On Dec. 18, Re/Max Integra participated in a radiothon held at Children’s Miracle Network member hospital, SickKids in Toronto.

The company was a corporate sponsor and matched gifts received between 6 pm and 7 pm when EVP and regional director Gurinder Sandhu helped staff the phones.

The third annual Newstalk 1010 Gift of Giving for SickKids raised more than $261,000 in revenue for SickKids and acquired 209 new monthly donors.

■ ■ ■

It took just three hours on Dec. 7 for the team at Royal LePage Performance Realty’s Bank Street office in Ottawa to raise $35,000 in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

The auction committee

worked in advance of the office’s annual luncheon and fundraiser to obtain donations from local businesses for the silent and live auctions. More than 100 items were featured in the live auction alone.

Valerie Brousseau stepped away from her usual role as manager of training and business development to fill in as auctioneer. All of the funds raised will be directed to shelters in the Ottawa area serving women and children seeking shelter from domestic violence.

■ ■ ■

For Easter Seals kids, the independence and confidence gained at a fully accessible summer camp extends far beyond the week they’re there. Each year, Century 21 sales reps and brokers who raise over $2,100 are inducted into the Century 21 Kids to Camp Club and receive a Golden Heart award.

The club’s mission is to provide more kids with life-changing camp memories by increasing awareness and inspiring fundraising within the company’s offices.

Club members also connect with a camper who will share their own personal experience, giving Continued on page 24

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24 REM FEBRUARY 2016

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sales reps a firsthand story of their donation’s impact.

The latest Kids to Camp Club members celebrated at the end of 2015 are Larrissa Kalyn, Century 21 Westcountry Realty, Rocky Mountain House, Alta.; Geoff Archambault, Century 21 Advanced Realty, Winnipeg; Eric Goodman, Century 21 Vision, Montreal; Linda Hiscock, Century 21 Seller’s Choice, St. John’s, Nfld.; Cam Toews, Century 21 Westman.com, Brandon, Man.; Brett Poncelet, Century 21 Bachman & Associates, Winnipeg; Francis Bast, Century 21 Dome Realty, Regina; Cortney Lessard, Century 21 In Town Realty, Vancouver; Roger Schmid, Century 21 Fusion, Saskatoon, Sask.; Kim Heizmann, Century 21 Executives, Vernon, B.C.; Jeffrey

LeBlanc and Mike Century 21 Bamber Calgary; and Sharon Century 21 Summit Calgary.

Dreger, Realty, Schille, Realty,

â– â– â–

Royal LePage Network Realty in Red Deer, Alta.’s annual Charity Golf Tournament saw 172 golfers tee off on a beautiful sunny morning. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to intervene and the golfers were called off the course early due to weather. In spite of the rain, $32,100 was raised in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, bringing the event’s four year total to nearly $200,000.

The funds raised will be donated to the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter Society. â– â– â–

Sales reps and staff at Royal

LePage Lannon Realty in Thunder Bay, Ont. partnered with their local Basketeers chapter to bring gifts of hope to women seeking shelter and new beginnings after experiencing domestic violence.

The group reached out to clients, business partners, friends and family and filled 107 laundrysized baskets with household and personal items for women, all of which were delivered to local shelters Faye Peterson Transition House and Beendigen.

Over the course of their partnership with the Basketeers program, the brokerage has collected more than 376 baskets, generating more than $83,000 in items for women in transition. â– â– â–

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation was the beneficiary of Holiday House Tours, an event that took place in four Ontario

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John Hope and the sales reps and staff at Re/Max Eastern Realty donated $100,000 to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation.

Royal LePage R. E. Wood Realty’s Tillsonburg sales team, sponsors and helpers in front of the tree made up of bags of collected items for the Salvation Army food hamper.

The Royal LePage Wolle Realty team.

Re/Max Infinite of Richmond Hill, Ont. held its 4th Annual Christmas Dinner Gala & Awards Ceremony in December, raising $6,500 for SickKids Foundation in Toronto. Heather Mills from Sick Kids Foundation was presented with the cheque by manager Stefan Solomun, left and broker of record Levon Nazarian.

Royal LePage Lannon Realty collected gifts for women and children staying at local shelters.

From left: Sam Costantino of AMJ Campbell Van Lines; Andrew Lawrence, office manager; Sari Jamsa Babcock, sales rep; Debra Verment of Beendigen; Kathy Barton of Faye Peterson; Darlene Dundas, office administrator; Coral McCaul of Faye Peterson; and Mark Ambrose of Beendigen.

REM FEBRUARY 2016 25

communities in November. Close to 1,000 people attended the weekend community events, which provided holiday décor inspiration while raising critical funds for local women’s shelters.

Select homes were beautifully decorated in a variety of themes by local designers. Attendees travelled from home to home, gathering creative ideas and enjoying festive treats.

Royal LePage Locations North in Collingwood and Creemore sponsored the tours in their communities, raising $31,000 in support of My Friend’s House shelter.

Sales reps served as “greeters” at the featured homes and collected items for a silent auction from local donors.

Inspired by the success of the tours in Collingwood and Creemore, agents at Royal LePage Real Estate Services (Bayview branch) organized the first Holiday

House Tour in Leaside in Toronto.

In south Mississauga, agents at the Lakeshore office of Royal LePage Real Estate Services helped to organize the local tour. These inaugural events raised $10,000 through ticket sales and silent auctions, with funds raised in support the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation benefitting Toronto’s Interval House and Mississauga’s Armagh shelter.

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Re/Max Hallmark’s 2015 Miracle Home donations have hit an all-time high – $116,332. Last year, the Toronto-based brokerage raised $96,794. Hallmark is the top donating brokerage at Re/Max Integra. The money will go to SickKids Hospital in Toronto.

Re/Max Hallmark York has doubled its donation from the previous year, to $20,000 from $9,000.

REM

Royal LePage Performance Realty’s auction committee members (clockwise from left): Maureen Walsh, Kathy McVeigh, Lise Snelson, Malissa Garcia, Mary McConnell, Retah Jennings Lalonde, Anna Russell, Karim Mohamed, Jutta Witteveen, Judy Mulligan and Alicia Hardy, with Shanan SpencerBrown (Royal LePage Shelter Foundation) and a special guest, who took part in photos in exchange for donations toward the cause.

Committee members not in the photo: Danny Dawson, DiAnne Masson-Yensen, Gabriel de Varennes, Gloria Bae, Janny Mills, Keri Lewis, Marnie Donovan.

Tracey Appleton and Dave Tidd, event organizers and sales reps with Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, with the Gurinder Sandhu takes part in a radiothon for pile of toys.

SickKids in Toronto.

Royal LePage Network Realty golf committee from left to right: Norm Jensen, Tammy Jensen (co-chair) Janice Mercer (chair) Shelley Peters, Carol Donovan, Robert Gallaway and Chad Jensen. Committee members not in the photo: Alex Wilkenson and Angela Stonehouse.

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26 REM FEBRUARY 2016

R

ose Marra of Re/Max Aboutowne Realty in Oakville, Ont. is the 2016 president of the Canadian Chapter of FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation. She has more than 30 years of experience in the real estate profession in British Columbia and Ontario, specializing in commercial, investment properties, land development, residential and project marketing. She is also affiliated with R&L Marketing Strategies Group, which offers project marketing services to developers and builders.

Marra says she aims to promote

closer co-operation with Canadian Realtor associations and with the FIABCI U.S. Chapter, building on the success of recent cross-border exchanges.

The next FIABCI World Congress is to be held in Panama City in May 2016.

■ ■ ■

Steve Sedgwick assumed the role of chair of the Realtors Association of Edmonton on Jan. 1. He has served on the Board of Directors since 2013 and was the chair-elect in 2015.

Sedgwick obtained his license in 2001, joining the team at Royal

LePage Noralta. He has been an active member of the Realtors Association of Edmonton. His role as chair of the Technology Committee included leading members through the selection process that resulted in the implementation of a new MLS system.

Also on the 2016 Board of Directors: chair elect James Mabey, Realty Executives Masters; vice chair Brad Woodward, Homes & Gardens Real Estate; past chair Geneva Tetreault, Century 21 Vantage Realty; and directors Michael Brodrick, Homes & Gardens Real Estate; Lindsay Carlson, Re/Max Real Estate; Michelle Patterson Nipp, Realty Executives Challenge; Darcy Torhjelm, Re/Max Real Estate; and Shirley Williams, Royal LePage Premier.

■ ■ ■

Incoming Victoria Real Estate Board president Wendy Moreton says she is looking forward to another active year for the Victoria area’s real estate market. “It may

be hard to compete with 2015’s activity; it was a very busy year for sales in our area,” she says. “The strong demand that kicked in early in 2015 took many by surprise and that demand outpaced supply in popular areas throughout the year.”

Moreton has called Victoria home for more than 20 years and has worked in local real estate since 1999. Working at the board table this year with Moreton is president elect Mike Nugent, secretary-treasurer Andrew Plank, past president Guy Crozier and directors Sandi-Jo Ayers, Ara Balabanian, Kyle Kerr, Tony Wick and Cheryl Woolley.

■ ■ ■

The Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB), which has more than 3,000 members, elected a new Board of Directors in December.

The new executive is comprised of 2016 president Shane Silva, past president David Oikle, president elect Rick Eisert and vice president Ralph Shaw.

Silva has been an OREB mem-

ber for 10 years and has served on numerous committees and task forces for the last five years. He was first elected to the OREB Board of Directors in 2014.

Dwight Delahunt, Margie Hooper, Sarah Kiraly, Brian Sukkau and Josée Biggs (chair of the Commercial Services Division) will continue as directors on the board for the second year of their two-year term, along with newly elected/appointed directors Rachel Hammer, Dominique Milne, Anna Russell and Debra Wright.

OREB members contributed approximately $70,000 to the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation this year and helped out 23 shelterrelated charities in the area, just in time for the holiday season.

The funds were raised through the board’s annual charity golf tournament, the “dollar per member per month” campaign and the Rona Card program, where a percentage of all money spent by OREB cardholders is donated to the foundation.

Marlene Vieira Leslie, left, and 2015 RAHB president Donna Bacher, right, along with members of the Charity Auction Task Force present a cheque to Olivia DePetris, vice president of the The Children’s Fund.

Rose Marra

Steve Sedgwick

Wendy Moreton

Shane Silva At the recent Annual General Meeting of the Sarnia Lambton Real Estate Board, the board presented donations to the Inn of the Good Shepherd and to Habitat for Humanity. From left: Karen Cox, OREA regional representative; Adelle Richards, representing the Inn of the Good Shepherd; and Jane Baker, board president.

Scott Jennings

The 2016 OREB Board of Directors A panel on the role of the private sector in building housing affordability and affordable housing was moderated by Helen Burstyn, far left, chair of Evergreen.

Panelists, from left, are Ana Bailao, Steve Deveaux and Terry Cooke.

Charlie Ponde From left: Steve Dickie, RAGBOS president elect; Karen Cox, OREA director and RAGBOS past president; John McLachlan and Dawn Lee McKenzie, RAGBOS president.

REM FEBRUARY 2016 27

The Realtors Care Committee at the board received 23 grant applications from local shelterrelated charities. Each was endorsed and recommended by a member of the board.

■ ■ ■

In November, the National Housing Day breakfast and panel brought together interested parties across the Greater Toronto Area to discuss strategies for engaging with the private sector to build affordable housing. As host, Toronto Real Estate Board president Mark McLean welcomed more than 80 attendees.

Moderated by Evergreen chair and community leader Helen Burstyn, affordable housing advocates Councillor Ana Bailão of the City of Toronto, Stephen Deveaux, VP of land development, Tribute Communities and Terry Cooke, president, Hamilton Community Foundation, agreed that partnerships with the private sector are vital to growth in the affordable housing sector.

Collaboration and information sharing is key, including the dissemination of best practices across the industry by creating business cases for current incentives and programs. Addressing current infrastructure problems within existing housing projects, especially in the area of social housing repairs, is also another priority. All panelists concurred that no one solution, but a range of affordability options are needed and that land is the biggest asset to government and should be optimized.

The City of Toronto plans to address these issues with Mayor John Tory’s “open door” initiative so that conditions are improved for land development regardless of provincial or federal funding involvement. It was concluded that further collaboration between government, non-profit groups and the private sector must come together on housing, with risk and reward to be shared by all.

Realtor volunteers then collected, sorted and delivered the donations to local charities.

The event is the largest and longest running blanket drive in British Columbia. Since it began in 1994, the program has helped more than 290,000 people. The drive is a partnership between the Realtors of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board and the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board.

■ ■ ■

Members, sponsors and friends of the Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) showed their generosity and community spirit by raising $65,950 for the 900CHML/Y108/953 Fresh FM Children’s Fund. The funds were raised at the recent RAHB Realtors 4 Kids Charity Auction, held annually to support The Children’s Fund.

Proceeds from the partnership between RAHB and the CORUS radio stations support many children’s charities throughout the Hamilton and Burlington areas year round.

The Children’s Fund Campaign began in 1976 as a charitable initiative to help raise money for disadvantaged children during the holiday season. Over the 27 years of the partnership, RAHB’s annual auction has raised over $903,950 for the charity, making RAHB its single largest contributor.

At another event, representatives from nine local charitable organizations were on hand to receive donations from RAHB

recently. President Donna Bacher and CEO George O’Neill presented the cheques on behalf of the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation, which is supported by members of the association. Each year, funds donated by RAHB members come back to the community, to be distributed to shelter-related organizations.

Cheques totalling $53,521 were given out. Organizations receiving donations were Good Shepherd, Indwell (formerly Homestead Christian Care), Mark Preece Family House, Mission Services, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation, St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation, The Bridge, The Salvation Army Hamilton and the YWCA Hamilton.

RE/MAX ACE Realty Inc. Opens its Doors!

It is our pleasure to announce RE/MAX INTEGRA’s newest Broker/ Owners, Rathees Paramalingam, and Sri Nadarajasundram! Together, they are the new owners of RE/MAX ACE Realty Inc., in Toronto.

Rathees and Sri have a combined 10 years experience in the real estate industry. They were attracted to the RE/MAX brand because it is well recognized, and the brand of choice both in Canada and globally.

Further, Rathees and Sri know that RE/MAX continuously invests in their brokers, agents, technology and training to encourage growth of their business.

Please join us in welcoming Rathees, Sri and their team to our network.

Rathees Paramalingam (L)

Broker/Owner

Sri Nadarajasundram (R) Broker/Owner

■ ■ ■

The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of Realtors hosted its Annual Christmas Breakfast to highlight the past year’s fundraising efforts and the passing of the gavel to new board president Mike Heffernan.

Area Realtors raised more than $20,000 during the past 16 months, which was filtered through the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation and given back to local charities.

The recipients of the 2015 grants were the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton, $5,000; Five Counties Children’s Centre, $5,000; the Warming Room, $5,000; YES Shelter for Youth and Families, $4,940; and United Way Peterborough & Continued on page 28

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Announcement Welcome RE/MAX at Blue Realty Inc.!

Please join us in welcoming the newest addition to our network, Gerry Wayland, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX at Blue Realty Inc. in Blue Mountain!

For the past fi ve years, Gerry has owned and operated his own boutique brokerage, Village Realty Inc., which will now operate under RE/MAX at Blue Realty. With 15 years experience in the real estate industry, Gerry began his career as an agent, then a Broker/Owner and has consistently won Intrawest’s Best of the Best award.

Gerry recognized that RE/MAX is the number one brand in real estate in Canada. It was the high level of brand recognition amongst consumers along with the first rate support that RE/MAX offers, that encouraged Gerry to own his own RE/MAX franchise.

Welcome Gerry and team, and we look forward to your continued success!

■ ■ ■

More than 17,000 working poor and homeless people throughout the Lower Mainland will receive blankets and warm clothing this winter thanks to donations collected during the 21st annual Realtors Care Blanket Drive. In November, more than 100 real estate offices served as drop-off points for donations.

Announcement

Gerry Wayland

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If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552 to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

28 REM FEBRUARY 2016

Boards and Associations Continued from page 27

District - Backpacks for Kids Program, $500.

In addition, food donations were collected at the event and $2,700 was raised for the Salvation Army’s Hamper Program, a program that PKAR has supported for over 30 years, as well as sleepwear for the Sweet Dreams Foundation Children’s Charity.

■ ■ ■

Greater Moncton Realtors du Grand Moncton has once again stepped up and supported multiple community causes through the Annual Realtors Care Golf Tournament. Just over $13,500

was donated to community causes in 2015.

“Annually we hold a very successful fundraising golf tournament that allows us to provide funds to multiple community causes, which are selected by our membership,” says president André Malenfant.

This year almost 100 golfers participated, with 16 hole sponsors and other donors making contributions.

This year the event supported Crossroads for Women, Moncton Headstart and the Breakfast for Learning programs.

■ ■ ■

For the ninth year, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board has recognized a member for

their community service and volunteer efforts. In the Central Zone, this year’s award recipient is Scott Jennings, a Realtor with Re/Max Kelowna.

In 2004, Jennings founded the Hot Coffee Project, a program that serves hot coffee and pizza to downtown Kelowna’s homeless during the five winter months.

“I own a coffee roasting company and everyone’s always asking for money, so why not put something that’s a bit more important into their bodies and something that is warm?” says Jennings. “That usually adds a bit more satisfaction, in my opinion, rather than just giving someone a dollar amount. Here you get to sit down and actually have a conversation with them

over a cup of coffee and let people feel like they are people.”

He says: “It’s not always about collecting money, it’s about doing something because you want to do it. Don’t do it because someone thinks you should do it.”

■ ■ ■

Thunder Bay Real Estate Board 2015 president Carol Ann Wesselius presented a donation of more than $1,200, along with numerous food items collected through the Great Realtor Food Drive to Shelter House Thunder Bay. In addition to the food drive, area Realtors volunteer their time at Shelter House by preparing and serving dinner for the clientele.

Shelter House provides basic

Carol Ann Wesslius, president of the Thunder Bay Real Estate Board, with Takwana Nhau, development officer, Shelter House Thunder Bay.

The Yorkton and District Council of Realtors (YDCR) raised more than $12,000 for Yorkton Habitat for Humanity. Corey Werner, president YDCR’s Charity Golf Classic Committee, says this year’s tournament exceeded the group’s goals, with the help of many local businesses.

The money was presented to members of the Habitat board and two members of the recipient families, Lisa Siat and Laurie Blackbird, who are slated to become the newest Habitat homeowners.

The Windsor-Essex County Association of Realtors recently announced its Board of Directors for 2016.

From left: Daniel Hofgartner, broker, Buckingham Realty (Windsor); Cameron Paine, owner/manager, Buckingham Realty (Windsor), past president; Kimberly Gazo, salesperson, Deerbrook Realty, president-elect; Barb Manery, salesperson, Re/Max Preferred Realty; Tina Roy, broker, Re/Max Preferred Realty; Jeewen Gill, broker of record, National Realty Exchange; Krista Del Gatto, WECAR EO; and Norman Langlois, salesperson, Regency Realty, president.

Greater Moncton Realtors du Grand Moncton president André Malenfant presents a cheque to Tina Thibodeau of Crossroads for Women.

At the YDCR presentation, from left: Warren Vandenameele, Royal LePage Premier; Carma Gramyk, Core Real Estate; Laurie Renton, LR Future Insurance and Investments; Lisa Siat; Laurie Blackbird; Sandi Shewchuk, Re/Max Blue Chip Realty; Corey Werner, Core Real Estate; Tom Seele, Habitat volunteer; Kathy Fehr-Yung, Century 21 Broadway Park Realty; and Dianne Rusnak, Re/Max Blue Chip Realty.

Stacey Evoy

■ ■ ■

From left: Doris Sensenberger, Home Horizon; Kevin Woolham, SGBAR president; Alison Fitzgerald, My Friend’s House; Sonia Ladouceur, Shelter Now; Garth Martin, Home Horizon; Tina Archer, Shelter Now; and Annik Brown, Huronia Transition Homes (La Maison Rosewood Shelter).

Baljit Singh and Ashley Ram organized the Realtors Care Blanket Drive donation at Sutton Group - West Coast Realty in Surrey.

At PKAR’s Annual Christmas Breakfast, back row from left: Matthew Martin, United Way Peterborough & District; Dominic Cole, PKAR 2015 president; Katelyn James, The Warming Room; Suzanne Galloway, YES Shelter for Youth and Families; Kristi Doyle, PKAR director and Community Involvement chair; Patrick McAuley and Dave Adams, Five Counties Children’s Centre. Front row: Wendy Giroux, PKAR EO; and Susan Dunkley and Lorraine McCallum, Alzheimer’s Society.

needs, dignity and comfort to people living in poverty and stimulates action to address the root causes of homelessness.

The London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors presented $5,000 to Meals on Wheels.

REM FEBRUARY 2016 29 ■ ■ ■

Stacey Evoy will serve as president of the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) in 2016.

A native of Sarnia, Ont., Evoy worked in the hospitality sector before becoming a Realtor in 2003.

She is a broker with Royal LePage Triland.

The association says Evoy is “a champion for children and women’s issues, specifically research and fundraising in support of breast cancer. She describes mentoring five and six-year-old girls as a Spark Leader in Girl Guides as her most rewarding volunteer work.”

At the last 2015 meeting of the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors Board of Directors, the association’s Quality of Life Advisory Group chair Heather Arnott presented three cheques to representatives of area charities.

Tracy Marino, chair of the Organizing Committee of London Hockey Helps the Homeless, along with committee member Dan Grantham were on hand to receive $5,000 in sponsorship for the third annual one-day fantasy hockey tournament, scheduled to take place on May 7. The 2014 and 2015 tournaments raised $235,000 for Merrymount Children and Family Crisis and Support Centre, Youth Opportunities Unlimited and the Unity Project.

The second donation was to Meals on Wheels London. MOW president Kevin Barry, Sarah Campbell, executive director and fundraising consultant Katie Van Den Berg accepted $5,000 to fund the Home to Stay program. This initiative will provide meals to people at risk of becoming homeless or those who have been recently, and perhaps precariously, housed. A donation was also presented to the Homes 4 Women program at the Women’s Community House.

■ ■ ■

Members of the Southern Georgian Bay Association of Realtors donated more than $6,600 to provide 443 holiday turkeys for local families in need.

The association partnered with local grocers who added additional pounds to each $15 turkey donated; the turkeys were then distributed by charitable organizations in each community.

The Freshco store in Collingwood and Foodland stores in Meaford, Midland, Penetanguishene, Stayner, Thornbury and Wasaga Beach took part.

■ ■ ■

The spirit of giving was alive and well among members of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) this holiday season.

In Nanaimo, VIREB gave $1,000 to the Salvation Army and $2,000 to Secret Santa Nanaimo, along with $1,000 and toy donations to the Nanaimo Toy Drive.

The Salvation Army Toy Depot in Duncan also received toys. Farther north, YANA (You Are Not Alone) Comox Valley received $510 and the Campbell River Food Bank received $255.

In the Cowichan Valley, the Cowichan Intercultural Society received $1,177 to help Syrian refugees, with Ladysmith Resource Centre getting the same amount.

A $429 donation went to Warmland House in Duncan, along with $515 to the Cowichan Valley Basket Society. VIREB staff donated several bags and boxes of food to Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank in Nanaimo, as well as $728 to the New Hope Centre. The employees raised the money with a Casual Day Fund and the raffle of VIREB’s Christmas floral arrangement.

■ ■ ■

The Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound recently presented Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce (HFHGB) with a $5,270 grant from the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation. The donation was in addition to the $19,000 raised earlier this year at the association’s annual golf tournament. Realtors, in co-operation with the foundation, have donated $178,850 towards local Habitat builds during the past 15 years.

■ ■ ■

The Southern Georgian Bay Association of Realtors (SGBAR) recently presented cheques to various local charities representing proceeds of almost $7,000 from the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation - Every Realtor Campaign. The recipients were: Home Horizon, Huronia Transition Homes (La Maison Rosewood Shelter), My Friend’s House and Shelter Now.

In 2014, the foundation provided more than $900,000 in grants to more than 200 shelterbased organizations.

■ ■ ■

Charlie Ponde is the Alberta Real Estate Foundation’s 13th chair of the Board of Governors.

Ponde was appointed to the foundation Board of Governors in 2012 by the Alberta Real Estate Association. Prior to joining the board, he says, “I admired the way AREF was quietly making an impact by funding numerous pro-

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

jects in the province. I always wanted to get involved and be part of the work AREF was doing.”

Ponde entered the real estate profession in 1992. He has been an active and full-time member of the Realtors Association of Edmonton ever since. He is a past president and life member of the association.

He says his first priority in taking on the role of chair is to ensure there is effective communication between the Board of Governors, staff and AREF’s stakeholders. “I may be the chair but I feel it is a

team effort. In order for AREF to be effective, the board and staff must be on the same page, working to enhance the real estate industry and make a difference in Alberta together.”

Gary Willson is stepping into the role of past chair. “His leadership and experience in planning, industry and community engagement has enhanced the foundation’s profile and helped increase its reach throughout the province through collaboration with industry and communities,” says AREF. REM

Planning and accountability work; others will say, “Why bother?”

Here’s a plan that’s foolproof and concise and to the point.

Beside each plan idea, insert a dollar value based on your area’s average sale price and average referral fee that you are offered.

You must write the plan yourself. It must state the number of hours per week you are going to work, the number of listings you’re planning to get and the number you’ll get from referrals. Include mortgage referral fees given by mortgage brokers and banks.

How are you going to develop your sphere of influence to reach

You should review your progress monthly with your broker or manager or team leader – maybe your significant other could help as well.

or manager or team leader – maybe your significant other could help as well.

Coming up with a plan and sticking to it separates you from the other 80 per cent of the agents who will just be satisfied with going from one sale to the next, with no idea whatsoever as to how much money they will eventually make this year.

Do any of you think General Motors sits down and plans to increase its sales by just pulling a figure out of the air? You can’t be serious!

In the movie Patton, General Patton defeated Rommel’s tank corps by reading Rommel’s book about strategy and then setting out a plan with his generals to defeat him. In holding those accountable to his plan, Patton won the day.

Make a detailed plan and follow it every day. Don’t be distracted and you’ll wind up in the top 20 per cent and not in the 80 per cent who do, on average, about 4.5 deals per year.

Who is going to hold you accountable so you can win the day?

these goals? Are you going to work from home or an office? Why? How is your plan going to impact your home life? How many vacations are you going to take?

You should review your progress monthly with your broker

Stan Albert, ABR, ASA is a consultant with Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. He can be reached for consultation at stanalb@rogers.com. Stan is now celebrating his 46th year as an active real estate professional. REM

By Stan Albert

P

lanning for 2016 – not again Albert! Are you kidding us? You’ve written about this every year for the last 20 years. Not again please!

Yes, loyal fans, here it is again, but it’s very, very simple.

Who, what, when, where, how and why…according to the

famous author, Rudyard Kipling, these were the only words one needed to resolve any plans, problems or issues.

Does a plan have to be six pages or more on Excel spread sheets? For some of us that may

30 REM FEBRUARY 2016

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls y desk overlooks one of the busiest roads in Toronto. We are at the intersection of a small side street and that busy roadway. At the corner of this small street, there are signs that say it is prohibited to make turns to the major road from the small street during rush hours.

This is to prevent traffic from flooding into my high-density neighbourhood during the rush hours. Thousands of cars will use this small street as a short cut.

The problem is these prohibited turns are rarely enforced and most rush hour drivers know that, so they make the illegal turns every day. Every now and again there is a

MARKETPLACE

M

The fear of property tax increases community meeting where residents angrily tell police officials that they want these illegal turns enforced.

The police have only recently been honest about why they don’t enforce this intersection. They say that the cost of enforcement is too much. They would need two or three police cars with a crew of about six police officers to manage the traffic on the busy street while cars are pulled over and tickets are written. While this all goes on, a traffic jam on the major road is created, causing enormous stress on the flow of cars at rush hour. One day of enforcing prohibitive turns from our little street could end up costing the city over $100,000.

They don’t have that money in the budget so the safety of an entire neighbourhood is put at risk due to money problems. This is not unique to the street in front of my window. It plays out all over my city and every city in Canada.

All of this could be solved by the installation of a traffic camera

that can photograph the license plate of a car making the illegal turn and send a traffic violation notice and fine to the owner of the car. No police cars, no traffic jams and less rush hour danger to the neighbourhood. Everything is solved.

The problem is the money to buy and install that technology is not in the budget, even though it is readily available to the police. It could even be a money maker. The police have come to the politicians with hat in hand to ask for this technology for years but the politicians all say no because they are afraid of raising budgets and subsequently property taxes.

Property taxes are so sacred to politicians across Canada that they are terrified to raise them and dread the trouble even a small two per cent raise may cause them.

Politicians could lose the next election because of property taxes, so they stand sanctimoniously and declare that property taxes will not rise on their watch. How foolish

realtywebsites.ca Show listings on social media with Agent iFrame. $4.95/mo.

they are.

That self-centred attitude has caused havoc in our cities.

Subways and transit systems have fallen decades behind in improvement. Road building and repair is not being done. Underground water systems are disintegrating because they are over 100 years old, and in one particular city thousands of tons of raw sewage were poured into a precious fresh waterway because new systems were never built. On it goes. Our cities and provinces are falling apart because politicians have not raised property taxes to help the people for decades.

Whether you like it or not, unless we get some honest politicians we are in for more trouble than we can imagine. Good management begins with raising property prices across the board by at least 10 per cent if not double that just to fix all the problems we have inherited from mismanagement in the last 60 years. If you don’t believe that, then you are as dumb as the politicians who run your city and province think you are.

It is shocking that politicians are grabbing money from the sale of houses through land transfer taxes and all kinds of other ridiculous home buying taxes instead of

raising property taxes. We could have a great economy but our politicians are threatening it.

There are a lot of elements to our country’s economy. There is technology development, raw material management, the auto sector and even our controversial oil and gas development. But none of them compare to the importance of housing, specifically people buying houses.

In fact, all of them combined are not as important as an active housing market. Furniture manufacturing, carpentry, engineering, building design, construction trades, carpet manufacturing, roofing, waste management, anything and everything right down to driveway sealant are all related to home sales. If you are stupid enough to restrict people from buying homes, then you are cannot be trusted to run the government.

Politicians, you must stop the land transfer taxes, new home taxes, GST/HST and all the other outrageous scams for money grabbing.

Raise property taxes you idiots, don’t stop people from buying houses.

Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email heino@remonline.com.

REM

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Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington Realtor Connections 2016 AGM, Conference and Trade Show Wednesday, March 23 Hamilton Convention Centre Hamilton Sheila Sferrazza - sheilas@rahb.ca or 905-529-8101 x234

Toronto Real Estate Board’s Realtor Quest May 4 - 5 Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto www.realtorquest.ca C21 Insiders Conference May 5 - 6 Sheraton Cavalier Calgary, Calgary Carla Ty supplier.expo@century21.ca

Compiled with the assistance of Bob Campbell at Colour Tech Marketing, www.colourtech.com

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