January 2016

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

Issue #319

January 2016

Start 2016 with a bang!

Page 3

It’s all about agency Page 14

App brings print publications to life Page 24

Marvin Alexander

New Keller Williams boss hits the road Page 8

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REM JANUARY 2016 3

Start 2016 with a bang!

A new year has arrived. Shake off the lingering doldrums from 2015 and set yourself up for a successful and productive 2016. By Toby Welch

F

or the past 12 years, broker Glenn Wildenmann has annually ranked in the top 10 salespeople with Groupe Sutton Performer in Pointe Claire, Que. In 2013 he was the No. 1 producer in his office. He plans to start 2016 off strong.

“The holiday season is a great time to rest and recharge.

The trouble comes when those few days off lead to a few more days off and even a few more days after that. Before you know it you’re well into January and For Sale signs start popping up throughout the neighbourhood – but none of them are yours!

Don’t allow yourself to suffer from a holiday hangover.”

Wildenmann continues, “Selling shouldn’t be a desperate sprint but rather a well-paced consistent marathon. The key is goals and rewards... but how? Set great goals – achievable but great. I like to break goals into milestones, which make them realistic and not overwhelming.

As the old joke goes, “How do you eat an elephant (overwhelming)? One bite at a time (achievable)!”

Wildenmann suggests a few ways you can accomplish this: 1. Set up a buddy system.

“Even if you don’t work with another agent, find someone like-minded and whom you are comfortable with. Make a plan to call and meet each other regularly. There is a responsibility and accountability that is mutually beneficial and will help you overcome holiday inertia,” he says.

2. Attend a seminar. Find one at the beginning of the year and go. “Allow a superstar to kick-start your season and wake you from your turkey coma.”

3. Set up your own reward system. Companies do it for employees. You are self employed, your own boss, so reward yourself. Make your very own “wish list” and a corresponding milestone that is just

Focusing on the year ahead, start by looking back. Take into account everything you accomplished in 2015 and establish a list of goals for 2016. for you.

“I collect hockey memorabilia, but I also have a wife and four daughters so it’s hard to justify spending money on a signed stick, jersey or classic card,” says Wildenmann. “I set up my own system where after five closings, for example, I buy myself a little something. I achieved a goal and now I can afford to do it. I stay motivated and my office looks pretty cool, too!”

If you watch Canada’s Worst Driver, you know that you have to look in the direction you want to go. Focusing on the year ahead, start by looking back.

Take into account everything you accomplished in 2015 and establish a list of goals for 2016.

It is vital that you spend some time planning where you want to be at the end of this year. That will give you a roadmap to follow to success. Starting today, get moving in the direction you want to go.

Push yourself out of your comfort zone, because that is when the magic usually happens.

Hate cold calling or following up on Internet leads but know it will be a boon to your business?

Pick up the phone. Always wanted to become a real estate public speaker but have never given a talk? Sign yourself up to give a presentation. Join new organizations, try new pastimes.

Action yields results.

Surround yourself with positive and successful people.

Spending time with negative colleagues or whiners – you know who they are – will keep you mired in a mental state where great things don’t easily happen. Where to meet others in real estate who have reached the heights where you want to be?

Consider attending real estate conferences, conventions and networking events and reaching out to inspiring people in your network that you’ve lost touch with.

Make a conscious effort to spend time with people who are

Zac de Silva

you up for success.

Zac de Silva, who was named 2014 International Coach of the Year by The Coach Institute in America, is the founder of www.accme.co, a software program that helps people make forward progress every week.

“As we all know, Rome was not built in a day and neither is business (or personal) success.

As long as you are doing something weekly about getting to where you need to get to and you consistently think about how to get around the obstacles that will be thrown your way, you are likely to be on the right track,” says

Push yourself out of your comfort zone,because that is when the magic usually happens. doing what you want to do in the future. Carry the positive people guideline into your personal life, limiting time spent with friends and family who leave you feeling mentally drained. Follow the positivity through to your working environment. Does your office energize you or is it uninspiring? Do whatever is necessary to create a work space that sets

de Silva. “I have found with my clients that getting better and better is not really that hard – it’s just about getting into the process of constant improvement and recognizing that not everything is rosy and can be improved. Facing reality, thinking of greatness and what you could be, and then doing something about moving closer to

Glenn Wildenmann

that state is what will make you the success you want to be.”

The most common excuse people cite for not reaching their goals is a lack of time. Yet we all have the same 24 hours in a day.

The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they choose to use those 24 hours. Spending three hours watching TV, trolling Facebook with no time limit and passing hours playing League of Legends all but guarantees that you may not be living up to your potential. If such things are a problem for you, consider cutting the time you spend doing them in half and once that becomes routine, cut the time in half again.

Get a grip on your time management.

Start now to make this year unforgettable. Stop making excuses, formulate a plan and get out there and kick some ass.

Ready, aim, fire! REM

4 REM JANUARY 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

R

ealty Executives Platinum, based in Exeter, Ont., recently opened a new office in Stratford.

Broker/owner Matt Den Hollander has been in real estate for more than eight years. In 2013, salesperson Steve Sararas and Den Hollander formed Realty Executives Platinum in Exeter. “It was a humble beginning of two,” says Den Hollander. It is now a team of 13, including two administrators and two property managers.

In late 2014, the firm opened a second office in downtown Mitchell. Earlier this year it purchased a 5,000 sq ft. restaurant that formerly housed the Taj Fine Dining Restaurant.

“This building has been completely gutted and reconstructed into three commercial units and two beautiful upscale apartments.

One of the commercial units is the home of our newest Realty Executives Platinum branch office,” says Den Hollander.

■ ■ ■

Broker Hamid Parsa and 50 salespeople from Top Choice Realty have joined Century 21 Atria Realty in Toronto.

“We are very excited to welcome Top Choice Realty to our team. Their well-known expertise in the community adds so much value to our team,” says Stephen Chow, owner of the brokerage.

Chow’s firm was named Century 21’s 2015 Franchisee of the Year. It now has more than 300 salespeople in three locations.

■ ■ ■

The brokerage formerly known as Coldwell Banker Pinnacle Real Estate in Hamilton, Ont. will now operate as Coldwell Banker Community Real Estate. The rebranding is part of a repositioning strategy designed to capitalize on new and emerging growth opportunities, the company says.

“This initiative signals a new direction for the company,” says Ron Hunter, president of the brokerage. “We are restructuring our entire operation and we have

made significant investments in renovations and technology…”

He says the company has also implemented “an innovative compensation model that we believe will be instrumental in attracting prospective Realtors to our forward-focused operation.”

The current leadership team will remain in place, now with new responsibilities following the reorganization. Ann Cosens, well known in the industry as a former CREA director and past president of the Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB), remains as broker of record. Gary Herron, formerly branch manager, now takes on the role of director of recruiting and training/development. Herron is also a former president of RAHB. ■ ■ ■

Amanda and Cameron Van Klei recently opened Century 21 Creekside Realty in Chilliwack, B.C. Cameron Van Klei, formerly with HomeLife, is “consistently

listed in the top 10 Realtors in Chilliwack and is part of the prestigious President’s Club for the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board,” the company says.

Van Klei grew up in the community. “Chilliwack has a small town feel with the amenities of a larger metropolitan area – it truly is the perfect balance,” he says.

■ ■ ■

Independent Ken Gies Real Estate in Hamilton, Ont. has joined Royal LePage State Realty.

Ken Gies opened his brokerage in 1982, after a successful career with a large trust company. He served as broker at the firm, while his brother Dan Gies was broker of record.

Royal LePage State Realty has served the Hamilton area since 1977. The company has more than 300 sales reps and staff with offices in Ancaster, Hamilton and Stoney Creek.

■ ■ ■

Kevin and Jacalyn Grimes recently acquired Re/Max Affiliates in Ottawa from Geoff McGowan. They also acquired Re/Max Connections Realty from John Gray, so Re/Max Affiliates Realty now has offices in Barrhaven, Kanata, Smiths Falls and Kemptville. In total the brokerage has 95 agents.

Kevin Grimes has been in the

real estate industry for 10 years – five with Royal LePage and five years as broker of record/owner at Century 21 Your Choice Realty.

He is a past president of the Rideau St Lawrence Real Estate Board.

Jacalyn has been in the industry for nine years, also with Royal LePage and Century 21 Your Choice Realty. She served on the Programs Committee for two years on the board and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Smiths Falls Community Food Bank, as well as the Committee of Adjustment for the Town of Smiths Falls.

■ ■ ■

Roger LeBlanc is the new owner of Re/Max Avante in Moncton. He and his team of 15 agents formerly operated under the Royal LePage Equipe Roger LeBlanc banner.

LeBlanc has sold residential and commercial real estate throughout Greater Moncton for more than 30 years and he is no stranger to Re/Max. He previously worked as an agent for the company from 1992 to 2001, when he was a Platinum Club sales award winner.

■ ■ ■

Coast Realty Group Brokerage and Property Management in Powell River, B.C. is now operating under the Royal LePage banner. The Powell River office is the final member of the former Coast Realty Group to join Royal LePage – all the other former Coast Realty Group offices and agents were acquired in July 2015 by Royal LePage brokerage owners on Vancouver Island.

Continued on page 6

The Century 21 Atria team.

From left, Ann Cosens, Ron Hunter and Gary Herron of the newly renamed Coldwell Banker Community Real Estate.

Taking part in the ribbon cutting at Realty Executives Platinium, from left: Stratford Chamber of Commerce general manager Brad Beatty; MP for Perth Wellington John Nater; broker/owner Matt Den Hollander; Stratford Mayor Dan Matheison; and the owner of Arjan Construction, Janette Meinen.

Ken Gies

Dan Gies

Century 21 Creekside Realty owners Amanda and Cameron Van Klei with Chilliwack city councillor Chris Kloot.

+100,000

referral contacts

countries

1000s OF INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS

6 REM JANUARY 2016

Continued from page 4

Warren Behan has assumed ownership of Royal LePage Powell River from the previous owners of Coast Realty Group. Dawn Adaszynski continues as managing broker for the brokerage and licensee for the property management business, both of which are the largest in Powell River.

■ ■ ■

Bianca Myddleton and Danielle Hrasko, who both have well-established personal sales operations in the Greater Vancouver area, recently opened Coldwell Banker Marquise Realty in South Surrey, B.C. Hrasko was born into a real estate family from White Rock and brings customer service and financial experience from her previous role as a personal financial services officer with RBC. Myddleton has called the White Rock and South Surrey area home for most of her life. She brings marketing, franchise development and banking experience from a range of business service industries, the company says. Myddleton has also provided training and instruction at the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board.

■ ■ ■

Lisa Fayle, currently ranked in the top one per cent of sales associates for units sold in 2015 on the Toronto Real Estate Board MLS system, has rejoined Re/Max after spending the last five years with Keller Williams. She is joining Re/Max Rouge River Realty.

“This move will create a significant shift in the Re/Max Market Share in the Durham Region as Lisa has been recognized as No. 1 sales rep for Keller Williams Canada in the Durham Region for 2014 and No. 1 for Keller Williams Canada in Whitby, Ont. for 2015 year to date,” says Re/Max in a news release.

Cover photo: MARKO SHARK

“Lisa is a perfect fit for our new, premium office location at Taunton Gardens in North Whitby/Brooklin,” says Melody Pearce, broker/owner, Re/Max Rouge River.

■ ■ ■

Joseph Schirripa recently launched Re/Max Hartland in Mississauga, Ont. The office was formerly under the Coldwell Banker banner.

Schirripa has been in the real estate industry since 1977, obtaining his broker’s license in 1982. He opened his brokerage in 1989. The office repeatedly won the Coldwell Banker Premier Office award and many salespeople within the office have won a variety of Coldwell Banker’s top international awards.

The location of the office has allowed agents to cover all of the GTA and their involvement in the sale of new homes has helped them gain a presence throughout many Southern Ontario marketplaces, the company says.

■ ■ ■

Rachel Viau and Sébastien Bonnerot, with a combined 15 years of real estate industry experience, recently opened Century 21 Élite in Cantley, Que. “The visibility and proximity to the community has allowed us

to focus on building a tight team of new-age Realtors – elites within the industry,” says Bonnerot.

“Over 17,000 cars drive past the front doors daily. It was a simple decision to open here both for our clients’ convenience and exposure for their listings.”

The owners have been recognized nationally for their high level of service and results. Bonnerot earned the Double Centurion Producer award in 2014 and Centurion Producer sales awards in 2013 and 2012. Viau earned the Century 21 Masters Silver in 2014 and Masters Emerald 2013 for sales success. She brings more than 10 years of experience serving the real estate needs of the local market.

■ ■ ■

Kate Mammen of Exit Realty Advantage in Fredericton won a $25,000 grand prize at the Chairman’s Ball finale at the 2015 Exit Realty Corp. International Convention in Nashville recently.

Mammen was one of three individuals who won a grand prize out of more than 1,500 in attendance. Three other Canadians – Francine Comeau, sales rep with Exit Realty Advantage in Fredericton; Wendell Black, sales rep with Exit Realty Specialists in

Tim Fulford

Kate Mammen with Exit CEO and founder Steve Morris.

Kevin Grimes

Roger LeBlanc

Warren Behan

Chiyoko Kakino

Continued on page 29

Sébastien Bonnerot, Cantley City Mayor Madeleine Brunette and Rachel Viau at the official opening of Century 21 Élite.

Publisher HEINO MOLLS heino@remonline.com

Editor JIM ADAIR jim@remonline.com

Director, Sales & Marketing DENNIS ROCK dennis@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

The Lisa Fayle Team.

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 2015 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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Multiple Listings

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8 REM JANUARY 2016

Canada’s top agent tackles new challenge

Marvin Alexander, ranked Canada’s No. 1 agent by Real Trends last year, is now director of Canadian operations for Keller Williams Realty. Not bad for a guy who once tried to sell his own home privately and failed. By Susan Doran

S

pending months crisscrossing the country was among the first items on the agenda for Marvin Alexander of Newmarket, Ont., who as Keller Williams Realty’s newly appointed director of Canadian operations will lead a growing team of more than 2,400 associates in two dozen offices across Canada.

By all accounts, this kind of share-the-vision-tour is a timetested Keller Williams strategy.

The idea is that Alexander’s trips across Canada visiting the company’s local leadership teams and associates will help build awareness, share best practices and promote expansion.

Seems like a good plan, although it certainly added an element of challenge to the process of setting up a REM interview with Alexander via his public relations rep. (“He’s travelling right now....”)

Such is life. Alexander, who is president/owner of Keller Williams Realty Centres in Ontario, last year was Canada’s No. 1 agent by individual ends, according to the independent American company Real Trends.

Now he has a mission. His plan as the new director of operations in Canada involves “unifying the company from coast to coast” and ensuring that Keller Williams’ vision is spread to all associates, he says. But first, the vision had to be crystal clear to Alexander.

“Part of my agreement to take on this role was predicated on the company having a sound plan,” he says.

It does – a very ambitious one.

For starters, Keller Williams, which is currently in a worldwide expansion mode, is gearing up to double in size in Canada within two years and more than

quadruple in five years. This growth is expected to come both from the opening of new offices coast to coast and the expansion of existing ones.

Williams because the company’s philosophy of “creating an environment that brings out the best in people,” matches his own, he says.

The “big three” focus areas for expansion in Canada will be Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, Alexander says. Last year, Keller Williams Canada associates handled more than 21,000 transactions and closed more than $8 billion in sales, the company’s stats show.

“Keller Williams is a company with a caring culture.”

“We have an army of people out there and they are coming to me,” says Alexander. “We have had a great quantity of interest and a great quality of interest...Since June I’ve already had over 80 franchise inquiries in Canada.”

That’s a lot. In Alexander’s opinion, Keller Williams “is actually under developed in Canada...the best-kept secret in Canadian real estate.”

Another reason Keller Williams is able to attract franchisees and expand in Canada and elsewhere falls somewhere in the spectrum of “build it and they will come” (the famous line from the 1989 movie, Field of Dreams).

To put it in Alexander’s words, “The chassis we are built on allows for great results.”

With 125,000 sales reps, Keller Williams is the world’s largest franchise by agent count.

It says it achieved historic productivity, profit gains and recruitment with a business model that delivers through profit sharing and a culture of independence and shared decision making that rewards agents as stakeholders.

Alexander, with close to 24 years in real estate, was initially attracted to Keller

Alexander joined Keller Williams as a franchisee in 2008, attracted by the company’s “multiple value propositions,” which besides the financial incentive of profit sharing include strong training systems. “We are ranked as the No. 1 company for training in the world,” he says.

The company’s technological tools, a revenue-capped model especially appreciated by top producers, residual income opportunities and a culture of good corporate citizenship were also appealing to him.

In particular, Alexander likes that Keller Williams cedes significant decision-making authority to its associates and “is not just a business model based on ‘what’s in it for me.’”

The company has an open book policy and “is probably the only franchise in North America with no debt,” he says. “And we teach our business operators how to do so too. It’s a very sound business model – and very Canadian too, as Canadians are debt adverse.”

Alexander stresses that part of Keller Williams’ mission is to attract the best in the business.

“A Keller Williams franchise is the most difficult to be awarded, I’d say. It needs to be a good fit” and involves a multilayered screening process for the operating partner, including a behavioural assessment, multiple interviews and several days of research and training at the company’s Austin, Texas, headquarters.

Marvin Alexander (Photo by Marko Shark)

Having a long track record of success before and after joining Keller Williams, Alexander was contacted “by virtually every franchisor in Canada,” when he began to search for new opportunities not long ago. Not bad for a guy who admits that before he got into real estate he attempted to sell his own home privately but failed.

At first the offer from

Keller Williams to head up the Canadian division seemed too good to be true, he says.

“I feel honoured to be appointed and I don’t take it lightly,” he says. “I’m excited about solidifying the foundation our operating partners have built... I’m looking forward to growth with great new people and also fostering those we already have.” REM

10 REM JANUARY 2016

Driving your way to success

By Michelle Risi

Y

ou wake up one morning and receive a call that you’ve won $500,000! All you need to do is drive eight hours to claim your prize. You jump in your car, enter the address into your GPS and off you go.

An hour into your drive, your stomach begins to growl. You notice a flashing sign in the distance that says, “World famous pizza – turn left”. A minute later, your washer fluid indicator light begins to flash and your phone beeps, notifying you that you have 10 new Snapchat messages. Eyes back on the road now, you begin to notice various street signs luring you to the casino up ahead, the designer clothing sale down

the road and wouldn’t you know it, a “This way to the beach” sign straight ahead! All you need to do is remain focused on the prize, but it seems that everywhere you look, there are things trying to take you off your path.

We are surrounded by distractions every day and while some people are able to stay productive despite them, others – not so much.

It’s easy to let distractive activities take up valuable hours from our day and steer us off course. But to be successful, you need to take action and find a way to manage them, especially in our technology-driven world where we are constantly bombarded with a zillion distractions every minute.

So how do successful people do it? There is certainly no shortage on Google for productivity tips. Tips like blocking out distractions, getting up earlier or outsourcing chores. I’m not sure about you, but the last time I attempted to block out incoming

calls, screaming kids and constant emails, I wasn’t exactly productive. I’m a believer in keeping it simple. Too many directions and I am bound to end up lost.

Here are three simple tips to help you stay the course: 1) Stay in the driver’s seat.

Distractions are not going anywhere. When you are in the driver’s seat, you are in control. Use this control to manage the time you spend on certain activities, rather than letting the activities control you. Identifying which

Last time I checked, Candy Crush was not a lead generation tool.

activities are productive and purposeful in your business will help you to avoid the ones that aren’t.

Set time limits when on social media. If you’re on Facebook to stay connected to your sphere of influence, then carve out time at the beginning or end of your day to do so. But be sure you are sticking to task. Last time I checked, Candy Crush was not a lead generation tool.

2) Keep your eyes on the road. You know where you want to go and what you need to achieve every day – or at least you should. Set goals and targets for your week. Check in with yourself every day to be sure you are staying focused.

I once heard the phrase “stay close to the cash” and I believe it is an accurate measure to determine productivity. Whether it’s connecting with a past client, engaging in lead generation or following up with a current prospect, if the activity involves business development, do it. If it doesn’t,

don’t. (Or at least wait until you’ve accomplished your goals for the day.)

3) Have a full tank of gas.

Before you set out on your day, be sure you have everything you need to stay productive. Did you exercise? Eat right? Sleep enough?

Have you mentally prepared for the day? Being prepared is key to being productive! If you aren’t taking care of your mind and body, don’t expect it to take care of you. In fact, you might as well start scheduling sick days and making room for headaches and body pains.

There are many roadmaps to success. The best ones are the ones you stick to. What actions will you take today to get you back on the road to where you want to be?

Michelle Risi is the executive vice president for Royal LePage Your Community Realty in Toronto and president of the Real Estate Academy.

REM

#1 on the Sunshine Coast

IS WHAT WE DO We are thrilled to welcome Warren Behan, broker/owner, and the former Coast Realty Group from Powell River, British Columbia to the Royal LePage family. The brokerage will now operate as Royal LePage Powell River.

Warren and his team of 14 Realtors® are market leaders, with almost 60% market share on the Northern Sunshine Coast.

With this change, Royal LePage solidifies its position as the #1 brand on the B.C. Sunshine Coast.

Partner with a leader. Join Royal LePage.

royallepage.ca/franchising 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.

ADVERTISEMENT

Alberta Real Estate Agent Earns $2.2 Million in GCI Despite Taking 4 Months Off

By Len T. Wong When I got into real estate, I was kind of a lost sheep. I was putting in 16 hour days, 60-70 hour weeks, including 5-6 evenings per week and every weekend, always on call and basically doing everything on my own. My wife and I barely saw each other. All I knew how to do was just get out there and work away at the business – always in the business, putting out fires, chasing business, babysitting clients, and then getting up each morning to do it all over again. It was very frustrating. I knew there had to be a better way, but I never had time to really look at what and how I was doing things so I could find that better way.

I did this for about 2-3 years prior to going to one of Craig Proctor’s SuperConferences.

I found my way to Craig because I wanted to learn from someone who

was successful in the real estate business and who had created systems. This was the kind of trainer I was looking for. Someone who could provide me with coaching and mentoring based on his real and proven track record.

I’ve been with Craig since 1997 – almost 20 years -- and my life is completely different because of what he’s taught me. Before Craig, I was doing around 60 transactions a year and have increased my business by 10-20% every year since then. Last year I took 4 months off, worked only 35-40 hours a week and still did 340 sales . . . that’s more than a home a day.

This has multiplied my GCI by over 600% to about $2,000,000.00.

The cost for you to buy Craig’s system or attend one of his SuperConferences is minimal because it’ll come back to you tenfold in a very short time. I know that from my own experience and there are thousands in his program just like me. Don’t be scared about stepping in because Craig has made it so easy. It’s really just

about following the very easy guidelines he sets out for each part of your business. It’s about copying what he did.

What Craig has taught me has made my business much more systematic. He’s helped me with lead generation and retention. By copying Craig, we now have amazing follow up systems in place that have dramatically increased our lead conversion.

Craig’s systems have been proven successful by thousands of agents from right across the continent. Why reinvent the wheel of real estate when Craig already has something so successful? n

n

n

Hi, Craig Proctor here. What if I told you that you could EASILY increase your income from real estate the way Len has if you will take only THREE simple actions.

I was the top agent in Canada for over a decade, and the number one Re/Max agent in the world several times, and top 10 for more than 20 years. No one can even come close to matching

my track record. This invitation is only for you if you place a high value on successful experience. On methods that are working now but have also proven themselves in every kind of market over time and can be counted on. I know from that experience that this market is good enough, just about everywhere, to reward an agent with a solid 6-7 figure income and, yes, thousands of my students are easily earning $1 Million + in GCI and there’s no reason you can’t do the same.

Of course, a lot of people would rather have a good excuse than a good plan, but I’ll tell you: there is no legitimate excuse for not having all the good prospects and clients coming to you right now, for you to earn the big numbers my successful students are earning and still work sane hours, have a real personal or family life, and be able to “enforce” your time off with your cell-phone off without the desperate fear of loss that comes with poor positioning and unpredictable income.

Listen, aren’t you SICK AND TIRED of the worry and anxiety of income uncertainty? Of defending your career to spouse or family or relatives at holidays – and to yourself? Of believing others are making more, easier, and wondering what’s wrong with you?

Of being stuck at a level you can’t rise above?

Of feast ‘n celebration, then months of famine?

Maybe worse: being “successful” but still feeling anxious about it, trapped by it, working much harder for it than you should have to? I literally re-invented real estate once, and made myself a multi-millionaire agent by doing so.

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12 REM JANUARY 2016

Don’t be afraid of well-informed clients

By Tina Plett

T

imes are still changing, and some people really need to get on board.

It used to be that being a professional was about being anonymous and keeping one’s personal and professional life absolutely, unequivocally separate.

It also used to be that if one wanted information about buying or selling a home, they had to appeal to a real estate agent for insider details.

Those days are gone, and oldschoolers need to jolt awake to what’s really happening. How people shop – for houses or agents –

has changed drastically. Signage and anonymity don’t cut it.

Now, with the vast availability of information, it’s not about hiding anymore. It’s about transparency. Authenticity. Being yourself is what wins people over, not some tin-can sales pitch and flashy signage.

It’s scary to be all “out there” being yourself, but to be effective with marketing and to attract readers or clients, it needs to be done.

People don’t care what you know until they know you care, you know?

Besides, buyers can get information anywhere.

They don’t need to come to agents to compare DIY selling to selling with an agent. They can research the sales prices and properties on their own, and read about the top 10 mistakes people make when selling. They don’t need agents to tell them that.

They can even find out about the owners of a home they want to buy.

The volume and intimacy of information available for anyone to read is staggering.

Gen Y-ers are a major segment of the home buying population and they’re avid researchers. They don’t need agents for research anymore.

This scares some agents.

If you’re not willing to change with the times and adapt, then it should scare you.

If you’re clinging to oldschool thinking, believing that personality and transparency have no place in the realm of your business, you are clinging to extinct methods.

Gen Y-ers are on the hunt, not for the agent with the shiniest car or the biggest brokerage, but for a real person they want to work with. They are a thoughtful

bunch who can smell a sales pitch three miles away, and will have none of it.

They want transparency.

“If I could show you this, would you commit to that?” is a dead tactic. They won’t put up with carrots strung from sticks. There’s too much information out there for that. I love that about Gen Y-ers. I feel similarly turned off by sales scripts and pressure tactics.

I love it when buyers take the initiative and inform themselves.

In fact, I respect the daylights out of them. That’s why I blog! I hope to help people who are searching for information, help, insight and to avoid some of the pitfalls that come with buying and selling.

I admire thoughtfulness. And anyone who is researching the elements of the home they want to buy or the various aspects of where they’re going to live, is definitely thoughtful. Those are the kinds of

Livin’ large in Chicken, Alaska C

hicken, Alaska is probably the last place you’d want to live if you’re a real estate agent. With a population of just 60 in the summer and five in the winter, there aren’t many homes to buy and sell.

And forget commercial property. The downtown, if you can call it that, has four shops and a gas station and they’re all owned by one woman, Susan Wiren, a Philadelphia native who has been operating these remnants of old frontier Alaska for the past 27 years.

A former book store manager in New Jersey, Wiren followed her “adventurer” boyfriend to Alaska 28 years ago and never looked back.

While he dredged for gold, she looked after two children and when some vacant shops came up for sale, she took a risk and purchased them from the bank.

The boyfriend is long gone, but Wiren now has a thriving business with seven employees. “We try to find fun-loving, silly people,” she says, admitting downtown resembles a “B-grade, surrealistic movie.”

Helping her run the operation is her son John, her friend Cindy and her daughter, and a new hire from

Oklahoma, plus several repeat employees. Wiren’s mutt Daisy May and a few pet chickens watch from the sidelines.

The weathered-looking storefronts set amidst a stark landscape include a souvenir emporium with t-shirts that read: “I got laid in Chicken, Alaska” or “Cluck-U.” At the Chicken Creek Saloon, thousands of baseball caps, left behind by passing visitors, hang from the ceiling. Countless business cards, license plates and other paraphernalia cover the walls near the jukebox, the pool table and around the bar. Outside is a giant tire.

“Occasionally people get in and we roll them to the airport,” she says.

“I’ve done it. It’s horrible, but people think it’s funny.”

The café has a diverse menu, including vegan and gluten-free dishes, and of course chicken.

There’s barbecue chicken, chicken pot pie, grilled chicken breast, chicken salad sandwich, chicken parmesan sandwich, Caesar salad with chicken and one of the house specialties, chicken soup.

The town’s unconventional name is believed to have originated with area gold miners in the 1800s,

people I adore working with.

So, colleagues, friends, don’t be afraid of informed buyers.

Don’t be afraid of people who research, initiate self education, and who are highly aware of what they want.

If you’re going to fear anything, fear the dusty sales tactics taught by too many people. Fear relying on pressure, manipulation, and all things shiny to win a client. Run from those things.

Raise your opinion of people a bit – they’re smarter than you think, and that’s a good thing.

Attentive from sign up till sign down, rural agent Tina Plett wins the affections of people near Steinbach, Man. with her unique blend of forward-thinking business savvy and down-home, countrified lifestyle.

Sutton Group-Kilkenny proudly calls her their own. www.tinaplett.com REM

By Diane Slawych

who wanted to call their camp view,” that is often rented by local ue welcoming visitors to her quirky Ptarmigan – after a grouse that was Alaskans. “Some people come to little Alaskan town. “It’s my pasabundant in the area. But unsure of Chicken as a destination,” says sion,” she says. REM its spelling, they settled on Chicken Wiren. “They sit on the deck, enjoy instead. the view and have a nice dinner.

Today, Chicken, located in There’s a fire pit, so they can relax southeast Alaska, is still fairly and have a nice weekend.” remote. The roads aren’t plowed in Wiren expects she’ll put the the winter, so Wiren’s shops are businesses up for sale in a few years only open from about May to time. “It’ll take a while to sell September. because it takes an unusual person The closest big town is Tok, to operate,” she says. “You have to Alaska (population 3,500) which is be able to talk to people and to run 128 km away. From Canada it’s 174 a business in a very efficient way because operating costs are so high. km from Dawson City, Yukon.

You can’t expect modern con- And you have to be a good cook.”

But for now Wiren, who just Susan Wiren (Photo: Diane veniences here. Mail arrives by plane Tuesdays and Fridays. A gen- turned 60, seems content to contin- Slawych) erator provides electricity and there’s no central plumbing (to collect water from the local river and have it filtered and chlorinated, Wiren had to become a federally certified public water system operator). Telephone land lines and cell phones are not an option. Instead Wiren has two satellite dishes to connect to the Internet and while it’s not cheap, it allows her to Skype with friends and customers and check email.

All the shops in downtown Chicken, Alaska, one of America’s quirkiIn recent years she added two est towns, are owned by one person. (Photo: State of Alaska/Reinhard rental cabins, one with a “great Pantke)

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14 REM JANUARY 2016

It’s all about agency Buyer agents, get your agreement in writing

By Paul Cowhig

T

here are no MLS rules that say a listing has to provide what you expect to receive for acting as a buyer’s agent in a transaction, other than it must be greater than zero.

The rules say that before you begin to act as an agent for a buyer or seller, you fully explain your service plan, establish the amount of your fee (including how and when it will be paid) and that you put it in writing. Then, and only then, you provide the services you contracted to deliver. You don’t eat your meal in a restaurant and then ask what you owe. Knowing the cost is part of your decision of whether or not to proceed or look for other available options.

From CREA’s Standards of Business Practice: Article 2. “A REALTOR® shall fully disclose in writing to, and is advised to seek written acknowledgment from, his or her Clients and those Customers who are not represented by other Registrants regarding the role and nature of the service the REAL-

TOR® will be providing. This disclosure shall be made at the earliest possible opportunity and in any event prior to the REALTOR® providing professional services which go beyond providing information as a result of incidental contact by a consumer.”

Article 5.7. “REALTOR®s should make reasonable efforts to ensure that Service Agreements with Buyers are signed, and are required to do so in jurisdictions that mandate written agreements.”

I want to emphasize this part so I’m going to repeat it over and over: • It must be done before a customer becomes a client as timing is critical in order to avoid breaching your duty of full disclosure and to avoid conflict of interest.

• It must be explained in writing.

• It should be signed by all parties.

I deeply wish I could say it MUST be signed by all parties, but while the rules don’t say that, they do say that it has to be “in writing” and “should” be signed.

That means your manager and/or the board should be able to come to you and see copies of the written agreements you have with

all your clients – buyers and sellers both.

Sellers are easy. You’d show me the Listing Contract. What would you show me for your buyer clients? The Working With a REALTOR® brochure? I’m not sure that’s good enough. Show me where you talked about the money! If I dropped by your office, could you show me where you have your service plan and expectation for remuneration spelled out with your buyer client in writing? Could I go to one of your buyer clients and find it in their documents?

The reason I am focusing on buyer agents is because, historically, the way we have always dealt with sellers supports the regulations. When we take a listing we cover all the details that need to be covered: time period, price, commission and services to be performed because they’re in the Listing Contract and we all use Listing Contracts. We don’t even think about it.

When it comes to buyers, the historical way we have dealt with them is in conflict with the regulations. What you may not realize is that, today, you have the exact same duties and responsibilities to a buyer client as you do a seller

client. Agency law changed in 1994 but too many of us still use the same old methods and forms.

We have forms now that address buyer agency relationships but the majority of us don’t use them because we don’t understand them, we’re not familiar with them and we don’t have to.

I’d like to point out here that ethics are generally acknowledged to be a higher standard than following the letter of the law.

Properly explaining our agency relationships and our expectations for remuneration in writing, having it signed and with all parties receiving copies will go a long way towards ensuring clarity, building your clients’ confidence in your abilities and showing your commitment to their best interests by demonstrating your professionalism. It is literally the foundation you lay that everything else you do will build upon. It should be rock solid.

Business models reflect society and thrive. Society evolves.

Business models must also evolve.

The fact that there are so many different business models in our industry today underscores the importance of having our agreements in writing. It’s confusing out there and it’s our responsibility to

bring clarity and consistency to how we work.

The Working With a REALTOR® brochure, a great place to start your agency conversation, lists one of your fiduciary duties as “undivided loyalty”. That’s awkward! Do you, or anyone you know of, work with only one customer at a time?

Permission to act for multiple clients is just one of the compelling reasons to use the correct forms for our written agreements.

Among other things, the Listing Contract, the Exclusive Buyer Agency Contract, the Buyer Agency Acknowledgement Form and the various Fee Agreements all contain clauses that modify the explicit duties agency law imposes.

We absolutely need the clauses in those forms to modify our fiduciary duties in order to allow us to work the way we do.

Paul Cowhig is the professional standards coordinator for the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board in Kelowna. He was licensed as a salesperson 1980 and earned his brokers license in 2013. He served on the Board of Directors at the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board from 1996 to 2002 and was president of FVREB in 2001. REM

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

16 REM JANUARY 2016

SALES COACH

By Bruce Keith

T

here are two categories of tasks we must deal with every day…those we like to do and those we don’t like to do.

Often we put off the ones we don’t like to do. This could be “fear-based hesitation” or just simple avoidance. Either way, it shows up as procrastination. This creates a roadblock and internal stress.

Why not reverse the order of the things you put off? Why not do them first thing and get them out of the way? Don’t you think it would make your life a lot easier?

Today’s task: pick one thing you consistently put off (asking for referrals, calling for sale by owners, cleaning up that mess on your

Grab procrastination by the throat desk, getting phone numbers ready the night before, calling that seller who needs a price reduction, confronting that buyer who keeps lowballing offers, starting your lead generation on time).

Do yourself a favour and get that “I usually do it last” item out of the way first thing. You’ll feel so much better and all the stress will be gone. Do it now. No excuses.

■ ■ ■

Discovering your keystone habit: Experts tell us that 95 per cent of what we do is habitual. A great percent of what we do is subconscious. Activities like the way we brush our teeth, turning right when we drive, how we answer the phone, how we start work in the morning, the way we show houses… everything! Each of us does things the same way every time.

When you recognize that a high percentage of your ongoing activities are habitual there is a very pleasant discovery at the end of this rainbow. You can forget about self-discipline and willpow-

er… they can easily be overcome just by developing good habits.

It all starts with your keystone habit. Why? Because your keystone habit is the one that drives all your “follow on” habits.

Visualize dominoes falling in a row and you’ll see what I mean.

Here’s how to identify your keystone habit. The next time you can say “I had a great day today!” pay attention to everything that took place. Now back up all the way to when things started out (it could include what you did the night before to get prepared).

At the beginning of the cycle you will find your keystone habit.

It’s the one thing that kicked everything off in sequence.

Now you have it…Eureka! It’s not complicated, it just takes some introspection.

Successful people have simply developed more good habits than unsuccessful people. Once you identify your keystone habit, everything else falls into place very nicely. Your routine becomes automatic and you will go through the

day with your activities happening as planned. Keep it simple...help those dominoes fall in your favour.

No excuses.

■ ■ ■

Do you know where you are going? Author/speaker Rita Davenport is well recognized for saying that “The world steps aside for the person that knows where they’re going,” It’s well recognized that 90 per cent of the population is guilty of just going through the motions day after day. This lack of direction results in an average performance and an average lifestyle. Not acceptable!

If you want to be part of the 10 per cent – the overachievers, here’s a simple two-part formula to make that transition.

1. Where are you going on a personal level? Start with two very specific targets for each of a) My Health b) My Family c) My Financial Future.

2. Where are you going with your business? Establish some very

specific targets for the next couple of months for: • Listing appointments • Listings taken • Listings sold • Buyer sales • Closings/commissions earned Now post these targets on the wall in your office. Make them highly visible!

Critical point: Have another look at Rita Davenport’s quote.

“Knowing where you’re going” includes the requirement to constantly track your results. Make sure you are constantly measuring your progress for both your personal and business targets. Know where you are today as part of your quest for success. No excuses.

Bruce Keith is a leading Real Estate Coach/Author/Speaker (http://www.brucekeithresults.com).

Like Bruce Keith Results on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/brucekeithresults.com) or connect with Bruce on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin. com/in/brucekeith1) REM

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Reaching more Canadians

122.5%

MORE than our closest competitor

IS WHAT WE DO With over 1 billion media impressions, Royal LePage reaches 122.5% more Canadians than our closest competitor.* As the most sought after expert opinion on what matters in Canadian real estate, we are the single most-quoted real estate company — And, that opens more doors for you.

Join Canada’s real estate company.

YTD Media Impressions*

Learn more at royallepage.ca/joinus *Based on data from 2015, year-to-date. Measured across print and online media. 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.

Reaching more Canadians

122.5%

MORE than our closest competitor

IS WHAT WE DO With over 1 billion media impressions, Royal LePage reaches 122.5% more Canadians than our closest competitor.* As the most sought after expert opinion on what matters in Canadian real estate, we are the single most-quoted real estate company — And, that opens more doors for you.

Join Canada’s real estate company.

YTD Media Impressions*

Learn more at royallepage.ca/joinus *Based on data from 2015, year-to-date. Measured across print and online media. 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.

20 REM JANUARY 2016

The lost art of listening to clients

By Ross Wilson “Never fail to know that if you are doing all the talking, you are boring somebody.”

— Helen Gurley Brown n this segment of my series on effective communication, I offer this slightly abridged excerpt from my book, The Happy Agent. Here, I address the Art of Listening, arguably the more vital half of effective communication.

When you think about it, poor listening renders speaking superfluous. In today’s hyper world of instantaneous digital communication, you might even say listening is becoming a lost art.

Anyway, it’s something people take for granted. You’ve got ears, so

I

it’s automatic. Right? Nope. You might think you’re listening to someone, but may be hearing your inner voice, remaining alert only enough to recognize the moment to respond. By failing to pay sincere attention, thus misinterpreting a speaker’s message, reactive and emotionally inappropriate responses are definitely within the realm of possibility. And whether a personal or business situation, a price could be paid for such inattentiveness.

Have you ever met someone who had what is commonly referred to as the gift of gab? They may have been told they’d make a great salesperson. Why? Because the stereotypical perception of a salesperson is one who can blather on and on and talk anyone into doing anything.

In reality, this definition couldn’t be further from the truth.

There’s little doubt, though, that some salespeople fit this description. I’ve never met anyone who enjoys being coerced to buy some-

thing by an aggressive, high-pressure yakker spewing verbal diarrhoea. To escape the barrage, I suppose a pathetic prospect might surrender.

However, just like a teacher can’t teach someone who refuses to learn, a salesman can’t normally sell to someone who doesn’t want to buy. If they don’t run away, the victim may sign the contract, later regret succumbing to the pressure and exercise their right to rescind.

The buyer cool-off period for new condominium and vacation timeshare purchases exists for good reason. Also, if a high-pressure agent closes a hapless buyer, they shouldn’t count on that buyer ever referring anyone or returning for future service.

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” — Epictetus Given the chance, a client will deliver their hot buttons to you on how to sell them. The trick? Listen carefully. A gabber can miss impor-

At the root of it all

tant, sometimes subtle closing signals. While awaiting cues, they talk right past the clues. My theory is that they may be so fearfully insecure and desperately in need of a sale, they’d rather not hear what they believe their client might say if given the chance to speak.

Therefore, they yammer away in the hope of offering so many good reasons to sign that the overwhelmed prospect finally surrenders.

How can you successfully satisfy a client’s wants and needs without knowing what those needs are? Sometimes, they don’t even have a clear picture of what they want. If you don’t know what makes them tick, what motivates them, how can you serve effectively? Thoughtful, considerate listening by a trustworthy agent facilitates a clear response to a client’s questions and the gentle orchestration of a more pleasant sale – without the trusting buyer even realizing they were sold. To

enjoy a fruitful career, build a trusting client base by starting in the present listening moment, one client at a time.

In the next column, I’ll delve into the three basic types of listeners – Wanderers, Catchers and Engagers.

“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”

— Stephen Covey Ross Wilson, broker with iPro Realty, has enjoyed a rewarding fourdecade career encompassing a highly productive referral sales practice and 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

By David Collini

It’s not part of most home inspections but it can cost buyers thousands of dollars in repairs

E

very year, potential home buyers flock to realtor.ca in an attempt to land their dream home with turn-key expectations. Focused on the home’s location, the decor of the kitchen and lot size, buyers can easily become distracted with the layout of the home and not think about what lies beneath the ground. This is another area buyers need to focus their attention on when seriously considering the purchase of a home.

At Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain Service, we frequently receive service requests from new homeowners who have recently experienced unexpected basement flooding. They express their shock and ask, “How this could happen?

After all, we had an inspector go through the home before we purchased it.”

The reality is that camera inspection of the main sanitary sewer is not included in your typical home inspection. It should be. Talk to any home insurance adjustor

today and they will tell you that the majority of insurance claims are related to water and sewage backups.

The average home’s plumbing system represents approximately five to 10 per cent of the overall value. If you purchase a home in Toronto for $800,000, the cost to retrofit your entire plumbing system could be upwards of $80,000. The last thing you need after placing a down payment and taking on a mortgage is to deal with an unexpected plumbing problem that may cost several thousand dollars to repair. And that cost does not include the cosmetic restoration to the basement or the front yard landscaping, which is often a greater expense than the repair itself.

All of Roto-Rooter’s cameras are equipped with RF locators, which our technicians can use to pinpoint where exactly in the pipe the obstruction is located. This in turn will provide the necessary information to either perform a spot

repair or replace the main sewer line. Video recordings are also available upon request should this information need to be relayed to a third party (the seller).

There are a number of indicators that buyers should be aware of that would warrant a camera inspection: 1) If the home is 30 years or older, chances are the main sewer line is clay. Clay will deteriorate with age caused by erosion. The pipe will become brittle and tree

roots will breach the pipe either through the fittings or, if weak enough, right through the pipe itself.

2) If there are mature trees on the front lawn of the buyer’s property, or on the neighbouring properties, the probability that tree roots are an issue increases. Even roots from a tree that has been cut down can continue to grow underground and find their way into the main sewer line.

3) If the home has not been lived in for many years, the status of the main drain remains a mystery. A camera inspection will answer any questions you have regarding the state and condition of the sewer system. This gives buyers peace of mind and, more A technician uses a camera to pinpoint where importantly, inforthe obstruction in the pipe is located. mation on how they

should value the home.

Do not be afraid to ask the seller if they have experienced a backup in the past. If it happened once, it can happen again and sometimes a backup will not occur unless there is heavy usage or rainfall. Buyers rarely visit the home they are buying in poor weather and sellers may not be obligated to disclose information pertaining to the plumbing in their home. With the smart investment of a camera inspection, the buyer can forego the surprise of an expensive plumbing nightmare.

David Collini is with Roto-Rooter, which was established in 1935 and is the largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning in North America. For your nearest Roto-Rooter Plumbing and Drain Service, call 1-800-GETROTO. Visit www.RotoRooter.com to schedule a service call. For useful homeowner tips visit the RotoRooterTV channel on YouTube.

REM

22 REM JANUARY 2016

Leading RE: ‘The brand behind the brand’

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World is an invitation-only co-operative of high-performing independent brokerages with 525 worldwide members – 15 of which are Canadian By Neil Sharma

I

ndependent brokers often elect to join franchises in a bid to keep business surging, but joining co-operatives of high-performing realty brokerages may also prove bountiful.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, a Chicago-based realty network with global reach that launched in 1997, has begun establishing a Canadian nexus of brokerages.

It is an invitation-only network that subsists on annual membership fees, measured by market size, and small commissions from intra-network referrals. It has 525 worldwide members – 15 of which are Canadian – with about 120,000 sales agents under its umbrella.

Pam O’Connor, president and CEO of the network, says co-operatives are attractive to brokers because they usually give more than they take and they celebrate autonomy.

“The beauty of having your own brand is it’s always yours and you always control it,” she says. “We offer all of the services a franchise would – education, technology, marketing – but the main difference is we’re not a franchise. We’re the brand behind the brand.”

Brokerages plugged into the network showcase their listings around the world, producing lead generation as a result, and because the network is comprised of high-performing brokerages, many ameliorate their bottom lines beyond what they would in a franchise.

“We do about 35,000 brokerto-broker transactions,” says O’Connor, adding Leading RE averages nearly one every four minutes with a 45 per cent conversion rate, of which the company takes a small cut.

Leading RE also operates RELO Direct, an employee relocation

service for corporations such as Coca-Cola and the United States Department of Defense, and it, too, is a prolific source of lead generation.

Leading RE also runs Luxury Portfolio International, dealing exclusively in tony properties in what O’Connor calls the company’s third biggest referral generator.

The network also offers educational and professional development, technology and systems sharing and marketing support.

including its preeminent annual conference, which will be held in Miami this February and is expected to draw around 3,000 members. Whether they’re brokers or sales agents, managers or department heads, they can network, sharpen their skills, or learn how to incorporate social media into their business strategies.

While O’Connor doesn’t want to belittle franchises, she says their one-size-fits-all ethos is not conducive to diverse markets.

What might work in Ottawa or

“The beauty of having your own brand is it’s always yours and you always control it ...”

It is an invitation-only network. O’Connor says Leading RE is constantly solicited by brokers looking to join, and she’s rebuffed many because they often don’t meet the network’s high threshold. “‘I’m local and I’m global’ is what we’re telling our agents to repeat,” says O’Connor. “The global part connects them to worldwide companies. We want business to be in the top tier of the real estate market. We don’t take everybody who wants to write a cheque; we look for quality companies. We try to be pretty selective and we have standards.

“We will drop companies if they’re underperforming, but we coach and talk to them first to help them along the way. If we get to a point where they’re not pulling their weight – because we’re a co-operative in which members help each other with referrals – we might have to.”

Leading RE’s members are strewn about 55 countries, so the company holds many conferences and meetings during the year,

Vancouver might not work in Carnduff, Sask.

“Because it’s a big-box brand, you could have a company in one market that isn’t very good that might pull down the brand,” she says. “If you get a McDonald’s franchise, everything is the same in terms of consistency, but real estate is a different kind of business. If you’re tied to something that isn’t as good in one market, that might taint you even though you’re elsewhere. A lot of brokers like the idea of being in control of their destiny.

They don’t have to worry about new management that doesn’t do things the way they were done before, or new ownership.”

Calgary-based CIR Realty, established in 1983, joined Leading RE eight years ago, representing southern Alberta for the collective. Like many of its Leading RE cohorts around the world, CIR – with 615 sales agents spread across four offices within city limits and another 10 in the surrounding area – boasts the highest sales volume in its market.

Ron Stader

Pam O’Connor

CIR has managed to shift to yet another gear, though.

With Leading RE buoying the brokerage, CIR’s finances and credibility are soaring.

you end up with is companies that are very professional and take business very seriously. That leads to very qualified ways of handling business opportunities through the system. We’re not just taking out, we’re putting in. It’s a winwin all around.”

“For a long time, CIR operated without being part of Leading RE and we were operating a little like an island without a network, which extends your reach beyond the area where you work,” says Ron Stader, co-owner and broker of CIR Realty.

“I’m able to attract real estate agents to my company now that I wasn’t able to attract before I became a member. A lot of Realtors care about how large a footprint the organization they’re joining has. I have a larger footprint than I had before and it’s helped in recruiting agents, and in retention, as well. Those are two really, really big factors in the success of CIR.” The brokerage received 150 referrals last year, closed 100 and put over 200 into the system.

Stader says that, because Leading RE rigorously vets potential members, conversion rates tend to be exceptionally high.

“Referrals are a two-way street,” says Stader, who is also the chairman of Leading RE’s Global Advisory Board. “When we were finally able to join Leading RE, that was a really big piece of our missing puzzle. What

Leading RE studies its stock of brokerages’ practices and shares successful formulas throughout the network. As Stader says, “It’s an incubation process where you’re getting the best ideas all the time.”

CIR has grown to become a sizeable company, so its membership fees are on the higher end, but Stader calls the tradeoff laughable because the dues pale in comparison to the auxiliary business Leading RE membership has brought.

“I think we have 100 more Realtors in our company thanks to our membership,” he says. “If you add up how much business 100 Realtors do in a year, that’s a lot of business.

Then there’s the business we get because of referrals, so the big picture is we’re a much more attractive company to brand new and existing Realtors because of our membership.

We get the benefits that franchises would provide, but we get the benefits of our own independence.” REM

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24 REM JANUARY 2016

App brings print publications to life

Real Estate Technology A

n app that provides information through videos about a property, its neighbourhood, the listing agent and the realty company is bringing new life to print publications and other print formats.

It can also provide real estate professionals with data on prospective buyers, says Debbie McGrath, marketing director of Toronto-based Chestnut Park Real Estate, which has embraced the technology known as augmented reality (AR).

She says that in the “very congested” real estate market in cities like Toronto, AR can give sales reps and brokers “a real competitive edge.”

Chestnut Park, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real

Estate, is using an AR app called Layar, brought to it by Commersive Solutions. Jason Elmaleh, president of the Toronto-based company, says Layar is activated by simply hovering a camera on a smartphone (iOS, Android or BlackBerry10 Device) or tablet over an “enabled image” in print format.

“Trigger images (which could be a photo of a property or even a headshot of the listing agent) can provide layers of information to the reader” about Chestnut Park, or its properties for sale at the Shangri-La Toronto luxury condo, or a listing agent, says McGrath.

“The most amazing part of AR is bridging the gap between

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS

real life and virtual life,” says Elmaleh. “Now users can see more than what is conveyed in print.”

Chestnut Park recently introduced the app through print editions of its property listing magazine, Invest in Style. While it was too early to measure the impact of the app at press time, McGrath says if 30 to 35 per cent of the readers use the app, it will be a success.

She says the app, which collects data on the user on a weekly or monthly basis, provides agents with stats of engagements, where the listing was viewed, for how long and who viewed it.

“Suddenly that connection with the consumer becomes so much smoother and more efficient.”

She says, “The cost benefit becomes very clear because you can use it on a number of different (print format) platforms.”

Another plus is that Layar clarifies the impact of the ad for salespeople. “We know immediately whether anyone has inter-

As one of Canada’s largest and fastest growing RE/MAX brokerages with 13 offices and over 600 salespeople we are interested in meeting talented and dedicated individuals that feel they can meet the challenges of brokerage management.

We are accepting applications for Office Managers, Assistant Managers, Manager Trainees, Recruiters and Coach/Trainers.

acted with it, unlike direct mail in which you hope someone is going to call you.”

Elmaleh sees “huge potential” for the app in the real estate industry. “The beautiful thing about AR is that it can be tailored to anything. Real estate is an excellent venue with limitless possibilities – making a home buying and selling experience interactive, seamless and more informative.”

He adds that because the app offers “immediate information” prospective buyers don’t have to spend time doing research online. “The more educated the buyer is, the better it is for the buyer and the seller.”

The app will also prove useful for sales of yet-to-be-built projects, such as a condo development in the Toronto neighbourhood of Leaside at which Chestnut Park is selling units. “It shows you a video of renderings – what’s to come,” says McGrath.

The video also gives consumers a flavour for the neighbourhood, including everything from nearby retail to main transportation routes.

While Layar is easy to set up and free for users, the cost to agents is comparable to the price of the design of a basic website, Elmaleh says, noting that the final tab is determined by the amount of content and features an agent wants.

Augmented reality has been around for many years. It has

Debbie McGrath

If you would like to discuss your career potential and the exciting opportunities we offer please forward your resumé to me for a confidential interview.

Bob Stephens General Manager/Broker RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc. www.remaxcentre.ca bobs@remaxcentre.ca REAL ESTATE

INC

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INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

The app is activated by simply hovering a camera on a smartphone or tablet over an “enabled image” in print format.

By Don Procter

been popular in Europe for many types of marketing. IKEA’s catalogue, for example, employs AR technology, providing users with a number of features, including a type of virtual reality experience to determine how a piece of furniture might best fit into their home’s layout.

“You can take a scan from the catalogue and hold your iPod up in your room and move the furniture around with your finger to fit in your room, and change the colours,” says McGrath, adding that IKEA has recently introduced AR technology to its catalogue in Toronto.

Elmaleh says his company had been following AR for years and after much research found that Layar was a global leader.

“Key bugs have been fixed and it allows for a smoother user experience.”

While some brokers and agents might approach the new app with a wary eye, thinking it might be a gimmick rather than something that will improve their business, McGrath says it could prove a valuable tool in the right hands. “When you think of our market of buyers, we have the luxury condo group but we also have a ton of millennials and we all know that they are digitally focused so it is a very easy adoption for that group.

“I think the next generation will grow up knowing that print has become more dynamic than what is flat on the page,” she adds.

Elmaleh says as camera technology and operating software advance, AR technology will be able to offer even more features for the user. “I see interactive 3D models of homes popping out of the page, allowing for a potential homebuyer to click to view various rooms of the house or condos.”

While that technology is here already, he says it is unreliable because of the limitations of smart devices. “I see a bright future for AR, especially as people become more accustomed to the technology.” REM

REM JANUARY 2016 25

Insurance company’s duty to defend LEGAL ISSUES

By Donald H. Lapowich

O

ften lawyers, architects, engineers, accountants, real estate agents and brokers or other professionals are sued for professional malpractice and want to assert a counterclaim against the claimant for unpaid fees.

In an American professional liability case, the insurance company agreed to defend the insured corporation against a lawsuit alleging discrimination by reason of age. The insured corporation also demanded that the insurance company proceed with a counterclaim against the former employee for misappropriation of company funds. The insurance company refused to pay for any such counterclaim or to have its defence counsel pursue that counterclaim.

The American court found that the insurance company’s duty to defend the corporation did not include an obligation to proceed with a counterclaim. The insurance policy only required that the insurance company defend E&O claims made against the insured firm.

The court rejected the insured corporation’s argument that the claim against it and the counterclaim were inextricably intertwined. The court found it was not necessary to defend the age discrimination claim by necessarily bringing the counterclaim. In other words, even if the employee misappropriated corporate monies, he still may have been discriminated against by reason of age. It would be up to the corporation to

bring its own claim for misappropriation of corporate monies at its own expense and with its own counsel.

(Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company v. Visionaid Inc.) Full case summary: http://tinyurl. com/p6hpgfh Restrictive covenant unenforceable: In a B.C. case, a restrictive covenant was registered against strata lots in a resort hotel, providing that no lot could be rented to the public except in accordance with a rental pool management agreement. In other words, the resort’s rental manager would rent out the units.

The defendant, who owned one of the lots, began renting privately. An action was brought for an injunction against the defendant.

The Court of Appeal in British Columbia held that restrictive covenants must be “clear” and one prohibiting rental of units to the public stated it must be done in accordance with an agreement between the owner of the unit and the rental manager. The court found that the agreement was not attached or incorporated into covenants for the lots and the agreement did not exist when the covenant was created. There was no certainty as to the terms of the agreement and there was no determination by which units could be identified to be rented. Therefore, this agreement was simply an agreement to agree, which is unenforceable.

The court noted that the rental manager under the covenant could have unilaterally changed the terms on which units could be rented and therefore there was lack of certainty. (585582 B.C. Ltd. v.

Anderson, 2015 BCCA 26) Full case summary at canlii.org.

Donald Lapowich, Q.C. is a partner at the law firm of Koskie, Minsky in Toronto, where he practices civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on real estate litigation and mediation, acting for builders, real estate agents and lawyers. REM

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26 REM JANUARY 2016

Announcement Congratulations Kevin & Jacalyn on your new RE/MAX Offices!

We are excited to announce RE/MAX INTEGRA’s newest owners, Kevin and Jacalyn Grimes!

Kevin and Jacalyn acquired RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd. as well as RE/MAX Connections from Geoff McGowan and John Gray, respectively. In addition to these two acquisitions, Kevin and Jacalyn will be merging their existing Century 21 Your Choice office with their office in Smiths Falls, and all offices will operate as RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd. They now have four offices and over 95 agents!

We thank Geoff and John for their commitment, dedication and for their continued affiliations with RE/MAX moving forward.

When asked what attracted this dynamic duo to the RE/MAX brand, Kevin & Jacalyn said the following: “RE/MAX does everything well. They literally have no weaknesses”.

Congratulations Kevin & Jacalyn on your achievements to date, and welcome to the RE/MAX family!

Kevin Grimes Broker/Owner

Jacalyn Grimes Broker/Manager Affiliates Realty Ltd. 59 Beckwith Street North, Smiths Falls, ON

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.

Announcement RE/MAX Hartland Realty Inc. Opens its Doors !

It is our pleasure to announce RE/MAX INTEGRA’s newest Broker/Owner, Joseph Schirripa! Joseph is the new owner of RE/MAX Hartland Realty Inc. in Mississauga, Ontario.

Re/Max Integra honours brokers and managers Each year, Re/Max Integra broker/owners and managers get together for two days of networking and learning. At the meeting in Toronto, broker/owners and managers throughout the region were recognized for their achievements throughout the past year. This year’s awards winners were: Manager of the Year: Ontario - David Yunker, Re/Max Escarpment Realty, Hamilton.

Atlantic - Stephen Winters, Re/Max Realty Specialists, St. John’s, Nfld.

Broker/Owner of the Year: Ontario - Mike Zuccato, Re/Max Realty Services, Brampton.

Atlantic - Carol Anstey, Re/Max Realty Professionals, Deer Lake, Nfld.

Rookie Brokers/Owners of the Year: Eli Skaff, Mark Evans, Tarek El Attar and Jarrod Davis, Re/Max Core Realty, Ottawa.

Best Office Design: Re/Max Legend Real Estate, North Bay;

Re/Max Edge Realty, Toronto; Re/Max Core Realty, Ottawa; Re/Max Infinity Realty, Richmond Hill; Re/Max Escarpment Realty, Hamilton; Re/Max Professionals, Etobicoke; Re/Max Aboutowne Realty, Oakville; Re/Max Absolute Realty, Nepean; Re/Max A-B Realty, Stratford; Re/Max Centre City Realty, London; Re/Max West Realty, Toronto.

Jim Burton receives Humanitarian Award Jim Burton, sales rep/owner at Re/Max Infinity Realty in Conception Bay South, Nfld., has been selected as the recipient of the 2015 Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Red Cross, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Burton is a commercial pilot with 15,000 flight hours and chairs the national board of Hope Air, an organization that arranges free flights for Canadians in financial need who must travel for health care. Since he joined the board in 2011,

there’s been a 10-fold increase in such flights for residents of his home province, due largely to his passionate promotion of Hope Air’s work.

Burton is a current or past chair or member of boards of directors for the Newfoundland & Labrador Brain Industry Association, St. John’s Real Estate Board, Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation, Salvation Army Advisory Board and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Chamber of Commerce honours Royal LePage Country Realty Royal LePage County Realty in Athabasca, Alta. was recently awarded the 2015 Community Spirit Award from the Athabasca and Area District Chamber of Commerce in recognition of its contributions to the community.

“A few years ago, all of the Realtors in our office made a commitment to donate $50 per end to our donation fund,” says associate broker Tamara Yurchak. “Throughout the year, we donate to local community groups and organizations who are conducting projects in our community. We focus on community and youth. Since we started the program, we have donated over $33,000 to our community.”

REM

After converting his Coldwell Banker office, he and his 15 agents will now operate under RE/MAX Hartland Realty Inc., serving the Greater Toronto Area. With 38 years of real estate experience, Joseph says it was RE/MAX’s strong reputation and visibility in the global real estate market, as well as comprehensive education and training programs that RE/MAX provides its agents that drove him to join RE/MAX. Please join us in welcoming Joseph and his team to our network.

Joseph Schirripa Broker/Owner Hartland Realty Inc. 2800 Skymark Avenue, Units 5 & 6, Mississauga, ON

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.

At the Re/Max Integra broker/manager awards, from left: Gurinder Sandhu, Re/Max Integra EVP; Mike Zuccato, Broker/Owner of the Year award recipient; Pamela Alexander, CEO; and Walter J. Schneider, president and co-founder.

The sales reps at Royal LePage County Realty were recently honoured by the Athabasca and Area District Chamber of Commerce.

Jim Burton

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28 REM JANUARY 2016

Combination pension plan unique in Canada

Announcement Congratulations Jason Yu Team!

Please join us in congratulating Jason, Johnson & Janet Yu on their new RE/MAX office! With over 15 years in the Real Estate Industry and over 10 years with RE/MAX, their decision to open a brokerage and take their team to the next level was the natural evolution of their careers.

Knowing RE/MAX is the most globally recognized brand that helps its sales associates promote and attract business through varied specialized tools, and RE/MAX’s recent investment into the Chinese community were a few of Jason’s reasons to decide to open RE/MAX Realty Partners Inc. Congratulations and we look forward to a successful 2016!

RE/MAX Partners Realty Inc. 550 Hwy 7 E, Unit 103 Richmond Hill , ON

Johnson Yu Broker /Owner (Left) Jason Yu Broker/Owner (Centre) Janet Yu Broker /Owner (Right)

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.

Announcement RE/MAX Broker/Owner Jim Burton Honoured Please join us in congratulating RE/MAX Broker/Owner Jim Burton for receiving the 2015 Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Red Cross, Newfoundland and Labrador! This honour comes at a price of hard work, dedication and recognizing the opportunity to be a valuable member of your community. Jim, a respected entrepreneur in the industry, sits on a number of boards of directors, is philanthropic in every way possible, and has been with RE/MAX for nearly two decades!

Congratulations Jim on this honour, and thank you for all that you do!

Jim Burton Broker/Owner Infinity Realty Inc. 54 Conception Bay Highway CBS, NL

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.

By Jennifer Black

W

ith the population of real estate franchise owners averaging over 55 years of age, it’s not surprising that a large number are increasingly concerned about cost effective retirement saving and succession planning. A relatively new retirement savings option that’s ideally suited to real estate brokers has emerged, but many people in the real estate industry don’t know about it.

The Personal Pension Plan (PPP) is a registered pension plan that is tailored for professionals looking for a better way to save for retirement. It is approved by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and designed to make setting up a pension plan for a single person easy and inexpensive. The PPP is essentially an enhanced Individual Pension Plan (IPP) structured as a worry-free solution that solves many of the problems associated with conventional IPPs. For real estate professionals, it offers a more appealing alternative to RRSPs. Unlike the more commonly known IPPs, the PPP is a combination pension plan – in fact, it’s the only combination individual pension plan available in Canada. It is specifically designed to help real estate professionals navigate the various economic cycles associated with running their business. It accomplishes this by providing a choice each year. In any given year the level of contributions can change as your financial situation dictates. This ensures that contributors can maximize their retirement savings, while minimizing corporate taxes, at every stage of their lives.

The PPP allows plan members to choose how to accrue retirement savings and avoid the large financial costs associated with mandatory defined benefit contributions. Clients can choose to fund their pension using a defined

A relatively new retirement savings option that’s ideally suited to real estate brokers has emerged, but many people in the industry don’t know about it. contribution option that alleviates the financial burden associated with funding an expensive defined benefit pension during a depressed economic cycle.

Another benefit is the PPP, which is an indexed product, outperforms the conventional IPP in terms of tax deductions at any age, while the conventional IPP is designed only to benefit plan members who are over 40years-old.

Here are just a few of the solutions the PPP offers to real estate professionals (brokers and agents who operate under a “mini-broker” program): • Higher contribution levels than RRSPs – The PPP relies on the same federal and provincial pension legislation that governs conventional IPPs. However, since the plan’s structure relies on pension rules rather than RRSP rules, there is an ability to increase retirement savings by approximately $1 million above and beyond the RRSP maximums.

• New corporate tax deductions – The PPP generates new and additional tax deductions/savings that are not available to RRSPs: buying back past service, terminal funding, special payments and investment management fees.

• Robust creditor protection – Pension laws ensure all pension plan assets are trade-creditor protected. RRSP assets often do not receive the same protection.

• HST refund – Pension plan administrators can claim the 33 per cent HST refund that is not available to RRSP savers.

• Fiduciary oversight – The PPP’s pension provider, Integris Pension Management Corp., is legally obligated to act in plan members’ best interests.

Practically, the provider negotiates service provider fee reductions,

transfers group discounts to plan members and caps fees, among other things.

• Plan administration and compliance – Integris ensures member plans comply with provincial and federal legislation and completes and files all necessary documentation. The PPP model allows the client’s corporation to delegate plan administration and compliance responsibilities to Integris, thereby offering a simplified turnkey solution.

The new CRA-approved PPP is designed exclusively for business owners and incorporated professionals. It’s a powerful and flexible way to save for your retirement using a choice of three different sub-accounts that let you choose how to save your money in any given year.

Whether you’re a franchisee looking for a company plan for your management team, a family business owner wanting to set up a plan for your ownership group, or an incorporated professional, the PPP offers you the assurance and protection for your hardearned money and assets to save for your retirement.

Isn’t it time real estate professionals got a chance to plan for retirement in style?

Jennifer Black is a Certified Financial Planner and president of Dedicated Financial Solutions. She has been ranked as one of Canada’s Top Ten Advisor teams and was recognized by the Mississauga Board of Trade as Small Business of the Year in 2014. Jennifer is available for speaking engagements to real estate franchisees and business owners. To learn more about the Personal Pension Plan, and to receive a complimentary retirement savings illustration, visit www.createwealthnow.ca REM

REM JANUARY 2016 29

Multiple Listings Continued from page 6

Saint John, N.B.; and Nicole LeBlanc, sales rep with Exit Realty Associates in Moncton – each won a gold watch as one of the consolation prizes as finalists in the draw for $75,000. The black tie gala wrapped up a full week of convention speakers and events. “The Chairman’s Ball is a fine dining, dance-until-you-drop evening,” says Joyce Paron, president of the Canadian Division for Exit Realty Corp. International.

“The cash prize sizzle during the evening is the only time that we can get people off of the dance floor! It’s no surprise the convention was sold out and that a record number of registration tickets were sold for next year’s event, which will be held at the prestigious Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in The Bahamas.”

■ ■ ■

Chiyoko Kakino is the new vice president of marketing at Century 21 Canada.

Her marketing career includes driving the renewal and expansion of two well-regarded Canadian restaurant franchises. She started with Vancouver-based White Spot Limited, where she was a key part

of the team that successfully launched the restaurant’s quick service concept Triple O’s in major venues including Rogers Arena, Chevron and BC Ferries. Kakino most recently led over four years of steady growth for Dermal Laser Centres.

“Chiyoko brings national experience in brand management, market research, new product development, earned media, PR and advertising,” says Martin Charlwood, vice chairman and CEO, Century 21 Canada. “Franchisees are already welcoming the experience she brings to the organization and were excited to learn about the robust marketing initiatives she and her team introduced into the field as presented at our national conference in Charlottetown last month. The leadership team welcomes her expertise to our big picture strategies.”

■ ■ ■

Bancroft Real Estate.com has joined the Aventure Realty Network. Broker/owner Tim Fulford has more than 26 years of real estate experience.

“This strong local brand will strengthen the reach and referral capacity of Aventure members,” says network founder Bernie Vogt.

“Together with a team of outstand-

ing Realtors, Tim delivers a full suite of real estate services as well as operating a well-developed cottage rental division. “ Aventure and its 55 member brokerages serve 1,200 markets across Canada though 2,200 sales reps.

■ ■ ■

The Century 21 Peterborough Lakers, sponsored by Century 21 United Realty, had one of their best seasons and won the 2015 Major Series Lacrosse Championship (MSL) this year.

They represented Canada East at the national Mann Cup, losing the series in six games to the Victoria Shamrocks.

“We’re blown away by the talent and achievements of the Peterborough Lakers this year. Well done team, you’ve represented the whole community and made us all proud,” says Carl Oake, owner of Century 21 United Realty. “They really embody what being ‘smarter, bolder, and faster’ can achieve, which is our Century 21 service motto.”

Peterborough Lakers’ player Shawn Evans had an outstanding year and was named “arguably the best lacrosse player in the world today” by Mike Davies of the Peterborough Examiner. REM

Announcement Welcome Lisa Fayle Team!

Please join us in welcoming back Lisa Fayle and her team to RE/MAX Rouge River Realty Ltd.! Lisa is currently ranked in the Top 1% of Sales Associates for units sold in 2015 YTD, with over $60 million in volume sales registered on the Toronto Real Estate Board. This move has created a significant shift in the RE/MAX market share in the Durham Region, as Lisa has been recognized the #1 Sales Representative for Keller Williams Canada in the Durham Region for 2014, and #1 for Keller Williams Canada in Whitby, Ontario for 2015 year-to-date. Congratulations Lisa on this decision! We are excited to have you and your team return to RE/MAX Rouge River Realty Ltd., and look forward to a very successful 2016 and beyond.

Rouge River Realty Ltd. 3000 Garden St. N. Ste 100 & 101 Whitby, ON

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.

Announcement Welcome RE/MAX Avante!

Letters to the Editor Remember the spiders when blogging I would like to congratulate columnist Kim Rempel on her lofty ambitions (Writing a blog that people are dying to read, December REM).

There are a couple of things she forgot to mention, more on the mechanical side of things.

Blogging is very important, especially if you’re not the kind of real estate agent who does most of his or her business while out golfing.

Yes, Realtors need to blog. It ranks up there with sending out flyers, cold calling and bench advertising. It’s a big bad world

out there and everyone is busy thinking of new ways to generate leads. The old days of office freebies are long gone.

Some web guy once tried to explain to me while I was having a spicy original chicken sandwich at Burger King (with Coke) that there are spiders out there on the web that go out at night around midnight. They search for new content and then upload it to into its proper channels. If you blog, for example, about “Girls intermediate soccer in Vaughan” you might want to throw in some words like “Vaughan playoff results” or “Limited parking a problem at Vaughan Public Parks” or even something like

“Nike Soccer Balls”.

My point is that what you write about on the Internet will get analyzed and sorted by these little spiders in ways that are difficult to comprehend.

Check out this blog that I posted about a rental complex in London Ontario: http://www.yourcondoworld.com /blog/ Hopefully with this style of writing people will some day find me.

Peter Daoust Broker Re/Max Advantage Realty London, Ont. REM

It is with great excitement that we announce RE/MAX INTEGRA’s newest owner, Roger LeBlanc.

Roger is the new owner of RE/MAX Avante in Moncton, New Brunswick.

He recently converted his Royal LePage Équipe Roger LeBlanc team office and will now operate under RE/MAX Avante alongside his 15 agents, servicing the Greater Moncton Area.

Please welcome Roger and his team to the RE/MAX network; we wish you all the best!

Roger LeBlanc Broker/Owner Avante 225 Lutz St. Moncton, NB

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.

30 REM JANUARY 2016

Good Works N

anaimo, B.C. sales rep Ken Welte volunteers at the Air Cadet squadron in Nanaimo offering weekly instruction on airframes, navigation, engines, air law, meteorology and airmanship. He also takes students flying for free in his Cessna 172 so that they can gain practical experience.

“I encourage students to take advantage of every opportunity through Air Cadets,” says Welte, who is with Sutton Group – West Coast Realty. “I teach the cadets the academics towards earning a scholarship so they can receive their pilot’s license for free…As

Ken Welte with his Cesna 172.

well, we focus on current events locally, nationally and internationally, making these young men and women fantastic ambassadors for Canada.”

Welte, who has been volunteering for more than 20 years, says many of the students he has taught over the years are currently flying for both large and small aviation companies, as well as serving in the military as pilots, non-pilot officers and non-commissioned members.

“I teach them that no goal is too high to obtain. After all, Chris Hadfield started out in Air Cadets.”

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services in Burlington, Ont. held its 6th Annual Charity Halloween Chili Bowl to raise money for Halton Women’s Place and The Carpenter Hospice.

“The participation, support and costumes keep getting better year after year,” says JoAnn Jusdanis, president and broker/owner. “Our committee, led

by Brenda Macdonald, did a fantastic job organizing the event.

Funds raised at our Annual Halloween Chili Bowl are donated to The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation in support of our local women’s shelter.”

About 130 people attended the event to bowl, which included Royal LePage Burloak sales reps, administrative employees and community sponsors. Over the past 13 years, the brokerage has raised more than $250,000 in support of Halton Women’s Place and the Carpenter Hospice.

■ ■ ■

The Surrey, B.C. Food Bank

Pictured with playhouse winner Janice Pilipow (centre) are Royal LePage Premier Realty’s Murray Arnold, Larry Hanowski and Gaylene Skinner.

feeds 15,000 people per month and 41 per cent of them are children and babies. The team at Sutton Premier Realty regularly helps out on the front lines at the food bank.

Every two months, a group of 10 salespeople commit to a four-hour shift.

“I usually have more volunteers than I need,” says Ron Clauzel, who has been organizing the project for his office. “Sometimes Realtors will bring one of their children with them as part of the school volunteering program. We always find it very rewarding and all of us, including the kids, have a lot of fun doing it.”

The team holds food drives and, each Christmas, they sponsor families and provide baskets of food and gifts.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Performance Realty in Orleans, Ont. was the Grand Champion Winner for best float that embodied the Christmas spirit at the local Santa Claus parade. Sales rep Diane Rennie

A team of “pink ladies” from Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty, from left: Susan Lougheed, broker; Carrie Dodds and Jacquie Sullivan, sales reps; Tracy Weatherall and Ashley Dwyer, agent services administrators; and Tammy Scott, sales rep.

■ ■ ■

The 18th Annual Royal Gala Live and Silent Auction, hosted by Royal LePage South Country Real Estate Services in Lethbridge, Alta. was another resounding success. Just over $58,000 was raised via the auction of hundreds of items at this popular community event. Proceeds were directed to local shelter YWCA Harbour House in support of women and children fleeing domestic violence.

■ ■ ■

Continued on page 31

Anh Son and Ron Clauzel of Sutton – Premier Realty at the Surrey Food Bank.

Keller Williams Complete Realty recently raised $20,965 to support a Habitat for Humanity build. Front row, from left: Carrie Scarfe, Sandy MacKay, Shayle Rothman, Mark Loeffler, Sean Ferris from Habitat for Humanity, Fab Giuliani and Lyndsay Scott from the Women in Law Build team and Jeff Varcoe from Cornerstone Select Properties. Top row: Sandra Tweedie, Nicole Vandervelde and Janna Frederick.

The “Waldo’s Lucky Strikers” from Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services were, from left, administrative employees Tammy Ford, Maria Albanese, Katie Yeomans and CarrieAnne White.

and her husband Paul organized the float build, which was themed Santa’s Workshop.

While Santa is the main attraction of the parade, the focus of the annual event is to raise money and collect toys for the Salvation Army. Loads of toys along with thousands of dollars have been collected over the years, helping to make Christmas a little more joyous for financially challenged families in the community.

Royal LePage Performance in Orleans, Ont. won the prize for best float in the local Santa Claus parade.

Members of the Royal LePage South Country Real Estate Services Royal Gala committee and colleagues present event proceeds to YWCA Harbour House.

Royal LePage Northstar Realty sales rep Barbara Ann Kisiloski crosses the finish line at the 2015 New York City Marathon.

REM JANUARY 2016 31

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

R

ecently I once again ventured to downtown Toronto to attend the Re/Max Broker/Owner Fall Conference. This time I took a cab downtown. No parking worries, no traffic to fight. I just sat back, relaxed and read the Globe & Mail. Forty-five minutes later I emerged into the hustle and chaos in front of the Intercontinental Hotel.

Arriving a little ahead of the 8:30 am start, I had some time to see a few old friends and get caught up on current business, our families and other good stuff. This is one of the things I most enjoy about attending conferences and seminars.

There was an excellent line-up

Good Works Continued from page 30

Keller Williams Complete Realty recently held its second annual charity golf tournament in support of the Women in Law Build team and Habitat for Humanity. The golf committee, numerous sponsors and volunteers raised $20,965 for the cause.

Habitat for Humanity Family Services selected the Arezina family for the Women In Law to support. Currently they live in a twobedroom apartment with a small balcony. There are six children in the family, two of whom require wheelchairs. The home that is being built will meet their accessibility needs.

The build started October 2014 and was set for completion in December.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Northstar Realty sales rep Barbara Ann Kisiloski of Surrey, B.C. recently completed

Make the most of conferences of guest speakers and the close-out speaker was Brian Buffini, who was not only insightful but also shared some startling and mind-stimulating thoughts from several industry surveys. Laptops and iPads got a lot of action as attendees made notes to be shared later at meetings with other managers, owners and sales staff.

One of the surveys Mr. Buffini shared with us showed that many of our agents are now working from home rather than from the real estate office. Many have found that they no longer need mortar and bricks to conduct a successful business, prompted in part by the advent of authorized electronic signatures.

The millennials, the younger, current generation (and younger than I by several decades) are extremely techno-savvy and excited and eager to experience the great advantages that new technology affords them.

If we owners, managers or sales agents believe we can use the same old methods of doing business as

we have been doing for years, we run the risk of falling behind the times. Yes, there will always be a niche for door knocking, cold calling and direct mail, but we must always be willing and able to stay ahead of the curve as well and embrace new technology as never before.

I think the whole key in going to seminars or conferences, in addition to meeting and renewing old acquaintances, is to take away four to five ideas that you can actually use and to pass these ideas to agents. When you do this, the result will be an improved bottom line.

Make your investment of time and money worthwhile.

Conferences are more than parties and fun nights.

the New York City Marathon, running in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. It was Kisiloski’s third “Marathon for Shelter”. She ran 42 km through the five boroughs of New York City and raised $1,500, which was donated to Sources-Community Resource Centres in White Rock, B.C. to help local women and children safely escape violence.

local women and children who are seeking safety.”

■ ■ ■

After a terrible act of domestic violence occurred in a neighbouring community, staff and sales reps from Royal LePage Premier Realty in Yorkton, Sask. took action in support of their local women’s shelter, Shelwin House.

“The idea of constructing and raffling a playhouse was born,” says Royal LePage Premier Realty broker/owner Warren Vandenameele.

“I’m thankful to everyone from our office and community who supported this initiative. We’re very proud to have raised $3,190, which will help Shelwin House serve

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 45th year as an active real estate professional.

Accelerate your career I love working at Slavens because my colleagues are genuine, hardworking people who are approachable and always willing to help. The support staff are resourceful, creative and can quickly turn my ideas into successful marketing pieces.

Slavens & Associates fosters growth rather than competition amongst the agents.

It is a great place to work and I would never consider another brokerage.

Eileen Lasswell, Salesperson 2015 Triple Diamond Award Winner 2014 Diamond Award Winner 2014 Rookie of the Year

www.slavensrealestate.com/careers 416.483.4337

REM

Announcement

■ ■ ■

Welcome Marco & Rob, to RE/MAX Finest Realty Inc.

Royal LePage Shelter Foundation supporters raised $27,000 in support of domestic violence prevention at the 7th Annual Shelter Soiree in Toronto.

Guests from across the province and as far away as British Columbia gathered to “Shake, Rattle & Bowl for Shelter” at the 1950s-themed bowling event hosted by the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

Dressed as “pink ladies and greasers”, guests sipped vintage cocktails, danced to throw-back music and posed with Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley impersonators. The evening featured a casually competitive tournament, with Royal LePage Triland Realty in London, Ont. taking home the top team prize. Alexa Payne of Royal LePage Connect Realty in Pickering and Jeff Nethercott of Royal LePage Landco Realty in London won the women’s and men’s champion titles. REM

Join us as we welcome Marco DiPietrantonio and Rob Colangeli to the RE/MAX network! As the newest additions to RE/MAX Finest Realty Inc., Marco and Rob offer almost 20 years of Real Estate experience.

They were attracted to the RE/MAX brand because it is internationally recognized, offers its brokers and agents tremendous support in every aspect of growing and maintaining your business, and offers exceptional training programs.

Please give Marco and Rob a warm welcome, and we look forward to helping you grow in 2016!

Marco DiPietrantonio (L) Sales Representative

Rob Colangeli (R) Sales Representative Finest Realty Inc. 101 William Henderson Dr Amherstview, ON

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.

32 REM JANUARY 2016

O

ntario’s provincial government has decided it will not extend the power to charge a Municipal Land Transfer Tax to municipalities outside of Toronto, where it already exists.

“This is a huge win for Ontario’s homeowners and those who dream of one day owning a home. It reaffirms that the Municipal Land Transfer Tax is a bad revenue tool, not just outside Toronto but in it as well,” says

The new logo for Mortgage Professionals Canada.

Patricia Verge, president of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA).

OREA led a five-week campaign called Don’t Tax My Dream that saw Realtors and 32,000 members of the public voice their opposition to the spread of the tax province wide.

Professionals Canada at the association’s annual meeting in November.

“We heard loud and clear from members that our name wasn’t a good fit,” Samir Asusa, senior vice president, CFO and interim CEO of the organization told Canadian Mortgage Trends. “Changing our brand accomplishes at least three key things: 1) Mortgage Professionals Canada better aligns and represents our entire membership. 2) It provides us with a brand that consumers can easily understand and associate with the broker channel. 3) Internally, the new name reminds us that we work each day for the benefit of our members – not for an entity such as an association or institute.”

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

The Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals was rebranded as Mortgage

The Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) says it is “taking steps…to look at the issue

Charlotte Zawada

of residential property measurement.”

The move came after an Edmonton Journal article reported on fines levied on real estate salespeople by the Real Estate Council of Alberta for misrepresenting the size of condominiums in real estate listings.

“The issue of residential property measurements, including condominium, is complex,” says Ian Burns, AREA’s CEO. “As the article notes, even a registered size for a property is not standardized across the industry. Registered sizes sometimes include non-living areas like balconies and parking stalls, and in other instances do not.”

AREA says that currently in Alberta, there is no province wide regulation or standard of measurement. Local real estate boards enforce individual sets of rules with regard to measurements posted on

their MLS systems and hold members accountable for errors.

Burns says steps are being taken to clarify the measurement rules across the province.

“AREA will be working with local boards to look at the existing rules and agree on the implementation and enforcement of a provincial standard of measurement for residential properties, including condominiums, for the benefit of all consumers.”

■ ■ ■

At the entrance of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, there is a Realtor welcome recognizing the community’s $2 million contribution to the national centre for human rights education.

“Realtors’ commitment to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights has been a remarkable indication of the generosity of the real

Norman Langlois

Realtors contributed $2 million to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

Marjorie Biggins was president of SGBAR in 1980.

Kim Alvarez

Regina Realtors have contributed $113,000 over the last decade to the North Central Family Centre’s Youth Empowerment Program.

Kevin Woolham, president of SGBAR, with Marjorie Biggins.

VIREB and Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln collaborated on an event to raise money for Nanaimo’s Haven Society. (Photo courtesy of Nanaimo Daily News)

The 10th Jam with a Past President event at Lee’s Palace in Toronto raised more than $8,000 for the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation recently. It featured performances by Royal LePage president Phil Soper, Toronto Real Estate Board EO John DiMichele and president Mark McLean and Ontario Real Estate Association past president Barb Sukkau.

The event is organized annually by Brian Walker, broker of record at NRS Select.

REM JANUARY 2016 33

estate industry. It didn’t come from any one single person or corporation but rather through a grassroots approach to reach out to over 100,000 national members of organized real estate,” says Diane Boyle, CEO with Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

“Realtors across Canada participated in an extraordinary effort to support the establishment of this jewel in the heart of the continent,” says Harry DeLeeuw, who worked alongside other leaders throughout the capital campaign.

In the museum’s most recent visitor survey, 97 per cent of respondents were satisfied or extremely satisfied with the visitor experience. And, more than seven out of every 10 visitors said they will talk with family and friends about what they learned at CMHR. ■ ■ ■

Members of The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board (OMDREB) held their annual Election/Christmas Luncheon on #GivingTuesday recently. It was at this time last year that 2015 president Jeff Mahannah announced that he had chosen the Nanny Angel Network (NAN) as his President’s Charity.

NAN is the only organization of its kind in Canada to provide free inhome childcare support for mothers who have been diagnosed with cancer, for those requiring palliative care and for families requiring additional relief during the bereavement period.

In the last 12 months members of OMDREB threw their support behind the charity and on #GivingTuesday, they presented Audrey Guth, founder of NAN with a $40,000 contribution.

Incoming president Charlotte Forget has also chosen NAN as her charity of choice for 2016.

■ ■ ■

Kim Alvarez, a salesperson with Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services, has been inducted as president of the Realtors Association of HamiltonBurlington (RAHB). She succeeds Donna Bacher and will lead the 2,900-member association in 2016.

Alvarez has been a member of the association since 2009. She was first elected to the RAHB Board of Directors in 2013.

Joining her on the 2016 Board

of Directors are Lou Piriano (president elect), Jack Loft, (vice president), Donna Bacher (immediate past president), Ann Forbes Arndt, Nik Bucalo, Kathy Della-Nebbia, Paul Martindale, Gary Herron, Peter Holgate, Andrew Robertson and Bob Van de Vrande.

■ ■ ■

The Realtors Association of Edmonton has appointed three representatives to the Alberta Real Estate Association’s (AREA) Board of Directors. Two sitting directors will be returning for a two-year term – Charlie Ponde of Realty Executive North Star and Larry Westergaard of Re/Max Real Estate. They will be joined by Doug Singleton of Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate, who will also sit for a two-year term.

“We were thrilled to have many qualified applicants for the positions. This type of engagement by our members demonstrates the dedication Realtors have to the betterment of their industry,” says Geneva Tetreault, chair of the Realtors Association of Edmonton.

“These directors have clearly demonstrated an understanding of industry issues and leadership qualities that will serve our association well at the provincial level.”

■ ■ ■

Marjorie Biggins, a member of the Southern Georgian Bay Association of Realtors for over 45 years, retired recently. She was a founding member of what was then called the Collingwood & District Real Estate Board in 1970.

She went on to serve the membership in many volunteer roles including secretary-treasurer, director and vice president. In 1980 she was elected president.

In recognition of her dedication and commitment to the association, Biggins was awarded Honorary Member designation in 2013. Recently at the association’s general membership meeting, members and staff paid tribute to her and extended their best wishes as she begins the next phase of her life.

■ ■ ■

The Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors (KWAR) has elected Charlotte Zawada, a salesperson with Re/Max Twin City in Kitchener, to serve as president.

Zawada has been a Realtor member of KWAR since 2004 and

director on the board since 2012.

Joining Zawada as officers of the association are Mark Wolle of Royal LePage Wolle Realty as past president, James Craig of CBRE Limited as first vice president, Tony Schmidt of Howie Schmidt Realty as second vice president and EO Bill Duce.

New to the board of directors this year are Ginger Whitney of Whitney & Company Realty and David McIntyre of McIntyre Real Estate Services. Returning as directors are Jane Gardner of Royal LePage Wolle Realty, Eric Klimstra of Royal LePage Grand Valley Realty, Colleen Koehler of Re/Max Twin City Realty and Brian Santos of Peak Realty.

■ ■ ■

Recently the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) and Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln presented $10,000 to Nanaimo’s Haven Society. The money was raised at a Driven to Give testdrive event in Nanaimo.

Recognizing that charitable organizations and educational institutions are frequently unable to reach their full potential due to lack of funding, Lincoln Motor Company developed the Driven to Give program. Each test drive taken on event day earns $50 for the chosen charity, to a maximum of $10,000. Steve Marshall approached VIREB in the spring with a proposal to collaborate on Driven to Give.

VIREB has a long, established relationship with Haven Society, having supported the organization for many years with an annual staff-initiated Christmas donation comprising a year’s worth of weekly contributions for Jeans Day. Driven to Give provided an enhanced opportunity to help raise funds and promote awareness.

■ ■ ■

The Windsor-Essex County Association of Realtors (WECAR), representing over 850 active members, has elected Norman Langlois as 2016 president. He is a salesperson with Regency Realty in LaSalle, Ont. In a news release, the association says Langlois feels “passionately about strict adherence to our governing documents, as well as the advancement of the real estate industry”. He has chaired and/or volunteered on several association committees, including Discipline, MLS/Standard Forms, PAC,

Technology and others.

WECAR is second oldest real estate association in Canada.

■ ■ ■

The Association of Regina Realtors (ARR) has donated $15,000 to the North Central Family Centre’s Youth Empowerment Program. That’s half the record proceeds raised at this year’s ARR Annual Golf Tournament plus an additional $5,000 from the association itself, bringing the total Regina Realtors have contributed to the NCFC over the past decade to almost $113,000.

This year’s donation will purchase books and supplies for the centre’s classes on literacy, jewelry, art, anti-bullying and girls’ self-

esteem. Past support has included construction of a courtyard at the centre, tutoring, reading and homework help, supplies to help youth assist elders and housebound residents with yard care and providing the paint for a colourful mural that young people created in memory of the NCFC’s other founder, Ivan Amichand, who passed away in 2013.

Along with assisting the North Central Family Centre, ARR has donated $10,000 – the other half of this year’s golf tournament proceeds – to help the Albert Park Community Association fund a new walking path and other enhancements at Realtors Park.

This follows the ARR’s $7,585 donation to the project last year.

REM

If your name is Nigel, your house is sold

H

ouse sellers named Nigel, Mike or Louise sell their homes faster than anyone else, says research by British online real estate firm House Network.

In the U.K., Nigels require 12 per cent fewer viewings than the second fastest name in the rankings, Mike, and 34 per cent less than the average of 15. The company says vendors named Louise, the third fastest name for sellers, are taking down the for sale sign in 25 per cent fewer viewings than the national average.

At the other end of the spectrum, sellers named Jason take the longest to sell at nearly double the average number of viewings per sale of a Nigel, and need 31 per cent more than the British average to complete.

Ben, Nicholas, Colin and Darren round out the top five slowest selling names.

House Network says it compiled the report using data from 8,883 house sales in the U.K. There appears to be no gender bias at the quickest end of the market, with an equal split of male and female names in the list of the top 10 fastest selling monikers.

However, men dominate the 10 slowest selling names as Kate, Lucy and Amanda are the only women’s names to feature this low.

The report also shows that the

most common vendor names overall are David, Paul, Andrew and Mark. The same names feature prominently as the most popular on the buying side of the deal.

The most common is David again.

Sarah and Emma are the top buying female names.

“It’s hard to put a finger on why Nigels are the quickest sellers; maybe it’s subliminal, maybe buyers just like the sound of the name Nigel, who knows,” says Mark Readings, House Network CEO. “The frequency of buyers and vendors called David has a more clear cut explanation with this name being a permanent fixture in the top five most popular baby names from 1950-1990, simply meaning there are just more Davids of house buying and selling age.”

Meanwhile, in the United States, Realtor.com pitted male street names – such as the Jacksons, Grants and Coopers – against female street names – the Pearls, Elizabeths and Roses – to determine which street name could hold more value.

It found that there are more properties on male streets than female-named streets. However, properties on female streets were found to be more valuable.

Streets with human names have less expensive properties REM compared to all streets.

34 REM JANUARY 2016

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

H

ere is something that’s critical for you to do for the year ahead: plan on attending the most important trade shows in the real estate industry. By planning to attend I do not mean give it some thought and if you have the time and money you should attend. I mean, find the time and find the money and go.

All trade shows are important, especially one that is held in your locality. However there are three this year and a fourth next year that are the most important to attend. In chronological order they are: Realtor Quest – Toronto, May 4 and 5. This is the biggest show in the Canadian real estate industry.

There are important things to see in the east and the west but here you will see them all. Everything and anything that can impact what you do positively will be here.

You should not miss this show.

As you walk the aisles – and there are many aisles – you will see the very latest in products, services, devices and technology. Each one of these booths may have the exact element or tool that can turn your business around or bring it to the stratosphere. Of course you will have seen all of these products and services first in REM’s pages but here is a chance to see them up front. Watch as they are demonstrated and ask any questions you

Some humble advice for 2016 may have about their operation and effectiveness. At no other time will you see such an array of things that are tailored to people working in the world of Canadian real estate sales. Realtor Quest is a “must attend” event that you cannot miss.

Atlantic Connection – Charlottetown, July 26-29. If you are reading this in Moncton, you’re lucky because you live in the beautiful province of New Brunswick.

You also have the added good fortune of being able to drive across the spectacular Confederation Bridge to Charlottetown in the middle of summer to attend the Atlantic Connection.

If you don’t live in Moncton then plan your journey to get there. Once again you will have seen the many products and services that will be demonstrated here in the pages of REM first, however there will be some that may be especially focused to the unique locale and character of the Maritime experience. It is impossible not to become a better salesperson or broker by attending this show. It is guaranteed you will be a better person coming away.

NAR Conference and Trade Show – Orlando, Florida, Nov. 47. With more than 400 exhibits and the expectation of over 20,000 visitors, this is the biggest show in North America. It is for American Realtors but as I heard it said at a conference in New York, real estate is real estate. This business is regulated in Canada by each province. Same deal in the USA. It is not regulated nationally but state by state.

At the end of the day regardless of what province or state you are in, you are still either a real estate broker or sales rep or a mortgage broker. Real estate is still real estate and if you cannot benefit from reviewing 400 booths of all manner of things ready to bring your business to a new level, then you may not be in the right business. You have to get down there to see it!

Banff Western Connection – Jan. 2017. I would certainly expect that those who made the journey from Canada’s western provinces to Realtor Quest and the Atlantic Connection will be ready to host the many visitors who should be coming to Banff in Jan. 2017.

There is opportunity here to ski in some of Canada’s most beautiful settings but it is not necessary to be a skier or even an outdoor person.

Simply look out your hotel window and the view you see will be breathtaking and spiritual. There can be no better setting to see the latest in technology, services and all manner of business elements – all focused to help you come to greater heights in real estate sales.

How could you not come here?

As always, to review the dates, times, costs and all other pertinent information about these shows, check with REM, the official media sponsor for Realtor Quest and the Altlantic Connection. Every issue of REM as well as REM’s website, www.remonline.com, has information about trade show locations and dates.

Trade Shows & Conferences To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Fraser Valley Real Estate Board Game Changer Conference and Trade Show Feb. 3 - 5, 2016 Coast Hotel & Convention Centre, Langley, B.C. www.fvreb.bc.ca/conference.php Toronto Real Estate Board’s Realtor Quest May 4 - 5, 2016 Toronto Congress Centre Toronto www.realtorquest.ca

Atlantic Connection July 26 - 29, 2016 Delta Prince Edward & P.E.I. Convention Centre Charlottetown www.atlanticconnection.ca/ Compiled with the assistance of Bob Campbell at Colour Tech Marketing, www.colourtech.com

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

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