July 2012 by Real Estate Magazine (REM)

Issue #277

July 2012

Russian real estate

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Page 3

Working with real estate investors Page 6

Changing the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; starting with the real estate industry Page 22

John Lichtenwaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

secret to success: Treat everyone like family

Page 8

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REM JULY 2012 3

Russian real estate industry moves closer to Western standards By Evgeniy Vorotnikov

eal estate services in Russia are undergoing big changes as the national government implements massive reform, with the aim of making real estate transactions closer to Western standards of business conduct. The reform is expected to take place when a package of bills is adopted, which will raise the state control over the activities of Russian real estate brokers and tighten liability for illegal activities. The Russian real estate services industry is very young – it has only been in existence since the mid-1990s. It features little competition (especially in the luxury real estate segment), a large number of unscrupulous real estate practitioners and a lack of legal regulation of the market. Current Russian legislation does not establish an official definition of “real estate agent” and the scope of their activities. The insufficient state control

has resulted in the appearance of so-called “black brokers” – agents who do not guarantee the fulfillment of their obligations and are sometimes simple fraudsters. However, much may change in the near future. In accordance with state plans, a new specialized law will officially establish a legal basis for the activities of real estate brokers in Russia. The new federal law, which is known as “On real estate activities”, is expected to come into force on Jan. 1, 2013. It will provide an impetus for further development of the Russian real estate services industry and limit the access of non-professionals and fraudsters in the market. The government also plans to introduce compulsory licensing for all domestic brokers. Applicants will have to pass a special training course and a unified state exam. The practice of licensing was used in the 1990s, but it was abolished in 2001. This resulted in a significant increase of the number of real estate agencies in Russia.

According to sources close to the Russian government, in order to implement stricter control over domestic real estate brokers, a regulatory body like those in North America is required. It will have the ability to revoke licenses in the case of non-compliance of brokers’ activities with established state regulations and standards. The government hopes that new laws will make the activities of brokers more specialized. Unlike Western countries, the majority of Russian real estate agents work in all segments of the market and have no specialization. Many brokers double-end, representing the interests of both the seller and the buyer. Some brokers also provide legal services, but the Russian government is considering banning this practice in the proposed law. Julia Kondratenko, general director of Berger & Partners, a Russian law firm specializing in real estate transactions, says, “There is a need to impose a ban

on the provision of legal services by Russian real estate brokers to their customers. As in the Western countries, Russian real estate brokers should not act as lawyers and, conversely, lawyers should not provide any services in the domestic real estate market. It should be prohibited by the new law.” In addition to plans to make the activities of Russian real estate brokers more specialized, the government plans to create conditions to boost their skill level, through the establishment of specialized universities and courses. Ina Budnikova, head of the Moscow real estate agency Domostroy, one of Russia’s brokerages, says there are currently no universities in Russia that specialize in training real estate agents. Many brokerages are forced to hire people who have no experience. Anna Lupasco, vice-president of the Moscow Association of

Realtors (MAR), says up to 50 per cent of real estate transactions in Moscow are closed with the participation of unregistered brokers, 25 per cent of whom are “black brokers”. The same situation is observed in the majority of Russian regions. One proposal to combat unscrupulous real estate agents might be the introduction of a guarantee for the transaction, in the form of the broker’s own funds as a means of security for the transaction. All of the planned state measures are expected to make the Russian real estate industry more transparent and will contribute to its consolidation. According to some Russian analysts, during the next several years many small domestic real estate agencies will withdraw from the market as they are acquired by larger players. This could also have negative consequences, as it will result in even less competition in the market. REM

Real estate icon Frank Johns dies F

rank Johns, 94, the Calgary Real Estate Board’s first chief executive and a dedicated real estate professional who devoted 50 years to the real estate industry, died May 30. “Frank was an icon in the real estate business and one of the early leaders in organized real estate. He received enormous respect from Realtors across the country,” says Ron Esch, retired CREB CEO. Johns started his career in Toronto in 1935 in real estate sales and came to Calgary as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. After the war, Johns decided to move to Calgary and eventually got into real estate sales with Lyle Real Estate.

In 1953, he was elected the president of the Calgary Real Estate Board and in 1954 he was appointed to head of the board, becoming the first salesman to be appointed to head a real estate board in Canada. Johns also held the post of secretary-treasurer of the Alberta Real Estate Association from 1953-1976 and became the first chairman of the Board Secretaries Council of Canada in 1960. A CREB news release says that when Johns took the helm of the Calgary board, his goals were high: to promote city welfare and see that high standards of real estate were maintained in Calgary. He also wanted to present the public with a study of the new bank financing structure and attempt to achieve closer co-

operation with civic authorities in bringing in new industries. In 1971, Johns decided to run for mayor of Calgary. His professional and community experience made him an excellent candidate, says CREB, but he lost to incumbent mayor Rod Sykes. He ran once more in 1977, but Sykes won again. In the community, he served as president of the Calgary Home and School Association, general manager of the Alberta Music Festival, chairman of the Salvation Army Red Feather Campaign, member of the board of governors of Mount Royal Junior College and president and then past-president of the Downtown Kiwanis Club. A strong believer in continuing education, Johns attained his

FRI designation and was the president of the Canadian Institute of Realtors, subsequently renamed the Real Estate Institute of Canada, in 1969. He was the first Honorary Life Member of the Alberta Real Estate Association and received an Honorary Membership in CREA in 1983. In 1985, Johns was named Realtor of the Year. Johns was also an accomplished speaker, making 80 to 100 speeches a year. He had the opportunity to introduce Prince Phillip in Toronto and his talks were described as entertaining, informative and impeccably delivered, says CREB. In 1987, Johns retired from CREB after 35 years of service. He was a mentor and leader amongst executive officers, lend-

ing his expertise and wisdom freely. CREB recognized his contributions to organized real estate and his community by funding scholarships under his name at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal College. REM

4 REM JULY 2012

Multiple Listings

ready to extend “world-class service for Canadian referrals to paradise in South Florida.”

By Jim Adair, REM Editor

Sutton Group Quantum Realty in Mississauga, Ont. has partnered with Elaine Timmins, mortgage agent of Invis, an independent mortgage brokerage firm. “For over 20 years, I have been working in the financial industry helping clients create the lifestyle they want by using my customer service and business expertise. I felt it was time to bring it to the next level and found the perfect partnership with Sutton Quantum as they too are innovative-business focused,” says Timmins.

Do you have news to share with Canada’s real estate community? Let REM know about it! Email: jim@remonline.com

etter Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada recently opened its first office in Corner Brook, Nfld. Dennis Sweetapple is broker of record and manager of Dennis Realty, which joined the franchise. “BHGREC’s commitment to customers and its focus on the home is synonymous with Newfoundland’s strong sense of community and lifestyle,” he says. “We feel Corner Brook is the perfect place to introduce the BHGREC brand to Atlantic Canada,” with its “robust local economies,” says Rob Vanden Broek, president, BHGREC. ■ ■ ■

BHGREC also opened an office in Grande Prairie, Alta. recently. Bev DeWeese is the owner/broker of Better Homes and Gardens Approved Properties. “Western Canada boasts a real estate market that is constantly

Marv Beer

growing and full of potential, “ says Nelson Goulart, vice-president of network services, BHGREC. “Grande Prairie marks our eighth office opening in four months in Canada’s West and we’re thrilled by our growth across the country.” ■ ■ ■

Marv Beer, a long-time Royal LePage broker, recently acquired Shirley Real Estate in Salmon Arm, B.C. The brokerage will now operate as Royal LePage Access Real Estate. Beer and his team of eight sales reps, along with their property/strata manager, service a trading area of 35,000, including the city of Salmon Arm and the surrounding communities of Canoe, Sicamous, Enderby, Tappen, Sunnybrae, Blind Bay, Sorrento, Scotch Creek, Anglemont and Chase. ■ ■ ■

Right At Home Realty has

opened an Oakville branch office. To mark the occasion, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton joined Don Kottick, president and broker of record of Right At Home Realty in the ribbon cutting ceremony. The new office is at a newly renovated, high-profile office complex that overlooks the Queen Elizabeth Way just east of Trafalgar Road. “This is a fantastic market to be in, and we are getting a great response from the Realtor community and public,” says Kottick. “The spacious high-tech branch will provide a full service offering to Realtors who wish to work from the branch or remotely from their virtual offices.” Right At Home Realty has more than 2,200 Realtors and now boasts six offices in the Greater Toronto Area. ■ ■ ■

Thirty-year real estate veteran Frank Kirschner is now working at Coldwell Banker’s No. 1 Miami Beach Office. Kirschner says he is

■ ■ ■

The Horizon Interactive Awards, an international interactive media awards competition, recognized Royal LePage for its excellence with a silver award in the Mobile Website category for the company’s Neighbourhood Navigator tool. The tool combines seller and agent comments with neighbourhood “walkability” scores and consumer rankings of nearby businesses. The international competition saw more than 1,000 entries from over 20 countries around world. An international panel of judges, consisting of industry professionals with diverse backgrounds, as well as an end-user panel, evaluated categories ranging from online advertising to mobile applications.

Frank Kirschner Julia Rohan

Celebrating the opening of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada’s new Corner Brook office are, from left: Dennis Sweetapple, Jody Brake, Rob Vanden Broek, Heather Collins, Joan Wilton, Tammy Bessey, Corina Baldwin and Karen Matthews. Front: Jamie Whalen.

Julia Rohan’s book cover

Don Kottick, left, and Oakville Mayor Rob Burton

The Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto awarded the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation with the Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Award for the 2011 National Garage Sale for Shelter. The Silver ACE Award for Best Use of Media Relations (budget under $50,000) was presented to the team from Fleishman-Hillard’s Toronto office in recognition of their work promoting the National Garage Sale for Shelter. ■ ■ ■

Right At Home Realty has launched its own app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The app was developed through a strategic partnership with UBIX. The company says the app is like a virtual business card that stores all important contact information for RAHR’s clients in order to make it easier for them to keep in contact with their agent and service providers, the company says. Clients can use it to email or phone their agent, and their agent’s preferred service providers/ vendors, as well as access other information related to their listed property, or property they are interested in purchasing. “Our partnership with UBIX allows Right at Home’s agents to serve up their business cards, and their preferred partners such as AMJ Campbell, for example, along with our listings via the iPhone, iPad or Android phones,” says Don Kottick, president of RAHR. ■ ■ ■

Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates has launched the first of a planned series of branded websites for specialty markets. The brand’s initial specialty market site focuses on the luxury farm and ranch segment. The network says it currently has more than $6 billion of property listings worldwide. The specialized website (www.farmandranchSIR.com) provides detailed farm and ranch lifestyle and listing information and resources. The brand plans to launch additional websites showcasing other specialty markets, beginning with golf, skiing, vineyards and waterfront. The farm and ranch specialty market website enables buyers and sellers to search for rural and recreational properties in the following segments: ranches, farms and planContinued on page 6

6 REM JULY 2012

Working with investors pays off You’ll be a better Realtor if you experience real estate investing first-hand, says author Tahani Aburaneh By Connie Adair

Cover photo: DARLA FURLANI PHOTOGRAPHY

entered into an arranged marriage and immigrated to Canada in 1981. In her mid-20s she was the mother of two. Her real estate career began in 1995 but it wasn’t until 2002 that she became an investor and helped other investors. It was the same year she and her husband divorced. The pressure was on for the single mother to earn a living. Over the years she purchased numerous investment properties and joined the Real Estate Investment Network. In 2009 she started Key Connexions, a Cambridge/Kitchener Ont.-based brokerage that specializes in investors. More recently, she started Tahani Development, a company that develops land and builds properties, and bought a pink hard hat to go with her new responsibilities. “All of my friends saw how I was divorced and had nothing (and worked) to where I am now,” says Aburaneh. “I’m not smarter than any man, woman or investor but I chose to learn. It’s not like I had all these people around me (to help).” She says she had to figure out how to differentiate herself and she had to work hard to do it. However, she says, “The rewards are incredible. The average Realtor chases business. People are asking me to take them on as a client.” Aburaneh shares the knowledge she has gathered over the years, as well as those of the thousands of investors she has helped along the way. The majority of investors are in their 30s to 50s, but she has had an investor as young as 19-years-

Tahani Aburaneh

Multiple Listings Continued from page 4

tations, estancias and haciendas, land, equestrian properties, fishing and hunting properties, vineyards, timberlands and investment acreage. ■ ■ ■

Julia Rohan, a broker with Royal LePage Action in Sutton, Que. recently released the first of three children’s books. Weaverworld: Grimsnipe’s Revenge, is a book Rohan began writing in 2003. She eventually wrote three books. Her plan is to release the next two books at oneyear intervals and, if there’s a demand, to continue the series in the future. The book is available in hardcover, paperback and ebook formats from online booksellers, including Amazon.ca. After working at various careers, including as a bookseller

Publisher HEINO MOLLS email: heino@remonline.com

Editor in Chief JIM ADAIR email: jim@remonline.com

Director, Sales & Marketing DENNIS ROCK email: dennis@remonline.com

Distribution & Production MILA PURCELL distribution@remonline.com

Manager, French Edition MICHEL CHEVALIER michel@remenligne.com

Art Director LIZ MACKIN

Digital Media Manager WILLIAM MOLLS web@remonline.com

old. The majority of investors are male, something Aburaneh says she is working to change by empowering women. Real Estate Riches is Aburaneh’s first book. “Don R. Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network, said, ‘I think you have a book inside you’. With a book, you can help more people than just your own clients. He introduced me to the editor at Wiley.” In addition to being a mustread for Realtors, the book makes a great client gift, she says. It retails for $39.95 and is

Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY Brand Design SANDRA GOODER

and desktop publisher, Rohan returned to university part-time in her 40s. Six years later, she graduated from Concordia University in Montreal with an honours degree in English literature. She went on to publish a few short stories and released a self-produced album of original songs before joining Royal LePage Action three years ago.

available at Amazon, Chapters and Indigo. Aburaneh is donating 100 per cent of the royalties to care.org, a humanitarian organization that fights global poverty, placing a special emphasis on empowering women. Now that she is financially free, Aburaneh says she wants to make a difference in other people’s lives. She is also reaching out to people in North America and internationally as a speaker, and she also coaches Realtors. For more information visit realestaterichesbook.com. REM enterprises to large multinational corporations. He joins Jones Lang LaSalle from DTZ Barnicke. REM

■ ■ ■

Jones Lang LaSalle has appointed Erik Charton senior vice-president to oversee the firm’s industrial group in Montreal. He will specialize in brokerage services for tenants, landlords and investors in the sale and leasing of industrial property. With more than 25 years in the industry, Charton brings experience in corporate real estate advisory, including strategic planning, negotiation, financial analysis, site selection and disposition. During his career he has advised clients ranging from privately owned

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Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com www.remenligne.com REM complies fully with the Canadian Real Estate Association's Rules for Trademarks (CREA Rule 16.5.3.1) REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned by CREA and identify the services rendered by members of CREA. REM is published 12 times a year. It is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any real estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by direct delivery in selected areas. For subscription information, email distribution@remonline.com. Entire contents copyright 2012 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1201-1223

Realtor Quest, Canada’s largest Realtor Trade Show and Conference, was held in May in Toronto and attracted more than 8,000 people. Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod, personalities of BodyBreak fame, pose with Mike McCarron, Exit Realty’s supervisor of growth and development.

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elp someone buy a house and hope for repeat business when they decide to sell several years down the road. Or help someone buy a house and get repeat business several times in the same year. How? Become a Realtor who specializes in working with investors. Realtor, speaker, developer and author Tahani Aburaneh shares her secrets about this lucrative niche market in her new book, Real Estate Riches: A Canadian Investor’s Guide to Working with the Right Agent. Although it appears to be geared to investors, the 240-page hardcover book actually provides a wealth of information for Realtors, especially since the best place for a Realtor to start is by becoming an investor, Aburaneh says. “You’ll be a better Realtor if you experience it first hand.” And it will pay off, she says. Aburaneh says she decided to become an investor and then to work only with investors because it’s “less costly and less of a hassle.” Instead of spending money to feed your ego with bench ads and signs, use your money to generate more money by buying income properties, she says. Working with investors means you’ll work with fewer different clients but sell the same number or more properties. For example, she showed four houses to one client. “He bought three,” she says, adding that most of her clients buy between two and five properties in the same year. Her plan of action has worked. Aburaneh’s is a rags to riches story. Born in Amman, Jordan, Aburaneh lived in a refugee camp until she was a teenager. She

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8 REM JULY 2012

Top Re/Max firm treats ‘everybody like family’

John Lichtenwald’s offices achieved over $4.5 billion in sales last year. He says his key to success is how he treats others. By Susan Doran

bout a year ago, an email arrived at the REM offices. “The Vancouver real estate market is on fire, and buyers from mainland China are fanning the flames,” it trumpeted. The email then went on to suggest that REM do an interview with John Lichtenwald, principal owner of Re/Max Metro Vancouver Properties, a conglomerate of Re/ Max offices in the Vancouver area. Lichtenwald turned out to be considerably less prone to hyperbole than his emailing colleague. “It’s hard to predict the future,” he said in a recent interview. “But just look around. Canada is the envy of the world. Our banks never over-lent. Our real estate industry is so organized. We’re lucky and things are solid. Very solid.” They’re so solid, in fact, that Lichtenwald’s company achieved over $4.5 billion in sales last year. So solid that for three years running, the company has been named the top Re/Max sales group in the world. With nine offices and almost 550 sales associates in the Metro Vancouver area, Re/Max Metro Vancouver Properties beat out thousands of other Re/Max entries worldwide for sales volumes in 2009, 2010 and 2011, for Re/Max International’s multi-office sales award. In 2010, Re/Max Western Canada named Lichtenwald owner/operator of the year. So he’s no stranger to bigtime sales awards. And he’s also the kind of guy who’ll try to save people from burning buildings ...literally. He’s won several awards, including the Governor General’s Award for bravery, for doing just that. He once crawled under smoke to

try to rescue a woman who was trapped. Between 2006 and 2008 he helped to rescue three people, including a man who had a heart attack after falling out of a kayak and another who needed CPR at an ice rink. It’s clear Lichtenwald has a humanitarian streak, and some of the charity work his company does illustrates that, such as fundraising for the Children’s Miracle Network. Lichtenwald believes that Realtors should put their best faces forward in their business dealings with clients as well. “I say treat everybody like family. When clients divorce, ask what we can do to help the family. That is part of our job too,” he says. In the same vein, he’s keener on building relationships than on technology. “Everyone is so far into technology, and technology is great. But let’s get back to the phone, to going for coffee with clients, to building relationships. Real estate is a relationship business, and with most of our top producers, that’s how they build their business,” he says. “Referrals are a huge part of our business.” Lichtenwald is a strong believer in hard work. His theory on it has a unique twist, however, perhaps because he’s now in his early ’50s. “I believe that for every hour you put in after an eight-hour day, you’ll retire that much earlier. It banks up. So do a little more work when you’re younger,” he says. Lichtenwald has banked plenty of hours himself, having gone, during the past 25 years, from being an auto body repair shop owner, to a top-producing real estate sales rep, to marketing director for Re/Max of Western

Canada, to an executive with Re/ Max International, and then in 1995 becoming owner of Re/Max Metro Vancouver Properties. He views the upward trajectory of his career somewhat as he imagines professional athletes view theirs. “It’s like being on a baseball team, wanting to keep going to teams where you’ll learn more,” he says. As any real estate professional worth his salt knows, the influx of wealthy international buyers, particularly those from mainland China, has had a significant impact on Vancouver’s residential real estate market. There’s been a huge surge in recent years, helped along by such blessings as the city’s stunning scenery; the attraction of a healthy lifestyle; and the global attention garnered after Vancouver hosted the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games. Prices in luxurious West Vancouver, where Lichtenwald lives with his wife (and business partner) Elaine, are staggering, approaching an average of $2 million. There’s a lot of speculation that the influx of rich foreigners is inflating prices and squeezing the local middle class, many of whom say they’re being priced out of the market. It’s true “some (foreign investors) buy in cash,” says Lichtenwald. “It can make it hard for the average Canadian. But Canadian-born citizens who have had properties here for so long have seen appreciation of almost 10 per cent per year in most markets themselves, so it’s not just the mainland Chinese who are driving up prices.” To put things in perspective, he tells people that Vancouver is rated the 75th most expensive city in the world in which to live. “We’ve got room to grow,” he says.

John Lichtenwald with wife and business partner Elaine. (Photo: Darla Furlani Photography)

In his opinion, the best thing about Vancouver is how well all the different cultures get along. “It’s a good blend. We embrace it.” Asked the secrets to success, his advice is to surround yourself with good people. “We’re only as good as the people we hire,” he says. “When there’s a vacancy, I look to fill it with the best.” Once he has the best people in place, he works hard to keep them. “We give everyone who’s worked for us for 15 years or longer a week’s paid vacation in a property we own in Maui,” he says. “It’s retention, a thank you for helping us to build the business.” He’s business savvy in multiple other ways as well.

“We’ve always believed in training and marketing,” he says. “We analyze where our Realtors’ business comes from, so that we know what’s not working. If 60 per cent of their business comes from family and friends, we’ll market to that sector.” On the day we talk by phone, he tells me that he’s taken the day off and is enjoying the beauty of the surroundings there on the mountainside in west Vancouver. He mentions the birds, the beaches and mountains, and the admirable cleanliness and lack of graffiti. He’s a man who appreciates what he has. “Life’s an apple. You can take a big bite or a little one. It’s all based on attitude, and on how we treat each other,” he says. REM

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10 REM JULY 2012

FSBO company complains about â&#x20AC;&#x153;disparagingâ&#x20AC;? comments

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he same survey of consumers about the attitude of real estate brokers got two considerably different spins recently in Montreal. DuProprio, which says it is â&#x20AC;&#x153;the largest commission-free real estate network in Canadaâ&#x20AC;?, says it used independent market research firm Ad Hoc Research â&#x20AC;&#x153;to get an accurate view of how real estate agents target DuProprio clients.â&#x20AC;? It says â&#x20AC;&#x153;90 per cent of consumers who chose to sell their homes themselves through DuProprio were contacted by an average of eight real estate agents. It was also revealed that the nature of this contact was a source of annoyance.â&#x20AC;? The company says 57 per cent of respondents in Montreal said that their choice to sell with DuProprio â&#x20AC;&#x153;was blatantly disparaged, while 74 per cent of clients contacted by agents found the approach used to be unacceptable, high pressure, disrespectful or disparaging.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Together, real estate agents, brokers, boards and even the

Organisme dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;autorĂŠglementation du courtage immobilier du QuĂŠbec (OACIQ) have launched a vast offensive through advertising, direct marketing, social media, phone solicitations and even legal action to undermine the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s confidence in for-sale-by-owner and commission-free real estate services as a way to cast doubt on the choice of not only our clients but also consumers in general,â&#x20AC;? says DuProprio co-president and founder Nicolas Bouchard in a news release. But the Greater Montreal Real Estate Board (GMREB) says the survey says 89 per cent of respondents described the attitude of real estate brokers as being fairly or very respectful of their clients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not surprised to learn that Realtors are respectful when soliciting consumers who are attempting to sell their property by themselves,â&#x20AC;? says Patrick JuanĂŠda, chairman of the Board of Directors of the GMREB in a release. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We reiterate that real estate brokers in Quebec are governed by the Real Estate Brokerage Act and a code of ethics that states that the broker or

agency executive officer must not urge a person insistently or improperly to use the brokerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or the agency executive officerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional services,â&#x20AC;? says JuanĂŠda. It says the OACIQ has received no consumer complaints on this issue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Realtors have always solicited owners who are attempting to sell their property by themselves,â&#x20AC;? says Patrick JuanĂŠda. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This practice is not unusual and DuProprio has acknowledged that they in turn also solicit consumers who are working with a Realtor to sell their property.â&#x20AC;? The GMREB says that in December 2011, in the Montreal metropolitan area, 15 per cent of properties for sale on the DuProprio site were also listed by a Realtor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is evidence that real estate brokers do not seek in vain for owners who try, initially, to sell their property themselves,â&#x20AC;? says the board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The decision to do business with a broker confirms that consumers are well aware that the purchase or sale of a property is a complex transaction.â&#x20AC;? REM

Coldwell Banker Previews launches new marketing campaign

oldwell Banker recently launched a completely updated website and new marketing campaign for Coldwell Banker Previews International, the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s luxury home sales program. The effort highlights Henderson Talbot, a real estate entrepreneur from the 1930s who used film to â&#x20AC;&#x153;previewâ&#x20AC;? exclusive homes among clients and contacts. Coldwell Banker says that ingenuity inspired the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Previewsâ&#x20AC;? name years ago, and holds true today, â&#x20AC;&#x153;as video and high-end photography have emerged as essential sales tools for luxury real estate properties.â&#x20AC;? In Mississauga, Ont. recently at a Canadian brokers conference, Michael Fischer, chief marketing officer for Coldwell Banker Real Estate told REM, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a real estate professional is not using video (for their marketing) I think they are missing out on a huge part of how consumers are

consuming advertising.â&#x20AC;? He says video is especially important in the luxury home market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of brands are still selling luxury properties with the same old yard signs.â&#x20AC;? Fischer says the revamped website gives Coldwell Banker agents â&#x20AC;&#x153;a whole new platform, something specialâ&#x20AC;ŚSelling luxury homes is about emotions and lifestyle. For us, video is a great way to connect.â&#x20AC;? The new website also showcases black-and-white photography with a home page slideshow of images, along with the video tours of listings. The website includes a special luxury â&#x20AC;&#x153;featuresâ&#x20AC;? search option allowing buyers to search properties by using keywords like â&#x20AC;&#x153;waterfront,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;wine country,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;equestrianâ&#x20AC;? and more. The newly designed website is viewable in many languages, including English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish,

and has a currency converter. Certified Coldwell Banker agents can use an expanded suite of customizable Previews marketing materials that include the new look and feel of the national campaign. The Coldwell Banker Previews International program has been marketing luxury homes since 1933. REM

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12 REM JULY 2012

KNOW YOUR LISTING

Protecting sellers’ privacy By Susanne Morrow

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ver the years I have come to appreciate that a truly superb real estate professional is one who understands the importance of taking the necessary time to educate and protect their customers and clients, not only in the “legal” process of selling their home, but also on the importance of personal privacy. Touring an open house recently, I was immediately able to tell the home was occupied by a single individual, living alone. Tell-tale signs were evident throughout the house. When I stage a home it’s important for me to not only declutter, neutralize and stage the house to sell quickly, but to focus on “de-personalizing” the home as well. It’s important that the Realtor and home stager work together in educating the homeowner on the importance of protecting their privacy before any showings occur, and prior to any open houses. Most of us are generally trusting in nature, and that’s a good character trait. It’s important to see the goodness in all people. However, the reality is that we live in an age where identity theft is on the rise, and personal protection is imperative. Once the for sale sign goes up on the front lawn, your seller is at risk. De-personalizing a home means more than simply taking down Uncle Buck’s photo from the fireplace and removing the fingerpainting artwork from the fridge door. Identity theft can occur when private information is left in sight during showings and open houses. How many times have you walked into a house and noticed utility bills on the kitchen counter or cheque books, voter registration cards, pay stubs, and so on? These items are an open invitation to thieves. De-personalizing the home means moving all of these items from sight and keeping them in a safe, secure location. Below is a list you can give your sellers to help protect them. 1. Remove all private or per-

sonal photos, diplomas, awards and trophies. 2. Remove all calendars. These often contain a great deal of private information, often noting when you’re not going to be home. 3. Store all valuables. 4. Remove all bills, letters, magazines and library books. Shred papers with personal information that are no longer needed. 5. Password protect your computer to block access to your private files. 6. Turn off your printer and fax machine before each showing. Printers and fax machines often have the capability of printing the last numbers dialed or received. 7. Turn off answering machines. This avoids personal messages being left while strangers are in your home. 8. Unplug phones with caller ID features. 9. Remove or conceal digital devices that contain information about you or your family (cell phones, iPods, USB drives). Some of these suggestions might seem a bit extreme, but for most of us, our home is a sanctuary. We feel comfortable and safe and don’t realize how exposed we may be when our house is on the market. It’s just good strategy to not only depersonalize so that people can see themselves in your space, but also to safeguard against an unscrupulous visitor taking advantage of you. Use these suggestions as a catalyst for getting your clients to at least think about protection. This enhances your position as advisor and further serves to prove your professional determination to serve your client’s best interests. Susanne Morroww is the owner and creative eye behind Stiletto Staging, a professional home staging company serving the Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Mississauga and Hamilton areas. As a former real estate sales rep, she understands the challenges that Realtors face when convincing homeowners that they can successfully sell their home. www.stilettostaging.com. Email info@stilettostaging.com. REM

REM JULY 2012 13

SALES COACH

By Bruce Keith

ost salespeople recognize that in one form or another they frequently use scripts and dialogues to communicate with their prospects and existing clients. A script is “a series of words and phrases that you use frequently in similar situations.” In spite of some people’s resistance to the idea of scripts, the fact is, we all use them...some are written down and some are in our heads. There is a comfort level in knowing what to say in certain situations and repeating the words in a natural fashion. Why do we repeat the same words next time? Because it works.

Why you need a script If it works once, we do it again. At least once a week I get asked, “Bruce, would you please send me all your scripts... I want everything!” I always politely decline. I have accumulated hundreds of scripts for hundreds of situations. Learning them all can be overwhelming. How do we deal with all this? The longer you are in sales, the more you realize that there are some basic scripts that you will always need. Here is a list of bottom line, bread-and-butter scripts that you should have at your fingertips: 1. A simple prequalification script (“Do I want to do business with this prospect or not?”) 2. A lead follow-up script (“Are you ready to move forward? What’s the next step for you?”) 3. A powerful presentation script (It’s show time! Be at your best.) 4. Basic objection handling scripts (master the top five or six you receive on an ongoing basis) 5. Natural closes (not “trick” closes but simple, easy to deliver

closes – “Are you ready to go ahead?”) Most salespeople have a file folder full of scripts. This is a mistake. All those archives are gathering dust and never get used. Remember, they don’t get better with age. Take the ones you need and put them in a script binder. Throw the rest away. Next, start going through your script binder every day. Practice and master the ones you really need. Get so good that you can do them at any time, on demand. No excuses. ■ ■ ■

The price of indecision: Life is all about decisions. Salespeople have to make decisions every day. What do I say? What do I do next? How do I handle success? How do I handle rejection? Depending on your personality style, the ease of making decisions will vary. The real problem comes up when you are guilty of “reconsidering your decisions”. Two challenges come up: 1. Did I make the right deci-

sion? Should I change my mind? Should I take an alternative approach? All this energy after-thefact takes away from getting the job done. It doesn’t pay to re-evaluate everything you have decided . . . move on! You don’t go to the grocery store with your list of items, make your purchases, go home and then return half of them later, do you? Sometimes you will come home with things that are a mistake. So what? That just means you won’t buy that item again. 2. Should I alter my course? This issue should only come up for major, long-range planning decisions. You may need to change your marketing strategy periodically. You may need to identify a different target audience every six months or so. You may need to revise your budget occasionally. The main thing is not to make a dramatic change every few days. Follow your big picture plan and make periodic adjustments. If you were driving your car from Chicago to Toronto and you got a bit off course, you wouldn’t go all the way back to

Chicago to start over, would you? The Latin root of the phrase “to decide” is “to kill”. In other words, when you decide to do something, you kill off any alternatives. You move forward and go on to the next challenge. Some salespeople spend all their time reconsidering their decisions; they agonize over “the right thing to do”. They constantly change their plans, they constantly ask outsiders for their opinion and the end result is nothing gets done. Have a look at your decision-making process. The cost of continually second-guessing yourself can be enormous. Don’t spend your money that way. Have courage, make a decision, be in action, learn from your mistakes and make adjustments. No excuses. Bruce Keith, the “Results Coach” has over 23 years of experience. He is a sales and marketing coach and seminar leader in the real estate business, teaching what to say and how to say it. His high-energy, high-impact training style is sought after and acclaimed across North America. He says, “Success is possible; there are no excuses”. www.brucekeithresults.com REM

Come Learn How to

Sell Mor e Real Estate in 2012 Like These Canadian Agents Have “I decided to come to Craig Proctor's training because I wanted to build a business instead of doing everything on my own, and I wanted to be able to work with a team so I could duplicate myself and my efforts. By coming to the conference, I implemented a few of the strategies and I became the number one agent at my company and have been at the top ever since. In the beginning I was doing around $250,000 to $300,000 GCI. Now I'm doing around $3 million GCI with a team of over 40 agents and with my own brokerage. My business has drastically changed because it's enabled me to grow as large as I want and I'm able to work when I want and have the time for my family when I need it.” — Jason Sims, London, ON "Craig's system is unbelievable! We just learned that we are in the top 100 of the world, Top 50 in Canada and top 10 in the province of Quebec (for RE/MAX, for 2011)! As I told you for February, our success is unbelievable for 2012! We closed 48 transactions for February, we did it again for March! We closed 47 transactions for March... (even though we took the month off with our new baby!) and we're still selling a lot in April! That’s a 58% growth compared to last year." — Francis Lavoie & Audrey Bien-Aimé, Montreal, PQ

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16 REM JULY 2012

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

appy Canada Day! As I write this column on the last day of May, there’s a lot of media coverage about critical Canadian ‘stuff’ and I hope you take at least a part of our national birthday to give some thought to our country. Let’s start with the Queen – 60 years of virtually unblemished adherence to duty. Match that you politicians. The extravagance of supporting the monarchy is a frequent complaint heard from “hair on fire” republicans. “Get rid of the monarchy!” As though you can just erase the constitution – with Quebec’s

Some critical Canadian stuff help no doubt – and move on to some other form of government. Consider Australia. The land down under voted in the ’90s to remove the monarchy and then tried for years to untie the constitutional Gordian knot, only to sneak back to Buckingham Palace and beg forgiveness. The Queen graciously pretended not to have noticed. Speaking of Quebec. Should students continue their free ride only to graduate into the harsh reality of the world? How does that help anyone? The antics of an RCMP member in Alberta have given a new connotation to the iconic phrase ‘musical ride.’ If you don’t like our pipeline to the west coast or to the USA, how about a nice coal-burning generating plant? Or a refinery? How did the LNG pipeline escape our attention? And what about those weird-looking LNG tankers? Aren’t they kind of like oil tankers except they go boom

rather than spill? But wait, like the Ginsu knives, there’s more! Would you rather own Stephen Harper’s nude portrait or see B.C.’s Premier Christy Clark accept Richard Branson’s invitation to ride his kite – nude? Is the gas lever on the Coleman stove ‘up to light, down to burn’ or the other way around? Now that we’ve seen the viral video of the couple making love on a Toronto subway platform, we can ask – has anyone, other than Pierre Berton, ever made love in a canoe? Enough. Peter Legge is a great Canadian entrepreneur and citizen. If you are seeking a speaker for your next event, large or small, corporate or family, where the topics are drawn from “everyday experiences as a community leader, husband, father and CEO” as his website promotes (www.peterlegge.com) I can highly recommend Peter

Legge. I endorse him as an introduction to an article from one of his weekly Insight columns on the topic of the day – Canada. “You probably missed it in the local news, but there was a report a few years back that someone in Pakistan had advertised in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed a Canadian – any Canadian. “An Australian dentist wrote the following editorial to help define what a Canadian is, so they would know one when they found one: “A Canadian can be English or French or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. A Canadian can be Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan. A Canadian may also be a Cree, Métis, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Sioux or one of the many other tribes known as native Canadians. A Canadian’s religious beliefs range from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist,

Muslim, Hindu or none. “In fact, there are more Muslims in Canada than in Afghanistan. The key difference is that in Canada they are free to worship as each of them chooses. Whether they have a religion or no religion, each Canadian ultimately answers only to God, not to the government or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God. “A Canadian lives in one of the most prosperous lands in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which recognized the right of each person to the pursuit of happiness. A Canadian is generous and Canadians have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return. Canadians welcome the best of everything, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services and the best minds. But they also welcome the least – the oppressed, the outcast and the rejected. “These are the people who built Canada. You can try to kill a Canadian if you must as other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world have tried, but in doing so, you could just be killing a relative or a neighbour. This is because Canadians are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, can be a Canadian.” Think about that as you pull on your balaclava and head to the protest. You can find Marty Douglas on Twitter – http://twitter.com/ 41yrsrealestate – Facebook and LinkedIn. He is a managing broker for Coast Realty Group, with offices on Vancouver Island, the Discovery and Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast of B.C. Marty is a past chair of the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Corporation of B.C., the Real Estate Council of B.C. , the B.C. Real Estate Association and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. mdouREM glas@coastrealty.com.

18 REM JULY 2012

THE REAL ESTATE ROOKIE

By Peter D. Wilton

s a new player to the real estate game, I have been attending a lot of open houses recently. Some of the open houses have popped up on my MLS calendar; others because I have seen the open house sign while attending to my “farm”. There are two main reasons why I have been going to these open houses. They give me an idea of what is happening in my area in terms of price and condition of the homes, and the staging of the houses – how well was the house prepared for sale, and was a professional staging company used? Is the homeowner trying to hide something about the house, or are they being up-front? It is an interesting

The Open House Elvis real-life lesson on how to, or not to, list and sell a house. The second reason I like to go to open houses is to observe the listing agent, and how their behaviour/demeanour and general attitude affects my experience of the open house. The choice of Realtor gives me insight into the thinking process of the homeowner. Did they go for the flashy, well-known agent, the unknown agent or the cheapest? This decision of agent may be reflected again on how well they looked after the home, who they chose to do their renovations and other decisions made that may affect my buyer down the road. The Realtors who amaze me the most are the superstars – the ones whose faces I know from the back of buses, or from receiving their flyers. I have been to a few superstar Realtors’ open houses, and have found that these superstars are often too overworked to be focused on the open house they are hosting. I was disillusioned with the real estate heavyweights, until I went

to the open house and met “The King”. He is the real estate equivalent to Elvis. I attended this open house not by chance, but because I have seen his signs and fliers for years. I live near his home – he has a cube van parked in his driveway with his picture on the side. He’s the ultimate self-promoter. When I arrived at the open house, there he was – dressed in a well-cut suit with his Realtor pins proudly displayed on his lapel. He greeted me at the door with a sincere hand shake. I handed him my card. He told me it was a real honour that I’d taken time from my day to attend his open house. He also said he would appreciate any feedback I could give him about what I noticed that he could improve. That he was always open to improvement. I walked around this home, looking for things he may have missed, but the home looked great. On my way out, he shook my hand again and looked me in the eye, saying that he hoped we could work together in

the future. He made me feel that my attending his open house had been very important to him. As I walked away, I knew why he was king. Like Elvis, he knew the words to the song, because he’d sung it hundreds of times. But every time he sang, the notes were pure and the song sounded fresh. Things to keep in mind while hosting an open house: 1) If you are asking people to remove their footwear when entering the house, you as the listing agent should not be wearing outdoor footwear. 2) Greet people as they come in. Ask them how they are. There is no reason not to have good manners when hosting an open house. 3) Ask them to sign a sign-in sheet. Good practice in terms of knowing who is in the house and a great way of finding potential future clients. 4) Have some basic knowledge of the home, such as the age of the furnace, the type of wiring and the amperage in the home. A lack of

basic knowledge, even when genuine, looks like something is being hidden. 5) Say goodbye when people are leaving the house. Acknowledge the fact that they have taken the time to attend your open house. 6) Talk to people as they are in the house. You don’t have to hover but show an interest. 7) Remember that your demeanour is as important as the proper staging of the house. People don’t want to deal with the untrustworthy or the surly. 8) Don’t overdo the self-promotion. Water bottles with your picture or customized playing cards may be over the top. 9) When other Realtors come to your open house, acknowledge that they are also professionals and like my Elvis, make a bit of a fuss over them. 10) Focus on the current open house, not the next one. Peter D. Wilton is a sales representative with Sutton Sadie Moranis Realty in Toronto. 416-449-2020; Email pdawilton@gmail.com. REM

Best Team Spirit

rtistic Most ost AArtistic M Series

Best Sales Technique

Best Young Helpers

Thank you for helping

to raise over $425,000!

Most Unique Item

While searching for bargains on Mother’s Day weekend, thousands of delighted shoppers not only found great deals, they helped save the lives of women and children seeking an escape from family violence.

This year, we held a Photo Contest as part of the 4th Annual National Garage Sale for Shelter. Congratulations to the 1st place winners!

On May 12, 2012, Royal LePage offices across the country hosted the 4th Annual National Garage Sale for Shelter and raised over $425,000. Since 2009, $1.2 million has been raised through this community event.

• Best Team Spirit: Royal LePage Nanaimo Realty (Nanaimo, BC) • Best Sales Technique: Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. (Bayview Branch, Toronto, ON) • Best Young Helpers: Royal LePage Estate Realty (Toronto, ON) • Most Artistic Photo Series: Royal LePage Action Courtier (Knowlton, QC) • Most Unique Item: Royal LePage Regina Realty (Regina, SK)

At Royal LePage, we are helping to break the cycle of violence and restore hope to women and children in communities across the country. Our brokers, agents and staff have raised more than $14 million to support women’s shelters and violence prevention programs. All administrative costs are covered by Royal LePage so 100% of every dollar donated helps create safer homes and communities.

Visit www.royallepage.ca/shelter for more information.

Best Team Spirit

rtistic Most ost AArtistic M Series

Best Sales Technique

Best Young Helpers

Thank you for helping

to raise over $425,000!

Most Unique Item

This year, we held a Photo Contest as part of the 4th Annual National Garage Sale for Shelter. Congratulations to the 1st place winners!

Visit www.royallepage.ca/shelter for more information.

22 REM JULY 2012

Landmax plans to change the world The company will start with the real estate industry

“I

’m trying to change the world,” says James Swansburg of Landmax Canada. “This is a big goal.” He wants to revolutionize the world of real estate, one step at a time. Swansburg describes himself as a “computer programmer first and a managing broker/Realtor second.” His company’s main product is real estate presentation software. Designed to link to the “View Brochure” button on Realtor.ca, the technology allows agents and consumers to view and share extensive knowledge about individual properties, including custom web presentations such as Google map ‘polygon’ outline of the land, Google Street View, Google Earth 3D with parcel outline, Microsoft Birds-Eye View, a video tour of the property and all documentation in PDF format, including zoning, bylaws and utilities. Landmax, which means loca-

tion first (land) and maximum knowledge (max), is a start-up company based in Kimberley, B.C. and focused on efficiency and empowerment – something that Swansburg thinks the current system lacks. Although similar technology has been on the market for years, he says the real estate industry hasn’t embraced it for some reason. “Realtors working as independent contractors spend all of their resources on personal promotion, with the goal of personal contact with prospective buyers,” says Swansburg. “Under the current ‘chauffeur model,’ the brokerages spend their resources on recruiting and babysitting these independent contractors.” This leaves the two in constant conflict. While agents work hard to promote themselves, brokerages bring in new Realtors for them to compete with. “This business model of brokerages being landlords for independent contractors dominates the

By Melanie Epp

current real estate model,” says Swansburg. “There is no alternate, but Landmax wants to change this.” Currently the real estate landscape is dotted with independent offices, staffed by independent contractors. This model makes it impossible to manage the office, never mind implement change or evolve, says Swansburg. He would like to see brokerages return to the employer/employee business model, where the staff has a duty to their employer and in return, gets fairly paid for their efforts. In Landmax’s model, they would assume control over the operations of their branch offices, meaning one overhead, with one office per real estate board in Canada. “All work done by staff would belong to the employer,” says Swansburg. “All clients would belong to the employer.” Consumers aren’t happy with the current system, says Swansburg, adding that this is par-

ticularly evident in all the “flack” coming from the Competition Bureau. It is Landmax’s goal to provide a new solution for consumers, as well. There are many tools out there to help consumers find that perfect house, but Swansburg says they’re not unified. Consumers have to visit site after site and piece together the information theselves – a process that can be both frustrating and time-consuming. Similar to how a financial institution works, consumers will be able to enter any Landmax office to seek information at any time – from anyone. Not only is this great news for the consumer, it will also make the agent’s job easier as well. Landmax’s model will give agents more time to provide better service, all in a healthier, less competitive work environment. Swansburg thinks the model will appeal to agents and brokers alike. He’s chosen a corporate structure that gives a voice to all employees and pushes shared own-

James Swansburg

ership by all staff. “With a voice,” he says, “change is possible. The industry can evolve.” Landmax is currently seeking like-minded brokers and agents to join their team. For more information, visit www.landmax.ca. “If you go to LinkedIn and type in “change the world,” says Swansburg, “there are a lot of people who would like to change the world. It has to be done one footstep at a time – baby steps. Someone has to do it, and right now that’s me.” REM

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24 REM JULY 2012

TV the latest challenge for Vanessa Roman The sales rep has worked in three very different real estate markets – Victoria, Toronto and Dartmouth, N.S. and now hosts a new TV program By Connie Adair

eal estate has been very, very good to Vanessa Roman – as a buyer, a renovator, a seller, a lister and now host of a new television show, Reno vs Relocate. For nine years Roman bought, renovated and sold houses in Victoria. When she moved to Nova Scotia three years ago, she got her real estate license but mainly so she could buy and sell her own properties. However, when people heard she was a real

In September 2010, Roman heard about a casting call, gave her husband the camcorder, put on some lipstick and recorded a fiveminute unscripted video. She emailed the video. One hour after she hit the send button, the director called. “He said, ‘Holy cow. You’re perfect’,” Roman says. “That was the easiest job I ever got.” However it wasn’t quite that simple. Hundreds of agents had applied and the company wanted to go through all of

“It was like winning the lottery. It’s fun, exciting and gives me the opportunity to talk about real estate.” estate agent (she’s with Exit Realty Metro in Dartmouth) she says they wanted to hire her. The military relocation market also opened up. Roman’s husband, Major Jason Roman, is a helicopter pilot at CFB Shearwater.

What’s

New Centract launches home inspection network Appraisal management company Centract Settlement Services recently launched The

the tapes. From her initial application to her acceptance to her filming the show in Toronto took 18 months. “It was like winning the lottery. It’s fun, exciting and gives me the opportunity to talk about real estate.” Home Inspection Network in the Greater Toronto Area. “We have been very successful in appraisal management and we were excited to use this expertise to expand and set up our new network of home inspectors,” says Phil West, president of Centract. “Our entry into this market came as a result of seeing demand for high quality and convenient inspection services in an industry that is largely unregulated.” Centract says the new network “meets the needs of real estate brokers, agents and consumers by doing the due diligence that was necessary to assemble a network of fully trained, fieldtested and professional home inspectors that real estate professionals and consumers can trust. The network also leverages Centract’s best practices in customer service and operations, and its reputation for delivering high-

Roman now has 26 episodes of Reno vs Relocate under her belt. The show premiered on HGTV at the end of May. “The show is different than anything else,” she says. In Act 1, Roman and co-host designer Robert Lewis are introduced to the problem and find out why the homeowner’s house no longer works for them. In Act 2, the homeowners decide if they are going to renovate or relocate. In Act 3, if they have chosen to renovate, their existing house is renovated. If they decide to relocate, Roman shows them four properties. Act 4 shows the result of the renovation or the homeowners in their new house. Roman says her experience working in three very different real estate markets – Victoria, Halifax and Toronto – and her understanding of those markets, helps her make the show appealing to a broad market. She says she thinks homes in Victoria are overpriced, but that Asian buyers do not see it that way. With real estate prices so much higher in other parts of the world, quality, creative and customercentric solutions.” Terri Austin, associate vicepresident of management services at Centract, says: “Real estate agents and consumers can order inspections online via our website and immediately confirm the inspector’s availability. This is an industry first and we are proud to make this available.” Centract plans to roll out its network nationally over the remainder of the year. For information: www.HomeInspection Network.ca.

Dominion Lending wins awards Dominion Lending Centres won several awards at the CMP Canadian Mortgage Awards recently, including top prizes for

Vanessa Roman

she says “it seems like a deal to pay $800,000 or $900,000 for a starter home.” When she moved from Victoria to Halifax, she could understand. “We sold our starter home in Victoria and bought a home twice the size at half the cost (in Halifax).” In Halifax, because houses are affordable and renovations take time to complete, homeowners are more likely to relocate. In Toronto and Victoria, where house prices National Broker Network of the Year, Best Branding and Best Advertising. Individual Dominion Lending winners were Collin Bruce, DLC Mortgage Mentors, Edmonton, for Mortgage Broker of the Year (25+ employees); Deb White, DLC White House Mortgages, Vernon, B.C. for Best Community Service Effort; and Diana Zitko, DLC West Coast Mortgages, Coquitlam, B.C. for Best Customer Service from an Individual Office. Dominion Lending placed 32nd on the 24th annual ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies by Profit magazine this year. Companies were ranked by five-year revenue growth. Dominion Lending Centres has more than 2,000 mortgage professionals across Canada. REM

are high, renovation often is the only option, she says. Roman, who has a degree in economics, also studied journalism, specializing in television, but planned to stay behind the camera. She completed an internship with Entertainment Tonight in California but Reno vs Relocate is her first time in front of the camera. The homeowners she has worked with on the show have been “great, humble and hospitable,” she says. “Each has been a unique experience but a good one.” However she says she will always remember one couple and their two small kids “no matter how many seasons are filmed.” The couple decided to move and looked at a big house outside the city. They put their house on the market. The people who owned the country house came to their open house and told the couple that they had built the house. The original owners had four children and moved to the country when the house became too small. Now their children had grown and they wanted to move back, she says. “What a cool coincidence.” It’s been a busy eight months for Roman, who worked for four days in Toronto then flew back to be with her husband and three children (one five and twins three years of age) for the rest of each week. “The 11/2-hour flight is shorter than some Toronto commutes,” she says. She credits a strong support system – her husband and her mother, who moved from the West Coast to help look after the children. She also has a strong real estate support system, with a team in Toronto and a team in Halifax. “Everyone is very excited for Vanessa and the new show. We wish everyone involved with the program the best of success,” says Joyce Paron, president – Canada, Exit Realty. Reno vs Relocate airs Monday nights at 9 ET on HGTV. To watch full episodes, visit REM www.hgtv.ca.

REM JULY 2012 25

Kingston’s singing Realtors

They compose a unique song for every listing and put it on YouTube.

ealtors aren’t necessarily known for singing the blues, though you may have heard colleagues cry a river about a lousy commission split. This pair of Realtors sings for their supper, quite literally. As a sales team with RealtySource in Kingston, Ont., Chris Morris and Benji Perosin are veteran musicians who will write and perform a custom-made song to accompany the online video tour of each property they market. The singing salesmen brainstormed the idea for their unique musical offering in April after losing a listing to another agent. “We were venting,” says Morris 33, “and we jokingly said, let’s write a song and we started riffing on that idea, saying the address can be the chorus and all the features can be verses.” While both are experienced salespeople and musicians, neither knew much about professional video-recording. Since homes in Kingston sell for an average price of $275,000, hiring a videographer at $500 to $1,000 a pop would be cost prohibitive. So Morris tried recording and editing video with his own handy cam and the result surprised the tuneful duo. “Because it’s not a professional videographer it has the effect of a home video and it’s a bit campy,” says Perosin, 39. “The quality of the video sort of complements these folksy, camp-fire type songs we do. They’re really fun and a unique way to market a property.” The songs are little gems that impart a folksy-bluesy vibe thanks to the guitar and harmonica with lyrics that run from serious to sweet to comical. Here’s a taste of what they wrote for a listing on 480 Bagot St.:

“You can walk everywhere you need/It won’t be long now till you get the deed/This house at 480 Bagot/ It’ll be gone if you don’t soon snag it.” Or this lyric from a condo they sold that closes with this line: “Make sure you leave your fancy clothes in the closet/It just ain’t that kind of place.” While the pair is well aware their songs hit your funny bone, they know they need to balance the humour with a strong sense of professionalism. “One thing we emphasize is that it has to be a sales pitch,” says Morris. “As amusing and as much fun as it is to perform a song, it’s important to sell the house. We don’t want people to think we’re writing songs because we’re musicians and it’s all fun and funny.” Morris has been working as a Realtor for 51/2 years in Kingston, while Perosin has been at it for two. Both have been fixtures within the Kingston music scene for years, playing and singing in local clubs either solo or with other groups. Perosin was nominated for a Juno in 2008 for this work with the Toronto band God Made Me Funky. Morris, who’s been playing guitar for 20 years and composing songs, has performed mainly rock and blues in and around his native Kingston. The pair originally met up as musicians within the city’s vibrant music scene. When Perosin, who studied music at Queen’s University, decided to move back to the Kingston area after being away for a while, he contacted Morris. The two ultimately teamed up to sell real estate together. Their musicianship seems to be working. Listings and clients are coming their way thanks to their tunes. One client called

By Kelly Putter

Singing Realtors Chris Morris, left, and Benji Perosin (Photo: Shayne Bampton)

the team solely based on the song they composed for 480 Bagot St. Out-of towners have even expressed interest in their services. In the past, their virtual video tours might get 50 or 60 views and that’s sometimes over a period of a few years. But the new musically enhanced virtual tours get as many as 100 views, sometimes on the first day alone. The pair considered using their customized tunes to sell income properties but decided against it for purely practical reasons. “Triplexes aren’t really marketed on an emotional basis,” says Morris. “It’s all about the numbers. No one buys a triplex because they love the kitchen. We thought of singing

about how much profit you would make, but we couldn’t wrap our heads around that.” While creating a template tune for listings with fill-in-theblank options about each home’s features would be easier than writing original scores for each property, Morris and Perosin think it would be the death knell of their sales strategy. “Everyone does a video tour, but this makes ours stand out,” says Morris. “That’s one of the reasons we started doing these in the first place. I don’t think people would be as supportive if we did a template song. For me, it’s the originality of each song and each property that makes it fun. I like seeing what the property says to me musically. Often when we go to a listing the first two lines pop into my head right away.”

The team listed a high-end property recently but felt their campy tunes weren’t the right fit for the $600,000 home. Instead, they’re thinking of composing an instrumental piece that will score the home’s video tour. “The most important thing is giving them something that’s customized and unique,” Morris says. Perosin, who has written music for documentaries, is confident the duo can continue to produce songs indefinitely. As experienced songwriters, they have “thousands” of ideas to draw on. “We’ll never be stumped,” he says. To see Morris’ and Perosin’s rhythmic listings visit www. chrisandbenji.com and click on the link to their YouTube channel. REM

26 REM JULY 2012

GREEN REAL ESTATE

By Elden Freeman

t’s true, as Jane Austen once said, that real comfort comes from home. But I’d like to interpret her words more literally. Real comfort does come from home but sometimes our homes need a helping hand providing that comfort. I’m referring to air cooling systems that keep us comfortable during summer’s blazing heat. As air conditioning units blast more holes into the ozone layer, let’s consider what we can do to help our clients keep cool while staying green. You can have a home that’s

Cool enough for you? comfortable without air conditioning, say eco pundits. But you need to be mindful of your home’s ventilation, windows and double glazing and shading and insulation. For starters, shade your house with awnings, pergolas, trees and other barriers that prevent the sun from getting into your windows and the rest of your home. Exterior rolling shutters are effective but expensive, while solar screens, which look like standard window screens, also cut glare in addition to heat. Double glazing your windows can cut the intake of summer heat inside your home by 30 per cent. Ventilation is essentially that much-needed breeze that helps cool you down. This is assisted at times by ceiling or room fans. Use fans to draw cool air from your basement or the cooler side of your home. During the summer, try to keep your house sealed tight during the day when heat and humidity are high. Ventilate at night either by opening windows or with fans.

Don’t forget to turn on your stove fan and to open your chimney flue, as these will help draw warm air out of your house. Use insulation in your roof, ceiling and walls to repel that hot summer radiant heat. Geothermal systems use the earth to heat and cool spaces and can be up to 40 per cent more efficient at cooling a home than conventional air conditioners. But they are very pricey to install. Still, consumers might look to recoup some of the cost from government grants and incentive programs. If using AC is your only option this summer, let’s look at ways to do so more efficiently. Make sure your air conditioning unit is the right size for the job. Using one that’s too small means your space won’t be well cooled, and this inefficiency will only drive up your energy costs as the unit overworks in vain to try to keep your space cooled. Think about using new energy-

saving air-conditioning technologies such as a two-stage compressor. Compressors use the most electricity but a two-stage compressor works less on cool days and more when it’s hot, which saves energy. They can run at two different speeds so when it’s operating at a lower speed it’s using less power. While new technologies tend to be pricier, there are easy and affordable steps you can take now. Installing a programmable thermostat is a great way to green your cooling system. Homeowners can program the thermostat to stay off when the home is vacant and to kick in once household members return for the day. See to it that your air conditioning unit is maintained once per year. HVAC professionals should inspect and service your AC checking for refrigerant pressure, accessing the unit’s air flow and checking for leaks. Chances are pretty good that your cooling system is old. By old I

mean it was installed more than 10 years ago. If that’s the case, you should know that these systems operate well below today’s environmental and energy-efficiency standards. So think about replacing your existing unit with a newer, greener one. In Canada, staying cool as the mercury soars is a standard we’ve come to expect. But it comes at a cost, both financially and environmentally. By using these options we can help save money while sparing our planet. The National Association of Green Agents and Brokers (NAGAB) provide a Greenbroker and Greenagent certification program to Realtors across Canada. To get more information or to sign up for a course, visit www.nagab.org. Elden Freeman M.E.S., AGB, broker is the founder and executive director of the non-profit organization. 1-877-5249494 Email elden@nagab.org. REM

Insurance Renewal 2012 The Real Estate Council of Ontario’s (RECO) insurance broker, Alternative Risk Services Inc., has renewed its insurance coverage with Lloyd’s for the Sept. 1, 2012 to Sept. 1, 2013 policy period. The insurance program is managed by Dion, Durrell + Associates Inc. Coverage includes Errors and Omissions, Commission Protection and Consumer Deposit insurance. Insurance renewal invoices will be mailed in early July to all registrants. A copy of the renewal package is also available on RECO’s website at www.reco.on.ca.

How to How to p pay ay you yourr insu insura ranc nce e pr prem emiiium um Use yo y ur MasterCard or Visa to ppay your y insurance online througgh MyWe y b,, RECO’s exclusive web por p tal for regis gi trants. IfIf you don’’t alrl eaddy have a MyW MyWebb account,, creating i g one iis easyy andd ffree,, siimpl ply visit ii sign g up up. p PPlea lease se mak makee your pa p yme y nt as soo soonn as as poss ossibl iblee. Payymen ments ts https://myweb.reco.on.ca to sign cannot can not be ma made de by pho phone. ne.

Insurance payments are due by Aug. 17, 2012. The total cost of insurance, including taxes and expenses, for the 2012 - 2013 policy period is $380.

Suspension process

Commission protection policy change

Retiring or leaving the business before September?

Registrants who fail to make their insurance payment by the due date will become part of the suspension process and will be required to pay an additional $35 for expenses related to administration of the suspension process. The total cost of insurance after the due date is $415. Non-payment results in suspension of registration effective Sept. 1, 2012.

Starting Sept. 1, 2012 registrants may claim commissions owed to them from the two-year period prior to the date of loss established by the insurer (eg. bankruptcy date of a brokerage). Once the date of loss is established during the policy period, all commission claims must be reported to the insurer within the two-year period following the date of loss. Visit MyWeb at https://myweb.reco.on.ca to view the complete insurance policy.

Terminate your registration by Aug. 3, 2012 to avoid becoming involved in the suspension process. You have two options for completing your termination: s

Send a completed “Notice of Change: Termination” form and a copy of your resignation letter to RECO’s Registration Department; or

Have your Broker of Record or Branch Manager complete the termination process for you on MyWeb. See RECO’s website for further details.

Additional insurance program details and FAQ sheets are available on MyWeb. Contact RECO’s Insurance Department Directly At:

Online (MyWeb): https://myweb.reco.on.ca | Phone: 416-207-4841 | Toll Free: 1-866-757-7772 | Fax: 416-207-9020 or 416-207-4820 | E-mail: insurance@reco.on.ca

REM JULY 2012 27

Make sure the contract is complete LEGAL ISSUES

Setting

THE STANDARD! ®

discovered to be illegal and the client would have been warned. She then would not have proceeded since the third floor did not belong to the unit. The law firm was ordered to pay $225,000 for the loss of value of the third floor, substantial return of legal fees and the significant costs to close up the third floor. (Orr v. Metropolitan Toronto Condominium Corporation, 2011) I I I

By Donald H. Lapowich

he developer of a condominium building had not completed it by the closing date as set out in an Agreement of Purchase and Sale. The builder and purchaser had intended that there would be terms governing the vendor’s right to extend the closing date. However, in the agreement, these terms were not written out or clearly formulated. That meant that when the closing date came and the vendor could not close and give occupancy, the purchaser had the absolute right to terminate the agreement. (Schneeberg v. Talon International Development Inc., 2010) I I I

In another case, W was a principal of a corporation that built a condo complex. W purchased one unit and built a third floor in the attic, but had no building permit. The plaintiff purchased W’s unit and found water damage and mould on the third floor. It was determined that the space on the third floor was deemed a “common element” with questions of legality. The plaintiff sued the condo corporation, the property management company and the law firm that acted for her on the purchase. The court held that the lawyer did not meet the standard of care. It was found that the lawyer had to review the plans of the condo corporation in regard to particular units and meet with the client to discuss her purchase and exactly what she was buying. By doing so, the third floor would be

In another case, a purchaser agreed to buy a home and the developer agreed to provide a gas connection, five feet within the boundary line of the home. The developer acted in good faith and only later learned that the utility, Enbridge, would not install such a “dead-end tail” line from the main gas line. All the purchaser had to do was put in a furnace and apply for gas, but for some reason, she would not do so. When she sued, the court refused relief because the developer was mistaken about the gas line offered but fulfilled all other obligations. The purchaser was deemed in fact the cause of the problem by her failure to co-operate. (Ahmadi v. Fernbrook Homes (Block 18 Gulf) Limited, 2011)

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In another case where a plaintiff sued her real estate lawyer, the plaintiff sought damages for mental distress. The B.C. court clearly held that the law does not compensate plaintiffs for anxiety or agitation that falls short of an “injury”. It found that there are everyday anxieties that people in a society must accept and that are not actionable damages. Most of these cases are available for review at www.canlii.org. Donald Lapowich, Q.C. is a partner at the law firm of Koskie, Minsky in Toronto, where he practices civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on real estate litigation and mediation, acting for builders, real estate agents and lawyers. REM

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28 REM JULY 2012

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Can you eat these sprouts?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

By Deborah L. Sykes

could just imagine this coming from an inquisitive sixyear old (if I had one around â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, thankfully) pointing a menacing, chubby little finger at the delicate stems of my toms and peppers.... Heck no! I would reply, â&#x20AC;&#x153;These sprouts are not for turning into a stir fry for dinner, they are the sprouts of yummy goodness that is to come this summer!â&#x20AC;? I have an abundance of little green shoots about four inches high in various little pots crammed onto the ledge in my living room window (think highdensity, low-rise town homes) and

they thrive with relatively little attention. Thank goodness I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to babysit them all day, like my kids when they were younger...I can still hear the â&#x20AC;&#x153;He hit meâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hogging the TVâ&#x20AC;? in my head that makes me want to run for the bathroom, lock the door and enjoy a much-needed Calgon moment. Instead, they hang around in their peat pots soaking up the warming rays of the sun and all I need to do is occasionally rotate them so they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t become the leaning tower(s) of Pisa when they should be like the CN Tower or the Space Needle. Most of the hard work raising vegetables and flowers from seeds comes in the beginning when you have a million little peat pots, seed packets, bags of seed-starting soil mix and Popsicle sticks spread out on the kitchen table. You have to fill the peat pots and then

painstakingly insert two or three itsy-bitsy-teeny-tiny seeds (after you put your glasses on) per pot, being careful not to tip over the opened seed packets and sending them skittering all over the table, only to be hopelessly mixed with others, and then you end up tossing whatever seeds into whatever pot and hope for a tossed salad (hmmm..new idea there!). But I managed not to knock over any, so all is right with world, for now. Keeping the soil â&#x20AC;&#x153;moist but not soggyâ&#x20AC;? while the seeds germinate is truly an exercise in selfcontrol. I have already drowned some habanero seeds and am now on to batch number two. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see if I can do better this time. Meanwhile, everyone else in my miniature plant world is coming along fine. The tomatoes are growing the fastest. They already have their third set of leaves unfurling, with the poblano peppers not that far behind.

The cilantro and parsley are doing so well that if I wanted some â&#x20AC;&#x153;micro sproutsâ&#x20AC;? (culinary term I keep hearing on Iron Chef) I could use them as garnishes for my...ahem...lavish meals. But I will wait for them to get bigger. No sense in mowing them down too soon. My chives are being quite shy and have not poked one teensy stem forth yet, and I am worried I may have drowned them too....but on the positive side, my Iceland poppies have popped out all over so that at least has made me happy. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to get these little guys into the garden...but when I wrote this there were still some six to eight weeks to go before they could safely be planted without fear of a Canadian spring frost coming along to numb their little roots. Hmm...maybe I can knit little scarves for them.

Deborah L. Sykes is a sales rep with Sutton Group-About Town Realty in Burlington, Ont. Licensed since 2003, she has a background in new home construction and the residential resale marketplace servicing Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville and outlying areas. Email deborah.sykes@cogeco.ca or visit www.deborahlsykes.com. REM

Tom Tomato

INCREDIBLE VOLUNTEERS DO INCREDIBLE THINGS Congratulations TREB for Outstanding Contributions Advancing REALTORÂŽ Advocacy Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x161;Ĺ?Ä?Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x161;Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x161; Z >dKZÎ Ç&#x20AC;Ĺ˝ĹŻĆľĹśĆ&#x161;Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ć? Ç Ĺ&#x161;Ĺ˝ Ć&#x2030;Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x152;Ć&#x;Ä?Ĺ?Ć&#x2030;Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x161;Ä&#x17E; Ĺ?Ĺś dĹ&#x161;Ä&#x17E; Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ&#x201A;Ä&#x161;Ĺ?Ä&#x201A;Ĺś ZÄ&#x17E;Ä&#x201A;ĹŻ Ć?Ć&#x161;Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x161;Ä&#x17E; Ć?Ć?Ĺ˝Ä?Ĺ?Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x;Ĺ˝ĹśÍ&#x203A;Ć? WĹ˝ĹŻĹ?Ć&#x;Ä?Ä&#x201A;ĹŻ Ä?Ć&#x;Ĺ˝Ĺś Ĺ˝ĹľĹľĹ?ĆŠÄ&#x17E;Ä&#x17E; ÍžW Íż Ĺ&#x161;Ä&#x17E;ĹŻĆ&#x2030;Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x161; Ä?Ć&#x152;Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x161;Ä&#x17E; Ć&#x161;Ĺ&#x161;Ä&#x17E; ,Ĺ˝ĹľÄ&#x17E; ĆľÇ&#x2021;Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ć?Í&#x203A; WĹŻÄ&#x201A;ĹśÍ&#x2022; Ä&#x17E;ĹśĹ&#x161;Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ?Ä&#x17E; ĹľĆ&#x2030;ĹŻĹ˝Ç&#x2021;ĹľÄ&#x17E;ĹśĆ&#x161; /ĹśĆ?ĆľĆ&#x152;Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ?Ä&#x17E; Ä?Ä&#x17E;ĹśÄ&#x17E;ÄŽĆ&#x161;Ć? Ä¨Ĺ˝Ć&#x152; Ć&#x161;Ĺ&#x161;Ä&#x17E; Ć?Ä&#x17E;ĹŻÄ¨Í˛Ä&#x17E;ĹľĆ&#x2030;ĹŻĹ˝Ç&#x2021;Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x161; Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ&#x161; Ĺ?ĹľĆ&#x2030;Ć&#x152;Ĺ˝Ç&#x20AC;Ä&#x17E; ĹľĹ˝Ć&#x152;Ć&#x161;Ĺ?Ä&#x201A;Ĺ?Ä&#x17E; Ć&#x2030;Ć&#x152;Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x2030;Ä&#x201A;Ç&#x2021;ĹľÄ&#x17E;ĹśĆ&#x161; Ä&#x161;Ĺ?Ć?Ä?ĹŻĹ˝Ć?ĆľĆ&#x152;Ä&#x17E;Í&#x2DC; dĹ&#x161;Ĺ?Ć? Ç&#x2021;Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x152;Í&#x2022; Ç Ä&#x17E; Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x2030;Ć&#x2030;ĹŻÄ&#x201A;ĆľÄ&#x161; Ć&#x161;Ĺ&#x161;Ä&#x17E; Ç&#x20AC;Ĺ˝ĹŻĆľĹśĆ&#x161;Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ć? Ä¨Ć&#x152;Ĺ˝Ĺľ Ć&#x161;Ĺ&#x161;Ä&#x17E; dĹ˝Ć&#x152;Ĺ˝ĹśĆ&#x161;Ĺ˝ ZÄ&#x17E;Ä&#x201A;ĹŻ Ć?Ć&#x161;Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x161;Ä&#x17E; Ĺ˝Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x152;Ä&#x161;Í&#x2022; ĎŽĎŹĎĎŽ Ç Ĺ?ĹśĹśÄ&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ć? Ĺ˝Ä¨ Ć&#x161;Ĺ&#x161;Ä&#x17E; KĆľĆ&#x161;Ć?Ć&#x161;Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ&#x161;Ĺ?ĹśĹ? W dÄ&#x17E;Ä&#x201A;Ĺľ Ç Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x152;Ä&#x161;Í&#x2DC; dĹ&#x161;Ĺ?Ć? Ä&#x201A;Ç Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x152;Ä&#x161; Ĺ&#x161;Ĺ˝ĹśĹ˝ĆľĆ&#x152;Ć? Ç&#x20AC;Ĺ˝ĹŻĆľĹśĆ&#x161;Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x152; Ĺ?ĹśĹ?Ć&#x;Ä&#x201A;Ć&#x;Ç&#x20AC;Ä&#x17E; Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ&#x161; Ä&#x17E;ĹśĆ&#x161;Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ć&#x2030;Ć&#x152;Ĺ?Ć?Ä&#x17E; Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x161;Ç&#x20AC;Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ?Ĺ?ĹśĹ? Ä¨Ä&#x17E;Ä&#x161;Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ä&#x201A;ĹŻ Z >dKZÎ Ä&#x201A;Ä&#x161;Ç&#x20AC;Ĺ˝Ä?Ä&#x201A;Ä?Ç&#x2021; Ĺ?Ć?Ć?ĆľÄ&#x17E;Ć?Í&#x2DC; KÇ&#x20AC;Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x152; ĎĎŹĎŹÍ&#x2022;ĎŹĎŹĎŹ Ć?Ć&#x161;Ć&#x152;Ĺ˝ĹśĹ?Í&#x2022; Z >dKZ^Î ĹľÄ&#x201A;ĹŹÄ&#x17E; Ä&#x201A; Ä&#x161;Ĺ?ÄŤÄ&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ä&#x17E;ĹśÄ?Ä&#x17E; Ĺ˝Ĺś WÄ&#x201A;Ć&#x152;ĹŻĹ?Ä&#x201A;ĹľÄ&#x17E;ĹśĆ&#x161; ,Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ Ć&#x161;Ĺ˝ Ć&#x161;Ĺ&#x161;Ä&#x17E; Ä?Ä&#x17E;ĹśÄ&#x17E;ÄŽĆ&#x161; Ĺ˝Ä¨ Ć&#x2030;Ć&#x152;Ĺ˝Ć&#x2030;Ä&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ć&#x161;Ç&#x2021; Ĺ˝Ç ĹśÄ&#x17E;Ć&#x152;Ć?Í&#x2022; Ć&#x161;Ĺ&#x161;Ä&#x17E; Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ&#x201A;Ä&#x161;Ĺ?Ä&#x201A;Ĺś Ä&#x17E;Ä?Ĺ˝ĹśĹ˝ĹľÇ&#x2021; Ä&#x201A;ĹśÄ&#x161; Ĺ˝ĆľĆ&#x152; Ĺ?ĹśÄ&#x161;ĆľĆ?Ć&#x161;Ć&#x152;Ç&#x2021;Í&#x2DC;

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30 REM JULY 2012

says Carol Crabb, president of the VREB. “We currently have 125 units in place and others to be installed. We are very pleased to share our technology with CREB.” ■ ■ ■

he Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) is supporting proposed legislation that, if passed, would facilitate the use of electronic agreements of purchase and sale of real estate. Currently, Ontario Realtors are reluctant to use electronic agreements because they are exempt from the legal protections of the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000. The legislation comes in the form of a private members bill cosponsored by Progressive Conservative MPP Todd Smith (Prince Edward-Hastings) and Liberal MPP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre). “Enhancing legal protection for electronic agreements of purchase and sale will allow consumers and Realtors to benefit from technology that makes real estate transactions more efficient, accessible and secure,” says Ron Abraham, OREA president. Technology firms offer programs supporting electronic agreements of purchase and sale that ensure a high level of security, offering peace of mind to consumers and Realtors, he says. The technology is widely used in the banking, insurance and U.S. real estate industry. “Security and integrity are of the utmost importance,” says Abraham. “Cutting-edge encryption technology, identification processes and audit trails ensure that each real estate transaction is secure.” ■ ■ ■

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) has launched a new campaign to get the Toronto Land Transfer Tax appealed. The board commissioned a study by Ipsos Reid that shows “significant numbers of Toronto residents planning to leave the city when they move,” says the board. TREB’s campaign includes a new website (www.LetsGetThis RightToronto.ca), advertising, social media and other tools.

The poll found that 25 per cent of Torontonians expecting to move in the next two years are planning to leave Toronto for the 905 regions. In contrast, only three percent of 905 residents expecting to move in the next two years are planning to come to Toronto. TREB says the poll found “important links to the Toronto Land Transfer Tax, with 75 per cent of people in Toronto and the 905 regions who are expecting to move in the next two years saying that they are more likely to move outside of Toronto specifically because of the Toronto Land Transfer Tax.” It says 66 per cent of those surveyed support plans to repeal the tax and 77 per cent of Torontonians who recently purchased a home in Toronto feel that they received little or no added value in city services for the amount of tax paid. ■ ■ ■

The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) is adopting a new lockbox system that places a single lockbox at the front of condominium properties. The lockbox will provide access to the main area of the building. The board says that currently, too many lockboxes are placed in unsafe locations around condominium buildings, putting Realtors at risk. “A Realtor was attacked while accessing a lockbox in Calgary last fall and one attack is one attack too many,” says Bob Jablonski, CREB president. “This new system will keep Realtors safe while providing an added level of security.” A second lockbox on the unit itself would provide access to the property being shown. The Victoria Real Estate Board (VREB) has been using this lockbox system for the last five years with a high success rate. “We developed the program in 2007 to address issues of safety,”

The Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) has launched a partnership with Canadian technology company Guardly to provide Realtors with free access to Guardly’s smartphone safety application. CREB president Bob Jablonski says, “The Guardly app provides each subscriber with the ability to not only contact 9-1-1 emergency services, but to also reach established networks of emergency contacts, depending on the nature of a situation. When triggered, the app brings responders together in a conference call setting to determine an appropriate response and the quickest course of action.” “I think it is often assumed that any threat to a Realtor’s safety comes from the client,” says Madeline Sarafinchan, president of AREA. “While this may be true in some instances, an emergency, medical or otherwise, may occur where the client is the one at risk. Having access to an app like Guardly certainly provides me peace of mind while I work, but it can also provide peace of mind for my clients, which is just as important.”

Waterloo Association of Realtors (KWAR) sponsored a native gardening project at the Huron Natural Area (HNA). Spanning over 250 acres, the HNA is an awe-inspiring destination and one of the most valuable natural areas in Waterloo region, says the board. Realtors and their families gathered recently with their green thumbs at the ready and planted hundreds of flowers and shrubs, all of which are native to Ontario, at the entrance of the HNA. The goal of the project is to educate people about native species while increasing and maintaining the local biodiversity of the HNA. Students from the local school boards regularly visit the area to study the ecosystem. KWAR also donated $4,500 to the City of Kitchener to assist in the revitalization and maintenance of the HNA. ■ ■ ■

The Calgary Humane Society is the latest recipient of the CREB Charitable Foundation’s $625,000 grant program. It will distribute $25,000 in grants to the society as part of the Calgary Humane Society’s Dog Jog event. The society has been serving the greater Calgary area for 90 years, providing care for surrendered, neglected, abandoned and abused animals. Every year, CHS shelters more than 8,000 animals from Calgary and surrounding area. The Salvation Army Agapé Hospice also received a $25,000 grant. It provides individuals with a safe and dignified place to live out their final days and to die with peace and dignity. Agapé is a leader in giving individualized physical, social, emotional and spiritual care, says the foundation. Residents and their loved ones are assured of dignity, respect and hope in a homeREM like, welcoming setting.

■ ■ ■

Again this year, Realtors in the Greater Moncton area rolled up their sleeves and paddled their hearts out for the kids in their communities at the Lion’s Sick Kids Annual Dragon Boat Festival. The members of the Greater Moncton Realtors du Grand Moncton raised more than $5,300 for the Lions Sick Kids Fund and Breakfast for Learning programs in their communities. For the past few years the association has supported School District 1&2’s Breakfast for Learning program as its annual charity. The Dragon Boat Festival is the kick-off to the annual fundraising drive for this event. Last year the association raised over $18,000 and it hopes to beat last year’s record. ■ ■ ■

As part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, the Kitchener-

The Greater Moncton Realtors du Grand Moncton Dragon Boat team.

Wendy Pratt, executive director of the Nanaimo Community Hospice Society, was the keynote speaker at the Zone 4 (Nanaimo) Realtor Luncheon. After speaking about her organization’s efforts to raise funds for the purchase of a new facility, she was presented with $2,500 to assist with the society’s efforts. Vancouver Island Real Estate Board past-president Jim Stewart, with the assistance of Realtors Jennifer Merilees and Dave Hammond, presented the cheque to Pratt.

REM JULY 2012 31

What if Survivor stranded 10 Canadian Realtors?

By Dan St. Yves

arder to believe than the ongoing popularity of Justin Bieber is that Survivor is still on network TV. If the producers wanted to see a real competition, they might want to consider the following pitch: Ten real estate agents of varying abilities are stranded in a remote outpost in Nunavut – which contrary to differing opinions, really is the centre of Canada. Five members of one tribe, the Listers, are hunkered down in a forested area (which might actually exist up there, but I cannot confirm with certainty – sadly I have yet to visit that part of the country). The remaining tribe of five, the Buyers, are in an open area that might be considered “tundra”. To make up for their lack of shelter, they are situated rather close to a Tim Hortons. How will they fare over the next 32 days?? Let’s find out… 1) You are a member of the Lister tribe. Your other teammates are out door-knocking, while you are paralyzed by an unnatural fear of sidewalks. What should your tribe do to help you make it through this challenge? a) Help you overcome your fears with ritual sidewalk pacing, and maybe a Canadian Postal Service uniform. b) Put you in charge of something harmless – like inserting signs into frames. c) Get together and vote your hopeless heinie off the province while you are distracted by a charging sidewalk polar bear. 2) One of your teammates in

the Buyers tribe is a complete boor; obnoxious and overbearing. Do you: a) Try to vote them off the show, but blame your partners when he or she explodes at the team’s betrayal. b) Gasp in disbelief when that individual and the rest of the tribe are overheard describing YOU in those exact terms. c) Forget about it. As soon as one of those personality types leaves the office, two more pop up to replace them. 3) There is an immunity challenge between the two tribes. The reward is three days with no office expenses for the victors. For such an incredible prize, your tribe must get an appointment with Mr. Sellitmyself, the FSBO who never actually sells, but eats Realtors alive. Do you: a) Brace yourself and try to get the listing. b) Send in the teammate from question # 2 and go for a pedicure in the meantime. c) Who are we kidding? Trick question! No office expenses? Not even on TV. 4) The prize for being the sole Survivor is $1 million. It is Week Four, just three more days to go, and you are one of the last two people left in your tribe. Do you: a) Arrange an “accident” for your competitor, possibly a trumped-up errors and omissions claim. b) Stop returning phone calls from the two listings that want to cancel. Victory is so close you can taste it. c) Get up early on the second last day, scratch an extra one off on the calendar, and wish a heartfelt farewell to your fellow competitor. Wait for the cheque presentation. Winner – you’re going to Disneyland! Humour columnist and author Dan St. Yves was licensed with Royal LePage Kelowna for 11 years. Check out his website at www.nonsenseandstuff.com, or contact him at danst.yves@hotmail.com. REM

32 REM JULY 2012

rounding areas, having supported many different charities and organizations in the past. ■ ■ ■

Good Works

Royal LePage Access Real Estate Marv Beer

Salmon Arm, British Columbia

George Heos, Senior Vice President, Network Development is pleased to announce that effective effective May 14, 2012, Marv Beer, a long-time Royal LePage REALTOR®, has chosen to build on his relationship with the Royal LePage network and has acquired a real estate company in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. His new brokerage, formerly operating as Shirley Real Estate, will now operate as Royal LePage Access Real Estate. Marv, a successful REALTOR® in the Calgary residential real estate market, has followed his desire for a calmer pace of life and a love of the Shuswap area, and along with his wife Trena and two sons, has settled in Salmon Arm – home for Royal LePage Access Real Estate. With this acquisition, Marv will build on the long history established by Shirley Real Estate, which began 29 years ago by Tom and Carole Shirley. Their daughter, Lisa Nobbs, the company’s former broker/owner will stay on with Royal LePage Access Real Estate in a sales capacity.

Marv and his team of eight sales representatives, along with their property/ strata manager, service a trading area of 35,000, which includes the city of Salmon Arm and the surrounding communities of Canoe, Sicamous, Enderby, Tappen, Sunnybrae, Blind Bay, Sorrento, Scotch Creek, Anglemont and Chase. They can be reached at: P.O. Box 434- 241 Alexander Street N.E. Salmon Arm, British Columbia V1E 4N6 Phone: (250) 832-9997 Toll Free: 1-877-604-9007 Fax: (250) 832-9935 mbeer@royallepage.ca www.royallepageaccess.ca Please join us in congratulating Marv, and wishing everyone at Royal LePage Access Real Estate continued success. For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call (416) 510-5827.

Email: franchise@royallepage.ca †

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

his year’s annual Royal LePage National Garage Sale for Shelter raised more than $400,000 and led to a new milestone – $1.2 million has now been raised at the event since its inception in 2009. Every dollar raised supports local women’s shelters, as well as prevention and education programs to help stop the cycle of family violence. All of the money raised in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation goes directly to the cause because Royal LePage underwrites the administrative costs and sponsors cover event expenses. The foundation is Canada’s largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to supporting women’s shelters and ending violence against women and children. ■ ■ ■

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Since 2008, the Realtors and mortgage specialists at Sutton Group - West Coast Realty in Victoria have donated $23,500 to help four schools build new playgrounds, a ball wall and an outdoor seating area. The latest recipient is Marigold Elementary, which was given $7,000 for a new playground. Realtor Deborah Farley, the founding member of the Adopt-aSchool committee, says, “We try to choose schools in the less prosperous neighbourhoods that have few public parks. We also look for high-volume schools that are not at risk of closing anytime soon. The focus is on outdoor play equipment that children can also enjoy on weekends and in the summertime.” ■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services in Burlington, Ont. recently supported Halton Women’s Place and the Carpenter Hospice with a donation of $34,000. The brokerage raised the funds through an annual charity golf tournament, the Halloween Chili Bowl, Cupcake Fridays in February

and sales reps’ commission-based donations. ■ ■ ■

Recently Sutton Group Assurance Realty in Toronto participated for the first time in the five km Hike for Hospice benefiting the Dorothy Ley Hospice in Etobicoke. With 61 sponsors and 21 hikers, the Sutton office raised $5,800, making it the top fundraising team. Broker of record Carol Payne says the hospice “does invaluable work in the community, not only providing nursing care, compassion and kindness to the terminally ill but in providing support to the many families of the sick. They rely on community fundraising events to add to their limited government funds in order to keep all of their beds open.” Hiking for the Sutton team were Realtors Corinne Del Piero, Karena Koh, David Young, Anne Thorburn, Irene Murray and Catherine Hayward, along with Payne and administrator Marisa Mendonca. ■ ■ ■

Reg Black, broker/owner of Century 21 Sun Country Realty in Beausejour, Man. is stepping up to the edge and has pledged to participate in the Easter Seals Drop Zone challenge in Winnipeg. On August 16, Black will join others and rappel down 17 storeys at the RBC Building at 220 Portage Ave. Each Drop Zone participant must raise a minimum of $1,500 in order to make it over the edge. All proceeds raised will stay in Manitoba and go towards supporting and sustaining vital Easter Seals programs and services. The programs are managed by the Society of Manitobans with Disabilities, an organization that reaches over 47,000 children, youth and adults with disabilities in Manitoba. Black has owned Century 21 Sun Country Realty with his wife Myrna since 2005. The couple have been active members of the community of Beausejour and sur-

Royal LePage Team Realty and Royal LePage Gale in Ottawa and Carlton Place, Ont. (both owned by Kent Browne) have a long history of giving back to the community. With a variety of events throughout the month of May, they raised $65,000 for local charities. The fundraising started when they hosted a pre-loved clothing sale, raising $3,000 for a local women’s shelter, St. Joseph’s Women’s Centre. The following weekend, administrative staff auctioned off a lasagne raising $200 for the Ottawa Cancer Assessment Clinic while agents at Royal LePage Gale Real Estate’s Kemptville office participated in the Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart, generating $1,350. That same weekend, Royal LePage Team and Royal LePage Gale hosted a charity poker tournament along with Mortgage Brokers Ottawa, raising $10,000 for local shelters and $10,000 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Then the Royal LePage Gale’s Carleton Place office participated in the National Garage Sale for Shelter, raising $2,000. To cap off the month, a special breakfast meeting was held for all the agents of Royal LePage Team and Royal LePage Gale, coined “Denim Tuesday.” Wearing jeans and pink shirts, and pitching in to donate items or bid in live and silent auctions, participants raised an additional $36,600 for the Ottawa Cancer Assessment Clinic in support of breast cancer. ■ ■ ■

Right At Home Realty recently donated $1,000 for the True Patriot Love Foundation. The foundation is placing 26 plaques on bridges on the Highway of Heroes to commemorate the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers and their families. The money raised through plaque sponsorship will support military families through programs that help send children to summer camp, provide psychological counselling, retrofit homes and cars for soldiers returning from overseas with injuries or amputations, and rehabilitate wounded soldiers through sport. The Brock Street Bridge is one of the overpasses prominently fea-

REM JULY 2012 33

tured on the highway in Whitby, Ont. and is being sponsored by Right At Home. Many people gather there to proudly wave their flags in a sea of red and white to welcome motorcades carrying soldiers’ bodies from CFB Trenton to Toronto. ■ ■ ■

Natalie Nobert, an agent with Royal LePage Parksville-Qualicum Beach Realty, Vancouver Island, recently achieved one of her life’s goals when she ran the Boston Marathon. She qualified at the Vancouver Marathon last year with a time of 3:33. An avid runner, Nobert challenged herself to train for the marathon while also raising funds for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and her local shelter Haven Society. Her inspiration

was a childhood friend who experienced abuse. The Boston Marathon event this year was on extremely hot day, reaching 30 C, which made conditions difficult. Nobert raised more than $3,000. ■ ■ ■

The Oakville, Ont. “Klean Up for the Kids” event by Century 21 Miller Real Estate raised funds through a car wash, document shredding and clothing drop off, Mother’s Day flower sales and a raffle, and helped raise hundreds of dollars to help send disabled kids to camp this summer. “The event turned into a real party with everyone pitching in and enjoying the music. We had great team work and a lot of fun,” says Sheena Smith Curran, broker/manager. “More importantly,

Royal LePage Nanaimo Realty raised $2,200 as part of the National Garage Sale for Shelter. From left: Scott Forest, Ray Pellerin, Roy Fisher, Hillary Reeves, Jessica Phillips, Jana Koster, Ian Hodson, Stephanie Sandham, Barry Clark (company president), Robert Schindelka and Sun Xu.

we raised over $1,500 to help send disabled kids to Easter Seals camps.” ■ ■ ■

Many terminally ill patients at Crossroads Hospice and their families in Coquitlam, B.C. have directly or indirectly experienced the care and support offered by Ann Soucie, a sales rep with Sutton Group – 1st West Realty. Since 1998, Soucie has visited patients at the hospice, used her business savvy to help establish the Crossroads Thrift Store and served on committees and as chairperson for the Treasures of Christmas Fundraising Gala. She helped make the gala a success and a major source of funding for the hospice. “When I was chairperson for the (gala), I moved the event from a local hotel to the Red Robinson

Heather Brabender (left) and Mary Lindsay of Royal LePage Team Realty show of some of the wares at their “Yesterdays” clothing sale, which raised $3,000 in support of St. Joseph’s Women’s Centre. They were one of two Ottawa-region Royal LePage offices that pitched in to raise close to $65,000 for various charities over the course of one month.

Reg Black

Natalie Nobert ran the 2012 Boston Marathon in April and has qualified for the 2013 event, which she again will run in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

Above: Century 21 Miller Real Estate raised more than $1,500 to send disabled kids to camp. The committee chair for the event was Hans Taal, sales rep, in the front row in the light coloured shorts. The Sutton Group – Assurance Realty team took part in a five km Hike for Hospice recently.

Show Theatre in Coquitlam,” says Soucie. “It was a risk but I felt strongly that it would be beneficial. We went from raising $50,000 and hosting 150 guests to raising $127,000 with 450 guests…Last year, we raised $135,000 for the hospice. We hope the next gala on Nov. 26 will be another success in terms of raising money and awareness.” ■ ■ ■

The agents and brokers of the Royal LePage Real Estate Services office in Mississauga, Ont. have been supporting the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation through agent commission donations and a host of fundraising activities including raffles, bake sales, dress-down days, silent auctions and their participation in the National Garage Sale for Shelter. The office supports two

local shelters – Armagh House and the Peel Family Shelter. Armagh House provides second stage housing to abused women and children and Peel Family Shelter supports homeless families. ■ ■ ■

Team Powerhouse Realty hosted an early morning breakfast station recently to support Bike to Work Week in Prince George, B.C. The station was well attended with over 60 riders stopping in for coffee, juice and baked goods before heading off to work for the day. For the second year in a row, the station was voted No. 1 by the bike riders. To commemorate Bike to Work Week, Team Powerhouse Realty has installed a new bike rack to encourage residents to bike when possible. REM

The Royal LePage Burloak cheque presentation – front row, from left: JoAnn Jusdanis, broker/owner; Lesley Hirst, executive director, the Carpenter Hospice; Shanan SpencerBrown, executive director, Royal LePage Shelter Foundation; Diane Beaulieu, executive director, Halton Women’s Place; Fern Michel, sales rep; Rob Landry, broker/manager; and Rebecca Ryder, broker/manager. At the cheque presentation for the Brock Street Bridge plaque, from left: Don Kottick, president and broker-of-record, Right At Home Realty; John Dolstra and Chuck Byers, representing the bridge fundraising project; and Tony Slavin, branch manager, Right At Home Durham.

From left: Ann Soucie; Tony Parsons of Global B.C., the MC for the Treasures of Christmas Fundraising Gala; and Barb Henham, executive director, Crossroads Hospice Society.

34 REM JULY 2012

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he Toronto Real Estate Board recently presented several members with awards for their charitable works and for serving on TREB committees. Harvey Malinsky received a Community Service Award. He has been active with the Toronto People With Aids (PWA) Foundation for the past 3 1/2 years. He works on major fundraisers, including the Friends for Life Bike Rally, which involves sponsored cyclists riding from Toronto to Montreal. In his three years of riding he collected over $100,000 in pledges. A Community Service Award also went to Azim Rizvee, broker of record of Minmaxx Realty in Mississauga. He is involved in the West Mississauga and Milton communities providing sponsorship for many events. Major sponsorships were provided to the Milton Hospital Foundation, Milton Centre for the Arts, Muslim Association of Milton and Milton Skating Club. Other community involvement included raising funds through charity barbecues and golf tournaments for the United Way, Salvation Army and Milton Hospital Foundation. The David Rossi Committee Service Award was presented to

John Meehan. “During the past six years, he has committed many hours to support TREB’s Arbitration Roster. With a passion about the quality of service he provides, an ambition to create an inviting atmosphere, and an ability to comprehend and apply TREB’s rules/by-laws to aid in ‘sound’ decision making, we would like him to know that his work as both arbitrator and mediator is very much appreciated,” says TREB. Kenneth Belcher received an award for his involvement with the Arbitration Roster for approxi-

mately 20 years. “He has positively influenced many volunteers with his pragmatism and common sense. We would like to thank you for your inspiring dedication and mentorship,” says TREB. Also receiving a David Rossi Committee Service Award was Regina Kurth. “Both the Arbitration Roster and Professional Standards Roster have been privileged to work with Regina. We are grateful for the investments of time, energy and leadership skills that Regina has given over the past six years,” says TREB. REM From left: Harvey Malinsky, Azim Rizvee and Richard Silver, TREB president. (Photo: Geoff Parkin – GP Photo)

From left: Kenneth Belcher, Regina Kurth, John Meehan and Richard Silver (Photo: Geoff Parkin – GP Photo)

CREA, Point2 enter listing distribution agreement

reparing for the launch of the data distribution facility this summer, CREA has signed an agreement with Point2 to power part of the facility. “The data distribution facility will optimize CREA member listing exposure to online buyers,” says Point2 and CREA in a news release. “It will also introduce new listing accuracy measures designed to maintain high levels of data consistency and integrity on key real estate consumer portals and search engines across Canada.” The release says that under the agreement, Point2 will distribute up to 350,000 residential and commercial listings from participating brokers and agents to a number of third-party websites, as directed by those participating brokers and agents, at least once every 24 hours.

“CREA will offer the new service to its members as part of their membership benefits, at no added cost,” says the release. All leads generated through the new data distribution facility will be delivered to the respective listing brokers and agents, at no charge. “I’m thrilled that this tool will help our members efficiently harness the power of the web in a way that protects the integrity of their listing content,” said Mary Van Buren, CREA’s vice-president, marketing and information technology. “Participating members will only have to update a listing once, and the updated information will be distributed to a number of selected real estate destinations with no further effort on their part.” Saul Klein, senior vice-presi-

dent at Point2, says, “Wide online listing distribution has become an important part of real estate marketing. We’re pleased to have been chosen to deliver this advantage to brokers and agents across Canada.” Traffic reports and analytics from the various Point2 distribution network websites will also be available to CREA members as part of their membership dues, the company says. The reports can be used to identify the best lead sources to support more informed marketing decisions such as enhanced advertising on any of the sites, it says. With more than 1.2 million listings, Point2 powers listing distribution for more than 250 real estate multiple listing services in the United States and associations across Canada. REM

REM JULY 2012 35

Letters to the Editor CREA president responds to REM reader comments

ecent correspondence in REM has provoked some interest and discussion so I thought I would offer readers and online posters some information on what’s actually going on in organized real estate. Too often we see people offering opinions on issues they are not current with or don’t have the latest information and that often creates confusion, frustration and fear. Hopefully my comments will clear up a few misconceptions. First and foremost, let me say that members of our industry are engaged in a unique exercise to ensure Realtors continue to be the cornerstone of property buying and selling well into the future. Indeed, this Futures Strategic Planning process has been underway for over a year, with Realtors giving input and feedback at CREA’s 2011 AGM, over a dozen cross-country sessions last summer, CREA’s 2011 Fall SGM and again this past March at the 2012 AGM. Key to

the success to date of the futures plan has been member participation, and it’s been unprecedented for our industry. In addition to the meetings I mentioned above, Realtors have been engaged through the following; a dedicated intranet site; a virtual discussion on a futures forum site; several articles in News2Me, CREA’s newsletter received by over 85,000 Realtors. And we’re not stopping there. In the coming weeks short videos will be sent to all members, followed by a few quick multiple choice questions that will provide feedback to your leadership. Realtors who want to have further input will be given the opportunity to go in depth and offer opinions on an additional set of questions. To participate, all you have to do is open the relevant email on your smartphone or desktop and follow a few prompts. Given the passionate views about the industry expressed here

and elsewhere, I look forward to members’ participation in these forums. It’s your chance to shape the future of our business. Our business has a great track record. We have the most popular consumer real estate site in Canada by a huge margin, over five million visits last month. Over two million Canadians have used the Home Buyers Plan to withdraw money from their RRSP to buy a home. This program was invented by Realtors, made permanent by Realtors and increased in the 2009 budget by Realtors. I look forward to working with all of you to grow our business and continue to help Canadians with the biggest financial decision of their lives, buying and selling property. Wayne Moen President, CREA

CREA: Map for disaster? I consider myself a person who

has a lot of patience but, with almost 57 years living on this planet and 11 as a Realtor, I think that it’s time to stop being polite and speak clearly about something that will affect thousands of Realtors across Canada. The last straw was when I received the “Map for the Future” written by the board of directors of CREA. After reading it, several questions popped up into my mind: Who are these guys who created this “map”? Are they currently working as Realtors? When was the last time that they got a listing or a Buyer Representation Agreement? When was the last time that they were sitting in front of a potential client answering objections about commission or pricing? Do they know how the REAL world for Realtors is? I’m pretty sure they have good intentions but the roads of their map are telling me that they seem to be somehow disconnected from the reality that Realtors deal with

every day. I’m not a mechanical engineer but I read somewhere that a car wastes at least 25 per cent of its energy fighting against friction. This is what CREA is doing to us: using our time and energy fighting against some “nonsense” ideas created by others. Please, stop wasting your resources and our money creating an even more complicated world for us. Use those resources to stop the vicious attack of the Competition Bureau once and for all. Use them to create effective marketing campaigns and not the kind of ad with no message that we saw on television. Use them to improve and defend the MLS because it’s OUR tool and not the public’s tool (we pay for that, not them). Use them to create a better map for the future but, this time, based exclusively on your members’ needs. And by the way, I’d Continued on page 36

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36 REM JULY 2012

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By Stan Albert

he other day, one of my agents asked me to walk over to the local Tim’s for a coffee break. I wasn’t astonished by the invite, because I get the Royal Treatment from our sales team on a regular basis. The café was crowded and my colleague wanted to grab a sandwich and a coffee, so we invited ourselves to a table occupied by a sole patron who was finishing a tea. He said he didn’t mind the company and was happy to have a conversation after his long day at work. His broad smile and welcoming demeanour showed that he was genuine. He told us that he drove an “18 wheeler” all over Ontario, hauling heavy equipment and supplies. He told us he came from Nicaragua over 17 years ago with his wife and one child. After a few years he earned his truckers licence and began to earn serious money compared to his native country. Meanwhile, his spouse found

Letters to the Editor Continued from page 35

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suggest adding a new road to your map, called “Shutdown Realtor.ca”. It’s very nice of you to care about the consumers but I think that you are missing the point: The consumers are OUR clients, NOT yours. WE are your clients. You should work FOR US, NOT against us. Please... Do mORE for us and mORE than 100,000 Realtors will be grateful. Jorge Branca Accredited Buyer Representative Sales Representative Century 21 Leading Edge Realty Scarborough, Ont.

The low cost of prospecting employment at a major hotel, where she is now a supervisor. The conversation expanded to what he did in his home country, and it turns out that he still has a small dairy farm and returns there once every six months. After showing us photos of his two sons, the eldest of whom is now an engineer, we exchanged business cards. Seeing my card, he asked me where our office was and told him that we were right behind Tim’s. He then asked if we had any condominiums in the 600-700k range for his son and family of three in the area of downtown Toronto. I remembered my first days in Belleville, Ont., when I started out in this crazy and wonderful business, and how I would drop into the really new coffee spot called Tim Hortons and read the Globe and Mail. I’d be circling the For Sale by Owner ads in the Out of Town Section (no highlighter back then!) and someone nearby would ask me what I was doing and what I did for a living. Presto! I had invented my own small niche marketing tool! The Globe back then was 10 cents and so was the coffee. The average selling price in the Quinte area was about $20,000, and the average commission was six per cent.

‘The fix is in’ Bureaucrats within the established CREA ‘know-it- all’ culture have likely never enjoyed boots-on-the-ground ‘real’ estate experience, but were/are theoretical types who study charts and graphs and extrapolate figures and trends from the past into the future, something like insurance company actuaries. The system is broken, and it is being maintained in its broken state at a greater and greater cost to its taxpayers by “we know what is best for you all” misguided theoretical self-serving thinking patterns by CREA’s mandarins and their puppet ‘leaders’. CREA now thinks that it has

Those were the days! Oh, the commission split? 50/50 until I reached $20,000 and then I went to 70/30. You can do the math and see what it would take to earn $50,000! I think I made $25,000 in my second year and bought a new Chevy for $2,500 – loaded! The point of this article is to show that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a lot of money. Make some new friends when you go to your favourite java shop. Tell them what you do. The investment today: the Globe and Mail is about $1.25 and the coffee is about 1.59, plus HST of course. But the average sale here in Toronto, the last time I looked, was over $500,000. Commissions? They’re relative to whatever the listing agent negotiates. I can’t say average, because the Competition Bureau may come down on me, the board and who knows who else. Next time you have a coffee at Tim’s, tell them Stan sent you. And I take my coffee black. Stan Albert, broker/manager, ABR, ASA at Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. can be reached for consultation at stanalb@rogers.com. Stan is now celebrating 40 years as an active real estate professional. REM

morphed into the United Nations of Realtors and consumers everywhere, in direct violation of its original mandate. The only way to fix something broken is to dismantle it, throw away the bent/broken internals that will never be bent back into proper shape, install new internals that do what the new designers intend for them to do, and rename the Edsel something else, like the Canadian Operative Real Estate Association. The fix is in; it always has been. It’s time to fix the fix. Brian Martindale Recently retired from organized real estate (by choice) Lakefield, Ont. REM

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

38 REM JULY 2012

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

MARKETPLACE

he other day I was in my local Staples store, looking at a very attractive organizer case that I wanted to give someone as a gift. It was listed on the shelf for $60. It was a little expensive but I thought, okay, I will get this because it is a nice case. I waited in line and when I got to the cashier I was told it was not $60 but actually $140. I was staggered by this and, embarrassed, I decided not to buy it. When I put it back on the shelf, I pointed out to the clerk that it was wrongly marked as $60. The clerk just shrugged and said, “Yeah well I guess someone just put the wrong price on it.” It didn’t matter to the clerk or anyone in the store, for that matter, that the price continued to sit there wrongly marked. This store is too big to care. This is not a little stationery store on the street, it is a mega store that sells all kinds of paper, calculators, computers, office furniture and virtually anything else you might want for your business. It’s huge. It occurs to me that we are now at a point where everything is now a big store. Not a monopoly but rather an oligopoly. That’s a new

Oligopolies word for me. It means a small group of companies that do almost all the business that there is in a certain industry or retail market. For example, there are very few, if any, small clothing stores around anymore. They are all major marketing chains. Do you remember when there used to be small tailor shops around? They are almost all gone. I remember a time when there were small shoe stores in every corner plaza in the suburbs or on every street. Now they are all big box, mega-walking world stores. Today everything seems to be an oligopoly. There are no more family restaurants. They have been replaced with chains of McDonald’s, Burger King, The Keg and a few others. There don’t seem to be very many corner drug stores anymore where the pharmacist would know your name. There aren’t too many local bake shops where they actually bake the pies in the back that they were selling in the front. Neighbourhood hardware stores are now part of a limited number of big chains. The point is that the days of a one-person business are gone. It’s all slick now with stuff put on the shelf, picked up and sold without the assistance of anyone. We want stuff cheap today. Quick and easy. Today we are left with oligopolies that have stopped caring because one person screaming does not make an impact on the profits from the masses. We have only ourselves to blame because we wanted everything cheap. We wanted to eliminate the middle man, get it

wholesale, find a deal. No more shopping at Eaton’s with the nice clerk who is pleased to talk to us about our Aunt Martha and the kind of perfume we want to buy for her. Now we go to the dollar stores and if you don’t see it, we don’t have it so get out because we don’t have time to discuss it with you. There just aren’t any businesses left in this country that provide personal services. Even the family farm is gone. Nobody gives real caring services for customers anymore. They are all gone. All except for one. It seems to me that real estate brokers and sales representatives are now the last people willing to provide services from days gone by when people came to the house and sat at the dining room table to talk to you. What you want, what you need and what you would like to do are still important to a Realtor. This is the last business person left who truly wants to listen to your concerns, your problems and talk to you about a solution to get you what you want. Even this last service is evolving today with do-it-yourself kits and competitive rates that sacrifice the personal services Realtors are famous for. New selling methods are emerging to help you get the product (your house) on the shelf and out the door. I am not sure if it is a good thing or not. I worry about the consequences and who is pushing all this forward.

Trade Shows and Conferences

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

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

For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Realtors Care Foundation Motorcycle Ride for Charity Wed., July 4, Ontario Stephanie O’Brien – stephanie@orea.com

Atlantic Connection Oct. 3 – 5 The Marriott Halifax Harbourfront Hotel, Halifax www.atlanticconnection.ca

Professional Development Retreat Hosted by Re/Max of Western Canada Sept. 13 - 15 The Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna, B.C. Kelsey Woodliffe – kwoodliffe@remax.net

WinnipegRealtors Technology Conference and Trade Show Wed., Oct.10 Victoria Inn, Winnipeg www.wrexpo.ca Lucy Hajkowski – lhajkowski@winnipegrealtors.ca

Via Capitale Annual Convention Sept. 19 – 20 Best Western Plus Hotel Drummondville, Que. France Massé – france.masse@viacapitale.com

Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound Technology & Trades Show Tues., Oct. 23 Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre Owen Sound Marilyn Newbigging — MarilynN@ragbos.com

Realtors Association of Edmonton Realtors Tradeshow Tues., Sept. 25 Mayfield inn & Suites and Trade Centre, Edmonton Lixmila Serrano – specialevents@ereb.com

2012 MTC Technology Forum Monday, Oct. 29 Fairmont Winnipeg Winnipeg Anik Aube – aaube@crea.ca

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