March 2013

Issue #285

March 2013

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RECO decision riles education providers Page 3

Real estate myths Page 8

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REM MARCH 2013 3

RECO decision riles education providers Why did RECO opt to pull the entire mandatory continuing education program in-house and choose to deliver it only online? President and CEO Tom Wright says it all came down to consistency, control and what works best.

By Tony Palermo

T

he Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) is set to introduce a new online mandatory continuing education program that it says will provide significant benefits to registrants.

The courses will be administered and delivered directly from RECO, a move that has riled the province’s third-party education providers.

Set to start August 1, the new program represents a complete overhaul of the current system in terms of content, structure, price and how courses are delivered. The new course material has been limited to focus strictly on consumer protection, regulatory matters and current industry issues. These courses will be delivered in an online format only.

The entire continuing education program, which will be phased in over a two-year period, will cost registrants a mere $44 for the whole two-year cycle. RECO says this low fee is based on the fact that it is delivering the entire program online and that it is a not-forprofit organization working strictly on a cost-recovery basis.

This marks a significant departure from the current system where approved third-party education providers offer courses in several real estate, business and technology related subjects, and deliver these courses not only online, but also through correspondence and in a classroom setting.

RECO president and CEO Tom Wright says the revamp was necessary, noting the retiring program first came into effect in January 2000 and that there have been a lot of industry changes and developments since then. He also says that the needs and expectations of the registrants have also changed.

“The information coming back to RECO indicated that registrants wanted two things in particular,” says Wright. “They wanted their courses to be more focussed in terms of what they were required to

learn and they wanted the delivery of the required courses to be more convenient for them.”

Wright says that by narrowing the course content to consumer protection, regulatory matters and current industry issues, it brings the material more in line with its role as a regulator.

But why did RECO opt to pull the entire mandatory continuing education program in-house and choose to deliver it only online?

Wright says it all came down to consistency, control and what works best.

“We (RECO) wanted to have the ability to make changes to the

“I’ve been waiting for this shoe to drop for a long time and it comes as no surprise to me,” says Gabrielle Jeans, president and CEO of e2000 Training Institute, a third-party online education provider. “There was a period where they were trying to find the demographics of our classes. I would ask myself ‘Why do they need to know that?’ To me, it was just collecting data to see how much money was being handed over.”

Jeans says she supports mandatory education on acts and legislation – in fact considers it essential – but that there are other areas of

RECO’s move appears to follow a similar path taken by the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) nearly six years ago. course content in a speedy way so that the material is always current,” says Wright, adding that it’s much easier to control these changes when less people are involved. “And, there have been a lot of advances in online education over the last few years and we feel this method will provide a better learning experience for adults.”

Wright says pulling the mandatory course delivery inhouse isn’t meant to push thirdparty education providers out of the market, but rather separate mandatory regulatory education from what he calls personal development learning.

But at least some third-party educators don’t agree.

learning like teaching agents how to ethically survive in the real estate industry that are just as important.

“RECO separates the two and I don’t agree,” says Jeans. “I don’t think Ontario consumers are going to be better protected and served by this.”

Callum James, president of education provider CE Network, agrees. “RECO has chosen a model that disenfranchises long-standing and respected organizations whose contribution to Canadian real estate education has been extensive and crushes any potential or motivation for innovation,” says James. “It is a disappointing announcement for Ontario regis-

trants who are accustomed to choice and seek to specialize.”

Don Kottick, president of Right At Home Realty in Toronto, says he feels strongly the continuing education changes are “terrible” on several fronts. For example, Kottick wonders what will happen to the educators and boards who depend on the continuing education revenue. He also questions how eliminating other training delivery methods like classroom education can be a smart move since doing so wipes out any faceto-face interaction and the sharing of real life experience.

Kottick says this move is contrary to RECO’s mandate of protecting Ontario consumers.

“There are people in this industry who need to be forced to improve their professionalism,” says Kottick. “A lot (of registrants) will take courses on their own but there are also a lot who won’t.

That’s going to bring the rest of us down. I think the only people who are really applauding this are the people who want to save money.”

The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) released a statement supporting RECO’s changes, saying: “OREA’s members appreciate RECO’s new online program for its provincewide consistency, accessibility and affordability.”

OREA president Ron Abraham says, “These changes provide OREA and real estate boards with an opportunity to offer members the education they want and need, on the learning platform of their choice, in addition to courses required to fulfill regulatory requirements.”

RECO’s move appears to follow a similar path taken by the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) nearly six years ago.

Since October 2007, RECA has limited its Re-Licensing Education Program (REP) to regulatory and consumer protection issues only.

Kirk Bacon, deputy executive director of the RECA, says that

Tom Wright

Gabrielle Jeans

RECA is extremely pleased with the results of their professional development policy. He refers to the voluntary survey that industry members are asked to complete at the end of each REP course, noting that this year 97.3 per cent of those who completed the voluntary survey indicated a positive response to the question, “The course content increased my awareness of industry issues and will be helpful in my real estate practice.”

Bacon says, “When industry members have a better understanding of legislation, compliance and regulatory issues, consumers are better protected.

“In addition, RECA is very supportive of industry associations and boards’ initiatives in the area of professional development of its members.” REM

4 REM MARCH 2013

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

R

oyal LePage Atlantic has merged with Prudential Property Specialists in Bedford, N.S. Ralph Stephen, president of Royal LePage Atlantic, says he is pleased to add to his team, which now has more than 350 sales representatives and support staff.

Paul Doucet and Marilyn Purdy of Prudential Property Specialists are veterans of the real estate industry. Doucet has been in the business for 30 years, and Purdy for 46 years.

The brokerage services the areas of Halifax, Dartmouth, Lower Sackville, Bedford, Fall River and St. Margaret’s Bay. ■ ■ ■

Ralph Stephen

After 20 years as Coldwell Banker Johnston Real Estate, the Edmonton brokerage has re-branded as an independent: Liv Real Estate. It is lead by Sheldon Johnston and partner Sara MacLennan, former marketing and technology director for Coldwell Banker Affiliates of Canada.

Originally an independent real estate company, the brokerage was launched in 1977. It has continually been one of the top five offices internationally (one to 10 agents) for Coldwell Banker, and the No. 1 team for total home sales in Canada for the company for the past several years, says the brokerage.

“The change is simply a busi-

Paul Doucet

ness decision to more effectively control our marketing dollars and take advantage of the talent available from local suppliers and partners,” says Johnston.

■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker Pine Lakes Realty, a well-established brokerage with five offices throughout the Almaguin Highlands area, has joined forces with Coldwell Banker Thompson Real Estate in Huntsville, Ont. The newly combined company will operate as Coldwell Banker Thompson Real Estate, with 24 experienced sales professionals and extensive market coverage throughout both trading areas.

Brent Stapleton and Scott

Morrison are the broker/owners of the expanded company. They have been Muskoka residents for more than 20 years. Stapleton has been broker/owner of Coldwell Banker Thompson Real Estate for 17 years, while Morrison racked up nine award-winning years in Muskoka real estate.

Industry veteran Chris Hundley, former owner of Coldwell Banker Pine Lakes Realty, and his team of sales professionals will join the operation. All locations of the former Coldwell Banker Pine Lakes Realty in Burk’s Falls, Port Loring, Restoule, South River and Sundridge will now operate under the Coldwell Banker Thompson Real Estate banner.

■ ■ ■

Peter Hoffman and Peter Meyer, co-owners of Royal LePage Triland Realty, have acquired Royal LePage 1st London Real Estate.

Hoffman was the president of the London, St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) in 1994 and currently sits as a RECO director. Meyer is a director on both LSTAR and the Woodstock Ingersoll Real Estate Board. He is also a member of the Royal LePage Advisory Council.

Jim Holody launched Jim Holody Real Estate in 1982 and eventually became a Royal LePage

franchisee with Royal LePage 1st London Real Estate. He is now president-elect of LSTAR. Manager Adam Miller and 11 of his team members from Prudential Family Realty have also joined the Royal LePage Triland Realty team, bringing the sales force up to 280 sales representatives serving three London offices, a separate commercial division and offices in St. Thomas, Woodstock and Ingersoll.

■ ■ ■

Sutton Group - Heritage Realty celebrated its 20th anniversary recently at the Ajax (Ont.) Convention Centre. The event was attended by many of the brokerage’s 200 plus agents. It also included a training session with some of the company’s top-producing agents sharing their success secrets with the group.

The owners – Rosalind, Ron, Rick and Nicole Menary – now have three locations serving Ajax/Pickering, Markham and Oshawa.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Crossroads Realty opened its third iRealty office near the community of Buttonville, Ont. Broker/owner Barney Johnson says he believes this area will see dramatic development for both commercial and residential Continued on page 6

Marilyn Purdy

Sales reps and staff at Liv Real Estate spell out their new name.

Peter Hoffman

Peter Meyer

Jim Holody

Adam Miller

Stephen Fontanna

Linda Olson

Sales reps and staff at Coldwell Banker Thompson Real Estate celebrate the merger.

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Continued from page 4

real estate in the next decade.

Twenty-year veteran sales rep and coach John Kim is the managing partner for the new office, which officially opened on Jan. 25 with more than 100 guests in attendance. This is the brokerage’s fourth office.

Re/Max Crossroads Realty opened in 1980 and now has more than 200 full-time sales reps.

■ ■ ■

Stephen and Suzanne Fontanna, formerly of Re/Max Real Estate Centre, have acquired a Royal LePage franchise. Their office is now operating as Royal LePage Escarpment Realty in Acton, Ont. Stephen began his real estate career with Re/Max, building on more than 10 years of experience in the real estate investment market. Prior to that, he was in the construction industry for 15 years.

His wife, Suzanne, has an administrative role with the firm.

A third member of the management team, Linda Olson, will serve as the broker of record for the new office. She is an active member of the Halton Hills business community. Since 1981, she has served on many boards and committees including the Acton BIA, the Halton Hills Sustainability Committee and the Network of Women in Business.

■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC president and CEO Budge Huskey recently announced the promotion of Michael Fischer to chief operating officer. Previously, Fischer served as the brand’s chief marketing officer.

Continuing to report to Huskey, Fischer retains oversight of the brand’s global marketing efforts and will hire a senior vicepresident of marketing. Fischer will now also lead the brand’s internal operations, learning, talent attrac-

Cover photo: MARKO SHARK

tion, international and events groups, focusing on servicing approximately 3,300 Coldwell Banker offices in 50 countries and territories. He will remain active in franchise sales activities.

■ ■ ■

David French, a 35-year veteran of the residential real estate business, has accepted a position with Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. as in-house productivity coach. French says he has coached and mentored thousands of Realtors in the GTA and across Canada. “Re/Max Premier is currently the fastest growing Re/Max franchise in the world and David’s experience with ongoing talent development made this decision an easy one,” says Shirley Porter, managing director.

■ ■ ■

Realty One Real Estate Services of Regina has become a member of the Aventure Realty Network. Rob Pederson, broker/ owner, operates the largest independent brokerage in Regina with a team of 30 Realtors. Prior to establishing Realty One as an independent company, the brokerage operated as a Sutton Group affiliate.

■ ■ ■

Laceby Real Estate, with locations in King City and Aurora, Ont. has also become a member of the Aventure Realty Network.

Jeff Laceby, president/broker, together with Lynda and Mike Laceby, has been working in real estate in King Township for more

than 30 years and has operated the brokerage since it was founded in 2003. With an expanding team of Realtors, the brokerage delivers expertise in residential, commercial, development and agricultural services to their markets.

■ ■ ■

Fans of Realtor Peggy Blair and Inspector Ricardo Ramirez will be happy to know The Poisoned Pawn is now on bookstore shelves.

Blair, who is with Royal LePage Team Realty in Ottawa, penned her first novel, The Beggar’s Opera, and received brilliant reviews and awards, winning the CBC Bookie Award for Best Canadian Crime Novel and the 2012 Scotiabank Giller Prize Readers’ Choice.

The Poisoned Pawn sees the return of The Beggar’s Opera character Inspector Ramirez, who is back pounding the streets of Havana and Ottawa on a new case to uncover a cold-blooded killer.

David French

Rob Pederson

Jeff Laceby

Lynda Laceby

Mike Laceby

■ ■ ■

The Registrar of the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) has revoked the registrations of Graydon Hill Realty of Toronto and its broker of record David Allen.

Allen is also the owner of the brokerage, which had about 35 sales reps. Earlier RECO froze the bank accounts of the brokerage. RECO says, “An inspection

by RECO identified irregularities in Graydon’s real estate trust account. REM

Cutting the ribbon for the new Re/Max Crossroads Realty iRealty office, from left: Gurinder Sandhu, EVP and regional director, Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada; managing partner John Kim; and broker/owner Barney Johnson.

Celebrating Sutton Group – Heritage’s 20th anniversary, from left: Lindsay Barlow, assistant manager (Ajax) and trainer; Rosalind Menary, broker of record; Laura Marks, manager, Markham; Richard Brinkley, director of business development, Sutton Group Realty Services; and Rick Menary, manager, Oshawa.

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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 2013 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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8 REM MARCH 2013

Six real estate myths debunked

There are several perceptions in the real estate industry that people assume must be right because everyone says so. But are they? By Toby Welch “

T

here are so many real estate myths out there that people take as being the gospel,” says Ron Abraham, president of the Ontario Real Estate Association. REM recently asked three people in the industry about some of these real estate perceptions.

Ron Abraham

1. Houses that are professionally staged sell for more than non-staged homes.

“Staging a home can add dollars to a property’s sold price but it is more important for the property’s features and functions to show well,” says Ann Hannah, president of the Toronto Real Estate Board.

“Allocating funds toward a new countertop, a fresh paint job, or a good cleaning may in fact be money more wisely spent.”

2. Realtors don’t make any money in first six months.

“You cannot make a blanket statement that says that nobody will earn any money in the first six months in real estate,” says Abraham. “There are some people who don’t make any money in their entire career in real estate. Some people are very successful in their first two months and then do

nothing. Other people are not successful for a year and then they blossom.

“When we instruct classes to prepare new people coming into the business, we say you should be prepared for no income for six months. The theory is if you get a listing in your first week and it sells within the next 90 days and it doesn’t close for another 90 days, there is your six months.

But it is a myth that Realtors do not make anything in the first six months, generally speaking.”

3. Buying any real estate is a great investment.

“Buy any property as an investment is definitely a myth. Not only is it wrong; it can be financially ruinous,” says Don R. Campbell, a Canadian-based real estate investor and founding partner of the Real Estate Investment Network and Cutting Edge Research. “This myth is often perpetrated by those in the business of selling real estate and has been debunked over and over, only to be re-invigorated when it serves those who are trying to sell properties that make current poor investments,” he says.

“One key determinant for any property purchase is: Is it speculation or is it an investment? A property that does not carry itself through the income it generates is speculative. That doesn’t make it wrong, but it does add a much higher level of risk.

A property with income that not only covers all operations and financing costs but also provides an income is a true investment. With this additional income, you can afford to hang on if a market doesn’t perform on the equity appreciation side – without

this income the emotional and financial roller-coaster is much more violent and in fact can throw you right off the tracks,” says Campbell.

He says a good question to decide if the property is worth adding to your portfolio is: “ ‘If I bought 10 of these and the market stayed flat, would I still be getting closer to my overall financial goal – or would it hurt badly?’

If it is getting you closer, then it is worth grabbing. If it isn’t, then it is a speculative purchase with high risk,” says Campbell.

4. Choosing to sell your home yourself instead of using a Realtor will save you money.

“Homeowners who choose to sell a property on their own should consider that for the most part, buyers prefer not to negotiate directly with sellers,” says Hannah. “Buyers might, for example, have

Ann Hannah

reservations as to whether homeowners are representing the condition of the property in a forthright manner. More importantly, those who use the services of a Realtor can do so with the confidence that they are entering into

Don R. Campbell

one of their life’s most significant transactions with a knowledgeable professional who is governed by rules, regulations and legislation. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.”

5. Spring is the best time to purchase a new house.

“That will depend on the market,” says Abraham. “Is spring the best time to buy a home in a cottage market? No – the best time for a cottage market may be in October or November when there isn’t as much activity. A lot depends on the kind of market that that particular area is enjoying or not enjoying. Many people feel that spring is a good time because if you buy a home in spring and you don’t close the deal until the end of June, the kids are out of school. Or you close the deal between the end of June and before September so you move before

the kids go back to school.

You don’t want to start them in school in September and have to move them around December. For a family with young children, that might be an easier way to buy a home but it doesn’t make this myth a blanket statement,” he says.

6. Homes with pools are harder to sell.

“Homes with pools can narrow the interest of buyers, particularly when they have young children, says Hannah.

“Buyers don’t always want the risk or the upkeep of a pool.

Conversely, buyers who want a pool generally regard it as a bonus. If there is a pool, it is best if it is situated on a lot that is big enough to accommodate both a pool and a backyard recreation space such as a patio for entertaining.”

Sometimes it pays off to not believe every myth you hear. REM

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ou are driving through a nice neighbourhood and you see an old house sitting on a large piece of land surrounded by subdivision homes.

You wonder if you could get a great deal on this property, because depending on the size, you could subdivide the land into three or four lots and still have enough room left to build your own custom home.

So you contact the homeowner or better yet, contact a Realtor to put in an offer. In order to make your offer appealing and to “seal the deal”, you put in the “standard” condition of financing.

After all, why would you need to inspect anything? The home on the property is old and you are going to knock it down anyways.

What is there to check?

Not so fast. A lot of subdivisions are being developed in the Greater Toronto Area, and this usually means that the builder has to assimilate land from different owners before a community can be planned. Not every landowner is co-operative with the developer and some decide not to sell. The builder then has to plan around these parcels that are left out of the subdivision.

Now comes the job of converting raw land to buildable land.

A lot of utility work needs to be done, including laying services such as water mains, sewer pipes, roads, street lighting and gas pipes. In most municipalities, a single developer or a landowners’ group may pay for these developments. Either way, the cost of these improvements have to be recuperated fairly and equitably from all those who may stand to benefit from them.

The individual landowners

The land of opportunity that wasn’t who kept their smaller parcels out of the development also have to fork out money towards these improvements if they wish to enjoy the benefits.

Remember that land that you saw and wanted to buy? If you want to subdivide that land into multiple lots and hook up services, you’ll need to pay for all the development costs that are part of your share.

Here comes the tricky part: accessing the services. If you own

tain cases, the subdivision agreements drafted by municipalities have provisions requiring the developer to turn over the buffer land to the municipality after their share of the recovery fee has been paid. Where there is no such provision, the landowner trying to access the services and public roads will find that they not only must pay the recovery fee, but they also have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to the developer to buy a small narrow strip of

There have been instances where owners have been asked to pay as much as half-a-million dollars for a land strip that is merely 10- or 15-feet wide. or buy land that is not part of a subdivision, you can have a tough time and an uphill battle accessing these services. Some builders will keep a narrow strip of land as a buffer in order to prevent access.

Usually subdivision agreements governing the various aspects of the development cover such scenarios and provide options in situations where the owner of a “left over” parcel of land may want to access services or develop their parcel into smaller “subdivision sized” lots. However in some cases a municipality may not have the required provisions in place to address this situation. A landowner may find themselves unable to access the services due to these “buffer strips”. There have been instances where owners have been asked to pay as much as halfa-million dollars for a land strip that is merely 10- or 15-feet wide.

The developer deserves payment for the services that they have spent money to install. This is called the recovery fee. In cer-

land that otherwise is useless and holds no value. It leaves the landowner with the sinking feeling that they are being held hostage.

So while you need to do your due diligence when buying any developable land, the builder needs to recover their cost of putting in services and the municipalities need to ensure provisions in the subdivision agreements to avoid these situations. Otherwise, our cities end up with sterile land that is not used to its highest potential and left undeveloped because the owners have worked themselves into a negotiation stalemate.

Jagdeep Singh is a Realtor in the Greater Toronto Area with a Bachelors of Architecture degree. He has several years of experience in real estate and his knowledge and experience in architecture affords him a unique perspective into new single and multi-family developments.

REM www.JagdeepSingh.ca

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By Bruce Keith

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ur 19-year-old son Tommy is in his first year of university. Lots of big adjustments… being away from home, managing his own time, dealing with distractions and temptations.

All this and the obvious pressure of succeeding in his academic pursuits.

We asked him, “What’s the biggest differences you have discovered when you compare university to your four years of high school?” His response took me by surprise. He said, “Dad, it’s different from high school. For some of the courses I am taking they do not give you a mark to tell you how you did. They just mark it pass or fail.”

He explained that you don’t get any insight when you get your exam results. The professor merely gives you the bottom line – you either passed or you failed.

At first blush this seems rather contradictory to why he was going to university. We sent him there so he could learn, didn’t we? Then I realized that they are teaching him about life. That’s how the various components of the business of sales work, right? It’s either pass or fail.

You either get the appointment or you don’t get the appointment.

You either get the listing or you don’t get the listing. It’s as simple as that. Brilliant!

Let’s look at your sales business the same way the university professor views teaching. What are some examples of pass or fail in your dayto-day activities: 1. You do/do not start your day with the right attitude.

2. You do/do not dress professionally to give yourself a boost.

3. You do/do not know who you’re going to prospect in advance.

4. You do/do not have a schedule that you follow.

Pass or fail 5. You do/do not know what to say in all sales situations.

6. You do/do not know how important it is to project a powerful energy level at all times.

7. You do/do not have an award-winning presentation.

8. You do/do not have the mental toughness to handle ongoing rejection...next!

9. You do/do not understand that the sales business is still a “numbers game”.

10. You do/do not have a passion for what you do.

As a salesperson, whether you

Make sure you position yourself to pass every exam you take. pass or fail boils down to your acceptance of the fact that in sales there is no middle road. You don’t “almost start prospecting,” you don’t “almost get the appointment”; you don’t “almost make the sale.” Tommy’s university professor is teaching him a valuable lesson.

Life is very black and white. Make sure you position yourself to pass every exam you take. Learn from your mistakes and then go out and rewrite the exam again and again and again. Before long you will pass every exam you write. That was your intention right from the beginning, wasn’t it? No excuses.

Bruce Keith, the “Results Coach” has over 23 years of experience. He is a sales and marketing coach and seminar leader in the real estate business, teaching what to say and how to say it. His high-energy, high-impact training style is sought after and acclaimed across North America. He says, “Success is possible; there are no excuses”.

REM www.brucekeithresults.com

14 REM MARCH 2013

Cruising for change AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

W

hile on a short cruise last month I was thinking of a topic for As I See It From My Desk.

Writer’s block again! Then we were invited to the captain’s meet and greet in the auditorium. He spoke about how cruising has changed in recent years and is much better…and bigger.

When his ship, the Majesty of the Seas, was launched in 1992 it was the largest of its class at 24,000 tons. Along with its sister ship, they were a sight to behold.

Now the newest ship that has been produced, The Oasis and its sister ship are double that size. It’s one of the reasons why the Panama Canal is digging a wider canal alongside the present channel, so that the new cruise ships and tankers can travel from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico and on to other ports of call. The Panama Canal has the vision to make the major changes that will generate huge profits and accommodate the shipbuilders of the world.

It got me to thinking about the changes we’ve seen in our business that cause us to “widen” our thinking of how to do business.

QR codes, Twitter, Google, Facebook, webinars and online mandatory credit courses…that’s just a few things that we would never have dreamed of a few short years ago. When I was talking to some of our colleagues

about the industry and how they should be adapting to the changes, I heard some startling responses. Many resist the changes but are still doing a fair business, but how much more would they do if they could adapt to just some of the changes?

I see youngsters coming into the business that are so tech savvy that it boggles my mind.

They use Facebook, as an example, not only to touch base with friends and family but to promote themselves and their listings or their “wants and needs” with prospective buyers.

It’s true that direct mail, advertising, bench signs, billboards and the like are still proven marketing tools. But when I see the results that other new agents are getting from some of the newest technologies, I am truly impressed.

My wish for all of you is to embrace the new technology.

Love it or lose out to others who will eventually capture a lion’s share of the marketplace, and along with it, some of yours as well.

Are you ready to make some changes in your real estate career? Or are you still struggling with the changes?

If you are, there’s always help available at your office, online or from the many courses available from your local board or independent providers.

Change while you can, or the new agents coming into the industry will bypass you before you know it. I said this in 2001 and am repeating it now.

Embrace it lovingly and keep up with the modern systems your brokerage provides for you.

Good luck as we enter the exciting spring market.

Stan Albert, broker/manager, ABR, ASA at Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. can be reached for consultation at stanalb@rogers.com.

Stan is now celebrating his 43rd year as an active real estate professional.

REM

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16 REM MARCH 2013

Know your clients’ intentions to prevent fraud

By Avi Rosen

L

awyers and real estate brokers can easily find themselves entangled in a legal nightmare when they’re unaware of a client’s true intentions.

Lending institutions can be duped into providing mortgages for grossly inflated house values.

Unscrupulous individuals secure funding and then walk away. No mortgage payments are made, forcing the loan into Power of Sale.

The lender is left with no choice but to sell the property in the hope of recouping the balance of the loan.

The Law Society of Upper Canada’s CEO, Robert G. W. Lapper, Q.C., shared some insight about the scope of the problem

during a Jan. 11 interview.

Avi Rosen: Do we have a lot of people who work in the legal business without being licensed?

Robert Lapper: We operate primarily on the basis of complaints that we receive. Based on those, we know of some, but there are probably more out there than we actually are aware of. In 2012, the Law Society received 256 complaints about unauthorized practice. In 2011, we received 255 complaints.

Rosen: What is the usual procedure that you take when somebody practices unlicensed?

Lapper: When we are aware of someone who may be practising illegally as a lawyer or paralegal, we send a cease and desist letter. We then assume that the person is aware that they are unlicensed.

This is often successful. If that doesn’t work, we conduct a thorough investigation. We may ask

the person to sign an undertaking to cease the unauthorized activity.

This is a document that may be used later in court proceedings if the illegal behaviour persists.

A list of people found by the court to be illegal practitioners can be found online.

Rosen: What is meant by lawyers being “duped”?

Lapper: Often a fraudster will request legal advice from a lawyer to help navigate a specific fraud scenario. There are different types of scenarios and they usually involve more than just one person being duped. The point is: the fraudster does not disclose the true facts.

Rosen: Real estate brokers are bound to adhere to the legal disclosure of property transactions.

These individuals are duped into circumventing the situation and not disclosing the facts. How are you fighting this situation?

Lapper: Despite the ongoing efforts to prevent mortgage fraud, there are still those who conduct fraudulent transactions with licensed practitioners. Full disclosure rules apply to real estate brokers; if a lawyer finds out that faxed material for a client is different than what is represented to the lender, the lawyer is bound to disclose to the lender.

The Law Society has introduced many initiatives and resources over the past several years to assist lawyers involved in real estate transactions and to protect the public. (In other provinces, check with the appropriate regulatory body.)

Rosen: I’m a typical real estate broker. How can a real estate broker establish the fact that this particular lawyer will be on the “upand-up” and will follow all the rules and regulations? This is a situation that a real estate agent

should be aware of when he goes to see a lawyer.

Lapper: I believe that real estate brokers share the names of “good” lawyers amongst themselves. Clients can assume that licensed lawyers will act in accor-

Robert Lapper

dance with the law and honour all their legal and professional obligations.

In Ontario it is also a good idea to check the Law Society’s online Lawyer and Paralegal Directory to confirm the status of any licensee.

You can also call the Law Society at 416-947-3315 or toll free at 1800-668-7380, ext. 3315 to verify if an individual is licensed.

Rosen: As a final question, how will the Law Society continue to combat mortgage fraud?

Lapper: The Law Society takes mortgage fraud extremely seriously and continues to work on ways to prevent it. Lawyers are given guidelines to follow and wherever possible, we educate the public about this ongoing threat.

Unfortunately, criminals are industrious and creative in the ways they try to defraud.

Real estate brokers are encouraged to carefully consider the stated intentions of their clients. It is better to walk away from a deal than to become unwittingly embroiled in a bad one.

Avi Rosen has been a real estate broker and paralegal consultant for 42 years, assisting agents in court before boards and tribunals. You can reach him for any legal concerns you have within his scope of practice as a paraREM legal at 416-818-6130.

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18 REM MARCH 2013

LEGAL ISSUES

By Donald H. Lapowich

A

Realtor listed the land of the owner. An offer was accepted at $2 million with a $5,000 deposit.

The Listing Agreement provided for a commission of eight per cent of the sale price, on closing of the sale. The vendor refused to pay the balance of commission after the $5,000 deposit was applied by the Realtor to the commission.

The court ruled that the Realtor’s action was a breach of contract (Listing Agreement).

Under Ontario rules, one can move the court to order a fund to be paid into court on such terms as are just. However, that rule requires that “where the party has a right to a specific fund in question” an order may be made.

Here the Realtor had not originally pleaded “trust principles” – a right to monies in trust.

The Listing Agreement did not say the commission was to be paid out of the proceeds of the sale (thereby setting up a specific fund) but simply a commission was payable on closing. (Sadie Moranis Realty Corporation v. 1667038 Ontario Inc., 2012 ONCA 475) ■ ■ ■

In another case, the plaintiff obtained a judgment against X for $30,000. That increased fivefold over the years with interest.

Meanwhile, X purchased a property but the plaintiff did not enforce his judgment against the property.

Eventually X sold the property to Y. Both X and Y had lawyers involved in the sale. When Y’s lawyer did an execution search, it showed a filing against X. Because the judgment debt was originally $30,000, X falsely swore an affidavit that he was not the same person against whom the execution was named.

The plaintiff was unsuccessful in suing both X and Y’s solicitors.

Right to a specific fund They were innocent and could rely on X’s affidavit so long as the judgment debt did not exceed $50,000.

This is the established threshold for allowing title to pass to an innocent purchaser. Also, these lawyers did not owe a duty of care to the plaintiff for whom they did not act and to whom there was no direct relationship.

Obviously neither lawyer knew that X’s affidavit was false. Neither lawyer made any fraudulent statements, nor did they act deceitfully.

(Lograsso v. Kuchar, 2009 CanLII 7093 [ON SC]) ■ ■ ■

The Statute of Limitations in Ontario, in force since Jan. 1, 2004, sets a limitation period of two years to sue in most civil actions. However, there are exceptions and one of them involves the Real Property Limitations Act. When a mortgage of over $1 million was given to a corporation and guaranteed by E.M., on a default, the mortgagee sold the property on which the mortgage was placed. There was a deficiency between what was owed on the mortgage loan and what was recouped on the sale.

The mortgagee (lender) sued E.M. on the guarantee and the issue of the limitation period arose.

The Court of Appeal of Ontario ruled that the lawsuit against the guarantor of the mortgage was governed by the Real Property Limitations Act and was 10 years.

(The Equitable Trust Company v.

Marsig, 2012 ONCA 235) Full case summaries are available at www.canlii.org.

Donald Lapowich, Q.C. is a partner at the law firm of Koskie, Minsky in Toronto, where he practices civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on real estate litigation and mediation, acting for builders, real estate agents and lawyers.

REM

20 REM MARCH 2013

You can’t bank ego

By Barry Lebow

S

ome years ago, I was at my parent’s home for a Sunday morning visit. I walked into their den where Dad was reading the Sunday newspaper, and he asked if I had seen a certain article on a Realtor we both knew well.

Dad handed me the paper. It was a huge splash for this guy.

Big, colour photo of him in front of a grand house with his sold sign prominent and then a feature article. This guy was a good friend, a major producer in the core of Toronto and a mover and shaker, with smaller developers.

That is where my dad came in.

I read it and Dad asked me

what I thought. Dad then said to me that this guy was going to spiral down from here. I was puzzled. Top producer, wealthy and a hot article. How could he fall from grace? Dad just looked at me and said, “He is going to start believing in his own bulls**t.”

Well, Dad was more than correct. The article fed on an already large ego. The agent had a strong sense of his perceived inflated sense of self-esteem.

His ego had to be strong. He had come out of a blue collar background, learned the finer qualities of life, travelled extensively and real estate success had given him a chance to rise above his family and friends. Without a strong sense of who he could be, he could not have achieved success but there are limits and overconfidence can lead to arrogance and disregard for those around you.

When that happens, people lose trust in you, they lose respect for you. In this agent’s

case he loved the attention, the claps on the backs and the star status in his office. He was above going to sales meetings and training. He was superior, he knew it all and he did not need to mingle with the little people.

He stopped doing the basics like cold calling and lead generation.

After all, he was famous, he was successful, that would make his phone ring and it did for a while, but only from people offering congratulations.

He became difficult and all conversations were centred on his favourite topic, himself. He cared little for the needs of others and when he was with a client he gave off the sense that he did not need their business.

My father was a prophet.

Within months, The Realtor’s business declined. He continued spending as if the money was still coming in but he was not doing deals, he was holding court with soirees at his home or in restau-

rants. He drove away clients because their needs were not being met.

By the time he realized he was in trouble, it was too late.

Bills had mounted, income had dwindled and his sphere of influence had been turned off by his arrogance.

Bertrand Russell wrote on the subject of megalomania: “The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history.”

Some readers may recognize the person I have described. This is not an isolated case. Too often we have seen salespeople win major awards, been applauded for their success and then start on a downward slope as their self-esteem escalates and their daily work routine declines.

So in the words of that mas-

ter salesman, my late father, Sid Lebow: “Find me a bank that will let me deposit pride and prestige and I will be the first in line.”

Awards are great but never losing focus of doing what got you to your success will ensure that success will continue.

Always put the client first and yes, you are doing them a favour in certain ways, but given the number of real estate people they can choose from, realize they are giving you the favour.

Ego. Too much can damage a career.

Barry Lebow is a well-known real estate personality and is frequently in print, on radio or television on real estate matters. He lectures to real estate boards across Ontario. This is Barry’s 45th year in real estate and he is now building a niche business catering to the senior market as a broker with Re/Max Ultimate in Toronto.

416-784-9806; barry@barryleREM bow.com.

2013 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Starts Feb. 22, 2013 Real Estate Council of Ontario

Members of the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) 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 1, 2013.

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 Website: www.reco.on.ca Real Estate Council of Ontario 3300 Bloor Street West West Tower, Suite 1200 Toronto, ON M8X 2X2

22 REM MARCH 2013

Re/Max of Western Canada top achievers Re/Max of Western Canada recently released its list of top affiliates for 2012, who were recognized at the 30th Annual Re/Max of Western Canada Conference in Calgary.

Top five individuals – residential: Edith Chan, Re/Max Masters Realty, West Vancouver; Sam Corea, Re/Max House of Real Estate, Calgary; Gordon Ross, Re/Max Real Estate (Central), Calgary; Danny Deng, Re/Max Select Properties, Vancouver; Victor Kwan, Re/Max Select Properties, Vancouver.

Top five teams, residential: Joyce Tourney, Re/Max Crown Real Estate - North, Regina; Donna Rooney, Re/Max Real Estate (Central), Calgary; Terry Paranych, Re/Max Elite, Edmonton; Jeff Neustaedter, Re/Max House of Real Estate, Calgary; Joel Semmens, Re/Max Real Estate (Central), Calgary.

Top five associates, commercial: Scott Predenchuk, Re/Max Crown Real Estate - North, Regina; William Goold, Re/Max Real Estate Services, Vancouver; Tim Walsh, Re/Max Fort

McMurray, Fort McMurray, Alta; Peter Hall, Re/Max Central, Burnaby, B.C.; Mark Thiessen, Re/Max Professionals, Winnipeg.

Top Office Overall: Re/Max Real Estate (Central), Calgary, broker/owner Pat Hare.

Broker/Owner of the Year: Single Office – Rick Campos, Re/Max First, Calgary.

Multi-Office - Roger Ledene, Re/Max Complete Realty, Calgary and Re/Max Complete Commercial, Calgary. Low Density Office - Wendy Langton, Re/Max Signature Properties, Okotoks, Alta.

Robert H. Cherot Award: Ken Eddy, Re/Max Real Estate (Central), Calgary.

Manager of the Year: Henry Vagar, Re/Max Crest Realty, North Vancouver.

Administrator of the Year: Isabell Thurston, Re/Max Crest Realty, North Vancouver, and Ann Beaumont, Re/Max Real Estate (Edmonton), Morinville, Alta.

Spirit of the West: Judy Gray and Carl Scott, Re/Max MidIsland Realty (Ucluelet), Ucluelet, B.C. Special Services: Wayne

Moen, Re/Max River City, Edmonton.

Community Care: Ron Antalek, Re/Max LifeStyles Realty (Maple Ridge), Maple Ridge, Alta. and Dan Peters, Re/Max Rocky View Real Estate, Airdrie, Alta.

Antalek was also recognized for receiving the B.C. Community Achievement Award, which recognizes and celebrates the spirit, imagination, dedication and contributions of British Columbians to their communities. Awarded at a ceremony at Government House in Victoria, it was presented by Ida Chong, Lieutenant Governor and Steven Point, Minister of Community. Chong said, “He is one of those amazing individuals whose big heart, positive spirit and enthusiasm touch his entire community.” In November, Antalek received a Queen’s Jubilee Medal.

Elton Ash, regional EVP, Re/Max of Western Canada with Edith Chan

Elton Ash, Scott Predenchuk

Horace Coelho honoured by KWAR The Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors (KWAR) recently presented Horace Coelho with the KWAR Volunteer Award.

The award is given to an individual who has demonstrated commitment and dedication as an association volunteer and who has also made significant impact on their community through various volunteering efforts.

“Horace Coelho exemplifies the passion and desire of Realtors to improve the quality of life for their communities,” says KWAR president Dietmar Sommerfeld.

Continued on page 24

Horace Coelho Ian Cooper, Nick Profeta and Pat Hare, broker/owner of Re/Max Real Estate Calgary

Josip Mrkoci receives his award from MPP Chris Bentley.

Ron Antalek, Elton Ash

24 REM MARCH 2013

And the honour goes to...

Continued from page 22

A Realtor since 2002, Coelho spent the early years of his working career as a lawyer in Bombay, India specializing in the Landlord/ Tenancy Act. He transitioned to sales and marketing and spent 37 years working initially for ColgatePalmolive managing western India and retired at Pitney Bowes of Canada as district manager for Kitchener. Then he decided to embark on a career in real estate working with Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty.

Among his many contributions he has volunteered at KW Cross Cultural and Community Services, assisting immigrants’ transition to life in Canada. As a former member of the grants committee for the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation he helped local organizations secure capital funds for initiatives to improve the quality of life in KW and surrounding areas.

He currently holds a position on the Supportive Housing of Waterloo Region (SHOW) Board of Directors, which built a 30-unit complex for the homeless and runs various programs to support the homeless in Kitchener-Waterloo.

Josip Mrkoci awarded Diamond Jubilee Award Josip Mrkoci of Classic Realty in London, Ont. was recently awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award, created to mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the throne.

“In addition to being a Realtor, Josip has had a phenomenal career in every aspect and at every level of amateur wrestling,” says Doug Pedlar, president of the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors. “The list of his achievements is too lengthy to reproduce here, but highlights include chairing the Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association; coaching the Canadian National Team in the 1978 World Wrestling Championships; serving as team leader of the Canadian Wrestling Team to the 1990 Goodwill Games and the presidency of the Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association from 1990-1994.

“We’re very proud of Josip and what he has given back to our country, our province and our community,” says Pedlar. REM

Better Homes and Gardens subject of case study T

he Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BHG) brand is the focus of a case study developed by the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. Written by Raymond Pirouz of the faculty of marketing at the university, the study offers insight into BHG president and CEO Sherry Chris’ knowledge of social media and marketing strategies that she and her team implemented when launching and growing the company. The study examines the tactics used for the brand’s foundation, which are attributed to bolstering its growth.

Following its launch in July 2008, Chris and her team have grown the franchise network to

more than 8,000 sales associates across Canada and 26 states.

Chris says this success is due in large part to the company’s “strategic and mindful approach to targeting both consumers and the real estate industry as a whole.”

The company says as an early adopter, Chris recognized the power of engaging with businesses and consumers through emerging media channels – making her the most followed CEO of a national real estate brand on Twitter.

“When we launched Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, few businesses were leveraging the tremendous power of social media to drive brand awareness, develop business opportunities and fuel

growth,” says Chris. “Our success underscores the value of using new media channels to engage with customers, business partners and members of the real estate industry. As an alumna of the Richard Ivey School of Business, I am honoured to share the knowledge our company has acquired by utilizing emerging media channels to bolster our brand. I hope this case study will encourage others to look outside traditional business practices and examine the importance of being strategic in not only what you say, but the way in which you communicate it.”

The full case study is available at https://www.iveycases.com/ ProductView.aspx?id=56717.

REM

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Happy Birthday Royal LePage!

Our past. Your future.

royallepage.ca/joinus

Happy Birthday Royal LePage!

Our past. Your future.

royallepage.ca/joinus

28 REM March 2013

Royal LePage’s best of the best In its illustrious 100-year history, Royal LePage has produced dozens of top sales professionals. The top one per cent of the company’s sales professionals become part of the National Chairman’s Club. In the last decade, three sales reps who are consistently at or near the top of the list are Elli Davis, Dan Cooper and Loretta Phinney. Recently REM asked them about the secrets of their success and longevity ... unless I have an appointment elsewhere. I review new listings, follow up with appraisals, talk to current sellers, meet with my team and view agent open houses unless I have one of my own. The afternoons are usually for listing appointments, personal errands, some lunches and general things that just always seem to come up. The days go by very quickly.

Evenings are generally free for dinners at home or out, theatre, family and fun.

Today technology and my support staff enable me to increase my business year after year. I concentrate on the listings but remain very “hands on” with all aspects of the everyday operation of my business. I am always accessible and efficient, which has contributed to consistent repeat and referral opportunities.

Photographed at the Royal LePage corporate offices, from left: Elli Davis, CEO Phil Soper, Dan Cooper and Loretta Phinney (Photo by Marko Shark)

A

ELLI DAVIS

fter scoring 100 per cent on her third and final real estate course, Elli Davis received her licence in 1983. She joined A.E. LePage’s Summerhill office in Toronto and sold her first property three weeks later. She has been with Royal LePage ever since and held the No. 1 spot in the company’s sales rankings for 12 consecutive years.

commercial properties, as I had heard residential was all “nights and weekends”. They sent me to a residential recruiter who called the manager of the Yonge Street branch and invited me for an interview. He encouraged me to start right away and led me to my cubicle with a shelf above and a dial phone (with a hold button) and said, “Go to it.”

What was your first day as a Realtor like and how does it compare to a typical day now?

From there, I started listening to other agents and created a card that I sent to all of my “very few contacts” to inform them of my new career. I clipped listings, went to agent open houses and took anyone that could walk and talk to see properties, stopping at pay phones to get messages. I open-housed every weekend in the hot summer of 1983!

I originally applied for a job at 33 Yonge St. to sell/lease

My typical day now is arriving at the office between 9-10

Davis is also a long-time supporter of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. Her annual donations place her in the top one per cent of all donors across Canada.

How do you keep your career fresh?

I make every day different and prioritize the most important tasks of the day. I am always networking, taking courses, learning, brainstorming and updating marketing materials and pictures. I keep my technology current. I love to read sales books and motivational success stories in all types of careers.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a child I was very shy and had no confidence in myself. Being the tallest girl in the class was not a good thing. I didn’t have any definitive career goal as didn’t feel I was very smart. I gradually realized during university that I enjoyed teaching and psychology and continued with my education to become a

primary school teacher. I realized after about the first week that this was not where I wanted to stay but it took me seven years to take a leave of absence. I believe I took a chance at real estate with the inner strength of just going for it and with the motivation and determination not to return to the classroom.

What do you do for fun?

I enjoy travelling, exploring new countries, going on cruises, the theatre, spas, shopping, swimming and boating. I enjoy entertaining friends and spending time at the cottage.

I have had the ultimate joy of being married to a great man for over 25 years and enjoying time with four grandchildren and a lot of immediate and extended family. I actually love working because I don’t consider it as “work”....most days.

Who is the person (business or personal) who inspires you most?

Even though I lost my parents several years ago, my father was a unique, fun-loving and innovative salesman without a formal education, but with the motivation to always try something new. He was a risk taker and so am I. My mother had an “at home” sales career but was born in the wrong generation. She was overly devoted to her three children. I believe she would have been a huge success in her own right as well but she really never had the chance.

My sadness lies in the fact that she never saw me in my real estate career and my father only witnessed the first few years. They still inspire me.

I

LORETTA PHINNEY

n 1994, nine years after starting her real estate career at Kingsway National in Mississauga, Loretta Phinney joined Royal LePage’s Clarkson office in Mississauga. She has been the No. 1 agent multiple times and has been among the top 10 in Canada every year since 1994. In 2012, her team became the all-time record holder for sales in one year in Royal LePage’s history.

Why do you think Royal LePage has been able to stay in business for a century?

Royal LePage is the gold standard in real estate. They have an excellent brand representing the highest standards of morals and ethics.

Royal LePage has wonderful resources, including training materials and motivational programs. Being a national full-service brokerage, Royal LePage has consistently been called upon to give market analyses and to provide an opinion on the economic outlook across Canada.

What was your first day as a Realtor like and how does it compare to a typical day now?

After dropping my two little ones off at day-care I would rush to the office to pick up the tear sheets and file the just listed and solds. I would then rush back to pick up the kids from day care and start my day juggling my two teenagers and two toddlers. Now my days are even more fabulous!

No kids, no pets but with the convenience of computers, ipads, Blackberries and a wonderful support staff!

Continued on page 30

30 REM MARCH 2013

Best of the best Continued from page 28

How do you keep your career fresh?

I find the young people joining our team have really helped step it up a notch. Over the last couple of years, we have established new marketing techniques that have helped our business tremendously.

Although I have a lot of experience, I feel there are new things to learn every day and I am totally open to them.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a pediatrician.

What do you do for fun?

First of all, selling real estate is for fun! I never had to go to “work” because selling real estate is totally my choice and passion. I also watch re-runs of Dr. Oz, read, work out, walk, go to movies and travel a bit.

Who is the person (business or personal) who inspires you most?

My parents and my brother, George. George has an outstanding, positive attitude in the face of

a debilitating disease. He has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). And my wonderfully supportive husband, Ron, who works alongside me.

DAN COOPER

L

icensed in 1986, Dan Cooper began his real estate career four years later, giving up a secure job to work as a Realtor. He started with Century 21, selling 51 homes in his first year. He moved to Countrywide in Oakville in 1992, and was the top agent throughout his years there.

He joined Royal LePage about 15 years ago. His charitable initiatives include Big Brothers, Comic Vision, Gabrielle’s Ride, Ian Anderson House and the Oakville Hospital.

Why do you think Royal LePage has been able to stay in business for a century?

Like all great companies, Royal LePage constantly strives to be innovative, to build programs and services that clients want and need and to place customer service as a top priority. The company’s training and incentive programs are second to none. They know how

to look after their people and that leads to a loyal network of agents and brokers. That longevity and growth of experienced and knowledgeable representatives have been key to the firm’s success.

What was your first day as a Realtor like and how does it compare to a typical day now?

It was quite overwhelming.

There are a lot of rules and regulations and a mountain of paperwork involved in real estate and making sure you have all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed can be quite stressful when you first enter the business. There is a lot at stake and you want to avoid mistakes at all costs. Over time, however, you gain confidence through experience. I also started building a team from the beginning, surrounding myself with good people who would help me achieve my goals.

How do you keep your career fresh?

I’m always looking to make my business better. Possessing drive and determination keeps your mind on the business; looking for new and innovative ways to be a leader in the industry. That

requires introducing new products and services to stay ahead of the competition. Technology has made things interesting. I was a pioneer in utilizing video tours and creating my www.dancoopertv.com, which at the time was innovative and unique in the marketplace. Now it’s my Dan Cooper app that is keeping me on the leading edge. These are exciting advancements – the things that keep you moving forward.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I think I always had an entrepreneurial flair. I can’t tell you at what age I first thought that I wanted my independence in my career. I felt even in school that I would be running my own business.

What do you do for fun?

I work hard and play hard. Of course, it wasn’t always that way.

In the beginning there were long hours and more hard work to build my business. But over time, I took time to be with my family.

That is the most important – family. I have also pursued many other things I love such as skiing,

snowboarding, water skiing, racing cars, art and music. At the office, I’ve enjoyed building a team and helping those around me develop and succeed. I also get a tremendous amount of enjoyment from being able to give back to the community.

Philanthropy is hugely important and I’m grateful to be in a position where I can give back to the extent that I have.

Who is the person (business or personal) who inspires you most?

I have a lot of good friends who run multi-million dollar companies and I think collectively they generate an energy that I enjoy and feed off. I believe that success breeds success and surrounding yourself with people who are driven and passionate creates that drive within you. I include myself among those people who are driven to be successful and so when we gather, the energy and passion we share is infectious. I enjoy the company of those who are confident, optimistic and ready to take on challenges with enthusiasm and fearREM lessness.

After 100 years of success, you’ve never looked better.

(Now that’s curb appeal.)

Happy 100th Birthday ROYAL LEPAGE from your friends at DentsuBos.

REM MARCH 2013 31

Royal LePage: Celebrating the first 100 years

By Tony Palermo

“O

ne hundred years of helping you home.”

Those were the words Royal LePage president and CEO Phil Soper used at last fall’s national conference to launch the start of the company’s centennial birthday celebrations.

As he explains it, those seven simple words capture what Royal LePage is all about: enduring success, a client-centric culture that puts the needs of those they serve ahead of their own, and recognition of the importance of family and community.

Cross-country celebrations will be starting soon, with a whole series of events scheduled for July 2. To the best of everyone’s knowledge, that’s the date Royal LePage was born.

“We think that’s when Albert (LePage) first opened the doors.

We know it was in the summer 1913 and we believe it was July 2,” says Soper. “So, on that day we’ll have a national day of celebration.

And many of those will involve the communities we live and work in.”

Royal LePage is also releasing a book midway through the year that will chronicle the past 100 years. A number of past presidents of the company contributed to the book and told their stories. Soper says that while many of the stories are quite captivating, one thing in particular stood out for him as he reflected on them: how we, as people, tend to become very focussed on what’s happening now, and how we have a tendency to think things must have been much simpler in the past. But as he says, when you hear the stories from these past leaders, you realize there were some amazing challenges leaders in the company faced during the last century.

“Our founder who was a oneman operation when he started and was at the helm of the company for about 40 years,” says Soper.

“He started as a young man and had a long, illustrious career. And, although it didn’t have a national presence at the time, it became quite an important regional real estate company.”

Soper says national growth occurred later on, pointing out that at one time, Royal LePage

held a significant position in Coldwell Banker, now one of the world’s largest real estate companies.

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Royal LePage. Soper points to the 1980s and early 1990s as one of the darkest periods in the company’s history. The industry was changing but the company was trying to hang on to an antiquated, hierarchical, cookie-cutter business model. This reluctance to change almost destroyed the company.

“We went from about 8,000 Realtors down to about 4,000,” says Soper. “We were losing a tremendous amount of money and market share, and it was because there was a business model the leadership at the time believed to be tried and true.“ As an example, Soper points to the idea of the perfect office, which specified that an office should have 22 real estate agents, a manager who reported to an area manager, who, in turn, reported to a regional manager, and so on all the way up the line.

This out-of-date model caused Royal LePage to lose market share.

They had to change. Once they did and introduced a more flexible model, Royal LePage started to regain market share and embarked on a period of rebuilding.

Reflecting, Soper believes one of the key takeaway lessons is about risk and the willingness to change.

“History favours the brave,” says Soper. “If you look back over time, both when the company faltered and when it surged, I’d say the periods of growth were tightly aligned with the willingness to take risk.”

Certainly, an incredible amount of growth has happened under Soper’s leadership during the past 10 years. He believes it’s been a decade of success both through organic growth and acquisitions.

“If you were to look over the last 10 years, most of the acquisitions (in the real estate industry) have been by Royal LePage, and with very good success I might add,” says Soper. “I define that success by retention. When you’re

acquiring professional services firms like a real estate brokerage, the real assets of the firm are the people. The people are 100 per cent mobile and if they don’t like the acquirer, they leave. We’ve had nearly 100 per cent retention of our acquisitions over the last decade and it has certainly helped us grow.”

The real estate industry is going through a period of tremendous change. As consumers become more empowered by technology and the available data and information that was once available only to real estate professionals, Soper says it’s critically important that real estate professionals move from being information providers to providers of advice, counsel and direction. He acknowledges there are those in the industry who still believe the most important role of a Realtor is to find a house. But as he says, the research clearly shows that train has left the station.

“Consumers, and particularly young consumers, do not need help finding a house,” says Soper.

“A Realtor may very well be a valuable outsourcer of that task if someone is too busy, but it’s not something consumers put a tremendous amount of value on.

Yet, our research also shows that there has been no waning in the desire to use a professional adviser.

But what they want is someone

who is going to walk them through the complexities of a large, difficult financial transaction and provide them counsel throughout the process, just like other knowledge professionals would do. And while

I think we still have a long way to go in our desire to improve professionalism in our front ranks, we intend at Royal LePage to be at the forefront of that evolving indusREM try.”

Phil Soper (Photo: Christopher Larson Photography)

TPS would like to congratulate Royal LePage on their 100th Anniversary and is very proud to be a valued partner and looks forward to celebrating many more milestones in the future.

32 REM MARCH 2013

Happy Royal LePage!

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Royal LePage Congratulations on your

monumental milestone from your friends at Genworth Canada.

Memorable Royal LePage moments

A

lbert E. (“Eddie”) LePage became the first full-time Canadian real estate sales representative in 1913, launching what is now a network of more than 14,000 sales representatives in 600 locations across Canada.

The company motto is Helping you is what we do. The corporate culture is based on collaboration, service and support and its sales representatives are committed to providing clients with the best service possible, even when it means going well beyond the call of duty, the company says. Royal LePage values also include a long-standing commitment to support Canadian communities through its charitable foundation, The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

Through the contributions of its sales representatives, brokers and staff, the foundation raises funds to support local women’s shelters, provide grants in partnership with the Canadian Women’s Foundation, and sponsors violence prevention programs. Since 1999, the foundation has raised more than $14 million and is the largest corporate foundation in Canada dedicated solely to helping women to live safer, healthier lives.

Back in 1913, A.E. LePage revolutionized the Canadian real estate industry by being the first to have outbound property showings by automobile, detailed description listings in newspapers, and by using film to showcase fine homes.

Here are some of the other

A.E. LePage at his desk.

memorable Royal LePage moments during the years, compiled from REM files and information supplied by the company: The 1970s – A.E. LePage becomes a national real estate company, acquiring smaller companies across Canada and adding new services. It launches the Carriage Trade luxury properties program, the Town and Country Catalogue and the quarterly Survey of Canadian House Prices.

1984 – A.E. LePage merges with the real estate arm of Royal Trust to form Royal LePage, making it the largest real estate brokerage company in the country.

1994 – Toronto real estate company Johnston & Daniel joins Royal LePage.

1995 – Royal LePage launches www.royallepage.ca, which received more than a million hits per month and in 1996 wins the bronze Ace award for Advertising Creative Excellence in Interactive Mass Media class.

1997 – The company introduces “virtual reality” tours on its website.

1998 – Royal LePage acquires Realty World Canada.

“Franchising is no longer a dirty word at Royal LePage,” says president Simon Dean.

1998 – Royal LePage launches the Shelter Foundation, providing financial support to over 150 local women’s shelters and offering education on violence prevention.

The Royal LePage Intranet also launches in April featuring a refer-

ral directory, art gallery, chat rooms and more.

2003 – The Royal LePage Franchise Services Fund is listed on the TSX. Royal LePage acquires Groupe Trans-Action, a Quebec Realty firm with over 80 offices.

2007 – Brookfield Real Estate Services, owner of the Royal LePage Real Estate network, acquires Quebec-based La Capitale Real Estate Network, Quebec’s fourth largest real estate franchise services company with 68 locations serviced by 1,492 agents.

2011 – Brookfield Residential Property Services acquires the real estate and relocation assets of Prudential Financial Inc. Under a licensing agreement, Prudential real estate brokerage franchisees may continue to use the Prudential brand. Over the coming months, several Prudential franchises join the Royal LePage network.

2012 – Royal LePage launches a new commercial division, less than 10 years after its former commercial operation was sold to Cushman Wakefield. The division includes stand-alone commercial offices and commercial divisions within existing Royal LePage offices.

Royal LePage Trivia A.E. LePage sold his first family home for $6,500 on Thorold Avenue in Toronto.

A.E. LePage renamed Keele Street in High Park to Parkside Drive when he was having difficulty selling lots. He also renamed Conduit in the east end of Toronto to Glenlake. Houses started selling instantly after the name change.

In 1929, LePage built a fiveroom bungalow in one day and sold it by the end of the day. What started as a joke became a successful challenge.

Lucy Maud Montgomery mentions A.E. LePage in volume four of The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery.

This story has been updated from the original article that appeared in the March 2008 issue of REM. REM

REM MARCH 2013 33

Realtor honoured for standing up to rioters

Congratulations to

By Cheryl Rhodes

W

hen sales rep Hootie Johnston walked from his Strathcona home to the downtown section of Vancouver on June 15, 2011, he had no idea the events of that night would earn him the Certificate of Merit, the Vancouver Police Department’s highest civilian award for bravery.

It was the last night of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks, series tied 3-3. The City of Vancouver had closed off several streets surrounding Rogers Arena and set up two Jumbotron TV screens for fans to watch the hockey game. The large screen TVs had been set up for the previous playoff games and tens of thousands of fans came downtown to watch.

“I just went down to celebrate,” says Johnston, who was not anticipating any trouble with the crowds because there’d been no problems on the other nights. “There were more people down there during the Olympics and it was a fun party zone.” Vancouver has earned the nickname “no fun zone”, but during the 2010 Winter Olympics the city set up screens and the downtown area was turned into a big party with activities and singers keeping the tourists entertained.

Johnston was hoping for the same fun atmosphere during the last game of the Stanley Cup finals. He

hoped the evening would end with the Canucks winning and the fans holding a huge celebratory street party.

Johnston remembered the riot that took place in Vancouver on June 14, 1994 after the Canucks lost the last game in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He wrote it off to a certain group of people who felt they had to be idiots. It couldn’t happen again.

With each goal the Bruins scored, the mood in the crowd changed. When the Canucks were defeated and the Bruins claimed the Stanley Cup, the celebratory mood in the street turned sour. A group of rioters lit cars on fire and began throwing barricade fencing at the police. Johnston estimates about 20 to 30 rioters were in front of the CBC building with thousands more watching and taking pictures. He was outraged that the crowd stood around watching two dozen rioters attack the police with metal barricades and no one tried to stop them.

Johnston moved in alone and braced himself against the metal fencing, acting as a one-man barrier between the rioters and the police. However, outnumbered 20 to one, he was quickly overwhelmed and couldn’t hold back the fences any longer. The rioters broke through and he got into a scuffle when he tried to stop them from using the barricades as shields

Hootie Johnston tries to hold back the rioters on June 15, 2010. (Photo by Danny Lee)

on your 100th Anniversary Celebrations Wishing you continued success and

more years of

helping Canadians find their dream home!

From

Hootie Johnston

and weapons against the police.

He was swarmed by the rioters and no one in the watching crowd stepped in to help. The police threw in a smoke grenade and pulled him out. Johnston was not hurt but he did get hit by the smoke grenade.

“I have a scar on my butt for life,” he says with a laugh.

Johnston did not require medical attention and returned home without giving his contact information to the police, who were too busy dispersing the crowd to take down names of Good Samaritans.

Afterwards, the Vancouver Police Department set up a web page and posted photos of the rioters.

Citizens were encouraged to take a look and report anyone they recognized who was involved in the riot.

The police tracked Johnston down in the summer of 2012 after a video was posted on Facebook where he was confronting the rioters and someone recognized him. “That’s Hootie Johnston!”

With a name like that he was easy to track down. His website is www.hootie.ca and he’s worked as a Realtor with Royal LePage Westside in Vancouver since 2005.

Chris Simmons, owner/manager of Royal LePage Westside, says it was a difficult evening and everyone in the office is proud of Johnston for what he did that night. “He’s a great guy who can always put a smile on your face,” says Simmons.

Everyone was smiling on Jan. 8 when Johnston was awarded the Vancouver Police Department’s Certificate of Merit for his bravery. REM

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34 REM MARCH 2013

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

P

lease, I beg of you, stop reading this column now and go to your Google calendar and set up a reminder in the fall of 2014 to search for BWC 2015 so you can experience the very best little real estate conference in North America! Do it now! It’s okay, I’ll wait.

The Banff Western Connection 2013 is behind us, wrapping up on the last weekend in January with a thrilling appearance by Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Michaële Jean, former Governor General of Canada. For an hour, delegates hung on every word of her story, from the terrors of Haiti under Papa Doc Duvalier

The best little conference to Montreal as a refugee to Rideau Hall. And later that evening, joining us for dinner, eating among us, gracious, as awestruck curious citizens approached her table.

I think the 2013 edition of the BWC was the best ever in the 20year history of this conference. It welcomed back presenters from the first conference including David Chilton, aka The Wealthy Barber, and first-time delegates Neil Woodrow and Ingrid Pfeiffer, who had the opportunity to catch the well-matured sales skills of Floyd Wickman contrasted with the streaming video experience of the Rockstar Homes Team from Regina.

Some highlights from hypnotist Dr. Mike Mandel: “Remain calm” is better than “Don’t panic!”

“What do you want?” is a better question than “What’s wrong?”

“How can I get smarter?” rather than “Why am I so stupid?”

Check Dr. Mike on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =w_fxezrhy7k

From “That Interview Guy”, Michael Krisa, I learned getting clients to “know, like and then trust” you is timeless as he led a powerhouse panel of “new age” Realtors through a discussion of the relevance of video. Google Michael Krisa, Kelley Skar and Brin Werrett for proof.

From Jack Bensimon I learned ads that make consumers smile or show you caring for others are the most effective, that men are attracted to images of attractive women. Oddly, women are not, preferring instead ads featuring family values, nature or pets.

Phil Soper, president of Royal LePage, told us what we should always have known but rarely acknowledge – that prices will not rise until wages allow them to and that referral and word of mouth are still the leading means of choosing a Realtor.

I learned that whether you are Dominico Sicliano from the 1970s or the newest recruit in 2013, you have to get “face to face, belly to belly, voice to voice” with people.

The trainer message is the same. “Set a goal, make a commitment, do the basics.” Academy Award-winning movie star or Realtor, the routine is the same “Practice, drill, rehearse.”

From another old timer – Richard Flint – constantly ask yourself, “What value do you bring to the equation?” People don’t buy products, they buy value. People forget people who bring no value to their life.” And, “Selling is a process, guiding is the skill.”

From the very thrifty (by his own admission) David Chilton, whose session included his latest book The Wealthy Barber Returns for the first 400 through the doors, “The four most expensive letters in the English alphabet – HD-TV. And the four most expensive words in housing renovation, ‘While we’re at it…’” In a candid aside during his very funny presentation, David advised that 50 Shades of Grey had now passed his book on the best seller list. To regain the lead, he is titling his next book, The Horny Barber.

From the brain guy, Dr. John Medina, we learned you cannot multi-task. The men in the audience heaved a huge sigh of relief.

He advised us of the benefits of a 26-minute nap, scheduled 12 hours past the mid-point of your previous night’s sleep. We did the math and one-third of the audience nodded off. Such naps improve brain power by 36 per cent – but you have to be prone.

Did I mention the author of The Book of Awesome, Neil Pasricha? He spoke of the three “S’s” of an awesome workplace and urged us to find a way daily to enjoy more of the awesome things in the limited time we have left.

Because you’ll never be as young as you are today.

Final word to Dr. John Medina.

Omega 3 daily increases brain power. I started the moment I got back. I am so much smarter than a week ago. Honest.

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Follow or connect with Marty on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. He is a managing broker for Re/Max Ocean Pacific Realty in Comox and Courtenay, B.C. REM

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36 REM MARCH 2013

Real Estate Technology Instanet, CREA sign agreement for electronic signatures CREA and Instanet Solutions have reached an agreement that allows members to take advantage of electronic signatures on real estate documents.

Instanet’s electronic signature solution is known as Authentisign, an online signing service. It is part of Instanet Solution’s paperless platform that includes online forms, document management, transaction management and Internet faxing modules.

“We were the first real estate document and forms company to provide a completely paperless signing solution starting in 2004 (in the U.S.) and now we are thrilled to see this happening for Realtors in Canada,” says Martin Scrocchi, Instanet’s president and CEO. “Our relationship with CREA includes a deep integration between Authentisign and WEBForms, CREA’s existing online forms system, allowing CREA members to easily share documents electronically.”

Scrocchi says, “This means Authentisign can be accessed directly from WEBForms and all of the completed forms and contracts will be automatically available. This will make it very easy and convenient for CREA members who want to take advantage of electronic signatures.”

Repree signs agreement with AREA Repree, a provider of paperfree solutions for the real estate industry, has signed a service agreement with the Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) to provide members with access to AREA’s provincial standard and board real estate forms and to Repree’s real estate transaction

and contact management services. Through this agreement, AREA members will now have the option to access all standard provincial and board specific forms through the existing service provided by CREA or Repree.

“This agreement lets AREA offer members choice in online forms hosting providers and access to an array of high-demand services like electronic storage and electronic signatures,” says Tammy Tkachenko, AREA’s manager of industry relations.

Repree will also offer members access to additional, highdemand services on a discounted user-pay basis. These services include premium features such as paper-free transactions with electronic signatures powered by DocuSign, agent and broker activity managers, automated showing feedback, client reports, and a real estate-specific calendar, the company says.

BHGREC launches Community Scout, Lifestyle Search Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada (BHGREC) recently launched Community Scout, a new specialty search app offered through iPhone and iPad. The free application – launched in conjunction with its web-based companion Lifestyle Search – offers consumers a more thorough look into communities across Canada, the company says.

“We understand what lifestyle means to Canadians and how important community is when deciding where to purchase a home,” says Rob Vanden Broek, president, BHGREC. “We recognized the gap in the market for a consumer-focused tool that would serve that purpose and developed Community Scout, as well as the web-based Lifestyle Search in response to the demand. With

informative infographics and indepth neighbourhood insight, it allows consumers to dig deeper to find their desired neighbourhood in a simple and effective way – through a mobile device or our website.”

The app and website provide users with access to data on over 2,000 communities and 465,000 points of interest across Canada.

Users can search by neighbourhood or amenities to get a more detailed look at community assets such as banks, restaurants, schools, parks and grocery stores, as well as other details such as population and employment rates. The app and website also allow consumers to compare neighbourhoods by home prices, levels of home ownership and most popular age groups in a convenient side-by-side format.

BHGREC’s Community Scout is now available for download on iTunes or through the BHGREC website at http://bhgcanada.ca/ mobile. Lifestyle Search is available at www.bhgcanada.ca. A demonstration video is available via YouTube: www.youtube. com/ watch?v=ha4KAIhik74.

WebsiteBox offers ‘do-it-all’ websites for $99 WebsiteBox, an Internet start-up in Toronto, says that for a single payment of $99, real estate professionals can now purchase an attractive, mobile-friendly website, with ready-to-publish content, full MLS Integration with their local board (IDX), lead capture and customer-relationship management (CRM), an allin-one control panel, an email address and perpetual 24/7 website hosting.

The company offers three $99 real estate website packages for agents, teams and brokers. In each version, users can configure a mobile-friendly real estate website or choose content to address their real estate specialties, such as making single property sites, neighbourhood sites, commercial real estate sites, rental sites, condo sites and property-management sites.

The new product and price point from WebsiteBox has the potential to “upset the apple

cart,” and signals the commoditization of real estate website technology, says Kurt D. Lynn, the company’s chief executive.

“In every other industry, website technology sells for a fraction of the price that the real estate agent or broker has been asked to pay. We thought it was about time someone offered an appropriate price for good-looking, mobile-friendly sites,” says Lynn.

Recently the company acquired RealtySoft.com from its parent Atigana, Inc., of Toronto.

Prior to the acquisition, WebsiteBox licensed (IDX/MLS) from RealtySoft.com.

“The acquisition of RealtySoft ensures that we can offer both the best value and best full-service offering in the real estate website arena,” says Lynn.

“We look forward to integrating them into our overall mission of providing real value to the Realtor.”

RealtySoft.com founder Peyman Aleagha says that existing RealtySoft.com customers will be offered the opportunity to migrate to WebsiteBox if they choose but may continue with their current services.

For information: www.websitebox.com.

Coldwell Banker offers select agents Videolicious option Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC has formed an association with Videolicious, a provider of automatic video creation solutions. Coldwell Banker will provide the Videolicious automated video creation platform to “select agents who have demonstrated a desire to grow their business through video,” the company says.

Through the integration of the iPad and iPhone’s forwardfacing cameras and existing camera roll photos and videos, 1,000 Coldwell Banker agents will receive exclusive access to a customized version of the Videolicious app that will allow them to create compelling videos in a matter of seconds, the company says.

“We believe that video content needs to go beyond slide shows and our system has adapted to video as a critical component in showcasing their personality and industry knowledge,” says Michael Fischer, chief marketing officer at Coldwell Banker Real Estate. “Yet we still have so many agents asking how they can create videos without the necessity of complex software. Videolicious solves that problem.” REM

Removing false or embarrassing info from the web One of the top ways consumers verify a real estate agent’s credentials is to do a search on the Internet. Is the agent’s online presence positive? Could there be some false negative information? Maybe some embarrassing personal information could be found that has nothing to do with the abilities of the agent?

Having a good online presence is paramount. At some time your online presence will be searched and tested.

Erase Me Out is an online guided tool that can be used to get information you don’t like removed from the Internet. The company says it’s a user-friendly and automated system, and is available for as little as $20.

For information: www.erasemeout.com.

WebsiteBox offers agent or broker websites for $99.

N O W

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Trademarks are owned or controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA (REALTOR速) and/or the quality of services they provide (MLS速).

38 REM MARCH 2013

A

lberta Premier Alison Redford addressed 700 Realtors and their guests at the 25th Annual Realtors Housing Forecast Seminar in Edmonton in January. Other presenters at the seminar included: John Rose, chief economist for the City of Edmonton; Angus Watt, financial consultant with National Bank and a TV/radio commentator; Brad Ferguson, CEO and president of the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation; David Lan, senior market analyst for CMHC; and Darrell Cook, Realtors Association of Edmonton president.

The publisher of the Edmonton Journal, John Connolly, introduced the premier. Realtors have presented the first economic forecast of the year in Edmonton for 25 consecutive years.

■ ■ ■

Peter Dagg of Sutton Group West Coast Realty in Whistler, B.C., is the 2013 president of the Canadian Chapter of the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI).

Dagg, a Realtor since 1990, is also a division director on the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver and director of the Real Estate Association of Whistler. He has been recognized for his extensive community involvement and charitable fund-raising activities. He was profiled in REM in June 2012.

Dagg says a primary focus this year is increasing the chapter membership base in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, which are currently attracting the interest of European real estate investors.

He says Canada was extremely well represented at the international level by past-presidents Calvin Lindberg and Dean Lapointe, noting that their global involvement allows him to direct his efforts on the growth of the chapter and ensuring that members are able to take full advantage of the tools available for networking and marketing.

■ ■ ■

Richard Dettman is the WinnipegRealtors 2013 president.

He becomes the 110th president to head up association, which has 1,700 members.

“There is no lack of challenges facing our industry and I look forward to meeting them head on,” says Dettman. He is the owner and broker of record for Cornerstone Real Estate, which has about 40 Realtors. He has been a member of organized real estate for more than 25 years.

The 2013 WinnipegRealtors Board of Directors also includes: David Powell, president-elect, Powell Property Group; Sheldon Zamick, treasurer, Sutton Group – Kilkenny Real Estate; Shirley Przybyl, past-president, Century 21 Bachman & Associates; Winn Adair, SDEC chair, Sutton Group – Kilkenny Real Estate; Susan Belanger, SDEC vice-chair, Century 21 Bachman & Associates; Ken Jones, Commercial Division chair, Shindico Realty; Stewart Elston, Realty Executives Premiere; Donna Kirsch, Gateway Real Estate; Peter Redekopp, Coldwell Banker Preferred Real Estate; Blair Sonnichsen, Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate; and Val Werhun, Royal LePage Top Producers Real Estate.

Alberta Premier Alison Redford with Darrell Cook, Realtors Association of Edmonton president; Madeline Sarafinchan, Alberta Real Estate Association president (2012); and Wayne Moen, CREA president (2012).

From left: DRAR president-elect Jane Hurst; PAC chair Debbie Dawson; MP Tony Clement; DRAR EO B Cail Maclean; and Ajax-Pickering MP, Chris Alexander.

Marilyn Herrmann, executive director of the Surrey Food Bank, with FVREB president Scott Olson.

■ ■ ■

Representatives from the Durham Region Association of Realtors (DRAR) recently attended a pre-budget consultation with MP Tony Clement, president of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario.

DRAR Political Affairs Committee chair Debbie Dawson, president-elect Jane Hurst and EO B. Cail Maclean attended the round table discussion with AjaxPickering MP Chris Alexander and members of the AjaxPickering Board of Trade and the Continued on page 40

FIABCI Canadian Chapter past-president Calvin Lindberg, left, congratulates 2013 president Peter Dagg.

From left, ASR president Al White (North Battleford); Quality of Life committee members Elaine McMillan (Prince Albert) and Karen Krawczyk (Moose Jaw); Kristy Rempel, representing the Saskatoon Community Foundation; committee chair Joanne Kerr (Saskatoon); and committee members Deb Honch (Prince Albert) and Kelsey Adam (Swift Current).

The winning team at the LSTAR Homes for Hope Bonspiel was, from left: Steven Horvath, Tony Verberne, Ken Harper and Russ Chadwick.

From left: Ben Sackville, ARR executive officer Gord Archibald and Whitney Blaisdell.

Richard Dettman

Jason Yochim, left, EO of SRAR, presents a cheque to Vic Dubois, general manager of CJWW and Nicole Semko, executive director of the Denny Carr Secret Santa Campaign.

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40 REM MARCH 2013

Boards and Associations Continued from page 38

Ontario Chamber of Commerce and representatives from the transportation, communication and manufacturing industries in Durham Region.

Dawson outlined the Realtors recommendation that the Home Buyers’ Plan withdrawal amount be indexed in $2,500 increments, according to the Consumer Price Index, to ensure its value is preserved for first-time buyers and is able to maintain its role as a significant economic driver. Additional suggestions included the further development of Durham’s communication infrastructure, the need for a national transportation strategy and the need for a national transit framework.

■ ■ ■

The Association of Saskatchewan Realtors (ASR) recently announced a new Quality of Life Legacy Initiative, placing $130,000 under the professional fund management of the Saskatoon Community Foundation. From that fund, $100,000 will be used to establish a long-term endowment fund and $30,000 will be used in 2013 to provide a grant of $5,000 to eligible charities in each of six different regions across the province.

The foundation will work with Saskatchewan Realtors to manage the new Quality of Life Legacy and assist with the annual delivery of a new community granting process.

■ ■ ■

For 24 years the Saskatoon Region Association of Realtors (SRAR) has partnered with the Salvation Army and CJWW Radio by supporting the Denny Carr Secret Santa Campaign.

Many years ago a gentleman by the name of Denny Carr had a vision that every child in Saskatoon should have at least one present under the tree. From this vision, the Secret Santa Campaign was established. After Carr died in 2000, it was decided that his legacy continue on and the Denny Carr Secret Santa Foundation was formed as a registered charity. In 2006 this program was expanded to include food hampers. The program has been a huge success over the past 29 years, helping hundreds of families have a joyful Christmas.

In 2012 the SRAR member-

ship donated $8,900, surpassing the 2011 donation by $1,900.

■ ■ ■

Life as a full-time student taking two degrees at once just got a little more affordable for Ben Sackville and Whitney Blaisdell, recipients of the 2012 Association of Regina Realtors Scholarship.

Both aspiring arts teachers will put the $1,000 to good use.

Sackville is in his first year at the University of Regina, pursuing a Bachelor of Education in Arts Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Drama. “When you’re studying the arts, it’s so important to experience the arts. Regina has a lot going on in theatre, music and galleries, and this scholarship will help me to experience more of it – instead of having to work every night.”

Blaisdell is in her fifth and final year at the U of R, finishing a Bachelor of Education in Arts Education and Bachelor of Art in Visual Art. “I’ve always worked two jobs and this scholarship will make it easier to take a break from working so that I can focus on my upcoming internship.”

Sackville’s dad Jeff is a commercial Realtor with Avison Young. Blaisdell’s stepmom Natasha and sister Chantal are Realtors with Re/Max Joyce Tourney Realty.

The ARR has awarded two $1,000 scholarships every year since 1977.

■ ■ ■

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board has donated $18,500 to five of its region’s food banks. The donation is divided proportionately based on the number of Realtors represented in each community with $8,325 going to the Surrey Food Bank; $3,330 going to both the Langley Food Bank and Sources White Rock South Surrey Food Bank; $2,960 to the Abbotsford Food Bank; and $555 to St. Joseph’s Food Bank in Mission.

“Last year, Realtors in the Fraser Valley helped facilitate almost 14,000 property sales from White Rock to Mission and everywhere in between,” says FVREB president Scott Olson. “That also happens to be the number of people who rely on the Surrey Food Bank every month to help them make ends meet…As Realtors, we have the privilege of serving our

communities and feel strongly that we have a responsibility to give back.”

■ ■ ■

The London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors held its 16th annual Homes for Hope Bonspiel recently, raising $11,085 for Mission Services of London.

“One of the principal tenets of the Quality of Life philosophy to which Realtors subscribe is our belief that everyone should have access to safe, affordable housing,” says Doug Pedlar, LSTAR president. “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.”

Since its inception the bonspiel has raised more than $124,000 and the total raised by the association through the bonspiel and other fundraisers is more than $282,591.

The winning team was comprised of Russ Chadwick, Tony Verberne, Steven Horvath and past LSTAR president Ken Harper, who died on January 27. “Ken was on the Bonspiel Committee every year since its inception 16 years ago,” says Pedlar. “He was a fine man and a credit to both his profession and his community. He will be sorely missed.”

presented a $5,000 donation to Reaching Our Outdoor Friends (ROOF), an agency committed to providing for the safety, support, and overall well-being of homeless youths and youths-at-risk, age 12-

25, in the Waterloo Region.

ROOF is one of three local charities that are receiving funds through the 2012 round of Realtors Care Foundation grants.

REM

Sandy Dietrich-Bell, executive director of ROOF and Dietmar Sommerfeld, president of KWAR.

■ ■ ■

Toronto Hydro has teamed up with the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) to create a Homeowners Kit that will provide Realtors and their clients with information about key programs and services available through Toronto Hydro. From annual coupons and heating and cooling incentives to the fridge and freezer pick-up program, the Homeowners Kit is designed to be a go-to resource for Realtors and their clients.

My TorontoHydro gives customers fast and secure access to bills, payment history, account details and more. It is available at www.torontohydro.com and the Homeowners Kit is also available through TorontoMLS System and TREB’s public website at www.TorontoRealEstateBoard. com.

■ ■ ■

The Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors recently

Michael Kiapway accepts the Les Ludwig Memorial Award for Most Outstanding Offensive Back from teammate Kirby Kezama, left, and Association of Regina Realtors director Carmen Howells. The association has sponsored the award for more than 35 years, since its inception. Les Ludwig was a Rams player who was killed in an automobile accident.

Brian Walker’s Jam with a Past President event in Toronto raised more than $7,000 for the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation. “The event included performances by Phil Soper, John DiMichele, Phil Dorner and Barb Sukkau among others,” Walker reports.

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2013-02-12 12:09 PM

42 REM MARCH 2013

Good Works R

e/Max affiliates raised more than $72,000 during the Miracle Makers Luncheon in support of Children’s Miracle Network and its member hospitals during the Re/Max of Western Canada 30th Annual Conference in Calgary.

Associates and business partners participated in a host of fundraising events including a hockey tournament and live and silent auctions. In addition to the annual fundraiser, participating sales associates contribute a portion of their income throughout the year via the Re/Max Miracle Home Program, and host local fundraisers such as golf tournaments, head shaves and bowl-athons.

Re/Max affiliates donated more than $4 million for CMN’s 14

member hospitals across Canada in 2013, with Western Canadian affiliates leading the way by contributing $1.7 million to this total.

■ ■ ■

A recent trip to Africa was an eye-opening, rewarding experience for Izabela Wasiela, a sales rep with Sutton Group - Seafair Realty in Richmond, B.C. She spent two weeks in Livingstone, Zambia volunteering with the Happy Africa Foundation. She taught special needs children in the mornings and in the evenings visited a seniors’ care facility, gardened and cared for young children in an afterschool program. She also provided medical guidance including HIV education – something of lifesaving importance in a community

A silent auction at its conference in Calgary helped Re/Max of Western Canada affiliates raise $72,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network.

From left: Neil Hetherington, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Toronto; Don Kottick, president and broker of record; and Howard Drukarsh, vice-president, Right At Home Realty.

Izabela Wasiela spent two weeks in Zambia volunteering with the Happy Africa Foundation.

Continued on page 45

Y O UREALT R ®

Sales reps and staff from Realty Executives Devonshire in Lethbridge, Alta. with a truckload of shoes they donated to a local charity.

are invited to

CONNECTI NS

AGM, Conference and Trade Show 2013

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 7:30 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Hamilton Convention Centre

t AGM (RAHB members only) t Networking t Trade Show (Opens at 9 a.m.) t MCE Credits t Informal Workshops t Breakfast and Lunch

From left: Kim Kennedy, Nancy Gossling and Fionna Gossling of Royal LePage Real Estate Services and Carm Bozzo, development manager, Halton Women’s Place.

Coldwell Banker Pinnacle Real Estate in Hamilton raised $4,700 for families in need.

Cost:

*FREE

for RAHB members who register before midnight Friday, March 15;

25+HST for RAHB members registering after midnight March 15.

(Note: pre-register until midnight, March 19; after this date, registration is in person at the event).

$

50+HST for non-members.

$

For more information contact Sheila, 905.529.8101 x234 or email sheilas@rahb.ca www.rahb.ca/eventssponsors/realtor-connections/overview-registration/

Get G et C CONNECTED! ONNECTED!

Ken Droog and friends plan to kite board a distance of 111 km.

Brian Godfrey, left, and friend Bob Wilson.

Make the Connection.

“The Aventure™ Realty Network gives Johnson Associates a competitive advantage that creates loyalty with our agents and clientele.

With a suite of quality service products, Aventure™’s referral and global relocation networks help position Johnson Associates Real Estate as a market leader. As an independent brokerage, we value the opportunity to connect and exchange ideas with like minded REALTORS® from coast to coast.”

– Finn Poulstrup Broker / Owner Georgetown / Halton Hills

“Our association with the Aventure™ Realty Network provides our company and agents with a Canada-wide network allowing us to refer and receive business to and from other independently owned brokerages throughout the country, while maintaining our unique identity as an independent brokerage.

It has been an effective tool for independent agents to build a referral network across Canada.

Aventure™ recognizes the differences and strengths of independent brokerages, and encourages and supports our place in Canadian real estate markets.”

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“Since the start of our membership with the Aventure™ Realty Network in 2010, we have been exposed to member offices from coast to coast. This has given us a great advantage in the Niagara Region of Ontario. As the #1 independent company here, we have been able to keep our unique branding and at the same time give our salespeople and clients an extended Canadian presence. We are very proud to be connected with the other esteemed independent brokerages who continue to recommend each other throughout Canada.”

“The Aventure™ connection has led to many successful referral opportunities and has enhanced our competitive advantage in the marketplace. Our clients and REALTORS® appreciate the coast to coast relationship with highly professional, successful and dynamic brokerages. As a Broker/Owner, this affiliation enhances our recruiting capability, service delivery and ability to share best business practices.”

– Sally McGarr Broker / Owner St. Catharines, Ontario

– Donna Harding Broker / Owner Halifax, Nova Scotia

“As a professional independent brokerage, developing a referral network of like-minded independent professionals presented quite the challenge for us in past years. Our connection with Aventure™ has provided our associates with access to other proven independent professionals in order to better serve our clients’ real estate needs and raise our profile as we stay true to our brand.”

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HOME DELIVERY

Since 1989, REM has been offered free to every real estate board and association in Canada to distribute to their members. That’s not about to change, but as we approach a quarter century of publishing we recognize that many aspects of the industry have.

Responding to environmental concerns, REM is now “green” – printed on paper certified by FSC, an international system for forests and forest products supported by WWF Canada, Greenpeace and the David Suzuki Foundation.

Many real estate professionals now work out of their home offices. We’d like to give those who prefer to receive delivery at home the option of receiving REM directly. Home delivery of REM is now available for $19.89 (including tax) per year.

We ask only that you cover the cost of postage. We’ll take care of the rest.

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REM MARCH 2013 45

Good Works Continued from page 42

where it is estimated that one in three people have contracted the disease.

“There were more highlights to this trip than I could count,” says Wasiela. “There was one special needs boy with microcephaly in my classroom who hadn’t spoken in 10 years and when I pushed him on the swing in the playground he counted to 10 for me and brought me and the teacher to tears.”

■ ■ ■

Re/Max First Realty’s Ken

Droog is planning on some extreme fundraising this spring.

Droog and three or four other adventurous souls intend to make a return-trip journey across the Georgia Strait in April – on kite boards.

“April is usually the windiest month of the year, so it will give us the best chance to ride the prevailing winds across the strait,” says Droog. “But as we have no way of knowing when the best winds present themselves, we’ll just have to wait until the winds are right and go.”

A fundraiser for the B. C. Children’s Hospital (BCCH), the Parksville Realtor is hoping his

group’s exploit will raise $10,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network, which is fundraising for the BCCH. “We’ve raised about $3,600 so far and hope that our ongoing efforts will bring in the rest before we sail.”

The current plan will see a small flotilla of four or more kite boarders and two or three escort boats depart from Piper’s Lagoon Park near Nanaimo. From there the group will race across the Georgia Strait to Davis Bay near Sechelt. “We have a friend at Davis Bay with a bell on their porch. Our goal is to kite board across, run up and ring the bell, and then head back for home.”

The adventurers will then take to the waves for the return journey, landing at San Pariel near Parksville. The sea voyage will cover some 60 nautical miles (111 km) and is expected to take five or more hours to complete – depending on winds or unforeseen difficulties. To learn more, visit www.kitingforkids.com.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Johnston & Daniel Division sales representative Don Gault, far left, preps vegetables for soup destined for Toronto women’s shelters with clients and friends at a Soup Sisters event.

Kelly Murdock of Gardiner Realty Royal LePage in Fredericton donates a portion of every sale to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. Murdock chose the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation as the recipient for the third year in a row. Here she presents the cheque to Marilyn AbbottCharters, president of the MMFF Board.

Board chair Ron Freeman, left, and Tom Beshr of Habitat for Humanity North Island accept $10,000 from the team at Re/Max Ocean Pacific Realty. The funds will be used for the 2013 Habitat build underway in Courtenay, B.C. The funds were raised by the Re/Max sales team during the course of 2012 by individual donation. For information: www.habitatnorthisland.com.

Realty Executives Devonshire in Lethbridge, Alta. recently completed the 12 Months of Giving campaign. “Our goal was to bring awareness to one local charity each month that was dear to our hearts and assist with products, service and money,” says Bev Elliott, associate broker at Realty Executives Devonshire. “We had such an incredible response from the community that we ended up working several charities each month, with some on-going for six months.

“We assisted the local charities in earning over $10,000 and helping to supply them with 2,000 pairs of shoes, clothing, winter coats, blankets, bedding, 8,900 cans of food, 400 boxes of cereal, other breakfast foods, books, indoor playground equipment, 1,900 units of blood, toys and 400 gift bags for Christmas,” says Elliott.

Among the charities helped were YWCA-Harbour House, Streets Alive, Woods Centre, New to Canada, Lethbridge Adult Shelter, Angel Tree, Westminster School, the Humane Society, Canadian Diabetes Association, Lung Society, Canada Blood Services, Lethbridge Food Bank, Family Centre, Rocky Mountain Book Awards and a local family whose home was burned.

■ ■ ■

Right At Home Realty (RAH) in Toronto recently presented $55,000 to Habitat for Humanity Toronto.

RAH president and broker of record Don Kottick says, “Our salespeople embrace this wonderful charity from a financial perspective, but also due to all the goodwill that is generated through the various builds.”

RAH Realtors have contributed more than $100,000 since 2008.

“We started out purchasing personal care kits for teens and delivering them to local schools,” says Cathy MacQueen, secretary at the brokerage. “Over time we did more and more kits until one Christmas we decided to adopt a family. Our sales representatives were so generous that we were able to help two families. As time went on we formed a Christmas committee and came up with great ideas to raise money all year.”

■ ■ ■

When it comes to “going that extra mile” to help others, Re/Max of Nanaimo’s Brian Godfrey really takes it to the next level. The Vancouver Island Realtor is planning on taking three months off from his busy career this May to ride across the country on a bicycle as a fundraiser for the B.C. Children’s Hospital (BCCH).

Godfrey and friend Bob Wilson plan to ride 7,300 km, expecting to be on the road 73 days for an average of 100 km per day.

Godfrey says that he and his wife, Shirley, (who will serve as part of the journey’s support team) have luckily never needed the services of the Children’s Hospital for their two children, but he knows many who have.

For information: https://secure. bcchf.ca/SuperheroPages/main.cf m?Event=ICE&Member=28229

The Gossling Kennedy team at Royal LePage Real Estate Services in Oakville, Ont. recently hosted their Third Annual Dinner Party in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. The organizers, consisting of Nancy and Fionna Gossling and Kim Kennedy, held the event at Kennedy’s home. It was attended by 50 guests. Guests, along with those unable to attend, raised a total of $8,035 to be donated to Halton Women’s Place.

■ ■ ■

Sheila Diebel, receptionist at Sutton Group - Medallion Realty in Surrey, B.C., and her friend Claudette Shulte meticulously baked and designed an entry for the Gingerbread Lane competition. The event is a popular holiday benefit for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Canada. Their creation generated $2,400 for the charity.

The two bakers designed a train station complete with various characters such as a boy playing in the snow, a choir and passengers waiting for their train. The entire station was handmade using gingerbread, fondant and gum paste to ensure that the entire structure was edible. This was Diebel’s first time participating in the gingerbread competition although she is an experienced cake decorator.

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

Don Gault of Royal LePage Johnston & Daniel Division in Toronto, along with his wife Margareth, hosted a group of clients and friends at Liaison College in support of Soup Sisters.

Twenty-six guests worked together to make 103 litres of soup in five varieties, which was delivered to The Red Door Family Shelter and the Redwood Shelter in Toronto.

Cash donations were also accepted for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker Pinnacle Real Estate in Hamilton held a Christmas lunch and fundraiser, raising $4,700 for families in need.

The event was part of the team’s Christmas to Remember campaign, which included both a live and silent auction, raffle, door prizes and a 50/50 draw.

For the past 12 years, the brokerage has been helping families in need during the holiday season.

The Realtors at MaxWell Canyon Creek – Calgary selected three charities for their annual donation from funds accumulated during 2012. They are the Veteran’s Food Bank (Calgary Poppy Fund), Meals on Wheels (Hot Soup School Program) and Adopt a Family (they “adopted” a single mom with a 14-year-old girl and nine-year-old twins). Each group received $600. REM

46 REM MARCH 2013

What’s Royal LePage Atlantic and Prudential Property Specialists Merger Paul Doucet

Marilyn Purdy

Royal LePage Atlantic and Prudential Property Specialists are pleased to announce their merger.

Paul Doucet and Marilyn Purdy of Prudential Property Specialists look forward to this joint venture with Royal LePage Atlantic. Both are veterans of the real estate industry. Paul has been in the business for 30 years, and Marilyn for 46 years. They were looking for a brand with a similar culture and values to those they enjoyed with their former Prudential relationship. Paul and Marilyn feel that Royal LePage offers a strong brand with Canadian roots, a significant market share, and is well respected in the industry for its leadership and innovation.

Ralph Stephen, President of Royal LePage Atlantic, is pleased to add to his team, which now boasts over 350 sales representatives and support staff.

“We are continually looking to grow and offer our services to more Atlantic Canadians,” says Ralph Stephen, “Property Specialists gave us a great opportunity to do just that. They have a longstanding reputation in Nova Scotia as very

Ralph Stephen

Bedford, Nova Scotia

New

knowledgeable and passionate real estate agents …they’ll make a good cultural fit for our organization.”

As well as Bedford, the new Royal LePage Atlantic office also services the areas of Halifax, Dartmouth, Lower Sackville, Fall River, and St. Margaret’s Bay.

Benefits packages for Canadian real estate agents

Paul, Marilyn and their team can be reached at: Suite 200 - 36 Brookshire Court Bedford, Nova Scotia B4A 4E9 902-450-1800 • 902-835-7018 pauldoucet@royallepage.ca marilynpurdy@royallepage.ca rjstephen@royallepage.ca Congratulations to Ralph, Paul and Marilyn, and their newly-expanded sales force. We wish the entire Royal LePage Atlantic team continued success.

For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call: (416) 510-5827 or email: franchise@royallepage.ca †

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

Royal LePage Escarpment Realty Stephen Fontanna

Linda Olson

Effective Jan. 2, 2013, Stephen and Suzanne Fontanna, formerly of Re/Max Real Estate Centre, have acquired a Royal LePage franchise. Their office is operating under the name Royal LePage Escarpment Realty.

Acton, Ontario

Steve, Suzanne and Linda look forward to growing their business with Royal LePage and are excited to belong to a Canadian brand with the longevity that Royal LePage enjoys.

CE Network launches online CE courses in New Jersey

The team can be reached at: Steve began his real estate career several years ago with Re/Max, building on more than ten years experience in the real estate investment market. Prior to that, Steve was with the construction industry for 15 years.

Steve’s spouse Suzanne has an administrative role with the firm.

A third member of the management team, Linda Olson, will serve as the broker of record for the new office. Linda is an active member of the Halton Hills business community. Since 1981, she has served on many boards and committees including the Acton BIA, the Halton Hills Sustainability Committee and the Network of Women in Business.

Royal LePage Escarpment Realty 2 Mill Street East Acton, Ontario, L7J 1G9 Phone: 519-853-2600 • Fax: 519-853-8100 StephenFontanna@royallepage.ca LindaOlson@royallepage.ca Congratulations to Steve and the team, and wishing Royal LePage Escarpment Realty much success.

For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call: (416) 510-5827 or email: franchise@royallepage.ca †

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

AccessEasyFunds Limited is partnering with Benefits on Madison to bring a unique benefits package to its customers, the companies say. AEF Advantage is a membership program that provides benefits including cellular phone protection coverage and back up; legal services; computer and device back up; home office equipment repairs; roadside assistance; and health, dental and vision benefits.

AccessEasyFunds will give a 30day trial membership (with 99 cent activation fee) to all of its customers, with the option to continue with the membership at the conclusion of 30 days.

Arryn Greenspan of AccessEasyFunds says, “These benefits are hard to come by individually, so by creating a membership, we are able to offer a package at a very reasonable price.”

For information, visit http://aefadvantage.com.

Toronto-based CE Network recently launched its online real estate continuing education courses in New Jersey with the approval of the New Jersey Real Estate Commission. CE Network is able to deliver the state-required curriculum using courses designed by Canadian instructional designers in collaboration with expertise from Canadian and American subject matter experts.

CE Network is a regulator-

approved education provider in Ontario, New York, Texas and now New Jersey, in addition to having a presence in all Canadian provinces and territories as a financial services educator.

“We’ve proven that great ideas travel well, but ironically they travel more easily between north and south than east and west,” says James. “Admission and participation in American states as a newly approved real estate education provider has proven far easier in the last decade for CE Network than into other Canadian provinces, despite more stringent American regulations (the requirement for ARELLO certification) in most cases. American regulators tend to set a standard for continuing education….and admit vendors who can meet the standards; while Canadian regulators tend to favour a few incumbent vendors and a far narrower curriculum,” he says.

“We would love to see Canadian real estate self-regulators finally adopt adult learning best practices (broader choice of topics, allowing for professional specialization knowledge) and the positions and standards of ARELLO, an organization to which some Canadian regulators have been active members for half a century,” says James.

For information: www.cenetwork.com

The Home Inspection Network and Right At Home Realty announce partnership The Home Inspection Network has reached an agreement to provide Right At Home Realty with value-added services including home inspection and audit services, agent training and supporting educational materials for the brokerage, the salespeople and their clients.

In addition to agent training, Right At Home Realty’s agents and customers will have access to The Home Inspection Network’s article and video library covering everything from the structure of the home, energy efficiency ratings and best practices to home valuation and appraisal.

The Home Inspection

Network is owned and operated by Centract Settlement Services, an indirect subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management.

EnRICHed Academy donates $12,000 to shelter foundation EnRICHed Academy, which was profiled on CBC’s Dragons’ Den on Feb. 17, is a program designed to teach teens and young adults how to earn, save and invest their money. The company’s cofounder, Kevin Cochran, recently donated more than $12,000 to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

The funds were raised through a partnership with Royal LePage offices across Canada, which hosted EnRICHed Academy’s highenergy workshop for their clients.

Teens and adults alike benefited from the workshop. The donation to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation will support domestic violence prevention programs, including those geared to youth.

Heathwood Homes recognized for healthy housing Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) recently honoured Heathwood Homes under the CMHC Healthy Housing Recognition Program for its efforts in building healthier homes.

The program honours builders and others in Ontario who put their knowledge of CMHC’s five Healthy Housing principles into practice. They include: occupant health, energy efficiency, resource efficiency, environmental responsibility and affordability. The program recognizes housing industry professionals who demonstrate their knowledge by building, renovating or designing a home that meets criteria under the principles.

Heathwood Homes built the Green Home in Richmond Hill, Ont. demonstrating a commitment to providing housing that is efficient and sustainable.

It is the first environmentally advanced house to be monitored and compared to a second house built to the Energy Star standard.

Partnering with Ryerson University to monitor and document the home’s energy perfor-

REM MARCH 2013 47

mance will enable Heathwood Homes to identify proven results to advance technologies and energysaving products in its homes, says CMHC.

River District Wins Gold River District, a waterfront community being developed by ParkLane Homes in Southeast Vancouver, recently won the Gold Award for Best Presentation Centre at The Nationals, an awards program presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The awards are the largest of their kind in North America and receive hundreds of entrants from across North America, South America and Asia. The Gold Award is The Nationals’ highest honour recognizing builders and marketers.

River District Centre is part restaurant, presentation centre and community centre. It provides neighbours, visitors and new homeowners with an overview of the project vision using a state-of-the-art model

and interactive exhibits.

In addition to the Romer’s Burger Bar, programming partners include Urban Rec Beach Volleyball, Fit 4 Two and non-profit and community-oriented organizations such as South Vancouver Family Place. Regular activities held at the centre include a knitting club, farmers market, movie nights and yoga. The centre and its programs have been embraced by the surrounding community and draw hundreds of visitors and REM patrons each year.

CMHC recently honoured Heathwood Homes under the CMHC Healthy Housing Recognition Program for its efforts in building healthier homes. From left: Bob Finnigan, COO, Heathwood Homes; Steve Jacques, Ontario manager, community development, CMHC; Hugh Heron, president, Heathwood Homes; and Paul Bailey, president, Bazil Developments.

River District won Gold for Best Presentation Centre at The Nationals, an international awards program presented by the National Association of Home Builders.

Kevin Cochran, co-founder of EnRICHed Academy (second from left) presents a $12,039 donation to Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage and Shanan Spencer-Brown, executive director of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

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RE/MAX Realty Specialists.

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Montague Realty Ltd..

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RE/MAX Real Estate Centre, Inc. 22 Ontario Street South lorrainerandall@remax.net Milton, ON L9T 2M6 www.lorrainerandall.com Independently Owned and Operated.

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REM MARCH 2013 49

Iannitto, office manager Diana Logan and sales representatives Oliver Rathbun, Grant Fisher and Vince Cavallo round out the office.

Binswanger Hectare provides international services with opinion of value reports, sales and leaseback and industrial and commercial sales and leasing.

The commercial business handles office, industrial and retail transactions of all sizes. “We pride ourselves as being deal makers, accommodating and assisting other agents to get their deal done,” Bates says.

Although relatively small in numbers, the affiliation with Binswanger levels the playing field.

Being a smaller company has another benefit – in large brokerages, agents compete with each other, Bates says. “We work with each other.”

For more information: 905624-4455 or www.binswangerhectare.com.

Industrial, Commercial & Investment Small commercial brokerage offers big service Dan Bates wants the world to know about Binswanger Hectare, his boutique commercial real estate brokerage based in Mississauga, Ont. Bates, broker of record and president, bought Hectare Commercial Realty in 2003, growing the company from five people to 15. In 2010, the company took on an international affiliation with Binswanger to become Binswanger Hectare.

“Our strength is that we’re not a big broker, nor do we want to be.

We’re boutique sized, with international presence. Our Binswanger affiliation means we have a global reach,” Bates says. “We flew under the radar. Now we’re telling people who we are.”

Binswanger is an international real estate organization headquartered in Philadelphia. It has more

than 150 offices worldwide, including in the United States, Brazil, France and Japan, and provides a range of services to corporate and institutional clients globally, the company website says.

Bates bought Hectare Realty from Tom Murray, who remains with the company as a vice-president. Office manager Debbie Zdrilich and Kevin Brennan, now executive vice-president of Binswanger Hectare, also chose to stay when Bates took over the reins.

“I think it says a lot when people stay under new ownership.

They’re all good employees and I like to think I’m fair,” Bates says.

The office also includes Bates’ nephew, Bill Bates, who specializes in transportation and logistics properties. The team of vice-president Jim Jacobsen and broker Ashley Shaw specialize in Brampton. Vice-president Jason Vance is teamed with Kevin Brennan. Vice-president Daniel

Jones Lang LaSalle opens retail investment division Jones Lang LaSalle has opened a retail investment department in Toronto with the addition of Matthew Smith and Hugh O’Connell. They will provide investment brokerage services for

The Mississauga offices of Binswanger Hectare.

Hugh O’Connell

Matthew Smith

clients with retail real estate assets, specializing in sales, financing, repositioning, advisory and recapitalization execution.

“Matthew and Hugh bring almost 30 years of retail real estate experience to Jones Lang LaSalle,” says Brett Miller, president of Jones Lang LaSalle Canada. “They are market leading with an exemplary reputation and the exact expertise that our clients require.”

Smith and O’Connell have completed more than 300 transactions in more than 100 markets across Canada, the company says.

They have been involved in more than $1.5 billion worth of transactions. They join Jones Lang LaSalle from CBRE Limited.

During the last year, Jones Lang LaSalle has added more than 40 new employees across REM Canada.

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50 REM MARCH 2013

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

H

MARKETPLACE

ow are you enjoying rounding off the penny in retail stores? There are a lot of people who do not like this new practice at all. The word is that people find it unsettling as they feel a loss of comfort in knowing exact values. They claim that rounding up or down cash amounts causes anxiety because they need certainty in money transactions.

People who feel this way are being told to just take it easy and relax. The bottom line is that rounding up $1.98 to $2 or rounding down $2.02 to $2 is not that big a deal and they will get used to it. If they find this to be emotionally challenging, then the problem they have is a little deeper than they may think and perhaps some professional help might be in order.

I wonder if we might want to consider the same posture in real estate pricing. Let’s step back for a minute and consider that the aver-

Rounding off real estate pricing Trade Shows and Conferences age house price in our major urban areas is now in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. If a house is $299,999, does it not make more sense to say that the price of this house is $300,000?

I have been told many times that there is a psychological difference between a price that is 99 and one that is 100 but I wonder,…are you sure you about that? As a marketing professional, should you assume that you are smarter than your customer and that by marking the price of $300,000 lower by one dollar you are invoking a clever ploy to attract the customer? I am just asking.

There is also the suggestion that people search Internet properties by price. A home search restricted to a value up to $599,999 excludes properties that are only a dollar more at $600,000.

Again I have to ask, are you sure about that? Are you making an assumption about the mindset of customers and potential customers?

If a property is marketed at $199,999, why not make it a more logical number of $199,000 or $200,000? Even $199,500 seems more acceptable to me. I may be

wrong about this and I will stand corrected by anyone who can give me a logical reason why $199,999 is a price that will make a customer think the person selling at this price is less professional that one who is selling at $200,000 or $199,000.

At the end of the day, I believe pricing a property is all about professionalism. I don’t believe marketing a house that’s marked down by a dollar is well perceived by real estate customers unless it is done with intentional humour to tell customers know, “I know you know this is a ploy.”

I have seen real estate humour done well in marketing, I must give credit where it is due. Many years ago, Bruce Murray, a Realtor with an office on a busy Toronto intersection, put up a sign that said: “Free coffee with every sale.”

I don’t claim to be an expert on real estate marketing. I am under no illusion that I am. If I was an expert I guess I would be a Realtor instead of a real estate newspaper man and I would be making money.

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

For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Century 21 Kickoff 2013 Halifax – March 4 Toronto – March 5 Ottawa – March 5 Winnipeg – March 6 Montreal – March 6 Saskatoon – March 7 Red Deer, Alta. – March 8 Richmond, B.C. – March 11 www.century21.ca/kickoff2013 MaxWell Realty Awards and Networking Conference Wednesday, March 6 Calgary maxwelladmin@maxwellrealty.ca New Brunswick Real Estate Association Annual General Meeting & Education Day March 13 - 14 Delta Brunswick Saint John, N.B. Rod Wright – education@nbrea.ca

Realtors Association of HamiltonBurlington Realtor Connections Conference & Trade Show Wednesday, March 27 Hamilton Convention Centre Hamilton Sheila Sferrazza - 905-529-8101 Ext. 234 HomeLife International Conference and Awards Gala April 11 – 12 Fallsview Casino Resort Niagara Falls, Ont. 1-800-668-0186 Coldwell Banker Canada Conference & National Awards Gala April 17 – 19 Sheraton Centre Toronto www.coldwellbankercanadaconference.ca

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