January 2020

Issue #367

January 2020

What you need to know about electric vehicles Page 3

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

Hilarious open house fails Page 8

Property possession when separating Page 14

Re/Max Integra The Polzler and Schneider families celebrate 40 years Page 12

Thank you, RE/MAX Brokers & Agents for helping us become another great Canadian success story.

For over 40 years you have trusted us to help you build your business. You have championed professionalism and created a higher standard for real estate agents across our region.

You are the reason “we’ve done this a million times” and the reason we’ll do it a million more.

Yours very sincerely, Pamela, Walter, and Frank.

remaxintegra.com

Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated. This advertisement is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for informational purposes only.

If you own a franchise affiliated with another organization, this advertisement is not intended to offer a RE/MAX franchise or to solicit a change in your affiliation.

REM JANUARY 2020 3

What to know about electric vehicles

In Canadian hotspots for electric vehicle adoption, industry observers say we’re about to see a lot more eco-friendly buyers who will be looking for amenities like onsite EV charging.

By Connie Jeske Crane n Scarborough, Ont., new condo owner Ricardo Cummings exemplifies a new breed of driver – and one who poses some new challenges for real estate professionals. When he moved into his unit in 2018 (after a pre-construction purchase in 2013), Cummings outfitted his sparkling new digs with furniture, art and tableware, and he also bought a premium parking stall for $35,000.

“The developer had four units available for sale – out of about 200 spaces in total – that were ‘EV ready,’” says Cummings. The stalls were roughed-in during construction and already board-approved.

Besides shelling out $13,000 more than he’d have paid for regular parking, plus $500 for an EV (electric vehicle) charging solution called Signature Electric, Cummings says he faced some waiting time for final approvals (as the condo board got up to speed).

I

But he now enjoys the ability to “fuel up” his 2018 VW e-Golf at home.

“Despite the tedious process and the cost involved in the installation of a charger station, I would do it again,” says Cummings, citing not only ecological benefits and convenience but also considerable savings on fuel. “The price I pay for a full charge compared to a full tank of gasoline is $4 versus $40.”

Have you worked with clients like Cummings yet? In Canadian hotspots for EV adoption (including Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec), industry observers say we’re about to see a lot more ecofriendly buyers like Cummings, intent on amenities like onsite EV charging.

So how can Realtors prepare for the future? To learn more, we talked to representatives in several Canadian locations.

The first thing to note is, many

Willo Jackson

Bonnie Meisels

Ricardo Cummings

real estate professionals are not seeing the EV trend revving up – yet.

“Everyone knows that’s where we’re heading, but it’s really going to take some time,” says Bonnie Meisels, a real estate broker with Keller Williams in Montreal and a certified LEED Green Associate. “I think it’s a great advantage, but I don’t see a buyer yet saying. ‘Oh I’m not going to buy this house

because it doesn’t have an EV charging station.’”

In plain numbers, EV sales account for only a fraction of vehicle sales today (3.3 per cent in 2019 Q2, according to Electric Mobility Canada). At the same time though, we’re seeing a slowbut-steady embrace of EVs. Fleetcarma’s 2018 Q3 EV update says that during the past five years, EV sales increased more than 66 per cent per year. And in early 2019, Electric Mobility Canada reported another milestone – more than 100,000 EVs are now driving on Canadian streets.

Surveys reveal that we Canadians are pretty open-minded. According to a 2019 poll by Clean Energy Canada, “Most (64 per cent) say that if it were up to them, electric cars would become the majority of vehicles that consumers drive at some point...”

To sum up, it’s fair to say that in the short term consumers are deterred by barriers like vehicle cost and limited battery range. Yet as those barriers are removed, analysts predict a tipping point. For example, in February 2019, considering major automakers’ greatly enhanced EV products for 2020, one CBC report concluded, “With the upcoming crop of improved electric vehicles, however, the market could be poised for a shift.”

average EV adoption, Vancouver is a great place to ask Realtors more about the finer points.

Willo Jackson, a representative at The Ruth and David Group, already works with plenty of EV owners. In Vancouver, she says the EV buyer group has traditionally been wealthy and/or youthful but is growing more diverse. Even if clients don’t drive EVs yet, Jackson says, “It’s mentioned in probably half of my buyer meetings now.

People aren’t necessarily needing it with their current cars, but it’s on people’s minds.”

It’s all about home charging, which is a key must-have for EV owners. As Meisels says, “Having it at home while you’re sleeping, nothing beats the convenience of that.” As for the real estate buying process, Meisels says it all starts with budget. Can clients afford detached, new condo construction or older product?

Jackson says that with detached housing, to accommodate charging you’re tracking down homes with off-street parking and nearby power sources; 240-volt service will accommodate faster Level 2 EV chargers and allow buyers to avoid costly electrical upgrades and delays.

If buyers can afford newer condos, Meisels says it’s not as difficult to find developments with onsite EV charging in Montreal.

“These LEED buildings, or some of the more luxury condo buildings, are just building that

SELECTED EV RESOURCES • Association des Véhicules Électriques du https://www.plugndrive.ca/ is a non-profit orgaQuébec, https://www.aveq.ca/ provides informanization that promotes electric cars; among its tion and arranges e-mobility promotion events programs and services, Plug’n Drive offers news, with partners, Nissan Canada and Intact information (about vehicles, used vehicles, Insurance. condo charging) on its website and a drop-in test-drive zone in Toronto.

• Canadian Automobile Association’s Electric Vehicle Portal, https://www.caa.ca/electric-vehi- • Plug In BC, https://pluginbc.ca/ is a program of cles/ includes information about vehicles on the the Fraser Basin Council that collaborates with market, cross-country charging stations and government, industry, academic institutions, EV government incentives for EVs and EV charging owners, NGOs and utilities to advance the uptake stations. of electric vehicles in B.C.; acts as a central source for EV information.

• Electric Mobility Canada, https://emc-mec.ca/ is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to • Toronto Electric Vehicle Association, the advancement of e-mobility. https://teva.one/ is a local not-for-profit organization committed to electric transportation advoca• Electric Vehicle Association of Alberta, cy, education and innovation. http://www.albertaev.ca/ is a non-profit dedicated to promoting the adoption of EVs and charging • Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association, infrastructure in Alberta https://veva.ca/ is a non-profit organization that promotes the use of electric vehicles.

• Plug’n Drive (Ontario-based),

Accommodating buyers So how to prepare for tomorrow’s EV-loving eco-friendly buyers? With strong government incentives, activism and above-

Continued on page 4

4 REM JANUARY 2020

5 things to know about Ontario’s new real estate act

By Mark Weisleder

T

he long-awaited changes to the real estate agent and brokerage community in Ontario just had its initial release, mostly to positive reviews from the industry. The draft bill to change the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 has not yet been approved and contemplates further changes. The new act will be called the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2019. Here are the main points you need to know.

1. Real estate agents will be

able to incorporate. The real estate industry has been requesting this for years, so that real estate professionals could enjoy the same tax advantages of other professional groups such as doctors, lawyers and accountants.

Incorporation should also provide extra protection from liability. Incorporation is not for everyone and once the rules are clarified, agents must discuss this with their own accountants to make sure that this is right for them. Still, great news.

2. No more customers, you are either a client or you are self-represented. There has been a lot of confusion over the years in trying to explain to a member of the public as to

whether they should become a client or customer of a real estate brokerage and the differences between the two. While there currently is a duty to be fair to customers, there was an extra level of care owed to clients. An agent can give advice to a client, not a customer. This is easier said than done. Under the proposed new rules, you are either a client of the brokerage, or you represent yourself. Makes it much simpler. Remember the old adage, “when you represent yourself, you have a fool for a client.” Applies in just about everything you do.

3. Multiple representation will still be permitted. This is also great news for the industry.

Swanepoel report says iBuying is No. 1 trend i

Buying is the No. 1 real estate trend for 2020, says a new report by Californiabased research firm T3 Sixty.

“The way consumers buy and sell homes is radically changing, and 2020 will be the year that more will recognize these fundamental shifts happening within real estate,” says Stefan Swanepoel, chairman and CEO of T3 Sixty and the report’s editor-in-chief. “The industry is changing more and faster now than it has in decades, something that becomes abundantly clear when reading this study.”

The Swanepoel Trends Report says that “after fundamentally altering other indus-

tries, venture capital and technology are now rocking the residential real estate brokerage industry. By fueling new models, consolidation and ways of delivering services, these powerful forces are changing the way consumers buy and sell real estate forever,” it says.

With iBuying, “a controversial and powerful new real estate model used by Zillow, Redfin, Opendoor and a growing list of other companies every day, consumers can sell or buy a new home in as soon as three days with all cash and choose their closing date. The model brings transparency, simplicity and certainty to a transaction that histor-

ically has been lengthy, confusing and complicated,” says the report.

It says the trend has evolved from a seller-focused model to one that serves buyers and, increasingly, synchronous sellers – those sellers who are also buying a home. New companies are offering an increasing number of twists on the model, it says.

The study looks at three companies – Zillow Group, Compass and Keller Williams Realty – that “have made huge bets on the future by essentially pushing all of their chips to the centre of the table with aggressive, companychanging moves.”

For information, visit t360.com. REM

CORRECTION In the article Navigating the complexities of co-ownership (REM, December), the website for Steven Fudge was incorrect. It is urbaneer.com. REM

Real estate brokerages will still be able to represent both the buyer and the seller in the same deal. It is not clear whether the same agent will be permitted to act for both the buyer and the seller. This will also have to be reviewed more carefully when further clarification is provided.

4. Sellers may be able to disclose the highest price to a competing buyer. It appears that in a bidding war, a seller may obtain the option to disclose to one of the other buyers the price that one of the buyers is willing to pay. This is currently not permitted today. Again, the actual language will have to be reviewed to determine the circumstances when this may occur.

5. Penalties are increasing if you break the rules. It is proposed that fines to real estate agents and brokerages be increased to $50,000 for any agent to $100,000 for the brokerages if you violate the rules, including the REBBA 2002 Code of Ethics. This is just part of the new protections to give the public more assurance that real estate agents and brokerages are held to a higher professional standard.

Mark Weisleder is a partner, author and speaker at the law firm Real Estate Lawyers.ca LLP. Contact him at mark@realestatelawyers.ca or toll free at 1-888-876-5529. REM

What to know about electric vehicles Continued from page 3

way now.” With older buildings, she says, you have to hunt. “I’ve come across buildings where it’s been added as a feature in the garage. But that’s case by case. It has to go up to the syndicate, it has to get voted on.”

In Vancouver, Jackson says, “I’m definitely steering people towards newer product, because the newer the building the better the electrical systems they have in place and the less bylaw-heavy the council is.” (Condo councils, Jackson says, are not always keen to approve EV charging stations due to concerns over liability, maintenance and disruption).

“If buyers are entry level and we’re only looking at older buildings, then it’s a lot of work. I have to physically read the bylaws, contact the property manager, get things in writing, it’s very, very challenging to get everything as proof prior to writing an offer, or lodging a deposit.” Jackson says it’s helpful for Realtors to keep a good running list of EV-friendly older buildings. “Whenever I come upon an older building that is talking about (adding charging stations) in their minutes, I get

very excited and I log that building in my mind.”

Proactive steps To further ensure you’re ready to assist EV owners, Jackson’s advice is to keep on top of EV industry news and legislation, technology and associated costs and rebates. (See the sidebar on page 3 for resources.)

Another step she recommends to so-inclined Realtors is industry advocacy. “I’m pushing forward with my real estate board to include EV charging as one of the detail options on MLS. I want it to be a searchable feature… I have enough buyers who want it.

So I see that as a need.”

Finally, Jackson, who blogs about environmental issues and EV-related news, encourages real estate salespeople to develop an authentic niche for themselves around these issues and connect with youthful, engaged clients.

“I’ve gotten many calls over the years just because of these blog posts… I think these are great talking points and it’s one way to create a little niche for yourself as a professional.” REM

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Business Planning Our real estate sales training program helps you build your business at any stage of your career and accelerate your success.

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1.800.446.8737 | Century21franchise.ca | Century21careers.ca | C21tech.ca Independently Owned and Operated. ®†TM† trademarks owned by Century 21 Real Estate used under license or authorized sub-license. © 2019 Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership. Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership currently has franchise opportunities available in select markets across Canada. The intent of this communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a solicitation to anyone under contract with another real estate brokerage organization. CENTURY 21® is a registered trademark owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC, used under license. The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.

6 REM JANUARY 2020

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

J

ohn Geha is moving home to Ohio after working in several high-profile Canadian positions for the last 10 years.

He will start his new job as CEO of

John Geha

Columbus Realtors on Jan. 2.

Geha is currently the CEO of the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR).

He came to Canada as the presi-

dent of Canadian operations for Coldwell Banker in 2009. He also served in senior positions at Century 21 Canada and Prudential Real Estate Affiliates.

Geha is from the Toledo area.

Before coming to Canada to live, he operated a consulting business from his Ohio home base.

Although he says he’s thrilled to be taking on the job in Columbus, Geha says, “It took me a long time to accept this job” because it will be tough leaving the “dedicated, committed and skilled” people he has worked with in this country.

He has high praise for the staff

Melissa Wu, ranked in the top one per cent for sales in the Vancouver market since 2007, is joining eXp Realty.

Wu is co-founder of a luxury boutique real estate group that has more than 50 sales reps. It did more than $300 million in volume through 249 units sold in the 12month period ending in October

Ken Williamson

Jeremy Berman

Jessica Downie

Bradyn McCullough

Melissa Wu

Hanlon Realty’s new building.

Neil Lacheur

Cover photo: ELIJAH SHARK

■ ■ ■

Carl Pedersen President & CEO WILLIAM MOLLS will@remonline.com

Editor JIM ADAIR jim@remonline.com

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

Production Coordinator JUDY CUPSKEY judy@remonline.com

Brand Design SANDRA GOODER

Art Director LIZ MACKIN

Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY

Questions or comments? info@remonline.com

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

Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com REM is published 12 times a year. It is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any real estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by direct delivery in selected areas. For subscription information, email distribution@remonline.com. Entire contents copyright 2019 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher.

REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned by CREA and identify the services rendered by members of CREA. REM complies fully with the CREA’s Trademark Policy (section 5.3.2.6.1).

ISSN 1201-1223

2019, says eXp. “Throughout my career, I’ve focused on continuous improvement in the processes and procedures I use to build and lead my successful real estate business,” says Wu. “When I discovered eXp Realty, I saw an opportunity to bring more value to my clients, eliminate franchise fees and participate in a revenue-sharing model that benefits everyone.”

■ ■ ■

Hanlon Realty in St. John’s, N.L. moved into a new building on East White Hill Road in August.

The new building is “modern, spacious and has the most up-to-datetechnology,” says Hanlon Realtor Debbie Hollett.

“Wayne Hanlon, along with his wife Martina, our broker Richard Kennedy and myself all started at Hanlon Realty 22 years ago,” says Hollett. “We have longterm agents like Larry Hann, Alison Hull and Paul Dominic, who all have over 10 years with the company.” The brokerage has 55 salespeople.

“The site for our new building was land in Wayne’s family for years. He lived in a family home on the site back in the 1970s. His late mother Gloria, once a Realtor herself, used the site for various business adventures over the years,” says Hollett.

■ ■ ■

Neil Lacheur has been named Avison Young principal and EVP of real estate management services in Canada. In this newly created role, Lacheur will lead the company’s property management business. Lacheur was with QuadReal Property Group, where he had been since its founding, leading the firm’s customer service strategy and culture. He holds a degree in Continued on page 14

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Multiple Listings

at LSTAR as well as colleagues at the Ontario Real Estate Association. He says he’s particularly proud of the progress that organized real estate has made in government relations, which in Ontario has been key in getting a new real estate act that will benefit both consumers and Realtors. He also points to a joint education and training initiative that LSTAR forged with Fanshaw College as a major board accomplishment.

LSTAR has now launched a search for its next CEO.

This is home.

It’s a place called confidence.

It’s home because your clients feel positive and sure about the choice they’ve made. In partnering with you, they place their trust in your advice, counsel, and expertise to lead them there.

Our commitment is to always be there for you, and them, on this journey home.

pillartopost.com Each office independently owned and operated.

8 REM JANUARY 2020

Hilarious open house fails

No matter how well you prepare for open houses, the neighbours can be a tricky, uncontrollable factor. By Toby Welch the open house that was next door to a couple who were exhibitionists. For about 30 minutes, the potential buyers at the open house got a view of the neighbours thoroughly enjoying one another’s company. Another home for sale had a neighbour who liked to sunbathe in the nude. Despite the real estate agent asking nicely, the neighbour wouldn’t keep his clothes on when an open house was underway.

T

Kim Louise

hose who work in real estate either love open houses or hate them. No matter what side of the fence you’re on, they make for some hilarious happenings. Take the agent who caught a neighbour stealing bottles of wine from the wine cellar when the neighbour ran out of alcohol during a party he was hosting down the street. Or the agent who had to deal with a family of five who brought their swimsuits and jumped in the pool during an open house.

His first open house gave Kim Louise, a real estate consultant and broker with Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty in Kitchener, Ont., a horrifyingat-the-time but now hilarious story.

“It was a pretty busy open house, considering it was November. It was snowing and I tried hard to impress people with my knowledge and professionalism. (It was another agent’s bank power of sale listing of an old dilapidated home.) I

was determined to make the best of it so I was dressed up in my best suit and tie. It wasn’t until I was leaving and I squatted down outside to pick up a sign I had dropped that I felt a cold breeze in my crotch area. Horrified, I looked down to find my zipper was open and realized I had hosted the entire open house, my very first one, with my fly down.” Yikes!

Bodily functions make for (unfortunately) popular fodder for open house stories. An Alberta-based real estate agent shared the story of an open house she held at a townhouse.

It was a presale home so no plumbing was hooked up yet.

The toilets were all sealed since there was no flushing ability.

After days of the unit stinking badly, the agent discovered that someone had gone #2 in the toilet and then wrapped it back up tightly.

No matter how well you prepare for open houses, the neighbours can be a tricky, uncontrollable factor. Take

One unwritten rule of open house etiquette is to not snoop through the private belongings of the home’s owners. Sure, open a kitchen cupboard to check the storage ability but don’t open a dresser drawer. Someone should have told this to the boy who rooted through the owner’s nightstand and then ran around the house pretending to fly the rocket ship he found (a personal pleasure device.)

Angela Langtry

Angela Langtry, a real estate broker with Century 21 ImmoPlus in Montreal, held an open house at a home she had for sale in Montreal. “I had asked the owners to depersonalize prior to the open house and remove the family photos from view. They

did not. Potential buyers were treated to a first impression of walking into the living room and seeing the ‘honour wall’ of about two dozen pictures of the family’s deceased dog. Then, I watched jaws drop when people saw the semi-nude pregnancy photos of the wife in the master bedroom! Needless to say, buyers were a little distracted when visiting the house.”

An agent who asked to remain nameless so his past clients won’t send him hate mail was hosting an open house in the suburbs.

Things were going great until the sellers showed up at the open house when over a half dozen potential buyers were touring the home. The sellers proceeded to harass the other people, pestering them with questions about themselves. This continued for over an hour before the agent could convince them to leave.

Another agent who asked that she not be named shared a story about an open house she was hosting for an owner that had a renter in the property.

The agent showed up to start the open house and found the renter was hanging around. He refused to leave when people started showing up to tour the home. He followed potential buyers around claiming that the house was haunted, that it had been a drug house, that it leaked every spring, and anything else he could think up to reduce the chances of a sale happening.

After 36 years in real estate in the Greater Moncton area in New Brunswick, Shirley Powell, a sales representative with Royal LePage Atlantic, has an impressive collection of funny open house stories. My favourite involves an open house held in a large, beautifully furnished older home in the country.

Shirley Powell

“A man and woman came to the open house with five kids, all of a young age. Of course, there was no parental control there. As the agent, I was super busy greeting people and doing my best to answer questions.

Somehow this sweet little girl around three-years-old slipped away from her parents to jump on beds. Later, when the open house was finished and I was turning off the lights, I glanced at a bed and thought, “Wow, that doll is so real looking.” The doll pops up and asks, ‘Where is my mother?’

“I did my best to stay calm and not laugh. But my stress level rose as it was just the two of us in the house and I had no idea how to contact her parents.

We ended up staying in the house chatting for another hour before her parents returned once they remembered where they’d left her. I am still shocked at that experience!”

Some agents predict that open house will become obsolete as digital marketing becomes more prevalent. Until that happens, let’s embrace the laughable moments that open houses can deliver. REM Do you have an open house story to share? Send it to REM! Email jim@remonline.com

40 YEARS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING...

1980 - Frank Polzler and Walter Schneider founded RE/MAX in Ontario and Atlantic Canada

1984 - RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic reaches 1,000 agents

1987 - Moved into 3 U.S. states.

RE/MAX is the market leader in Canada.

1980

1990 1986 - Moved into the New England region

1981 -30 Canadian franchises are sold in six months

2000

2004 - Portugal becomes first Euro region to surpass 1,000 Agents 2007 - Europe surpasses 10,000 agents

2010

2020 2023 - GOAL - to reach 50,000 Agents and 3,800 offices worldwide for RE/MAX INTEGRA

1995 - Pamela Alexander becomes CEO and Canadian market share booms

1994 - RE/MAX Europe established with headquarters in Zug, Switzerland.

2019 - RE/MAX INTEGRA reaches 43,000 agents and 3,200 offices worldwide

2001 - Regional services offices opens in Vienna, Austria and streamlines operations across the continent

2018 - RE/MAX INTEGRA reaches 40,000 agents and 3,100 offices worldwide

2014 - RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic, Indiana, New England and North Central rebrand as RE/MAX INTEGRA

remaxintegra.com

WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED Based on internal data

12 REM JANUARY 2020

Re/Max Integra: 40 years of innovation

“It’s a journey of two fellows and their extended families and them all sharing the same goal,” says co-founder Walter Schneider. By Sohini Bhattacharya

A

round U.S. Thanksgiving, 1979, Walter Schneider and Frank Polzler, co-founders of Re/Max Integra Group of companies, had a steep hill to climb. They were in Denver negotiating the rights for their new real estate franchise in Canada. Like many entrepreneurs, the odds were stacked against them. At the time, even though both had been in real estate for a couple of decades, as franchise owners they were undercapitalized and inexperienced.

“Frank and I liked being the underdogs, which I think was good for us,” reminisced Schneider recently. They were driven and energetic, and recognized an opportunity that would disrupt archaic and regressive real estate practices that were unfair to the top producers, says Schneider.

While the MLS was working, ethical standards were thread bare and consumer protection was at its infancy. “A full-time Realtor would get paid just as much as a fly-by-night person,” says Pamela Alexander, CEO of Re/Max Integra’s North American regions and daughter of Frank Polzler.

“The industry had a classic 50-50 split. The top producers were subsidizing the nonproducers. People were showing up in the office, not doing anything, and they were still making the same commission split as others were. So, the top producers were looking for something different.

And that’s what we embraced,” says Schneider, who is also president of Re/Max Integra.

Back then, Schneider and Polzler called themselves road warriors. They shared motel rooms for 15 years and clocked in 16 - to 18-hour workdays.

“But that’s the price you pay for success,” says Schneider.

Today, as their company celebrates its 40th anniversary, Schneider is still wowed by their partnership and often flashes back to their collective journey. “It’s a journey of two fellows and their extended families and them all sharing the same goal,” he says.

Re/Max Integra’s expansion is landmarked by three distinct growth spurts: the Canadian period where they started from scratch and became a leader, the U.S. expansion period (between 1987-94) and their expansion into Europe and Middle East.

The firm’s journey to the top is peppered with then and nows.

“When couples went to qualify for a mortgage in the 1970s, they would look at the couple’s income, take the gentleman’s income and take half the female’s income for them to be qualified.

And today 22 per cent of the market consists of single female buyers,” says Schneider.

That’s the beauty of the real estate business, says Alexander – that it put women and men on equal footing, as consumers and as agents. However, the shortage of women on the brokerage side of the business still exists, she says. She remains hopeful that the next generation of women in the business will step up as entrepreneurs.

Through all the industry shifts and since its inception, the Re/ Max Integra mantra has been consistent. They aim to be the home of the top producers and the place for the industry’s most productive agents. And “technology has made it better for everybody. It’s a fantastic addition to the industry, and into the business. Now, the sales associate must provide incredible value outside of what the technology provides,” says Alexander.

While the service part of real estate, the access to technology and information, and the speed of transactions has changed, “the emotional side of the sale has not changed at all,” says Schneider.

What has also not changed, since day one of Re/Max Integra, is its culture of entrepreneurship and of being the best an agent can personally be, for the consumer, and for the brand, adds Alexander. Perhaps that’s what keeps Re/Max Integra ahead in the game, in a growing pool of competitors flooded by ibuyers and discounters who are replacing agent commissions with a flat-fee structure.

“We fight to own the space and we are determined to continue to own the space,” says Schneider, while accepting that consumer profiles have changed, thereby upping the stakes for their agents.

“We’ve had low-commission competition in the marketplace for 40 years. They just have different names and they come and go,” says Alexander. There will always be sales associates that are going to be drawn to new competition, but “it’s just not who we are. It’s not our culture.”

She says the competition has benefitted Re/Max in internally critiquing and bettering its practices.

While acknowledging that Re/Max may have lost some brokers and agents to discounters and cloud brokerages, the company prides itself for having brokers who are in the offices, on the ground, celebrating each other’s successes and being part of a community that puts quality of service ahead of personal needs.

“Real estate is a tough and cyclical business. When a Re/ Max agent is on the low end of that cycle, they can rely on

Re/Max Integra was launched 40 years ago and continues to be a family affair. Standing, from left: Shelby Schneider, VP of corporate synergy; Simon Schneider, franchise sales consultant;Walter Schneider, founder and president.

Seated: Christopher Alexander, EVP and Pamela Alexander, CEO. Inset: Frank Polzler, founder and chairman. Not present for the photo shoot was Michael Polzler, CEO and managing director, Europe. (Photos: Elijah Shark)

a colleague on the top to bring them back up,” says Schneider.

than us and nobody in the world has their flag in 106 countries.”

Countering the argument that Re/Max is one of the more expensive brokerages to affiliate with, Schneider says, “There’s no company in the business that has a toolbox that we have. We create the highest value and our validation of that is we’ve had the highest producers, the highest production per associate with 16.7 transactions per year. We have market share and we have a global footprint.”

With their eyes firmly fixed on the next 40 years, Schneider says, “I’m fiercely proud that we are a Canadian company that has rocked it here in Canada. I’ve gone to the United States, have rocked it there and now, I’ve gone to Europe and the Middle East and done the same thing there.”

“When you deliver on the promise of value, the consumer will pay,” says Alexander, just as they would to buy a BMW or a Mercedes. And the same applies to agent commissions. Putting the value of a Re/Max agent into perspective, Schneider says, “The global validation is that nobody in the world sells more real estate

Being tight-lipped about several new initiatives the company is expecting to launch at the end of January, Alexander says, “When I think ahead into the next 40 years, what I’m most proud of is that we have not just changed the commission structure – everyone has a high commission structure – but in this country, when a consumer thinks of Re/Max, they think that this will be a professional experience.” REM

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At m wife and the time, including my m of six. We We I, we were a team 00 homes were selling 90-1 90-100 re looking a year and we were n to get to for some direction Afte er attending the next level. After Craig’s Anaheim SuperConCraig’s decid ded to get ference we decided Craig’s Coaching involved in Craig’s t increase System in order to nd income sales, goals an and nce joining, j g, for the team. Sin Since oked back. we have not loo looked Implementing the systems is rocess, but not an overnight p process, ople in the with the right peo people right designated positions, we were able to overcome To od day, we’ve the hurdles. Today, agents, a full time grown to 7 agents, Administratorr, an Operations Administrator, Manager, one full time ISA, ISA Manager, Man nager who and a Sales Manager acccountable. keeps the agents accountable. w Before Craig we were selling about 100 homess per year o just over with annual GCI of Craig g’s system, $500k. With Craig’s 2 we’ve grown to 200+ Sales with GCI of just over $2.5 We’ve ranked ran nked in the million. We’ve To op 100 RE/MAX X teams in Top 2011 and have Canada since 2011 sta atus in the maintained our status TOP 100 Re/Max Teams Teams e TOP for We have the past 9 years.. We learned from ourr Coaches goals and to to stretch our goals

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predictability. Wanting Wantin ng and predictability. bein ng those things, and being Craig g’s willing to investigate Craig’s tha at system, I quickly realized that sensse it made total business sense to align my life and my real real estate enterprise with him. I whatsoeve er. have no regrets whatsoever. foreve er Craig has changed forever an nd the way I run my business and the way I think about things.. I it’s way beyond beyon nd now know it’s It’s about about just selling homes. It’s 2nd mile service, helping helpin ng t people, and contributing to story. Doing Doin ng their ongoing story. gs a good job of those thing things wealtth creates opportunities of wealth future e.” and a very desirable future.”

Tim Keung Tim (Markham, ON) elieve it or not, no ot, “Believe y career path patth my aw me as a saw sychologis st, psychologist, butt I made a change g and decide ed decided to go into Real Estate. That t’s That’s only 4 short years ago. I go ot got busy with Craig’ s syste m Craig’s system as almost immediately and wa was overwhelmed to the point of o having to get some help. Ou ur Our team is 100% focused on o following Craig’ es s principle Craig’s principles and, frankly ts frankly,, our resul results speak for themselve s. themselves.

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Craig.”

14 REM JANUARY 2020

Property possession when separating When one of the spouses in a couple already has ownership of a house, the law that applies to that house differs for common-law and married couples in the event of a separation or divorce.

By Nathalie Boutet

W

ith sky-high rents and home ownership out of reach for many young Canadians, more couples are moving into properties with the help of their parents’ money, or even back into their childhood home. But not understanding the legal implications in case of a separation can lead to problems, considering that nearly four in 10 marriages will end in divorce. And while the number of young adults (18-34) who are

getting married is on the decline, 58 per cent of Canadians in common-law relationships say that, despite the law being otherwise, assets should be divided equally when the relationship ends, according to a recent Angus Reid poll.

If a married or common-law couple have moved into the parental home but are not on the title, neither has any rights to the property and both can be asked to leave at any time. However, when one of the spouses in a couple already has ownership of a house, the law that applies to that house

Common-law couples in general have no right to any part of the assets that are in the spouse’s name.

Multiple Listings Continued from page 6

economics from University of Victoria and is a LEED-GA. In Edmonton, Ken Williamson and Carl Pedersen have joined Avison Young as principals.

“Ken and Carl are a highly effective team who have honed their partnership for the past seven years, building an extensive body of work throughout Alberta’s energy markets,” says Cory Wosnack, Avison Young principal and managing director of the firm’s Edmonton region.

Williamson and Pedersen bring a combined 37 years of commercial real estate experience. Williamson was a senior vice president and Pedersen was

an associate vice president with Colliers International in Edmonton. Prior to entering commercial real estate, Williamson was a CF-18 pilot, decorated for his service with NATO and in the Gulf War. Pedersen, with a background in finance, has completed more than 300 transactions in the commercial real estate industry.

Also joining Avison Young in Edmonton from Colliers International are Marjorie Elliott and Jason Williamson, both as associates. They will continue to work as part of the Williamson and Pedersen team.

■ ■ ■

Savills has appointed Jeremy Berman as managing director, Jessica Downie as transaction manager and

differs for common-law and married couples in the event of a separation or divorce.

Common-law couples in general have no right to any part of the assets that are in the spouse’s name, even if the common-law spouse who is not on title makes monthly payments that they think is meant to cover the mortgage or houserelated expenses. There are exceptions when the non-titled spouse makes significant contributions towards the house, such as significant repairs. In these cases, it is possible, though very difficult and costly, for the non-titled spouse to seek some financial restitution corresponding to the value added by their contribution toward the property. Because these types of claims tend to be costly and hard to prove, it is recommended that common-law couples enter into a cohabitation agreement to clarify their intentions and rights towards properties before the non-titled spouse starts performing any work on the property. In general, making monthly payments to the spouse who is on title is unlikely to yield a right to any portion of the asset in

Bradyn McCullough as associate in the firm’s Calgary office.

Specializing in tenant representation, the team will provide consulting and workplace advisory services to companies and organizations in Calgary and throughout the region.

The announcement comes just one month after Savills opened its new office in Calgary.

Berman brings 15 years of tenant representation experience to the firm. Prior to joining Savills, he served as a vice president at Colliers. Downie joins from Cresa, where she advised tenants in the TAMI and energy sectors. McCullough comes to Savills after more than two years as a tenant representative at Cresa, where he specialized in industrial leasing, subleasing and sales. REM

the event of a separation.

As an example, a common-law spouse moved in with a woman who already owned a house. They agreed that, although he was paying her below-market rent, which was a benefit to him, she too was benefitting from the money received from him, which helped her pay the mortgage. In this case, they negotiated a cohabitation agreement where a percentage of his rent payments and any renovations he contributed to would be held in trust and given back in the event of a separation, but he would not be put on the title. Without this agreement, it is unlikely that the monthly payments or the contributions towards renovations would entitle the man to a payment in the event of a separation.

On the other hand, married couples are subject to equal division of all assets that were accumulated during the marriage. The spouses keep the value of any assets prior to the marriage but share the growth in value of these assets, along with new assets accumulated, during the marriage. There is an exception regarding the matrimonial home, though. If a spouse owned the matrimonial home before the marriage and the couple resides in that same home at the time of separation, then the entire value of the home gets divided equally and the spouse who owned it before the marriage cannot claim the pre-marriage value.

If parents wish to provide a gift in the form of property or cash, for married couples, a gift received before the marriage is considered a pre-marital asset and the value of the gift is not shared with the spouse on separation, but the growth in value during the marriage is shared with the separating spouse. The exception is if the premarriage gift is the matrimonial home, or money used towards the matrimonial home. If the married couple lives in the same house when they separate, the party who received the pre-marriage gift cannot retain the pre-marriage value and must share the entire value of

the gift with the separating spouse on the date of separation.

If a family gift is received during the marriage and is left in a separate bank account, then it does not have to be shared with the other spouse. But if the gift is used to pay down the mortgage of the matrimonial home, then the excluded nature of the gift will be lost.

Parents who want to give money to their child who is getting married or who is married need to understand that if the gift is applied towards a home that the couple will reside in as a family and it’s the same home that the couple lives in when they separate, they end up sharing the gift with their spouse if there’s a separation. If this is not the desired outcome, the parents can ask for their child and their spouse to sign a marriage agreement before the gift is made.

In another example, a mother purchased a condo for her daughter who was single at the time, but who subsequently married. In an effort to be fair to her spouse while also protecting her condo in the event of a divorce, the couple drafted a marriage agreement that stipulated her husband would commit to pay a monthly amount towards certain family expenses, and a percentage of that would earn him an agreed-upon value of the condo in the event of a separation. If he didn’t pay, that value would be deducted from his entitlement. But he would not be added to the title and not be considered an owner.

These areas of the law are complicated, and it’s advisable to consult a family law lawyer.

Nathalie Boutet, based in Toronto, is an experienced family law lawyer, accredited mediator and certified Family Enterprise Advisor, skilled at providing unique strategies and outof-court results to the complex legal, financial and human matters related to separation or divorce for highnet-worth families and business owners. Email nboutet@boutetfamilylaw.com. REM

REM JANUARY 2020 15

NAR summit addresses climate change

By Chris Chopik

sion of the tax base. Most alarming was her discussion of “off the chart” heat and humidity levels that are emerging. Not only is it hotter, but we don’t even have the means to measure some of the emerging heat and its impact on people.

UCS insights about heat are reflected in the Urban Land Institute’s recent release of Scorched, which offer a few hopeful perspectives. “Widespread adoption of temperature reduction strategies (mitigation) could potentially reduce or even offset the urban warming trends currently occurring in cities,” it says.

These strategies include integrated water retention and management strategies to reduce flood and drought impacts, and frequently include growing green infrastructure including native species trees, green roofs and bioswales. For locations like Toronto, this focusses the importance of strong investment in municipal and site level resilience as a means of protecting property

owners from risk.

Whether valuing a property with high performance and resilient features, or those in a walkable neighbourhood with treelined streets, the discussion at the summit made a clear connection to the role of the Realtor in communicating the value of energy efficiency and climate risk.

“You can open up the newspaper every day and see an alarming trend,” said Vince Malta, 2020 president of NAR. “It’s important we are at the table in meeting the challenges of the changing climate in the coming years.”

In an interview, Malta strongly underscored that the summit was a forum to create an action plan for the NAR leadership team. Malta, the CEO and broker at Malta & Co. in San Francisco says, “As an individual I would want to know how this is going to affect my children and my community, and what is expected of me. Right now, those answers are not really there.”

In the end, after two days of

inspiring talks and deliberate discussion, a recommendation was made to NAR leadership to create a 2030 climate change action plan. The association has more than one million members across the United States. One delegate, Kerri Hartnett, principal broker at Hartnett Homes in Portland Ore., offered an aspirational idea: “Imagine the power that every Realtor in America can have by helping property owners in every market to bring sustainability and resilience to their communities.”

NAR is a powerful changemaking organization that could accelerate the agility of markets to respond to emerging climate-risk, while preserving the wealth of Americans in every community.

Chris Chopik works with Sage Real Estate in Toronto, with a career focus on the nexus of sustainability and housing. He is a futurist currently working on strategic design solutions @OCADU_SFI; the Future of Seniors Housing in Canada. REM

Top CENTURY 21 REALTOR® Opens Own Franchise CENTURY 21 Kennect Realty Inc. operates in Markham One of the world’s most successful real estate agents is now a franchise owner.

After 17 years with CENTURY 21 Leading Edge Realty Realty Inc., Ken decided he wanted to grow his team as a business owner.

“

Our focus is preconstruction, and we reached the point where I want to grow our team to as many as 100 people in the next two years to serve more clients in the Toronto area. It was important to me to stay with the C21 brand because of its global recognition—many of our clients are investors who look for a familiar brand.

RECENT AWARDS

T

he National Association of Realtors (NAR) chose the perfect location for its recent invitation-only Sustainability Summit 2019 – New Orleans. Presentations included powerful insights and calls to action from The Union of Concerned Scientists, flood and hazard experts from regional and local government and leading real estate practitioners from across the continent.

The two-day working session aimed to provide leadership strategies on topics of sustainability that benefit Realtor associations and communities. The vision for the committee was clear: Realtors thrive in a culture of sustainability that promotes viability, resilience,

adaptability and resource efficiency. The goal: to provide NAR with a recommendation for addressing climate change, avoiding potential liability related to emerging risk and representation, and to leverage the Realtor/homeowner relationship to meet oncoming challenges.

Craig Foley, chief sustainability officer at LAER Realty Partners and chair, NAR Sustainability Advisory Group opened with a review of NAR foundational ethics and policy. Foundational within the 1970 charter update that Foley references is a commitment to protecting the environment.

Erika Spanger-Siegfried from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) lead with an introduction to two key studies: When Sea Rise Hits Home and Killer Heat in the United States. Her presentation showed clear scientific arguments for the impact to property from changing weather and sea-rise. She touched on changing conditions for insurability and loss of migrating population as potential for ero-

2018: #1 Team by Units in Canada #2 Team by Production in Canada #4 Team in the World by Production

2017:

This is a very exciting time for Ken and his team. We look forward to working with him and, together, continue to promote the C21 brand in the GTA.

#1 Globally Ranked Producer by Production #1 Producer by Production in Canada #1 Producer by Units in Canada

2011-2017: GRAND CENTURION Producer

Paul Baron, C21 Leading Edge Realty

Aim for the stars.

These are exciting times at Coldwell Banker.

Our iconic global brand is entering a new era, symbolized by our new North Star mark.

Like the North Star, Coldwell Banker has been guiding people home since our founding in 1906. We have a proud history and a bright future and you can be a part of it.

Contact your local Coldwell Banker broker OR visit us at coldwellbanker.ca

Š2020 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker LLC.

18 REM JANUARY 2020

Good Works W

hat does a pig mean to you? That’s the question Michelle King, a sales rep with Sutton Group Grande Prairie Professionals in Grande Prairie, Alta. sets out to answer in her prize-winning short story titled Faith. Family. Friends.

Farm. Sharing sweet and heartbreaking recollections of childhood in tapped-out, hardworking farm families, King submitted the story to the Lake Winnipeg Writer’s Contest, which had the theme of “Year of the Pig”. King won the contest and decided to pay it forward in support of education.

“The prize amount was $100, which I will match, so $200 will go towards the Willis Family Scholarship, a division of the G.M. Willis Family Endowment Fund, in partnership with the Interlake Foundation,” says King. “Each year, they award a $1,000 scholarship to a Stonewall Collegiate graduating student who enters post-secondary school in the fields of agriculture or business.

“It’s my hope that others see

this as a friendly challenge and donate the remaining $800.”

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Elite in Edmonton recently held a fundraiser called the Face the Resilience 2019 Gala for Boyle Street Community Services. The event raised more than $250,000 including in-kind donations and services.

The fundraiser was championed by Re/Max Elite owner John Mattiello.

Boyle Street Community Services provides more than 40 programs and services to over 12,000 individuals every year. It is a non-denominational organization that welcomes and serves people of all ages, backgrounds and orientations.

Century 21 Masters hosted its 8th Annual Pumpkin Drive at the St. Albert and Stony Plain locations in October to help raise money for Easter Seals Canada.

The team raised $1,000 in donations and gave away approximately 700 pumpkins.

“With the help from the local community, we were able to raise money for a great cause, Easter Seals Canada, and enjoy a fun day filled with delicious food, fun games and many laughs with the Century 21 Masters Team and the neighbourhood,” says associate broker/owner Geneva Tetreault.

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Community Realty in Medicine Hat, Alta. has been staging an annual golf tournament in support of breast cancer research for the last 23 years. To date the brokerage has raised more than $1 million and local philan-

During this year’s Warm & Fuzzy Shelter Collection organized

by Sutton Group - Lakefront Realty in Vernon, B.C. the public opened their hearts to make cold winter months a bit warmer for those in need. Days in advance of

From left: James Mabey, Carla Pipella, Lynn Pipella, Brad Pipella and Mike Grue from Century 21 Masters.

Nineteen Realtors and staff at Sutton Group – Lakefront Realty took part in the Vernon clothing drive.

thropist Bill Yuill has doubled all the money raised during the past six years. The money is donated to the Margery E Yuill Cancer Centre.

“Each year our success to raise funds, along with the unwavering support of businesses and individuals within our community, does not go unnoticed or unappreciated,” says broker Jackie Townshend.

“We raised $37,500 at this year’s event, making it $75,000 when matched by the Yuill Family Foundation.”

the Nov. 5 event, donations began to fill the office – enough to stuff 40 large bags. On the day of the drive-through, the realty team was on hand to accept even more coats, blankets, gloves, hats and other winter gear. By the time the collection ended, donations were piled two layers deep in their cube van.

“It is rewarding to know that someone who may have been concerned with the winter months ahead can now rest easy knowing they have clothing and boots to keep them warm,” says broker Tamara Cinnamon. The donations were taken to Howard House, a transitional housing project operated by the John Howard Society of B.C. A women’s emergency shelter and other charities also received some of the donations.

■ ■ ■

Realtors from Century 21 Gold Key in Steinbach, Man. recently helped raise $42,000 for a local drop-in youth facility by taking part in an annual floor hockey tournament. The event included 95 participants. Of the total raised, Century 21 Gold Key was responsible for $4,200.

“When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time at skateparks, including The Edge. The people I met and relationships I developed spending time there were impactful on my life and I would like to see that continue for the current generation of kids,” says Adam

Neustaedter, broker and operations manager at Century 21 Gold Key. The Edge is a skatepark and skateboard shop in downtown Winnipeg. It is a volunteer-run community that hosts skate sessions, camps, events, competitions, trips and art projects.

■ ■ ■

Dave Procter, managing broker at Re/Max Ocean Pacific Realty in Comox, B.C. and his wife Janine Martin recently donated $50,000 to the Kus-kus-sum fundraising initiative.

It aims to unpave an abandoned sawmill site and create habitat for fish and wildlife. “The contribution from Janine and Dave, along with the other donations received in September and October have put us 40 per cent of the way to reaching our next target,” says Caila Holbrook, Project Watershed manager of fundraising and outreach.

Born and raised in Comox and with over 40 years of experience working in real estate, Procter supports a number of local charities and initiatives through his work.

“The many environmental challenges facing the world today can seem overwhelming. By committing to the Kus-kus-sum project we feel empowered being a part of positive environmental changes in the heart of our community,” say Procter and Martin in a news release. REM

Taking part in the floor hockey tournament to benefit The Edge, from left: Henry Unger, Andrew Penner, Adam Neustaedter, Nathan Klassen, Mike Burnard and Dylan Friesen.

Dave Procter, second from right, and Janine Martin present a cheque to Project Watershed.

The Re/Max Elite event raised $250,000 for a local community services program.

Michelle King

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20 REM JANUARY 2020

salespeople in the history of real estate in the Fredericton area,” says Sawler.

From left: Tami Bonnell, Chris Messecar, Chantal Traversy and Steve Morris.

RECA wins award for radon course

Exit Realty announces top achievers Pamela Norman, a sales rep with Exit Realty Oceans Edge in Bay Roberts, Nfld., was recognized for outstanding achievement at the Exit Realty Corp. International Annual Convention held recently in Nashville, Tenn.

Norman was named the company’s Top Lister from among thousands of real estate professionals across the U.S. and Canada and she earned a Silver Award for closing 50-plus real estate transaction sides. Norman was also honoured with a special Award of Excellence for these and her many other contributions to the company.

“Pam Norman is an icon in real estate. Few have or can achieve at the level of success she has experienced. She is a champion’s champion,” says Joyce Paron, president of the Canadian Division of Exit Realty. “Her gracious manner and kindness are not usually synonymous with someone of her calibre and are among the reasons why she is even more revered for her accomplishments.”

Chris Messecar, broker/owner and Chantal Traversy, sales rep at Exit Lifestyle Realty in Midhurst, Ont. were honoured with the Bronze Award for closing 25+ real estate transaction sides. Their sales team, The Messecar Traversy Team, achieved the ranking of No. 10 Top Team across the U.S. and Canada for Exit Realty.

Traversy received the Esprit de Corp Award for Canada, which is given in recognition of the Exit Associate who personifies the company’s culture in action.

“Chantal is a shining example of what Exit is all about,” says Steve Morris, founder and chairman of Exit Realty. “Community presence, professionalism and undaunted perseverance make her the well-deserved recipient of this designation.”

Messecar opened the brokerage in 2017 and it has grown to almost

40 sales professionals. “Chris is known for being a marketing genius, however, once you meet him it’s clear that at the core of his business success is his genuine caring for people,” says Paron. “He has attracted some of the finest real estate professionals and is building one of the fastest growing brokerages in the area.”

Julie Jenkins, broker/owner of Exit Realty Twin Bridges in Sarnia, Ont. was named 2019 Broker of the Year for Canada. The brokerage also has an office in Petrolia.

“Incredible work ethic, relentlessness of purpose, resiliency and flexibility of thinking all come to mind when Julie’s name is mentioned,” says Paron. “She is constantly reinventing herself while attracting real estate professionals to join her team who are like minded in their pursuit of meaningful success.”

Jenkins is one of the founding members for Sarnia Modern Women, which includes networking events and workshops to empower, educate and bring together the businesswomen of Sarnia-Lambton. She has racked up four nominations and two wins at the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce’s annual Outstanding Business Achievement Awards, as well as a nomination for an Ontario Premier’s Award.

Philip Duplisea and David Sawler, owners of Exit Realty Advantage in Fredericton, were named the No. 1 highest grossing office with a single location across the U.S. and Canada for Exit Realty (for the production period July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019).

The brokerage also received local recognition recently when it was honoured with the CBDC Southwest Large Business Award at the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Awards.

“Philip and I owe our success to a strong company culture, great administration, professional management and a team of the best

The Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) has won an international award for its course educating Alberta real estate professionals about radon in homes.

RECA worked with radon researcher Aaron Goodarzi of the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine to develop a module and test about radon for RECA’s 2019 Re-licensing Education Program. The course received the 2019 ARELLO Education Award, which recognizes outstanding systems and programs that contribute to the real estate industry, promote public protection and can be adapted across North America and beyond.

“Real estate professionals’ obligation to discuss radon with buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants means that every single Albertan buying, selling or leasing properties will become aware of the dangers of radon, how to take it into consideration in a purchase decision and how to test and mitigate radon,” says Joseph Fernandez, director of education programs at RECA. “Data provided by Dr. Goodarzi was timely.”

Researchers have found one in six Western Canadian homes exceed Health Canada’s acceptable radon levels, RECA says.

The researchers launched Evict Radon, an awareness campaign partly funded by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, that encourages people to test their homes for the gas while also gathering data for medical research.

Murray Scotton named ‘Inspired Albertan’ Murray Scotton, a sales rep with Century 21 PowerRealty.ca, was named an “Inspired Albertan” recently by CTV News Calgary.

He is a volunteer crew leader and ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. He is currently assisting with the organization’s largest project, a development with 32 units in Silver Springs.

“I like the way Habitat for Humanity brings together tradespeople, volunteers and the homeowners, and provides an opportunity for people to own a home,” says Scotton. REM

From left: Tami Bonnell, Exit Realty CEO; Craig Witt, president, U.S. Division; Julie Jenkins; Joyce Paron, president, Canadian Division; and founder and chairman Steve Morris.

From left: Tami Bonnell; David Sawler and Philip Duplisea, Exit Realty Advantage; and Steve Morris.

From left: Aaron Goodarzi, chair of the board and research lead of Evict Radon; Jon Meddings, dean of the Cumming School of Medicine; Cheryl De Paoli, executive director, Alberta Real Estate Foundation; Jim Saunders, past chair, Alberta Real Estate Foundation; and Joseph Fernandez, acting executive director, Real Estate Council of Alberta.

Pamela Norman

Murray Scotton

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF TREB

Photo credit: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1568, Item 311

SAVE THE DATE:

Wednesday, May 27 & Thursday, May 28, 2020 | Toronto Congress Centre Don’t miss all the great features that you’ve come to expect!

• Trade Show • Health Quest • TREB Central • Professional Development

Attend and find out why Benjamin is a Member-favourite!

Spring Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker Benjamin Tal Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC

22 REM JANUARY 2020

which has participated every year since the inaugural drive.

■ ■ ■

The Manitoba Government officially proclaimed Realtor Week in November, at the same time as the inaugural national Realtors Care Week. Several special events took place, including the official launch of the Manitoba Tipi Mitawa program. This is a partnership between the Manitoba Real Estate Association and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. Its purpose is to create stability and help break the cycle of poverty for First Nations families through home ownership.

MREA was also the presenting sponsor of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Annual Ministers’ Dinner. MREA representatives promoted the ways Realtors contribute to the multibillion-dollar real estate industry in Manitoba.

MREA members also attended the 2019 Manitoba Realtor Network Symposium, Building on Success. It’s the network’s government relations symposium for Realtors, hosted by MREA. The symposium featured keynote speaker Brad Wall, former premier of Saskatchewan. All three leaders of Manitoba’s official political parties attended and spoke at the event.

In support of the MREA Shelter Foundation, the Realtor Care-a-Van travelled through Winnipeg on Friday, stopping at a few brokerages and picking up items and cash donations for shelter organizations. Taking part were Re/Max Executives Realty / Linda van den Broek, Realty Executives First Choice and Re/Max Performance Realty,

At the official opening of Tipi Mitawa, from left: K i m G a n d i e r, M R E A director of marketing and communications; Michael Barrett, regional director, CREA; David Powell, MREA president; Jason Whitford, Manitoba Tipi Mitawa co-chair; David Salvatore, CEO of MREA; Harry DeLeeuw, Realtor and chair of Manitoba Tipi Mitawa; and Jill Johnston, MREA’s director of operations.

Colleen Koehler is the new president of the KitchenerWaterloo Association of Realtors (KWAR). She succeeds Brian Santos, who has served as a director since 2014 and will continue to serve on the board executive committee for another year as past president.

Koehler, a sales representative with Re/Max Twin City Realty, has been a member of KWAR since 2006 and has served on the board of directors since 2015.

“There is an incredible amount of progress happening in our field as local Realtors continue to advocate on behalf of our clients and respond to their evolving needs,” says Koehler. “One would have expected having access to more information should make the process easier, but in fact, it’s the opposite. The local knowledge and expertise of a Realtor has never been more important, and this is something the KWAR Board of Directors continues to reinforce for its members.”

Joining Koehler as officers of

From left: Brian Santos, past president of KWAR, Janine Armstrong, director of community outreach, HFHWR; Karen Coviello, CEO of HFHWR; and Megan Bell, KWAR tournament co-chair.

the association are Santos of Peak Realty, past president: Nicole Pohl of Re/Max Twin City Realty, 1st vice president; Megan Bell of Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, 2nd vice president; and EO Bill Duce.

New to the directors this year are Tracey Appleton of Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, Elias Jiryis of Re/Max Twin City and Duncan Webster of CBRE Limited.

Returning as directors are Andrea Fedy of Royal LePage Wolle Realty, Jeff Gingerich of Century 21 Heritage House, Leon Martin of Re/Max Solid Gold Realty and Tony Schmidt of Howie Schmidt Realty.

Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region recently received a cheque for $34,293 from the association. The funds were raised at KWAR’s 26th Annual Charity Golf Tournament.

For the past 30 years, Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region has helped more than 143 families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership.

■ ■ ■

Realtors in Kingston, Ont. and their friends laced up their bowling shoes recently for the Kingston and Area Real Estate Association’s 16th Annual Bowl-a-thon, raising $13,219 for the Kingston Youth Shelter.

It was a fun-filled evening organized by the KAREA Public Relations Committee: Theresa Mitchell, Mary Ambrose, Kyle Copas, Mark Fisher, Mariah Hamilton, Shirley Lieberman, Bob Metcalfe, Tanya Myatt, Sherri Paterson, Dave Pinnell Jr, Gail Power, Cindy Vallier and Karol Willis.

The event also benefited from the support of many local sponsors.

■ ■ ■

Tash Taylor

From left: Bob Metcalfe; Ruth Woodman, executive director, Kingston Youth Shelter; Theresa Mitchell; Sherri Paterson; Mary Ambrose; Dave Pinnell Jr.; and Stuart Trier, chair of the Board of Directors, Kingston Youth Shelter.

Keynote speaker Danny Wood, left, with CKAR committee members and presenters from TouchBase and OREA at the annual Realtors TechDay event.

Colleen Koehler

The late Marshall McLuhan is the 2019 inductee to the WinnipegRealtors Citizens Hall of Fame program. McLuhan is the 46th inductee chosen since this program launched in 1986.

“McLuhan’s coined famous expression is the ‘medium is the message’ and he also spoke about how technology would turn us into a global village,” says Cliff King, chair of the program. “A true visionary, McLuhan anticipated the world-wide web and was the

forerunner and pioneer of media studies courses with his seminal work in 1964 entitled Understanding Media.”

Founded by Realtor Harry DeLeeuw in collaboration with former Winnipeg mayor Bill Norrie, this initiative was set up to recognize citizens who contributed to Winnipeg’s quality of life with exceptional achievements in leadership and community service.

WinnipegRealtors president Ken Clark presented the Citizens Hall of Fame bronze medallion award to Marshall McLuhan’s son Michael McLuhan at an induction ceremony and reception held in McLuhan’s honour.

■ ■ ■

Tash Taylor of St. Albert, Alta. has been appointed chair of the Board of Governors of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation. She has served on the Board of Governors since 2016 as a public member appointment.

Taylor’s priority as chair will be strengthening relationships and broadening the foundation’s reach to help more communities through AREF’s community investment program, she says.

“With the current economic picture in Alberta, AREF is in a prime position to act as a catalyst in building capacity and assisting organizations in unique ways other funders may not be able to.”

She also says she intends to explore more formal impact investing opportunities, where funds are invested to generate a measurable social or environmental impact alongside a financial return.

Taylor is currently a management consultant with the Alberta School Boards Association, where she provides a range of governance services to school divisions across the province. She will serve a twoyear term as chair.

■ ■ ■

The Ontario Real Estate Association recently sponsored the Chatham-Kent Association of Realtors TechDay 2019. Members learned about social media marketing, apps to promote communication and a wide variety of technology tips and shortcuts.

CKAR provided this day to its membership at no additional charge and included networking time and lunch. This has been an annual event for five years. REM

THREE DAYS, 50+ SPEAKERS

24 REM JANUARY 2020

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In the Channel Islands, volunteers reconstruct a Neolithic dwelling using ancient tools and techniques.

Story and Photos by Diane Slawych

T

hey didn’t have home warranties, the MLS system or real estate agents back in the Stone Age. The typical home had none of the modern conveniences we’ve come to expect today. No running water or central heat, no bathrooms or fancy flooring.

But hey, when it takes months just to put up an exterior wall – laboriously made using mud and twigs – you’re grateful for having a shelter at all.

The typical Neolithic homes were made from organic materials, so they didn’t survive over the centuries – and as a result no one knows for certain what they looked like. However, experts working in the Channel Islands have a pretty good idea based on evidence from the Danube region as well as recent discoveries from Kervouric in Brittany, France.

The island of Jersey is rich in the tangible remains of the Neolithic period, and although no Neolithic houses have been found to date, it’s believed they did exist here.

Now, a full-scale replica of one

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of these typical Stone Age dwellings has been erected on the island thanks to a successful partnership between Jersey Heritage and the Ancient Technology Centre. The dwelling has been built at the historic site of La Hougue Bie, a Neolithic passage grave that testifies to the presence of significant farming populations during the Neolithic period.

The 20-metre long timber frame longhouse took a team of 140 dedicated volunteers, including a core team of 18 individuals, 8,500 hours and over two years to build.

Traditional tools and authentic Neolithic techniques were used such as mud daubing, thatching, bark-stripping and making cordage from stinging nettles and brambles.

The project was supervised by U.K. ancient technology expert Luke Winter.

Inside, the home contains several large upright wooden posts, a water and weatherproof thatched roof and woven walls of wattle and daub (clay with straw, cow dung and horsehair) – this last technique being a particularly labourintensive process.

In a nod to the past, the official opening of the house in March was marked not with a ribbon cutting (using scissors) but with cordage and a replica stone axe.

The longhouse took 140 volunteers more than two years to build.

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An exterior view of the longhouse.

The Jersey longhouse is largely based on evidence of the very first Neolithic houses ever built in Europe called Danubian, because they were first excavated in the Danubian basin. According to a sign at the site, this style and layout would have influenced the type of building that the early farmers of Jersey would have constructed.

Excavated remains only show the footprint of these buildings so it’s known they were long and narrow in plan, oriented north west to south east, with a doorway in the south wall. Rows of three posts supported a wooden frame, which held up the roof. Scorch marks show where hearths were and burnt remains of wattle and daub give clues to what the walls were made from.

Jersey became an island at about the same time as the Neolithic Period began in the region – roughly 7,000 years ago.

People began to settle into communities for the first time, abandoning a hunter-gatherer existence in favour of farming. They made pottery and stone tools, and for the first time built permanent homes much like the one on display at La Hougue Bie. Visitors to the site can often watch volunteers demonstrating some of the ancient methods of weaving, pottery and woodwork – offering a glimpse into life as it was lived more than 6,000 years ago.

REM

REM JANUARY 2020 25

Job satisfaction for Realtors Survey shows that independence and helping others drives job satisfaction and success among real estate agents

By Romana King

N

early half of Realtors love the independence their chosen career provides, says a new survey by Zolo Realty that measured the career success and challenges of the real estate profession. The survey was developed to determine why people choose real estate as a profession and to examine the challenges faced when building a real estate career. “A career in real estate offers a work environment and diversity of opportunity that attracts all types of people,� says Zolo president Mustafa Abbasi. “To help each individual to succeed in this chosen profession, we wanted to identify the largest obstacles and biggest motivations. This way, we can create programs and tools to help our agents succeed.�

In the survey, 41 per cent of Realtors ranked independence as the “best part� of their profession – with 34 per cent of these respondents aged 50 or older and 29 per cent between age 40 and 49.

To offer insights into the findings, Zolo consulted with Dr. Michael Woodworth, a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus.

Woodworth confirmed that in today’s rapidly shifting job market, having more freedom and flexibility can lead to unlimited potential for the right type of motivated individual.

These findings support prior research in the areas of workplace motivation and success.

According to a study published in the academic journal Health Promotion International, job autonomy is essential to job satisfaction.

Autonomy and independence are terms to describe how much a person believes they can direct and control their own choices and actions. “The degree of independence can have a dramatic impact on a person’s job satisfaction.�

Still, independence was not

the only factor that was important for job satisfaction. “It’s remarkable how many workers are increasingly looking for a job where there is a greater sense of purpose and the potential for personal fulfilment by both helping and connecting with others,� says Woodworth.

Not surprisingly, the second “best part� of being a Realtor, according to the Zolo survey, was the ability to help others (38 per cent); only 13 per cent of the respondents saw the potential for financial success as the “best part.�

To help assess what motivates and inspires Realtors to pursue and succeed in a career in real estate, the Zolo survey measured the most important goals as identified by agents ranging in age from 18 to 65.

The four primary goals identified were: • 34 per cent believed that a real estate career offered the ability to earn a good living • 21 per cent highlighted the ability to succeed as an attractive aspect of this career path • 12 per cent appreciated the ability to put family first, as a professional working in the real estate industry • 10 per cent were enthusiastic with the career for allowing them to take care of their health and their family’s health.

Perhaps this is why 44 per cent of agents, when asked what other careers they would choose, opted to continue being a Realtor. Other potential career selections included: entrepreneur (nine per cent); a creative job, such as an actor (eight per cent); and a designer (four per cent).

The report also found that real estate agents faced several identifiable common problems in their profession. In particular, 24 per cent struggled with time management, while 20 per cent found that growing their business is the biggest challenge. Balancing work-life balance is a challenge for

12 per cent of Realtors, while 11 per cent struggle to deal with health issues while trying to achieve career success. “Realtors face many of the same challenges as other occupations but must do so often while having to perform under highly intense and irregular markets,� says Woodworth. “Then they must add to this the demand to consistently maintain an upbeat and positive attitude – regardless of how they are feeling that day – while supporting individuals through one of the most emotional and expensive transactions of their whole life.�

In his practice, Woodworth sees first-hand the need for proper self-care and work environments that genuinely support emotional wellness and balance in an employee’s life. “Workplaces that support their employees by creating an environment of trust and communication will be the ones that really have the potential to thrive,� he says.

It turns out survey respondents did identify the benefits of help.

More than half (59 per cent) wanted to work with a coach to help them overcome the biggest obstacles to their career growth and the achievement of their personal values.

The data used to determine these results came from the findings of the Zolo Realtor Survey 2019, an online survey conducted between July and August 2019.

The survey asked more than 100 Realtors in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia a series of longform questions to identify obstacles, challenges and successes in their careers. The estimated margin of error is +/- 8 percentage points, 18 times out of 20.

Romana King is an award-winning personal finance writer with an expertise in real estate. She is obsessed with the property marketplace and is the current director of content at Zolo.ca. REM

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Pictured: Adam Candon, Patrick Hulley, Mat Clancy

Congratulations, RE/MAX Rise!

Some exciting changes are coming to our RE/MAX ofďŹ ce in Gananoque!

Congratulations to Broker/Owners of RE/MAX Rise, Mat Clancy, Adam Candon and Patrick Hulley on their acquisition of RE/MAX Riverview. They will be taking over the operations from John Jonkman, who has been a dedicated Broker/Owner in the area for 14 years.

With 40 years of combined experience, the RE/MAX Rise team brings their motto

“For and About Agents� to the Gananoque area. This has attributed to their growth and success as a company and they, along with their Agents, are focused on delivering the very best for their clients.

Backed by the #1 brand in real estate they are conďŹ dent they will continue to see their business soar!

Looking forward to helping you achieve continued success!

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Jennifer Dominey at 1.647.519.773 or Simon Schneider at 1.888.542.2499 to arrange your conďŹ dential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

remaxintegra.com

26 REM JANUARY 2020

Closing the deal: Groom to assume

By Ross Wilson n this continuing series on the subject of ethically closing a client, I address two more techniques that I employed during my long career, with usually great success.

The first and fairly selfexplanatory method is the “assumptive close”. Many people find it difficult to contain their excitement, especially if they trust you (and you deserve that trust).

You’re quite confident you’ve found their postcard-perfect home and the excitement in the air is palpable. Now, head back to the office without mentioning an offer and on arrival, start filling in the blanks of the draft you proactively prepared earlier that day. If they don’t grab the kids and run, your mission is accomplished.

After an extensive consultation with a seller prospect, you’re convinced they’re ready to ditch their old digs. Don’t ask if they want to proceed. Instead, casually remove the previously prepared listing forms from your briefcase and simultaneously ask for their final property tax bill, proof of ownership, survey documents and personal identification, and smoothly begin filling in the blanks. Once they get up to retrieve the requested documents,

I

Cody Stephenson, Agent – RE/MAX Little Oak Realty, Abbotsford, BC

Why RE/MAX? “You cannot argue against the quantity of the markett that ĥMAX controls, but what I like is the quality of se ervice that goes along with it. When working with RE/MAX, you can assume that the agent has been sufficiently train ned and accustomed to everything that goes into produ ducing a real estate transaction. It is the quality of serviceƫ * the absolute professionalism of all representatives that atttracted my attention. I expect a lot of myself, so the opportunity op to be in an environment where this is the norm wa as a no brainer.”

joinremax.ca

your close was successful.

It may seem presumptive but, well, that’s the whole idea. If they’re not ready to decide, they’ll not comply. Just continue with your presentation until another closing opportunity presents itself.

Don’t be anxious. Remain unruffled and sensitive to their emotions. If they’re not ready and you’re too aggressive, it may backfire on you. Pay close attention.

You’re actually helping with their decision – one way or the other – without specifically asking for the offer or the listing. This close can also be used in conjunction with a trial close by asking the small question first.

Take away: This second technique proved highly effective, particularly with buyers. If you feel in your heart they’re ready, that the home is perfect for them, financially, physically and emotionally, but they’re hesitating from fear, try taking it away from them by saying, “Maybe this isn’t the right home for you. Perhaps we should continue searching for something more suitable.”

If they’re unsure, you’ll have lost nothing and they obviously won’t feel pressured into acting against their will. Move on until the next closing occasion arrives.

However, if the primary homebuying decision-maker loves it, as

your secret ally, they’ll overtly or covertly do their best to convince the more obdurate half to go along.

During an offer negotiation, your buyer dithers when asked to seriously consider what you’ve identified as the seller’s final counter-offer, which you believe to be fair and reasonable. After a brief pause, tell them that since they seem reluctant to accept it, maybe they should reject it, that perhaps it isn’t the right home. Or if it’s your seller, suggest that maybe these buyers aren’t right for their property. Usually, the decisive spouse will kick the prevaricating partner under the table and agree to accept the offer.

I invite you to read next column where I offer details of more ethical closing techniques.

“In my house, I’m the boss. My wife is just the decision maker.”

– Woody Allen Ross Wilson is a retired real estate broker with extensive experience as a brokerage owner, manager, trainer and mentor over a highly successful 44-year career. His book, The Happy Agent – Finding Harmony with a Thriving Realty Career and an Enriched Personal Life is available where print and e-books are sold, including the TREB, MREB, RAHB and OMDREB stores. For more details, visit Realty-Voice.com. REM

Vancouver developer wins international property awards Danette Kohut, Agent – RE/MAX Vision Realty, Drayton Valley, AB

Why RE/MAX? “The brokerage that I work for, Heather Malin is my broker, and with her I knew exactly where I was going to go. She had helped me purchase homes in the past and everyone in the office is wonderful!”

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V

ancouver-based real estate developer Holborn Group was a big winner at the 26th International Property Awards ceremony for its single-family residences in Phase II of Holborn University Heights in Squamish, B.C. The awards are judged by an independent panel of over 80 industry experts in design, quality, service, innovation, originality and commitment to sustainability.

The firm received recognition in several categories for Holborn Group, including Best Architecture Single Residence, Best Interior Design: Private Residence and Best Interior Design: Show Home for British Columbia.

The award-winning homes in Holborn University Heights represent the harmonization of wild natural landscapes and contemporary built environments, the company says in a news release. Holborn University Heights is a master-planned community. Each home has uninterrupted views of the Garibaldi mountains and features contemporary design esthetics for those seeking to connect with nature while still enjoying the comforts of modern living, the company says.

“The level of architectural design and custom interior details in our homes are things you don’t typically find in master-planned communities anywhere. We wanted to raise the bar for multi-family developments by being the first to offer it and at an attainable price,” says Joo Kim Tiah, principal at Holborn Group. REM

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28 REM JANUARY 2020

Collective brainpower team of analysts in the Real

An alternative way to sell luxury real estate

Estate Industry with decades of experience and know how

By Myles Shane

Paralegal for the Real Estate Industry

AVI ROSEN

FRI. SCMF. AMB

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

• BREACH OF BUYERS REPRESENTATION AGREEMENT • LANDLORD/TENANT DISPUTES • RECO AND TREB COMPLAINTS, REPLY LETTERS, APPEALS AND REPRESENTATION BEFORE THE BOARD • ABOVE GUIDELINES RENT INCREASE REPRESENTATION AND PROPERTY TAX APPEALS • SMALL CLAIMS COURT

That is who I am

In REM’s December issue, the wrong creative was used for HomeLife Realty Services’ full page ad on page 11.

HomeLife’s intended full page ad would have wished Canada’s real estate industry a happy and productive holiday season, but this message was not delivered due to an error on the part of REM. 5(0¶V VWDɣ GHHSO\ UHJUHW WKH HUURU

T

he world’s finest art, cars and antiques are sold at auction – so, why not luxury real estate? For years research has shown that the longer luxury real estate is on the market, the less chance it has of selling.

Concierge Auctions focuses on matching one-of-a-kind properties with experienced buyers. The company has been active in 40 U.S. states and 27 countries, and says it owns 80 per cent of the luxury auction space. It creates a contingency-free sale that is usually concluded within 60 days. Concierge Auctions collaborates with agents to deliver a sale within a fixed time period by generating urgency in the marketplace. On average, a luxury property sale powered by CA produces 200 to 400 worldwide inquiries, 25 to 50 showings and three to five qualified bidders, the company says.

One of the luxury properties that the company recently attempted to auction off is River House Estate in Telkwa, B.C. The property was represented by real estate agent Faith Wilson of Faith Wilson Realty Group, but ultimately a buyer was not found.

“I came on the scene when the sellers were promoting their property themselves. We struck up a relationship and I exclusively positioned the property on my website and promoted it,” says Wilson.

When the sellers ultimately decided to use Concierge Auction, they asked Wilson to formally represent them.

River House Estate is situated halfway between Prince Rupert and Prince George, 45 minutes from Smithers airport and a 1.5-hour flight from Vancouver and Victoria.

Wilson believes River House Estate didn’t sell in the traditional way using the MLS or as an exclusive because “large property estates of this nature that are a bit ‘off the grid’ generally take longer to sell.

These types of properties evolve generally as a labour of love. It isn’t uncommon for properties of this nature to take a few years of showcasing before the right buyer fit comes along.”

Scott Pate, who worked for Concierge Auctions as the project sales manager of River House Estate, says, “Concierge Auctions is an alternative sales solution for sellers who want a time-certain sale. In today’s luxury real estate market, there is limited liquidity and the buyer pool is narrow. Properties in this category can be difficult to value and sell. Price has little bearing on demand and multiple buyers don’t often arrive at once. Price reductions are proven to undermine the value of a property and frequently cause buyers to sit back and wait.”

This was the first time Wilson worked with an auction house.

“It has been interesting learning about how an estate auction works.

Concierge Auctions is not a real estate agency, therefore, they need to have a firm to act in that capacity. My role is to represent my

Mistie BogardČƫ #!*0ƫ –ƫRE/MAX Penticton Realty, Penticton, BC

Why RE/MAX? “I spent a year with another competitorr and a just wanted more structure, more team m, more participation, and when I starte ed interviewing brokers, those things re really stood out with RE/MAX!”

joinremax.ca

River House Estate sits on 384 acres in the harsh terrain of Northern British Columbia. It was previously listed for $10 million, but failed to sell at auction with a reserve of $3.5 million.

clients, in this case the owners of River House Estate. My firm’s role is to act in the capacity of an agency to handle the sale of the property.”

The property was previously offered for $10 million and the auction had a reserve of $3.5 million, which means the property had to sell at or above $3.5 million at auction.

“Although we had a lot of interest, we ultimately didn’t receive a bid that fit the criteria,” says Wilson.

However, the experience “accomplished a secondary goal of further increasing the reach” of marketing for the property, she says.

Pate says he is confident that in the future auctions will become more pervasive in Canada. “We’ve sold over 20 properties in Canada since we first started operating in the country in 2013, including 26 Park Lane Circle, (in Toronto), which was listed for $21.8 million and sold in four weeks,” he says.

But Wilson says, “Most agents don’t know about auction houses for real estate and don’t understand the process. I don’t believe it is a trend, again, because it is not widely understood as to how an auction works, what the success ratio is and what the associated costs are to having an auction house involved.”

In the case of River House Estate, Concierge Auctions was charging a buyer’s premium of 12 per cent of the purchase price or a minimum of $175,000. It offered a co-broke of 2.5 per cent.

River House Estate sits on 384 acres in the harsh terrain of Northern British Columbia, near the Bulky River. The main house highlights 10,000 square feet of living space with four bedrooms, five full and two half bathrooms and an attached studio, multiple river rock fireplaces, a wood-fired pizza/bread oven, artisan stained glass, skylights, a 360-observation turret with spiral staircase entry and an aquarium-view window to an outside water feature. The property also has three guest cabins as well as access to an abundance of wildlife, 15 miles of trails, a 3,200-squarefoot garden, a gazebo and a waterfall. REM

February 19, 2020 The Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre Toronto, ON

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30 REM JANUARY 2020

What’s

New Reframe how you interact with clients Mark Winter, director of agent development for Macdonald Realty in Vancouver, recently released a new book, A Different Conversation: Realizing Your Potential as a Real Estate Agent.

Winter’s vision is to elevate the professional performance of real estate agents and reframe how they interact with clients through the fundamentals of professional coaching, enhancing the role that real estate agents play, says the company in a news release.

“There is a lot of positive focus in our industry on coaching agents in their businesses, but what happens if agents are able to coach their clients?” says Winter. “Think about how many journeys that

MARKETPLACE

Mark Winter

start between real estate agents and their clients that actually fail to reach the finish line together. In many cases, it is not expertise that is missing, it is connection and partnership.”

Winter says, “Professional coaching is based around asking probing questions that deliver powerful insights which both parties understand together. People today are very tuned in to know what an authentic conversation is – and what it is not. I believe that some real estate agents do themselves and our industry a disservice by walking in as the expert with all the answers and sometimes failing to ask the right questions. The opportunity to become a critical thinking partner with their clients is massive.”

Winter’s book shifts the spotlight away from agents and that feeling of having to always be the provider of solutions. Readers will learn how to detach from a presentation-led mentality and build lasting value by shining an empowering light on their clients, the company says.

The book is available in ebook and paperback from Amazon, Chapters and Barnes & Noble.

Centris launches Simple Notice Montreal-based Centris is launching Simple Notice, a new tool that allows real estate brokers and their clients to send notices of fulfilment of conditions by email and text message, when buying or selling a property.

“This is a big step for the brokerage industry, as no such method currently exists,” says Éric Charbonneau, president of Centris.

When a buyer submits a conditional offer, the condition must be fulfilled within a specified time frame, failing which the sales

agreement will come to an end.

Simple Notice allows all parties who are registered with the tool and related to the transaction – real estate brokers and their sellers and buyers – to be immediately notified of the fulfilment, or not, of a condition.

Centris says the tool facilitates communications between parties and eliminates delays caused by existing traditional processes, such as the use of telegram services and bailiff companies. It says these traditional methods are used in cases where a first conditional offer is made and then a second accepted conditional offer is made on the same property. “The first buyer must be notified that they have 72 hours to fulfill their condition, failing which the sale will go to the second buyer,” says Centris. “Simple Notice will therefore enable urgent communications to proceed efficiently.”

The Property Registry rebrands as Teranet Manitoba The Property Registry, Manitoba’s exclusive service provider to operate the land and personal property registries, is changing its name to Teranet Manitoba. It has also launched a new website, www.teranetmanitoba.ca.

The brand shift is an opportunity for Teranet Manitoba to align more closely with its parent company, Teranet Inc., the company says.

Teranet Manitoba specializes in registry solutions and is privately owned by Teranet Inc. It operates the Manitoba Land Titles Offices and the Personal Property Registry. Oversight of these services is provided by the Office of the Registrar-General of Manitoba.

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Live-chat alternative Ping Huckleberry, a new start-up based in Waterloo, Ont., recently launched a live-chat alternative called Ping.

Ping works by allowing website visitors to “ping a message” directly to the owner of a website. The problem with contact forms, Huckleberry says, is they do not satisfy the immediacy of a potential customer’s inquiry and some people don’t want to fill out information to avoid landing on a mailing list.

With live chat, the company says in a news release, “several trends emerged as painfully common. For instance, unless the business was staffed to be online all of

the time, live chat boxes were often deserted or the web visitor would get an automatic response saying. ‘We are not online right now, but here, fill out this form’.

Also, live chats are relying heavily on bots, which have become a frustration for customers that want to ask straight questions and get straight answers.”

Huckleberry says Ping is different because it travels as a text message, “so the owner is essentially always online and able to respond in a more timely and more human way. Even if the web visitor is no longer on the site, the owner still has a channel through which they can answer the visitor’s question,” the company says. For information: https://ping.buzz. REM

B.C. to create single regulator for real estate n a bid to combat money laundering in the real estate market, the B.C. Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) says it will form a new single regulator for real estate.

Minister of Finance Carole James says BCFSA, Office of the Superintendent of Real Estate and the Real Estate Council of B.C. will be combined to better protect consumers. “Through legislation, we are giving people the assurance they deserve, while continuing to create world-leading protections against money laundering and other criminal activity in our real estate sector,” James says in a news release.

Creating a single regulator was one of the central recommendations from a Real Estate Regulatory Structure Review in September 2018 and was also recommend in an Expert Panel on Money Laundering Report in May. As the single regulator, the BCFSA will take responsibility over real estate licensing, conduct, investigations and discipline.

The BCFSA, which officially became a new Crown agency on Nov. 1, is currently responsible for regulating mortgage brokers, private pension plans and financial institutions.

Elain Duvall, chair of RECBC, says in a news release, “Today’s announcement is good news for both real estate consumers and the sector as we combine expertise in one regulator. As we work towards the establishment of a single regulator, public protection will continue to be the Real Estate Council of British Columbia’s primary focus.”

The Ministry of Finance is targeting fall 2020 to bring forward new legislation and expects the new regulator to be in place in spring 2021.

I

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