March 2012

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

Issue #273

March 2012

CREA, TREB to appeal Realtysellers court ruling Page 3

Whistler brokers launch private listing service Page 4

Carl Oake’s swimathon celebrates 25 years Page 30

A passion for politics

Saint John Realtor Jason Stephen is New Brunswick’s PC party president Page 14

Each office is independently owned and operated. *Based on 2011 closed transactions. Source: CREA, RE/MAX. **Source: Independent Research December, 2011

REM MARCH 2012 3

CREA, TREB to appeal Realtysellers court ruling Judge won’t dismiss $540-million claim against CREA, TREB and 49 directors and officers

L

awrence Dale says he’s not going away until he gets an “acceptable result” from his $540-million claim against the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB), CREA and 49 directors and officers. The co-founder of Realtysellers moved a step closer to his goal when Superior Court Judge Kenneth Campbell dismissed a motion by the defendants to dismiss the claim.

“TREB and CREA spent two years trying to win this motion and likely hundreds of thousands of dollars,” says Dale. “I was 100-percent successful and they even have to pay my costs. This is a fatal blow to them and their attempts to avoid having to pay substantially for what they did.”

In a statement issued to its members, TREB downplayed the importance of the ruling, calling it “a procedural motion.”

TREB said: “We are confident that when the court ultimately addresses the merits of the plantiff’s claim, it will be rejected by the court.”

CREA and TREB will both appeal the ruling. TREB says it will “aggressively seek leave to appeal”.

CREA confirmed that it was also appealing, and told REM that “we have no further comment at this time.”

Dale and his cousin Stephen Moranis, a former TREB president, have filed several claims against TREB and CREA over the years relating to Realtysellers, the real estate company they formed in November 2000. The company offered discounted flat fee services.

In 2002, TREB enacted new rules that required listing brokers to be involved in the offer negotiation process. Realtysellers sued TREB and filed a complaint with the federal Competition Bureau.

In January 2004, TREB and Realtysellers reached a settlement in which Realtysellers received $700,000 in compensation. TREB changed its rules to allow the flat fee program access to the MLS, and Realtysellers withdrew its complaints to the Competition Bureau, which closed its investiga-

tion into the matter.

But Dale and Moranis allege that in 2006, TREB and CREA conspired to force them to close down Realtysellers. CREA implemented new offer negotiation rules in 2007. The Competition Bureau subsequently filed a complaint, which CREA and the bureau settled in 2010 with a 10-year binding consent agreement.

The current $540-million statement of claim, which has been amended four times and is 53 pages long, names the original conspirators as Pierre Beauchamp, CREA’s CEO at the time; Ann Bosley, TREB’s president at the time; her husband Tom Bosley, a former TREB and CREA president and a director of the Real Estate Council of Ontario; Maureen O’Neill, a TREB director who became president in 2008; and Alan Tennant, who became CREA’s president.

The claim, which is also seeking $10 million in punitive, aggravated and/or exemplary damages, names each of them individually along with all the other TREB and CREA directors at the time, as well as TREB EO Don Richardson and Treb-Ren ventures, the entity that ran Real Estate News, the board’s now-defunct newspaper.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Dale told REM: “The only issue under appeal is (CREA and TREB) are trying to get their individual defendants out of the action. All claims against CREA and TREB themselves are not part of the appeal and will proceed in their entirety as we alleged. TREB and CREA are going to pay for their actions and it’s now really just a matter of whether or not the individuals will have to also pay something themselves at the end of the day.”

In his ruling, Justice Campbell says the defendants moved to strike out the claim on the grounds that it discloses no reasonable cause of action against them.

“In my view the plantiff’s claim discloses a cause of action in breach of contract against the defendants,” wrote Justice Campbell. “The plaintiffs have clearly alleged that: (1) all of the defendants, except Tom Bosley, were parties to the initial settlement agreement; (2) this settlement agreement required the defendants to change and/or maintain their rules so as to permit the plaintiffs to provide their new flat fee business program to consumers, together with the authorized use of MLS services, without providing traditional offer negotiation services; and (3) the defendants ‘blatantly’ breached the express and/or implied terms of that settlement agreement by unlawfully causing

CREA to subsequently enact new offer negotiation rules which prohibited the plaintiff’s innovative flat fee business model.”

The Justice concluded: “It seems clear to me that the plaintiffs have properly alleged a breach of contract on the part of the defendants.”

As well as having ongoing litigation with TREB, Dale was granted leave to intervene in the latest Competition Tribunal proceedings between the Competition Bureau and the board. Last year Commissioner of Competition Melanie Aitken filed an application alleging that TREB’s MLS restrictions and its virtual office website (VOW) policies are anticompetitive. Dale was granted intervenor status because Realtysellers could bring “unique perspectives to the case,” a judge ruled. The hearings are scheduled to begin on Sept. 10. REM

New brand, image for Sadie Moranis Realty

B

ig changes are afoot at Sadie Moranis Realty in Toronto. The new year has brought a new franchise agreement, a new business direction and a new location for the company cofounded by Sadie Moranis and her son, Stephen, in 1976. The 170agent company has joined the Sutton network and began operating as Sutton Sadie Moranis Realty on Jan. 1.

“We want to provide a platform that will best allow our agents and company to meet the competitive challenges in the real estate industry in the years ahead,” says company founder Stephen Moranis.

Although he and the management team looked at several options, they decided to go with Sutton, choosing the Canadian network that has almost 9,000 agents.

“There are a lot of great networks with a lot of sizzle, but we liked the more professional and

quiet approach,” Moranis says.

“We’re excited about becoming part of the (Sutton) network.

We’re strong locally. Sutton is strong in Vancouver and Quebec.

It’s a great opportunity to replicate that success here. We are partnering to provide the best possible platform for the legacy of Sadie Moranis.”

Among her achievements, Sadie Moranis was the first female president of the Toronto Real Estate Board. When she started in real estate in 1963, her biggest challenge was to find a broker who would hire a woman, Moranis says.

The last few years have been tough for Stephen Moranis, who says he was “at my wits end,” having lost his sister, Realtor Terri Moranis, in 2006 and his parents, 47 days apart, in 2009. “But business continued. We have a strong resilient management team. Our four senior management people have more than 50 years of

Stephen Moranis (left), founder of Sadie Moranis Realty, which is now operating as Sutton Sadie Moranis, and director of business development for Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd., Richard Brinkley.

collective experience.”

Sadie Moranis Realty was affiliated with Prudential for 17 years, but with the purchase of Prudential by Brookfield, and their franchise agreement coming to an end, Moranis and his management team decided to choose

a new business direction.

Stephen Moranis was also cofounder of the controversial Realtysellers franchise in 2000, and although he is not affiliated with the current Realtysellers operations, he is still involved in litigaContinued on page 4

4 REM MARCH 2012

Whistler brokers launch private listing service “We wanted to make it easier for our customers to be able to find what they are looking for,” says Rob Palm, president and executive director, Real Estate Association of Whistler (REAW). By Don Procter

I

t might seem that a search for real estate in the resort Municipality of Whistler would be straightforward compared to a search in Vancouver or Toronto. The popular B.C. ski destination is, after all, tiny by comparison. But finding the right property in this village of 10,000 residents can be anything but a piece of cake.

Many out-of-towners are looking to buy Whistler properties but they can be quickly overwhelmed by a set of unfamiliar residential options. Whistler has more than 25 residential property zones including designated tourist accommodation properties with usage restrictions. Nightly rentable townhomes, hotel stratas and fractional ownership of condominium units are among the options open to buyers.

But the search for the right property could be a whole lot easier for buyers (many of whom are foreigners) through WhistlerListings.com, a private listing service officially launched in December by local company Whistler Listings System, which is

New brand, image Continued from page 3

tion with the Toronto Real Estate Board and the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Sutton Sadie Moranis Realty has a new location directly across the street from TREB, and is sporting an “upscale and highbrow new image”, Moranis says.

“Sadie was a trail blazer and a first in so many things. Sutton has done the same,” Moranis says.

Sutton Sadie Moranis will continue to concentrate on offering full support services and a comprehensive compensation model. The company has “lived through the cycles. We have the experience and background to help our agents list, sell and meet

owned by two local brokers.

The local real estate association fully supports the new listings service. “We’ve wanted to make it easier for our customers to be able to find what they are looking for,” says Rob Palm, president and executive director, Real Estate Association of Whistler (REAW).

Without the assistance of a knowledgeable local Realtor and the listing service, buyers – 75 per cent of whom don’t reside in the village – might be lost.

Palm says the listing service isn’t designed to trump realtor.ca – just simply offer potential buyers a site more specific to what is available in Whistler. “Whistler is unique because of its resort status and it hasn’t been served as well as it could be,” he says.

“As a resort our properties are different than the typical community (city),” says Marika Koenig, a sales rep with Whistler Real Estate.

“We have phase one and two zoning; there are time shares, quarter ownership and all sorts of other types of properties.”

Prior to the development of the private listing service, real estate their financial goals.”

Sutton Sadie Moranis’ new “one-stop real estate shop” offers “hundreds of thousands in technology”, and an on-site 94-seat state-of-the-art training centre, he says. Also on-site are a cafeteria and exercise facilities. The 10,000-square-foot office also has front and back office support and in-house lawyers. Although not affiliated with the company, there is an environmental assessment company in the building, a convenience that will be appreciated as the company expands into commercial.

The company will continue to be strong in its traditional high-end neighbourhoods, such as the Bridle Path, Forest Hill and Rosedale, but plans to expand into the 905 area code regions.

“The location turned out to

Rob Palm

agents in the mountain resort sometimes found they could exchange information among themselves quicker than they could receive it through the local real estate board.

Realtors in Whistler have used variations of the listings service for about a decade as a “back-end” system that organizes properties in part through the village’s zoning regulations, says Palm. However, last December it was fine-tuned. It is more user-friendly for buyers and now incorporates apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod to better serve the market, which includes nearby Pemberton and properties through-

be perfect. It’s on busy Don Mills Road, which has great visibility and is close to the parkway and 401. Agents can work anywhere and be properly serviced. There is also public transit for administrative staff.”

Joining the Sutton network promises to be a “huge opportunity for us. There’s great agent-toagent referral potential,” Moranis says. “I met with (Sutton founders) Lance Tracey and Scott Shaw. They’re terrific, committed to business, understand business and want people to be successful and profitable. I like their style and approach. Sadie would have signed up for this partnership. I have a sense she would have felt good. We have made a long-time commitment to keep the Sadie Moranis tradition going.”

– Connie Adair REM

out the Sea-to-Sky corridor.

Koenig, who sits on REAW’s board of directors and has played a key role with Palm in organizing the site’s recent launch, says it has the most current and comprehensive database of properties listed for sale in the resort. Buyers can weave quickly through the property search process to pinpoint their needs because the service is organized by property type and neighbourhood.

With more than 1,000 properties listed, the site includes everything from single-family vacant lots and parking stalls to luxury mansions and rural properties in nearby Pemberton. Users can search for properties by date listed, type, price, location, address and neighbourhood. Photo tours and interactive maps are available.

REAW signed a licensing agreement with Whistler Listing System late in 2010 to market the

listing service. All of the 140 or so licensed Realtors in the Whistler/ Pemberton area pay a monthly fee to Whistler Listings System to access WhistlerListings.com, Palm says. For a fee home sellers can also list their properties on the site.

The site is not intended to make a large profit. The objective is to provide a service that Realtors, buyers and sellers simply weren’t getting, says one of the service’s founders, Pat Kelly of Whistler Real Estate Company.

“As long as it breaks even, we’re happy.”

REAW brokers and agents all remain members of the CREA and BCREA. Whistler attracts thousands of potential second-home owners from out of town. “We have 10,000 residents but on a busy weekend we can be populated by 50,000 tourists and second homeowners,” says Koenig. REM

For anyone thinking of developing a private listings service in their city or town, one of the owners of WhistlerListings.com has some advice: make sure that your community has enough “critical mass” (Realtors and properties, for example) and only proceed if your “brand” is not being heard through the MLS, says Pat Kelly.

Kelly is the owner of Whistler Real Estate Company, the largest company in the region known as the Sea-to-Sky corridor. He cofounded the listings service with Anne Chiasson, managing broker of Sea To Sky Premier Properties.

“I don’t know if what we’re doing would work for everyone, but if you identify that you have a unique brand that is not getting out there or heard, then something like this is worth looking into,” Kelly says.

Whistler was ripe for the listings service because it wasn’t being adequately served by realtor.ca, he adds. “Because we are a recreational resort marketplace, some of the information that our vendors and purchasers want is different from what the standard urban database provides. We have a lot of property that falls between residential and commercial with restrictions on use.

“What we did wasn’t any different than what an individual company would do on its own website with listings. We just extended it over seven companies (the broker members in REAW) to create a common presentation for all of us.”

Kelly advises anyone thinking about a private listings service to retain a good provider that can maintain and support the database.

Kelly and Chiasson chose Tarasoft because the price was right and the database is “very dynamic”, which allows operators to quickly and easily address and make changes to the site.

Kelly says to ensure ongoing success of such a service, Realtors have to be prepared to do broker load and provide daily troubleshooting. “It wouldn’t work if you had to hire people to do data entry.” REM

net worth: $8,262,243 cash flow: $2,352,244 reputation: +9 properties: 8

FIND OUT HOW I DID IT ON

MARCH 1, 2012 Propertymogul.ca

Century21franchise.ca | Century21careers.ca Smarter. Bolder. Faster.

Independently Owned and Operated. ®/™ trademarks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC used under license or authorized sub-license. © 2011 Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership ®™ Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Inc. and Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership.

6 REM MARCH 2012

Melissa Rivers of Coldwell Banker All-Points Festival Realty in Goderich, Ont. is a finalist for Coldwell Banker’s highest honour, the Chandler Barton Spirit Award, given annually to recognize “an

outstanding individual who exemplifies a can-do attitude and holds firmly to a business purpose through innovation, creativity and the drive to preserve despite obstacles or setbacks.”

Rivers is president and founder of All-Points Festival Realty, Brokerage Charitable Fund, which provides relief to the sick by granting a wish to children or parents with a life-threatening illness. The fund also provides financial assistance to needy people with a lifethreatening illness for medicine, treatment, food, housing, travel or other necessities.

The winner of the award will be announced at the “Generation Blue Experience” event in New Orleans Feb. 29 to March 3. The Coldwell Banker event will also feature a Housing Town Hall, headlined by former presidential advisors Karl Rove (R) and Robert Gibbs (D), who will share their unique experiences from the White House inner circle. The Rocky Mountain Silhouettes, known for

Melissa Rivers

Wayne Picyk

Orvil Cairns

Erin McMartin and Curt Knight

David Lipton

Warren Neufeld

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

■ ■ ■

Dave Roach

Cover photo: MIKE CAPSON

David Lipton of Exit Realty PEI has purchased the Exit license rights for the entire province of PEI and has big plans for the island. “The core of the plan is for Exit to become the agency of choice for PEI real estate agents, property owners, buyers and business affiliates. There is a tremendous opportunity here in PEI,” says Lipton.

His main office is in Charlottetown and he has plans to double his agent count in 2012 and open a branch office to give his office more presence on the island.

“David has an incredible team and is poised to own the island,” says Joyce Paron, Exit’s Canadian president. “His serious, action-oriented demeanour is mired in quality and value-driven thinking that will set his real estate company apart from all others. He means business and is ready to rock and roll.”

the company’s broker, drawing on his extensive real estate career.

The brokerage services an area of approximately 25,000 residents, including Portage La Prairie and the surrounding communities of MacGregor, Oakville, St. Claude, Delta Lake, Austin, Gladstone, Treherne, Elm Creek, St. Ambroise, Sydney, Langruth, Westburne, High Bluff and Popular Point.

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Christie’s International Real Estate has awarded affiliate status to Niagara-on-the-Lake Realty.

Owned by Thomas Elltoft and broker Chris Bowron, the firm joins Bayshore Realty of Mississauga and Oakville, Chestnut Park Real Estate of Toronto and Marilyn Wilson’s Dream Properties of Ottawa to become the network’s fourth affiliate in Ontario. It will exclusively represent the Christie’s brand throughout the Niagara Region.

Wholly owned by Christie’s, the well-known art business, Christie’s International Real Estate is represented in more than 40 countries.

Kathleen Coumou, vice-president of the Northeast Region, says, “Niagara-on-the-Lake Realty will be an integral part of our affiliate network, having served the real Continued on page 8

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Warren Neufeld has opened a brokerage in Portage La Prairie, Man. His new company is operating as Royal LePage Portage Realty. Orvil Cairns will serve as

Tim Thiessen Publisher HEINO MOLLS email: heino@remonline.com Director, Sales & Marketing DENNIS ROCK email: dennis@remonline.com Manager, French Edition MICHEL CHEVALIER michel@remenligne.com Digital Media Manager WILLIAM MOLLS web@remonline.com Brand Design SANDRA GOODER

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

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T

wo high-profile teams recently joined Keller Williams Golden Triangle Realty in Kitchener, Ont. Dave Roach and Tim Thiessen, previously with Re/Max, have had 60 to 80 transactions annually in recent years.

“Having respected Dave as a top producer and a mega agent at a competing brokerage for many years, it is a pleasure to have him and Tim on board,” says Tony Olajide, team leader at the brokerage.

Erin McMartin and Curt Knight, another of Kitchener’s top-producing real estate teams, also joined the brokerage. Formerly with Royal LePage, they are both under 30 and have been highly successful in the four years they have been in the real estate business, the company says.

“Not many agents are as successful this early in the business as the duo of Erin and Curt, the Knight Team. They are forward trending and dynamic,” says Olajide.

Keller Williams Golden Triangle Realty has 105 associates.

their stint on America’s Got Talent, will perform.

8 REM MARCH 2012

Multiple Listings Continued from page 6

estate needs in the town for more than 30 years. The firm is known for its premier service and expertise in the local marketplace.”

Often called the prettiest town in Canada, Niagara-on-the-Lake has a distinguished history dating to 1781.

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Former independent broker Wayne Picyk will open his new Century 21 Insight Realty brokerage on March 1 in Stoney Creek, Ont. “It became pretty apparent that brand recognition is a really important part of the business,” says Picyk. He has been in the real estate industry for over 21 years.

He opened an independent real estate office in 2008 and has partnerships with homebuilders in Niagara Falls, Thorold and Stoney Creek. Picyk says he hopes that with the launch of the new brokerage he will be able to expand his team to 20 sales professionals, specializing in all areas of real estate including residential sales, investment property and new home sales and development.

“In my experience as a real estate professional, I’ve found that providing the very best service is essential for success in this industry,” says Picyk. “Keeping myself accessible, being a good listener as well as a good communicator have

helped me make it to where I am today.”

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to “believe in the best….We try to deliver the best whether it is office support to our sales team or customer service to our clients. We have a zero tolerance policy on compromising with customer service. Our honest and professional customer service is our key strength. We offer the most competitive commission packages and training programs to our sales team. We believe that the company success is in the success of the sales team,” Gill says.

Jeff McInnis, an 18-year industry veteran, has joined Re/Max of Wasaga Beach in Wasaga Beach, Ont. McInnis will transition from individual sales associate to a sales team, forming and launching the Wasaga Real Estate Team with local Re/Max Realtors Eryn Hilliard and Ava Alward. With long-standing roots in the community, the team plans to place a strong emphasis on its charitable efforts.

Marilyn Ruttan, broker/owner of Re/Max of Wasaga Beach, says McInnis “is a well-respected, accomplished professional whose commitment to others not only makes him a great Realtor, but a credit to our community. We are proud to support him in his team’s goals and welcome him to the fold.” The office has close to 30 sales associates and support staff operating out of two offices. It was established in 1989.

Royal LePage North Bay Real Estate Services was recently acquired by Sue Symons. The brokerage continues to operate under its existing name.

Symons earned her broker’s license in 2010, complementing her four years in real estate. The brokerage has a team of 20 sales professionals, four of who were recently hired from a local former brokerage. Don Dubytz, former broker/owner, will stay on with the company in a sales capacity.

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Royal Canadian Realty, a new independent brokerage, opened in Mississauga, Ont. at 2960 Drew Rd. early this year. Pushpinder Gill, the broker of record, is also an Accredited Mortgage Professional.

Federal Minister of State (Sport) Bal Gosal was a guest at the grand opening to help cut the ribbon.

Gill says the company vision is

Industry veteran Jim Engineer has joined Right At Home Realty as branch manager for the Mississauga and Brampton office.

“Jim is highly recognized and experienced manager who brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience,” says Don Kottick, president of Right At Home Realty. “Jim is a proven profession-

al who knows how to create a culture of success and develop agent potential.”

Shearer remains broker/ owner for Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate in Edmonton and Sherwood Park.

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The Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate location in Vegreville, Alta. has been acquired by Ann Waters. Under Waters’ ownership, the office is now operating as Royal LePage Homewise Realty. Ken

Tasi Farquhar, Norm Farquhar and Adrienne Farquhar, one of West Toronto’s top producing teams, have joined Keller Williams Continued on page 8

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Celebrating the grand opening Royal Canadian Realty in Mississauga, from left: Sawarnjit Lakhman; Gurinderpal Hundal; Jaspreet Nanra; Iqbal Hundal (president of Royal Canadian Realty); federal Minister of State (Sport) Bal Gosal; Pushpinder Gill (broker of record); and Harcharan Bhullar.

The Farquhar Team

Sue Symons

Jim Engineer

Ann Waters

Jeff McInnis

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10 REM MARCH 2012

Calvin Lindberg elected FIABCI president of the Americas

F

ormer CREA president Calvin Lindberg of West Vancouver , B.C. was elected 2012/2013 president of the Americas of the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) at the FIABCI Business Meetings in Lisbon in December. He was also appointed chair of the Residential Division of the newly formed World Council of Brokers. In addition, incoming world president Judy Shenefield has appointed Lindberg as a FIABCI representative at the United Nations in New York City. In May, following the next World Congress in St. Petersburg, Russia, Lindberg will serve on the international directorate.

Lindberg assumed the 2011/2012 presidency of the Canadian Chapter of FIABCI last October. He is a past president of the Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board, a former director of the British Columbia Real Estate Association and a founding director of Realtor Link. REM

Multiple Listings Continued from page 8

Realty. The Farquhar Team, previously with Re/Max, will spearhead the launch of a new Keller Williams office in the Bloor West Village area of Toronto.

“They are high performing, learning-based individuals who are committed to serving Realtors and the public at a very high level,” says John Furber, director, Keller Williams Realty.

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Royal LePage Wolstencroft Realty in Langley, B.C. was recently acquired by Dave Jarvis, Clayton Lindberg, Leo Ronse and Jamie Schreder. The company continues to operate as Royal LePage Wolstencroft Realty.

Dougal Shewan remains as managing broker and Bridget Houghton as the general manager for the brokerage and its sales force of 87 real estate professionals.

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Main Street Realty, an independent brokerage in Newmarket, Ont. has just become an authorized agent to offer resale home warranties. Broker of record Mike Cartwright says, “This will be a game changer” for the company’s clients. “Not only do Main Street’s clients have the peace of mind with a home inspection; they can now sleep at night knowing that they have a warranty in place for one full year,” says Cartwright in a

Chapter presidents from Mexico, Dominican Republic and Brazil, and the current president of the Americas, Dean Lapointe, celebrate the election of Calvin Lindberg (centre) in Lisbon.

news release. “With no deductible on any claim, they are covered for major issues on their purchase.

This covers structural, roof, electrical, plumbing and much more.

This venture shows how the independent brokerage is making its mark on real estate today.”

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Sales reps Kirk Chamberlain and Patrick Murphy of Re/Max Orchard Country in Summerland, B.C. recently came up with a unique promotion to give their town a boost.

“The town of Summerland, B.C. has been hard hit with job loss and population decline over the last number of years,” says Murphy.

“Main Street Summerland, still beautiful, unfortunately has a number of vacant buildings and there are a number of businesses for sale.”

The two Realtors recently sponsored the Re/Max Summerland Night with the (Penticton) Vees at the South Okanagan Events Centre. They hosted a main concourse display table that also featured promotional information from select businesses as well as a display from The Summerland Chamber of Economic Development and Tourism.

Robert Hacking, municipal council liaison to the Summerland Chamber of Economic Development and Tourism says, “We are so pleased to see this effort by small businesses working

together to promote Summerland in innovative ways.”

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Sterling Stephens, franchisee of Exit Realty Citadel in Halifax, recently upgraded his operation to 4,000 square feet. The new office space adjacent to the Halifax Shopping Centre boasts unlimited parking and fantastic accessibility, says Mike McCarron, supervisor of growth and development for Exit in Canada. “The appointments in the office are beautiful. You can feel the warmth when you walk in the door.” The recent open house to celebrate the new location drew hundreds of agents from the Halifax area.

“Sterling, a recent recipient of Exit’s International Ambassador Award, has continued to grow his real estate office year after year, earning a place in the top 10 in production in the entire province.

He is an exceptional individual who genuinely cares about the success of all of his people. He sets a fabulous example for everyone,” says Joyce Paron, Exit’s Canadian president.

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Terra Realty of Vaughan, Ont. has joined the Aventure Realty Network. Broker/owner Giorgio Carloni and a strong team of Realtors operate from a new location at 4000 Steeles Ave. W., offering residential real estate, new home sales and land development services. REM

Who’s the best in customer satisfaction?

Coldwell Banker® pioneered Ultimate Service® in Canada 15 years ago, providing a signed written pledge to deliver quality service based on an individual consumer’s specific needs. So it’s probably no coincidence that for a remarkable 15th year in a row, Coldwell Banker® Real Estate received a 98%* overall customer satisfaction rating in a survey of more than 60,000 Canadian home buyers and sellers.* It’s a claim no other real estate brand in Canada can match!

If you want to know about the quality of service that Coldwell Banker agents deliver, don’t take our word for it – ask our customers. They’ve given us what you might call the “ultimate” compliment.

*results tabulated by an independent third-party

Hear what top sales representatives are saying about Coldwell Banker Real Estate at coldwellbanker.ca/join.

Watch this and see why others made the move. © 2012 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. A Realogy Company. All Rights Reserved. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Coldwell Banker,® the Coldwell Banker Logo and “We Never Stop Moving” are registered service marks licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

REM MARCH 2012 13

Real Trends annual rankings open F

or the last two years, Real Trends, a Colorado-based research and consulting firm that focuses on the residential real estate industry, has put together a ranking of some of the largest residential brokers in Canada.

This year the company has partnered with Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies to try to expand participation and to simplify the process for brokers.

“We got a lot of great feedback from brokers last year and feel this survey is not only being viewed as a valuable report for the industry but is slowly but surely gaining momentum,” says Steve Murray, publisher of the list and president at Real Trends.

“Our goal once again this year is to increase participation so that this survey is as accurate a reflection of who the real movers and shakers in the Canadian residential brokerage industry are as possible.”

The list will rank residential brokers by both closed sides and

sales volume. For more information, visit www.realtrendscanadian.com or email abroset@realtrends.com.

Real Trends also has a survey for a Broker Performance Report on its website, an intensive benchmarking survey of residential brokers throughout North America.

As with last year’s report (which had participation from firms throughout Canada and the United States), final results will be available by various company size ranges and regions, detailing performance on brokerage operations in a 75-page report. Any broker who confidentially submits their data on the Real Trends secure website will receive a complimentary final report. To find out more, brokers should visit http://realtrends.com/products/brokerageperformance-report.

Both surveys will remain open through March with final reports delivered at the annual Real Trends Gathering of Eagles Conference in early May. REM

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RECO suspends Brekland Realty he Registrar of the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) has issued an immediate suspension of registration to Monster Realty Corporation, which operates as Brekland Realty Group. RECO has also charged the Mississaugabased real estate brokerage with failing to disburse trust funds in accordance with the terms of the trust. The bank accounts of the brokerage have been frozen.

RECO says that under the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act (REBBA), all employees of a suspended brokerage must also be served with suspension orders. As a result, the brokerage and its 213 employees can no longer trade in real estate. The employees can apply to RECO for transfers to another brokerage.

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charges relate to a significant shortfall of funds from the brokerage’s trust account. After RECO booked a routine inspection, it was revealed that a large sum of money was missing from the brokerage’s trust account,” said Registrar Allan Johnston in a news release.

Brekland Realty Group’s head office is in Mississauga and it operates three branches in Mississauga, Milton and Oakville.

The company is owned by Jason Laramee of Oakville.

“The investigation is ongoing and further charges may be laid,” says Johnston.

Any home buyers or sellers who have representation agreements or deposits with Brekland Realty Group can visit www.reco.on.ca for further information. REM

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14 REM MARCH 2012

A passion for politics Saint John Real Estate Board president Jason Stephen is also president of the province’s Progressive Conservative party. “There’s a lot of commonality between real estate and politics,” he says. By Susan Doran

Jason Stephen

(Photo by Mike Capson)

J

ason Stephen, president of the Saint John Real Estate Board (SJREB), has a passion for politics and “can chat about every politician like a kid who knows all the hockey players,” says the board’s executive officer, Angela Boudreau.

It’s no surprise to anyone who knows him that Stephen, a native of Saint John and a committed political junkie, was recently elected president of New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservative party. He was nominated

by Transportation Minister Claude Williams and after two months on the campaign trail, beat out the only other candidate for the job – a Fredericton orthodontist – by a landslide during the PC party’s annual general meeting in early October.

Up until that point Stephen was regional director of the New Brunswick Real Estate Association (NBREA) and chair of the association’s government

policy committee. But he says he resigned from those positions as they could present a conflict of interest in light of his new standing in the PC party.

He will stay on as president of the local real estate board though, as in that capacity there is no conflict, he says.

“As president of the local board we lobby federal MPs,” he says. The two big issues currently are, 1) pushing to increase the allowable limit home buyers can take from their RRSPs for down payments; and 2) time issues around capital gains rollover, Stephen says.

He says that he believes the Saint John board gets “great value” out of CREA because the national organization’s large size offers advantages that would otherwise be unavailable to a small board.

Stephen has taken on the PC party presidency at a time when the Conservatives are the governing party in New Brunswick. A main focus of

his job as president will be to ensure the party is ready for the next provincial election in 2014.

He told the close to 800 voting delegates at the Tory party’s general meeting that he has a keen interest in increasing party membership, and that the key will be attracting more young people.

“More youth need to be engaged in the political process and I want them to be members of the party under the leadership of David Alward and show them that we can build a better province,” Stephen says.

The 35-year-old apparently practises what he preaches; he’s been involved with the PC party for 18 years, since he was still a youth himself. The roles he has held include youth president, riding president and regional vice-president. In the last federal election, he served as campaign manager for Saint John MP Rodney Weston.

His knowledge of politics earned him a position as a radio political commentator during coverage of the 2010 provincial election. (“I’m very gregarious. I can think on my feet,” he says.)

Stephen has been interested in politics for as long as he can recall. It was part of his upbringing. His father, a lawyer, was also an active PC party member, he says.

After graduating from the University of New Brunswick (UNB) with a degree in history and political science, Stephen spent a couple of years in Ottawa “absorbing the political process.” While working on Parliament Hill he served as assistant to

former Prime Minister Joe Clark.

“It was a unique opportunity...I really respect Joe,” Stephen says.

But he was homesick for New Brunswick and eventually decided he wanted to return and join the business world. In the fall of 1999, his career in real estate in Saint John began.

He’s now with Royal LePage Atlantic, and has won an Award of Excellence from the company for production for the past five years.

Asked if he thinks some potential clients might steer away from him due to differing political affiliations, he says, “Not that anyone has ever told me.” The truth is, he says, having his name out there across the province is good for “branding” and business.

“I’ve never let my political leanings affect my business,” he says. “I know my party is not the only one in the world...I’m not on Facebook saying vote Conservative...I have a mutual respect for all political sides. I never close a door on people. When I won the PC presidency I had as many people on the Liberal side congratulating me as Conservatives. We’re going to the same place; just using a different road map to get there...I’ve got friends on all sides of the political spectrum. ” His attitude towards business is, “People first, money second,” he says. “If you take care of the first, the second will follow.”

For the past five years he’s taken a team approach to selling, which no doubt has helped with time

management.

“I’ve done a decent job of not allowing my PC party presidency to consume time away from my work,” he says.

“Real estate is how I make my living and I need to be aware.”

The same holds true for other parts of his life. As his website notes, he’s also a husband, father (of two), a golfer, a coach (girls’ basketball) and a volunteer (this year he won an Alumni Award of Honour from UNB for volunteer work there).

His tips for new struggling Realtors?

or

“Keep current,” he says.

“Knowledge and advice are what people are now gravitating to agents for. I go to a lot of seminars and training... The knowledge and advice piece will always be ours, like with a financial advisor. ‘Is this a good buy?’ type of questions – I don’t think will ever be something consumers look to the Internet for.”

People want answers much faster now, he says.

“We used to give buyers a real estate catalogue that was two weeks old. And if they called on your pager, you didn’t need to call back for a day or two.” Those days are long gone and today there’s a sharper competitive edge, he says.

Stephen says his political career has been a huge advantage.

“There’s a lot of commonality between real estate and politics,” he says.

“I’ve had training on how to build a political ‘brand.’ For real estate, I just turn that training to myself.” REM

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16 REM MARCH 2012

Buyer feedback: Today’s rules (or yesterday’s tactics) back. Let me begin by saying that showing feedback is, at best, a practice that we simply adopted, like showings being booked within the hour, and agents providing snacks or lunch at open houses.

We were indoctrinated with a “this is way we have always done business” attitude.

Every seller wants a temperature gauge of the buyers’ interest and/or at least buyer feedback as to what they can do to improve their odds of selling their home. Some go to great lengths to gather this intelligence. I have experienced home sellers who have “bugged” their homes with everything from nanny-cams to baby monitors that can be listened to next door. We all want to know what people think.

Prior to buyer agency (circa 1992), Realtors working with buyers were all sub agents working for the seller, who paid commissions to listing brokerages, who in turn paid out the buyer’s agent side through

By Ronn James

R

ecently I entered into a debate in which a frustrated Realtor was ranting about the lack of professionalism within our industry, about buyer agents failing to provide feedback on their showings of sellers’ homes.

The agent felt that the sellers were paying good money to Realtors for performance, so the least the buyer’s agent could do was take a minute and respond to a feedback request. Judging by the number of other Realtors who shared his sentiment, it must be a burning issue.

I have a couple of observations and comments of my own and I trust that this article will, if nothing else, cause folks to discuss the age-old practice of sharing feed-

sub-agency agreements. But those rules have been expanded to include buyer’s agency, where the buyer is now offered a choice of having their own representation.

Most Realtors are aware of the responsibilities and documentation required to establish a “Buyer under contract” relationship. In fact, many real estate offices actually ask or qualify listing showings by asking, “Is this a buyer agency showing?” Armed with this knowledge, it surprises me that we use old sub-agency practices like “request for feedback” after buyer agency showings.

As a true buyer’s agent, representing the directives of my buyers, it is my duty of care to protect, educate and ensure that the buyer can buy a home of their choice at the price and time frame that they wish. It also means that our discussions and strategies are ours to keep and protect from sellers or sellers agents. So what’s up with the

request for feedback?

As a practicing Realtor I often get calls and emails for feedback. I have used a pre-typed email message to the listing agent thanking them for allowing me to show their listing. Just that, a thanks.

However, I stopped because most agents would call up to a week later asking for feedback, not bothering to read the email I sent shortly after showing their listing. Now when I am called, I simply state that I am a buyer’s agent. And the phone goes dead on the other side.

No one seems to understand the statement.

So here is the question: is buyer agency (fiduciary) status really understood? Under a buyer agency I could ask my clients (and they are clients) what they would like me to say (if anything) because although the property may not be of interest today, it might be tomorrow, and the buyer may not want their intentions, likes and

dislikes known, especially if they want to negotiate a price suitable to them.

As it is an industry norm (a historical practice never addressed by by-laws or education), Realtors continue to utilize a practice that seems to no longer fit the contractual agreements between buyers and their agents, and are frustrated

by Realtors who are following the letter of their agreements with their buyers.

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. www.RealEstateCommissionMatters. ca, phone 289-242-9050. REM

2012 Election of Directors

Call for Nominations Starts February 24, 2012

Real Estate Council of Ontario

ELECTION

Members of the Real Estate Council of Ontario who are interested in serving on its Board of Directors are required to submit their Nomination Form no later than:

2:00 p.m. Monday, April 2, 2012 Three Directors will be elected — one in each of the three regions of the province as established by RECO. A copy of the Nomination Form and Candidate Instructions are posted on RECO’s website at www.reco.on.ca or on MyWeb at https://myweb.reco.on.ca.

For more information contact:

Shelley Westlake-Brown Tel: 416-207-4800 Toll-free: 1-800-245-6910 E-mail: election@reco.on.ca www.reco.on.ca

Real Estate Council of Ontario 3250 Bloor Street West East Tower, Suite 600 Toronto, ON M8X 2X9

On March 26, 2012, RECO’s office will move to: 3300 Bloor Street West, West Tower, Suite 1200, Toronto, ON M8X 2X2.

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18 REM MARCH 2012

Shed some light GREEN REAL ESTATE

By Elden Freeman f travelling to warm, sunny spots is impossible at this time of year, consider brightening the interior of your home or office with lighting. But not just any old lighting. We’re talking about ecolighting.

Lighting your interior space the green way is a good first step on the path to environmental awareness and action. It’s comparatively inexpensive to other eco initiatives so if this is your client’s first foray into going green, it’s a good way to go. Keep in mind, too, that their eco efforts are likely to pay off in reduced energy bills so the return on investment is well worth it.

We all know about incandescent light bulbs, those energy guzzling lights that cast a beautiful, warm glow unparalleled, some say, by compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Many governments have passed measures to phase out incandescent bulbs in favour of more energy-efficient choices. In Canada, that ban was scheduled to take effect in 2012, but the government has postponed it until 2014.

Incandescents waste energy because they need to heat up substantially to operate, have a short life span and need to be repeatedly replaced and discarded, which jams up landfill sites.

CFLs have long been touted as the ideal replacement for incandescent light bulbs. They use up less than 25 per cent of the energy required to run incandescents and are known to last up to 10 times longer. While the benefits are considerable, these lights are far from perfect. The bulbs issue a harsh light that doesn’t compare to incandescent. More importantly, they contain mercury, a toxic substance, and they should be special-

I

ly disposed of, a fact of which many consumers aren’t aware.

LEDs are viewed as the next generation in home lighting because they’re more energy efficient than CFLs, burn little heat and contain no poisonous gases.

Their life spans are remarkable, lasting up to 35,000 hours or about 16 years based on six hours of daily use.

LED lamps can be easily recycled with regular glass products and should they end up in a landfill heap, no lasting environmental damage will be sustained, since they contain no toxic chemicals. Finally, unlike CFLs, LEDs have improved technology so that light bulbs are available in warm, cool and neutral tones.

They also come in many different models and styles.

LEDS are made using as many as 180 bulbs per cluster, and encased in diffuser lenses that spread the light in wider beams. When they were first produced they were limited to singlebulb use in instrument panels, electronics, pen lights and, more recently, strings of indoor and outdoor Christmas lights.

On the down side, LEDs are not known for their brightness.

And they’re expensive, starting at around $35 and up. This expense when compared with incandescent and CFL lighting seems to be the major sticking point in the market.

Still, consumers are beginning to understand how economical LEDs are to operate. As the price continues to drop, many are warming to the idea of installing LEDs in their homes and offices.

A cost comparison by www.eartheasy.com on running the three main types of lights for 50,000 hours shows incandescents at over $350, CFLs at nearly $90, while LEDs come in at almost $66.

The National Association of Green Agents and Brokers (NAGAB) provides a Greenbroker and Greenagent certification program to Realtors across Canada. To get more information or to sign up for a course, visit www.nagab.org. Elden Freeman M.E.S., AGB, broker is the founder and executive director of the non-profit organization. 1-877-5249494; Email eldennagab.org. REM

REM MARCH 2012 19

Better Homes and Gardens expands to Western Canada

B

etter Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada (BHGREC), recently expanded to include 11 offices in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The brokerage added seven Albertabased and four Saskatchewanbased Signature Service Real Estate offices to the brand.

“The Western Canadian real estate market is uniquely diverse,” says Rob Vanden Broek, president of BHGREC. “I grew up in Alberta and understand how varied the real estate needs are in this region of Canada. We see an incredible opportunity to explore urban and rural real estate services in Alberta and we’re excited to build on the strong and vibrant connections to those communities which Signature Service Real Estate has built.”

Vanden Broek says: “There’s a tendency for the large brands to overlook these communities. They represent a strong opportunity for us because of the productivity they offer on a per agent basis.”

The four offices in Saskatchewan include Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Swift Current and North Battleford. In Alberta, the offices are in Coaldale, Taber, Hanna, Medicine Hat, Wainwright, Lloydminster and Bow Island (home town of VandenBroek).

All offices will now be under the banner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Signature Service.

Nelson Goulart, vice-president of network services for the company, says “The economy is robust in Western Canada and consumers have a thirst for a real estate brand that embodies the importance of home and lifestyle.”

BHGREC launched in Canada last October in Ontario.

“We are seeing tremendous interest in the brand from coast to coast,” says Vanden Broek.

“We are in different stages of negotiations, and we’ll have more announcements in the REM spring.”

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20 REM MARCH 2012

Twitter: The 5 stages of change

By Duncan Fremlin

I

was at a real estate seminar the other day and overheard a conversation about Twitter, Facebook and the social networking scene. One of my associates, a gentleman in his 50s, was telling his friend that he had a Facebook account but “I’m not using it.”

His friend did not have an account and replied, “I have absolutely no intention of getting one.”

This struck a chord. Kind of made me squirm a bit. In my quest to become a hip Realtor with a solid social networking presence, I put myself through hell. I found myself wondering if this social networking scene was a young person’s thing or if it was it something an aging 62-year-old agent could embrace.

There’s been a lot of pressure to buy into Twitter and the like even though many of us are not particularly inclined that way. I decided to do something about it.

Over time, I signed on to these accounts. I had no idea what the heck to do with them but by golly, I had a Twitter nom de plume (banjodunc). Eventually, I took the plunge and joined the Margaret Atwoods of the world and began to Twitter.

Looking back, it appears I went through the five stages of change (denial, anger, negotiation, depression, acceptance) described by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying.

I began my foray into social networking by DENYING its importance. I had convinced myself it was a fad that appealed to those who had absolutely nothing better to do with their time. I have a good friend who is a commission salesperson and he’s so stubborn about this, his business is suffering because of it. That wasn’t going to

be me. Deep down, I knew I had to deal with this if I wanted to continue being a full-service Realtor.

I knew I was at the ANGER stage when I began to feel resentment towards those who had progressed beyond me. That anger escalated when I saw them actually profit from this web tool. I would lash out at the Twitter logo every time I saw it. My competitors who were just starting out in the business were actively Twittering and this too raised my ire. “Who are they kidding?” was my internal mantra. The smug Twitter users had this holier-than-thou attitude, or at least I thought they did.

Apparently I can be a very small person when the circumstances are right.

I’m not sure how long I remained at this stage but I knew I had entered the NEGOTIATING stage when I hired a young Twitter guru to teach me how to do it and perhaps explain why it was important. I didn’t quite get what she was talking about. I hadn’t yet

written or published a tweet.

However, in my little Twitter mind, I didn’t feel it was necessary if I wanted to make my point. I was now at peace and figured my journey was over. My conscience had other ideas.

I woke up one day and read some statistics in the business section of the Globe and Mail that the top salespeople in their professions were actually solidifying business relationships and profiting from their online tweets. My stomach knotted up. I didn’t want to get out of bed. I was sad and Twitter DEPRESSION had set in. I realize now that I was on the verge of a break-through.

Then one day, I started sending my blog entries to my Twitter and Facebook accounts. I figured, what the hell? What’s the worst that could happen? Public ridicule?

Bah. So what. I’ve been laughed at and belittled many times before.

That won’t kill me. Funny thing is, as it turns out, nothing bad happened. In fact, one day someone

actually re-tweeted one of my posts. I had arrived at the ACCEPTANCE stage and my life as a Twitter user was born.

For those sceptics who think this is still a fad, my bank is now responding to some of my feeds.

Recently, I wrote a tweet about an issue I had with my bank account and their Twitter Guy (who knew they had a Twitter guy?) fixed it for me in short order. I was mightily impressed.

There’s no turning back now. I eagerly devour Margaret’s feeds and often re-tweet them. My dream is for her to re-tweet one of my little 140 character gems.

Duncan Fremlin is a broker with Re/Max Hallmark Realty in downtown Toronto. He’s about to celebrate 25 years in the business. He’s also an avid blogger and writer.

Duncansblog.com is now in its sixth year. Email duncan@morethanahome.ca; Phone 1-877-462-1888.

Of course, there’s always Twitter @banjodunc. REM

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24 REM MARCH 2012

Backstage at Hockey Night In Canada

By Dan St. Yves

I

promise – my next column will actually be relevant to the real estate industry. However for this month’s offering, I am a little jazzed over my experience of witnessing first-hand the inner workings of an iconic Canadian winter sporting tradition. I had backstage access to a live broadcast of Hockey Night In Canada!

How cool was it, you ask? It was somewhat like being a wide-eyed kid in a candy store, but way better than boring old candy. There were speeding pucks, bone-crunching body checks, and beer!

Special Disclaimer: CBC had nothing to do with the beer.

Nonetheless, beer and NHL hockey are as closely intertwined as

Barbie and Ken, Celine and René, or more appropriately (and infinitely more masculine) Ron MacLean and Don Cherry. You can’t really imagine one without the other.

The evening began with watching the start of the hockey game. About midway through the first period a cordial tour guide stopped by and led a small handful of us fortunate souls out behind the scenes. First stop, a trip across the catwalk that leads up to the broadcast booths, overlooking centre ice. High above the common rabble – high above even the nosebleed seats. Well, maybe not that high...but well above the common rabble, anyway.

In the broadcast booth we had an amazing view of the on-ice action and the broadcasters as they called the game. Which actually seems to move much slower at that elevated perspective. Slow or not it was still exciting as heck, but if I ever want to see a media pass again, I’ll have to try and be more careful with my gum while hang-

500

ing out over the ice, cheering away at a sudden two-on-one breakaway.

Say, why did I think this column wasn’t relevant to the real estate biz? From the “bird’s nest” perspective, we had exceptional views of the real estate company ads painted onto the boards of the rink.

We were then escorted down from the booths into the catacombs of the arena, right past that aforementioned bubbly component of any NHL game night – the storage area for the beer. The massive distribution centre for beer is wisely kept behind locked chainlink fencing. It is a sight to behold though.

Leaving the locked beer distribution centre on our way outside the arena, we entered the hightech broadcast trailer, which is the true Hockey Night In Canada nerve centre. Directors and multiple technicians work in these cosy quarters, constantly and rapidly switching the action from all the various live cameras in the arena to what we eventually view on the TV screen at home. There are at

least a dozen different cameras, to imagine how many broadcasts of each jockeying for the best shot to Hockey Night In Canada I’ve broadcast on national television. watched over the years. Seeing the There were four directors I spotted, behind-the-scenes effort that goes all paying rapt attention to the into each broadcast was astoundscreens, and firing out orders to ing, and something I won’t soon each of the camera people. forget. Seeing how many beer kegs have to work in tandem to do just Well, except for one guy, who as important a job is something kept switching his feed to a broadthat’ll probably linger for awhile as cast of Little Mosque On The Prairie well. whenever his colleagues weren’t looking.

The final stop before returning Humour columnist and author to our seats and the game was the Dan St. Yves was licensed with Royal “Green Room”, or backstage interLePage Kelowna for 11 years. Check view area where western HNIC out his website at www.nonsenseandhost Scott Oake was cooling his stuff.com, or contact him at heels, awaiting the first intermisThatDanGuy@shaw.ca. REM sion. He was as cordial and affable as our tour guide, allowing for pictures and general chit-chat.

A real stand-up guy, even though he was sitting down for our visit.

I can’t begin Scott Oake (left) and Dan St. Yves

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26 REM MARCH 2012

SALES COACH

By Bruce Keith

T

here is a great little book written by John G. Miller called QBQ... The Question Behind the Question. It is one of those books that you pick up at the airport while waiting for your flight and one hour later are very glad you did. Miller shares some great ideas on how to “eliminate blame, complaining and procrastination”.

By the time you are done reading, you have some very good insights on how to “practice personal

Taking responsibility accountability in business and in life”.

The author uses a comfortable metaphor by stating that there are two kinds of sailors. There is Sailor #1 “who blames the wind” and Sailor #2, “who adjusts to the wind”. He then goes on to ask, which kind of sailor are you? We could ask the same question as it relates to all salespeople. Look at it this way. The salesperson who blames the wind asks why and who questions like: Why is this happening to me? Who dropped the ball here?

The salesperson who adjusts to the wind asks how and what questions: How can I make this work for everyone concerned? 2. What can I do to turn this around?

It all boils down to whether you assume the role of the victim or

you assume the role of being responsible. The weaker salespeople are looking to blame someone because “it is not my fault”. The stronger salespeople take action. If your results are not satisfactory, take action (find more business). If your skills are not satisfactory, take action (practice more often). If your mindset/attitude is not satisfactory, take action (expose yourself to positive influences). Be a “doer” not a “blamer”. No excuses.

■ ■ ■

In 1948 an amazing book was written by Claude M. Bristol, entitled The Magic of Believing. Bristol created one of those timeless masterpieces that bear scrutiny no matter how long ago it was written.

The title is self-explanatory and the material is extremely enlight-

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ening. He cites many examples where false beliefs have ruled the world for many years.

In Chapter IV, Suggestion Is Power, he tells a story about false beliefs. “For centuries tomatoes were looked upon as poisonous.

People dared not eat them until some fearless person tried them and lived.” Pretty incredulous when you think about it today... I wonder what false beliefs we are currently harbouring that humanity will be chuckling about 100 years from now.

Here are some sales myths you can discard: 1. It’s okay to be five minutes late for an appointment.

WRONG. 2. My customers like it better when I “dress down”. It makes them more relaxed. WRONG. 3. My past clients and centres of influence know what business I am in. If a referral opportunity comes up, they will call me.

WRONG. 4. The market controls how

well I do. I can’t do anything if things slow down. WRONG. 5. I will always have debt. It has always been that way for me. There doesn’t seem to be a way around that. WRONG. 6. The salespeople who sell the most are very lucky. Besides, who wants to work that hard?

WRONG. Some of the sales myths exist as defence mechanisms. Some salespeople tell themselves false stories just to justify their behaviour. The good news is you can change your stories. You can rewrite your beliefs...anytime you want! You created them and you can change them. How liberating is that?

Believe that you can do more and you will. 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

Recipes for real estate professionals

By Christopher Palik

R

oasted golden beet salad with arugula and goat cheese, pistachios, pomegranates and citrus dressing.

Makes four salads.

Citrus dressing Zest of 1 orange Juice of three oranges Extra virgin olive oil 125ml Salt a pinch In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the zest, juice, olive oil and salt. Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously.

Beet Salad 4 medium sized golden beets 3 large handfuls of arugula 1/4 cup of toasted pistachios 1/4 of pomegranate seeds 1/2 cup of goat cheese Sea salt Citrus dressing

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place the beets in an oven-proof dish and place in the oven. Cook the beets until a paring knife inserted comes out easily (about two hours). Once the beets have cooled down, gently peel off the skins. Slice the beets into 1/4-inchthick slices.

To serve, lay down four plates.

Arrange each beet in a circular pattern on the plate, place a small handful of arugula on top of the beets, scatter the pistachios, pomegranate seeds and the goat cheese over the four plates and dress with the citrus dressing.

Finish with a pinch of sea salt.

Christopher Palik is executive chef at L’eat Group (Paese Ristorante, L’eat Catering, L’eat Express), Toronto . REM

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28 REM MARCH 2012

T realtyreport

®

Market Connections Inc.®

Compliments of Danny Brown

2011 DEFINED BY HEALTHY, STABLE MARKET

Danny Brown

Real Estate Agent Real estate boards typically review home-buying and selling

Market Connections Inc.® 94 Scarsdale Road Toronto, ON M3B 2R7

activity from the previous year at the beginning of each new year. The conclusion from the REALTORS ® Association of Edmonton is that 2011 was a stable, healthy year for the Edmonton real estate market, creating a solid base for 2012.

Bus: (800) 387-6058 387 6058 Fax: (800) 800-7093 dbrown@marketconnections.com

The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton reported that the allresidential average price for real estate sales through the Multiplee Listing Service® for 2011 (includin ng all single-family dwellings, condos, duplexes and townhousee properties sold in the Greater Edmonton Area) was $325,457, compared to $329,019 in 2010.

There were 10,962 sales of singleefamily dwellings in 2011 – an increase of 5.5 percent – but 4,63 38 condo sales, with a decrease of 0 0.4 percent. The number of residential sales totaled 16,893 units, showing an increase of 3.8 percent from year-to-year, while listings were down slightly, at 30,906 units.

Greetings! You’re receiving this newsletter with hopes that you find it informative and entertaining.

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!

All the best,

Danny Brown

housing markets in parts of the United States, it is a relief to report on the stability and health of the local real estate market,” said REALTORS® Association of Edmonton President (2011) Chris Mooney. “With prices and sales varying within a small range there is a solid base going forward into the 2012 market.”

NEW

Looking back over the year, Mooney concluded, “Homeowners generally saw an equity increase in the value of their homes in 2011.”

Wondering how your home compares in today’s today s market and what the housing forecast is for 2012? Please call for a no-obligation discussion today!

“With economic uncertainty impacting Europe and depressed

EDMO

Volume 8, Issue 2

ep realt yre Complimen

y Brown ts of Dann

Danny Brown

®

ort reallt yre r port realtyreport ns Inc.

58 58 (800) 387-60 Bus: 93 (800) 800-70 om Fax: etconnections.c dbrown@mark receiving this find Greetings! You’re hopes that you newsletter with entertaining. and it informative a move, g of making If you’re thinkin as to real estate curious just are free or area, please feel trends in your It’s always good time. any at to call you! to hear from All the best,

Danny Brown

Complime

d osed ons that closed The conditi e ver ouve r Vancou out the Greate 11 in 2011 housing market ce alanc healthy balanc reflected a n an y and supply between seller d. deman buyer

heigghtee 2011 began with hot s lh demand in regiona Reaa with and concluded Vanco Board of Greater Rosaa nt R (REBGV) Preside lativv a re noting, “It was for tthe r balanced year Van V c market in Greater h sligh with listing totals and s historical norms slightly below.” detaachee Total sales of ppropee ent apartm and 32,3900 2011 reached s crea inc a 5.9 percent s recc the 30,595 sales ber o 2010. The numb d fo properties listed g See Multiple Listing couvv Vanc Greater in t in 2 by 2.7 percent tthe 5 compared to . listed in 2010. esidee The overall re aterr price for Grea

®

nts of Dann y Brown

Market Conn ectio

H S OUT WIT 2011 RINGS D” MARKET CE Compliments of Danny Brown C A “BALAN

2011: The Second-Best Year for Toronto Home Sales!

Danny Brown

Real Estate Agent Market Connections Inc.® 94 Scarsdale Road Toronto, ON M3B 2R7 Bus (800) 387-605 387-6058 8 Fax: (800) 800-7093 dbrown@marketconnections.com Greetings! You’re receiving this newsletter with hopes that you find it informative and entertaining.

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!

“Low borrowing costs kept Buyers confident in their ability to comfortably cover their mortgage payments along with other major housing costs,” said TREB President Richard Silver. He added, “If Buyers had not been constrained by a shortage of listings over the past 12 months, we would have been flirting with a new sales record in the Greater Toronto Area.”

The average selling price for December 2011 was $451,436 – up four percent compared to December 2010. For all of 2011, the average selling price was $465,412, showing an increase of eight

percent in comparison to the average of $431,276 in 2010.

“Months of inventory remained below the pre-recession norm in 2011.

Very tight market conditions meant substantial competition between Buyers and strong upward pressure on selling prices,” said Jason Mercer, TREB Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

Mercer continued, “TREB’s baseline forecast for 2012 is for an average price of $485,000, representing a more moderate four percent annual rate of price growth. This baseline view is subject to a heightened degree of risk given the uncertain global economic outlook.”

Wondering how your home fits into today’s market and what the housing

Esstate Boardd ® leased its fi final aatistics for 2011.

2 tthat despitee g the first haalf ttial sales in the secondd ng in an oveerall ht percent in h n

les totaled ng a nine n 2 2010, while iily home , with a onee 0010. The mproved m of 2011 to condo — an

increase of four percent over 2010.

Condo prices, however, remain ed persistently low in 2011, with

the year-end average price coming at $287,172 in – one than the previou percent lower s year.

Looking ahead to 2012, CREB ® President Sano Sante reflecte d, “Throughout 2011, elevate d levels of inventories have growth as consum limited price ers benefited from sufficie nt supply of housing to choose from; however, as these inventories drop to levels more consistent with a balanced market we can expect , some modera te price growth moving forward .”

Wondering how your home fits into today’s market? Please call for a no-obligation discussion today!

is for 2012? Please call for a Danny Brown forecast no-obligation discussion today!

SALES & AVERAGE PRICE BY MAJOR HOME TYPE DECEMBER 2011

All the best,

Danny Brown

ns Inc. ®

Calg C algary Mar ket Show ws S Stea te dy Imp rovement

Market Connections Inc.®

Toronto rang out 2011 with news from Greater Toronto REALTORS® that, with 89,347 sales within the current Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) boundaries, 2011 was the second-best year on record!

Real Estate Agent ® tions Inc. Market Connec ay, Suite 720 999 West Broadw 1K5 V5Z Vancouver, BC

®

®

ectio Market Conn

Detached Yr./Yr. % Change

SALES

AVERAGE PRICE

416

905

Total

581

1,512

2,093

4%

12%

416

905

$701,846

$525,360

Total $574,351

10%

3%

Semi-Detached

202

289

491

$517,152

Yr./Yr. % Change

20%

12%

15%

10%

9%

10%

199

517

716

$372,164

$333,359

$344,144

2 Issue Townhouse Volume 8,

4%

3%

$365,417

$427,842

Yr./Yr. % Change

3%

20%

15%

-7%

8%

2%

Condo Apartment

943

363

1,306

$351,104

$275,173

$330,000

Yr./Yr. % Change

7%

-3%

4%

3%

9%

5%

CREB

Volume 8, Issue 2

Courtesy of the Toronto Real Estate Board.

TREB

Volume 8, Issue 2

he Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) has named Kevin Stone and Rick Campos of Re/Max First the recipients of this year’s T.W.H. (Bill) Saunders Memorial Award. Also known as Realtor of the Year, the award recognizes Calgary Realtors who exemplify high standards of professionalism, leadership and outstanding dedication to the community.

Campos has been a Realtor for over 30 years. Throughout the years, he has been a constant contributor and champion on numerous committees and task forces including the Professional Standards Committee, the Rural List/Labels Committee and the CREB Critical Illness Society.

Actively involved in his community, Campos has been a volunteer coach for junior high volleyball and basketball, and has enjoyed leading youth groups. Staff and Realtors describe Campos as “a man of true character with a consistent interest and love for the common man,” CREB says.

Stone has been a Realtor for over 20 years and has been actively involved in numerous committees as well as the CREB Charitable Foundation, providing funding to local charities and nonprofit organizations. Also actively involved in his community, Stone has devoted his time to volunteer coaching and acting as a scout master and Venturer leader with Boy Scouts of Canada. Close friends and family describe him as a diplomatic leader, someone who speaks to improve professionalism and is always willing to roll up his sleeves and lend a hand with any task or any chore, the board says.

CREB also recently presented Dick Oakes of MaxWell Realty with an Honorary Life Membership Award. Oakes has been in the real estate industry in Calgary since 1975. He has taught real estate education programs and over the years has been a part of and chaired many board committees. His CREB contributions also

include time working with the CREB Charitable Foundation and serving as its president in 1998.

Oakes and Ron Stanners launched MaxWell Realty in 1999. In addition to MaxWell’s Calgary offices, franchises have been established in Airdrie, Canmore, Cochrane, Edmonton, Irricana, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Stettler, Strathmore and Invermere, B.C. ■ ■ ■

The Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors (KWAR) recently awarded the first KWAR Volunteer Award to veteran Realtor Peter Gingerich. The award was created to recognize the vital contribution of volunteers within the association and honours their significant efforts.

“Peter Gingerich exemplifies

the passion and desire of Realtors to improve the Quality of Life for their communities,” says KWAR president Sara Hill.

Gingerich, a Realtor since 1977, spent 28 years as a volunteer firefighter with Wilmot Township, Baden Station, where he climbed the ladder up to senior captain. He was responsible for training across three fire stations but still managed to make time and help people find their dream homes. For his dedication he received medals from both the federal and provincial governments marking 20th and 25th year of fire service, respectively.

He has contributed to a major renovation at his local church, taught handicapped children to ski at Chicopee for six years and drove cancer patients to Toronto, Hamilton and London for treatments. He also participated in the Baden Christmas parade for 25 years and raised money for the Wilmot Family Resources through his local church by offering wagon rides led by his Haflinger horses.

As an integral member of the KWAR program committee, he has been involved in the annual toy drive, the Adopt-a-Highway program and Waterloo Region Food Bank collections for numerous years. REM

Kevin Stone

Rick Campos

Dick Oakes

Peter Gingerich

Re/Max Prairie Realty of Vermilion, Alta. was the proud recipient of the Vermilion & District Chamber of Commerce annual award, Spirit of Vermilion. In the photo, from left: Tina Zayac, client care specialist; Diane Bodurka, client care manager; Shawn Jacula, broker/owner; Kaitlynn Odden, sales associate; and Natasha Niehaus, sales associate.

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30 REM MARCH 2012

Carl Oake’s swimathon celebrates 25 years Peterborough broker is the driving force behind a swimathon at the Peterborough YMCA that has raised more than $750,000 for local causes over the past 25 years. Could it expand into a national event? By Susan Doran and the hope is there’ll be more this year. Past participants have included the local real estate board, and another local real estate office, says Oake.

S

‘

ervice above self’ is the creed of the Rotarians, and if there was ever a Rotary Club member who embraces this sentiment, it’s Carl Oake.

Oake, broker with Century 21 United Realty in Peterborough, Ont., has an admirably lengthy list of good works and community service awards. Over the years, these have run the gamut from Peterborough Citizen of the Year to the Easter Seals Society’s Helping Hands award. Oake has won so many civic and merit awards in fact, that when asked to elaborate on what each was for, he claims to have trouble recalling. He’s obviously a modest guy. For example, in the 1990s he was named senior male athlete of the year for the City of Peterborough, but he says he doesn’t understand why.

“The mayor called me about that one because of my swimming, I guess,” he says. “But I’m not really an athlete.”

Many people would beg to differ. Oake, 66, is the driving force behind a swimathon at the Peterborough YMCA that has raised more than $750,000 for local causes over the past 25 years. Currently, 75 per cent of the proceeds support Rotary projects and 25 per cent go to the

Peterborough and District Easter Seals Society. Each year at the event Oake completes at least 100 laps doing the Australian crawl, having prepared by swimming regularly year-round.

This year’s annual Rotary/Carl Oake Swimathon will be held on Feb. 24 starting at 7 am.

It’s non-competitive. The goal is to have fun and raise $50,000, says Oake. (Almost all of that goes to the causes, he adds.)

Every year at the swimathon, Oake – who used to be a jogger but took to the water after dislocating his knee – swims one lane of the 25-metre YMCA pool non-stop for an hour, while the teams of various local businesses each take short turns swimming in the other lanes that have been blocked off for the event.

Pledges are donated for total laps completed by both Oake personally and the teams.

“The idea is that each team brings in at least $500 in pledges,” says Oake.

Local causes that have benefited from the funds raised over the years include the Five Counties Children’s Foundation, the Peterborough Regional Health Centre and the YMCA. Oake swam solo for the first

few years of the event, after it began in 1987 at the suggestion of one of his fellow Rotary Club members. The event raised $4,000 that year and continued to grow. Oake brought in teams in the 1990s on the suggestion of the local newspaper – one of various local media providing coverage – which was clearly under the impression that watching someone swim endless laps was not exactly the height of excitement. (Oake’s friends were of the same opinion. He’d been told that “watching one guy swim lengths is like watching paint dry.”)

There’s no shortage of excitement at the event now, Oake says, citing as an example the extent that various teams will go to in order to win the award for wackiest outfits. (There are also awards for top corporate fundraiser and top individual fundraiser.)

“One year we had four guys dressed as reindeer swimming down the pool pulling Santa on a sleigh,” Oake says. “Last year we had a ‘Brazilian bobsled team’ running around with a raft.”

The swimathon attracted over 30 teams last year (there are four or five swimmers per team)

For the past 20 years, the child who’s the local Easter Seals ambassador has been in attendance at the swimathon.

This year the ambassador is 10-year-old Mitchell McColl, who has been diagnosed with Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome, a rare condition that is similar to cerebral palsy. He has many physical challenges and uses a walker.

“Mitchell was the ambassador at last year’s swimathon as well,” says Oake. “At the media kickoff in January last year, he showed up wearing a cowboy hat, guns and a really thick pair of glasses.

A local optometrist’s office called me and said that the glasses were too big for him and that they wanted to donate a new pair. So Mitchell’s mother was called. She said he doesn’t need glasses. He just insists on wearing those ones with the outfit – they’re safety goggles! That’s just Mitchell ... but the optometrist ended up putting a team in the water.”

with Oake and deems him “a real gem of a human being.” Having observed the swimathon since its early years, Martindale has become so enthusiastic about it that he says he’s made it his personal mission to catapult the event to a national level next year. He’d like to see swim teams across the country joining forces to raise funds.

Attempting to get things rolling and drum up national coverage for the swimathon, Martindale recently drove into Toronto from Peterborough in order to drop press releases about the event off at a major television network. Somehow, he managed to talk his way past security and all the way to the office of the national news director, whose assistant exclaimed, “How did you get up here?”

Martindale got close, but he didn’t make it into the inner sanctum that day, although he hopes his press releases did.

“I’ll keep pushing,” he says.

Clearly, his pal Oake is a man who inspires loyalty.

The clerical work involved with the swimathon is punishing (collating pledge sheets, collecting money, so Oake was relieved when the local Rotary Club agreed to take over administration for the event several years back. Rotary Club of Peterborough’s Dan Shaw, who is event chairman for the swimathon, says he would like to see more corporate teams get involved.

Send donations to: Rotary/Carl Oake Swimathon P.O. Box 172 Peterborough, Ontario K9J 6Y8

Brian Martindale, an independent media liaison for the event (and a regular contributor to REM’s online story comments sections), takes that further. He used to work

Or contact Oake directly at 705-743-4444; or Dan Shaw, Rotary Club of Peterborough, at: 705-745-1324, ext. 212. All donations over $20 will receive a tax receipt. REM

Carl Oake

(Photo: Brian Slemming)

REALTOR.ca APP for Android Take possession Feb. 29, 2012 Visit REALTOR.ca or the Android Marketplace to download the APP

The trademarks REALTOR速, REALTORS速, and the REALTOR速 logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA.

32 REM MARCH 2012

Good Works F

ollowing his inaugural Victoria-to-Thunder Bay ride in 2010, Don Patterson of Royal LePage Kingsbury in Mississauga, Ont. is embarking on an even loftier goal this July – to ride 7,200 km from Vancouver to St John’s, Nfld.

Patterson is a passionate sup-

porter of fitness programs to promote healthy and active lifestyles among youth. He has partnered for several years with his local YMCA to run a youth triathlon program (swim, bike, run).

For his extended ride, the 57year-old grandfather of two is working with the YMCA to estab-

lish the means for communities across the country to support his venture and have the funds go directly to youth programs in their local YMCA. He funds the entire coast-to-coast rides himself, so all donations received go directly to support youth programs at the YMCA. To learn more about the adventure, visit www.ykids.blog.com ■ ■ ■

When Izabela Wasiela first met Michael, the non-verbal autistic boy was frustrated that he could not speak or run and play like other children. Now after a decade of effort, Michael can use simple language and has greater confidence and physical strength. The

difference in his life is dramatic.

His story is just one of the reasons that Wasiela volunteers each Saturday with Special Olympics B.C. Vancouver. In 2010, the sales rep at Sutton Group – Seafair in Richmond began coaching swimmers and weight trainers with special needs.

“I studied at UBC and completed a Bachelor of Human Kinetics majoring in Physical Education with a minor in Family Studies and Social work,” says Wasiela. “In my third year, I was required to do some volunteer work involving people with disabilities and physical activity. I volunteered at the Kitsilano Community Centre in their TLC life skills program for special needs

teens and was hooked! I found it so incredibly rewarding and felt I had something I could add to the program with my education and background as an athlete.”

One day, a parent approached Wasiela and asked if she would be willing to spend time once a week with her special needs daughter. At the time, Jassie was in her mid-20s.

“It was through Jassie that I got involved in the Special Olympics.

I’d take her out on a Saturday to go for lunch then to her swimming and soccer practices. As I sat watching, I knew I wanted to become a coach.” She now coaches Special Olympians of all ages.

The youngest she has worked with was 12-years-old and the oldest was 50.

Jehan Chaudhry of Sandgate Women’s Shelter with John Lusink, broker/owner of Royal LePage York North Realty.

Jassie Chan with Izabela Wasiela

From left, Sutton Group - Canwest’s Shannon MacLeod, Pat West and Helen Milton.

Don Patterson

From left: Jim Bridgeman, sales rep with Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate; Sharon Cunningham, executive director of Saskatoon Interval House; Jean Hennig of Saskatoon Interval House; and Lionel “LB” Betker, sales rep with Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate.

Exit Realty Group in Belleville, Ont. recently participated in the Walk For Memories, an event to raise funds for the Alzheimer Society. It is the society’s largest provincial fundraiser, and the Belleville event raised over $54,000. From left: Valerie Davies, Mary Thomas, Sylvia Smith, Heather Plane, Janice Davis, Sharon Shortt, Randy Kerr, Jonathan Kerr, and Tobin, Gwenyth and Christy Wagner.

The more than 60 sales reps at Royal LePage Wolle Realty in Kitchener, Ont. weighed in with contributions of more than 2,000 lbs. of food and $10,000 in cash to help the local food Bank with its Christmas Drive.

More than 800 of the firm’s customers, families and friends filled five theatres at Empire Theatres for the family-friendly movie Happy Feet Two. The price of admission was at least one non-perishable food item per family member and cash donations were made by local businesses.

REM MARCH 2012 33 I I I

Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate, in collaboration with the Saskatoon Granite Curling Club, hosted the 10th annual FunSpiel recently. The event raised $12,507 for Saskatoon Interval House, a shelter providing a safe haven for women and children fleeing domestic violence. The event included a curling bonspiel, dinner, raffle and prizes for the winning team.

I I I

The team at Sutton Group Canwest in Calgary pitched in to deliver warmth and joy to people in need during the holidays.

“Through a local school, we learned we could assist two families having a difficult year,” says broker/manager Helen Milton. “One was a family of six and the other a family of five. We personally shopped for each person trying to find the toys they would like and clothing in the right size. Two of the children have special needs and don’t read well, so we found some beautiful picture books for them.”

Sutton Group Canwest also donated 40 bags of used apparel to two local charities: Women in Need and the Mustard Seed.

Milton estimates that the office spent $350 on new clothing and toys plus $350 in grocery store gift certificates for each family. Money was raised through a 50/50 draw at Monday morning meetings and a portion of a $2 per month donation from each sales rep. Holiday

giving is an office tradition that spans more than 25 years.

Setting

THE STANDARD!

I I I

®

Royal LePage York North Realty in Newmarket, Ont. recently donated $6,329 to the Sandgate Women’s Shelter. The funds were raised through the brokerage’s sales reps, who donated a portion of their commissions to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation from each home sold.

The funds will be used to help the shelter support women and children who have experienced violence. Sandgate provides emergency crisis shelters, a 24hour crisis telephone support line, and housing and outreach programs.

I I I

Renald Guindon and Dan Grantham, sales reps at Sutton Group Preferred Realty in London, Ont. have donated more than $9,500 to over a dozen local charities, including the Youth Opportunities Unlimited, Women’s Community House, London Humane Society, London Food Bank and Boys & Girls Club. They have a donation program that sees them make a charitable donation each time they make a sale. The charity is chosen by the client.

During the last nine years since their program began, Guindon and Grantham have donated more than $100,500. They received the London and St. Thomas Real Estate Board’s Community Service REM Award in 2004.

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34 REM MARCH 2012

Congrats, graduate.

Here’s a franchise Royal LePage Portage Realty Portage La Prairie, Manitoba Warren Neufeld

By Martin Greenspon

Orvil Cairns

George Heos, Senior Vice President, Network Development is pleased to announce that Warren Neufeld has chosen to join the Royal LePage franchise network, and has opened a brokerage in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, effective Feb. 1. His new company will operate as Royal LePage Portage Realty. Orvil Cairns will serve as the company’s broker, drawing on his extensive real estate career, described further below.

Warren Neufeld and his family have lived in Portage la Prairie for the past twelve years. Having held management positions in a variety of media companies over the past twenty years, Warren entered the real estate profession in 2011.

Although relatively new to the industry, Warren is active in the business community. He has served as Chair of the Board for the William Glesby Center and as President for on the Portage and District Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he is a board member of the Southport Aerospace and co-Chair of the Portage Regional Recreation Association. In 2004, Warren was voted Executive of the Year by the Portage and District Chamber of Commerce.

H

well as the board of Southport AreoSpace. Orvil also served as president several times for the Portage La Prairie Real Estate Association. He also served as a board member on the Manitoba Real Estate Association.

A top producer, Orvil has consistently earned awards conferred by the Manitoba and Portage real estate boards.

Royal LePage Portage Realty services an area of approximately 25,000 residents, including Portage La Prairie, and the surrounding communities of MacGregor, Oakville, St Claude, Delta Lake, Austin, Gladstone, Treherne, Elm Creek, St Ambroise, Sydney, Langruth, Westburne, High Bluff, and Popular Point.

Warren and Orvil can be reached at: 190 River Road Box 755 Portage La Prairie, Manitoba R1N 3C2 Phone: 204-239-6767 • Fax: 855-285-9776 Email: warren@rlpportagerealty.ca Email: orvil@rlpportagerealty.ca

Orvil Cairns began his real estate industry in 1976.

Please join us in wishing Royal LePage Portage Realty much success.

A lifelong resident of Portage La Prairie, Orvil is wellknown to the community. He has sat on the boards of the Chamber of Commerce, the Portage Rotary Club as

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

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

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appy graduation! I got you a business.

Hiring a kid to work in the family business after graduation is one thing. Buying them a business for graduation is quite another. According to the Wall Street Journal, more and more parents are buying businesses, especially franchises, for their kids to take over when they graduate. According to the story, “many parents see business ownership as a better bet for their kids’ future than a graduate degree”.

Though there are obvious risks involved, one parent who bought his son an Internet-consulting franchise told the Journal, “As a parent, the best gift you can ever receive is to see your children happy and successful.”

In this era of renewed interest in entrepreneurship, some parents we interviewed described it

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as a way of recapturing for their children a stake in “the Canadian Dream” – the opportunity to control their destiny and have a chance at gaining wealth.

Parents considering such a venture need an attorney experienced in representing franchisees, and both an accountant and an experienced business mentor familiar with both franchising and the target industry.

None of the parents interviewed expect any short-term return on their investment. A few viewed it as a gift. Some structured it as a loan and deferred repayment. Others took stock in the business, with an agreement that their child would use future earnings to buy it back.

Some parents look farther ahead hoping their child’s business will support them in retirement.

Canadian unemployment has hit the highest recorded level since The Depression. With only a gradual return to economic health predicted, self-employment is becoming an increasingly realistic and necessary alternative to being a member of the salaried work force.

For many, graduating with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans debt and working for minimum wage, it is a bitter pill of reality to swallow.

Working for a corporation, one never really knows what the job security is.

Most of Canada’s university graduates are hardworking highachievers – a trait passed on from their Boomer-era parents. They find themselves discouraged at the dismal number of opportunities to showcase and practice their newly acquired knowledge.

The traditional model of “working your way up the corporate ladder” and the resulting longterm faithful employment is quickly fading to make room for “job hopping.

In a society of rapid change and no guarantees, resourceful university graduates will thrive working for the company called

Me Inc. They must brace themselves for a future that may include running their own business. The entrepreneurial revolution has certainly come of age.

Over 2.5 million Canadians run their own businesses; most of whom have prospered through franchising. They have focused on the belief that franchising is the way of doing business in the future. Many university graduates are discovering that franchising offers a sound strategy for establishing a small business and providing a means of good personal income in these tough times.

To meet the needs of thousands of university graduates seeking new business opportunities as a means of realigning their future careers, my company, MFour International, developed a special program to assist university graduates across Canada. MFour has selected those franchises offering low start-up costs and above average income and equity appreciation. Most of the franchises being marketed by M-Four represent “service type” businesses – home improvement, automotive after markets, health care, environmental control, educational, fitness – and require nominal investments to acquire the franchise.

To be in charge of one’s own destiny and have the ability of being their own boss is of great appeal to most. When this is combined with the financial awards that a successful franchise can provide, the outlook for today’s university graduate is encouraging.

Parents often say they would do anything for their child.

Setting a child up in business is surely one big test of that bond.

Martin Greenspon founded MFour International, which this year celebrates its 30th year in business, representing franchisees and franchisors. His career has included the manufacturing sector as well as being a director of one of Canada’s leading investment firms. Email martin@mfourintl.com. REM

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36 REM MARCH 2012

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he Association of Regina Realtors (ARR) will celebrate its 100th anniversary year with Mike Duggleby of Royal LePage Regina Realty as its 2012 president. “We are among the oldest real estate organizations in the country, so there are only a few Realtor organizations that hit this milestone before us,� says Duggleby. “Realtors have played an integral role in the development of this wonderful city. We are really pleased to be able to spend a year celebrating the work and dedication of many of our early members.�

Born and educated in Saskatoon, Duggleby moved to Regina with his family in 1987. He entered the real estate business in 2002 as an owner at Royal LePage Regina Realty. Prior to this, he spent seven years with SaskPower and 15 years as a commercial sales rep with Michelin Tire of Canada.

Others serving on the association’s 2012 Board of Directors include president-elect Stacy Svendsen of Realty Executives Regina; past-president Lane Boghean of Century 21 Dome Realty Inc; and directors Tim Chicilo of Sutton Group Results Realty, Carmen Howells of Royal LePage Regina Realty, Basil Pappas of Re/Max Crown Real Estate and Phil Robertson of Royal LePage Phil Robertson Realty. David Markus of Century 21 Dome

Realty and Marina Rist of Realty Executives Dale Ripplinger & Associates were newly elected to the Board.

In a separate election, Ian Johnston of Century 21 Dome Realty was elected for a two-year term to the Association of Saskatchewan Realtors Board of Directors, as the Regina Region Director. â– â– â–

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation has appointed Ron Esch of Calgary to its Board of Governors on behalf of the Alberta Real Estate Association.

Esch was a Realtor for 15 years before he joined the Edmonton Real Estate Board as the member services administrator. In 1984 he moved to Calgary to serve as CEO of the Calgary Real Estate Board, a position he held for 25 years until his retirement last year. â– â– â–

Shirley Przybyl is the 109th president of the 1,600-member WinnipegRealtors. She takes over from outgoing president Ralph Fyfe.

Active in real estate for 19 years, 10 as a broker, Przybyl is the broker manager of record for Century 21 Bachman & Associates. Her educational background in business administration with a major in accounting serves her well in her current position as

manager of an office with over 70 Realtors. She received many MLS medallion and Centurion awards when she was an active salesperson with Century 21. “I really enjoy the dynamism of our industry and the opportunity it presents people like me to get involved and give back,â€? says Przybyl. “One thing I am most proud of in the last few years is how our association is becoming more active in the community through supporting the Manitoba Real Estate Association Shelter Foundation, Take Pride Winnipeg and raising over $1.6 million for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.â€? â– â– â–

The London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors recently held its 15th annual Homes for Hope Bonspiel. The popular event is a fundraiser for Mission Services of London. “Mission Services has been providing shelter and assistance to the homeless and disadvantaged in our community for over a half a century. We’re proud to be counted among their supporters,� says Barb Whitney, LSTAR president.

This year’s event raised over $11,000 for the charity, bringing the total raised by the bonspiel since its inception to over $113,800 and the total raised by the association through the bonspiel and other fundraisers, including selling Homes for Hope pins, to well over $263,800. â– â– â–

The Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors (KWAR) recently presented Reaching Our Outdoor Friends (ROOF) with a cheque for $6,255 to assist with programs and services that help break the cycle of youth homelessness. They include job and life

Visit our new French website, and watch for REM Revue Immobilière, coming 2012!

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For more info, contact:

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Mike Duggleby

Ron Esch

Shirley Przybyl

REM MARCH 2012 37

skills development, alternative school options, medical care, behavioural and impulse control skills, counselling and shelter.

ROOF also provides food, hygiene, care and support for homeless or at-risk youth in Waterloo Region.

The donation is the result of ROOF’s grant application to the Realtors Care Foundation. Since 199, KWAR has donated more than $500,000 to support local charities.

Winners at the LSTAR annual Homes for Hope bonspiel, from left: Chris Allen, Don Barrett and Glen Gordon.

■ ■ ■

The Durham Association of Realtors (DRAR) raised more than $10,000 this year at its Annual Christmas Dinner & Charity Auction. The funds have been divided between two local charities. Durham Deaf Services is a non-profit organization that provides educational programs and services to the Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing community within Durham Region. Nova’s Ark is a registered charity that provides social and communication opportunities for people of all ages and abilities involving a wide range of exotic, gentle animals.

Last year DRAR raised more than $12,000 to support four charities: Precious Minds, Muslim Welfare House, Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre and Bethesda House.

All four charities recently received additional funding from the Realtors Care Foundation.

Since its inception, the foundation has granted more than $2 million to shelter-based organizations across the province. REM

Sara Hill, president of KWAR, presents the cheque to Reaching Our Outdoor Friends board chair Henry Dejong.

DRAR presents a cheque to Durham Deaf Services. From left, DRAR EO Cail Maclean, president Christine Marquis, Charity Auction Committee chair Catherine Ayotte, Durham Deaf Services executive director Yvonne Brown and resource development officer John Calderón.

From left: Atiya Siddiquei, manager, Muslim Welfare House; Sharon Simmonds, executive director, Precious Minds; Christine Marquis, president, DRAR; Andrea Shaw, executive director, Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre; Debbie Dawson, Realtor-governor, Realtors Care Foundation; and Jaki Mackinnon, executive director, Bethesda House.

DRAR president Christine Marquis and Charity Auction Committee chair Cathy Ayotte present the cheque to Nova’s Ark founder, MaryAnn Nova, surrounded by her volunteers and furry friends.

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Real Estate Books Winning with Commercial Real Estate

By Lloyd R. Manning $23.95 (ebook $14.95 US) Author Lloyd Manning is a semi-retired commercial real estate and business appraiser and broker from Lloydminster, Sask. who now spends his time writing for professional journals and trade magazines, including REM. He says that after 30 years in the business, “I cannot recall the number of times that I have seen a property or business sold to some unwise soul who in the examination and analysis process asked all the wrong questions‌.â€?

This book gives you all the right questions to ask. Major sections deal with the first steps of finding a property, analyzing the financial statement, the appraisal, financing the purchase, leasing and managing the property and reselling it. There’s also a section about choosing a real estate agent, feasibility studies, buying raw land and more.

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ome years ago, probably around 1998, Barry Lebow approached me to do an interview for REM regarding my longevity as a real estate manager.

S

“Sorry, there are no get-richquick schemes in the following text,� says Manning in the introduction. “Although this book will talk about the many ways to make money in real estate, it is all about making money the old-fashioned way – earning it.�

Available as an ebookPDF from www.Booklocker.com or in paperback from www.chapters.indigo.ca.

Investing in Condominiums

By Brian Persaud and Randy Ramadhin Wiley $39.95 There are more condos under construction in the Greater Toronto Area than in any other city in North America. Along with all the marketing hype, concerns have been expressed that the city is being overbuilt and that the construction of some of the buildings is less than stellar.

Investing in Condominiums is a primer for anyone who is thinking

about investing in the Toronto condo market. “How can you ensure you make a wise investment decision when buying a pre-construction condo? This is the most important question we aim to answer in this book,� say the authors.

It includes case studies that offer tips for investing wisely, choosing the right building, tax and estate planning and having an exit plan.

Available at most bookstores.

Fat Cats & Lucky Dogs

By Barry Seltzer and Gerry W. Beyer Prism Publishing $19.95 Barry Seltzer, a real estate lawyer and former Ontario Real Estate Association instructor, expanded his business some years ago to include estate planning.

Along with Gerry W. Beyer, a professor in Lubbock, Texas, he has written a book about how to protect your pet if you become sick or die. “You may die of a heart attack in a neighbourhood shopping mall or in a car crash many miles from home. It might be days before anyone thinks to check (or gets authorization to enter) your home to look for, or check on, pets,� the authors warn. “If you have made no provisions outside of your will, a well-meaning friend, relative or emergency service person may

This month on REMonline.com: Stan interviews Barry Barry and I have known each other since around 1979 when Century 21 first came into Ontario. Our paths crossed again nearly 20 years later at my former office at Humbertown in Etobicoke. Barry asked me if I’d be interested in being interviewed for a future column in the magazine.

And so a friendship rekindled itself through the auspices of this great vehicle called REM! This new article is dedicated to Barry, who has made some signifi-

cant contributions to the real estate industry.

In the interview, Barry discusses how the real estate industry has changed, the impact of “mere postings�, the Accredited Senior Agent designation that he founded, and where the real estate industry is going. There was just too much to fit into the print pages of REM, but the entire story is available online.

Read the story now at www.remonline.com. REM

REM MARCH 2012 39

trundle your pets to the pound…A trip to the pound can be a death sentence.”

The book outlines what steps you should take to legally protect them, even before your will is read.

It also includes chapters and sources for dealing with a pet’s death, exotic pets, surveys and research about pets, animal retirement homes and sanctuaries and more.

Available at www.fatcatsandluckydogs.com

You Can Make It in Real Estate (ebook)

By Charles D. Lank $7.75 A veteran of the real estate business in Prince Edward Island, Charles D. Lank has written an ebook that is “designed to help newer agents get off to a profitable start,” he says.

“I offer tips from my 30+ years experience working with both new and seasoned real estate salespeople. I am now retired (except for some rentals); however I continue to take an active interest in the business.”

Lank says there’s no single

ingredient that separates “the money makers from the rest, but there are some common attributes that separate the mediocre from the top producers. This ebook will help you decide if the real estate business is for you.”

Download directly from www.charleslank.com.

considered, successful selling forces us to become better people. This text strives to contribute to that process by stimulating the reader to uncover the habits and attitudes that can lead to greater success in his sales career.”

The book is available at www.amazon.com.

The Defendant Insights and Motivation for the Sales Professional (In Everyone)

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Home inspection firm Carson Dunlop’s Home Reference Book is now in its 25th edition. The book was developed as a report writing tool that was given to the firm’s clients to supplement the specific information about their house with more general stories on maintaining and replacing components of the home. It is now called the encyclopedia of homes, and covers all aspects inside and out, including appliances. It has detailed colour illustrations throughout and describes common problems and solutions, as well as outlining how things work in a typical home or cottage. There’s also a section that

The Defendant is now into its second printing after its original printing in 2004. It’s a novel that is intended to be a motivational tool for salespeople who work on commission. Author Dominic Spano says, “In a nutshell, it follows the trials and tribulations of a real estate salesperson, and his subsequent encounters that lead to a greater insight and a new perspective of his approach to the business.”

In the forward, Spano writes, “In ways that some of us never thought possible, or perhaps even

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40 REM MARCH 2012

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

O

MARKETPLACE

oooo – don’t you just hate the Ides of March? But before my rant, a little Latin never did anyone harm.

According to infoplease.com and Wikipedia, long before they scuttled cruise ships, the Romans, having invented several of the months, decided they needed internal reference points. So the Kalends (recognize the root word of ‘calendar’?) was the first day, the Nones was the seventh (nine days before the Ides) and the Ides was the 15th day, Ides meaning half division. But only in four of the months.

If Will Shakespeare and Brutus had killed Caesar on the first or seventh of the month, every English Lit student would have a different single Latin word vocabulary. But, it was not to be, or to be or not to be, or…. oh stop it!

My wife and I were in Victoria for a weekend and decided to drop in to an open house for a Trevor Linden (you remember, Vancouver Canucks, about five years ago, that’s BB – Before Boston.) condo project on the edge of Chinatown.

The host Realtor, who I shan’t

Beware the drop-in Realtor name, whose initials are Tracy Menzies of Pemberton Holmes, was very gracious after I had identified myself as a busman’s holiday licensee from the sticks of the midisland. She ushered us to the elevator, only to discover it was temporarily not available, meaning we had six floors of stairwell to conquer. She quickly estimated my age, had an appraising glance at my much younger wife and said, “Good luck!” I had occasion to ponder the meaning as I rested on four, but the chest pains were a distraction. I’m sure she meant well.

It’s a great project by the way; right downtown, six floors of wonderfully functional design, some overlooking a Zen garden, starting around $250,000. (www.601herald.com/contact) That’s right, no misprint, $250,000. Probably sold out by this date but for those of you planning your retirement on Vancouver Island, that’s how we swing!

Ah, the drop-in Realtor. I’m referring to the one who has never seen your listing, perhaps from another real estate board or city, who has a client in search of your commission. Here in the west we used to shoot them but since gun control has become such an issue, we began a more passive approach – don’t pay them.

Although the poaching issue has been with us for decades, the most recent discussions arose in a conversation on www.linkedin.com in the CREA

Discussion Group. The lead comment was, “I would never put a lockbox on my own listing,” followed by 89 reactions – and overreactions – from Realtors across Canada. The thread is fascinating to follow and gives great insight, hopefully to CREA executives who monitor the mutterings of the grass roots.

The point-counterpoint included remarks about out-ofboard Realtors showing and then writing offers on lockbox accessed listings, mostly in Ontario. It followed then, for me to comment on the selling Realtor who wrote the contract without the benefit of

enough and decided to force showings on the selling salesperson, with the seller’s consent of course.

Phrases began to appear in the MLS Realtor remarks such as “Comm: $1,000 if Realtor not present at 1st & all subsequent showings” or “S. Comm 3.22% 1st 100k/1.15% on balance upon first physical introduction to the property, otherwise $500.”

You get the idea – if you want to be paid the full selling commission, we want you to be involved from the first showing. No fair sending your cousin unannounced through open houses and project sales or remote corners of Haida

Here in the west we used to shoot them but since gun control has become such an issue, we began a more passive approach – don’t pay them. showing the property, usually because the buyer had seen it and wanted to deal with “their own agent”, ostensibly for representation but frequently for a slice of the commission pie.

This “drop-in” practice was/is particularly rampant in the territories of the Vancouver and Fraser Valley Real Estate Boards where boundaries are easy to cross.

Eventually, someone had had

Gwai and then surprising us with a faxed offer.

CREA and the legal team have opinions on this issue – no kidding! Seriously? And yet the only discussions ongoing about the practice apparently are between the boards that – wink, wink, nudge, nudge – allow it and those that don’t. My board, the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board, would not publish a listing

that, in their words, “dictated the level of service a selling broker provided” and so we have the unique experience of a listing contract for a property located in one of the several condoning boards in the province being rejected by the member’s own board, despite a spirit of co-operation agreement between boards.

Way above my pay grade.

Back to Shakespeare. I wanted to show off my university learning by dropping a quote like, “I pray thee cease thy counsel, which falls into mine ears as profitless as water in a sieve.” But instead decided on research in my Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations where I came across this gem from Robert Wilensky: “We’ve all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.”

Enjoy your Ides.

You can find Marty Douglas on Twitter – http://twitter.com/ 41yrsrealestate – Facebook and LinkedIn. He is a managing broker for Coast Realty Group, with offices on Vancouver Island, the Discovery and Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast of B.C. Marty is a past chair of the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Corporation of B.C., the Real Estate Council of B.C. , the B.C. Real Estate Association and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. mdouglas@coastrealty.com. REM

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REM MARCH 2012 41

THE REAL ESTATE ROOKIE

By Peter D. Wilton

O

n Thanksgiving weekend in 2011, I wrote my third exam, completing the three mandatory courses needed to get my entry-level real estate license. In the parking lot afterwards there was a general sense of excitement and jubilation amongst my classmates. We talked about the exam and lingered a few minutes before heading off in our individual directions to start our new careers.

After I was licensed, everything about my world looked outwardly the same but… well, it wasn’t.

Familiar neighbourhoods had become farms, and friends and neighbours were now prospects. I

The first week on the job viewed friends’ homes as houses and noted the slope of their roofs.

I looked for dampness in their basement while, prior to my new real estate career I had just envied their big-screen TV. I praised flower gardens but wondered if there were oil tanks buried beneath. I speculated about secrets in their attics like knob and tube wiring or worse still was, was UFFI behind their walls?

This speculation wasn’t just a one-way street. Friends and neighbours looked at me differently, wondering if my small talk was just a ruse so that I could list their home. Why was I asking about their mother’s health? Or attending their father’s funeral?

I even received negative feedback from family that exam weekend over Thanksgiving dinner.

Their comments ranged from the usual, how tough and competitive a business real estate is, to one brother-in-law announcing, as he chewed on a mouthful of cranberry-covered turkey, that “all real estate agents are scum”. I finished

that family dinner and even managed seconds, though I was feeling discouraged.

Afterwards, my wife rationalized the negative feedback as follows: “I suppose being a real estate representative is akin to being a medical doctor— every friend, relative and acquaintance wants to show you their disfiguring warts or in your case, their real estate horror stories.”

The following week, I started looking for a brokerage to hitch the wagon to. Overwhelmed by the process, I called a friend who happens to be an award-winning sales rep and she told me that choosing a brokerage was a key career decision and that many recent graduates made the mistake of not taking the time to ensure that their brokerage of choice was the right fit.

“Remember, ask a lot of questions, and don’t rush to sign!” She paused and added: “Like a marriage, it’s a lot easier to say ‘I do’ than to get out of a brokerage once you have consummated the union.” While my head was still

swirling with images of brokerages, marriage and consummation, she took a sip of her frothed coffee and went over questions to ask.

1) Set aside the time to go and meet with a number of brokerages.

It is best to phone or email the broker of record or the office manager to set up an interview. If they are not busy, you should probably wonder why.

2) Think about the location of the brokerage. It is easier to pop into a brokerage that is a fiveminute drive from your home to pick up a form or hopefully a commission cheque than to drive across the city.

3) Find out the monthly brokerage fee. There is a huge range between brokerages.

4) Find out about the commission split – but keep in mind, a commission split that is very generous to you does not mean a great deal if you don’t make a sale!

5) Training, training, training.

Does the brokerage offer it? Is there a cost?

6) Find out if the broker of

record or the office manager are selling agents. This may not matter, but they may not be as available as you would like them to be when you are stumbling through your first couple of deals.

7) Find out how available they are at night and on the weekends.

A real estate deal is like having a baby – they often take place at inopportune times.

8) Find out about hidden charges. Is there a charge for photocopying or office support?

9) Do they have reciprocal rights with other brokerages?

For me, one of the turning points as to why I chose my brokerage was simple. They said ‘congratulations’ to me for getting my license! This was the first time I had heard those words.

I suppose like many things in life it is the little things that sometimes make all the difference.

Peter D. Wilton is a sales representative with Sutton Group - Sadie Moranis in Toronto. 416- 449-2020.

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42 REM MARCH 2012

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

I

am so old now that I wonder if at the end of the day they will take my old bones and set them up in the museum beside the other dinosaurs. I have seen so many cycles in the real estate business that I wonder if anything in this business can even make me blink anymore.

I remember during the ’50s and ’60s many real estate brokers owned their own storefront offices as well as the buildings themselves. There was a greater assortment of real estate shingles hanging in front of those offices. If you wanted to be a real estate sales representative back then, you had to apply and then submit to a vigorous interview and scrutiny process before the broker would consider offering you a job. Back then a broker invested heavily in their sales reps by helping pay for licenses as well as paying for everything else in the office including desks, typewriters, carbon paper and rotary telephones.

In those days a lot of real estate brokers were also insurance brokers. It seemed as though if you traveled through the city, you would come upon several real estate offices before you got halfway across town.

I remember a couple of very astute Realtors told me that one day there would be even more real estate offices. I recall thinking how amazing it was that the prediction had come true. During the late ’70s and early ’80s it seemed like there was a real estate office on every city block, sometimes two or three. I know that to be true because I used to park my car and walk those blocks selling advertising to those offices.

Around that time I met a couple of future-thinking Realtors who told me that things would

Somebody should write a book change again and there would be fewer real estate offices but there would be far more agents. It was hard for me to believe that there could be more than the 14,000 Realtors already working in Toronto but they were right. I thought about those astute future thinkers when that number doubled to 28,000 during a seven-year period between 1979 and 1986.

I remember a time when folks laughed at the idea of condominiums. The concept of someone owning a home within a building was inconceivable. How could that be? Then we saw Realtors promoting themselves as “Condo Specialists”. All those who laughed about that were left in the dust and today hardly anyone calls them-

shaped the industry with their charm, style and most assuredly their integrity. These grand gentlemen and ladies should be written about, especially because this business is almost all about people.

The story of all the technology that was first developed by the people in this community also needs to be told. It was the real estate industry that pioneered multiple image capture and data processing – not just the brilliance of gathering information efficiently but also guarding its integrity. The process of demanding accuracy from industry members was an achievement in itself. Marshalling the ethics and arbitration related to this information is a staggering feat and it is at risk every day. Especially today!

The story of the real estate community is an ongoing diary that should be written as it develops, not just for public relations and media releases but for the members of this industry to access. selves a condo expert anymore, it is just so common place.

I can barely imagine how the business of real estate and the facilitation of home ownership will change in the days ahead.

All this should be documented and in a book. This industry needs to commission a team of researchers to write the history of this incredible business. I don’t mean just an account of the industry all laid out in good order and dry notation.

The story of this business needs to be written in a compelling manner. It should be told in an entertaining way. The real estate business is a business community. It has all manner of characters that

The story of the real estate community is an ongoing diary that should be written as it develops, not just for public relations and media releases but for the members of this industry to access.

I fear that there are photos of offices and industry pioneers that are lost each month. We are busy embracing new technologies and communication tools. We have to look back. We have to document the past. We have to appreciate how we got here.

If we don’t, we won’t know how to go forward.

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

REM

Trade Shows and Conferences For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Century 21 Kickoff 2012 Friday, Feb. 24 Palais des congrès de Montrèal Montreal Garlice Mak - 604-606-2149 garlice.mak@century21.ca

Canadian Real Estate Association AGM - Saturday, March 24 Leadership - Sunday, March 25 Westin Ottawa, Ottawa Anik Aubé – aaube@crea.ca

Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Agent and Broker Universities Events open to Realtors – “Great keynote speakers and social media training” Calgary – Feb. 29 - Coast Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre Edmonton – March 2 - Four Points

by Sheraton Edmonton South London – April 16 - Four Points by Sheraton – Four Points Hotel & Suites London Toronto – April 18 - Paramount Conference and Event Venue, Woodbridge Ottawa – April 23 - Brookstreet Vancouver – May 9 - The Fairmont Vancouver – (not confirmed) Victoria – May 11- Four Points by Sheraton Victoria Gateway Halifax – June 20 - Four Points by Sheraton Halifax To register for all cities: www.dominionlendingevents.ca

The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board Halton Symposium and Trade Show Oakville Conference Centre Thursday, April 19 Cyndi Amodeo – cyndia@omdreb.on.ca

Century 21 Kickoff 2012 Thursday, March 1 The Toronto Congress Centre Toronto Garlice Mak - 604-606-2149 garlice.mak@century21.ca New Brunswick Real Estate Association AGM & Conference March 15 – 16 Fredericton, N.B. www.nbrea.ca Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington Realtor Connections AGM, Conference & Trade Show Thursday, March 22 Hamilton Convention Centre Sheila Sferrazza – sheilas@rahb.ca

London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors Trade Show Tuesday, April 24 London Convention Centre Tracy Marino – tracy@lstar.ca Toronto Real Estate Board Realtor Quest 2012 May 2 – 3 The Toronto Congress Centre Toronto www.realtor-quest.ca Kitchener/Waterloo Real Estate Board REALTOR XPO 3.0 Thursday, May 10 Details to be confirmed. For questions about exhibiting contact inquiries@kwreb.on.ca 2012 HomeLife International Conference May 10 – 11 Casino New Brunswick Moncton, N.B. 1-800-668-0186

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

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