June 2011

Issue #264

June 2011

Bernie Vogt’s new Aventure Linking independent brokers coast to coast Page 12

Sales reps must pay advances taken by broker Page 3

Vancouver legends spill secrets Page 8

Push or pull digital marketing Page 22

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REM JUNE 2011 3

Sales reps must pay advances taken by broker “Did we read and understand the contracts we were signing? In most cases, I would say no.”

By Danny Kucharsky who has a sales manager’s license, was brought in as sales manager and tasked with training the new sales force.

“It was a fresh approach,” but the freshness didn’t last. “He got too big too fast” and didn’t have cash flow, she says. “He was literally taking from Peter to pay Paul.”

The day after Mawhinney folded, 22 agents received letters from Agent’s Equity demanding repayment for money that had not been reimbursed. (Several later settled out of court.)

T

welve sales reps in Saint John, N. B. have been ordered to pay back more than $80,000 in commission advances that they say they never received.

The Court of Appeal of New Brunswick ruled in April that the agents who worked for now-bankrupt Mawhinney Real Estate have to pay the money to Agent’s Equity of Toronto for advances paid shortly before Mawhinney went belly-up.

The agents say they were flabbergasted to discover their former firm was using advances on commission to pay off its operating expenses and that they were on the hook to Agent’s Equity for non-payment after Mawhinney declared bankruptcy in August 2009. The agents had signed contracts allowing Mawhinney to collect the advances on commission on their behalf.

“We were always under the assumption those monies were being paid back (to Agent’s Equity), but we discovered they weren’t,” says Sheila Henry, one of the former Mawhinney agents who now owes money to Agent’s Equity. “It’s very disillusioning.”

Mawhinney Real Estate was founded by Marc Mawhinney, a successful agent for several years. He had a business model that made it appealing for both seasoned agents and rookies to work for him.

New agents were supplied laptops and Blackberrys and their monthly MLS fees and other expenses were covered. Agents worked as salaried employees and not as independent contractors, but still received commissions on sales – albeit at lower than usual splits until they reached certain sales quotas.

Henry, an experienced agent

As contracts with Agent’s Equity are under Ontario law, the company went to court in Ontario to collect the money it had advanced to Mawhinney.

The agents did not contest the Ontario action, saying that the time, distance and costs would be prohibitive. Agent’s Equity received a judgment in its favour by default.

“Those of us who felt this was not our debt, and therefore we didn’t owe it, decided to fight the judgment coming here,” Henry says.

In June 2010, a lower court in New Brunswick ruled the Ontario judgment was unenforceable because advances on commissions were similar to consumer financial loans, such as payday loans. Under Canadian law, judgments for consumer financial loans can not be moved across provincial borders.

However, the decision was overturned by the appeals court, which ruled the advances on commissions were business-tobusiness transactions, meaning the Ontario judgment can be enforced in New Brunswick.

Henry is now sounding a warning about signing contracts without obtaining a legal

opinion. Like the other agents, “I signed it over to my employer without specific reason, since he asked.” Asks Henry: “Did we read and understand the contracts we were signing? In most cases, I would say no.”

In retrospect, Henry says, the agents would have fared better had they originally contested the case in Ontario. For example, she believes they would not have been considered liable since they were salaried employees of Mawhinney and not independent contractors.

She also accuses Agent’s Equity of “not caring to know the real story, and turning a deaf ear” to the agents.

But Jim Trainer, owner of Agent’s Equity, says he is not the villain. “We’ve been painted in New Brunswick as the demons from Ontario,” when the company “is simply asking for its money back for the advances it gave based on the signed contracts of each agent.”

He says the situation is clearcut, and that the company used the same documentation with the ex-Mawhinney agents it has been using for more than 20 years.

On its website, Agent’s Equity describes itself as “the leading provider of commission financing services for Realtors in Canada – with over $175 million in gross commissions purchased.”

The company works with major franchises like Re/Max and Royal LePage.

Trainer says Agent’s Equity did not know the Mawhinney agents were salaried employees and may not have dealt with the firm had it known.

“All we’d done is advance some funds as directed in writing.

(The broker) played the game

using them as pawns and ran up the bill with us.”

In addition to the money owed by the agents, Agent’s Equity is owed $172,000 for advances it provided Mawhinney on the broker side – money it can’t recoup.

Trainer says Agent’s Equity’s reputation has been sullied in New Brunswick when it’s really a third party who is at fault.

“It’s been a dreadful situation for us and I can only imagine what it’s like for the agents. We want to work out a reasonable accommodation with them.

We’re not trying to be the bad guy here.”

Henry owes about $6,000 to Agent’s Equity, while the other agents owe between $1,900 and $8,200, plus court and interest costs. Because of the costs, they are not attempting to contest the Court of Appeal decision to the Supreme Court.

Most of the agents involved are still in the business, except for one whose only sale was caught up in the legal situation.

“That was just devastating for her,” says Henry, who is now an associate broker with Royal LePage Atlantic and a director of the Saint John Real Estate Board.

For his part, Mawhinney is said to be buying and renovating properties, and renting or flipping them. He is no longer licensed to sell real estate.

Henry urges agents to have contracts checked and to be careful about signing contracts that do not give them the right to be bound by the laws of the province in which they reside.

“The lesson here is to question a little bit, and make sure you know what it is that you’re doing,” she says. REM

4 REM JUNE 2011

Multiple Listings

By Jim Adair, REM Editor Do you have news to share with Canada’s real estate community?

Let REM know about it! Email: jim@remonline.com entury 21 Accord Realty, owned by former independent Elaine Dickie, is now serving the residents of Swift Current, Sask. and the surrounding areas.

Born and raised in Swift Current, Dickie has been in real estate since 1992, gaining her broker license in 1996. Her motto for her business is: “People don’t care what you know until they know how much you care.” She says, “I think buying and selling a home is such a personal experience and I love being a part of that in people’s lives.”

C

■ ■ ■

Elaine Dickie

Carl Thomas and Dave Butkovich, owners of Royal LePage Northern Advantage in Sault Ste-Marie, Ont. have merged operations with Royal LePage Realty North, the brokerage owed by Ken Leffler. The merged operations will operate under the Royal LePage Northern Advantage name. This merger adds 12 salespeople to the sales force and makes it the largest real estate company in the Algoma region and on the Sault Ste-Marie Real Estate Board.

■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker R.M.R. Real Estate has opened a new office in Brooklin, Ont. The office is located near the historical district in the heart of the village at 10 Cassels Rd. W., the former residence of the late Luther Vipond, a well-knowm local community leader and sports figure.

“The addition of our Brooklin location complements the market coverage provided by our surrounding offices of Whitby, Oshawa, Port Perry and Uxbridge” says Ralph Roberto, president and broker of record of Coldwell

Banker R.M.R. Real Estate. “We’re building an office that will complement the unique character and quaint lifestyle of the community.”

Deborah Glover will open the new office in Brooklin after 12 years of managing the Whitby office and continues to have responsibility for sales staff training and development. Filling the management vacancy in Whitby is Dierdre Mullen, who is currently president of Durham Region Association Of Realtors. Among the sales staff of 13 in the new office are Bill Little, a long-time property owner and developer in Brooklin, Whitby and surrounding area; and John Fusco, a life-long Brooklin resident and sports personality who was recently inducted to the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

■ ■ ■

As part of their progressive business plan, Valerie Connell and Kim Connell, franchisees of Exit Realty Town and Country, have built and opened a new office in New Minas, N.S. It has 6,500 square feet of space and main street exposure. This is their second

Carl Thomas

Ken Leffler

Bert Chapman

Dave Butkovich

Joe Fleming

Ian Brown

office in the Annapolis Valley.

“Val and Kim recently engaged experienced real estate agent Angie Foster as the manager of their New Minus branch and continue to create leverage for themselves in expanding their reach to customers throughout the area.

Their goal is to be the largest and most successful real estate company in the Annapolis Valley,” says Ed Martens, Exit’s senior vicepresident of franchise sales.

“It was a great move for us to make. We now have the room we require to grow while making a sig-

nificant professional real estate statement in our community,” says Val Connell.

■ ■ ■

Signature Service Real Estate Moose Jaw is adding two branch offices, in Swift Current (opened March 1) and Weyburn, Sask. (opening June 1). The brokerage offers real estate services for agricultural, commercial and residential transactions.

Matt Dominguez, who played Continued on page 6

Urban Landmark Realty is the latest Aventure member. From left, Thomas McBurney, broker of record, Morag Gerace, CFO, Mike Gerace, director of marketing and Jim Kontos (inset), owner.

Coldwell Banker R.M.R. opens a new office in Brooklin, Ont. Members of the team not in the photo are Josie Vani, Eddie Harnick, Bob Dickson and Rob Lebovic.

Anita Wintzer

Bob Harris

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6 REM JUNE 2011

Continued from page 4

for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders from 2004 to 2008, is now the managing broker at the Moose Jaw office. “With the use of technology, marketing and teamwork, Signature Service Real Estate offers a unique opportunity for individuals who are interested in a career in real estate, as well as for the people in the communities we serve,” he says.

■ ■ ■

Joe Fleming recently opened Royal LePage Vision Realty in Mount Pearl, Nfld.

Fleming began selling real estate 22 years ago. In 2001 he earned his broker’s license and opened Sutton Group Today’s Realty, which he operated for four years. Prior to entering the business, he was in the investment fund industry.

Royal LePage Vision Realty has a team of five sales reps servicing the communities of Mount Pearl, St. John’s, Paradise, Conception Bay South, Southern Shore, Logy Bay, Torbay, Outer Cove, Portugal Cove, Goulds, Holyrood and Seal Cove.

■ ■ ■

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) has launched a new consumer-friendly website.

“We believe the public will benefit from the information we have on our website and the new tools and features that can help them make more informed decisions before buying or selling a home,” says Tom Wright, president/CEO of RECO. RECO says one of the most important aspects of the website is the registrant search feature, which will confirm whether an individual or brokerage is registered to trade in real estate in Ontario.

“Consumers who deal with a registered real estate professional have the benefit of consumer deposit insurance. In recent years,

Cover photo: MARKO SHARK

some home buyers have lost their deposits because they unwittingly dealt with someone who was not registered,” says Wright.

“As a regulator, RECO is an independent source of information which can help home buyers and sellers have confidence in the process.”

RECO’s website features a number of consumer bulletins regarding specific topics such as planning for an open house, tips to spot a home that may have been a grow op and how to avoid being led into a mortgage fraud situation.

“Through our website, the public can also access the consumer brochure Buying or Selling Your Home?, which has been translated into six languages,” says Wright.

The website is at www.reco.on.ca.

■ ■ ■

Century 21 recently opened a website career centre full of useful information and job postings from all over the country. The site, at www.century21.ca, enables brokers from across the country to post job opportunities, giving them instant national exposure.

“We wanted to find a way to help our brokers post job opportunities quickly and efficiently with the maximum impact,” says Don Lawby, president of Century 21 Canada. “By having all career postings hosted on Century21.ca, it gives applicants one place to search for all opportunities with Century 21 in Canada.”

Job postings range in experience from receptionist positions to sales agents to sales managers.

Applicants applying for a career posting will be asked to fill out an online form, which will be submitted to the respective Century 21 office.

Visitors will also be able to find out about career events happening in their communities. “It’s a great way to learn about the industry and whether a job in real estate is right for you,” says Lawby. “Career events also allow you to get a sense

of the company culture and the personalities that you would be working with.”

■ ■ ■

The Aventure Realty Network recently welcomed four new members: • Premier Canadian Properties (Okanagan) in Kelowna, B.C. Broker/owner Bert Chapman has 39 years of industry experience. He and his staff are focused on the luxury, lakeshore, condo and investment segments.

• Team Realty K.W., with broker/owner Ian Brown. He brings over 25 years of experience to his organization and has a team of more than 30 sales professionals.

• Coastal Winds Realty in Nova Scotia. With three locations, brokers/owners Anita Wintzer and Bob Harris lead a Realtor group servicing the Halifax/Dartmouth, Lunenburg and Eastern Shore markets.

• Urban Landmark Realty in Toronto. The brokerage has opened a third location in the GTA to service the Central Toronto market at 925 Pape Avenue.

Owners Thomas McBurney, Frank Gerace and Jim Kontos continue to focus on expanding their operation in the Toronto and Oshawa markets.

■ ■ ■

Sales reps at Coldwell Banker Tri-Realty in Maple Ridge, B.C. recently hosted a property tour for 300 visiting investors. The brokerage showcased 70 of the best real estate investments in the area to a group from the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN).

Maple Ridge was recognized by Reuters and other polling companies as the fifth best city in Canada to invest in, and the second best in the province.

“These visiting investors represent a tremendous opportunity for our community and we are very excited about our role in promoting the real estate investment potential offered by Maple Ridge,”

Publisher HEINO MOLLS email: heino@remonline.com

Editor JIM ADAIR email: jim@remonline.com

General Manager JOHN COOPER email: john@remonline.com

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Art Director LIZ MACKIN Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY

says broker/owner Ralph Telep.

The firm organized a series of bus tours to give the investors a firsthand view of the properties.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Quebec recently launched The Re/Max Collection, a program for marketing prestige homes and luxury properties at www.lacollectionremax.com.

“We have set up The Re/Max Collection to meet the new realities of the market of upscale properties. In fact, for 2010, we noted a 20 per cent increase in the sales of so-called luxury homes and condos, as compared to 2009,” says Sylvain Dansereau, executive vice-president of Re/Max Quebec.

Garo Kazandjian, broker at Re/Max 3000 in Montreal, says, “Contrary to popular belief, the majority of prestige homes manage to be sold in Quebec.” Kazandjian just completed the sale of the highest-priced single-family home sold in the province of Quebec in the past 10 years, valued at $7.350 million.

The Re/Max Collection offers a range of promotional tools specific to prestige homes, including the website, a distinctive graphic signature including an upscale sign to advertise the properties for sale and an elegant brochure about the property for potential buyers.

■ ■ ■

Exit Realty’s Canadian Franchisee Conference was held recently at the Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff, Alta. The two-day business immersion event, set in the spectacular Rocky Mountains, engaged, inspired and entertained franchisees and their executive team members from across Canada, the company says.

Guest speakers included Loretta Hughes, franchisee of Exit Realty Fusion in Regina, Linda Smardon, broker of record of Exit Realty Citadel in Halifax, and corporate team members. CEO Steve Morris was the keynote speaker at the event.

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Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com REM complies fully with the Canadian Real Estate Association's Rules for Trademarks (CREA Rule 16.5.3.1) REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned by CREA and identify the services rendered by members of CREA. REM is published 12 times a year. It is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any real estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by direct delivery in selected areas. Subscriptions are $40.95 per year (including $1.95 GST), payable by personal cheque. Entire contents copyright 2011 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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■ ■ ■

A Century 21 office is giving away 2,100 Air Miles reward points to one lucky Fredericton, N.B. resident who can describe who they miss the most in the Canadian military. Until July 31, Century 21 Capital River Valley Realty will accept submissions on its website at www.c21capital.ca.

A winner will be decided and announced on August 1.

Submissions can be any length, as long as it comes from a military family member or military personnel.

The contest was the brain child of Jayne Holyoke, office manager of the brokerage. A military spouse herself, she understands first-hand how difficult it may be to have a partner or loved one posted away from family and friends. “I know how much family means to me, especially now that I have my first child,” says Holyoke. “The thought that I could help reunite someone with a person they really miss means a lot.”

The Air Miles could be enough for a round trip to Fredericton or at least a large portion of the trip home for someone, depending on where they are travelling from.

■ ■ ■

Sau San (Jennifer) Wu, the former real estate sales rep who fled the country while facing conspiracy and drug charges dating back to 2002, has been sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to several charges. Wu, from Richmond Hill, Ont., used her position as a real estate agent to obtain rental properties to be used to grow marijuana. She was arrested in 2002 and linked to over 55 indoor marijuana grow operations.

Wu was scheduled to stand trial before the Superior Court of Justice in Newmarket but failed to appear. On Nov. 19, 2010, investigators located Wu, who was operating a daycare in Bucharest, Romania, and she was extradited to face the charges. REM Printed by Metroland Media Group, Ltd. A certified SFI Printer

Multiple Listings

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8 REM JUNE 2011

Vancouver real estate legends spill secrets Panellists Dave Podmore, Robert Lee and Michael Audain tell of incidents that shaped their careers and business outlook. By Jean Sorensen

T

hree of Vancouver’s real estate legends recently told a packed ballroom at the 2011 Vancouver Real Estate Forum some of the secrets of their success. Panellists Dave Podmore, Robert Lee and Michael Audain told of incidents that shaped their careers and business outlook.

“When an opportunity presents itself, definitely don’t do too much analyzing – take it,” said Dave Podmore, chairman and CEO of Concert Properties Ltd. in Vancouver. For Podmore, opportunity came knocking in l980 when he was worked for the City of Edmonton as manager of community planning. He had dealt with Narod Construction.

Alvin Narod called to say that they were starting BC Place development for the EXPO 86 World Far and they needed someone with planning, design and engineering experience.

Podmore flew to Vancouver the next day, met with Narod for a few hours and was encouraged to call his wife to look for a house the next day. Within a month, Podmore had purchased a new home and relocated to Vancouver. It was the turning

number in his wallet. He finally realized he liked working with an organization rather than on his own, and placed the call. “I’ve been waiting for your call,” said Poole, and that launched his career with a “fabulous partner” and co-founder of Concert Properties. (Poole, who chaired the 2010 Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter Olympics, died a day after the flame was lit in Greece).

Michael Audain is chairman and founder of Polygon Homes, which has built more than 18,000 homes in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. He said the point that price is not everything was driven home one winter. While he was at the San Diego zoo “watching the gorillas” he received a phone call. He was told there were two problems with a building. Apparently the City of Vancouver had deemed one of company’s buildings to be “structurally under designed” and considered it a “dangerous building”. The second problem – it was snowing heavily.

“My response was you better get shovelling,” he said. He hopped a jet the next day to return and commence a costly

“Make sure you don’t over-leverage and you have some cash flow to pay if the interest rates rise.” point of his career.

But when EXPO 86 ended “we were all out of a job,” said Podmore. An associate told him to call Jack Poole, a man who could use his talents. “He said go see him immediately.” But Podmore procrastinated for six months, carrying the phone

retrofit to bring the building up to standard. “We had hired a rogue engineer,” he said, adding it was someone who had not worked in B.C. before. He had given the cheapest quote.

“Whether it is in construction or a building trade, it doesn’t pay to always take the cheapest,” he

said. “It was a great lesson learned.”

Realtor and developer Robert Lee spoke about the experience early in his career of investing in a building in Montreal valued at $85 million. “In the l970s, the

ernors and he was able to convince UBC to use 20 acres of its land for a housing development with leasehold on the land.

Only after spending $5 million to place roads and infrastructure was the first phase of Hampton

“Listen to what the tom-toms are saying about you.” banks were easy and interest rates were reasonable,” he said, adding that he was also on a bank board of directors, so when he was approached to bring the deal to the bank, he did. At that time banks were willing to finance 100 per cent of the deal.

By l982, the building was onethird vacant and interest rates had skyrocketed to 23 per cent.

Lee said he “didn’t have the money to pay the bank the interest” required. Business partners offered a bridge loan and Lee eventually ended up selling off some assets to repay his debt. It taught him to never take a shortterm view of interest rates for a long-term investment. “Even in our family,” he said, “we take a l0-year view of rates.” He said, “Make sure you don’t over-leverage and you have some cash flow to pay if the interest rates rise.”

Another lesson learned by Lee was staying the course of a proposal to reach the long-term objective. Lee started as a broker working with many Hong Kong buyers and eventually accumulated capital to invest and found Prospero International Realty, where he is now chairman. His success in real estate over the years landed him on the University of B.C. board of gov-

Place put to tender.

“But, no one tendered,” said Lee. The university considered going freehold title rather than lease. “But the university would not get the revenue stream forever from leasing the lands,” he said. He called a business acquaintance in Hong Kong and said he needed him to spend the $8 million for the first phase of buildings. It happened and the sale of those buildings raised $81 million for UBC. It also allowed the university to continue generating revenue off the lands when the leases expired. Other developments followed and Lee is credited with developing a community with sales that have generated $650 million for the university.

Listen to the “tom-toms” is the final piece of advice from Podmore. After connecting with Poole in 1987, the pair put together the Vancouver Land Corporation to develop the False Creek lands surrounding the EXPO site. A group of investors, each putting up $1 million, was proposed in a public offering.

The proposal set out to the B.C. government had a First Nations component and provided nonmarket housing and other aspects that would benefit the

Dave Podmore

Robert Lee

Michael Audain

community. Podmore said one of the “saddest” calls he received was being told that Concord Pacific had won the contract.

(In retrospect, Podmore said, “They have done a good job.”)

He said that the consortium of investors putting up $1 million each was “the Achilles heel” of the project because “there was scepticism that a public offering of this size would work.”

Podmore said he should have learned from this scepticism when the proposal was first presented. “I learned not to take something for granted,” he said.

“Listen to what the tom-toms are REM saying about you.”

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Mortgage Business M

any Canadians are aggressively reducing their mortgages by making lump sum payments, increasing monthly payments and reducing amortization periods, revealing confidence and financial flexibility in a stable mortgage environment, says the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP).

The association’s spring survey report says: • Twenty-two per cent of mortgage borrowers increased their payments during the past year, 18 per cent made a lump sum payment, nine per cent did both and 27 per cent who renewed increased their payments; • For mortgages repaid in the last 20 years, one third were paid off early; • For the first time, CAAMP has identified that home equity lines of credit (HELOC) represent 22 per cent of all mortgages, making these lines of credit a $215 billion industry; • On average, Canadian homeowners have $222,000 in home equity, equal to 66 per cent of the value of their homes; • During the past year, homeowners borrowed $26 billion in additional equity from their homes. Fifteen per cent of homeowners withdrew equity, averaging $30,000; • Investments (28 per cent) replaced debt consolidation (19 per cent) as the number two use of home equity takeout. Home renovations remain number one (36 per cent).

Of an approximate 9.45 million homeowners in Canada, an estimated 1.87 million hold a mortgage and a HELOC; approximately 770,000 have a

HELOC only with no mortgage and approximately 3.83 million have a mortgage only. About three million Canadians have no debt on their homes.

■ ■ ■

Gord Dahlen has been named executive vice-president of Dominion Lending Centres.

Dahlen most recently served as president and CEO of Invis and Mortgage Intelligence.

“Gord Dahlen is a pioneer in our industry. He’s a passionate leader who has demonstrated exceptional values and integrity, and is a selfless ambassador to the Canadian mortgage brokering industry,” says Dominion Lending Centres president Gary Mauris.

“I’m rejuvenated and as pumped as I’ve ever been about my future in this incredible industry with a forward-thinking company,” Dahlen says.

■ ■ ■

Mortgage Architects recently announced the signing of David Armstrong and River City Financial in Edmonton. River City Financial Your Mortgage Architect becomes the company’s first franchise. Franchising has only been available at Mortgage Architects since March.

Armstrong has extensive financial services experience, starting his career at Royal Trust in 1987 and later working with Household Trust and Scotiabank. He then worked as an executive with the largest credit union in Alberta for seven years where he launched several new initiatives including direct banking, a members’ call centre, a mortgage sales force, centralized broker services and an auto lending program. REM

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12 REM JUNE 2011

Fast-growing Aventure links independents

Bernie Vogt’s ‘retirement’ in 2008 was short-lived as the industry veteran launched a network for independent brokerages. It now links more than 2,200 Realtors. By Susan Doran network of leading independent real estate brokerages, the likes of which Vogt believes cannot be found anywhere else in Canada.

Aventure has its first national conference in Vancouver this June. Vogt is pleased and passionate about the company’s quick growth.

“Our members operate from over 70 locations – we’re presently in all major markets – with almost 2,200 Realtors,” he says. Aventure’s goal is to service all the markets in Canada with independent brokers, he adds.

Bernie Vogt (Photo by Marko Shark)

T

wo weeks before his 60th birthday in 2008, after over 30 years as a leader in the real estate industry, Bernie Vogt stepped down as head of Prudential Real Estate’s operations in Canada. He claimed to be retiring.

A fixture in the real estate business, Vogt’s career was launched in 1974 with Harvey Keith in Kitchener, Ont. He went on to became Ontario general manager of the former A.E. LePage, general manager of Royal LePage, a member of the transition team during the Coldwell Banker/Canada Trust merger, president of Countrywide Realty and then president and CEO of Prudential’s Canadian operations.

Despite making noises about retiring when leaving Prudential,

it seemed obvious to just about everyone that the Canadian real estate industry had not seen the last of Vogt. A REM article at the time quoted him as saying, “You never say never but my intention is to travel.” He added that when he came back he’d “look at what specifically” he’d do, but he noted that for the moment he had no plans.

Then came this: “You never know exactly what’s going to come up…” And finally this: “But for right now, I’m retiring.”

The retirement waffle did not last long. To no one’s surprise, by midway through the following year Vogt was back in the saddle.

Among other ventures, he had spearheaded and was president of Aventure Realty Network (headquartered in Ottawa), a

“I always thought there was an opportunity to connect the independent real estate brokerages in Canada, giving them a much wider reach,” he says. “A lot of great independents were working in isolation and not enjoying the benefits of membership in a network on a national scale…The vision of Aventure is to bring them together and strengthen their competitive positions…Our aspiration is to create referral opportunities and new business opportunities and to deliver to each of our members an outstanding like-minded peer group.”

A further advantage is the host of approved service suppliers who can be accessed through the Aventure network – everything from web designers and software providers to accountants and training organizations.

“We want to make sure that members have access to supplies and services on commercial/ network terms rather than independent terms,” Vogt says.

Through sister company Dada Destination Services, a national relocation firm, members can also be connected with an international customer base and corporate relocation referrals.

While Vogt is a strong believer that “independence in a franchise-dominated market is an asset,” he’s also convinced that association with Aventure and its national brand/vision will “add to the independent company’s strength and credibility.”

Aventure members pay fees, but Vogt says they are “not comparable to fees paid under a franchise agreement and with ongoing royalty fees.”

Although Aventure has no rules about its brokerages’ operating plans (membership is open to all types of independents) not all independent companies qualify for membership.

“The ability to be flexible and to create themselves is the strength of independents. They’re not identified by a franchise brand. Aventure wants to support the independent broker’s own identity, with any type of business plan that suits them. We don’t want to build our brand at the expense of theirs,” says Vogt.

“We operate under contract.

We have an application and screening process, performance and commercial requirements for membership,” Vogt says. He says it’s not size that’s the key, but rather that participating brokerages have “established themselves as an outstanding brand,” with great strength in the community.

Thus, member companies run the gamut from Harvey Kalles Real Estate in Toronto, with 150 salespeople, to Tracy Arnett Realty of Ottawa, with less than 10, Vogt says. The latter was one of the first companies to join Aventure, and represents exactly what Vogt is looking for in member firms.

“Tracy Arnett Realty is an outstanding independent company with a very strong market share, strong market presence, a great connection to the marketplace, and she does an outstanding amount of business in the community,” he says.

Harvey Kalles Real Estate joined the network more recently.

President Michael Kalles says it gives him confidence to know that when he has clients moving from one province to another, he can now pass along referrals Canada-wide that Vogt has approved.

The network’s attitude towards branding is also different than that of the franchises.

He believes that for an independent broker, “your most saleable commodity is the strong equity in your brand.” In his opinion, you should be able “to do with it what you think is right,” without being confined by a rigid contractual agreement that extends for years into the future.

“There’s more to selling a house in today’s world than putting up a sign and mining your contacts,” says Vogt. “You need a more sophisticated approach.

Consumers make decisions based on added value, incremental value…

“I believe that in the future the real estate business will increasingly focus on independents… Every franchise agreement has identity standards… If you can add more value than the competition, and if your reach is greater, then you want to brand yourself.

You can do that more easily, and with fewer restrictions, as an independent broker.”

Aventure, Vogt says, is keen to provide the independents with an “alternative network to strengthen their brand.” REM

14 REM JUNE 2011

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By Donald H. Lapowich

A

fter a settlement was reached in a recent legal case, the appellant disputed the finding of the basis of a settlement. Meanwhile, the other party cross-appealed because the judge refused to enforce the release, which was a term of the settlement.

The person appealing said she did not understand the settlement and that her lawyer was not authorized to act on her behalf, but the court of Appeal noted that she was represented throughout the entire mediation.

Not only that, she personally signed the settlement. In addition, the court found that the appellant accepted the benefit of payments under the settlement and refused to return those payments.

The court concluded there was no evidence of any limitation on the appellant’s lawyer’s authority.

Therefore, the settlement was a complete answer and there was no basis to deny relief of the release, which the appellant now refused to sign. The court imposed costs against the appellant for failing to live up to the settlement.

This indeed is an important case where the courts encourage settlements. Not only that, if you have a lawyer who appears to have your full authority and you sign a document confirming settlement, do not expect any sympathy if you have second thoughts and try to wiggle out.

■ ■ ■

Property tools that make you the expert.

A landlord entered into a commercial lease with a tenant corporation. When the corporation stopped paying rent, the landlord sued not only the corporation but

two of its directors, shareholders who were allegedly “guarantors”.

As the lease showed, the two directors had signed as “cocovenantors” and the word “guarantor” was not used in the lease.

The court determined that guarantor and covenantor are not the same. The guarantor was liable “only if the principal debtor defaulted”. A covenantor is “primarily liable” even in the absence of a default by the debtor. Also, the landlord failed to prove that the individuals assumed personal liability for the debts of the corporation as a convenantor. That is because what they were signing was not properly explained to them and the doctrine of “non est factum” succeeded. The court went so far as to say that a landlord who uses an agent to explain the terms of the lease, knowing that the tenants principals (of the corporation) speak little English, has a duty to follow up personally with the people they wish to bind to personal coverage. This is certainly a far-reaching goal, according to the British Columbia court – that the plaintiff must use reasonable care to confirm the communication of its position with the nonEnglish speaking signees.

■ ■ ■

In Vancouver, some people practised Falun Gong and used banners and built a makeshift meditation hut in front of the Chinese consulate on a grassy portion of the city street allowance. The municipality sought an injunction to remove the meditation hut, stating it contravened the street and traffic by-laws.

The court held that the banners and the hut were “means” of expression and worthy of protection. It ruled the by-law was not “minimally impairing” and infringed the Charter of Rights and Freedom.

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

16 REM JUNE 2011

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ack when I started out in real estate, social media meant having a drink with members of the press. Oh my, how times have changed. Now it seems that if you don’t have a profile on Facebook or a following on Twitter, you’re not just missing the boat, you’re dead in the water.

Without social media, I made it to No. 1 in Canada in my first year in real estate. With it, I figure I could have accomplished that in half the time.

Believe the hype. Social media isn’t the wave of the future – it’s the wave of the present. However, like any other form of media, the success you achieve with social media depends very much on how you use it.

When I first joined Facebook I discovered a great way to reconnect with past clients and old acquaintances that could lead to new clients. I found old classmates, relatives who had moved away years ago and people I’d done business with just the day before. I added them all as friends. Don’t be afraid to do that. Like a phone call or chance meeting at the mall, they’ll be glad to hear from you and confirm you as a friend. Think back to what I said about the importance of building your contact list. This is another way to do that. So once you have 100 Facebook friends, what do you do next? How do you turn this new social media into new ways to grow your real estate business? There are no hard and fast rules, but I’ve established general guidelines I share with the agents I mentor.

Because social media is still relatively new, people are still figuring out how it works, why it works and the best way to make it work. Post too many updates on your profile and you not only risk getting lost in the deluge of updates that hits

Social media is your friend their screen daily, you also run the risk of annoying your online friends and turning them off. So sprinkle in info on real estate, market trends, links to interesting articles and so on but don’t make it all business. Like everything else, moderation is key. These people are your friends, after all. It says so right on your profile.

Okay, let’s say you have 100 friends and you keep them up to date on what you’re doing. It gives them a human face – they can see you as a person with a real life outside real estate. Then when you post that you have a new property for sale, it’s like putting a for sale sign in front of that home while those 100 people watch. And they’ll notice because it’s not something you’re doing with every post.

Now the beauty of social media is what I like to call dropping a pebble into the ocean. Those 100 friends you have may all have 100 friends themselves besides you.

That listing doesn’t end at your friends. Like a ripple it goes out through all your friend’s friends as well. Maybe none of them are looking for a home but there’s a chance one of them will have a friend on Facebook who does.

Done right, that ripple will move out through the friends of friends of friends of friends and so on. It’s free marketing, it’s not that difficult to master and the dividends it can pay are more than worth the couple of minutes it takes. If you’d like to know more about how to make social media work for you, drop me a line, or better still add me as a friend.

Debbie Hanlon is the founder of Hanlon Realty and CEO of All Knight Inc. She is a three-time top 50 CEO winner and was named one of the top 100 female entrepreneurs in Canada. She is currently an elected city official in St. John’s, Nfld. and is available for motivational and training seminars. Email debbie@allknight.ca REM

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18 REM JUNE 2011

Networking face to face AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert “The way of the world is meeting people through other people” – Robert Kerrigan

I

t’s an old idea in an era of high speed electronics. But it works!

Is it time to expose yourself to others in your business? In the age of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, I still think it is wise to go to networking meetings where you actually “touch the flesh.”

Back some 40 years ago, that’s what I had to do in order to build my database or my sphere of influence (SOI).

From the Sales and Ad Club to being on the Industrial Committee to being vice-president of the newly chartered Jaycees, I went to places were I met people of influence or those who were simply just interested in investing in real estate for the first time.

It seems to me that social networking is too cold and impersonal to make the similar contacts.

Albeit, those systems are faster and less time consuming, but in my opinion they lack the personal touch. I refer to Jonathan Cainer’s Your Stars syndicated horoscope column: “We all see life from a different perspective and we are all ‘blind’ to some extent…”

Don’t be blind to these networking ideas: 1. Attend as many non-real estate functions as you can at least twice a month. Go with a buddy.

You two will be the only Realtors at an engineers’ luncheon. With usually eight people at a table, someone will ask, “What are you

doing here?” or “What engineering firm are you with?’ Just simply respond that the subject matter was of interest and that you and your friend wanted to learn. And isn’t it normal for all of us to then hand out our business cards?

2. Have a complete plan for the year. By attending at least two functions a month, you will have over 100 new prospects in your SOI. Add those to your existing files. Always ask permission to stay in touch by email, phone or hard copy mail. People of all ranks want to know about the local market.

3. You should know who your original contact was and seek them at the event and thank them for allowing you to attend as a guest.

(Note: Most of these events will welcome guests at a small additional charge) If you figure out the cost of advertisements versus a dinner or luncheon to capture more leads, it’s a no brainer!

4. Follow up within a week or so with a personal hand-written note thanking them for the opportunity to meet with them and to learn something new. As an additional follow-up, send them an email newsletter outlining what’s going on in their area.

In closing, I quote from Cainer’s column again, since I think his recounting of an adage is quite appropriate: “There’s an old Indian tale about three blind men who come upon an elephant for the first time. One inspects the beast’s trunk and concludes it’s a snake. The next finds the leg and concludes it’s a tree. The third finds the tail and concludes it’s a rope.” The moral, Cainer says, is that we should always look at life from a different perspective, “because none of us truly grasp what’s going on in our personal and as well our business life.”

Trust me on this one – in spite of the wireless era, many people have made this system work – and very successfully I might add.

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

20 REM JUNE 2011

THE GUEST COLUMN

By Ari Lahdekorpi

O

ver the years I have watched real estate practitioners come and go.

Some have built amazing careers that seem to have no limit to their growth, and others never find any type of appreciable trajectory. The difference between those who reach the pinnacles of success and those who remain mired in dark valleys of defeat seems to be almost unappreciable.

The long-term success of a Realtor doesn’t appear to have anything to do with educational levels, physical attributes, ethnic background or social class. I have

The secret sauce of success seen many instances of agents with poor grooming or a lack of social skills reach truly stellar levels of success, while others who seem complete on the surface are left behind. So, the question is: what is the magic powder, the key to success in real estate?

The one attribute that appears to weave itself into every successful agent I have ever encountered is the ability to instil trust, the ability to present oneself in a genuine and competent manner, a manner that says, “I am reliable, honest and will protect your interests at all costs.”

The aura of trustworthiness crosses boundaries of race, class, education and health. For those who have the trust continuum built into their character, a long-term career in real estate is guaranteed.

The definition of trust in psychology is based on believing that the person who you trust will do what you expect. It starts at the family level and grows to others after the early years of development. The ability to place trust in others is a key element to a healthy

socialization process.

Trust is also integral to the idea of social influence. It is easier to influence or persuade someone who has developed a sense of trust in you. The real powerhouse Realtors create that sense of trust in their clients. Perception of honesty, competence and common values are essential. Once trust is lost, however, it is very hard to regain.

Being and acting trustworthy should be considered the only sure way to develop a trust continuum with your clients.

Stephen Covey has a great way of describing trust. He calls it the emotional bank account. One puts in deposits of trust or makes withdrawals, based on responses to perceived actions.

A key element in developing a trust continuum with your clients is being reliable. Philosopher Annette Baier has made a distinction between trust and reliance by saying that trust can be betrayed, while reliance can only be disappointed. Nonetheless, being reli-

able is a powerful tool in building trust with a client, while the reverse can destroy trust and empty out the emotional bank account.

In the discipline of economics, trust is seen as an economic lubricant, reducing the cost of transactions, enabling new forms of cooperation and generally furthering business activities, employment and prosperity. This observation created a significant interest in considering trust as a form of social capital and has led to research into a closer understanding of the process of building trust.

It’s been claimed that higher levels of social trust are connected to economic development. It is widely accepted and demonstrated by economists that social trust benefits the economy while a lower level of trust inhibits economic growth. Trusting less leads to the loss of economic opportunities, while on the other hand trusting more creates the risk of unnecessary vulnerabilities and potential exploitation.

It’s worth noting that when

someone says, “trust me” most people won’t. Trust can’t be forced. Building trust is something that must be demonstrated in many little ways. The subtle clues like eye contact and body language play an important initial impression of trust worthiness.

Even something as simple as showing up on time for appointments helps to demonstrate to others that they can rely on you and hence create the building blocks of a trust relationship.

The life of a Realtor becomes much easier when you have won the trust of clients and peers. The majority of the calls that a manager or broker receives are based on agent to agent or agent to consumer mistrust. Gaining and retaining trust makes the job easier and makes life less stressful. It’s clear that the one ingredient that makes the secret sauce for all top producers is the trust continuum.

Ari Lahdekorpi is managing broker at Re/Max Select Properties in Vancouver. REM

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22 REM JUNE 2011

THE DIGITAL BROKER

By George O’Neill

T

raditionally, real estate agents have been primarily focused on sales, for obvious reasons. To buy, sell or lease houses, condos, land or commercial space, consumers had to come to us to find out what was on the market because we were the only source of that information.

Because technology enables both real estate professionals and consumers in ways never seen before, now our brokerages are not only about sales, but also about marketing properties to the widest possible audience using all available means. Although our prod-

Your choice: push or pull ucts are the same, we now have to do much more than just post properties on the MLS and run newspaper ads. Consumers want detailed information, they want lots of beautiful pictures, they want community profiles and they want to view that information when they want it, not just when we are personally available to provide it.

The demand for access to increased property information will continue to be the trend, and digital marketing is the perfect vehicle to provide that.

Digital marketing is about promoting your brokerage, your sales team and your listed properties using digital channels. Television, radio and print, the traditional media, are rapidly evolving to include, and in some cases be replaced by, digital content, thus broadening the available channels further beyond the Internet, mobile and social media marketing.

Digital marketing is categorized in two segments: push and pull.

Push digital marketing includes the use of email, text messaging and digital billboards. The marketer (you) broadcasts the same message to potential consumers.

For example, although a message on a digital billboard can easily be changed and updated to address current market conditions, it is still broadcasting the same message to whoever drives by. By comparison, pull digital marketing occurs when consumers seek specific information and find your website, typically via a search engine query made on Google or Yahoo. Such traffic can be a rich source of leads if the information you provide is informative and relevant and customized based on the profile of the consumer who is searching.

For example, if someone searches on-line for the phrase “Halifax real estate sales statistics” you could direct traffic to the specific page on your website where this information is provided, or if an address such as “12 Heartview Road in Brampton” was typed in

you could display your listing page for that property with pictures, floor plans and even a video tour.

Consumers want to be able to find the information they are looking for quickly, and therefore you want to help them find that information preferably on your website and not your competition’s.

According to Wikipedia, the popular on-line encyclopedia, at the first computer Hacker’s Conference in 1984 Stewart Brand famously said to Steve Wozniak: “On the one hand information wants to be expensive, because it’s so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time. So you have these two fighting against each other.”

In real estate we are certainly seeing that information wants to be free – consumers want information and they do not want to be forced to fill in a website contact

form or talk to a salesperson, at least initially, to get the information. When consumers are ready, they will reach out for assistance.

It is important to understand this trend and to embrace the change. Most people do appreciate the services we provide since the information and expertise we have is very valuable at the right time.

Digital marketing helps position us to ensure we are there at that time.

George O’Neill is CEO and broker of record at O’Neill Real Estate Limited, a boutique full-service brokerage based in The Beach, Toronto.

He is also the founder of remarkto, the largest Ontario digital marketing discussion group for real estate, holding free meetings every two months to share information with the real estate community. w w w. O N e i l l R e a l E s t a t e . c a and www.remarkto.ca; Email George@ONeillRealEstate.ca; Phone 416-946-1300.

The Digital Broker is a new regular column in REM about business strategy and relevant technology for brokerages and salespeople. We appreciate your feedback and thoughts. REM

26 REM JUNE 2011

icant achievement, particularly given that the Re/Max brand represents so many of real estate’s best and brightest,” says Polzler.

■ ■ ■

B

rokers-owners from three Re/Max franchises in Ontario-Atlantic Canada were honoured for excellence in leadership at the 2011 Re/Max International Convention in Las Vegas.

“These franchise brokers/owners share several common threads,” says Michael Polzler, executive vice-president, regional director, Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada. “Drive, tenacity, professionalism and a genuine desire to raise the bar are but a few.”

Jim Burton, Keith Bradbury and Kevin King of Re/Max United in Mount Pearl dominated the small market category, leading the top office in Canada and worldwide in closed transactions.

Brokers/owners Richard and Alex Pilarski of Re/Max Realtron

– with offices in Markham, Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Willowdale, Scarborough, North Toronto and Mid-town Toronto – earned an award for greatest net gain in sales associates in 2010, both in Canada and internationally (multi-office category).

Re/Max Hallmark, under the direction of brokers/owners Ken McLachlan and Debra Bain, has retained the title of largest multioffice in Canada, working from nine locations. The company operates seven branches in Greater Toronto and was the first to crossservice urban centres and Ontario cottage country, with additional offices in Port Carling and Dorset.

“With over 6,300 franchise locations worldwide – over 700 of those in Canada – to earn one of the top awards is certainly a signif-

Back at home, Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada recently recognized its leading producers in 2010.

Leading in the Individual Realtor category was Barry Cohen, Re/Max Realtron, who ranked No. 1 in Ontario, second in Canada, and third worldwide in the Individual category. Christopher Invidiata of Re/Max Aboutowne captured the No. 1 spot in Canada and number two worldwide in the Team category, while Ted WardGriffin, Re/Max Twin City, dominated the Industrial, Commercial Investment category, sweeping the No. 1 spot in Ontario-Atlantic Canada and the number two spot nationally.

In Ontario, the Top Individual Transactions category was led by Frank Leo of Re/Max West Realty (large market – population over 150,000), Peter Hogeterp of Re/Max Del Mar Realty (mid-size market – population between 50,000 and 150,000), and Kevin Ellis of Re/Max Georgian Bay

Realty (small market – population under 50,000). Recognition for Top Team Transactions went to Sam McDadi, Re/Max Performance Realty (large market); Kelly DaCosta, Re/Max Real Estate Centre (mid-sized market); and Drew Woolcott, Re/Max Escarpment Realty (small market).

In Atlantic Canada, Pam DeCourcey of Re/Max Professionals Saint John took top honours for the 12th consecutive year as the region’s No. 1 salesperson, while David Norris clinched premier ranking in the Top Team and Top Team Transactions categories (Atlantic Canada). Philip Stone of Re/Max East Coast Realty placed first in Atlantic Canada for Top Individual Transactions.

Doug MacCallum

■ ■ ■

London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors executive vice-president Betty Doré and member Heather Arnott received the association’s most prestigious award at its 2010 Annual General Meeting – the Lyn Coupland Outstanding Service Award, named in honour of LSTAR’s director of administration services who passed away in 2009.

High Quality Selling, For Less!

Debra Bain

Doré has been with the association for 32 years, 19 of them as EO and then as executive vicepresident.

“Those of you who haven’t worked closely with Betty may not realize how much of our success as an association we owe to her,” said

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Ken McLachlan

Richard and Alex Pilarski

Jim Burton

Keith Bradbury

president Jack Lane at the presentation. “Those you who have know exactly what I mean. Her knowledge, diligence, clarity, persistence, networking abilities and capacity for hard work and long hours, combined with her passion for organized real estate, this association and our community has stood us in good stead over many years.”

Doré has received the two top awards presented to association executives of real estate associations in both Ontario and Canada, has served as the chair of the Association Executives Council and, in this capacity, sat on the

CREA Board of Directors. She continues to serve on numerous provincial and national committees, including, this year, as president of the Realtors Care Foundation, of which she is also a Fellow.

Arnott served as a liaison between Habitat for Humanity London and LSTAR throughout the association’s second Home at Last (HAL) Affordable Housing Project, immersing herself not just in that one project, but in the organization overall. As a member of Habitat’s Family Selection Committee, she shepherded the HAL family through the completion of their sweat equity requirement, preparing them for home ownership. She sits on the Family Selection Committee and will be LSTAR’s liaison for its next HAL project.

“This Realtor doesn’t pay her Quality of Life principles lip service,” says LSTAR president Jack Lane. “She lives and breathes them. In our books, such exemplary service to our community equals outstanding service to our association.”

Cheryl Miller received the association’s Quality of Life Award.

Miller, a trustee and former chair of the London Board of Education for 13 years and a city councillor for 14 years, has an impressive record of service. She served as the executive director for Junior Achievement for London and St. Thomas and the Regional Manager for the Arthritis Society of Canada, and has sat on the boards of the London Economic Development Corporation, the London Convention Centre, MainStreet London, the London Downtown Business Association, the Old East Business Improvement Area and as a Governor of the Western Fair Association. She is also involved with many local charities and service organizations.

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Doug MacCallum of Re/Max Mountainview has been named recipient of the Calgary Real Estate Board’s highest honour, the T.W.H. (Bill) Saunders Memorial Award.

The award is given annually to a CREB member who exemplifies high standards of professionalism, leadership and outstanding dedication to the community.

MacCallum, a CREB member Continued on page 28

CALL TODAY Toll Free Phone: 1-866-933-2277 www.advance-commissions.ca

28 REM JUNE 2011

And the honour goes to...

Continued from page 27

Neighborhood Newsletters

for 25 years, has served on several board committees and has been on the Professional Standards – Steering Committee for the past 11 years. He is active in the community with many charitable endeavours. â– â– â–

NEW

RICING; ,(:; ,5+ 9,769; + 9P,769; ÂŽ Market Marke M ke k et C Con Co Connections onnecti ctio tions on Inc. I

Volume 5, Issue 2

Ready, Set, Spring!

RIVERDALE

Spring is almost here. What can we expect in this year’s real estate market?

The Canadian Real Estate Association expects sales numbers to remain fairly stable through the ďŹ rst half of 2011, although they could come under pressure if interest rates resume their expected climb in the second half of this year.

If you’re thinking of listing your house for sale, there’s no better time than now. Make sure you maximize your selling opportunity by remembering to highlight all of the things you’ve come to love about your home.

Location, of course, is always key.

Be sure to list the unique features of your property’s setting, including highlighting its location in relation to transportation, schools and shopping, as applicable.

In addition to location, it’s worthwhile making a list of speciďŹ c

MARKET WATCH

home improvements you’ve added to your house. Highlight, too, any warranties or guarantees that are transferable to the new owners, as well as items you’ve agreed to include in the sale price of the home, such as appliances, window coverings and light ďŹ xtures.

Whether you’re buying or selling, you’ll want a thorough analysis of the current, local real estate market, and you’ll want to have a discussion on how your needs ďŹ t into this environment.

Please call to discuss how to make your property transactions as smooth, efďŹ cient and effective as possible. Or, if you’re not planning a move at this point but you know people who are, please pass this contact information on to them.

Thank you!

STAN

FEBRUARY 2011 NO. SOLD

AVERAGE PRICE

DAYS ON MARKET

2 BEDROOM

25

$ 331,098

25

3 BEDROOM

54

$ 384,591

23

4 BEDROOM

16

$ 497,222 7,222

22

5+ BEDROOM

10

$ 5588,500 5 0

35

2 BEDROO BEDROOM

45

$ 308,624

20

3 BEDROOM ROO

100

$ 297,423

17

4 BEDROOM

26

$ 429,054

24

5+ BEDROOM

5

$ 403,360

14

2 BEDROOM

12

$ 317,667

13

3 BEDROOM

33

$ 378,779

20

4 BEDROOM

1

$ 290,900

8

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SEMI-DETACHED SEMI-DE ACHED HE

TOWNHOUSE

Figures are based on MLSÂŽ sales as reported by the Canadian Real Estate Association. Market values depend on factors besides housing type and number of bedrooms. Overall condition, square footage, upgrades, lot size and specific location are some other key factors involved.

Source: Canadian Real Estate Association

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Eric Reiner, a sales representative with Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty’s Commercial Division, has earned top honours within the Coldwell Banker Commercial network of companies based on his sales accomplishments in 2010. In addition to achieving the award for No. 1 sales professional in Ontario, Reiner was also the No. 1 multi-family sales professional out of 2,250 Coldwell Banker commercial sales associates worldwide.

Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty’s Commercial Division was again recognized as a leader within the brand in 2010.

Along with securing the position of top office in Ontario, the division earned the Commercial Elite Award for the second year in a row, placing them in the top 15 Coldwell Banker Commercial affiliated companies globally.

Reiner also received a Gold Circle of Distinction Award. Sales reps Mike Flynn and Lester Tobin earned Bronze Circle of Distinction Awards for outstanding sales performances in 2010.

Ted Ward-Griffin

Barry Cohen

Pam DeCourcey

David Norris

Jack Lane with Cheryl Miller

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For the fourth year in a row, Royal LePage Performance Realty in Ottawa has ranked in the Top 14 Best Workplaces in Canada.

The brokerage has more than 400 sales reps and support staff, led by Pierre de Varennes, broker/owner. “The competition was very tough again this year. Although we ranked behind large companies such as Microsoft and Google, we ranked ahead of Disney’s Canadian arm, which are all titans of the business world in employee treatment,� says de Varennes.

The list of Best Workplaces in Canada is compiled by Great Place to Work Institute Canada. The competition process is based on two criteria: an in-depth survey completed by employees and a review of the organization’s culture including an evaluation of HR policies and procedures.

Continued on page 30

Jack Lane, LSTAR president, presents the Lyn Coupland Outstanding Service Award to Betty DorĂŠ.

Jack Lane with Heather Arnott

30 REM JUNE 2011

And the honour goes to...

Continued from page 28

“This award is a testimony and a reflection of the culture and values we have developed in our firm, namely respect for the individual, honesty, integrity, professionalism and caring for others,â€? says de Varennes. “A culture cannot be dictated by policy; it has to be lived to truly show its value. A great workplace is one where you trust the people you work for, have pride in what you do, and enjoy the people you work with.â€? â– â– â–

The Durham Region Association of Realtors (DRAR) recently presented Christine Marquis with the 2010 W. Paul Ristow Founders Cup – given to an individual who sits on the DRAR Board of Directors and has made extraordinary volunteer contributions to DRAR. Marquis has been a member of the association for 10 years and has been involved with a number of committees and task forces, most notably the Education Committee. She is a new member orientation facilitator and an OREA instructor She was just elected president-elect.

New this year, The Community Spirit Award is presented to a DRAR member who has made exceptional community volunteer contributions during the year. The first award went to Carol Norris. She has been the co-captain with Theresa Doyle for the Run for the Cure the past seven years and they have raised more than $100,000. She is also involved in Yard Sale for the Cure and she strongly supports the Children’s Miracle Network and the Oshawa Hospital Foundation. â– â– â–

Jason Wheeldon of Royal LePage East Kootenay Realty in Cranbrook, B.C. was honoured with the Business Person of the Year award, which recognized his long-standing contributions to his local community. The award was presented by the Cranbrook & District Chamber of Commerce.

Wheeldon is a former president of the chamber and has served on its Board of Directors for more than 10 years. He was a member of the executive of the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, Wheeldon has volunteered his time with several notfor-profit organizations serving

Cranbrook, including the Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers and Sisters. â– â– â–

Brokers/owners Wade Webb and Francis Braam of Royal LePage Kelowna were recognized as finalists for their outstanding contribution to the community in the City of Kelowna’s Annual Civic & Community Awards.

Royal LePage Kelowna was nominated by major Ron Cartmell of the Salvation Army Community Food Bank for their

support over the past 10 years to the food bank with the “Fill The Van For The Sally Ann� event.

Royal LePage Kelowna donated more than $25,000 in cash and 126,000 pounds of food to the program, valued at over $252,000.

The Kelowna Civic & Community Awards program salutes community initiatives, employee volunteerism and/or financial or in-kind donations.

REM

Jason Wheeldon with Linda Tank of the Cranbrook Banking Association.

Royal LePage Performance Realty made the Best Workplaces list for the fourth time. Broker/owner Pierre de Varennes and his wife Danielle show appreciation for administrative staff by hosting a dinner/barbecue at their home.

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32 REM JUNE 2011

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

F

or the past three federal elections I have had the pleasure – and I mean that sincerely – of moderating an allcandidates meeting sponsored by the Cumberland Chamber of Commerce and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. But before I get to an anecdote from the latest meeting, let me introduce you to Cumberland.

Cumberland – look it up at http://cumberlandbc.org/heritage – has a fascinating history. From the Chamber’s website: “Once Canada’s smallest and westernmost city, Cumberland was a bustling coal mining community from 1888 to 1966, with workers streaming in from Europe, China and Japan. . . .

Cumberland was also once home to the fifth largest Chinese settlement in British Columbia, where two 400-seat theatres hosted touring Chinese singers and acrobats.

It is said that the former Chinatown was modelled after the village of Canton in China, hometown of most of the Chinese miners.”

Stories from historic Cumberland Cumberland hovers around 3,000 proud residents and is a hotbed of activism on a variety of topics, meaning it’s easy to get two opinions on any topic by asking a question of two folks on Dunsmuir Avenue, the main street that still sports the historic building facades of a western mining town.

A tough town where everyone had a nickname, and not just your standard handles like Soup and Dusty to go with Campbell and Rhodes, but real manly nicknames.

Even Cumberland has its own moniker – Dodge City. The nicknames may have started with Albert “Ginger” Goodwin, a coal miner, labour activist and conscription evader hiding out in the hills behind Cumberland. In 1918, he was shot by a Dominion policeman – or murdered by a lackey of war mongering imperialists, depending upon your political leanings. His death resulted in Canada’s first general strike. Each year on Miner’s Day, June 20, labour leaders from across Canada gather at his gravesite in Cumberland to pay tribute, to ensure his and other sacrifices are not forgotten.

From Paula Wild’s book The Comox Valley: “Cumberland is full of characters. It was, and still may be, the nickname capital of the island. There’s even a list of 575 nicknames, including such oddities as Flubadub, Muckle and Two and a Juice. And there’s a story behind

every one.”

The former mayor is “Bronco” Moncrief, well known for chasing bank robbers across town in his pickup at age 65. Now in his 80s, Bronco worked in the coal mines in his youth and still serves as a village councillor after a 30-year stint as mayor.

The mines were tough and dangerous – more from the Salt Lake Tribune and www3.gendisasters.com website. Note the age of the first victim found: “Cumberland, B.C., Feb. 9, 1923 – The number of dead from the mine disaster here was placed at 33 at 8 o’clock tonight. The bodies of 14 white men and 17 Chinese had been recovered and rescuers expressed the belief that only two Chinese remained in the tunnel.

“The first body found was that of W. Mitchell, a 15-year-old boy.

Rescue workers saw him in the hoist some time before they reached him, but he died before help finally arrived. Like many of the others, he was bleeding at the nose, ears and mouth and the skin on his face and hands was scorched with the heat following the explosion. His brother, who was in the mine when the accident occurred but escaped, ran two miles in an effort at rescue, which failed.

“The explosion was the second in the Cumberland workings within six months. On August 30, 1922, 13 men were killed by an

explosion of gas. Since that time, according to company officials, every effort had been made to make the workings safe and extensive protective appliances had been installed.”

Home town heroes include Terry Tobacco, a Canadian Olympic and Empire Games athlete who placed second in the 4 x

Cumberland hovers around 3,000 proud residents and is a hotbed of activism on a variety of topics.

440 relay while Roger Bannister was breaking the four minute mile at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. More recent famous residents of Cumberland or environs include artist Brian Scott, music producer Corwin Fox, multiinstrumentalists Doug Cox and Archie Pateman, sculptor Douglas Senft and bio-chemist Dr. Fred Leung.

And so it was in the midst of this cultural melting pot, this melange of talent, this potpourri of aptitude I found myself in late April as the intervener between five federal candidates and some 200 of the electorate, all anxious to have their hand-written question placed on the table for discussion.

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My favourite, reproduced faithfully, “Deficate (sic) – how do you plan to reduce it?” to be asked of “all canadates” (sic).

I re-phrased the question asking for solutions to the deficit but on reflection I may have completely misinterpreted. Perhaps they meant, “Is there anything we can

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do to reduce the B.S.?” And anyone who seeks our House of Commons should indeed be a Canadate.

Thanks for voting.

You can follow Marty Douglas on Twitter 40yrsrealestate or on LinkedIn and on Facebook. He is a managing broker for Coast Realty Group (Comox Valley) Ltd., with offices on Vancouver Island 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. and the B.C. Real Estate Association.

He’s a current director of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. mdouglas@island.net; 1-800-7153999. REM

34 REM JUNE 2011

Fast-growing firm offers 100% commissions

TIME FOR A CHANGE? MANAGER WANTED!

Y

ou hear buzz about a company that offers 100-percent commission and all the agent has to pay is a monthly fee and a deal fee. What’s the catch? That’s the first question agents ask when they talk to Jan Wrobel, president of Your Choice Realty Corp., and they’re pleasantly surprised to find there isn’t one, he says. “Your Choice Realty really doesn’t have any hidden charges or nuisance fees. There’s no nickel and diming.”

Five Ontario offices – in Burlington, Mississauga, Toronto, Barrie and Muskoka – are equipped with the same amenities any national franchise would offer, from free WiFi and parking to courtesy computers in every office, client conference rooms and an in house appointment booking desk, mortgage broker and lawyer, Wrobel says.

Wrobel, who has been in the real estate industry since he was 18, both in Canada and the U.S., is currently majority shareholder of YCR. He says he does not actively

Consider joining our team!

Our dynamic real estate office is located in a vibrant ocean front city on beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We are seeking a proven leader to help guide our office to new levels of growth and success. Our office of approximately 50 people currently has the largest market share in our area. The successful candidate will possess exceptional interpersonal skills, experience in business management, recent experience in real estate sales and/or real estate office management, outstanding organizational skills, the ability to run the day to day operations of our company with innovative and creative ideas, and will be driven and committed to ongoing recruitment and training. Remuneration will be based on qualifications of the individual, and will consist of a salary and bonus/incentive structure with future ownership possibilities.

Applications must be submitted before June 24, 2011.

Serious inquiries only please.

Resumes can be sent to managingbrokerposition@gmail.com

sell because he doesn’t believe in competing with his agents.

He comes from a family of real estate professionals. “My father was (in the) top five per cent in Victoria for 20 years. I grew up installing signs and going to open houses with him on weekends. I have worked in both the mortgage industry and real estate industry in various capacities, plus I am a landlord for several properties in the U.S. and Canada, and typically buy and sell three to six properties, both residential and commercial, annually,” he says.

The YCR website (www.joinyourchoicerealty.ca) includes information about the program and advantages, commission plans, its 24/7 free legal advice, in-house mortgage broker, training, professional offices and license transfer details.

When agents meet with Wrobel, he says they know what to expect, although there are surprises. “We offer agent training, advance agent training, continuing education and we have four branch

managers available day and night.

(Agents) are surprised about that.”

The most common scenario has agents studying the site, and then visiting the office to talk to Wrobel, with 75 per cent of them ready to join Your Choice on the spot, he says. The other 25 per cent want to think about it, but about two-thirds of them also end up joining. About 25 per cent of his new recruits are referrals, he says.

The brokerage recently celebrated a milestone, growing to 100 agents in less than 200 days. “We have designed the company for real estate agents, which means we offer every possible amenity and convenience that agents care about and all are included at no additional cost,” he says.

Agents are also not required to sign a long-term contract, which means the company has to provide good service on an ongoing basis, he says.

The company started in September 2010 and the goal is to have 500 agents by January 2013.

REM

Site offers agents free listing services

T

Joe Fleming Royal LePage Vision Realty Mount Pearl, Newfoundland & Labrador Yvonne Ratigan, Vice President Network Service is pleased to announce that effective May 2, 2011 Joe Fleming has chosen to join Royal LePage, and has opened its newest brokerage in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland & Labrador.

Joe’s company will operate under the name Royal LePage Vision Realty.

Joe began selling real estate 22 years ago. In 2001, he earned his broker’s license and that same year opened Sutton Group Today’s Realty which he operated for 4 years. Prior to entering the business, he was in the investment fund industry.

Royal LePage Vision Realty has a team of five sales representatives servicing the communities of Mount Pearl, St.

John’s, Paradise, Conception Bay South, Southern Shore, Logy Bay, Torbay, Outer Cove, Portugal Cove, Goulds, Holyrood, and Seal Cove.

Joe and his team can be reached at: 96 Clyde Avenue Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4S2 Phone: 709-747-4701 Fax: 709-747-4833 joefleming@royallepage.ca Please join us in welcoming Joe, and wishing him and everyone at Royal LePage Vision Realty continued success.

For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call (416) 510-5700 or email: franchise@royallepage.ca †

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

om and Yolanda Johnston want www.southmississauga.com to be the first and last site buyers and residents visit if they want to know anything about south Mississauga. They’re providing a host of free services so agents can take advantage of their comprehensive site.

“Our research has revealed that people typically search for the neighbourhood first,” says Tom. “Once they find a neighbourhood they like, they begin to look at properties.”

Using www.southmississauga. com, prospective residents can start with one of the 25 neighbourhoods, then filter down by price and/or property type and see houses on a local community map before looking at actual listing pages.

“We offer a host of free services for agents who want to publish their listings, be featured as neighbourhood experts in up to three of those 25 neighbourhoods or who want to have their blog postings uploaded to our consolidated real estate blog,”

says Yolanda.

The website offers links to demographics and crime statistics, which are constantly being updated.

There are links to maps, transit, government programs, mortgage and valuation information, rental and new home construction in the area, business and job links, senior and youth information, retail outlets and more.

The site is not just for potential purchasers. “It transcends real estate and is an ultra local site for residents too,” says Tom. It’s not a superficial site, instead offering a constantly evolving stream of information. “It’s like a living tree.”

Agents can be a part of the site at no cost. It’s a win-win for the website owners and for agents, Yolanda says. “The more agents post on our site, the better it is for us, and the better it is for them in terms of free publicity.”

The couple is building the website and tapping into local business to support its growth. “We’re very modest in our advertising. It’s just

$7.50 per month but there are 40,000 businesses that we can cater to so there is a lot of upside there,” she says.

In addition to Tom and Yolanda, www.southmississauga.com has a “web development contractor, a couple of people doing business marketing and an arrangement with telephone resources if and when we need to initiate telephone marketing campaigns,” she says. They also have presence on Facebook and Twitter.

Yolanda and Tom have spent hundreds of hours developing the site and are now turning their attention to spreading the word to agents.

“It is my hope that the local agents in Mississauga will embrace this new free site as a marketing vehicle to tap new prospective clients or to share their insights by blogging with local residents or to direct people to relevant information about a local area when they are contemplating a purchase,” Yolanda says. – Connie Adair REM

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36 REM JUNE 2011

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By Dan St. Yves

A

few months ago, my wife and I went to one of those home and garden shows, typically a sea of exhibitors – ample representation from furnace suppliers, hardwood flooring manufacturers and gazebo companies.

There were displays from hot tub manufacturers, kitchen designers and fencing people (not fencing with swords...fencing for your yard).

One booth featured an earnest young fellow demonstrating a unique ladder that boasted over 50 positions. Maybe it was 15, but once you start adding razzle-dazzle like “telescoping extension” and “scaffold trestles”, the little details aren’t really all that important. I may not have understood what a “trestle” was, but honestly, the sales guy had me at “telescoping”.

The only problem for a man of immediate action like me was that he could only take orders, and the ladder would be delivered later. My wife reminded me that we had lived together for over 20 years without a telescoping ladder, so I could probably survive a few more weeks. We were easy marks for this salesman as we stood before him,

obviously as ladder-less as the day we were born. The only catch of the purchase (aside from full payment in advance) was that a courier company would deliver the ladder within “three to six weeks.” I happily filled out the order form and then we finished checking out the rest of the exhibition.

Four weeks later I was starting to feel a little bit like Rapunzel.

There was still no ladder in sight, nor any sign of the courier company trying to deliver it. I feared that if I left the house for even just a few seconds, Murphy’s Irrefutable Law Of Ladder Delivery would kick in – the delivery guy would show up and depart just as fast when he found nobody home. I was going stir crazy in my own home, with nothing at all to keep me occupied.

Well, I suppose I could have been doing some of those chores that my wife left me notes about. I preferred to sit and anguish over my predicament. What may have happened to my ladder? Had the delivery guy decided to use it to hang his Christmas lights? Had his teenaged son stolen it, to elope with the young redhead he had been forbidden from ever dating?

Had someone baked it into a cake and sent it to their jailbird brother?

By the sixth week of waiting I found myself conjecturing on far more important matters. I wondered: does Starbucks deliver?

Thinking about how nice it would

be to once again feel the sun on my face, and the gentle caress of a light wind, I looked outside our living room window, and saw a Purolator truck drive by – but it didn’t even slow down. How cruel life can be.

After an eighth week of waiting, I called anybody and everybody related to the purchase and obtained a tracking number for the courier company. My calls revealed that the ladder had already been delivered. Imagine my surprise, not being the one it was delivered to!

After a heated discussion with the courier company, I was able to determine that they had missed my house, thanks to an error in the address I had filled out on the order form. Luckily, they were only off by 50 house numbers.

I drove over to pick the ladder up, but twisted my back loading the stupid thing into my trunk. I’d need to recuperate.

From my sofa, where I am lying with my heating pad, I am now admiring that ladder. One day soon, I will ascend it. There has to be a burnt-out light bulb somewhere in this house. And I can’t wait to try out the telescope!

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 ThatDanGuy@shaw.ca. REM

Farmland values increasing

T

he average value of farmland in Canada increased by 2.1 per cent during the second half of 2010, following gains of three per cent and 3.6 per cent in the two previous reporting periods, says a new Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Farmland Values Report.

Farmland values remained stable or increased in all provinces, the report says. Prince Edward Island experienced the highest average increase at 3.2 per cent.

The highest average national increase was in 2008 at 7.7 per cent.

The last time the average value decreased was in 2000 at -0.6 per cent.

“Canadian land values are strong and, looking at world mar-

kets in our current financing environment, there are factors in place that could exert further upward pressure on the price of farmland,” says Jean-Philippe Gervais, FCC senior agriculture economist.

“Rising incomes and population growth in emerging countries is increasing the demand for ag commodities at a time when global cereal stocks are low, production conditions in some major grain producing countries could potentially be challenging and the availability of quality farmland worldwide is limited,” says Gervais.

According to a fall FCC Vision Panel survey, 26 per cent of the producers who responded planned to increase capital spending on land in

2011. Crop (33 per cent), poultry (32 per cent) and dairy (28 per cent) producers were more likely to state that they are planning to increase spending on land in the next year compared to other animal (21 per cent), hog (17 per cent) and horticulture (17 per cent) producers. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario producers are more likely to report that they are planning to increase spending on land compared to British Columbia and Quebec producers. FCC Vision Panel survey findings can be found at www.fccvision.ca/research.

The FCC Farmland Values Report has been published since 1984. It is available at www.farmlandvalues.ca. REM

REM JUNE 2011 37

BIZMINT MINTCARDS

Trade Shows and Conferences For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Aventure National Brokers/Owners Meeting June 1 – 2 Vancouver www.aventurerealty.ca Realtors Association of Edmonton Suites and Homes Trade Show Tuesday, Sept. 20 Mayfield Inn Suites and Trade Centre Edmonton www.ereb.com Century 21 Canadian Conference 2011 Sept. 23 – 25 Shaw Conference Centre Edmonton Garlice Mak garlice.mak@century21.ca 2011 Sutton National Conference Sept. 26 – 28 The Mirage Resort and Casino Las Vegas www.conference.sutton.com conference@sutton.com The Professional Home and Property Inspectors of Canada Inspection Connection 2011 Oct. 28 - 30 Four Points by Sheraton Kingston, Ont. www.phpic.ca

Georgian Triangle Real Estate Board Technology & Trade Show Wednesday, Oct. 19 Blue Mountain Conference Centre Collingwood, Ont. exhibitor@gtrebTNT.com CREA MTC Technology Forum Monday, Oct. 24 Hilton Toronto Toronto Anik Aube - aaube@crea.ca Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound Trade Show Wednesday, Nov. 2 Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre Owen Sound Marilyn Newbigging – MarilynN@ragbos.com Mississauga Real Estate Board 2011 Annual Election meeting and Trade Show Wednesday, Nov. 23 Mississauga Convention Centre Mississauga, Ont. Gay Napper – 905-608-6732

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These codes have been in use in the real estate industry in Canada for about a year. Created in Japan in the mid ’90s, the code is a squiggly pattern arranged within a square that’s usually black and white. QR codes are used outside of real estate as well in everything from movie posters and newspapers ads to in-store sales and promotion campaigns.

Sales reps say this environmentally friendly technology saves them money because they’re spending less in printing costs. At open houses, instead of printing 50 or 100 feature sheets or printing up expensive colour glossy brochures for pricier properties, consider using a single 8Xll inch card that sits prominently in the seller’s property, perhaps on a small easel. The card will have a QR code on it.

There are a number of webbased QR code companies, some of which charge a fee, while others

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offer their QR codes free. The benefit to paying for the service is that you have more control and options than with the free companies.

Clients can track who uses their codes and they can brand their codes to fit their business or brokerage.

Kim Cookson, a Saint John sales rep, puts her QR code on her business cards, on her real estate signs and even on her car. Mobile prospects, whether in a vehicle, on a bicycle or just walking by can snap a shot of her code and their smartphone will automatically go to her website, which details the features of the property.

There’s nothing like a little high-tech gizmo to make people sit up and notice.

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ore than 7,000 members took part in TREB’s seventh annual RealtorQuest conference held in May at the Toronto Congress Centre. The conference featured Canada’s largest real estate trade show with more than 225 displays.

A health and wellness fair offered

by TREB and its insurance partner, TREB Member Benefits, was one of the trade show’s popular destinations, featuring complimentary massages, bone density testing and an oxygen bar among its many attractions. OREA’s Centre Stage at the heart of the trade show was the place to take in information and entertainment throughout the two-day event, including the popular Realtor game shows Is Your

Price Right? and Variable Rate.

Centre Stage was also the place to hear the results of a poll undertaken by Ipsos Public Affairs for GTA Realtors. John Wright, senior vice-president for Ipsos Public Affairs presented the results, which indicate that 70 per cent of Torontonians approve of the overall performance of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, and that 65 per cent believe that Toronto City Council is on the right track managing taxpayer dollars.

Poll results also show that that 75 per cent of Torontonians support Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s commitment to repeal the Toronto Land Transfer Tax. The Continuing Education component of the conference,

Learning Quest, featured 17 complimentary sessions in five different streams: technology, general interest, condominium, legislative update and commercial. Featured speakers included Joel Burslem of 1000watt Consulting, who offered insight into real estate marketing on the web and Doug Devitre, who spoke about integrating video into marketing initiatives.

At the General Meeting, OREA president Barb Sukkau and CREA president Gary Morse offered updates on initiatives on the provincial and federal fronts.

Members also ratified TREB’s 2011/2012 operating budget and voted in favour of a $35 dues holiday for all TREB members of record (excluding non-active sustaining members) as of July 1, 2011.

TREB’s participation in the OREA Foundation’s Every Realtor campaign will continue for the fourth consecutive year, as members voted to make a contribution of $12 per member to the foundation. TREB presented Realtors Care Foundation grants to 35 different shelter-related charities throughout the GTA last year.

The Commercial Division Annual Merit Award was presented at TREB’s General Meeting to Joe De Leo of Intersite Realty Inc. A 23-year member, DeLeo served on the Executive Council Commercial Division for 16 years and previously represented the council on TREB’s Board of Directors.

The meeting also included a panel discussion about Internet Data Exchange (IDX) and Virtual Office Websites (VOWs).

Panelists discussed the many benefits of IDX, which allows members to display each other’s listings through reciprocal agreements. In addition to heightening listing exposure, participation in IDX and VOWs provides for consistently accurate information on all sites when listings are updated. IDX agreements also allow members to build more robust websites with an expansive range of available properties. More than 20,500 TREB members are now participating in IDX. ■ ■ ■

An effort to redefine the 86 districts within the Toronto Real

Estate Board’s TorontoMLS system is to come to fruition in July. The system will evolve from one in which districts are represented by code numbers to one that reflects true geographic areas.

“It will be much more convenient for our members to communicate with their clients in terms that are universally understood rather than codes commonly recognized only by Realtors,” says John DiMichele, TREB’s chief information officer and associate chief executive officer. “An additional benefit is that our members will be able to offer their clients very accurate statistical snapshots at the community level.”

The new three-tiered system, which has been under development for three years, is based on specific boundaries defined by the province, regions and counties, and municipalities.

To begin a search, users will select an area based on regions, counties or equivalent. In a separate field users must also select a municipality within the chosen area. The option to search more specifically by selecting an individAt the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of Realtors cheque presentation, from left: Reverend Steven Smith, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and District Board chair; Sarah Tate, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and District; Christine Kemp, 2010 PKAR president; and Peter Ward, 2010 PKAR Habitat for Humanity Committee chair.

More than 7,000 TREB members attended RealtorQuest this year.

(Photo by Geoff Parkins) Richard Parker, AREF interim executive director; Gael MacLeod, former executive director; and Les Phillips, chair of the Board of Governors, cut the 20th anniversary cake.

One of the many groups of New Brunswick Realtors who helped clean up their communities recently.

Marian Barry, president of the Fort McMurray Realtors, presents $19,412 to Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Task Force Committee member Christine Button.

REM JUNE 2011 41

ual community is available as well.

To conduct a search members would, for example, select Durham Region in the area field, Oshawa in the municipality field and Centennial in the community field.

The original districts within the City of Toronto will be preserved within the municipal field, with some of boundaries slightly realigned to capture individual community borders.

To provide for a smooth transition, new functionality will also allow members to convert prospect matches and saved searches ahead of time. Market Watch, the board’s flagship publication, will continue to report statistics based on the municipality tier. However, more detailed data will be also be available through a new semi-annual report based on community statistics.

In other TREB news, the designer of TREB’s TorontoMLS system, Status Data Systems, will begin unveiling a new interface for TorontoMLS. The new interface features cross-platform compatibility, meaning that regardless of whether users prefer an Apple computer, a wireless device, a tablet or traditional PC, the system should operate smoothly. The interface will also be more featurerich, offering a number of new conveniences like the ability to navigate freely throughout the system without having the return to the system’s homepage, referred to as the InfoCentre.

■ ■ ■

In March, seven condominium buildings in Fort McMurray, Alta. were condemned due to structural failures. Residents were given 15 minutes notice just before midnight on a Friday evening that they had to leave their homes.

To help the displaced condo owners, The Fort McMurray Realtors recently presented $19,412 to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Task Force Committee. The Realtors matched funds of $9,706 that was collected from a silent auction at the annual awards banquet.

“Our members understand the need to help those who have suffered a great loss,” says association president Marian Barry. “We only hope this can assist the many displaced residents with purchasing some of those important essential items they have lost.”

■ ■ ■

Recently the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) celebrated 20 years of community service to the industry and to Albertans. The foundation has awarded grants to over 430 industry and community causes in Alberta since 1991. That translates into over $13.1 million. The foundation gives back by leveraging the interest on funds held in trust during a real estate transaction. Areas of interest include industry education initiatives for brokers, homebuyers and tenants as well projects that enhance leadership in the real estate industry. AREF also funds community projects that promote affordable housing, land stewardship and the environment.

Gael MacLeod was the executive director until 2010. She was recently elected alderman in Ward 4 in Calgary. The 20th Anniversary party gave the foundation an opportunity to say thank you and good-bye to her.

As part of the celebration, the foundation will host a Thought Leader Series for industry and homebuyers throughout the year.

Industry professionals will share their perspective and offer insight into the road ahead. Information on future sessions is on the foundation’s website at www.aref.ab.ca.

Real Estate Institute of Canada, Toronto Chapter Specialized Real Estate Professionals The REIC Toronto Chapter is pleased to announce the 2011-12 Board of Directors. At the Annual General Meeting, on April 21, 2011, the following Members were sworn into the Board: President Johnmark Roberts, FRI

Past President Ron Fraser, CPM®

President Elect Ken Finch, CPM®

Secretary-Treasurer Alex Pino, Arch., FRI

Director Scott Fischer, CPR

Director Walter Lui, CRES, FRI

Director Camela Corrado, CLO, FRI

Director Eugene Komeluk, BA, CPM®

■ ■ ■

Rick Valouche, a Vancouver Realtor and former president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV), has been elected 2011-2012 president of The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA).

“In today’s world of change, B.C. Realtors continue to have an important connection to the communities they live and work in.

During my term as BCREA president, I look forward to helping advance the real estate profession and maintain the continued relevance of Realtors,” says Valouche.

He is a managing broker and coowner of the TRG – The Residential Group Realty.

Joining Valouche as officers of the association are vice-president Jim McCaughan of Landmark Realty in Abbotsford, past-president Moss Moloney of Re/Max Performance Realty in Delta and CEO Robert Laing. New directors are Jake Moldowan (Richmond), Kelvin Neufeld (Surrey), Dick Continued on page 42

We would like to welcome the new members of the Committees: Frank Melo, ARM® John Bowen, CPM Our Mission, Core Values and Designations are: Advancing Opportunities for Real Estate Professionals Providing Long Life Learning Creating Networking Opportunities Promoting the Real Estate Profession Awarding Professional Designations Fellow of the Real Estate Institute

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42 REM JUNE 2011

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Pemberton (Kamloops), Paul Penner (Abbotsford) and Scott Russell (Vancouver). Returning as directors are Barbara Gallie (Victoria), Jennifer Lynch (Gabriola Island), Joe Pearson (Vernon), Delores St. Amand (Prince George) and W. Dave Watt (West Vancouver).

■ ■ ■

The 2010 Annual General Meeting of the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) kicked off the 75th anniversary of organized real estate in Middlesex and Elgin Counties.

On hand to celebrate were 23 pastpresidents of the association, the eldest of whom was three-time president Ronald Richardson (1948, 1949 and 1959).

LSTAR Bonspiel Committee chair Glen Gordon presented Mission Services of London’s Peter Rozeluk, Heather Rall and Susan Gowan with a cheque for $13,324.

The total raised by LSTAR for Mission Services since 1992 stands at $255,266.

Stacey Evoy-Smith, chair of the association’s Christmas Gala Committee presented Silvia Langer and Chuck Lazenby of the

Unity Project with $13,579, raised by last year’s Gala. To date, including Realtor Care Grants, LSTAR has donated $70,198 to the Unity Project.

Marg Rooke, representing the Ontario Block Party Program, was on hand to receive a cheque for $3,000 from the Realtors Care Foundation for an educational safety resource for young children called “WHO r u REALLY TALKING @,” as well as child safety overall.

To see the LSTAR awards presented at the AGM, see the Honours Go To section in this issue of REM. ■ ■ ■

A large team of New Brunswick Realtors picked up garbage and filled over 100 bags from parks and communities recently. The event was organized through the Realtors Care Foundation. Clean-up took place at locations in St. Andrews, Saint John, Rothesay and Sussex.

“The enthusiasm was overwhelming,” says Barry MacDonald, chair of the local Realtors Care committee, who worked with the Rothesay team. “Everyone involved gave 100 per cent.” The public was supportive in Rothesay, he added, as some people honked

their horns as they drove by and others stopped to express their appreciation.

The Saint John team, which focused its efforts on Rockwood Park, had Realtors wading in the lakes up to their knees removing garbage. “It felt very empowering to remove plastic bags, discarded coffee cups, and pop bottles from one of Saint John’s best treasures,” says Realtor Pam Trites. Clean-up volunteers in the Rockwood Park area reported removing items such as old carpet and broken glass from the lakes and trails.

In St. Andrews, efforts focussed on cleaning up beachfront parks such as Indian Point and the Celtic Cross area. “It was fun and a great day,” says Leona Golding, who organized the Charlotte County team. “We certainly had a great work crew.”

■ ■ ■

Brentwood College School was named winner of the Judges Choice Award for best overall entry in the fourth annual Vancouver Island Real Estate Board’s (VIREB) Commercial Building Awards held in Courtenay. This was the first time the event was held in Courtenay and it was a sell out.

Brentwood College’s building

800 + Members and Growing Across Canada The Central Alberta Realtors Charitable Foundation and the Central Alberta Realtors Association recently presented Ronald McDonald House Central Alberta with a cheque for $125,000.

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Administrators of Oakville/Milton real estate companies join entertainers Duelling Pianos, in a rousing chorus of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody at The Duelling Pianos Musical Cabaret in Oakville. The entertainment was the highlight of the Annual Administrators’ Luncheon held recently by the Oakville Milton and District Real Estate Board in honour of Administrative Professionals Day. Organized by the OMDREB’s Entertainment Committee (whose chair, Tom Au Young, left, joined the choristers), the annual event gives administrators of local real estate branches the opportunity to get to know their counterparts in a fun social setting.

Rick Valouche

Patrick Galesloot

REM JUNE 2011 43

features a dining hall and student centre in Mill Bay. It also won the Excellence Award in the Institutional category, sharing honours with Nanaimo’s new East Wellington Fire Hall.

Dignitaries at the Commercial Building Awards included Greg Phelps, mayor of Courtenay; Eric Russcher, mayor of Ucluelet; Allan Corbett, Canadian Commercial Council chair elect; Dennis Germyn, attending on behalf of the B.C. Commercial Council; Stephen Shea, Victoria Real Estate Board’s Commercial Division chair and Jim Stewart, VIREB president.

VIREB’s 2011 Commercial Building Awards chair Jay Cousins says the quality of entries was outstanding. “The interest in our Commercial Building Awards has been well received again this year. The calibre of workmanship and design is setting a standard for Vancouver Island that would be the envy of any area in the country.”

To be eligible for nomination, an investment, commercial or industrial building, development or renovation project had to have been completed between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2010.

■ ■ ■

Patrick Galesloot of Century 21 Advantage in Red Deer is the 2011 president of the Central Alberta Realtors Association.

President-elect is Tracey Christensen of Coldwell Banker Ontrack Realty in Red Deer, and vice-president is Marie Oro of MaxWell Real Estate Solutions in Red Deer. The directors are Dawn Parent, Re/Max Real Estate Central AB, Lacombe; Sandra Lyon, First Choice Realty in Ponoka; Terri Kalyn-Fraser, Century 21 Westcountry Realty, Rocky Mountain House; Kevin Devoe, Century 21 Advantage, Red Deer; and Alex Wilkinson, Royal LePage Network Realty, Red Deer. The past-president is Sandi Gouchie, Royal LePage Lifestyles, Lacombe.

■ ■ ■

The Central Alberta Realtors Charitable Foundation and the Central Alberta Realtors Association recently presented Ronald McDonald House Central Alberta with a cheque for $125,000. The money donated will be used to build a family suite at the Ronald McDonald House. In

2009 the Charitable Foundation pledged to raise and donate $75,000 to assist with the project.

Two charity events raised approximately $40,000 in 2009 and with the help of businesses throughout Central Alberta, including the 650 members of Central Alberta Realtors Association, $24,000 was raised in 2010. Along with the matched donation from the Alberta Real Estate Association, $125,000 was presented to the children and families who so desperately need to stay together while going through medical treatments.

■ ■ ■

The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of Realtors recently presented $9,090 to Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and District to be used toward building homes for four families. Members raised the funds at the Annual Past Presidents’ Night and Silent Auction, the Annual Charity Golf Tournament, a Christmas Breakfast Auction and smaller fundraisers held throughout the year.

■ ■ ■

A poll recently released by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) says the dream of home ownership is alive and well among Ontario renters, with 70 per cent reporting that they would like to buy at some point in the future.

However, the poll also shows that 81 per cent of Ontarians believe it is more difficult to own a home now than it was for their parents, and 89 per cent of Ontarians in general are concerned that home ownership will become even more difficult in the future.

“We have an obligation to protect the affordability of home ownership for future generations,” says Barb Sukkau, president of OREA. “From its impact on job creation to the healthy and stable environment it provides for raising a family, home ownership matters to people, communities and Ontario.”

Over half (54 per cent) of renters cited affordability as a key reason for not owning a home and 70 per cent surveyed indicated they would be more willing to consider owning if the government offered more tax breaks and incentives to offset costs for first-time buyers.

Homeowners also report higher levels of civic engagement. Eightytwo per cent of Ontario homeowners have donated to charity in the last two years; homeowners are much more likely to say they voted in the last municipal election than renters; and 35 per cent of owners say they have volunteered in their community.

OREA is proposing three policy initiatives to strengthen home ownership in Ontario: • An improved Land Transfer Tax (LTT) Rebate for first-time home buyers. OREA estimates that an improved LTT rebate would save a first-time buyer of an average resale home almost $1,500.

• A permanent Ontario Home Renovation Tax Rebate. A renovation tax rebate would create jobs and curb the growth of the underground economy, says OREA. • Reintroduce the Ontario Home Energy Efficiency Retrofit Rebate program. Investments in home energy efficiency will help homeowners cope with rising energy costs and curb greenhouse gas emissions, says the association.

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commander (top local chair), and all of the positions of the Grand (provincial) body including the top position in B.C., grand chancellor.

■ ■ ■

Good Works T

im McNaughton, a sales rep at Sutton Group West Coast Realty in Victoria has been a member of the Order of the Knights of Pythias for 15 years. Established in 1864, the order has grown to 2,000 lodges in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, assisting people with addiction, financial, health, mobility and other challenges.

McNaughton says one of the group’s most heart-warming projects was helping fund a playground at Victor School in

Victoria. “Their students are predominantly handicapped and include many children with cerebral palsy. They required a special playground, which could be used by students in wheelchairs with limited motion ability. The Knights were one of the first on board to help bring about this dream,” he says.

McNaughton’s current roles with the Knights are that of lodge secretary and trustee. He has held each of the local lodge chairs, including chancellor

Tim McNaughton visits the playground at Victor School, which was partially funded by the Order of the Knights of Pythias.

Michele Denniston

Sales rep Diti Dumas at the Bennington Heights Public School event with journalist Morgan Dumas and author Margaret Atwood.

The third annual Runway to Spring charity fashion event in Richmond Hill, Ont. raised $10,000 this year. To date, Runway’s total contribution to Easter Seals Kids to Camp Program has been over $35,000.

The event was hosted by Michele Denniston of Century 21 Heritage Group, along with co-hosts Tanis Hargrave of The Roving Chef and Andrea Manning of Injoy Boutique.

The event kicked off with an array of appetizer samplings and wine tastings and closed with desserts, fruit and coffee. Local businesses and stores donated all the food and fashions for the

Winston and Karen Conyers

Inspired by the women and children her donations will support, Barbara Ann Kisiloski from Royal LePage Northstar Realty in White Rock, B.C. ran her first-ever marathon recently. She finished the 32K run in under five hours and raised $3,000 for her local shelter.

show. Thursday Night Jam, an 11-piece band, donated their time and talents to rock the party with a playlist including R&B, funk, disco, reggae and Latin that pleased everyone.

■ ■ ■

On June 9, Slavens & Associates Real Estate in Toronto will continue its longstanding tradition of giving back to the community with Slavens Gives Back III in support of North York General Hospital’s BMO Breast Diagnostic Centre (BDC).

With the support of its clients, friends and sponsors from across the city, the brokerage will host a fundraising event at the Six Degrees Event Centre in midtown Toronto. It will feature musical entertainment, silent and live auctions, mystery bags, food and drink and more.

The BDC provides women and men with early cancer diagnosis, supported by state-of-theart medical imaging equipment, to allow patients to make informed decisions about treatment options. Approximately 1,300 new patients are seen in the centre each year.

Since its inception in 2009, Slavens Gives Back has raised over $50,000 for the BDC. For tickets or to make a donation: (416) 483-4337 or www.SlavensGivesBack.com.

■ ■ ■

Recently dog owners and their pets participated in the Pooch Parade on the Peninsula in White Rock, B.C., a fundraising event sponsored by the local Rotary Club and Karen and Winston Conyers, sales reps at Sutton Group - West Coast Realty in White Rock.

Kelly Murdock, right, and Marilyn AbbotCharters

Children from the winning school, LT Westlake, pose with Signature Service Real Estate sales reps, from left, Tina Neudorf, Carol Donahue, Wayne Jensen and Susan Baran.

REM JUNE 2011 45

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“This is a great community event supporting seven different athletic groups that use fields slated for improvements: rugby, football, soccer, baseball, track and field, cricket and cheerleaders,” says Winston. He says dog lovers socialized with other dog lovers, learned about what is planned for the park and found out what the Rotary Club does in the community and around the world.

The organizers also had agility course demonstrations and participants were able to speak with dog

rescue groups, trainers, Rotary members and local athletes.

■ ■ ■

Recently the past and the present of Bennington Heights Public School in Toronto collided at a charity event in support of improving Bennington Heights Public School’s library.

Diti Dumas of Royal LePage Johnston and Daniel Division was the presenting sponsor of the fundraiser. Author Margaret Atwood was the honorary chair.

She was one of the first students

of Bennington Heights Public School when it opened in 1950.

With a Mad Men theme, guests were decked out for the occasion and mingled to the sounds of Frank Sinatra as they bid on silent and live auction items. The highlight of the event was listening to Atwood as she chronicled the first day Bennington Heights Public School opened its door. In celebration of the event and the funds raised, the school will name its library after Atwood.

■ ■ ■

New Brunswick sales rep Kelly Murdock of Gardiner Realty in Fredericton is one of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation’s most consistent supporters. She recently presented a cheque for $2,030 to Marilyn Abbot-Charters, president of this year’s beneficiary, the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation.

■ ■ ■

A phone book challenge was recently launched as a community outreach project by Signature

Service Real Estate. With the new 2011 phone books out, the brokerage challenged each of the schools in Taber, Alta. to collect as many recyclable phone books as possible. The winning school received $200 and the second place school won $100. Two schools, LT Westlake and Taber Christian School, accepted the challenge and met at the Taber Bottle Depot to weigh their collections. Between the two schools, more than three-quarters of a tonne of books were collected for recycling. REM

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46 REM JUNE 2011

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

E

very so often I hear discussions about limiting the number of real estate licenses issued by the provinces. The argument put forward is that there are too many real estate sales reps in the field competing for a limited amount of business, making the industry more ruthless and diluting the services that a professional sales agent should be offering.

Inevitably part of the debate is supported by alleged facts that other licensed professions are limited, ranging from teachers to taxi drivers.

That particular argument is not

What’s

New RAHB selects Point2 for property data syndication The Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) has selected Point2 to power its multi-national property listing syndication initiative. Key drivers behind the program are to enable members to automate property listing postings on consumer real estate websites; expand listing exposure to buyers

On limiting licenses exactly true. Teachers’ licenses are not limited in any province. Each year many new teachers are licensed. Taxi driver licenses are not limited in most cities either.

The challenge in both of these professions and pretty much any licensed work is getting a job, because that is what is really limited. There are only so many taxis in most cities and certainly there is a limit to the number of teachers employed by public schools and private learning institutes.

So the debate around real estate work is really one of jobs.

Should the number of jobs in real estate be limited? Anyone with a real estate license, who is willing to pay the expenses, can set up shop where they want to.

The strongest argument for not limiting jobs for brokers and sales reps is that selling real estate is entrepreneurial by its nature and should not be limited in any way. If jobs in real estate sales were limited, the spirit of the work would be at risk. Some would say the quality nationwide, in the U.S. and several other countries, and maintain data accuracy, consistency and timeliness online, says Point2 in a news release.

“The online real estate landscape is constantly growing, which makes it critical and challenging for our members to efficiently and cost effectively scale their marketing and real estate prospecting capabilities,” says Ross Godsoe, chief executive officer for RAHB. “A syndication strategy in collaboration with Point2 delivers squarely on these objectives and, importantly, helps us to maintain listing data integrity across its network.”

All leads generated through the syndication effort will be directed to listing brokers and agents at no cost to them. RAHB members who currently use the Point2 Agent online marketing and lead management solution will also benefit from automated listing data transfer from their association’s system to their Point2 website, the company says.

of the work would suffer greatly by limiting the opportunities to enter the business.

Presently all those who get out there and work hard to find listings and make sales will do well. That is the most attractive thing about the real estate profession. It is the reason that so many come to the industry regardless of their background. High school drop outs, people with university business degrees, even professors enter real estate. There are single moms and dads, television personalities, successful bankers and all manner of people with all manner of backgrounds that join this business community every day because of one common thread; they are all entrepreneurs.

The cream, they say, will always rise to the top. The hardest worker will always win the day.

The only thing that needs to be regulated is the playing field, many real estate practitioners say. As long as everybody in this business is on one level field, under the Point2 powers syndication for more than 200 real estate organizations in North America, including associations and boards in Grande Prairie and Saskatchewan. The Point2 syndication network includes nearly 60 third-party online destinations including 25 sites that feature Canadian listings.

For information: www.listingsyndication.com.

Leaders Edge Training picks Jolt Marketing Leader’s Edge Training, a real estate and mortgage sales training company, has selected Jolt Marketing as the exclusive marketing supplier for participants in its real estate and mortgage sales training courses. The new arrangement allows Leader’s Edge Training to offer clients and students access to personal branding solutions.

Chris Leader, president of Leader’s Edge Training, says Jolt Marketing brings “a fresh perspective and personal approach

same rules, there is no need to limit the number of those who can participate. The best in the business will emerge and they will be sought out because they deliver the best service.

Those who argue for the idea of limiting licenses say that this is the point of contention or at least one of them. By having no limits to the number of people in the business there are simply too many people out in the field. That means, they argue, that corners are cut on services for the sake of delivering work cheaper.

Commissions are reduced because the overwhelming competition means that too many agents are chasing the same business, bringing out the worst in competitors offering discounts cut at such deep rates that it is impossible to give good service for such low payment.

The analogy is that if you let everybody be a policeman and pay them commission per arrest, we’d all be in jail instead of walking to their service” and “has extensive experience in the real estate and mortgage marketing category, so they are a perfect fit for our students and clients.”

As part of the new relationship, Jolt Marketing has developed three unique marketing packages available exclusively to Leader’s Edge Training clients.

The packages range from basic to total branding solutions and include a mix of print, online and social media components.

For information: www.joltmarketing.com or www.leadersedgetraining.com.

Royal LePage Meadowtowne launches mobile app for iPhone and iPad Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty recently launched a mobile application that enables consumers to search real estate listings on their iPhone or iPad devices. The app can be downloaded free from iTunes and

around safe, which was the whole point of having an unlimited number of police in the first place. The argument is that by not limiting the number of real estate agents you run the risk of losing the point of the work, which is to provide professional services in property sales transactions and not cut corners for the sake of cheap service.

The arguments on both sides are compelling and very persuasive. I have heard this moving and at times emotional debate for over 30 years. I wonder if it will ever be solved.

On a completely different topic, REM has some promotional coffee mugs that we would like to give out. I would be pleased to send one to you if you send me a picture of yourself or anyone else in the real estate business reading a copy of REM. I am building a bulletin board and may even use the photos in a video. Please send your photo to heino@remonline.com with your mailing address and I promise I will send you a coffee mug.

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

REM

allows users to view all of Royal LePage Meadowtowne’s listings.

The Meadowtowne app benefits sellers listed with the brokerage as well as potential home buyers looking for homes in Mississauga, Milton or Georgetown. Sellers benefit from having their homes featured, while home buyers with iPhones or iPads benefit from having mobile access to all of Meadowtowne’s current listings, including interior photos, Walkscores and GPS mapping.

Alex Ocsai, broker and owner of Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty, says, “The future is mobile and we’re pleased to offer homebuyers and sellers the ability to access valuable real estate information right from their mobile devices.” iTunes users who search for Mississauga, Milton or Georgetown real estate will be brought directly to the application created by Hillside Software of Denver. The app can also be accessed by visiting www.meadREM owtowne.com.

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