June 2012 by Real Estate Magazine (REM)

Issue #276

June 2012

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the value of a Realtor? Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 42218523 - Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to 2255B Queen St. E., #1178, Toronto ON M4E 1G3

Page 8

Real estate pioneers on the Titanic Page 12

Letters: Reaction to CREAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Futures Project and more Page 44

Life saver

Peter Dagg, twice honoured for saving lives, moved his real estate business from Quebec to B.C. Page 16

REM JUNE 2012 3

Coldwell Banker boss brings lessons from the U.S. Coldwell Bankers’ international and Canadian presidents talk about listings syndication, the company’s growth plans and how brokers can become more profitable By Jim Adair

ith CREA’s Data Distribution Facility (DDF) set to launch in July, Budge Huskey, president and COO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate, has some words of caution based on his experience in the United States. “The U.S. went down a path where it was the more the better – let’s put our data everywhere,” says Huskey. “Then you wake up one day and find your listing without your permission on overstock.com, and you realize that perhaps we’ve gone too far.” Huskey, who was in Toronto recently to address a Coldwell Banker broker retreat and economic summit, says: “Now the U.S. is in a conversation – has syndication gone too far? It’s not so much that listing data is ubiquitous. It’s that not everyone is playing by a set of rules. When it comes to listing attribution, displays, the timeliness of the data – those are issues of transparency and integrity that con-

sumers should expect. Regrettably, many of the aggravator sites in the U.S. do not play by those rules. One of the lessons that can be learned for Canada is that it’s not always everywhere is better – you need to have standards in place and the brokers and consumers need to know there is integrity to the data and the display.” Coldwell Banker Canada’s president John Geha says, “If you can’t control the data, you are not servicing the consumer properly.” He says the company has not yet decided how its listings will fit into the new “permission-based” CREA DDF. In the U.S., Huskey says some local real estate associations and MLS companies have “overstepped their charter.” He says it was always intended that the association and MLS websites would display the information but that the broker would be the first point of contact for consumers. But “some associations have created their own brand,” he

says. “I don’t think that was intended by the founding members of the organizations. I think there’s a limit to how far the associations should go.” But he says that organized real estate has a critical role to play in lobbying government on housing policy issues, and in maintaining real estate’s code of ethics to “keep it from becoming the wild wild west.” Coldwell Banker Canada currently has 263 offices with about 3,800 sales reps. The 105-year-old company is a “fairly mature brand” in the U.S., and “for us to meet our expectations of growth, we have to make a much greater commitment in Canada and other international markets,” says Huskey. Geha says the company is going to be careful about how quickly it expands. “As much as we want to grow and are aggressive with our growth model, we have to be careful we are not growing for the wrong reasons,” he says. He cites

John Geha (left) and Budge Huskey

Alberta as “vital” to the company’s growth plans. At the summit, Geha and Huskey encouraged brokers to look at developing ancillary revenue sources, such as adding mortgage brokerages, commercial services and property management. Huskey says that diversifying the business with complementary businesses that use the same infrastructure is a way for brokers to maximize their investment. “In the States, the actual brokerage transaction itself is almost becoming a loss leader,” he says. “Their true profitability is coming from the ancillary services. I’m not

Real Trends releases Canadian brokerage rankings List expands to top 250 ranked by transaction ends and sales volume eal Trends has released its annual lists of the largest Canadian real estate brokerages, ranked by transaction ends and sales volume. There are some new names in the top 10 compared to last year, but the No. 1 spot once again goes to Sutton Group – West Coast Realty in Vancouver, which has 19 offices and recorded 15,039 transactions in 2011. Royal LePage’s 15 corporately owned offices in the Toronto area take second spot, with Re/Max Realtron of Markham, Ont. in third on the transaction list. Right At Home Realty in Toronto, which did not participate in last year’s survey, was the top independent brokerage and seventh overall. Re/Max is the brand with the

most brokerages on the lists. “We are now up to a ranking of 250 residential brokerages from a 200-company ranking the first two years,” says Real Trends partner Nicolai Kolding. “Almost all of the firms that participated last year chose again to participate this year and we were able to reach many new brokerages.” Kolding says the transactions of the top 250 firms on the list represented 52 per cent of all the housing transaction sides in Canada last year (based on CREA’s annual figure of 457,305). “We are pleased that once again we have deep geographic representation in Canada. Of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic regions, we had no less than 44 per cent of all transaction

sides represented in any province. “The average sales price from these firms, $362,980, is within $136 (or 0.04 per cent) of the national average, according to CREA,” Kolding says. “So we obviously feel the list is not only a deep sample, but one that is appropriately representative of the country.” The average agent of the brokerages in the survey completed 12.9 transactions last year. “This is significantly better than the national average, which we estimate at 9.1 transactions per person, as well as that achieved in the U.S. (7.8 transactions per person),” he says. The survey also includes tables that highlight those firms that had the best productivity per person and

per office as well as those firms that improved the most from 2010 to 2011. “We did this to highlight that there are many brokerages that are equally deserving of high praise even if they’re not one of the biggest,” Kolding says. Royal Pacific Realty Group in Vancouver had the top volume per office, while Re/Max Executives Realty in Winnipeg had the most ends per agent. Top volume per agent went to Prudential Fort McMurray Real Estate in Fort McMurray, Alta. Royal LePage Your Community Realty in Richmond Hill, Ont. had the largest increase in ends compared to 2010, while the largest increase percentage-wise was by Keller Williams VIP Realty in Ottawa.

saying it’s the right or wrong model, it just affords you some flexibility.” Another lesson from the U.S. experience: don’t worry so much about FSBO companies. “We’ve had a variety of FSBO and alternative business models over the years” in a variety of different markets, says Huskey. “None of them have sustained a significant percentage of the market. I think that fact more than anything else is evidence of the value of a professional in this business. “We strongly believe the consumer should have options, but we remain confident that after 105 years, the reason our brand has been successful is because consumers understand real estate is a highly dysfunctional and complex process, unlike other industries.” Huskey told the audience of Coldwell Banker brokers that the “most important thing you have to do is make sure quality is our most important competitive advantage.” REM

The 10 largest brokers in Canada, ranked by closed transaction ends for 2011, from the Real Trends Canadian 250: 1. Sutton Group - West Coast Realty, Vancouver, 15,039 2. Royal LePage Real Estate Services, Toronto, 10,018 3. Re/Max Realtron Realty, Markham, Ont., 9,544 4. Royal LePage Your Community Realty, Richmond Hill, Ont., 7,929 5. Re/Max Real Estate (Edmonton), Edmonton, 7,407 6. Royal LePage Team Realty & Royal LePage Gale Real Estate, Ottawa, 7,283. 7. Right At Home Realty, Toronto, 7,156 8. Re/Max Twin City Realty, Kitchener, Ont. 6,690 9. Royal Pacific Realty Group, Vancouver, 6,643 10. Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty, Belleville, Ont., 6,432 The full list is available at http://realtrendscanadian.com/ REM

4 REM JUNE 2012

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 recently opened its first office in the NorthWest Territories. Century 21 Greenway Realty will service the Great Slave Lake region including Hay River, Yellowknife and the surrounding communities. Jane and Rick Groenewegen are the owners of the brokerage. “Hay River and Yellowknife have a good spectrum of quality housing options. Finding what they are looking for is an integral piece of our clients’ happiness in the north, whether new to our territory or those who are up or down sizing,” says Jane. Helping people relocate to the North is a particular passion of the Groenewegens, says Jane. “It can be daunting for folks to buy homes from thousands of kilometres away, but that’s where we come in.”

doors in September 1998. Broker/owner Chris Vardy says the office has state-of-the art office systems and equipment for its group of 15 Realtors and three staff members. “It’s very important to train, coach and inspire Realtors and we do this on a regular basis,” says Vardy. “Our policy is simple: the client is happy; the Realtor is happy, which makes the brokerage happy. Everyone wins here.” He says joining HomeLife will provide a “huge boost for the company, advancing an enormous array of client and Realtor services.” ■ ■ ■

Calgary. Joining Henry is his son Matthew Dekort and Joanna Rodriguez. Dick Oakes, president of MaxWell Realty Canada, also announced that Sharon Kearney has joined the management team as business development manager. “Sharon comes to MaxWell Realty with an impressive 10-year background in recruiting and business development,” says Oakes. ■ ■ ■

Gurmender Sing converted his independent brokerage Royal Space Realty in Etobicoke, Ont. to Sutton - Royal Realty in March. The office has about 30 sales reps.

LifeStyle Realty in St. John’s, Nfld. is now HomeLife LifeStyle Realty. The brokerage opened its

Henry Dekort, broker /owner of 4-D Realty, has joined the MaxWell Realty franchise network. Dekort began his career in the real estate business in 1980. After a number of years as a successful associate he became the broker/manager of his own office. The new MaxWell Experts Plus Realty is in the town of Chestermere Lake, just outside of

Kyla and Robin Solowka recently joined Re/Max First Realty. Focusing on Durham Region and Clarington, Ont., Kyla has been in the real estate business for the past decade and has been a consistent award winner. Robin’s background in online sales and marketing with-

Henry Dekort

Sharon Kearney

Kyla Solowka

■ ■ ■

Surrounded by his sales reps, broker/owner Chris Vardy (second from right) cuts the ribbon at HomeLife Lifestyle Realty.

■ ■ ■

in the telecommunications industry has built her a business acumen that complements the real estate industry, says broker/manager Paul Etherington. “Together, the Solowka sisters are a powerhouse of experience and innovation that will be welcomed at Re/Max First,” he says. Re/Max First Realty opened in Pickering in 1992 and now has three offices in Durham Region and 155 salespeople. ■ ■ ■

Anthony and Karen Boos, brokers/owners of the brokerage formerly operating as Cascade Realty in three B.C. locations, have joined the Royal LePage franchise network. “We considered expanding our business without having a national brand, but determined that Royal LePage has the same philosophy that we have always believed in – ‘Helping you is what we do’,” says Anthony. Royal LePage Cascade Realty’s team consists of 15 licensees, working out of locations in Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge and Chetwynd, B.C. ■ ■ ■

Spurred on by the growing real estate demand in the area, Century 21 PowerRealty.ca has expanded its services to Strathmore with a new satellite office.

Robin Solowka

Sutton’s Richard Brinkley (left) welcomes Gurmender Sing to the franchise.

The company is owned by Bob Sheddy and Gary Chambers and headquartered in Drumheller, Alta. with additional offices in Airdrie and Calgary. Sheddy says Strathmore is “a great market and creates a great opportunity for our agents.” Strathmore is a community of over 12,000 residents with easy access to the Bow River. The thriving town combines country and small-town living with modern amenities. Strathmore has also seen major developments in its commercial sector, providing many opportunities for businesses and investments. ■ ■ ■

Marian Barry, broker/owner of Royal LePage True North Realty and Angie O’Hara, broker/owner of Prudential Fort McMurray Real Estate, have merged operations. The companies will operate under the name Royal LePage True North Realty. The merger adds 24 professionals to the Royal LePage sales force, making Royal LePage True North Realty the city’s largest brokerage with 64 Realtors. The company says it has about 32 per cent share of the city’s market share, putting it in top spot. ■ ■ ■

Continued on page 6

Bob Sheddy

Karen and Anthony Boos

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6 REM JUNE 2012

Sales rep sheds 245 pounds in a year A

ndrew McLane is half the man he used to be. Literally. And it’s a good thing. The 27-year-old Realtor tipped the scales at 455 pounds a year ago, but has since dropped 245 pounds. “Why? How? That’s what people want to know,” says McLane, an agent with Royal LePage Parkville-Qualicum Beach in Qualicum Beach B.C. McLane’s wife, Dani, wanted him to go to boot camp with her, but after a trainer told him, “It will be you and 20 women,” he declined. “Being so heavy, I was self conscious. I decided on a personal trainer.” He began working with Beth Alden of Kickstart Fitness twice a week for an hour each session. He upped it to three sessions a week, started working out on his own and then added some classes such as boxercise and step exercises to the mix.

He also changed how and what he ate. He eats five to six times a day to keep his metabolism going. His diet is high in protein, low in carbs and includes lots of fruits and vegetables. The unpredictable schedule of an agent can make healthy eating a challenge. “Realtors are everywhere all the time. The big problem before was I was eating out 15 times a week. I was a classic Realtor – have coffee with someone in the morning, and have a donut too. Have lunch with someone else. Go to open houses. Open houses with food are still hard,” says McLane, who got his licence when he was 19 and at the time was the youngest Realtor in Canada. At first he removed himself from temptation by avoiding open houses. Now he goes to open houses but makes healthy eating choices. Another secret: “I don’t come to work without packing a lunch.

On Sunday, I make all my food and freeze it. It only takes a couple of hours.” He may buy a salad and add other vegetables to it, then eat salad for three days. Lunches might consist of chicken and a salad or turkey burger and a salad or quinoa. He says the turkey, bison or moose burgers kill his cravings for beef burgers. McLane tried all of the fad diets, and nothing worked. “The reason it stuck this time is because I had a great support system through my trainer, colleagues and wife.” He also says it’s important to plan to succeed. “I didn’t want to die with $1-million in the bank. If you don’t have your health you don’t have anything. Take one hour a day for yourself. Turn off your phone (and exercise).” People who argue they are too busy are just making excuses. “My partner and I do 15 deals a month.

Andrew McLane weighed in at 455 pounds one year ago. The 27-yearold, 6’ 1” Realtor now weighs 210 pounds. His chest went from 56 to 38 inches and his waist from 62 to 37 inches. McLane is sharing his story in hopes of inspiring other Realtors to achieve their weightloss goals.

People will wait for good service. It helped with my weight (loss) when I realized that.” As for the excuse of not being able to afford it, he says, “Realtors make a good living. You can afford a gym membership and ($40 or $50 for) a personal trainer.” In high school, McLane was an athlete, participating on provincial soccer, football and baseball teams. After high school, he “gained 20 pounds a year through poor diet and being a young Realtor having fun.” Times have changed. Now instead of spending $100 on food, he spends it on his trainer. “Now I feel lazy if I don’t go to the gym. I will not go back to the way I was before. I’ve made a lifestyle change.” One last tip: McLane says it’s important to celebrate your weight loss achievements. Little goals and achievements are important, he says. “Like in real estate,where you set little goals in business. Set little goals with weight loss and celebrate those achievements.” – Connie Adair REM

Multiple Listings Continued from page 4

■ ■ ■

The Real Estate Council of B.C. recently suspended the real estate licence of Smrat (Sam) Sharma, formerly licensed with Multiple Realty Ltd. in Vancouver.

Angie O’Hara

John Doege

The Real Estate Council says it “suspended his licence in the public interest as a result of Mr. Sharma’s misappropriation of trust funds in relation to real estate transactions. Mr. Sharma is prohibited from providing real estate services to or on behalf of any member of the public as a result of this order. This suspension remains in effect until further notice.” REM Marian Barry

Cover photo: MIKE CRANE PHOTOGRAPHY

Publisher HEINO MOLLS email: heino@remonline.com

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Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY Brand Design SANDRA GOODER

Many agents and colleagues turned out for the 20th anniversary celebration at the new office of Sutton Group - Professional Realty in Halifax March 30. The new office space now features a large boardroom with the latest technologies available for the agents. From left: Anthony Montenaro, director of franchise relations; Allan Hennigar, broker/owner; Adam Hennigar, broker/owner; Richard Brinkley, director of business development. Front: Jeannine Hennigar, owner. 2255B Queen Street East, Suite #1178 Toronto, ON M4E 1G3

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

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John Doege is now on the executive team of Exit Realty Fusion in Regina. He has nine years of real estate experience in both the Calgary and Regina marketplaces. Prior to real estate he had an extensive background in senior management positions with major corporations in Saskatchewan. Doege will act as head coach for the office, spearheading the development of new and experienced agents.

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8 REM JUNE 2012

What’s the value of a Realtor? How to deal with clients who denigrate real estate professionals very Realtor confronts them at some point – people who are negative about Realtors and insist they are inept. In 2010, the Globe and Mail asked Canadians to share their thoughts on Realtors. Here is a sampling of the replies: • “Most real estate agents are glorified house tour guides.” • “The book Freakonomics summed up that Realtors are in it for the quick commission, period.” • “Ten thousand dollars or more for selling a house? Grand larceny!”

experience is an isolated event and should not reflect on the industry in general. “Present them with a noobligation option and/or the opportunity to cease the business relationship if at any time they are not comfortable with your services. Let them know you understand they are hesitant to trust another Realtor, however you are prepared to work with them to earn their trust and eliminate any lingering negative perceptions of the real estate industry.” Numerous surveys have shown that many home buyers and sellers are unaware of the

reinforce the positive aspects of having a Realtor protect their interests. Explaining the difficulties others have encountered allows us to show them that this is not a walk in the park.” Jennifer Pinarski is a proRealtor convert. She and her husband sold their first home in Winnipeg in 2005 without a Realtor. “We chose ComFree believing that we’d save a lot of money. I was a marketer at the time and thought it would be a breeze. We were well over our heads. We had no idea how to price our house and just guessed, then panicked when it didn’t sell the first week. We dropped the

Numerous surveys have shown that many home buyers and sellers are unaware of the true value a Realtor provides. • “I have met and attempted to work with a couple dozen Realtors in the last 25 years. I did not trust any of them.” • “With the pay of a doctor but the education/knowledge of a high school graduate, you wonder why consumers are so fed up with the services (or lack thereof) provided by so-called real estate professionals.” • “My dealings with agents in the past left me feeling like I’ve just been “had” by an untrustworthy used car salesman.” Ouch! So, how do Realtors overcome such negativity and stigmatism? Goran Todorovic, the broker/team leader of Re/Max Preferred Realty in Windsor, Ont., suggests how to deal with such clients: “Ask them what issues arose that made the experience negative. Listen to their concerns and address each one individually with a positive response. Reassure the potential client that their unfortunate

true value a Realtor provides. On the flip side, many Realtors assume that their hard work and expertise are a given. Since much of what Realtors do is unseen by clients, there is a disconnect between the two groups in many cases. Nancy Deakin, broker and co-owner of Deakin Realty in Pointe-Claire, Que., feels that if someone is dead-set against using a Realtor, sometimes it is better to wish them well and send them on their way after you make it clear you are available if they are in need of a professional. As for how to handle a client who had negative experiences with Realtors in the past, “First we would listen to their story. Then we would explain the process carefully along with the services we offer and use examples to show how our experience and network will give the client the best possible outcome selling their home. Listening to the client’s needs also allows us to respond to any concerns and to

price $20,000. The showings and open houses were monotonous and it was awful always having to be on call. Finally our house sold, for I’m sure thousands less than it could have. Since then we have sold one more and bought one more home (sold in Winnipeg, bought in Ontario). We used Realtors both times, and consider the commissions paid to be an investment, not an expense. It was a much more positive experience.” According to a U.S. National Association of Realtors survey, in hindsight 70 per cent of people who sell their home themselves say they would never do it again and most sellers net far less than they would have had a Realtor been selling their home. The complexities of not using a Realtor can be a huge selling point. Todorovic says, “Ask them if they have the time. This is a large factor and should not be underestimated. Can they take time off from work and obligations to show the property?

By Toby Welch Can they market their property effectively and efficiently when it relates to cost and maximum exposure? Do they understand the complex terms in contracts? Can they handle legal pitfalls that can arise when a messy contract is written, which could result in a legal nightmare and involve huge expenses to rectify? Do they know how to pick the market price? Are they aware of the process that is required in a real estate transaction? Are they comfortable with negotiating contracts on a face-to-face basis with potential buyers? If the answer to all of these questions is yes, then best of luck to them. Otherwise, call the best Realtor in town and get them to do what they do best.” Gary Bazuik, a sales rep with Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty in Victoria, says he avoids discussing being burned by a past experience and focuses on the fact that not all Realtors are the same. “I explain that nine out of 10 FSBOs eventually list their homes for frustration or safety reasons. A For Sale sign is an invitation for anyone passing to enter your home. If you list your home, only qualified buyers will view your property. Our MLS system had 1.9 billion page views last year alone, with each visit lasting an average of over 10 minutes. Your strong web presence will create the exposure you need to maximize value for your home.”

John Deakin, the other broker and co-owner at Deakin Realty, sums up the issue: “Unfortunately these stories exist in most businesses. Our concept is very simple – we tell clients the truth and explain that any advice we give would be the same if we were seated in their chairs.” REM

Gary Bazuik

Goran Todorovic

John and Nancy Deakin

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10 REM JUNE 2012

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real estate sales rep who broke his neck playing hockey needs your help. Richard Morrison, 47, fell while playing recreational hockey with friends in Burnaby, B.C. on April 21. He is paralyzed from the chest down and will never walk again. Morrison was working with Sutton Group â&#x20AC;&#x201C; West Coast Realty in White Rock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rich is selfemployed and does not have a safety net of savings or insurance,â&#x20AC;? says friend and Realtor Brent Silzer, who works at the same office. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The accident has been devastating for Rich, his wife Sheila, sixyear-old son Johnny and four-yearold daughter Jessa. Rich is facing at least a year of recovery, further medical treatments, major costs and a dramatic permanent change to his and his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Morrison family badly needs help and I am asking for your help. They are great people who are handling this adversity with

admirable grace, class and strength.â&#x20AC;? Silzer is urging Realtors to visit www.richardmorrisonfund.org to learn more about the family and Richard, and to make a donation. A trust fund has also been set up at CIBC. Donations can be made at any branch â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the trust account number is 87-40836 and the transit number is 02920. The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board has donated $1,500 and several fundraising Richard Morrison with wife Shelia and children events are being Jessa and Johnny. planned. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The injury is very fresh so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the website. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as serivery difficult to understand the full ous as it gets and we know we need scope of what has transpired physito help. We need to demonstrate cally and how he will recover short that we are now there for Rich and term and long term,â&#x20AC;? says Silzer on his family.â&#x20AC;? REM

Sutton team saves retiree from mortgage fraud

he quick action of Sutton Group - All Pro Realty in Peterborough, Ont. saved a retired Anglican priest from becoming a victim of mortgage fraud recently. Their story demonstrates the importance of experience, tenacity and public awareness to prevent crime. It began on Feb. 22, when a Toronto law firm contacted the Sutton office to ask about a commission. Administrator Gail Fulton could not find any trace of the transaction so she spoke with Doug Lytle, the manager at her brokerage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gail is meticulous with her record-keeping so when she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find evidence of the sale, I started calling other agents and checked MLS,â&#x20AC;? says Lytle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were suspicious but what really tipped us off was a fax from a second lawyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office. It was a copy of a receipt for a $10,000 deposit cheque showing our brokerage name and the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name, which

turned out to be fraudulent, and signed by someone claiming to be an accounts clerk for our company. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have an accounts clerk.â&#x20AC;? Lytle approached his broker, Dennis Roberts, who contacted FINTRAC, the federal department responsible for the prevention of money laundering. Although FINTRAC requires brokers to report suspicious activity, they had no immediate plans to investigate, Sutton Group says. Next, Dennis phoned the Toronto police departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial crimes unit but was told it is a lawyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibility to call the police. Unwilling to let a potential crime unfold, the broker finally phoned the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). Early the next week, Brian Prendergast, a representative from RECO, drove out to the house, says Sutton Group. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The real owner was a retired Anglican priest in his eighties,â&#x20AC;? says Roberts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He lived in that

Doug Lytle

house for more than 30 years. He was shocked to hear that his house was in the process of being sold. The criminals were trying to get a $600,000 mortgage against his home. If the deal finalized, it would be a huge hassle for him to clear it up.â&#x20AC;? At this point, there were only hours left before the property title would be transferred and a $600,000 mortgage granted. The land transfer office was on the verge of certifying the transfer when the RECO representative halted the process, informing them of fraud. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We highly recommend that people get title insurance and check their credit frequently,â&#x20AC;? says Roberts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Identity theft insurance can also help since these criminals used fake ID.â&#x20AC;? REM

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12 REM JUNE 2012

Canada’s real estate pioneers on the Titanic The story of John Hugo Ross and Thomson Beattie, two Winnipeg real estate men who were aboard the maiden voyage of the Titanic By Brian Slemming Photo: Manitoba Historical Society/Michael Poirier

John Hugo Ross

he first decade of the 20th century produced profitable times for Winnipeg. The great Canadian prairie was opening up. Settlers and immigrants were pouring into Winnipeg on any available form of transport. Those newcomers needed somewhere to settle, and waiting to help was the fledgling real estate industry. Two successful early real estate practitioners were John Hugo Ross, “a wealthy real estate owner” as the Chicago Examiner described him, and his equally wealthy friend Thomson Beattie. Both men were born in Ontario in 1875. Beattie was the son of a private banker. Ross was the son of a real estate broker involved in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. How they met is unclear but by 1912 they had both formed their own real estate companies. Beattie went into partnership and formed the Haslam Land Co. while Ross formed the Hugo Ross Realty Company. In 1903, Ross was one of the founders of the Winnipeg Real Estate Board. The two young men had offices across from each other in the city’s Merchants Bank Building. They were friends

as well as business rivals. Like many wealthy Manitobans, they left the harsh winter weather for sunnier climes. In January 1912, the two sailed for the Mediterranean from New York on the SS Frankonia. February of that year found them in Egypt, where Ross fell ill with dysentery. The vacation had to be shortened and the men booked a trip home on a new ocean liner sailing from England – the Titanic. The liner was designed to carry the super rich and the lower end trade of immigrants seeking new lives in North America. The designers, surprisingly, provided thirdclass accommodation and facilities superior to those usually associated with ocean liners. With true Edwardian morality, the single men and women were kept apart. Males in the bow, females aft. Families could travel together and some third-class cabins accommodated 10 people and had a wash basin in the cabin, a major improvement for the period. Food was unimaginative but plentiful, although it was prepared in a separate galley than that used for the first-class passengers. In first class the ship’s designers excelled themselves. The showpiece of the liner was the grand curving staircase constructed under a large glass dome. Each evening as the formally dressed passengers descended the sweeping staircase to reach the dining saloon, the Titanic took on a magic all its own. The most expensive cabins on board were four parlour suites. Each contained a sitting room, two bedrooms, two dressing rooms, a private bath and lavatory. Ross and Beattie did not warrant such deluxe cabins,

but as wealthy young men they naturally booked first-class passage. In addition to their private cabins, they had access to gourmet dining, luxurious public rooms including a large smoking room, a swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a gymnasium, a palm court where the ship’s orchestra played and ample deck space for outdoor exercise. The Titanic set sail from Southampton at 12 noon on Wed. April 10, 1912. Perhaps as a warning from King Neptune, as Titanic moved from the dock she came close to colliding with the liner New York. Disaster was narrowly averted. Passage to New York entailed two stops, one in Cherbourg and the second in Queenstown in southern Ireland, both to take on additional passengers. On April 11 she left Queenstown with 1,302 passengers and a crew of 907 on board and headed out into the Atlantic Ocean. The fatal collision with the iceberg occurred just before midnight on Sun. April 14. There had been numerous warnings of ice throughout the day from vessels in the area. These warnings did not cause Captain Smith to take any detour or reduce speed. He did, however, send two crewmen up to the lookout to watch for ice. Shortly before midnight the lookouts spotted a giant iceberg. Their warnings came too late to allow the helmsman to steer clear and at 11:40 pm, ship and iceberg met with a loud bang and a shudder that ran through the ship. To passengers the damage seemed minor, but beneath the sea’s surface the iceberg

had ripped a giant gash in the hull. From that moment the Titanic was doomed. Just under three hours after the collision, the Titanic slipped under the surface to plunge down to the sea bed. There she remained undisturbed and unseen for the next 80 years. The actions of the passengers and crew after the collision were the subject of a series of inquiries held in the U.S. and the U.K. There were many stories of families being broken apart, of men trying to take women’s places

the “unsinkable liner”, was carried aboard the ship in Southampton on a stretcher. There was a report that Ross was seen by a fellow Canadian traveller after the collision in his pyjamas on the grand staircase. He asked, “What was the bang?” and when told the ship had collided with an iceberg, he said he was returning to his bed. He is presumed to have died in his cabin. His body, like so many others, was never recovered. Beattie got off the ship. Whether, as some reports say,

in life boats. Stories of bravery and courage, and of cowardice and selfishness. Many of the stories have proven difficult to authenticate. What is clear is that the ship had an insufficient number of life boats for the number of people aboard. The listing of the ship made the launching of some boats impossible and the general sense of confusion made orderly abandonment of the ship impossible. The most reliable figure for the final death toll is that determined by the British Board of Trade inquiry, which fixed the number at 1,503. So what of our two Winnipeg real estate brokers? John Hugo Ross, whose dysentery forced the early return home on

he fell overboard and was picked up by a collapsible boat or whether he left the ship on the collapsible, he was on the life boat after the sinking. But during the night, he and two other men on this craft died. They drifted on the ocean for almost a month after the sinking. Then their boat was spotted by the Oceanic, which took the three bodies on board and gave them a burial at sea. Today nothing remains of the companies formed by Ross and Beattie. There is a memorial stone commemorating Beattie in a local cemetery. Winnipeg has a Hugo Street and a plaque dedicated to his name at Winnipeg City Hall. REM

REM JUNE 2012 13

Industrial, Commercial & Investment J

ones Lang LaSalle has named Brett Miller the new president of its Canada operations. Based in Toronto, Miller will be responsible for overseeing and growing the firm’s business across Canada. “Over the last two years, we have strengthened our business in Canada with new office openings, significant brokerage assignments and the addition of more than 40 industry professionals,” says Bill Krouch, CEO, Americas Markets at Jones Lang LaSalle. “To ensure our continued momentum in this important market, we required an individual with deep knowledge of multiple business lines, proven leadership skills and a track record of building profitable businesses. Brett brings these qualities, as well as an

entrepreneurial spirit, to the role.” Miller joins from CBRE where, as regional managing director, he ran the firm’s Eastern Canada division for more than a decade. In addition to overseeing five offices, he led major investment transactions and launched several business lines. Prior to this position, he ran the new business division of News International Newspapers in London and founded a home delivery services company in Paris. Miller began his career with real estate developer and manager Canderel Limited in Montreal in 1986, where he gained experience in finance, leasing and development. The company has also appointed Trish Clarry as managing direc-

tor in its National Corporate Solutions team in Canada. Based in Toronto, Clarry will provide real estate advisory, performance and efficiency solutions for major corporate clients. A senior real estate professional with 23 years in the industry, Clarry joins from Scotiabank, where she served as vice-president of real estate managing design, sustainability and process improvements across a 20 million-square-foot global real estate portfolio. Prior to this, she served with Telus Communications as executive director of real estate. A LEED Accredited Professional and a speaker on sustainability and real estate strategy, Clarry is also a member of the Ontario Association of Architects. ■ ■ ■

Re/Max Complete Realty in Calgary has opened a commercial brokerage, Re/Max Complete Commercial. “We offer an exclusive Re/Max Commercial brokerage in addition to an already successful residential brokerage, providing Calgary and its surrounding areas with all of

their real estate needs. It’s the first brokerage in Alberta to offer these services,” says owner Roger Ledene. Broker/manager Clark Coyston says Re/Max Complete Commercial is one of only 43 commercialonly Re/Max brokerages spread throughout 45 countries. ■ ■ ■

The B.C. Commercial Council (BCCC) elected Charles Wiebe as its chair for the 2012/2013 term. Supporting Wiebe in 2012 will be chair-elect Judy Gray and vicechair Gary Bowker. Formed in 2007, the council includes 10 B.C. real estate boards: B.C. Northern, Chilliwack & District, Fraser Valley, Kamloops, Kootenay, Okanagan Mainline, South Okanagan, Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Victoria. “Partnering with like-minded organizations allows us to enhance our commitment to professionalism and advocate and influence government policies that impact commercial real estate in B.C.,” says Wiebe. ■ ■ ■

Eric Reiner, a sales rep with

Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty’s Commercial Division in Kitchener, Ont., was Coldwell Banker Commercial’s Top Canadian Sales Professional in 2011, placing fourth overall out of almost 2,800 commercial sales representatives in North America. In addition, Reiner achieved the No. 1 Sales Professional by Specialty – Multi-Family Award for the second year in a row. Peter Benninger Realty’s Commercial Division also earned top honours for 2011, obtaining for the third year in a row the Commercial Elite award, which is bestowed on the top 15 Coldwell Banker Commercial companies out of approximately 230 commercial affiliate companies globally. The division also achieved the position of the Top Office in Canada for the third consecutive year. Reiner also received the Platinum Circle of Distinction Award. President and broker of record Peter Benninger received a Silver Circle of Distinction Award, and sales rep John Hoffman received a Bronze Circle of Distinction Award for outstanding sales performances in 2011. REM

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14 REM JUNE 2012

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“Folksy” commercial brokerage offers higher splits

arl Popow recently launched LBridge Realty Corporation, a new commercial real estate brokerage in Toronto. Popow says the company is offering commercial Realtors “all of the benefits that are now enjoyed by residential agents, and more… more choice, personal empowerment, better financial incentives and more professionalism.” Popow says the inspiration for the concept came from Re/Max founder Dave Liniger. When Liniger launched Re/Max, says Popow, he “issued a challenge to the standards in the industry (50/50 split) by letting agents keep 100 per cent of their commissions in exchange for a small fee for services provided by the new Re/Max brokerage for office and desk space, tools, administrative support and brand advertising. “The philosophy behind this aggressive and industry-changing proposition was the realization that the agent’s personal skill and hard work at finding clients and servicing their needs was in fact the key factor for success, and when an agent was faced with giving up 50 per cent of the reward for their effort, it became a de-motivating factor.” Popow says firms such as Charles Rutenberg Realty, originally of Chicago, and Right At Home Realty in Toronto “have taken the revolution started by Re/Max one step further by reducing fees charged under the Re/Max system to ‘barebones’ levels. Their revised platform is simple... in exchange for a smaller fee, they provide the basic essentials (deal processing, front desk support, training) and the agent sources any other tools and services required (office space, assistant, signs, administrative support). This second wave of change in residential real estate, represented by just these two companies alone has grown to an estimated 5,000 agents in just a few years.” Now Popow says he is taking the concept and applying it to his commercial real estate brokerage. “I worked for a large commercial brokerage and soon realized that the business that I had dug up was the result of my own hard work and

efforts, and the resulting clients were loyal to me and not to the company,” he says. “I had become self-sufficient in many ways (analyses, presentations, offer preparation, use of technology tools) and resented having to pay, via a 50/50 split, for full support capabilities and senior executive-level relationships established

Karl Popow

over time that I didn’t need or utilize. I found that all the tools and services that I needed to conduct my business properly (executive office and meeting facilities, research, presentation materials and signs) were readily available ‘a la carte’ and at a reasonable price.” Popow says the recent re-launch of Royal LePage’s commercial division “proves my earlier point that commercial real estate is evolving just as residential real estate evolved. However, I think of LBridge as an even better ‘secondwave’ commercial brokerage. Not only did I work for one of the large commercial brokerages, but I was also quite successful in conducting my commercial real estate activity under the Re/Max banner for quite some time. During that time I was able to identify several expensive services that I did not require and that I was reluctant to pay for each month. This fixed overhead has been eliminated within the LBridge model, with the result that splits may be more favourable than even those offered by residential brokerages.” He admits that while this “new thinking” may scare off some commercial Realtors, “others may be intrigued by a new and ‘folksy’ sense of professionalism and may be interested in getting in on the ground floor. Time will tell,” Popow says. REM

Atlantic Business Magazine’s

Top 50 CEO Award Winner

From humble beginnings to unstoppable success, EXIT Realty on the Rock Franchisee, Anne Squires’ unique and magnetic charisma has brought her distinction in the Newfoundland and Labrador real estate market yet again, this time as an Atlantic Business Magazine’s Top 50 CEO Award winner. “Anne is now in the company of the who’s who of the Atlantic Canada business community. It’s an extraordinary privilege to be the only owner of a real estate brokerage amongst a group of elite award winners,” said Joyce Paron, President of EXIT’s Canadian Organization. “The standard of excellence that she expects and demands has set a benchmark for real estate brokers across all provinces.” Behind her modest demeanour this tenacious powerhouse transformed EXIT’s flagship franchise within the province into a seven-office sensation, purchased the franchise rights for the entirety of Newfoundland and Labrador, and has now set her sights on Alberta. She’s also a tireless champion for charity, whether it’s rescuing Greyhound dogs or raising over $500,000 for local initiatives. Her offices’ inspiring fundraisers attract so much attention, renowned news anchor, Peter Mansbridge volunteered his time for two black-tie galas. “Anne’s accomplishments and successes, many and unparalleled, are shadowed by the difference that she truly makes in the lives of her agents and her community,” Paron commented.

“She’s a very special woman and this recognition is well deserved. Congratulations!”

Anne Squires Franchisee, NL Regional Owner, AB

w w w. e x i t r e a l t y. c o m

EXITRealty_June2012.indd 1

12-05-16 3:06 PM

16 REM JUNE 2012

Life-saving sales rep invigorated by move

Peter Dagg, twice honoured for saving lives on the ski hill, moved his real estate business from Quebec to B.C. four years ago. He continues to serve his clients, his industry and his community By Susan Doran momentum on the West Coast. He’s been a director for a little over a year, and in that time – besides helping to spearhead professional development and educational and informational workshops for his electorate – he’s been involved in various charitable fund-raising efforts. Last Christmas, REBGV awarded Dagg a Certificate of Appreciation for his teamwork on the board’s Christmas Classic Fundraiser, which pulled in $6,200 for the Lookout Emergency Aid Society, a Vancouver-based charity that assists the homeless. Peter Dagg (Photos by Mike Crane Photography)

eter Dagg’s philosophy is, “Work hard first, then play hard as a reward.”

local politics. I’m not now. That’s one stage of my life I was happy to retreat from,” he says.

At this point in his life he’s well positioned to do both.

Another was home repairs.

Dagg is director of the North Shore/Sunshine Coast/Sea to Sky (NSS) division of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV). He’s also presidentelect of the Canadian chapter of FIABCI, the international real estate federation, which has chapters in over 50 countries. He will take the FIABCI reins in March 2013, and is keen to point out that the organization’s “global referral network” and unique world-wide marketing opportunities are huge benefits to member Realtors and others involved in the real estate business. This is especially true in resort communities, where a large percentage of property owners are non-residents. Dagg, who’s with Sutton Group West Coast Realty, lives in the resort community of Whistler, B.C. He moved there four years ago from a small township about one hour southwest of Montreal, where he’d been both a Realtor and long-time mayor. “I was heavily involved in

“My wife and I decided there was more to life than spending 20 hours per week maintaining our drafty 1840s farmhouse in Quebec,” Dagg says. The draw of the healthy, West Coast mountain lifestyle had attracted many of Dagg’s family members to Whistler. So in 2008 he and his wife Patricia auctioned off their belongings, jumped into the car with their dog and headed cross-country. “The market went right into the toilet as we were driving out west, due mainly to the U.S. market,” Dagg says, laughing. He’s had to work hard to re-establish himself in the Whistler area. “I went from a rural, agricultural market to a resort market,” dealing with a high percentage of non-residents, he says. “In my old stomping grounds, my customers had often lived for three generations on the same property. They had deep roots.” His affiliations with the Vancouver board have been beneficial in boosting his

Dagg’s involvement with FIABCI – he’s been a member since 2001 – also presents him with opportunities to help others while benefiting his own business, notably by increasing exposure to a wider network of markets. Calvin Lindberg, current president of FIABCI’s Canadian chapter and 2012/2013 president of the Americas, formalized a new structure for the organization at its recent annual general meeting. Dagg anticipates that this will allow FIABCI to “be better organized.” (Sometimes organizing real estate professionals can be like “herding cats,” Dagg says.) “There’s been restructuring. It was a way looser arrangement before,” he says. “I think in 2013 we’ll jump ahead.” You’d think that between his work-related and fund-raising activities, Dagg would be run ragged. But he says that’s not the case. Asked how he’ll juggle becoming president of FIABCI’s Canadian chapter with all his other responsibilities, he simply notes that he doesn’t expect the time commitment to be onerous. Taking time out to ‘play hard’ remains an inherent part of his philosophy. He feels blessed to live in an environment where there’s

ample opportunity to pursue his passion for cycling and skiing. Whistler Blackcomb has “over 8,000 acres of skiable terrain. That makes me happy!” he says. A firm believer in the importance of balancing work and recreational activities, Dagg says that for him, the latter usually includes road biking, mountain biking and skiing. He often manages to combine his love of skiing and cycling with volunteer or charitable endeavours. For over 20 years back east, he was a member of the volunteer ski patrol, providing assistance to injured skiers and snowboarders at Lake Placid, N.Y., which was just across the border from where he lived. Over the years, he helped save two lives and was subsequently awarded two Purple (merit) Stars from the National Ski Patrol. One of the most important messages he can give to skiers and snowboarders who are injured, he stresses, is the necessity of getting to a hospital as quickly as possible. That “golden hour” (the time from ski hill to operating room should be within one hour, he says) is critical. People suffering head injuries or heart attacks are often in denial, he says, citing the tragic example of actor Natasha Richardson. Now Dagg is a ski patroller on

Blackcomb Mountain. His volunteer work continues after the ski runs close. Dagg volunteers as a medic for the annual GranFondo Whistler, a mass participation cycling event. And in June last year he participated in the 260-km Ride to Conquer Cancer, which benefits the B.C. Cancer Foundation. Bicycles for Humanity (BFH) is another cause he has taken on since coming to Whistler. He says that BFH, which has chapters worldwide, “collects used and donated bicycles, dismantles them, puts them in shipping containers and ships them to Africa.” There, bicycles are an empowering means of transportation for many people, helping them to get to school, to work and to medical facilities, and allowing them to more easily carry everything from water and firewood to livestock. Not surprisingly, given his penchant for community and professional contributions, Dagg says that when it comes to business, he views himself as a Realtor with patience and understanding. “I have a ‘client first’ philosophy...This has always been my approach, and it requires me to continually improve my skills and ways of doing business,” he says. REM

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18 REM JUNE 2012

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

ecently I interviewed Harry Fine, president of Landlord Solutions in Toronto, to get an idea of what questions Realtors have when it comes to Ontario’s landlord and tenant laws. Although he speaks specifically about Ontario’s forms, the issues presented are common across the country. Stan Albert: Harry, you recently gave a three-CEU course on the Residential Tenancies Act. Yipes, what a revelation it was for the agents attending. What is your background and how many years

Questions and answers for landlords have you been helping landlords in Ontario? Harry Fine: I was an adjudicator at the Landlord and Tenant Board from 2001 to 2004. After leaving the board, I switched sides and now I represent “landlords only” at the landlord and tenant board and at various other courts. In addition to doing legal advocacy for landlords, I teach extensively in residential landlord and tenant law, including at the Ontario Real Estate Association. In fact I’m just making my application to RECO to become a certified trainer so that I can spread the message more efficiently. I have been president of the Landlord’s Self-Help Centre, am on the Board of Directors of the Paralegal Society of Ontario and am a member of and involved with legislative efforts through the Federation of Rental Property Owners of Ontario. Albert: What is wrong with the present OREA form for Offers To Lease, in your opinion?

Fine: During my teaching at various boards over the last seven years, I’ve been complaining to Realtors about the shortcomings in the forms, hoping that the message would get back to the powers that be. I find that many Realtors and their clients get into trouble as the forms are not current with the law as it currently sits. I have a number of concerns, but to list just a few: • It is not clear anywhere in the offer to lease that the landlord’s name and address for the purpose of service of documents must be included on the lease, otherwise the tenant’s obligation to pay rent is suspended. I’ve seen many a poor Realtor and their clients have cases dismissed at the Landlord and Tenant Board for rent arrears since the information wasn’t on the lease. •The agreement doesn’t deal properly with utilities. What happens if the tenant does not contract directly with the utility company, and what rights does the landlord have under the Residential Tenancies Act if they

fail to do so? • The agreement does not, in my opinion, adequately deal with the intricacies of rentals in condos, and of course condos are the new rentals. I’m always shocked that so many condo owners do not provide the tenant with a copy of the Rules, Declaration and Bylaws as is required by law. Try to evict a tenant at the Landlord and Tenant Board for breaching the condo rules, when the tenant has never been provided with them, and it hasn’t been sufficiently clear in the lease that a breach of the rules equates to a breach of a landlord’s lawful right, interest and privilege under the Residential Tenancies Act. • I’ve seen a terrible case caused by a clause that a Realtor told me (don’t know if it’s true) was a standard OREA clause, that offered the tenant the right to renew the lease term at the end of the term. Problem was, it didn’t say that it could be renewed only once or that the tenant had to be in good standing or that there would

be no further rights of renewal. In this sad case, an adjudicator at the LTB found that the tenant had a right of perpetual renewal, provided that they picked up their option each year in writing. This meant that the landlord couldn’t ever get the house back for herself or for prospective purchasers, since the tenant was always in lease term. • The wording in the agreement related to last month’s rent deposits is in clear violation of the Residential Tenancies Act and a recent court decision about rent deposits. All Realtors and their clients using OREA leases risk not being able to keep a rent deposit if a tenant, who has signed a lease, backs out just a few days prior to occupancy. They would have to give the money back. • When a vendor landlord comes to me for advice about guaranteeing vacant possession on closing when the house is tenanted, I almost always tell them they are taking a huge risk. I advise them against simply using the normal clause. Instead I tell them that if they wish to warrant vacant possession on closing, that 60 days is the absolute minimum to evict at the Landlord and Tenant Board if the purchaser wants to move in, and to never sign an agreement with a clause guaranteeing vacant possession unless the agreement also obligates the purchaser to take part in the legal process. They should agree to attend court, testify and sign the affidavit that is required. If you go to a hearing to evict a tenant so that a purchaser can move in, and the tenant disputes the good-faith intentions of the purchaser, and the purchaser is not present to give evidence, it is as likely as not that the application will be dismissed. Also you can’t evict, even for the landlord’s or purchaser’s own use, while the tenant is still in lease term. For more information about Harry Fine and Landlord Solutions, visit www.landlordsolutions.ca. 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 2012

STOP SELLING HOUSES & START MAKING MONEY

By Debbie Hanlon

have been writing for REM now for over a year and I have made many new friends. Some I have met and others I so hope to meet soon. I often get mail from Realtors asking for advice. A lot of mail is from Realtors who are facing challenging times, asking advice on how to make it through. You know that feeling when you just don’t think you can make it all work? We have all been there; Lord knows I’ve been there many times. When I get asked, how did you do it, I often sit back and think about my past and my journey to where I am today. That

Your 4 am courage journey has been filled with many highs and lows, friendships, remarkable experiences, tears and oh so many joys. Reflection is very good for your soul and I highly recommend you do yourself a favour and take the time to sit back and reflect on your own life, where you’ve been, where you are and where you want to go. So how did I make it through, how did I go from being a young single mother on social assistance to one of the top 100 female entrepreneurs in all of Canada? Strangely enough, it was more about what I didn’t do. I didn’t lose my focus or my faith in what I was doing. I did it and you can do it too. You can make it through. All you need is 4 am courage! Staying calm and focused no matter what comes your way will not only help you make it through, it will help you achieve the success you desire and deserve. In the TV series Civil War, Selby Foot describe Ulysses S. Grant as having 4 am courage. He was describing how cool and calm

Grant was under any circumstance and his unbelievable ability to react in a cool and determined manner. He stayed focused no matter what obstacles were thrown at him. As you’re no doubt aware, sometimes the real estate industry is similar to a battle field. So, how do you get through when the bills are piling up, the children want dance lessons and you so need a vacation? Add to that stress all the players in any real estate transactions: the buyer, the seller, the appraiser, the mortgage broker, the lawyer, co-operating Realtors, stagers and so on, and we’re talking breaking point in a hurry. All those

people depend on you and look to you to keep things together. You are the field general and you must remain in control. If you lose control the rest will soon follow suit. You have to stay focused by keeping your eye on the prize, your prize, and the goals you have set for yourself. Never lose sight of why you got in the real estate business and keep that goal front and centre when you are experiencing a lack of faith. No matter how difficult times got or how many sales I had fall apart, or how many listings I lost, I never ever let it show. Never! I kept focused and I kept my eye on the prize, my goals.

How do you get through when the bills are piling up, the children want dance lessons and you so need a vacation?

You might say, sure, that’s easy to say. Well, it is easy to say and it’s just as easy to do. Keep calm, never let them see you sweat and remain focused. You can make it through. You will make it through. When things seem to be spinning out of control all around you, that’s when you have to step up and be your calm cool collective self. That calming effect you feel will be cast over the people involved with you, and not only will it help them, but it will also strengthen you. The next time you begin to think that you can’t make it through, I want you to dig down deep inside yourself and feel your 4 am courage! 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

22 REM JUNE 2012

Sales rep’s Paying it Forward program is win-win P

aying it forward comes naturally to Kathy Pineo Barrett, who has done it informally for years. Now she has created a formal program with a referral component and wants other Re/Max brokers and agents to join and reap the benefits. Best of all, it doesn’t cost a thing to join. Pineo Barrett, a sales associate with Re/Max Group Four Realty in Fredericton, N.B., makes contributions to charities on her clients’ behalf and an official tax receipt is mailed directly to them. “We have two food banks and two SPCAs (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in my area. I’ve always owned animals. Animals are close to my heart,” she says. “I’m from a large blue collar family and when someone needs a hand, everyone rallies. I’ve lived for a time as a single mother with two kids and I know what it’s like to live paycheque to paycheque. I’ve always supported food banks.” Participating agents are also

free to donate to the charity of their choice. Agents who have heard about her Re/Max Paying It Forward Referral Network have made positive comments but some didn’t want to join because they thought they would have to pay an annual fee, or she says, they didn’t want to ‘step on her toes’ by using her idea. But she wants to recruit others

“I’ve lived for a time as a single mother with two kids and I know what it’s like to live paycheque to paycheque. I’ve always supported food banks.”

to join the free program across Canada. To date, 21 Re/Max sales reps, based in Alberta, B.C., Labrador, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, have been inspired to pay it forward. Pineo Barrett looked up Re/Max agents across the country, read their bios and emailed those who had personalities similar to hers, she says. “If I’m referring, I want to know who I’m referring to.” The idea for the program was planted when Pineo Barrett was out for a drive with her husband. They passed a grocery store, and Pineo Barrett wondered what the store does with uncollected Air Miles points. Wouldn’t it be great if each cashier had a card to put unclaimed points on to, with points going to charity, she thought? She contacted the store but they were already working with a charity and declined. Not one to give up, Pineo Barrett started giving grocery gift certificates, with a

note letting clients know they could use the certificate themselves or donate it to a food bank and pay it forward. The problem was that clients could not get a tax receipt when donating grocery certificates, so Pineo Barrett donates on her clients’ behalf and tax receipts are issued in the client’s name. Pineo Barrett had previously given doorknockers as closing gifts. You can only give so many doorknockers, especially when your clients are military families who are always on the move and you have a lot of repeat customers. She had to come up with a new plan for a meaningful closing gift and the Paying It Forward program was it, says the military relocation specialist. Now she wants to spread the word. Her licence plate reads “paitfwd” and she is redoing her business cards to include her charities’ logos on the back. But her newest idea is to mail or email about 250

Kathy Pineo Barrett

newsletters on the charities’ behalf (instead of mailing out information about herself) to keep her top of mind with her clients. It’s a winwin for everyone, she says. The Oromocto and area SPCA and Fredericton SPCA are already on board. For more information, contact Kathy Pineo Barrett at 506-4709888 or kpineobarrett@remax.net. REM

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169. Coldwell Banker Coburn Realty - Nepean, ON 170. Exit Realty Metro - Dartmouth, NS 171. Keller Williams Kitchener - Kitchener, ON 172. RE/MAX Associates - Winnipeg, MB 173. Exit Realty Specialists - Saint John, NB 174. RE/MAX Real Estate-Lethbridge - Lethbridge, AB 175. RE/MAX Legacy Realty Inc. - Mississauga, ON 176. RE/MAX Plus - Chambly, QC 177. CENTURY 21 United Realty Inc. - Peterborough, ON 178. RE/MAX Banner Real Estate - Middleton, NS 179. Keller Williams Realty South - Calgary, AB 180. RE/MAX Cité Inc. - Montréal, QC 181. RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd. - Ottawa, ON 182. Coldwell Banker Parker Realty - Charlottetown, PE 183. RE/MAX Advantage Realty - New Westminster, BC 184. RE/MAX Actif Inc. - St-Bruno, QC 185. RE/MAX Omega Realty (1988) Ltd. - Newmarket, ON 186. RE/MAX Lanaudiere Inc. - St-Charles-Borromée, QC 187. Coldwell Banker Neumann Real Estate - Guelph, ON 188. RE/MAX Grey Bruce Realty Inc. - Owen Sound, ON 189. Coldwell Banker Momentum Realty - St Catharines, ON 190. RE/MAX Defi (1996) - Valleyfield, QC 191. RE/MAX Land Exchange Ltd. - Wingham, ON 192. Keller Williams Realty Halifax - Bedford, NS 193. RE/MAX Legend Real Estate Inc. - North Bay, ON 194. RE/MAX Immo-Contact Inc. - Duvernay, Laval, QC 195. RE/MAX Bois-Francs Inc. - Victoriaville, QC 196. RE/MAX Extra Inc. - Beloeil, QC 197. RE/MAX 3000 Inc. - Montréal, QC 198. RE/MAX Progroup Realty - Delta, BC 199. Exit Realty Fusion - Regina, SK 200. RE/MAX Drummondville Inc. - Drummondville, QC 201. Coldwell Banker Preferred Real Estate - Winnipeg, MB

34. RE/MAX 1er CHOIX Inc. - Québec, QC 35. RE/MAX Garden City Realty Inc. - St. Catharines, ON 36. Royal LePage Triland Realty - London, ON 37. RE/MAX Realty Specialists Inc. - Mississauga, ON 38. RE/MAX Performance Realty - Winnipeg, MB 39. RE/MAX Nyda Realty; RE/MAX Real Estate (Kamloops) - Chilliwack, BC 40. RE/MAX House Of Real Estate; RE/MAX Properties - Calgary, AB 41. RE/MAX Du Cartier Inc. - Montréal, QC 42. Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate - Edmonton, AB 43. RE/MAX Realty Specialists Ltd.; RE/MAX United Inc. - St. John’s, NL 44. RE/MAX Camosun - Victoria, BC 45. CENTURY 21 Heritage Group Ltd. - Thornhill, ON 46. RE/MAX Alliance Inc. - Montréal, QC 47. RE/MAX Real Estate (Mountain View) - Calgary, AB 48. RE/MAX Platine - Brossard, QC 49. RE/MAX Professionals Inc. - Toronto, ON 50. RE/MAX Executives Realty - Winnipeg, MB 51. RE/MAX Professionals - Winnipeg, MB 52. RE/MAX Acces Inc. - Ste-Foy, QC 53. RE/MAX Imagine Inc. - Longueuil, QC 54. RE/MAX Premier Inc. - Vaughan, ON 55. RE/MAX Crown Real Estate Ltd. - Regina, SK 56. RE/MAX D’Abord Inc. - Sherbrooke, QC 57. RE/MAX Crest Realty Westside - Vancouver, BC 58. RE/MAX Elite - Edmonton, AB 59. RE/MAX Chay Realty Inc. - Barrie, ON 60. RE/MAX Realty Professionals - Calgary, AB 61. RE/MAX Crossroads Realty Inc. - Toronto, ON 62. RE/MAX Rouge River Realty Ltd. - Toronto, ON 63. RE/MAX 2000 Inc. - Laval-Des-Rapides, QC 64. Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd. - Toronto, ON 65. RE/MAX Des Mille-Iles Inc. - Terrebonne, QC 66. RE/MAX Realty Services Inc. - Brampton, ON 67. RE/MAX 2000 Realty Inc. - Toronto, ON 68. RE/MAX T.M.S. Inc. - Ste-Thérèse, QC 69. RE/MAX Kelowna - Kelowna, BC 70. RE/MAX Reference 2000 - Beauport, QC 71. Royal LePage Kelowna - Kelowna, BC 72. RE/MAX Vision (1990) Inc. - Gatineau, QC 73. Sotheby’s International Realty Canada - Vancouver, BC 74. Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty - Mississauga, ON 75. RE/MAX De Francheville Inc. - Trois-Rivières, QC 76. RE/MAX Crown Realty (1989) Inc. - Sudbury, ON 77. Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate - Winnipeg, MB 78. RE/MAX 2001 Inc. - Fabreville, Laval, QC 79. RE/MAX Landan Real Estate - Calgary, AB 80. RE/MAX Aboutowne Realty Corp. - Oakville, ON 81. Sutton Group Select Realty Inc. - London, ON 82. RE/MAX Performance Inc. - St-Lambert, QC 83. RE/MAX Vernon; Shuswap; Mara Lake; Enderby; Armstrong; Lumby - Vernon, BC 84. RE/MAX Eastern Realty Inc. - Peterborough, ON

118. RE/MAX Real Estate Central Alberta - Red Deer, AB 119. RE/MAX First Realty Ltd. - Pickering, ON 120. RE/MAX Vision Realty Inc. - Toronto, ON 121. Exit Realty Associates - Moncton, NB 122. RE/MAX Ability Real Estate Ltd. - Courtice, ON 123. RE/MAX Centre City Realty - Prince George, BC 124. Keller Williams VIP Realty - Ottawa, ON 125. Maxwell Canyon Creek - Calgary, AB 126. RE/MAX Ocean Pacific Realty - Courtenay, BC 127. Royal LePage Wolstencroft Realty - Langley, BC 128. Coldwell Banker Sarazen Realty - Ottawa, ON 129. Royal LePage Prime Real Estate - Winnipeg, MB 130. RE/MAX Nova - Halifax, NS 131. RE/MAX Capitale - Québec, QC 132. RE/MAX Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd. - Waterloo, ON 133. Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty - Kelowna, BC 134. RE/MAX Group Four Realty Ltd. - Fredericton, NB 135. RE/MAX Jazz Inc. - Oshawa, ON 136. Prudential Town Centre Realty Inc. - Oakville, ON 137. RE/MAX Fort McMurray Realty - Fort McMurray, AB 138. Royal LePage Network Realty Corp. - Red Deer, AB 139. RE/MAX Realty Enterprises Inc. - Mississauga, ON 140. Royal Le Page Estate Realty - Toronto, ON 141. Royal LePage Solutions Inc. - Calgary, AB 142. Prudential Grand Valley Realty - Cambridge, ON 143. RE/MAX Realty One Inc. - Mississauga, ON 144. RE/MAX Niagara Realty Ltd. - Niagara Falls, ON 145. RE/MAX Real Estate Centre - Edmonton, AB 146. CENTURY 21 Westman.Com Ltd. - Brandon, MB 147. RE/MAX All Points Realty Group - Coquitlam, BC 148. Coldwell Banker Westburn Realty - Burnaby, BC 149. RE/MAX Professionals Saint John Inc. - Saint John, NB 150. Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty - Kitchener, ON 151. Coldwell Banker First Ottawa Realty - Ottawa, ON 152. Sutton Group Quantum Realty Inc. - Mississauga, ON 153. RE/MAX Action Realty - Fort St. John, BC 154. RE/MAX Georgian Bay Realty Ltd. - Midland, ON 155. Keller Williams Advantage Realty - Toronto, ON 156. Keller Williams Realty - Toronto, ON 157. RE/MAX Différence Inc. - Marieville, QC 158. RE/MAX Performance Realty - Delta, BC 159. RE/MAX Pembroke Realty Ltd. - Petawawa, ON 160. RE/MAX North Country Realty Inc. - Huntsville, ON 161. Coldwell Banker R.M.R. Real Estate - Oshawa, ON 162. RE/MAX Quality Real Estate Inc. - Moncton, NB 163. Coldwell Banker Pinnacle Real Estate - Hamilton, ON 164. CENTURY 21 In Town Realty - Vancouver, BC 165. RE/MAX First Choice Realty Ltd. - Thunder Bay, ON 166. Keller Williams Elite Realty Ltd. - Port Coquitlam, BC 167. RE/MAX Lifestyles Realty (Maple Ridge) - Maple Ridge, BC 168. RE/MAX a-b Realty Ltd. - Stratford, ON

202. Coldwell Banker Rhodes & Company - Ottawa, ON 203. RE/MAX Direct Inc. Gatineau, Secteur - Aylmer, QC 204. RE/MAX Of Lloydminster - Lloydminster, AB 205. RE/MAX Action (1992) Inc. - Lasalle, QC 206. RE/MAX Goldenway Realty Inc. - Toronto, ON 207. RE/MAX Futur Inc. Châteauguay, QC 208. RE/MAX Orillia Realty (1996) Ltd. - Orillia, ON 209. RE/MAX De L’Avenir Inc. - St-Jérôme, QC 210. RE/MAX Quinte Ltd. - Belleville, ON 211. Prudential Fort McMurray Real Estate - Fort McMurray, AB 212. Coldwell Banker All Points-Festival City Realty - Stratford, ON 213. Keller Williams Realty Centres - Newmarket, ON 214. Prudential Property Specialists - Bedford, NS 215. RE/MAX Harmonie Inc. - Montréal, QC 216. RE/MAX Welland Realty Ltd. - Welland, ON 217. Keller Williams Solid Rock Realty - Ottawa, ON 218. RE/MAX East Coast Realty Ltd. - Conception Bay South, NL 219. RE/MAX Trent Valley Realty Ltd. - Trenton, ON 220. RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty. - Yorkton, SK 221. CENTURY 21 Professional Group - Brantford, ON 222. RE/MAX Active Realty Inc. - Mississauga, ON 223. Coldwell Banker ONTRACK Realty - Red Deer, AB 224. Coldwell Banker Charles Marsh Real Estate - Sudbury, ON 225. RE/MAX Diamond Realty Inc. - Toronto, ON 226. RE/MAX Impact Inc. - St-Hyacinthe, QC 227. Coldwell Banker Panda Realty - Edmonton, AB 228. RE/MAX Accord - Edmonton, AB 229. RE/MAX County Town Realty Inc. - Lindsay, ON 230. RE/MAX Kings Realty Ltd. - Mississauga, ON 231. Coldwell Banker Fort McMurray - Fort McMurray, AB 232. RE/MAX Montreal Metro Inc. - Montréal, QC 233. RE/MAX Unis Inc. - Repentigny, QC 234. RE/MAX Of The Battlefords; RE/MAX Meadow Lake - North Battleford, SK 235. RE/MAX Cornwall Realty Inc. - Cornwall, ON 236. RE/MAX Unique Inc. - Toronto, ON 237. Keller Williams Real Estate Associates - Mississauga, ON 238. RE/MAX Sudbury Inc. - Sudbury, ON 239. RE/MAX Excellence Inc. - Anjou, QC 240. RE/MAX Results Realty - Maple Ridge, BC 241. RE/MAX Dawson Creek Realty - Dawson Creek, BC 242. Whistler Real Estate - Whistler, BC 243. RE/MAX Williams Lake Realty; RE/MAX Country Lakes Realty - Williams Lake, BC 244. RE/MAX Ocean Pointe Realty - Chemainus, BC 245. Tradewinds Realty Inc. - Chester, NS 246. RE/MAX Laurentides Inc. - St-Sauveur, QC 247. RE/MAX V.R.P. Inc. - St-Eustache, QC 248. RE/MAX Cadibec Inc. - Kirkland, QC 249. RE/MAX Medalta Real Estate - Medicine Hat, AB 250. Coldwell Banker Redwood Realty - Whitehorse, YT

26 REM JUNE 2012

No leaders, just followers

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

was thinking. At least I think I was thinking – could have been just one of those moments we older folks are so adept at disguising, gazing off into space, until that damn drop of drool forms at the corner of our mouth. Or we fart. Where was I? (Another clue it perhaps wasn’t my most cerebral moment.) And what I was thinking is that we are slipping into a society and an industry that is being led around by the nose – by technology. No one is leading, we are all following. When was the last time your boss or your organization had an original thought that wasn’t the

result of some hi-tech, breathless, ill-complexioned, under-30 visionary suggesting a new application would revolutionize the way the real estate business will be done in the future? Case in point – pun intentional – Point2 Technologies. In October 2009, Kathy Bevan wrote an article in REM about the emerging technology of syndication. In December of the same year, I commented in my column: “The crux of the endeavour is to funnel participating MLS listings through Point2 Technologies, a Canadian developer of real estate marketing tools, to a growing list of third-party websites and search engines. You’ve heard of Google? Craig’s List? eBay? . . . . In addition to channelling listings to realtor .ca . . . members in Saskatchewan who opt into the feature will have their listings posted AT NO CHARGE on thirdparty sites. So this is important stuff and probably being considered by your industry leaders today. Threat or

opportunity? If I go to my client’s head – where else? – I think it has to be an opportunity. From my point of view as a managing broker I believe it’s an opportunity for our company and our people. . . . “For some troglodytes, it will always be a stretch to put the client’s interests ahead of their own. The thinking along these lines produced the sleeve listing – where I’m the only one who knows it’s for sale, I’m the only one to sell it. When they tilt their service a little in favour of the client they create the exclusive listing, allowing access to others in the office. From there they slip into the MLS and suddenly, co-operative brokerage becomes a way of life. Then the Internet, reciprocity and realtor.ca. Kicking and screaming we were led into this world. “But if we are one of about half of the current members of CREA and have been in the business for six years or less, then web marketing is the norm, information sharing is natural. We’re texting, on Facebook, Tweeting daily

– except while driving – and wondering why the old geezers in the corner of the bullpen – the ones packing a pager and flipping through a really old catalogue – wondering why they talk about the good old days, regaling all within earshot with Polaroid photo tricks and the wording for a telegram of acceptance. “The new reality, the new Realtor, is all about networking and distribution. And we have turnover to thank, rather than curse, for the transition that is coming. No need to set your hair on fire about syndication or any other technological schism. Just lie back and enjoy. Maybe it’s just the latest version of BETA or the 8Track. The certainty is we’ll all get to watch or participate, to embrace or discard, to add to our tool box or scoff.” The reality is syndication is now old news, so old that Century 21, in 2010, had embarked down the road of a successful action to recover control of its content. And yet here we

are in 2012 suddenly discovering syndication as though it were a new trick pony. With a large percentage of real estate practitioners relatively new, our national, provincial and local real estate organization leaders must assume the job of leadership. Seeking consensus by task force is not leadership. Making decisions is. One step might be to stop the “It’s my turn to be chair!” annual anointment of the next in line, who may have simply lost at our game of musical chairs and appears to be volunteering. Bring back two-year terms for the chair – that commitment might sort out those who are there for the perks and glory, and dare I say, in some cases, the money. You want to be our leader? Do you measure up to the Sauder School of Business (UBC) definition? “Leading is the act of providing vision, direction, inspiration and motivation to employees so that the organization’s goals may be achieved. It is the process of working with and through people in order to ensure that the necessary work is carried out. After

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plans have been established and the organization has been set up, it is incumbent upon the manager to provide leadership so that the group remains focused and motivated as it progresses towards its goals.” Not to lead is to abandon the helm to the executive officer and staff and that’s not why we elected you. Try not to prove the observation made by the former chairman of US Steel: “Directors are like parsley on fish, decorative but fundamentally useless.”

You can find Marty Douglas on Twitter at – http://twitter.com /41yrsrealestate – Facebook and LinkedIn. He is a managing broker for Coast Realty Group, with offices on Vancouver Island, the Discovery and Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast of B.C. Marty is a past chair of the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Corporation of B.C., the Real Estate Council of B.C. , the B.C. Real Estate Association and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. Email m d o u g l a s @ c o a s t r e a l t y. c o m .

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28 REM JUNE 2012

The difference between mediocre and great By Ronn James

arents often encourage their children to learn an instrument or sport. We test a myriad of disciplines to find the best fit and then we enrol our kids to become the next YoYo Ma or Gretzky. We are relentless in our effort to get our children to practices, games, coaching camps and play groups with their kindred spirits. All sports (or music, or dance, or whatever) all the time. The result? The kids usually develop a true skill in their chosen craft. More importantly, they develop confidence in demonstrating their talent to themselves and others. So what brings about the fun-

damentals of success? Most sports coaches and music instructors will tell you it is a combination of instruction, application, and both on and off field practice. I have listened to, interviewed, worked with and trained new Realtors who want to improve their game in real estate sales. I have attended a plethora of sales rallies, coaching events and seminars to be great in real estate. The results are often the same. I sit and listen to someone (or a panel of self-described experts) tell me what makes him or her great. The assumption is that through osmosis I will incarnate their spirit and take my business from good to great. Not likely. You can’t train for a marathon (solely) in your mind. You have to put down the remote and your preferred snack and actually get

on the road and run. And you can’t just be the epitome of a marathoner by purchasing the cool gear that the cool runners wear. You will be outed on the side of the road as you’re puking your last protein bar out in the first mile of the race. Learning to run, like selling real estate, requires the same dedication. Step one – breathe and learn about pacing yourself. Step two – celebrate small wins by achieving manageable goals. Step three – run. If I were to take up running, I could easily take a course, find a coach and run everywhere and anywhere because it is open and available to me. Once I get my proverbial ticket in real estate, what do I do? I can take the week (possibly two) of company training. I could hire (at great expense) a coach who will teach at least

one way to do things. What I can’t do is practice. Where do I try the new aerial flip leg hold manoeuvre I overheard someone at a seminar say they do? Where is my professional “arena” where I can change into my gym clothes, strap on a protective cup and spar with colleagues at my level and above? How do I know I am ready to work with buyers and sellers? The major difference between most Realtors and those who make a great living as Realtors is the practice. They just do it more often and more regularly to hone their skills and review what is working and what’s not. A new Realtor doesn’t have as frequent an opportunity to get in the ring and spar for success. Their chance “at bat” is often a couple of well-meaning friends or relatives who let these new Realtors list and/or sell their home.

If a more practical opportunity for new Realtors existed, how much better would our sales people be? “Fake it till you make it” bravado is one part of our business. Imagine the respect our clients would have for our profession if well-practiced skills and talent became an inherent part of our industry. With a track record that spans 27 years, Realtor Ronn James says his ambition is to educate the public and Realtors alike. He has landed appearances on Breakfast Television, CityLine, Real Life and a host of radio shows. James has also been a regular contributor to New Homes and Condos For Sale Magazine, Toronto Sun and Canadian Homeplanner. Website: www.RealEstateCommission Matters.ca, phone 289-242-9050. REM

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30 REM JUNE 2012

10 guaranteed ways to kill your sale By Lloyd R. Manning

ike all professions and disciplines, becoming proficient at selling real estate takes time, education and above all perseverance. Book learning is only part of the job – perhaps a large part, but certainly not all of it. Because they are anxious yet green, it is not uncommon for a novice salesperson to unknowingly commit acts or say things that kill their own sale. Here are 10 of the most common violations of good selling practice. 1. Selling when you should not, talking when you should remain silent. This is a common failing. It might work for auctioneers but not for salespeople of any kind – real estate, automobiles, books, you name it. When you go

through the selling process, answering the questions and overcoming the objections, there is a time to talk and a time to remain quiet. You must give the prospect time to work through his decisionmaking process. When the prospect is serious, he is saying nothing, yet contemplating what has been shown and said. If you start talking, perhaps offering an additional positive, you are aborting the prospect’s thought sequence. More sales are lost by talking too much than not enough. 2. Failure to listen. You hear the voice but don’t know what this person is saying. Poor communication. This is perhaps the greatest failing of all salespeople, Realtors included. Perhaps because you are concentrating on what to say next, that all-persuasive pitch, that closing argument, either you don’t hear what the prospect is saying or flesh out his objectives and constraints. Or perhaps you are listening, but only with your ears. Body language is ultra important. Often what a prospect does not say is

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more important than what he does say. 3. Failure to qualify the buyer. Failure to establish the buyer’s true motives and constraints. Not bringing out the buyer’s likes and dislikes, wants, needs and of course purchasing power. Often it is not the “what” but rather the “why” that must be satisfied. Every buyer does something or buys something at the expense of not doing or buying something else. Thus it is a trade-off between what is desired, what is needed and what is affordable. As a sales professional you must ensure that what you are proposing makes the trade-off reasonable and acceptable. 4. Answering the question before it is asked. Telling or showing too much too soon. Limiting the prospective buyer from exercising a sense of control over the decision making and buying process. This is important! Never relate too much at the get-go, like putting everything imaginable into a highlight sheet, or giving an all-inclusive spiel, leaving no room for

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questions and answers. It is on the interview that you feed in pertinent information, but slowly, one piece at a time. Let the prospect digest what has already been provided and an agreement or at least understanding obtained, prior to adding more grist for the mill. 5. Failure to organize. After the buyer is qualified it should be an organized showing of properties procedure and a step-by-step sales presentation of the one that most likely meets the buyer’s criteria. The sales professional must adapt the sales pitch to his most comfortable way of making presentations and the prospect’s reception to it. If the drill isn’t working, change it. Ask questions in an orderly, professional manner. 6. Applying incorrect motivations. Using the wrong pitch. It is too easy to assume that all buying decisions are made with the head and not the heart. This is equally true with all categories of real estate, including major commercial properties. No matter how sophisticated or worldly wise the

buyer may be, it is the subjective motives, the reasoning behind the why he wants to do this that outweigh the objective considerations. It is by satisfying those subjective motives that the sale is made. 7. Failure to maintain a sense of urgency. Failure to keep things moving along. If you permit seemingly inconsequential matters to go unattended or to drag on unnecessarily long, your chance of losing the sale is directly proportional to the delay. Just because you have an accepted offer and a deposit does not mean that your job is done. A sale is not a sale until the seller has his money and the buyer has possession – and sometimes not even then. (I once refunded a deposit where the buyer had been in possession for four years). 8. Forgetting that the buyer is making a large investment. All buyers have doubts about the decision they are about to make. Age and wealth does not enter this picture. Although frequently changing one’s residence is now becom-

REM JUNE 2012 31

ing more common, historically, most residential buyers have done this only two or three times during a lifetime. All buyers are concerned that they could be making a huge mistake. It is always a stressful situation, filled with uncertainties. You must be patient as you go down the line answering each question, overcoming each objection and offering reassurance. 9. Giving worldly wise advice on subjects or matters on which you have no expertise. At times it is difficult to remember that you are a salesperson, not an engineer, architect, town planner, consultant or financial adviser. (This happens to all of us – me included). We stop selling and start advising. Failing to dazzle the buyer with brilliance, you try baffling with camel dung. 10. Lastly, don’t be a smart ass. Thinking that you know more than the prospect and letting it show. It just might be that the

prospect, on inspection, is more intimately acquainted with the strengths and weaknesses of the property being shown and his own financial capability than you are. As a sales professional you are a conveyor of information. The more orderly manner in which the information is provided and properly responded to, the greater the chance of you making the sale. This article was taken from Lloyd Manning’s most recent book, Winning With Commercial Real Estate – the Ins and Outs of Making Money In Investment Properties. It covers the entire field of buying, financing, leasing, managing, selling and more. In 374 pages, for less than $25, the book provides an invaluable guide to investors, Realtors and appraisers at all levels. It is available as an EPub from www.Booklocker.com or as a paperback online from Indigo-Chapters, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. REM

Good first email impressions

By Mark Brodsky

he phrase “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” is true both in person and with email. The first email you send to a new contact sets the tone for the rest of the conversation. If the email they receive to thank them for joining your list is a blank generic message generated by the system, it reflects poorly on you and your brand. However, if the welcome email goes out with your branding and personalized content, it shows that you pay attention to details. When people sign up for your mailing list from a link, whether it’s on your website or in your email signature, many programs send out an automated welcome email.

Before you post any links, take a few minutes to customize the first email: Change the colours and fonts to match your branding. Add your name, photo or logo. Update the copy in the email to reflect your business. Tell them to make sure to add your email address to their list of “safe senders”. Let them know what you’re sending and how often. Mention that they can unsubscribe at any time. The newest member on your mailing list has now received the first piece of communication and it matches your brand and sets the tone for future emails. Once people have received the welcome email, they’ll recognize your newsletter when it arrives in their in-box and they will be that much more inclined to pay attention. Mark Brodsky runs Mark Brodsky Digital Communications, a company that specializes in email marketing and social media. In addition to email newsletters and targeted campaigns,www.mb digitalcommunications.com; Email mark@mbdigitalcommunications. com REM

32 REM JUNE 2012

LEGAL ISSUES

By Donald H. Lapowich

es, it sometimes happens. AL, a lawyer and his client SJ, a Realtor and investor, were parties to a joint venture involving two apartment buildings. In an action, SJ denied there were other beneficial interests and sued for partition and sale. SJ settled the proceedings with the other parties including AL. A dispute on the division of the profits arose and the parties’ corporation sued. In that action SJ argued that his former lawyer AJ breached a fiduciary duty to SJ. The court held that an expe-

Lawyer vs. Realtor rienced Realtor and real estate investor would understand the alleged issue of conflicts of interest. Also a claim for fiduciary duty is barred by resjudicata or abuse of process, which SJ should have asserted in the first proceeding. (Chancery Estate Holdings Corp. v. Sahara Real Estate Investment Inc., 2011 BCSC 1067) ■ ■ ■

In 2006, a plaintiff purchased the defendant’s home. Sometime after closing, water appeared in the finished basement while the husband of the plaintiff was doing renovations. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant knew of water penetration and failed to disclose. However, a home inspection showed the house was in good condition and recommended window well covers. The court held that any leakage was a result of the plaintiff’s

renovations to windows and eavestroughs and that the vendor was not liable. (Ricchio v. Rota, 2011 ONSC 6192) ■ ■ ■

In B.C., a landlord leased a commercial building to the plaintiff (tenant). The plaintiff stayed in the property for some time but then sublet the property to another without the landlord’s approval as required by a term in the lease. The plaintiff then allowed the building to remain vacant. The plaintiff failed to produce evidence of insurance coverage to the landlord. The landlord gave notice of termination of the lease for breach of covenants. The landlord then rented to a third party. The plaintiff moved for “relief from forfeiture”, which is an “equitable” remedy. The court determined the plaintiff in the above circumstances was not entitled to an

equitable remedy. The plaintiff did not have “clean hands” (subletting without consent, building vacancy subletting without prior consent and not providing proof of insurance coverage). Special costs were awarded against the plaintiff. (600433 B.C. Ltd. v. XJ Motors Ltd., 2011 BCSC 1144) ■ ■ ■

Where a claimant sues stating that the issue has been determined in a prior action, the defence may be faced with the principle that it would be an abuse of process to permit the matter to be litigated. This was tried in an action where the plaintiff purchased a holiday home in the defendant’s park. A friend of the plaintiff purchased a similar unit but obtained a rescission of his contract, pleading that a bylaw prohibited use of the park for

holiday homes. In the plaintiff’s action, the defendant owner of park pleaded that the plaintiff’s unit could be put in the park as a “legal nonconfirming use”. The judge struck the defence as abuse of process. The Court of Appeal allowed the defence because in the friend’s case no issue was before the court of non-conforming use. There was no determination of that issue and therefore no abuse of process. (Petrelli v. Lindell Beach Holiday Resort Ltd., 2011 BCCA 367) All of the above judgments are available at www.canlii.org. Donald Lapowich, Q.C. is a partner at the law firm of Koskie, Minsky in Toronto, where he practices civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on real estate litigation and mediation, acting for builders, real estate agents and lawyers. REM

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*These materials are not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to buy real estate in Roker Point Estates and The Estates at Hooper’s Bay respectively by residents of Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Oregon and any state or jurisdiction where prior registration or advance qualification is required but not completed or where otherwise prohibited by law. Void where prohibited by law. These materials, features, facilities, and amenities described and depicted herein are based upon the current development plans, which plans are subject to change without notice, and there is no guaranty that said features, facilities, and amenities will be of the same type, size or nature as depicted or described. Pricing and availability subject to change. Offer to Visit the island cannot be guaranteed and is for a limited time and subject to qualification.

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34 REM JUNE 2012

Moldowan (Richmond), Kelvin Neufeld (Surrey), Dick Pemberton (Kamloops), Paul Penner (Abbotsford) and K. Scott Russell (Vancouver). ■ ■ ■

im McCaughan, an Abbotsford Realtor and former president of both the Fraser Valley and Chilliwack and District Real Estate Boards, has been elected as 2012-2013 president of the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA). “It is an honour to step into my role as BCREA president to help steer organized real estate in this time of impactful change and advancement of the profession,” says McCaughan. “I look forward to dedicating my time to help communicating the value of working with a Realtor and the profession’s commitment to Quality of Life in B.C.” McCaughan is a managing broker with Landmark Realty. With

35 years of experience as a licensed Realtor and 18 years as a BCREA course instructor, McCaughan says he looks forward to bringing his firsthand understanding of Realtor professionalism and commitment to their clients to his role as president. Joining McCaughan as officers of the association are vice-president Jennifer Lynch of Coast Realty Group on Grabriola Island; past-president Rick Valouche of TRG – The Residential Group Realty in Vancouver; and CEO Robert Laing. New directors are Claudia Holland (Quesnel), James Palanio (Penticton), Rosario Setticasi (Vancouver) and Jim Stewart (Nanaimo). Returning as directors are Barbara Gallie (Victoria), Jake

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More than 60 members of the Chatham-Kent Association of Realtors joined forces to take part in public clean-ups throughout their community recently, in support of Earth Day. Donning bright green shirts, the volunteers disposed of garbage from community parks and pulled mattresses and shopping carts along the riverbanks of the Thames River. Although it was a cool and blustery day, the Realtors persevered – some agents were even seen running after pieces of paper caught by the wind. ■ ■ ■

The real estate profession and B.C.’s elected officials held discussions over two days in Victoria recently. The annual Government Liaison Days event is organized each year by the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA). This yearly meeting between delegates representing all 11 of British Columbia’s real estate boards and the province’s MLAs is an opportunity to meet, mingle and directly advocate to the government on behalf of the real estate profession. A total of 75 delegates, representing boards from across B.C. took part in numerous topic specific break-out sessions, listened to keynote speakers and engaged in some 31 scheduled meetings with 72 of British Columbia’s 85 Members of the Legislative Assembly. Three main themes were driven home by the various delegates: concerns over the Property Transfer Tax, the need to standardize the process for the identification and remediation of properties used in drug operations (both legal and illegal) and promotion of BCREA’s Quality of Life initiative, including its emphasis on protecting property rights.

inductee has a likeness sculpted and prominently displayed at the Citizens Hall of Fame site in Assiniboine Park. Recently individualized QR codes were installed for each inductee on their respective pedestals in Assiniboine Park. There is also a bronze QR code on the main entrance granite piece and by using the QR reader application on a smart phone, it takes users directly to winnipegfame.ca. “Our inductees are very accomplished and distinguished citizens so to try and describe what they have contributed to our city on a small plaque is impossible,” says Citizens Hall of Fame chair Rick Preston. “With QR codes on each inductee pedestal, you can now pull up on your smart phone or tablet the web page dedicated to each inductee. There are also links on many of these

inductee web pages to organizations and causes they have been prominent in if not responsible for their initial establishment and success.” ■ ■ ■

The Calgary Real Estate Board Charitable Foundation recently contributed $25,000 to the Servants Anonymous Society Calgary SAFE House Program as part of its 25 for 25 program. This program will distribute $625,000 to local charities and non-profit organizations throughout 2012. The foundation’s 25 for 25 program was created as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the CREB Charitable Foundation. The Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary provides longterm programs and ongoing support to women who are victims of, or at risk of, sexual exploitation. REM

CKAR Realtors help clean up their community on Earth Day.

QR codes have been added to the Citizens Hall of Fame plaques in Winnipeg.

■ ■ ■

The Citizens Hall of Fame is a program operated by WinnipegRealtors, honouring outstanding citizens who brought recognition to the city or made outstanding contributions to Winnipeg’s quality of life. Each

Jim McCaughan

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36 REM JUNE 2012

Exit strategy for a brokerage Understanding the transaction By Tyrone Davids realtyreport

Market Connections Inc.®

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KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR EQUITY Market Connections Inc.® 94 Scarsdale Road Toronto, ON M3B 2R7 Tel: (800) 387 387-6058 6058 Fax: (800) 800-7093 dbrown@marketconnections.com

As a homeowner, you expect, as you continue to pay your mortgage every month, that you are building value in your home. Is it possible to lose equity in a property? Yes, and as with anything, there will be factors that are both within, and outside of your control.

If you’re thinking of making a move, or are just curious as to real estate trends in your area, please feel free to call at any time. It’s always good to hear from you!

What’s outside of your control: The ﬁnancial markets. The market goes up and down, but remember, even if you feel your property is undervalued due to economic conditions, then so may the home you aspire to move up into. Ask your real estate representative about opportunities in today’s market.

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Area demographics. Before committing to a property, be sure to ask your real estate representative about the area, and which direction it may be heading.

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Home renovations. Some renovations will ensure a return on your investment, and more. Others may actually cause you to lose equity. Ask your real estate representative which home improvements typically make ﬁnancial sense.

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s entrepreneurs and business owners we must focus on a return for the risk and investment we make in our business. But many brokers are just trying to stay cash-flow positive and make enough to draw a salary. The greater challenge is tied to entrepreneurial businesses across all industries. According to a number of polls published in the last three years, over 75 per cent of privately owned businesses do not succeed the owner. For those who do sell, the owner is not able to extract the value of the equity for his retirement or estate. We have recently seen articles suggesting that “a plan” should be written, but what are the important strategies of the plan? We must start by first understanding the transaction. Where is the value of your business for a potential buyer or successor? Everyone has heard the phrase, “Show me the money.” It really is that simple, but what a buyer is looking for from a business is a repeatable stream of cash flow that will create a return from the initial investment. There are a number of factors that help provide that repeatable and sustainable cash flow, and here are a few: • A history of improving revenue over the last three to five years • Little volatility; stable earnings • Steady growth in net agents recruited tied into a solid business process • Low turnover – long-term experienced agents, managers and administration staff • Solid business processes and procedures • Effective business planning and budgeting with accountability to a plan We must understand the value drivers for a purchaser. There is an important theory in purchasing a business and it is: 1+1=3. This is not “new math” but

rather a demonstration of the value of synergy in a transaction. In simple terms it means that if one broker purchases another, there will be a number of duplicated expenses that we can eliminate right away, thereby increasing the overall profit. For instance, we might be able to combine offices and save on rent, management salary and administration support. Immediately we can add profit from business #1 to profit of business #2 prior to the merger and now add a third component – real savings generated from synergies, which now increase the bottom line. The key point here is that if we have sound business practice and processes, we can create capacity that will be valued in a purchase. Would-be purchasers should take a note of this paragraph as actualized synergies will increase the cash flow generated from a purchase and shorten the payback of an investment. Another important value driver that must be mentioned is strategic advantage. Smart buyers are looking for businesses with something unique that they can leverage across their own business. This could be an excellent administration team, leading technology, a sound recruiting platform, successful management practices or marketing strength. What this tells us is that we are rewarded for our differentiators in the market, so we must invest in the planning and execution to achieve this result. Profitability is still the primary measurable. In a brokerage it is strongly tied to the commission structure and pricing that the agents are contracted to pay, the management of fixed cost, and the understanding of variable cost and how it relates to the average contribution per agent. Every agent must be profitable, and to make the business stronger there should be a process of accountability around this important business driver. Monthly reporting “by agent” is an effective way to start and then adjusting for variable costs can help us understand our profitability. This becomes a real opportunity for any great implementer to

now increase the profitability of the business. We would not create effective strategy if we did not understand the risk of a purchase from the buyer’s standpoint. The risk is tied to the vulnerability of future positive cash flow and in our business it is tied to a few key drivers: • The stability of our agent count. Will agents leave when new ownership takes over? • The stability of our management team. Will management leave when the business changes hands? This might also effect agent attrition. • The stability of our administration team. This is only important if the new buyer is planning on retaining them. Identifying the risks above places value on effective implementation of strategy. As a broker/owner, we must have strategy that focuses on each of these areas. The primary area of focus must be on our brokerage’s value proposition. At EDI, we have helped our members identify exactly what this should be and backed this with effective pricing models where we are paid for value. Otherwise we fall in the trap of attracting agents with a “low split” and therefore turning our business into a commodity where everyone is just cutting service to be profitable. The value proposition is a key element to every brokerage and to every successful business sale. You now have a foundation to start looking at your brokerage to identify how we can increase the equity. In subsequent issues, look for Part II – Implementing effective value drivers to increase equity on exit and Part III – The sales process and marketing the exit. EDI Implementation Engineers are implementation experts providing strategic solutions that transform enterprises, empowering them to identify and capitalize on business opportunities. Tyrone Davids, CA MBA, is an implementation engineer and managing partner of EDI Implementation Engineers. 1-866922-4334, info@edi-implementation.com. REM

REM JUNE 2012 37

SALES COACH

By Bruce Keith

ave you ever been in the doldrums in your sales results? Ever felt that you were at the bottom of the trough, struggling with no sign of success on the horizon? If the answer is no then you probably haven’t been in sales very long. Peaks and valleys are inevitable in any sales career. Getting through the valleys requires a lot more effort than getting through the

What’s

New Lone Wolf recognized in Branham tech rankings Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies, a Cambridge-based real estate software provider, has jumped to #163 in the 2012 edition of the Branham300 Top 250 Canadian ICT Companies, up 10 spots from the previous year. The Branham Group compiles a list of Canada’s information and communication technology industry leaders, ranked by revenue. Lone Wolf surpassed $16 million in revenue in 2011. The Branham300 is known as the most comprehensive and trusted source of information on the health of the Canadian ICT industry, says Lone Wolf.

How to spice up your sales results peaks. It requires significantly more mental toughness. Critical point: The depth of the valley often depends on how quickly you put a strategy in place to change your results. Every one of my coaching clients needs a “turnaround plan” at least once every 12 months...even the best of them. That’s just the nature of our business. Here’s one we put together recently for Susan, a long-time producer but someone who needed to “spice it up”. 1. Plan something exciting in 60 to 90 days and post it everywhere (a trip to Europe perhaps). 2. Recognize that this slump is a valley – not a dead end – and get back to work! 3. Plan a “date night” with someone special in the next seven days.

4. Exercise a minimum of three times every week and pay special attention to what you eat and drink. 5. Look at your dream board and/or write out your personal goals every day. Stay pumped! 6. Get an accountability partner. Be accountable for your top sales activities every day – especially lead generation. Find a tough partner to “hold your feet to the fire” – someone who cares, someone who is unforgiving. 7. Plan some time off in the next seven days. Make sure it is in your schedule. 8. Role-play your scripts and dialogues with others every morning. Make sure they critique you on

your energy level – this is critical. 9. Revisit your core values. What’s really important to you? (Examples: family, health, finances) Do your actions reflect these values? 10. Always move forward, never look back. Focus on creating positive results. Affirmation – “Negativity has disappeared from my life”. Eliminate all self-talk that does not support the desired results. How did this plan work out for Susan? Just as you’d expect... amazingly well! In the next 30 days she put together three major sales, one of which was the largest deal she had ever done in her 18-year career. Congratulations, Susan – congratulations on your results and

R E A LT O R S

C A R E

more importantly, congratulations on “spicing it up”. As she said to me on her last coaching call, “Bruce, things did not turn around until I decided to do something about it. Your plan worked beautifully! Thanks tons.” No excuses. Bruce Keith, the “Sales Coach”, began his sales career at IBM and 15 years later used his marketing and sales expertise to develop a highly successful real estate business. He is a master of teaching “what to say and how to say it”. His high energy and entertaining training style has allowed him to create a popular coaching and seminar business for numerous sales organizations during the last 12 years. REM www.brucekeithresults.com

F O U N D AT I O N

Providing an annual ranking of Canada’s leading ICT companies, the list shows the strength of the Canadian technology industry and the contribution these companies have to the economy on a national and provincial level. “Our team at Lone Wolf has earned this honour through their hard work and dedication to the vision of providing an enterprise framework for the real estate industry,” says Lorne C. Wallace, CEO of Lone Wolf. More than 9,000 offices use Lone Wolf’s products. The company has offices in Cambridge, Ont., Langley, B.C., Las Vegas, NV, and Show Low, AZ. For more information visit www.lwolf.com.

Legal Responsibilities of Real Estate Agents updated LexisNexis Canada recently released Legal Responsibilities of Real Estate Agents, 3rd Edition by Rosemary Bocska and Martin K.I. Rumack. “This one-of-a-kind reference book has become a staple in real estate and law offices across Canada,” says the company. “It’s filled with practical, useful information, insights and expert advice that real estate agents need to know in dealing with their Continued on page 42

Motorcycle Ride for Charity Wednesday, July 4th, 2012 Destination Niagara Falls RIDE DAY ITINERARY: Ontario Real Estate Association - Kick-Off Guelph & District Association of REALTORS® Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® Niagara Association of REALTORS®

Go to realtorscareontario.ca to register and print pledge forms

Certification Mark of Realtor Canada Inc. Used under license

38 REM JUNE 2012

Good Works

ancing with the Stars Wood Buffalo is the brainchild of broker Len Clarke and the team at Sutton Group Fort McMurray, Alta. The event, scheduled for May 26, is based on the popular reality television show and all proceeds benefit the Fort McMurray SPCA. The dance teams were to include six experienced dancers paired with well-known community members including Realtor Sean McFatridge and Lynn Edwards, associate broker at Sutton Group - Fort McMurray. She was paired with a local theatre actor and dancer Dustin Young. McFatridge was to dance with Kim Hurley, owner of Generation Dance Studio. ■ ■ ■

Realtors, support staff, associates, customers and guests of Re/Max Professionals came together recently for the first annual Rock for CMN event, raising over $13,000 for Children’s Miracle Network. The proceeds will be directed to Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, which helps over 275,000 kids each year. The event at The Revival Bar, which donated its venue for the event, was attended by more than 300 people. Ticket sales (at $25 each) and a silent auction accounted for the majority of money raised. The crowd was entertained by a line-up of talented bands, including 3HT and Fifteen Stone, featuring new and classic rock covers, as well as CODA, a tribute to Led Zeppelin.

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“Music is universal,” says Bonnie Miniaci, Rock for CMN organizer and Re/Max Professionals administrator. “It transcends generations and definitely raises the spirit. That’s why we felt that it was the perfect theme for an annual fundraising event. In 2010, Re/Max Professionals reached its $1-million milestone in donations to SickKids hospital through Children’s Miracle Network, but we continually look for new ways to support the cause.” ■ ■ ■

Rescuing a 12-year-old boy injured in a cliff diving accident and administering oxygen to a senior citizen in distress are all in a day’s work for John Callahan, who donates more than 200 hours per

year as a volunteer firefighter. The satisfaction that comes from protecting lives and property has compelled this Realtor from Sutton Group - Capital Realty in St. John’s, Nfld. to respond to hundreds of emergency calls involving structural fires as well as motor vehicle accidents and medical emergencies. Recently Callahan received his 10-year pin at the Fireman’s Ball. With his flexible schedule as a Realtor with a home office, he can respond to calls during business hours. “I’m about three minutes from the fire station. We gear up in less than two minutes. If we muster the minimum number of people, we can respond to the call, otherwise we have an agreement with the full-time crew at the St. John’s fire depart-

Dancing with the Stars Wood Buffalo is the brainchild of broker Len Clarke.

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■ ■ ■

Riding across half the country is pretty impressive, but this July, Don Patterson plans to ride coastto-coast in 28 days. That means an average daily ride of more than 250 km. Patterson, broker/managing director, commercial at Royal LePage Kingsbury Realty in Mississauga, rode from Victoria to Thunder Bay in 2010. This year’s solo ride, without a support vehicle, will see him ride from Vancouver to St. John’s, Nfld.

John Callahan (left) receives his pin from Fire Chief Mike McGrath. Don Patterson

• Management experience essential • Effective recruiting and retention skills • Good communication and organizational skills • Commitment to training, business planning and coaching • Good computer skills

ment that they will roll.” Callahan estimates that 96 to 97 per cent of the communities in Newfoundland and Labrador rely on volunteer fire departments, compared to the national average of 60 per cent.

Brian Rushton, Century 21 senior VP, operations for Century 21 Canada (left) with Stephen Miller, president & CEO, B.C. Lions Society for Children with Disabilities and Easter Seals. Jay Lough Hayes and the pail of pennies.

REM JUNE 2012 39

Working with YMCAs across Canada, the 58-year-old grandfather’s objectives are to increase awareness about the importance of physical activity for Canadian youth and to raise funds for local YMCAs so more kids can participate in programs. Patterson is funding the ride himself so 100 per cent of every donation goes to the YMCAs and its youth programs. To donate online, go to Patterson’s blog (www.ykids.blog. com) and click on “Donating to your local Y”. Income tax receipts will be automatically provided. To donate by cheque, write “Don’s Ride” in the memo area on your cheque and make it payable to your local YMCA. Or send a cheque to The Mississauga YMCA, 325 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W., Mississauga, ON L5B 3R2. ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Canada recently unveiled its sponsored Terracotta Warrior sculpture as a part of Easter Seals’ newest art project in British Columbia. The sculpture will be on display in front of the Sutton Place Hotel in Downtown Vancouver. Century 21 was matched with local artist Juma Wu, who named her design, I Through the Space of Time. Her story for the warrior is one of transformation for a Terracotta Warrior statue named David Chin. From being buried for centuries as a guardian to the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, David was unearthed in 1974. He traveled through time and space to be

in Vancouver with a new body and a new purpose – to provide enjoyment to all who see him. Other Terracotta Warriors will be placed in public locations around the Lower Mainland until October. A Terracotta Warrior Map is being distributed to participating communities to show sponsors, artists and the location of all the warriors. The Warriors will be auctioned off on Sept. 27 to raise funds for the B.C. Lions Society and Easter Seals. ■ ■ ■

Rivals in business, but teammates on the ice, Realtors from across Central Vancouver Island faced off in a fundraiser for the Nanaimo Community Hospice Society. “Our goal is for this to be the first of many,” says one of the event’s organizers, Justus Edmundson of Re/Max of Nanaimo. “When we first put the idea out there that Realtors should put on a hockey game as a charity fundraiser, I had 20 skaters and two goalies confirm within two days.” “It’s not just a Nanaimo event either,” says fellow organizer Jordan Belveal of Coast Realty Group. “We had players coming from Duncan and Parksville as well. If this were to take off I can imagine future versions being a round robin affair with more than two teams participating.” The first game raised $1,100. ■ ■ ■

Jim Knowles of Re/Max Real

Estate in Kamloops, B.C. took part in the Rick Hansen Anniversary tour run when it was in Kamloops in April. The volunteer coach sent the photo (right) and wrote: “The young boy walking beside me is Promo Thapa, a physically challenged kid I coach on the race hill at Sun Peaks, with dreams of making it big in alpine skiing at the Para Olympics. He is pushing Andrew Embury, a sit skier I coach on the mountain. The young lad in front of me is an up-and-comer named Harper and the guy in the seated bike is one to watch out for at the 2018 Olympics, Tyrone. Watch for him in sledge hockey or Alpine skiing. I’m hoping to get my coach hands on him for training at Sun Peaks. The day after we skied all day at Sun Peaks with Rick Hansen and Nancy Greene Raine! What a blast!” ■ ■ ■

While attending a local home show, Jay Lough Hayes of Peterborough Realty displayed a sign and pail asking for donations for a Food For Kids program. More than 41,000 pennies were rolled for a donation of $419 to the program. Peterborough Realty then held a Facebook contest, giving away a $100 charitable donation receipt to the person who guessed the closest to the number of rolled pennies. “May 4 was the last day that Canada made pennies, so let’s collect them for a worthy cause,” says REM Lough Hayes.

Justus Edmundson (left) and Jordan Belveal

Jim Knowles with some of the young skiers he coaches. Recently Gordon Halkett (right) of ReaList Realty in Nanaimo, B.C. donated a van to the Nanaimo 7-10 Club Society. Gordon Fuller, chairman of the society (which provides food for local families in need), accepted the donation. Two other local sponsors were involved. “As a company we donate the use of our vans to many local charities,” says Halkett. “Even though we’re a ‘discount brokerage’, we ALL can participate in sharing what we have.”

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40 REM JUNE 2012

B.C. Community Achievers

MinMaxx Realty MinMaxx Realty in Milton, Ont. has been on a winning streak lately. Shortly after being recognized as Business of the Year (2011) by the Milton Chamber of Commerce, the brokerage was presented with a Community Service Award by the Toronto Real Estate Board. Broker of record Azim Rizvee also announced a new event and communications partnership with Milton District Hospital to raise funds to purchase new equipment. “We see this as another way to give back to the community in which we live and work with our family,” says Rizvee. The partnership will allow the Milton District Hospital

Foundation access to advertising and marketing currently in place with MinMaxx Realty. The value of the three-year partnership agreement is estimated at $250,000. Rizvee says the brokerage was the GTA’s most productive real estate company in 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2009 alone, it accounted for over 400 real estate transactions in the GTA. MinMaxx has contributed almost half a million dollars to other local charities during the last year, including Halton Healthcare Services, The United Way, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army, Home Sweet Hope, the Milton Art Centre and various athletic teams.

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Ron Antalek of Re/Max LifeStyles Realty in Maple Ridge, B.C. was among 36 people recently honoured with a B.C. Community Achievers award. “Strong communities start with people like those we are honouring here today – individuals who demonstrate excellence by going above and beyond to change the lives of others and make B.C. a better place for families,” said Ida Chong, community, sport and cultural development minister. Antalek received a medallion and a certificate at the ceremony at Government House in Victoria.

London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors The London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) recently presented its Quality of Life Award to Past LSTAR president Mike Carson. LSTAR’s president Barb Whitney says, “From being active in Keep London Growing, to advocating for affordable housing, to raising awareness about the dangers of asbestos-tainted vermiculite insulation, to chairing the 2001OHF Provincial Hockey Championships . . . and more,

Mike hit every mark and then some. His is a remarkable record of service and achievement and we are very proud of him.” Realtors Ken Topping and Joe Hough received the association’s prestigious Lyn Coupland Outstanding Service Award. “We all know the kind of difference a great teacher can make not only in his students’ lives, but also the contribution he can make to their future success,” says Whitney. Ken Topping is just such a teacher.” In addition to being a Realtor, Topping has served as an Ontario Real Estate Association certified instructor for over a quarter of a century, helping thousands of students to navigate the ins and outs of residential real estate. As “an early adopter and ardent technophile, Joe Hough feels right at home with technology,” says Whitney. “Not only has he been an avid supporter of our association’s every effort to embrace technology for the past 26 years, he has also been willing to put his time and effort where his mouth is to make that happen.”

Iverson of Re/Max Crown Real Estate in Regina the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Realtor Award. The award recognizes an active member of the association who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication to the real estate industry through involvement in the provincial association, local board and the community. First licensed in 1978, Iverson has set a strong example as a leader at all three levels of organized real estate, says ASR. “He has an impressive record as a salesperson and in brokerage management including bringing many successful agents into the business,” says ASR in a news release. He first served on the Association of Regina Realtors directorate in 1989 and was president in 1994 and 2005. In 2000, his contribution to the real estate industry was recognized when he received the ARR/CMHC Realtor of the Year award.

2012 Distinguished Realtor Award

Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) EO Bill Benoit was awarded the 2011 Award of Excellence from the Association Executives Council (AEC) of CREA. Recognized by his peers within

The Association of Saskatchewan Realtors (ASR) and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) have named Cliff

AEC Award of Excellence

More than 1,100 Members Across Canada & Growing!

JUNE CLASSES: Mississauga, Ottawa (Kanata). www.ASAEvents.ca

The Accredited Senior Agent Designation Program Receive 11 CE Credits for the following 2 seminars, offered by The Real Estate Academy Inc.: Day One is approved by the Registrar REBBA 2002 (and listed on the RECO site) as: Your Future In The Underserved & Dynamic Mature/Seniors Market (5 Credits) Day Two is approved by the Registrar REBBA 2002 (and listed on the RECO site) as: The Mature/Seniors Market - Tax Planning and Marketing (6 Credits)

Here are some of the things you will walk away with: 1. 2.

A nine-step process on how to get started in this market niche. The most common mistakes agents make when entering this market and how they can flip the switch to generate more leads. 3. A systematic action plan to take you from nowhere to GO-TO Expert. 4. How-To's on finding the new professionals you will need in your Network of Exceptional Specialists. 5. Clear instructions on how to copy what other agents have done to make money from this course within a week of attending. 6. Dialogues to help you gently ease the information you need out of sometimes reluctant clients 7. How-To for holding a seminar with no cost to you and no need for you to speak 8. Resources that will demonstrate to clients that you are the GO-TO Expert 9. Where to get powerful no-cost marketing materials 10. How to find the seniors in your market area 11. Regular, RELEVANT business-building CANADIAN webinars

The team at MinMaxx Realty receives the Milton Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award.

Ron Antalek, centre, receives his award from Ida Chong, community, sport and cultural development minister, and Steven L. Point, lieutenant-governor of British Columbia.

647-865-8197 1-855-TALK ASA (825-5272) To book a course for your office, email AccreditedSeniorAgent@gmail.com www.ASAMembers.com REGIONAL TERRITORIES NOW AVAILABLE

Earl Kotlar of CMHC, left, presents the Distinguished Realtor Award to Cliff Iverson.

Bill Benoit, left, and Gary Simonsen

REM JUNE 2012 41

the AEC, the Award of Excellence is presented to individuals working in real estate management from across Canada, and is bestowed on those who demonstrate exemplary dedication and service to the real estate industry. Benoit was presented with his award by CREA CEO Gary Simonsen in Ottawa in March, as part of CREA’s Annual General Meeting.

Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) recently honoured three Realtors for their extensive work in the community in 2011. Realtors Care Awards are presented annually to Realtors in Greater Vancouver who work to support their communities through fundraising or volunteer activities. Laura-Leah Shaw of Re/Max Crest Realty in Vancouver spearheaded the move to relocate 350 rabbits from the University of Victoria to rescue facilities in Texas, and is a director of the Animal Defence and AntiVivisection Society of B.C. Each week she collects food for Downtown Eastside charities and organizes donations of furniture for those in need. Sing Yeo, senior vice-president at Royal Pacific Realty in

Vancouver, played a leading role in raising nearly $3.5 million for several charities in 2011, which included the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. organization, the Tapestry Foundation for Health Care and the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver. Narima Dela Cruz, of Magsen Realty in Vancouver, is the cofounder and current president of the Surrey Philippine Independence Day Society. In 2011, she helped organize a benefit concert that raised funds for the victims of Typhoon Washi, which hit the Philippines last year. The Realtors Care Heart Award, presented to a person or group who merited special recognition, was awarded to members of Team Clarke: Laura Clarke, Brooke Clarke, Jenny Gill and Rob Montgomerie, of Re/Max Crest Realty. They received the award in recognition of their dedication to raising funds and awareness of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which took the life of their mother, mentor and highly respected Realtor, Shirley Clarke.

Royal LePage Shelter Foundation Royal LePage First Contact Realty in Barrie, Ont. was presented with the Royal LePage Shelter

Foundation’s 2011 Ontario Office of the Year Award. The office was selected out of 263 eligible offices across Ontario. The brokerage partnered with the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie, and as a result of their fundraising efforts in 2011, presented $27,700 to the shelter. With an approximate 40 per cent donor rate, the brokerage ranks in the Top 10 nationwide for commission donation participation.

Royal LePage Performance Realty For the fifth year in a row, Royal LePage Performance Realty, a real estate firm serving Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, has ranked in the Top Best Workplaces in Canada, and is the only real estate firm to have ranked in the top spot. The firm has more than 400 sales reps and support staff. Pierre de Varennes, broker/ owner, announced that the firm ranked 18th in Best Workplaces in Canada, and was in the top five in the Best Workplaces in Canada for Women. 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.

Royal LePage True North Realty Marian Barry

Angie O’Hara

George Heos, Senior Vice President, Network Development is pleased to announce that effective May 1, 2012 Marian Barry, broker/owner of Royal LePage True North Realty and Angie O’Hara broker/ owner of Prudential Fort McMurray Real Estate have merged operations. The merged companies will operate under the name Royal LePage True North Realty. Marian earned her REALTOR® license in 1984. She subsequently pursued a career in appraising and obtained the Canadian Residential Appraiser (CRA) designation, and in 1998 opened her own appraisal firm Kerrigan Appraisals. In July 2000, she purchased the Realty World franchise in Fort McMurray, and has been a member of the Royal LePage franchise network since 2001. Marian is active in organized real estate and has been an Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) director for eight years. She is currently on her second term as president of the Fort McMurray Real Estate Board. Angie began selling real estate in 2002. She earned her broker’s license in 2005, and three years later along with her husband, Tom O’Hara, opened Prudential Fort McMurray Real Estate.

Fort McMurray, Alberta

Today’s announcement adds 24 professionals to the Royal LePage sales force making Royal LePage True North Realty the city’s largest brokerage with 64 REALTORS®. The company also has an approximate 32 per cent share of the city’s market, putting it in top spot. Servicing Fort McMurray, Saprae CreekAnzac, Gregoire Lake, Conklin and surrounding areas, Marian, Angie and their team can be reached at: 618-8600 Franklin Avenue Fort McMurray, Alberta T9H 4G8 Tel: 780-743-1137 • Fax: 780-790-1456 Email: marianbarry@royallepage.ca 102-122 Millennium Drive Fort McMurray, Alberta T9K 2S8 Tel: 780-791-7707 • Toll Free: 1-877-791-7707 Fax: 780-791-7708 • Email: angieohara@royallepage.ca Please join us in congratulating Marian and Angie, and wishing Royal LePage True North Realty continued success. For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call (416) 510-5827.

Email: franchise@royallepage.ca †

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

REM

Royal LePage Cascade Realty Chetwynd, Dawson Creek and Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia Anthony & Karen Boos George Heos, Senior Vice President, Network Development is pleased to announce Anthony and Karen Boos, broker/owners of the brokerage formerly operating as Cascade Realty Ltd., have chosen to join the Royal LePage franchise network, effective May 1, 2012.

Laura-Leah Shaw

Sing Yeo

Narima Dela Cruz

Team Clarke

From left: Shanan Spencer-Brown, executive director, Royal LePage Shelter Foundation; Barbara Stranks, broker of record, Royal LePage First Contact Realty ; Sharon Promm, events manager, Royal LePage; and Phil Soper, president and CEO, Royal LePage.

Anthony and Karen Boos began with Cascade Realty Ltd. in 2004, working in the Tumbler Ridge office. Soon after, Anthony began working toward his property management, strata management and broker’s license, obtaining all three. In 2008, Anthony and Karen purchased the company, which at that time consisted of two office locations –Tumbler Ridge and Chetwynd – providing real estate and property management services to their client base. In 2009, Karen and Anthony opened a third office, in Dawson Creek, where they added strata management services to Cascade’s property management and real estate services. Royal LePage Cascade Realty’s team consists of 15 licensees and seven more who are currently taking the course. “We considered expanding our business without having a national brand, but determined that Royal LePage has the same philosophy that we have always believed in – ‘Helping you is what we do,’” said Anthony, adding that networking opportunities and the Royal LePage national

brand will give them more exposure and increase the potential to attract and retain more agents. Servicing Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, Pouce Coupe, Rolla, Ground Birch, Moberly Lake, Swan Lake, Arras, Karen, Anthony and their team can be reached at: 11000 – 8th Street Unit 44 Dawson Creek, BC VIG 2K6 Tel: 250-782-5750 • Fax: 250-782-5740 anthony@pris.ca 4745 – 51st Street Box 1529 Chetwynd, BC V0C 1J0 Tel: 250-788-9225 • Fax: 250-788-3740 karen@pris.ca 109 – 235 Front Street Box 1918 Tumbler Ridge, BC V0C 2W0 Tel: 250-242-9355 • Fax: 250-242-4208 anthony@pris.ca Please join us in welcoming Anthony & Karen, and wishing everyone at Royal LePage Cascade Realty continued success. For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call (416) 510-5827.

Email: franchise@royallepage.ca †

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

42 REM JUNE 2012

Having a beer with Shell Busey

Director of Operations The position’s main objective is to handle and uphold the day to day general operations of a large, established real estate office in Kelowna, BC. This candidate will report to the Managing Broker/Sales Manager. The Director’s mandates are to develop and manage a strategic structure; charged with providing technology solutions and services that support staff productivity, resource optimization for REALTORS® and the efficient and cost effective execution of key organizational processes. The successful applicant will have a strong command of hardware and software support systems for a real estate environment with applications in social media. Focus spent on staff management and financial oversight. You will represent the company through Public Relations, social media and marketing, developing and supporting the company image as a whole. Please refer to REM lising in your application. For a more detailed description: http://kelowna.en.craigslist.ca/rej/2969830432.html Email application to: operationsdirector14@gmail.com

...maintenant en français !

www.remenligne.com

By Dan St. Yves

on’t you just hate it when people feel compelled to shamelessly namedrop in a conversation? I sure do. I’m guessing that for those people, it’s some sort of pathological human need to draw attention to themselves. But honestly folks, I’m no psychologist – although I have almost completed my online certification. I’m just a guy that needs about 500 words or so to fill a recurring column here every month. Which brings me to how I ended up having a beer with Shell Busey. Sort of. Back when I lived in Kelowna, I was on my way to attend one of those big annual home improvement shows that frequently pass through cities and towns across the country. As it happened, my wife and I had decided to stop in beforehand at the little lounge in the Grand Okanagan Hotel for refreshment and a light meal. As we were sitting there noshing and refreshing, who should walk in but famous Canadian home improvement guru Shell (to the best of my knowledge, no relation to former

What’s New

Oui! You are reading this correctly! You can now stay up-to-date with the latest in Canadian real estate news, en français! Go to REMenligne.com to sign up for the REM bulletin électronique, an email digest of the latest REMenligne.com headlines, delivered right to your inbox! For more information, contact:

Michel Chevalier michel@remenligne.com

Continued from page 37

legal duties and responsibilities.” Among the topics covered are how to understand your rights and obligations; learn proper procedures and steer clear of legal pitfalls, avoid mistakes, properly carry out your statutory, contractual, disclosure and fiduciary responsibilities; and protect your commission. The new edition has been updated to cover the latest case law and legislative developments, including the introduction of HST. There are updated chapters with the latest case law on fiduciary duties of agents, real estate agents’ mistakes (including failing to

actor and most currently reality TV star Gary) Busey. As he was passing by our table, I did what any rational person in my situation would have done – I grinned like a wide-eyed idiot at him, bobbing back and forth in my chair until he could no longer pretend not to notice me. At that point, he returned my smile, and said “Hello”, in his unmistakably perfect radio and TV voice. To my wife’s great relief, I didn’t spring up out of my seat like a coiled cobra, fingers covered in chicken-wing sauce…heck, cobras don’t even have fingers. Once Shell (Mr. Busey? That’s for people that Shell hasn’t officially said “Hello” to) settled in at the bar and ordered a drink for himself, he got into some friendly banter with the bartender and some other adjacent customers. From our table, where we could politely and discreetly eavesdrop, he was genuinely friendly and nice to the small group, even graciously answering a few inevitable home improvement questions. Just as nice in person as he is on the air. I could probably tell you about even more brushes with famous people, like once spotting Canadian actress Margot Kidder in the audience of a Lyle Lovett concert in Winnipeg, but I’ve barely got enough space left to drop one last name, and it’s my brush with explain the nature of the agreements of purchase and sale and misrepresentations), wills (or the lack of one), family law issues, tenants and condominiums, and coownerships and co-operatives. The book is available for $40 at www.lexisnexis.ca.

Carson Dunlop courses approved by AIC Nineteen of Carson Dunlop’s continuing education courses have been approved by the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC). All 19 courses are recognized for guaranteed CPD credits to help AIC designated members (AACI and CRA) meet their continuing pro-

pop music history. Eons ago, I used to own a little recording studio that did duplication work for bigger studios, back in the days when you would buy your music on cassette tapes. One afternoon, a pleasant older fellow came in and asked me to make copies of his latest album, which I did while he waited. As we chatted, he told me a bit about himself. He was a singer/songwriter from Billings, Mo. originally. Up until that day, I confess that I had honestly never heard of this fellow, Chan Romero. I suspect most of you would scratch your heads over that name as well. But perhaps you’ve heard his biggest hit, recorded by The Swinging Blue Jeans, and later repopularized in Tom Cruise’s movie Cocktail, by The Georgia Satellites. Mr. Romero wrote the peppy hit song Hippy Hippy Shake. Hey, look at that, this month’s column is darn-near done. Good thing, I have to see if I can find where I put my autographed photo from Academy-award winner actor Jon Voight…but that’s a story for another column. 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 fessional development requirements. Brian Bell, vice-president of sales and marketing at Carson Dunlop, says the courses “have been built from our 34 years of experience of taking technical information and making it elegantly simple. These proven courses are well illustrated and provide relevant information for appraisers in a convenient, easy-to-use format. Our goal is to make the learning a pleasant and rewarding experience.” For more information: www.carsondunlop.com/continuing-education/appraisers/ or www.aicanada.ca/cmsPage.aspx?id =289. REM

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                                                                                                        

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Letters to the Editor CREA’s map of the future CREA has spent a great deal of effort to determine what the role of the Realtor will be in the next five to 10 years. I am not convinced that whatever decisions CREA makes will actually have a significant impact on the role of Realtors going forward. However, I do think the decisions that CREA makes surrounding the marketing, promotion and development of Realtor.ca will have an impact on where consumers look for their real estate information. Realtor.ca is CREA’s most valuable asset. Because of the evolution of real estate technology, Realtor.ca has become the “go to” site for consumers. CREA needs to realize that Realtor.ca is primarily an advertising vehicle designed to generate leads for Realtors. Like MLS, the strength of Realtor.ca is its exclusivity, as we have most of the MLS listed property on that site. If it’s that exclusivity of information that makes it powerful, why would we give that information to our competitors as is contemplated in the Data Distribution Facility? Consumers use our services because we are professional and perhaps most importantly, regulated. Woefully absent from the discussions regarding the future role of the Realtor, and a significant player (in Ontario) is the Ministry of Government Services and RECO. Does the government want this industry to continue to be regulated or will they continue to allow other non-license organizations to trade in real estate? Is it our responsibility to do the policing or is it RECOs? Does the government want a minimum standard of care or service? If the industry wants to increase its standards, isn’t this the government body that should be lobbied and at least involved in the discussion? Technology and data – Realtor.ca was created as an advertising vehicle for organized real estate to market listings and

as more people used technology in their everyday life, this site became more important to both Realtors and consumers. Since consumers could not access MLS directly, Realtor.ca became the most popular site in Canada because no other site contained all the properties listed by Realtors in the country. Recently Realtors have been realizing the benefits of having all the listings in their local market on their own website (IDX). Ask most Realtors, “Would you like the consumer to select the Realtor first, then a property they have listed on their website? Or would you prefer the consumer to select the property first on Realtor.ca and then the Realtor?” I suspect the Realtor would prefer the first option rather than the second. The problem is most Realtors still do not have an IDX solution available to them. Data Distribution Facility – Let there be no misunderstanding, third-party organizations such as Zoocasa and Trulia are competitors to our Realtor.ca website. They are trying to attract the consumer to go to their website instead of Realtor.ca. In my opinion the Data Distribution Facility is flawed and misguided. Why would Realtors want to aggregate all our listing data and give that data to our competitors? It doesn’t matter that the data will be presented in a format of our choosing. All we are doing is enhancing our competitors’ websites. Proponents of this idea say, “Well, Realtors are sending them the information now anyway, except it is not always current or up-to-date and it makes us all look bad.” The solution: if it’s not kept up-to-date, it’s a Code of Ethics violation and the Realtor should be penalized. If third-party organizations end up with all the MLS data as well as the FSBO data, will they not then have more content on their site than Realtor.ca? Will the third-party site then be the “go to” site for the consumer?

FSBOs and the vehicles they use to advertise their properties (third-party organizations) are our competitors. The map of the future lists as one of the potential benefits for putting FSBOs on Realtor.ca as “one-stop shopping”. I say any shopping without me, means no business for me. How does the Realtor get involved in a potential transaction when the consumer can contact the seller directly? I have been a Realtor for 30 years and for 28 of those years the broker of record for my own company, which currently staffs just over 140 Realtors. During those years the level of professionalism and the role of the Realtor has dramatically changed, partly due to consumer expectations and education and mostly driven by government regulations and intervention. Consequently I believe the control that organized real estate has over the role of the Realtor is minimal. Organized real estate should drive government bodies responsible for real estate to get involved in the discussion if they continue to want this industry to be regulated. Vito Campanale C.A. Broker of Record Century 21 First Canadian Corp. London, Ont.

Realtors must let CREA go With the soon-to-be collapse of CREA as we once knew it, it may be time to turn to the people who actually licence and regulate Realtors in Canada, our provincial governments. The vast majority of real estate is done on the local or provincial level in its respective jurisdictions. CREA has been too far removed from its members for years and is seen as some lobbyist group in central Canada pretending to act in the best interests of its Realtors. We have all found out how untrue that is with the Competition Bureau recently turning CREA into a

bunch of jelly beans, as was also the case with the FINTRAC legislation that broke every federal privacy law and infringed on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of Canadians. The federal privacy commissioner and all provincial privacy commissioners openly stated their concerns. The latest fear mongering and insulting the intelligence of home buyers and sellers with their goofy TV advertisement does little to help Realtors in my opinion, but rather degrades us as professional salespeople. It’s a very unprofessional TV ad that shows just how unskilled CREA has become. It may well be time to build one solid organization in each province to replace CREA in its entirety, along with rolling the present city board offices and provincial board office all into one “super association office.” This type of an association would be much closer to individual Realtors, easier to maintain, more receptive to our concerns, give us easy access to the provincial politicians who oversee our industry, and be far less costly than the $20 million we pay CREA every year, and get very little in return for our money. Realtors could insist that our provincial ministers carry our message of concerns to Ottawa on our behalf. It is pretty evident that CREA is about to sell us all out. A strong provincial organization would be the best tool to block the interference from the multinational organizations that are disrupting our industry presently, causing major confusion among home buyers and sellers.

“The users’ mail folder is over the allowed quota (size).” This has been going on for years. Either TREB has a crappy e-mail system or thousands of Realtors are damn stupid. There is a 20-per-cent chance that my message to a Realtor with a “@trebnet.com” mail account will not get it. This also brings into question the integrity of our whole system of booking showings for other Realtors. Our booking systems look up their registered name and email contact information so that we can verify the legitimacy of the booking. Also, the listing agent is thus provided with a way to contact the buyer agent after the showing. Surprisingly, I’ve also come across many Realtors who have never activated their phone’s answering service. In this day and age, these people represent the least professional qualities and surely make the rest of us look bad, never mind undeserving of the commissions we charge. I think it is time for TREB to levy heavy fines on these repeat offenders. They have the email addresses of these people and can easily send them warning notices. In all likelihood, RECO has some obscure regulation that would also condemn this inaccessibility by 20 per cent of our profession. I’m damn tired of the incompetence that is being poured into our industry by OREA. I think a mandatory 20-hour class on how to clear your email account or set up your answering service would at least eliminate a few of these incompetent unemployables.

Stew Fettes, Century 21 Dome Realty, Regina

Jim Reid BA, MBA, Broker, ABR, ICI Royal Le Page – Your Community Realty Richmond Hill, Ont.

Can’t even receive emails Just how dumb are we? Twenty per cent of my emails to TREB Realtors come back with the following message:

Bubbles in my bath After 35 years in the business, even slow old pokes like myself tend to get a feel for mar-

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kets and it always amazes me how the media sees things and the very different way that I see things. My clients get monthly newsletters that are more optimistic than anything in the media and it’s not just wishful thinking on my part. The latest fear is that the world will come to an end for mortgage holders because rates are going up. Well, I disagree. 1. Rates do not go up five per cent at a time, they usually move at a quarter or half per cent. 2. If this should happen, all people need do is go out and get an early renewal and lock in for five years, long enough for a disaster to pass. 3. If rates did go up from 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 per cent, I do not think that would be tragic or stop demand, though it might ease prices slightly. The Bank of Canada hints at rising rates. Ha! They stated rates would rise in June 2010 – it never happened. Mr. Obama in the U.S. has said rates will not go up before 2014. Canadian rates are unlikely to go up before U.S. rates do.

Canadians are very conservative and most have reasonably healthy down payments. They don’t like paying CMHC fees. They are also conservative with their budgets. Apparently the condo market is flooded with Asian speculative buyers. Where these stats come from I have no idea. Do they fill out forms saying, “I am a spec?” Today’s condos are presold and mainly to buyer users. Pre-inheritance money is more evident every day and is never mentioned. A client of mine just gave his two kids $60,000 apiece. The most I have seen given is half a million to each of two children. There will be significant inherited wealth coming on board as more seniors pass away. They may be taking longer to die but believe me they will. There are more bubbles in my bath than in the real estate market. John Zimnoch Sales rep Re/Max Hallmark Realty Toronto REM

P E R S O N A L

F I N A N C E S

Business bankruptcy s your business struggling badly enough to go bankrupt? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about business bankruptcy. (These are the rules for Ontario.) Why do businesses go bankrupt? “While management problems can play a part, events beyond management’s control can also contribute to business bankruptcy,” says chartered accountant Eugene Migus, a senior vice-president with BDO Dunwoody Limited in Mississauga, Ont. who is also a CAdesignated specialist in insolvency and restructuring. Events beyond management’s control include adverse market conditions, labour problems, obsolete equipment or facilities, and political or social changes that affect the market for the company’s product. “As well, tighter economic conditions bring higher interest rates, tighter credit, inflating costs, slower collections on accounts receivable, suppliers demanding to be paid sooner and smaller profit margins,”

Migus says. “Banks require higher security margins, and there will be a higher risk of insolvency among customers, which may have serious consequences for small and medium-sized businesses.” What is involved in declaring business bankruptcy? “It means shutting down your business and liquidating all available assets of the business for the benefit of your creditors,” says Migus. “You meet with a trustee in bankruptcy, who prepares the necessary documents and submits them to the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy. As a director of the corporation, you’re obligated to cooperate with the trustee and possibly assist in his or her duties.” Can the business ever start again? A corporation cannot be discharged from bankruptcy unless all its debts are repaid in full. “But a business owner can start a new business because it’s the corporation that filed for bankruptcy, not the business owner,” Migus says.

What are the alternatives to declaring bankruptcy? If your business is struggling, bankruptcy is your last resort. Prior to declaring bankruptcy, Migus suggests determining the cause and extent of your financial problems, preparing up-to-date financial statements and talking to your bank and other secured creditors. It’s also important to seek outside help from a professional, such as a chartered accountant, to help identify and implement corrective measures that could save your business. “CAs understand the concerns of secured lenders and government authorities and can help with ongoing communications with these parties,” Migus says. “They can also advise on possible alternatives to bankruptcy, such as refinancing, selling, downsizing, reorganizing existing debt and hiring new management expertise.” Written by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario REM

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46 REM JUNE 2012

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

MARKETPLACE

s is typical of me, I am late to be aware of the latest social trends. I just heard of a fad called “destination weddings”. I have known about unusual weddings such as scuba divers getting married underwater and sky divers getting married as they fall from a plane with a parachute, but a destination wedding is new to me. In my day, the folks I knew were in modest financial situations when they got married. I have attended touching ceremonies in parks and city halls as well as rousing drunken brawls in various rented Legion halls across the province. I often hear about young couples who go to exotic places and far away climes to get married. I think that is just fine. I believe strongly in travel for young people because anyone who expands their awareness of other parts of the world will return much wiser. When I was young, going away to get married was called eloping and back then eloping to an exotic place usually meant a drive to Niagara Falls from Toronto in a ’57 Chevy or similar vintage vehicle. Only in my time, a ’57 Chevy was not a vintage vehicle – just a used car. And in my day, it was only the bride and groom who went.

Destination and real estate weddings I understand that destination weddings have been going on for years but it is a whole new term to me. For all my old friends, I will explain the concept to both of you. A destination wedding is a marriage that takes place far away, usually in a resort down south but other places as well. It’s not eloping. It is a wedding that family and friends travel to attend and see the happy couple get married as well as stay a few days to celebrate with them. This isn’t just for rich people either. It is for ordinary folks who are given months and even years to save for and plan time off work to attend. Even if you don’t like to travel, even if you would rather go somewhere else for a holiday, even if you have far better things to do with the money and even if you will be in debt for the next few years to pay off the loan you had to take out to pay for the trip, you have to go. Because if it’s good friend or relative who is getting married, you have to go. I looked up some of these weddings through travel consultants and I was astonished to see it is not unusual to plan for 60 people and many times even more. I understand that all these folks pay their own way. When I think of the money that must go into one of these weddings I am staggered. So here’s an idea that might be more practical. How about a real estate wedding? Suppose instead of planning a destination for a wedding, how

about a property wedding? Instead of consulting with a travel agent, how about consulting with a Realtor? It occurs to me that if a couple can bring 60 or 80 people to a resort hotel for a wedding at about $1,500 to $2,500 per person to attend, why not bring them to the front lawn of a condo property or a house and ask each one to bring $1,000 for the down payment? That’s half the cost of making people fly to a resort and it can help a young couple buy a home on the day they get married. It makes a lot more sense to me than destination weddings. That’s all I have to say about weddings except one last word about marriage. A few weeks ago, the president of the United States declared that he was in favour of same-sex marriage. Some opinion polls show that about half of the people in the United States do not believe gay couples should be permitted to marry and become a family. I believe this could be politically damaging for the president and I applaud Mr. Obama for having the fortitude for saying what he did. If I could I would go down there and help him get reelected. I know a lot of people do not agree but I am proud to live in a country where opinion is respected but dignity for all families is the law. Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email heino@remonline.com.

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For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Aventure Realty Network Brokers Meeting May 30 - 31, Toronto Bernie Vogt bvogt@dadavenure.com

Realtors Care Foundation Motorcycle Ride for Charity July 4, Ontario Stephanie O’Brien – stephanie@orea.com

2012 IREM Regional Leadership Conference May 30 - June 1 Fairmont Palliser, Calgary www.reic.ca

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

REIC Annual Conference and AGM June 2 - 3 Fairmont Palliser, Calgary www.reic.ca Broker/Owner & Manager Retreat Hosted by Re/Max of Western Canada June 3 - 5 Sparkling Hill Resort, Vernon, B.C. Kelsey Woodliffe – kwoodliffe@remax.net 2012 AEC Seminar June 4 – 7 Sheraton Centre, Toronto Anik Aube – aaube@crea.ca Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Agent and Broker Universities Events open to Realtors – “Great keynote speakers and social media training” Halifax – June 20 Four Points by Sheraton Halifax To register for all cities: www.dominionlendingevents.ca

Via Capitale Annual Convention Sept. 19 – 20 Best Western Plus Hotel Drummondville, Que. France Massé – france.masse@viacapitale.com Atlantic Connection Oct. 3 – 5 The Marriott Halifax Harbourfront Hotel, Halifax www.atlanticconnection.ca 2012 MTC Technology Forum Monday, Oct. 29 Fairmont Winnipeg, Winnipeg Anik Aube – aaube@crea.ca

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

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