March 2016

Issue #321

March 2016

Betty Doré Retiring after 38 years serving the industry

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

Page 8

‘No fear’ for sales reps in Alberta Page 3

Pension plans for salespeople Page 24

Sales rep turns grief into ‘very cathartic’ work Page 14

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REM MARCH 2016 3

‘No fear’ for sales reps in Alberta “It would take an extended period of time – three or more years of a depressed real estate market – before we see a significant number of real estate professionals leave the industry,” says Phil Soper

By Danny Kucharsky

C

algary entered the new year with more real estate agents than last year, despite its weakening housing market. It may take awhile for the agent count to drop in the city, despite the precipitous drop in the price of oil and significant job losses in the Alberta oil patch, brokers say.

The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) entered 2016 with 5,264 members, about 1.5 per cent higher than its 5,189 member count at the beginning of 2015.

“It would take an extended period of time – three or more years of a depressed real estate market – before we see a significant number of real estate professionals leave the industry,” says Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage.

Leaving the industry for something else would require retraining.

“It’s not as simple as, ‘Oh, I’m going to go be an accountant now or I’m going to be a paramedic or something,’” Soper says. “They’re real estate professionals. That’s what they do for a living.”

CREB president Cliff Stevenson says some people are joining the real estate profession from other industries that are slumping. In a declining economy, “we tend to be an industry that people who’ve lost their jobs look at more seriously as a career option for them.”

Stevenson says the Real Estate Council of Alberta has seen an increase in registration for its real estate agents program. “Their assessment was that the downturn provides a forced transition for a lot of people on the labour market and we’re an attractive option for people who’ve lost their jobs.”

Re/Max offices in Calgary have also seen about an increase of agents of about five per cent, from around 850 to 900. “We’re pleasantly surprised at what we’ve seen,” says Roy Anderson, executive director of Re/Max of Western

Canada. “We expected either zero growth or negative growth.”

Anderson attributes most of the growth to experienced agents being recruited from other brokerages.

However, the situation is not as bright in Fort McMurray, which is much more reliant on the oil and gas industry than the more diversified Calgary market.

Re/Max saw about a 20 per cent drop in agents in Fort McMurray, with its agent count dropping by about 18 last year.

“We’re not necessarily losing agents overall because a number of those agents have relocated,” Anderson says. The salespeople typically have family members in the oil and gas industry who have lost their jobs and moved elsewhere for employment.

“When times get tough it’s an industry where we see some attrition, but typically it’s also a time when the really good agents and brokers can really shine,” Anderson says. “We certainly don’t shy away from that kind of market.”

Royal LePage also saw a drop in agents in Fort McMurray last year (representing less than five per cent of its practice) with three or four people transferring to Edmonton, Soper says.

Stevenson says there is no fear among agents in the Calgary market and that some of the more experienced agents have seen similar cycles before.

“Everyone’s probably trimming the fat and being very careful with expenses,” he says. A pullback is probably happening with marketing as well, despite the school of thought that sales reps should be spending more in a down market.

Agents are also paying very close attention to their current sales volumes and market shares.

“I would suggest that every agent has taken a very good look at their bottom line and has been forced to make some smarter, more intelligent business decisions to keep operations afloat,” Stevenson says. But “there hasn’t been a shift on how we do things on a day-today basis. It’s just being more nimble and smarter with the money.”

“When times get tough it’s an industry where we see some attrition, but typically it’s also a time when good agents and brokers can really shine,” says Roy Anderson.

Unlike last year, Soper does not expect to see closures or mergers of Royal LePage brokerages in Calgary in 2016. Late last year, the six-office Royal LePage Foothills brokerage in Calgary closed, with agents transferred to Royal LePage Benchmark or Royal LePage Solutions.

Soper says the closure was not directly related to the dip in oil prices. “In other words, it could happen anywhere.”

As in previous economic slowdowns, he expects the market share of the leading brokerages will increase in cities like Calgary and Fort McMurray that have seen a weakening housing market.

That’s because there will be “a flight to quality” as consumers realize it’s going to take longer to sell their home and that they will need all the tools that are available on the marketplace, he says.

In addition, in down markets, Soper says, agents tend to migrate to the leading brands “even though it’s more expensive to be an agent at a Royal LePage rather than ABC Realty. What the Realtors find is they need the stronger brand and the stronger tools at the kitchen table when they’re talking to consumers.”

In a similar vein, Soper expects a significant number of new agents will leave the field after a year if it doesn’t work out for them, but that most existing agents will stay on.

He also expects the market share of for sale by owner properties to decline in the two Alberta cities. “The reason is quite simple – it’s hard to sell your home at any time but it’s really hard in a down market.”

Re/Max’s Anderson says strong agents in Calgary and Fort McMurray who have a good business and marketing plan and have clients who understand what’s happening in the market “can do as much business in a more down market than they can in a strong market.” REM

Cliff Stevenson

Phil Soper

Roy Anderson

4 REM MARCH 2016

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

E

xit Realty’s sub franchisor rights for Eastern Ontario have been awarded to Albert (A.J.) Plant and Vincent Detillieux.

Plant has been with the Exit Realty organization as a top-producing agent and office manager since 2004 and was recognized by Ottawa Business Magazine as one of the Top 40 business people under the age of 40. A featured speaker at Exit Realty Corp. International’s 2014 Annual Convention, he has trained real estate agents in the Quebec market and in offices across Ontario.

The partners met at their local church parish and discovered that Detillieux’s background in raising money and Plant’s background in real estate and networking were a winning combination, the company says.

Plant says, “We are committed to growing our region to 35

offices, home to more than 1,000 agents by 2021.” The area encompassing Exit Realty Eastern Ontario ranges from Pickering to the Quebec border.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max of Western Canada has made some organizational changes at its Kelowna-based regional head office.

Roy Anderson has been promoted to executive director. In Anderson’s new position, he will oversee Re/Max of Western Canada’s Member Services, Information and Technology, Events and Corporate Affairs departments. Anderson started with Re/Max 29 years ago as a sales associate and then became a franchise owner in New Westminster, B.C. He joined the regional head office 16 years ago.

Chris Jameson has been promoted to senior coordinator, prod-

uct development. Shawna Witty has been promoted to billing administrator.

The office also added two fulltime employees. Carol Hutman joined the finance department as a financial analyst and Jeff Racz joined the IT department as web services support technician.

■ ■ ■

Groupe Sutton - Quebec, through its subsidiary, Groupe Reprise Quebec, was named the exclusive Quebec resale provider of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) foreclosures ranging from one to six units.

Following a CMHC call for tenders, the company won a twoyear real estate brokerage service contract, which includes two oneyear renewal options.

“We have won this mandate as a result of our ability to meet the CMHC’s requirements, while delivering the best quality/price ratio on the services we offer. The decision was also based on our ability to offer a financial guarantee to ensure our commitment throughout the term of the contract,” says Julie Gaucher, partner, vice president and chief of operations for Groupe Sutton - Quebec.

Groupe Sutton - Quebec has 68 offices in Quebec and Ottawa and more than 2,000 brokers.

■ ■ ■

Doug Moxam, owner of Royal LePage Anchor Realty in Halifax, recently welcomed Ian Hamilton as a partner in the company.

Hamilton has practiced real estate with the company for the past

eight years, as well as running several other successful business operations, the company says.

“Ian brings a wealth of business knowledge and new real estate marketing ideas to the brokerage,” says the company in a statement.

“The company is looking forward to Ian’s innovative ideas being implemented to the benefit of our agents, our partners and most of all our highly valued clients.”

■ ■ ■

Brokers/owners Rathees Paramalingam and Sri Nadarajasundram recently opened Re/Max Ace Realty in Toronto.

They have a combined 10 years of experience in the real estate industry. About 20 agents are working out of the new office on Kennedy Road in Toronto. The brokerage serves Mississauga, North York, Ajax, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Markham.

■ ■ ■

Century 21 Millennium has opened an office on Broadway Street in Orangeville, Ont. The brokerage now has five offices.

Since 1997, the company has served the Brampton and Georgian Triangle areas. It continues to grow and now has 180 sales reps and brokers.

The company’s flagship Brampton office has received the Century 21 Grand Centurion Award for top sales every year since 2002.

“We wanted to build a hardworking, family-friendly real estate office that serves both clients and the community,” says Martin Minda, co-owner, Century 21 Millennium.

Century 21 Millennium’s new Orangeville office.

■ ■ ■

Albert (A.J.) Plant and Vincent Detillieux

Doug Moxam, left, and Ian Hamilton.

Rathees Paramalingam

Mark Wolle

Sri Nadarajasundram

Art Melin

Mark Wolle, owner of Royal LePage Wolle Realty in Kitchener, Ont. has expanded operations to merge with nearby Royal LePage Elmira Realty. Both offices will continue to operate out of their existing space, under the Royal LePage Wolle Realty banner.

Broker Bonnie Brubacher will stay in Elmira in a sales capacity along with sales rep Shanna Rozema.

Wolle Realty was established in 1977 by Dieter Wolle. The brokerage joined the Royal LePage network in 2000. Mark Wolle took over the brokerage from his father Dieter in 2011 after 14 years in the Continued on page 6

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Multiple Listings Continued from page 4

business, including serving as the office manager. The brokerage has 79 sales reps on the roster at the Kitchener location.

Specialized commercial and residential real estate knowledge, paired with 28 years of combined local market experience, is now available to Wainwright, Alta. residents at Century 21 Connect Realty. Owner Art Melin, recently with Re/Max, was previously an award-winning Century 21 agent and went back to that banner to establish his own business.

“Wainwright is a great place to live, work and do business,” says Melin. “I love my job. We get to see the impact of our hard work all the time when we run into past clients and hear how they love their homes. It’s an amazing feeling of accomplishment.”

Melin has been in real estate for 14 years, achieving the Century 21 Centurion top sales award for four consecutive years.

■ ■ ■

Living Realty in Toronto held a special edition of its annual holiday gala to celebrate a successful 2015, which also marked the company’s 35th anniversary.

The gala was attended by more than 550 guests, including several provincial and municipal dignitaries who delivered remarks and presented Living Group of Companies’ chairman Stephen Wong with certificates honouring the milestone year. Speeches were followed by the presentation of sales awards to Living Realty’s topperforming agents for last year.

“Living Realty has also gone through many changes, evolving from a small real estate brokerage firm into a professional real estate brokerage organization with a 600member sales team,” Wong said in a statement. “Looking toward the

Cover photo: RACHAEL LITTLE

MPP Michael Chan (front row, seated eighth from right) joins Living Group of Companies’ chairman Stephen Wong (immediate left) and president William Lau (immediate right) for a photo with all of Living Realty’s 2015 sales award winners.

By Tony Palermo

E

Right At Home Realty recently opened a new branch in Burlington, Ont. at 5111 New St in the Appleby Line Village Mall. From left: Paul Sharman, Burlington councillor Ward 5; Richard Weima, broker/branch manager; Howard Drukarsh, president/broker of record/co-founder; and Gary Carr, Halton regional chair. (Photo: LaRae Starr @ Real Services Photography)

horizon, I envision an even brighter future for the real estate business.”

■ ■ ■

Delio Oliveira and David Medeiros, owners of Re/Max Real Estate Centre in Cambridge, Ont. have acquired new offices in Burlington and Waterdown previously operated as Re/Max of Garden City by Wayne Quirk.

Quirk was an “early pioneer” who opened Re/Max Garden City in 1983 and successfully grew it to a multi-office brokerage, the company says. Along with his management team, Quirk will continue to operate offices in St. Catharines, Grimsby and Fonthill under the Re/Max Garden City banner.

Oliveira and Medeiros converted their office in Cambridge to Re/Max in 2003 and have extended their business reach along Hwy.

401 to Mississauga and north to Orangeville. With this acquisition, Re/Max Real Estate Centre now has 15 offices and more than 670 sales associates.

■ ■ ■

Century 21 Smartway Realty recently launched in Mississauga, Ont. The brokerage formerly operated under the Royal LePage banner.

Owners Amarjit Hair, Ranjeet Singh, Gurdeep Hansra, Mohan Khangura and Harbans Brar started their real estate careers together in 2003 and just three years later seized the opportunity to open their own office.

“Our goal is that when someone starts with us, client or agent, they never want to leave,” says Singh “We’ve always had such

cent inaccurate,” adding that she “can assure all agents industry wide their commission is not at risk.”

NLAR CEO Bill Stirling tells REM that despite being advised that Exit Realty on the Rock is in receivership, he has not been advised that the company is bankrupt.

As of Feb. 5, Stirling said about 40 former Exit Realty on the Rock agents have been relicensed with another broker and about 25 had yet to apply for relicensing.

Stirling says several salespeople affected by the suspension inaccurately posted on social media that listings, pending sales and licences were being transferred to another Exit franchise, but that this is not possible.

“When the broker’s licence was suspended any listings became immediately null,” says Stirling.

“We’ve been advising vendors to consider their listing expired and that they are free to do as they choose.”

Stirling says options available to vendors include taking their property off the market, following their salesperson to another location under a new broker, or relisting with a different salesperson.

Pending sales, says Stirling, “should close as per the purchase and sales agreements that are in place.”

Exit Realty on the Rock had offices in Glovertown and St. John’s. It had 66 Realtors listed on realtor.ca. REM

Continued on page 37

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xit Realty on the Rock in St. John’s, Nfld. had its licence suspended in February, in the midst of an investigation by Newfoundland and Labrador’s Superintendent of Real Estate Agents and Salespersons.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) is also investigating, but is not releasing any further information as to the nature of their investigation.

In a prepared statement, brokerage owner Anne Squires says that she has “not spoken to, or heard from any RNC person.”

The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Realtors (NLAR) were told by a lawyer for the Bank of Montreal (BMO) that Exit Realty on the Rock has entered into receivership and that PricewaterhouseCoopers has been engaged as the receiver.

A statement issued by NLAR to its members says that “PWC’s primary role will be to secure BMO’s position as the primary lender” and will take possession of all assets belonging to Exit Realty on the Rock, which will be liquidated to pay off the outstanding debt owed to BMO. Anything left over will then be paid to other creditors in order of their entitlement to payment.

As of the time of this writing, it still remains unclear what this means to agents who are owed commissions. In a news conference, Squires said that any claims that Exit Realty on the Rock is bankrupt are “absolutely 100 per

Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY

2255B Queen Street East, Suite #1178 Toronto, ON M4E 1G3

Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com REM complies fully with the Canadian Real Estate Association's Rules for Trademarks (CREA Rule 16.5.3.1) REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned by CREA and identify the services rendered by members of CREA. REM is published 12 times a year. It is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any real estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by direct delivery in selected areas. For subscription information, email distribution@remonline.com. Entire contents copyright 2016 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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■ ■ ■

Exit Realty on the Rock has licence suspended

This is home.

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8 REM MARCH 2016

Conrad Black’s Toronto mansion goes on auction block A

fter 65 years of family ownership, the mansion of former newspaper publisher and author Conrad Black will be offered for auction by Concierge Auctions on March 8.

The house has more than 23,000 square feet of living space set on more than 6.6 acres. Located at 26 Park Lane Circle, it was built in six phases and has been extensively renovated over the years.

Concierge says Black has entertained many prominent guests at the estate, including British royals, world statesmen and many wellknown entertainers and cultural figures. Concierge says it has an estimated value of $21.8 million. It will sell in co-operation with Barry Cohen of Re/Max Realtron Realty.

There will be an unpublished reserve.

Black, whose newspaper group included the London Telegraph, Chicago Sun-Times, Jerusalem Post

and many of the large daily newspapers in Canada and Australia said in a statement: “It is a big house for two people. We will be abroad a good deal and moving to a more manageable home will be a convenience to us now as our careers have evolved. Auction is the best way to achieve this end, as it sets the timeline on what will be, in physical terms, a large relocation.”

Crafted and constructed by international architect Thierry W. Despont – who has been commissioned by other notable clients including Bill Gates, Gianni Agnelli and Stavros Niarchos – 26 Park Lane Circle is a Georgian residence that has everything from an indoor pool and spa to a chapel consecrated by two cardinals.

“Taking the term ‘grand entrance’ to a whole new level, the residence is located down a winding, romantic driveway set back from the road, nestled amongst the

Vaughan

Brampton

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Mississauga

trees without another building in site,” says Concierge in a news release. “Upon arrival, guests are greeted within the three-storey foyer, complete with a grand staircase, impeccably detailed moulding and an ornate chandelier. Offering endless options for entertaining, the estate is comprised of uniquely configured reception and living spaces where Black and his family have hosted Richard Nixon, Margaret Thatcher, Henry Kissinger, The Duke of Edinburgh, Sir Elton John and many other prominent figures.”

The house has an elegant formal dining room, dual sitting and dressing rooms, a two-storey/tworoom library, state-of-the-art chef’s kitchen, a media room, billiard room, wine cellar and multiple working fireplaces. Including the guest apartment and coach house, the property includes a total of nine bedrooms, 11 full bathrooms and four half bathrooms.

“Our firm has sold fine homes around the world, but this is one of the most extraordinary properties we’ve had the pleasure to represent,” says Mike Russo, vice president of Concierge Auctions. “From the design esthetic to the family history to its bevy of distinguished guests, 26 Park Lane Circle is a remarkable estate in one of Canada’s most sought after neighbourhoods. The chance to own here is rare and should be seriously considered by luxury buyers globally.”

Cohen says, “26 Park Lane Circle is one of the largest residential parcels of land within the Greater Toronto area, nestled within arguably the best and most affluent neighbourhood in Canada.”

Cohen has also worked with Concierge on three successful sales in the neighbourhood including 24 Park Lane Circle, also sold by Black on a reserve format last year. “Never offered for sale, this is truly a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to own a distinguished estate that is nothing short of incomparable,” he says.

Concierge Auctions will conduct previews of 26 Park Lane Circle by appointment only.

Brokers are protected. For more information, call 212-257-5018.

Conrad Black’s Bridle Path home is to be auctioned on March 8.

REM

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10 REM MARCH 2016

Betty Doré bids farewell to her ‘family’

She retires after 38 years with LSTAR, including 25 as its executive vice-president.

By Dennis McCloskey

also believe in Realtors training Realtors.”

She describes LSTAR as a lean machine that’s all about service and is blessed with a member-friendly board.

“We have a waiting list of members wanting to volunteer their services on task forces, committees and boards.” She is proud to add that many are young Realtors who are children of current members.

P

rincess Diana once famously said, “Family is the most important thing in the world.” Lucky Betty Doré!

She has two “families.” One immediate family consists of her two grown daughters and two granddaughters, ages 6 and 16. The other “extended” family is the people she has worked with for nearly four decades at the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR). “I will miss the people,” she says before her official May 31 retirement date. “They are like an amazing family.”

Doré came from a farming background in Western Ontario, where she took commercial courses in high school before accepting an entry-level position with an insurance company. She also worked for a mortgage company but sought a more challenging career.

When she became office manager at LSTAR 38 years ago she says everything was

Betty Doré (Photo by Rachael Little)

paper-based and she used a manual typewriter.

“I started in May and my CEO asked me to put together the first MLS catalogue for the association and to have it completed by September,” she recalls. The task was accomplished and the ambitious young woman continued to prove herself. Before becoming EVP, she took a four-year night course at the University of Western Ontario’s business school and obtained a Certificate in Management, followed by a two-year course to get her Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation with the Canadian Society of Association Executives.

“Everything has changed since I started, and the Internet has been the most positive change,” she says. “Instead of driving a client to a dozen or more properties, an agent can (research) online and then visit a few choice properties.” She knows that change is inevitable and has long believed that

“success breeds success and failure breeds failure” so she has always maintained a positive and receptive attitude and an open mind to change.

She calls it “forward thinking,” but concedes that some real estate agents dislike change.

“But when we bring them in to explain the changes, by the end of the day, they’re happy.”

She once attended an industry seminar that concerned a topic that she regarded as “out of the box thinking.” Undaunted by the complexity (and necessity) of the changes recommended, she took the ideas to her directors and said, “Pull your head off, turn it around and put it back on with an open mind.”

She believes the secret to success in the real estate business is training. “LSTAR provides its members with every imaginable service, technological and otherwise, and we train them so they know how to use the tools that will help them make a living. I

When asked to name some of her proudest achievements, Doré is circumspect. “Oh, my, there have been so many firsts: We were one of the first boards to have an online MLS system in 1982; and I was a founding member of Project Connect that allows associations in Ottawa, London, Toronto and Hamilton to access each other’s MLS systems.”

She also points to her involvement with IDX (Internet Data Exchange) and notes that LSTAR was one of the first boards in Canada to embrace it.

In her quarter century-long role as EVP of one of Canada’s largest Realtor associations, Doré has amassed a large number of local, provincial and national awards that recognize excellence in an association executive. A previous chair of the Association Executives Council of CREA and Ontario Realtors Care Foundation, she was recently recognized by REM as one of the people who has had the greatest impact on the real estate industry in Canada in the last 25 years.

“Hers will be big shoes to fill,” says Carl Vandergoot, LSTAR president, who noted that his association has a solid reputation for being effective, well managed and progressive “and a lion’s share of the credit

for that goes to Betty Doré.”

Alan Tennant, CREB’s CEO, describes the “go-to executive officer” as “the voice of reason, a tireless innovator and keeper of our institutional compass.”

When Doré hears of these accolades, she is both humbled and introspective. “I try to run a good, tight ship and I work well with the Board of Directors. We are a team,” she says, and then injects her personal and business philosophy: “No matter who you are, where you are or what you’re doing, it should always be ‘we’ and not ‘I.’” She leaves the business with a positive feeling for the future of organized real estate and hopes the people to whom she is passing the torch will continue to work for regionalization of MLS. When asked about her retirement plans, the avid reader and online Scrabble player says she hopes to volunteer at shelter-based charities, such as Mission Services of London, a Christian charity that provides shelter and serves people who struggle with poverty and homelessness; or Unity Project for Relief of Homelessness in London. “Who knows, maybe I’ll stock cans at the food bank.”

The mother and grandmother also wants to spend more time with family and friends. Travel is also on the horizon. She visited Cuba in January and is planning a trip to Hawaii with her family in 2017 when her youngest granddaughter will be old enough to enjoy that beautiful Pacific island.

Betty Doré may be looking forward to saying Aloha to a well-deserved retirement, but she insists she is sorry to be saying goodbye to her work “family.” REM

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©2016 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. This advertisement is not an offering of a franchise, and where required by law, an offering can only be made 14 days after delivery of the applicable franchise disclosure document.

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Master’s Choice Realty Inc. Bin Ji Lily Liu Formerly Independent

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Royal Properties Realty Ltd. Renuka Selvakumar Ram Anandappa Formerly Independent

ACE Realty Ltd. Rathees Paramalingam Sri Nadarajasundram

Hartland Realty Inc.

at Blue Realty Inc. Gerry Wayland Formerly Independent

Joseph Schirripa Formerly Coldwell Banker

Formerly Independent

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive Real Estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 416-786-5552 to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

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Each office is independently owned and operated. This advertisement is not an offering. The information in this mailing is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise; it is for informational purposes only. A franchise is offered in many jurisdictions only by delivery of a franchise disclosure document to you in compliance with applicable franchise sales laws.

Further, if you are currently affiliated with another franchisor, this material is not intended to offer a RE/MAX franchise or to solicit a change in affiliation.

14 REM MARCH 2016

Sales rep turns grief into ‘very cathartic’ work Carolyn Swinson combines her real estate career with her role as a national spokesperson for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. By Susan Doran

R

eal estate sales rep Carolyn Swinson has experienced the knock on the door that everyone fears.

In 1993, Swinson’s 27-year-old son Robert was killed by a driver with a blood alcohol level that was two-and-a-half times the legal limit. The night had been like any other, Swinson recalls; right up until the moment a police officer came to the door to break the terrible news.

Rob was the eldest of Swinson’s three children. Recently he’d moved into a house with friends. It turned out he’d been on his way that night to buy his girlfriend a Valentine’s Day gift.

Swinson recalls that the ride to the hospital in the back of the police car seemed never-ending.

The entire way she was hoping and

include lobbying for changes to impaired driving legislation, supporting victims and raising awareness, MADD helped Swinson and her family through the trial (and the subsequent acquittal on a technicality) of the woman whose car had killed Robert.

Swinson soon became a victim services volunteer and advocate for MADD. Eventually she served as the organization’s national president (1999-2001) and as chair of the national board (2007-2009).

Now, besides being director of victim services for MADD’s Toronto chapter as well as MADD’s regional director for Ontario East, Swinson remains on the organization’s national board and is a spokesperson who, as she puts it, “does a lot of stuff with the media.”

“With a big part of MADD’s mandate being lobbying for changes in the laws around drinking and driving, Swinson has had to learn that “it’s hard to get the federal government to change things.” praying that there had been a mistake. By a tragic coincidence, in a separate incident 12 years earlier, Swinson’s father was also killed by a driver who’d had too much to drink.

Inconceivably, Swinson’s family has been victimized twice by impaired drivers.

After her son’s death, Swinson turned to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for support. A national, volunteer-driven charitable organization whose mandates

Swinson has been in the real estate business for over 30 years and says that most of the time she manages to juggle her MADD volunteering with her job as a sales rep for Forest Hill Signature Real Estate in Toronto.

“I try to keep the two things separate,” she says. Although she doesn’t advertise to clients what she does with MADD, most of them know about it. Her brokerage has always been “incredibly supportive,” she says. She makes it

clear to the MADD contingent that there are occasions when she will be unavailable due to work pressures.

Clearly she has a lot on her plate...so much so that her husband tells her MADD should employ her, she says, laughing.

“I don’t like having down time,” she says. “I function better having too much to do rather than too little.”

Her real estate workload is eased by the fact she has a foundation of long-standing, loyal clients on whom she relies.

“Most of the work I do now is with them,” she says. “I don’t hustle for business like I used to when I was younger.”

As for her volunteer work with MADD, “it’s difficult to do but it’s been very cathartic,” she says. “I guess it puts some meaning to losing a child; something good has to come of it...Doing this, listening to people who have lost loved ones, having gone through it, I do know what happens to people and how they react. People appreciate that.”

Swinson wears many hats with MADD. For starters, “I spend a lot of time in court,” she says. (As a support, she helps impaired driving victims and/or their families write victim impact statements and navigate the legal system.)

As a MADD spokesperson, Swinson tells her story to everyone from students to impaired driving offenders. In the case of the latter, attending MADD presentations is generally a component of sentencing and rehabilitation.

With a big part of MADD’s mandate being lobbying for changes in the laws around drinking and driving, Swinson has had to learn that “it’s hard to get the federal government to change things.”

In 2012 after marching on Parliament Hill with other mothers, Swinson met and spoke with the federal Minister of Justice.

Currently she and other MADD advocates regularly lobby MPs to put in place such proven deterrents to impaired driving as mandatory post-crash alcohol testing/drug

Carolyn Swinson

screening for all drivers involved in serious traffic crashes; and random testing, which entails roadside breath-screening with every passing driver being breathalysed rather than only those who appear impaired. (In countries where this has been done, alcohol-related deaths have gone way down, says Swinson.)

Alcohol levels can be detected by breathalyser, “but there is no equivalent testing for drugs currently,” Swinson says.

However, “the RCMP says they have devices that work,” she says. “The federal government needs to give police the authority to use these devices.”

This is timely now that all signs point to marijuana soon being legalized in Canada.

“MADD will be involved in that discussion,” she says.

Her work with MADD has earned her many prestigious awards over the years, among them

the Governor General’s Caring Canadian award; awards from the City of Toronto and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and two Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medals.

Over a decade ago, Swinson’s volunteer work with MADD led to her becoming an early recipient of the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Special Community Service Recognition Award. This earned her a spot on an “honoured volunteers” plaque in the board offices.

Swinson says she is disturbed by the number of impaired drivers who continue to get off on technicalities, often managing to have breathalyzer results thrown out in court.

“Nobody should get off on a technicality,” she says. “As real estate agents we spend a lot of time in cars,” she adds. “That’s something I’m conscious of. Everyone deserves to be on roads knowing that we are sharing them with people who aren’t impaired.” REM

16 REM MARCH 2016

What must sellers and salespeople disclose? about the issue, they can be successful in taking legal action.

Buyers should be advised to conduct an insurance search against any property to see if a prior insurance claim was made by a previous owner.

By Mark Weisleder

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hat do sellers and salespeople need to disclose when selling properties? Here are four key lessons to remember: 1. Patent or visible defects do not need to be disclosed. If you can see a defect during a typical home inspection, it does not need to be disclosed by a seller. This can include a crack in a window, mirror or kitchen counter, a stain under the bed or damage to a wall behind a picture.

The lesson is to be more diligent when inspecting a property before signing any agreement in the first place. Do not be shy about lifting small appliances from the kitchen counter or area rugs and try to make sure all windows actually open properly.

2. Latent or hidden defects need to be disclosed by the seller.

Latent defects are defects that a home inspector could not see during a typical home inspection. If a seller knows about a material latent defect and does not disclose it, a buyer can sue the seller even after closing.

Examples include water damage that has not been properly repaired, whether from the roof or basement, smoke damage from a fire, mould behind the walls, underground fuel tanks or foundation problems. If a buyer can demonstrate after closing that the seller must have known

3. Psychological stigmas do not have to be disclosed.

Although the law is evolving, sellers do not have to disclose whether there has been a murder or suicide on the property or adjoining property or whether a pedophile lives on the same street.

As this will likely matter to most buyers, Google the property address to see if anything comes up, visit websites such as housecreep.com to see if there were any stigmas reported about the property and consider putting a clause right in the offer, whereby the seller represents and warrants that to the best of their knowledge, there has been no murder or suicide on the property. Sellers must respond truthfully to this statement.

4. Be wary of sellers who ask you not to disclose. In my experience, sellers who request that you not disclose something that you believe should be disclosed are the same sellers who will try and blame you for anything that goes wrong or try and avoid paying commission if they can.

In these circumstances, try to obtain written instructions from the seller’s lawyer for any matter that they do not wish to be disclosed and then also consult with your lawyer if you have any further questions.

Mark Weisleder is a partner, author and speaker at the law firm Real Estate Lawyers.ca LLP. Contact him at mark@realestatelawyers.ca or 1-888876-5529. REM

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18 REM MARCH 2016

Building by numbers in Jerusalem W

hen workers were tearing down buildings on Jerusalem’s Mamilla Avenue, they were careful not to destroy the masonry blocks. That’s because many of them were to be used again in reconstructing those same buildings on a new pedestrian mall.

To aid in the rebuilding of this jigsaw puzzle-like project, numbers were painted on each large brick. But as it turned out, these numbers didn’t just serve a practical purpose.

The Israeli-Canadian architect in charge of the project, Moshe Safdie, had set out to integrate the old architecture with the new. Many of the existing buildings dated from the 1800s. One day Safdie got the idea of an unconventional way to illustrate, in a public way, the preservation efforts that were being undertaken. Rather than have the numbers on the bricks hidden from view or sandblasted off after reconstruction, they would remain in place and be positioned outwards to become part of the structure’s façade.

The renovated Mamilla Avenue, completed in 2008, is now a popular open-air pedestrian promenade with 140 shops, (including high-end international chains and Israeli designer boutiques), cafes and restaurants

for about four years, it became a no man’s land, before immigrant families moved in and occupied the derelict buildings. At one time, at the end of the 19th century, the avenue was a fashionable district and now it has become so again.

Outside along the promenade, changing art and sculpture exhibits (most of which are for

By Diane Slawych sale) amuse passersby. During the summer and Jewish holidays, the mall hosts free concerts and street performances. At night, white lights strung above the promenade add a festive air.

Safdie is satisfied with the result and so, it seems, are many citizens and visitors.

In this project, it seems, all the numbers add up. REM Fashionable locals like to photograph themselves in front of one of the numbered buildings on Mamilla Avenue.

(Photo: Diane Slawych)

Numbers painted on blocks still remain on some reconstructed buildings on Jerusalem’s Mamilla Avenue to show the attention paid to preservation. (Photo: Diane Slawych)

on a 600-metre stretch near the historic Jaffa Gate.

Several of the low-rise buildings are completely new. Of the historic structures, about half a dozen display the numbered bricks.

They typically garner curiosity among visitors and sometimes serve as a graffiti-like backdrop for selfie-obsessed hipsters.

Perhaps one of the bestknown reconstructed buildings with numbered bricks on its

façade is the Stern House.

Originally a two-storey private home, it was built during Ottoman rule in 1877. The founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, lodged overnight here during his visit to Jerusalem in 1898. The structure now contains a bookstore, an outdoor cafe and a small museum.

Mamilla Avenue has a storied past. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, part of it lay in ruins. Then,

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Royal LePage Realtors® are some of the best in the industry, strongly supported by a national brand, with a culture based on community and collaboration, innovative technology, and outstanding leadership.

• Over 16,000 Realtors® and growing, connecting you from coast-to-coast • Proudly 100% Canadian • Work faster, smarter and more efficiently with leading-edge technology • The real estate brand consumers trust • Over 1 billion media impressions in 2015, 122.5% more than our closest competitor* • An iconic brand that generates access to more clients and business opportunities • #1 in almost 100 markets nationwide†

Choose Canada’s real estate company.

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Agent count, 2015. *In 2015. Measured across print and online media. This is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, including a solicitation of any sales representatives or broker that is currently under contract. All offices are independently owned and operated, except those marked as “Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage”, “Royal LePage West Real Estate Services” and “Royal LePage Sussex”. Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2016 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.

†

CONNECTED MOMENTUM INNOVATION CANADIAN NATIONAL TRUSTED REACH ICONIC

1

MAXIMIZE YOUR EARNING POTENTIAL

Royal LePage Realtors® are some of the best in the industry, strongly supported by a national brand, with a culture based on community and collaboration, innovative technology, and outstanding leadership.

• Over 16,000 Realtors® and growing, connecting you from coast-to-coast • Proudly 100% Canadian • Work faster, smarter and more efficiently with leading-edge technology • The real estate brand consumers trust • Over 1 billion media impressions in 2015, 122.5% more than our closest competitor* • An iconic brand that generates access to more clients and business opportunities • #1 in almost 100 markets nationwide†

Choose Canada’s real estate company.

# royallepage.ca/joinus

Agent count, 2015. *In 2015. Measured across print and online media. This is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, including a solicitation of any sales representatives or broker that is currently under contract. All offices are independently owned and operated, except those marked as “Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage”, “Royal LePage West Real Estate Services” and “Royal LePage Sussex”. Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2016 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.

†

22 REM MARCH 2016

Lighting return on investment

A WELCOME ADDITION TO OUR CANADIAN NETWORK The Coldwell BankerÂŽ r system is proud to welcome another new company to our Canadian network.The independent brokerage formerly known as Omax Realty has chosen to join the Coldwell Bankerr network. Our newest affiliate will service the Surrey, BC market and will operate as Coldwell Banker Universe Realty.

Broker/owner Jag Bhandari and his 250 sales representatives join the Coldwell Bankerr global network of 88,000 professionals in over 3,000 residential real estate offices in 44 countries and territories worldwide.

By Chris Seepe

A

ll real estate salespeople have (or should have) clients who own property, or they may own property themselves. The following is an excellent value-add to give to clients and prospects.

Whether lighting a single family home or the common areas of an investment property, the difference in electricity cost between LED, fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs is astounding.

It costs possibly six times as much to operate an incandescent bulb as it does the equivalent illumination (lumens) of an LED bulb. In this writer’s geographic area, a 60W incandescent lamp costs 15 cents to operate 24 hours while the equivalent LED bulb costs 2.5 cents.

Below is a detailed analysis of 30 lights left on 24 hours a day for 20 years. While that is likely not the case for a home, the cost ratio between the two lighting technologies should remain similar.

The spreadsheet with all calculations can be downloaded here: http://www.aztechrealty.

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“Our operation is entering an exciting new stage in its evolution.

Our strong market presence and experience, combined with the resources offered by the Coldwell Bankerr brand, will enable us to deliver an enhanced level of service. We’re excited about the potential for growth that comes with our new affiliation with the Coldwell Bankerr network.�

Jag Bhandari, Broker/Owner COLDWELL BANKER UNIVERSE REALTY Surrey, BC (604) 328-5511

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Email: jag-bhandari@coldwellbanker.ca

For a confidential conversation about franchise opportunities with the Coldwell BankerÂŽ system in Canada, call: Mark Lindsey, Regional Vice President, Franchise Sales, or Andy Puthon, President, Coldwell Banker Canada 1.800.268.9599

www.coldwellbanker.ca

Š 2015 Coldwell Banker LLC. All Rights Reserved. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker LLC. Each sales representative and broker is responsible for complying with any consumer disclosure laws or regulations. Any use of the term “sales associate� or “agent� shall be replaced with the term “sales representative� in Canada.

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The following is an excellent value-add to give to clients and prospects. com/led.xlsx. Plug in your own numbers (light colours are inputted; dark are calculated).

The table doesn’t factor in procurement and maintenance costs.

Based on average lifespans, an incandescent bulb is replaced 29 times for every one LED bulb.

Many municipalities, for example, have been replacing traffic signal lamps with LEDs. Incandescent bulbs convert a lot of electrical energy into heat (infrared radiation) whereas LEDs don’t produce such heat. This makes LEDs useful for specialty applications like illuminating food, textiles and combustibles.

However, LEDs do produce heat at the semiconductor level so internal heat sinks must properly manage this. LEDs are also much more environmentally friendly, containing no mercury and usually no lead.

LED bulbs cost arguably three to six times more than an incandescent bulb but this acquisition cost is small compared to their lower energy consumption, maintenance costs and other factors.

Electricity rates have a direct and material bearing on business case viability. With electricity prices forecasted to rise significantly every year (forever?) regardless of where you live, the business case for LED light bulbs just keeps getting brighter.

Chris Seepe is a commercial real estate broker and broker of record at Aztech Realty in Toronto, specializing in income-generating and multiresidential investment properties, retail plazas, science and technology related specialty uses and tenant mandates. (416) 525-1558 Email cseepe@aztechrealty.com; website: www.aztechrealty.com. REM

24 REM MARCH 2016

Pension plans for salespeople

A group of Realtors is petitioning CREA to launch a pension plan and REIT, and a new insured personal pension geared to real estate agents is being unveiled. By Don Procter “A major thing for real estate agents,” Zaza says, “is disability and health protection, which is inflation-adjusted annually.

You are guaranteed growth, safety and control because it is in segregated (not mutual) funds.”

Zaza says his iPPP can offer clients 10 times as much health and life insurance as is available from traditional policies and there are no setup charges. His management fee (one per cent) is only for managing RRSPs, which are rolled into the taxfree iPPP.

T

alk is turning to action on the pension front as the province of Ontario just announced details of its Ontario Retirement Pension Plan to launch in 2017. In the February issue of REM, details about the new Personal Pension Plan tailored to business owners and incorporated professionals were discussed.

On other fronts, an insured personal pension plan (iPPP) is set to make an appearance (the first of its kind geared to real estate agents). In addition, a group of Realtors is petitioning CREA for a pension for its members and a real estate investment trust (REIT) representing the more than 100,000 members in the profession across Canada.

Toronto-based financial consultant James Zaza, president of Zaza Financial Group, teamed up with insurance companies to create a proprietary iPPP for self-employed people – in this case real estate agents who can’t take advantage of

incorporated tax benefits that real estate brokers get through their personal pension plan.

The plan offers tax-free growth on investments, tax-free income during retirement (with no set retirement age) and taxfree money to their heirs, says Zaza, who says his company is the largest income replacement health care broker for the real estate industry in the Greater Toronto Area.

“For anyone struggling in this industry, it might just give them that edge they need,” he says. The self-directed plan is open to any age and has no minimum income requirements.

“If you go a period of time without any income or you take a sabbatical from the business, the plan is flexible: you can take the plan with you wherever you go because it is an insurance contract and you own it,” says Zaza.

The drawbacks are few, benefits many, he says. For example: •

flexible

tax

sheltered

contribution from zero to $100,000 annually, comparing favourably to RRSPs (up to only about $25,000) and tax free savings accounts that top out at $5,500; • interest on money borrowed for a pension plan is tax deductible; • loans for pension investment are tax deductible; • RRSPs rolled into the pension plan are tax free; • defined as an insurance contract, it is not subject to Canada Revenue Agency audit; • tax-free withdrawal; • contributions are not related to income;

The financial consultant has partnered with lawyers experienced in pensions and tax law, and he will be marketing the plan through seminars presented at broker offices and through contact with individual agents.

Zaza says he created the iPPP in concert with the insurance industry to make sure “it was compliant, acceptable, doable and sustainable.” His firm also offers the PPP for incorporated businesses with fewer than five employees.

Pension plan petition: On another front, a group of Realtors has formed a nonprofit association called United Real Estate Agents of Canada (UROC) to lobby CREA and the Ontario Real Estate Association to create a REIT and a pension plan.

• if the contributor dies, the beneficiaries receive tax-free payout; • no forced withdrawals at 71; • no pension adjustment on foreign income benefits;

The group hopes to take the petition for a pension plan to CREA and OREA this spring with the signatures of 5,000 Realtors, says Pat Javdan, one of the founders of UROC and a broker at Re/Max Right Choice in Toronto.

• it is not income-tested for clawbacks such as CPP and other income sources.

Once CREA is on board, he says, a pension plan task committee will be formed to

follow up with Canada Revenue Agency regulations.

While some Realtors make a good income from the profession, the majority don’t, says Michael Sobhi, president of UROC. At the same time, Canadian Realtors are paying more than $40 million in dues and fees annually, he says.

Some of the money could kickstart the pension plan or REIT initiative, he says.

The REIT would represent the more than 100,000 members in the profession in Canada.

Each Realtor – a shareholder in the REIT – would make a commission for buying and selling for the REIT and would receive profits, based on the number of shares they held, says Sobhi.

Javdan says that currently developers use commission as a motivator for sales. Commission rates are set according to supply and demand. The downside for Realtors is that developers use their own staff for sales when the market is strong.

He says for the REIT to generate profit, the corporation should develop and build condos and commercial projects before it buys investment properties.

Unlike the insured personal pension plan structured by Zaza Financial Group, Javdan says UROC’s mandate is to create a pension plan based on collective action – much like the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

He says the rules and regulations of the REIT and pension plan will be finalized by a future panel consisting of UROC, CREA and OREA in accordance with Canada Revenue Agency guidelines.

The petition can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/hhu5e2x. REM

26 REM MARCH 2016

Calgary’s Wasim Elafech is world’s No. 1 Century 21 agent Canada claims nearly half of the top Century 21 offices globally Wasim Elafech of Century 21 Bravo Realty has been named the No. 1 Century 21 producer in the world by units.

Century 21 operates in 78 countries with more than 100,000 sales professionals working in 6,900 offices. Century 21 Canada members topped global charts with their sales results in 2015.

In the Global21 multi-branch rankings, Century 21 Leading Edge Realty in Markham, Ont. finished fifth. In 12th place was Century 21 Heritage Group in

Thornhill, Ont., while Century 21 Percy Fulton in Toronto was 19th.

In the single-office rankings, Century 21 Percy Fulton was third, followed by Century 21 King’s Quay Real Estate, Markham in fourth; Century 21 Coastal Realty, Surrey, B.C. in seventh; Century 21 Leading Edge Realty in eighth; Century 21 People’s Choice Realty, Toronto in ninth; Century 21 Miller Real Estate, Oakville, Ont. in 12th; Century 21 Atria Realty, Richmond Hill, Ont. in 13th; Century 21 First Canadian, London, Ont. in 14th; and Century 21 Bamber Realty, Calgary in 15th.

The team rankings were:

2015 Election of Directors

Call for Candidates

NOW OPEN

Wasim Elafech

Goodale Miller Team, Century 21 Miller Real Estate, second; The Stephen Tar Team, Century 21 Leading Edge Realty, 11th; The Sylvia Houghton Team, Century 21 Leading Edge Realty, 13th; and The Sean Roland Team, Century 21 Percy Fulton, 18th.

In the individual category, Ken Yeung of Century 21 Leading Edge Realty finished fourth (by production) while Michael Melnychuck, Century 21 A.L.L. Stars Realty, Edmonton was 11th by production.

From coast to coast, Century 21’s top salespeople received the red carpet treatment at gala and awards events recently. The annual national tour brings together

business for 23 years in the Alberni Valley Dave Koszegi and The Dave Team of Re/Max of Nanaimo, B.C. recently won an award for real estate excellence at the 2016 Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards.

Koszegi has been in the real estate business for 23 years in the Alberni Valley and maintains a 25 per cent market share, says a story in the Alberni Valley News.

He has a Global Marketing Agent designation and was a recipient of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Realtors Care Award.

REM

Dave Koszegi presented with business excellence award in Nanaimo Koszegi has been in the real estate

Individual 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. Wednesday April 1, 2015.

Three Industry Directors will be nominated and 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 Email: election@reco.on.ca

▪

top Century 21 producers, teams, offices and companies to celebrate their success and network. The gala was hosted in seven local markets including Vancouver, Moncton, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary early this year.

“Building relationships drives success in real estate. That’s why it’s always been so important in our eyes to ensure senior leadership visits each market to recognize and shake hands with as many of our members as possible.

We hold these events every year to show our appreciation for the incredible work they do,” says Martin Charlwood, vice chairman and CEO. Charlwood, executive vice president Brian Rushton and founder and executive chairman U. Gary Charlwood were at select locations to present the awards.

Dave Koszegi

RECO is also accepting candidate profile videos.

To learn more or to download the Nomination Form, visit www.reco.on.ca.

UR O Y K MAR NDAR CALE

tions a n i m 0 No Feb. 2 n a g be

Real Estate Council of Ontario ▪ www.reco.on.ca ▪ https://myweb.reco.on.ca ▪

REM MARCH 2016 27

What is the perfect listing?

By Dan St. Yves

S

ome salespeople enjoy a good challenge when it comes to marketing a property. Give them an encroachment on to federal land, a condo building missing parts of the roof…heck, even a Hell’s Angels clubhouse infested with termites.

No matter what, certain agents have a gift for making problem properties palatable.

The average salesperson, however, or a fresh-faced rookie just starting out might prefer their properties a little more on the swiftly salable side. A cream puff, so to speak.

What are the attributes of these mythical properties? What makes one home more marketable than another? Is there even such a thing as a “perfect listing?”

Let’s consider a few scenarios, entirely fabricated from thin air (my imagination): 1) You’ve been called over by a potential client to do a listing presentation for their home – a waterfront property facing glorious sunsets in the evening, with a large yard that offers privacy and tranquility. Is this a perfect listing? a) Yes! There’s only so much waterfront property available and prospective purchasers will stampede over one another to be the first to make an offer on this home. b) Maybe. Depending on how close you can get the homeowners down to a salable list price, you may go bankrupt spending advertising dollars on their “rare and precious commodity”. c) No! It’s not often you see a sewage processing lagoon so close to an airport, but this home next to

the main runway also has the misfortune of methane-producing cattle grazing right beside it. Pack up your briefcase and run for the hills!

2) You’ve been called over by prospective clients to do a listing presentation on their darling little cottage outside the city. This recreational property is in a beautiful resort area that is indeed in very high demand. Is this a perfect listing? a) Yes! They just don’t make land anymore, so if interested parties want to have their own little slice of recreational heaven, they’ll pay dearly for it! b) Maybe. There were some rumblings among the rural councillors that there might have to be a one-time levy somewhere around 1,000 per cent of property values to offset the losses from the 25-year embezzlement of homeowner fees. c) No! The recreational property has recently been purchased

by Donald Trump’s casino division, and his plans are to raze the surrounding pristine woodlands to relocate his shuttered Atlantic City Taj Mahal project, along with a long-planned monument to himself, resembling The Statue of Liberty with a blond comb-over and sneering scowl. But two times taller than the original.

3) You’ve been called over by potential clients to do a listing presentation for their home – an average home in an average area, and they HAVE to sell. Is THIS a perfect listing? a) Yes! Finally, something that everyone wants, that will likely be priced to sell quickly. Make sure they press hard, there are three copies! b) Maybe. Sell it quickly, before seller’s remorse has a chance to set in, and sink your listing ship. c) No. They sold it privately to their neighbour while you were on the drive over. Curse those overthe-fence chats!

Humour columnist and author Dan St. Yves was licensed with Royal LePage Kelowna for 11 years. Check out his website at www.nonsenseandstuff.com, or contact him at REM danst.yves@hotmail.com.

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28 REM MARCH 2016

Mortgage brokers: Is bigger really better?

By Lorne Collis

T

he mortgage industry is still buzzing from the announcement a couple of months ago that Dominion Lending Centres has purchased Mortgage Architects, making it the largest mortgage originator in Canada.

Quoting from a recent REM article, “Dominion Lending Centres (DLC) says it is now the largest mortgage originator in Canada after acquiring Mortgage Architects from Pacific Mortgage Group. DLC now owns three

brands (Dominion Lending Centres; Mortgage Centre Canada and Mortgage Architects) and it plans to continue operating all of them. It says the DLC group of companies will now reach close to 40 per cent market share, with a combined $32 billion in annual mortgage volume, translating to more than 100,000 individual mortgages per year. With the addition of Mortgage Architect’s 1,287 mortgage brokers and agents, DLC now has more than 4,800 accredited mortgage professionals in the three companies.”

What effect will this have on consumers? Probably none.

The biggest fallacy in the mortgage industry is that your “brand” is what makes you different. Any mortgage broker who thinks they are in the business of selling mortgages is in for a rude awakening. In

Ontario alone, there are over 12,000 registered mortgage brokers and agents. What sets them apart?

It is not the logo on their business card. It is their attitude.

Mortgage brokerage is a service industry. If you can’t sell yourself, it doesn’t matter what logo is on your card, or what mortgage products you have access to, you will not be successful over the long term.

This doesn’t mean there is no benefit from this merger. DLC brokers may command higher commissions from the lenders, based on the combined volume of business generated. Some brokers may use these higher commissions to buy down rates to the benefit of their clients. (Some, but not many!)

The one place where the consumers may benefit is from better

educated mortgage professionals.

DLC is well known for its quality education and training programs.

Brokers who already recognize the importance of professionalism will gravitate towards further selfimprovement. This will benefit the consumer by providing expert advice and guidance in the areas of personal finance, and not just product selection.

As rates begin to rise (everyone has been predicting it for years.

Sooner or later someone will be right), the ability to make your clients feel comfortable with the choices they are making will provide a solid base of satisfied clients.

They will refer their friends and neighbours in the future, the cornerstone of longevity in an industry that has, too often, been driven by rates.

The mortgage professionals

Are you a salesperson or a service provider?

“Everyone lives by selling something.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

By Ross Wilson

W

hat do you do? It’s a common inquiry. You could say you’re a human being that lives, loves and grows, or a human doing that subsists and struggles for survival. However, to elicit such an esoteric response isn’t the usual reason for such an innocuous inquiry. From a more pragmatic perspective, how would you reply?

You’re registered as a salesperson or broker, but what exactly is a salesperson? Actually, as a species, since we’re always selling ourselves to survive and procreate, to meld into society, it could be said that with varying degrees of success, absolutely everyone on the planet is involved in sales.

Now, here’s something else to ponder; who actually sells real estate? If you believe you do, then technically, you’d be wrong because only owners (or mortgagees) have the legal right to sell their property.

A seller sells and a buyer buys.

Notwithstanding government legislated designations, you undertake the responsibility to represent those needing skilled disposition and acquisition services.

Clearly, just like a building contractor, lawyer, doctor or auto mechanic, you’re paid to perform a service. And rather than guaranteed compensation based on an hourly rate or flat association-established fee schedule, you’re normally paid a percentage commission on the successful completion of service. So, what exactly are you – a salesperson or a service provider? As inferred earlier, I submit that you’re the latter. If a lawyer or doctor were compensated only on successful completion of their undertaken task (as some litigators are paid), could they also be considered salespeople?

This would normally not be the case, but not because they’re paid by the hour or by a flat fee. Doctors are service providers and presume they’re correct in their diagnosis, but nowadays, increasingly must convince – or sell – their patient on the accuracy of their medical assess-

ment. Lawyers must argue – or sell – a judge or jury to prove their postulations are correct. Because we provide a valuable service, maybe the norm for our industry should be to offer clients a flat fee or hourly rate in lieu of a percentage commission fee.

Merriam-Webster defines a salesperson (paraphrased) as one who “sells merchandise or services, either in a shop or by canvassing in a designated area.” It defines selling as “delivering or giving up property to another in violation of duty, trust or loyalty and especially for personal gain, for something of value, especially foolishly or dishonourably, to exact a price for, to give into the power of another, to deliver the personal services of for money, to dispose of or manage for profit instead of in accordance with conscience, justice or duty, to impose on or cheat, to cause or promote the sale of something or to influence or induce to make a purchase.”

Well, I don’t know how you feel about this definition, but little of it fits with my self-image. If for no

other reason than self-respect, you must not think of yourself as such.

I’m repulsed by the preconception of the stereotypical deceptive, aggressive, greedy manipulator as commonly depicted in the media.

Think about how you felt when you were last gently persuaded to buy. If the sales rep was pushy, you probably quickly took your leave. To accurately determine your wants and needs, did they ask sensitive questions? Did they patiently listen, or in an attempt to coerce you, simply talk at you while extolling the many virtues of their product? Did they honestly explain things, offering valuable information and alternatives? If they showed sincere interest in fulfilling your needs and presented the right product or service, you bought. Right? However briefly, they became a trusted fulfillment specialist.

Maybe the official designation of “salesperson” is a misnomer. Perhaps our industry’s regulators should amend the act to more accurately designate a real estate practitioner as a “property transition facilitator”,

working for the DLC group will benefit from the confluence of technology, the improved marketing opportunities (lest we forget Don what’s-his-name), the potential for exclusive (or whitelabel) mortgage products and the bragging rights to working for the largest mortgage originator in Canada (until the next sale or merger). Should they choose to share their wisdom and newfound flexibility with their clients, everyone wins from this merger. If it is just business-asusual, is bigger really better?

Only time will tell.

Lorne Collis is a retired consultant to the mortgage broker industry. Over his 45-year career, he worked as a mortgage broker, mortgage lender, association executive, event manager, author and educator. REM “realty service specialist” or “home marketing consultant”; maybe even the more generic “realty agent”.

With the gradual implementation of higher educational requirements and increased focus on professionalism, maybe we need a more professional handle.

A realty agent is a consultant who usually performs the role of agent in the field of real estate marketing, negotiation, acquisition and disposition. Expert knowledge, experience and various related skills, not to mention expensive tools and overhead, all contribute toward efficiently calming the potentially challenging waters of real estate trading.

Thus, you deserve better and more accurate recognition. Though unlikely to occur anytime soon, it’s time that our realty designation matched reality.

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30 REM MARCH 2016

R

ick Miron, the new president of the Association of Regina Realtors (ARR), says consumers shouldn’t panic over slowing real estate sales.

“People are concerned sales are dropping. They have somewhat, but nowhere near what’s happening in Calgary. We’ve had a blistering, robust last six or seven years.

So, we’re just going back to more of a normal market,” he says. Regina sales dropped seven per cent in 2015.

“Regina and outlying areas have grown, and with more people

come more listings. But when you really zone it down to certain areas, there may not be that much product. Saskatchewan is not forecast for an economic slump and, as long as we have people coming into our province, which we do, I would encourage everyone to be patient,” he says. “Don’t get worked up about whatever you hear in the media. Continue with life.”

Born and raised in Regina, Miron spent 19 years in the restaurant business before becoming a Realtor in 1994. Along with fundraising for many community

organizations over the years, Miron has volunteered on ARR since 2013 and prior to that on several board committees.

A Realtor with Re/Max Crown Real Estate, Miron will serve as ARR president for one year. Joining him on the 2016 ARR Board of Directors are president-elect Jason Cossette, Re/Max Crown Real Estate; pastpresident Tim Chicilo, RealtyOne Real Estate Services; Darren Bostock, Global Direct Realty; Karin Wees, RealtyOne Real Estate Services; Tim Otitoju, Platinum Realty Specialists; Peter Fourlas, Royal LePage Regina Realty; Vicki Pantelopoulos, Global Direct Realty; and Margarita Parisone, Royal LePage Regina Realty.

Ian Johnston and Lane Boghean of Century 21 Dome Realty serve as past president and Regina Region director.

■ ■ ■

WinnipegRealtors has announced Stewart Elston as its 2016 president. He takes over the position from outgoing president David MacKenzie. Elston becomes WinnipegRealtors’ 113th president and will lead the 1,850 member organization.

“We are always looking at new tools and more effective practices to make the selling and buying process smoother for our members and their clients,” says Elston.

“For example, we have assurances from the Manitoba Securities Commission that electronic signatures will be accommodated for real estate transactions in the new Real Estate Services Act Regulations when they are completed. Our members will be prepared for such an evolution.”

Elston has been licensed as a salesperson for nine years and another six years as an alternate broker for Realty Executives Premiere. He focuses exclusively

on residential real estate and sells both resale and new homes.

The 2016 WinnipegRealtors Board of Directors also include: Blair Sonnichsen, president elect, Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate; Chris Dudeck, treasurer, Coldwell Banker Preferred Real Estate; David MacKenzie, past president, Sigmar MacKenzie Real Estate Services; Josh Nekrep, SDEC chair, Century21Carrie.com; Jennifer Berthelette, SDEC chair elect, Cornerstone Properties; Stephen Sherlock, Commercial Division chair, Cushman & Wakefield Winnipeg; Ken Clark, Realty Executives Premiere; Dana Downey, Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate; Michael Froese, Royal LePage Prime Real Estate; Rena Prefontaine, Century21Carrie.com; and Catherine Schellenberg, Re/Max Professionals.

■ ■ ■

Rick Miron

TREB’s Market Year in Review & Outlook Report was released at an event in January.

Shelley Peebles held her first family dinner thanks to Manitoba Tipi Mitawa.

Stewart Elston

A grant from the Manitoba Real Estate Association Shelter Foundation helped ease the transition to Canada for this family from Halab, Syria. (Photo: Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council) Scott Veitch

The 2016 Chatham-Kent Association of Realtors Board of Directors: Back row, from left: vice president Steve Carroll, Tricia Weese, past president Ron Smith, Kevin Roocroft, Jeff Campbell. Front row: president Barb Phillips, president elect Kristi Willder, Judy Kovacs, Rick Shepley.

Kevin Wouters

REM MARCH 2016 31

The Board of Directors of the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Insurance Corporation in B.C. has elected Scott Veitch as chair of the board.

Veitch is the managing broker of Century 21 Veitch Realty in Creston, B.C. and has been active in the real estate industry for more than 31 years. He is past president of both the Kootenay Real Estate Board and the B.C. Real Estate Association. He was also an officer with the Real Estate Institute of B.C. and was the recipient of the 2009 RI Award of Excellence.

Real Estate Errors and Omissions Insurance Corporation provides mandatory errors and omissions insurance to real estate licensees in B.C. ■ ■ ■

The Manitoba Real Estate Association Shelter Foundation has provided a grant to Welcome Place in Winnipeg, which is currently housing refugee families from war-torn countries around the world. The grant was used to purchase kitchen supplies, dishes, utensils and cutlery for a newly arrived family.

The family was staying in a temporary one-bedroom Welcome Place apartment while learning the basics about life in Canada. In previous years, foundation grants have funded bunk beds, bedding and other household items for refugees making the quick transition from temporary to independent living in Winnipeg.

They arrived Dec. 20 and moved out of the apartment Jan. 15 and into their own apartment.

■ ■ ■

In January the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) launched its inaugural Market Year in Review & Outlook Report at a broker breakfast with more than 300 guests in attendance, including GTA Realtors, public office holders and individuals from many different sectors including financial services, business, building, notfor-profit, information and research.

Benjamin Tal, CIBC World Markets deputy chief economist, gave an overview of global economic conditions and how they relate to Canada, including a discussion of how economic trends in the year ahead will impact the real estate market.

Jason Mercer, TREB’s director

of market analysis and Sean Simpson, vice president, Canada, Ipsos Public Affairs; presented a 2015 year in review and 2016 housing market outlook, punctuated by results from two TREB-commissioned Ipsos Reid surveys of recent and intending home buyers.

In looking forward to the year ahead, Mercer suggested that whether we have another record year or the best year on record will depend on two things: the direction of borrowing costs and the availability of listings. Simpson shared Ipsos Reid results that demonstrated first-time home buyers will represent a large share of transactions in 2016, suggesting that GTA households remain confident in home ownership as a long-term investment.

Bryan Tuckey, BILD president & CEO and George Carras, founder of RealNet Canada and president of RealStrategies provided the audience with a glimpse of trends in the new home market and insight on what it is like to build within today’s policy framework.

Tuckey highlighted the challenges faced by the new home industry in today’s land use and regulatory policy framework, while Carras demonstrated how new housing stock is getting smaller and more expensive, saying the future of the new home market will be “taller, smaller and more expensive.”

Finally, TREB CEO John DiMichele and TREB president Mark McLean discussed what makes the region great, and what it will take to continue to improve the region’s competitive position on the world stage in the future. They urged all stakeholders to stop thinking in silos and to work collaboratively to improve transit, public infrastructure, housing options and affordability.

■ ■ ■

The Association of Saskatchewan Realtors (ASR) announced that Kevin Wouters, owner/broker of Century 21 Prestige Real Estate in Prince Albert, has taken on the role of president for 2016.

Wouters has been a Realtor since 2003. Asked how he got into real estate, he says, “I had such a great experience when using a Realtor for a personal real estate transaction, that I joined my

Realtor’s office, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Wouters has volunteered at both the local and provincial level.

Joining Wouters as officers of the ASR are past president Ian Johnston of Century 21 Dome Realty in Regina and vice president Rich Jeanneau of Coldwell Banker Rescom Realty in Saskatoon.

New to the Board of Directors are Harpreet Christie of Re/Max of Lloydminster Barr Realty in Lloydminster and Travis Quiring of Royal LePage Varsity in Saskatoon. Returning directors are Shelby Wilk of Century 21 Broadway Park Realty in Yorkton, Teressa Mannle of Realty Executives MJ in Swift Current, Carmen Cartier of Icon Realty in Prince Albert, Lane Boghean of Century 21 Dome Realty in Regina and Cliff Iverson of Re/Max Crown Real Estate in Regina – the regional director for Saskatchewan for CREA.

A WELCOME ADDITION TO OUR CANADIAN NETWORK The Coldwell Banker® r system is proud to welcome a new company to our Canadian network. Bianca Myddleton and Danielle Hrasko, both from well established brokerages in the Greater Vancouver area, have chosen to start their own independent brokerage, operating as Coldwell Banker Marquise Realty.

These experienced professionals join our global network of 88,000 sales professionals in over 3,000 residential real estate offices in 44 countries and territories worldwide.

■ ■ ■

More than 130 Realtors and sponsors took part in the Chatham-Kent Association of Realtors (CKAR) Year End Members Meeting. During this celebration they installed the new Board of Directors for 2016 and gave Chatham-Kent Hospice a cheque for $2,600 through the Realtors Care Foundation. They also donated $1,300 in cash and more than 70 bags of groceries.

Barb Phillips is the 2016 president of the association.

■ ■ ■

Shelley Peebles waited her whole adult life to host a family Christmas dinner at home and last year her dream came true, after she purchased a home with down payment assistance from the Manitoba Real Estate Association and the Manitoba government.

Manitoba Tipi Mitawa is a First Nations homeownership program that assists off reserve indigenous families and individuals who meet stringent credit, job history and other requirements.

“It turned out great, lots of food and I managed to fit everyone, 20 in all, although it was little tight!”

Peebles says. In her dining room, she put three long tables together.

A friend loaned her an extra folding table and chairs and the family celebrated with turkey and all the REM trimmings.

“We’re excited about our new affiliation with the Coldwell Banker network and the growth potential it offers our brokerage. Our operation is based in White Rock and South Surrey, where we have established a solid reputation within the community, and are well positioned to grow our brokerage from that base.”

Danielle Hrasko dhrasko@cbmarquiserealty.com

“We’re looking forward to an exciting new chapter in our careers, as we launch our brokerage and leverage the systems and resources of the Coldwell Bankerr brand. We’re confident our decision will allow us to offer a compelling choice to other realtors looking for a new destination to further their own careers.”

Bianca Myddleton bmyddleton@cbmarquiserealty.com COLDWELL BANKER MARQUISE REALTY Surrey, BC (604) 535-SOLD (7653)

For a confidential conversation about franchise opportunities with the Coldwell Banker® system in Canada, call: Mark Lindsey, Regional Vice President, Franchise Sales, or Andy Puthon, President, Coldwell Banker Canada 1.800.268.9599

www.coldwellbanker.ca

© 2015 Coldwell Banker LLC. All Rights Reserved. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker LLC. Each sales representative and broker is responsible for complying with any consumer disclosure laws or regulations. Any use of the term “sales associate” or “agent” shall be replaced with the term “sales representative” in Canada.

32 REM MARCH 2016

In search of a great real estate manager Working as a real estate manager can be very rewarding, but it is not just a career choice. Being accessible after hours and on weekends makes this a lifestyle career.

By Don Kottick

I

f you ask any owner/managing partner of a real estate brokerage about the greatest challenges they face on a regular basis, the most common response is, “It’s so difficult to find a real estate brokerage manager and even more difficult to find a good one.”

In the past, the major brands used to conduct in-house management training programs for up and coming prospects, but with the shift to franchises these types of training programs have essentially been eliminated.

One of the few remaining management training programs is available through the Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC), on behalf of NAR, called the Certified Real Estate Brokerage Management (CRB) program.

Gareth Jones, vice president at REIC says, “Our FRI designation is much more popular, but we are starting to see more interest in the CRB designation as there are not many other options for a structured management training program.”

Working as a real estate manager can be very rewarding, but it is not just a career choice. Being accessible after hours and on weekends makes this a lifestyle career. The number of calls,

emails and texts a manager receives is directly related to the experience level of their salespeople.

Each request often has a sense of urgency and usually requires immediate guidance or direction.

If you manage a brokerage with a large number of part-time or inexperienced salespeople, you should expect your phone to continually ring during the evenings and weekends, if the salespeople are doing business. As a manager, you need to determine if you want to work for a full service brokerage with experienced agents, or work at the other end of the spectrum, which is the “warehouse style” company hiring part-time agents with recruiting volumes as their primary objective.

The ratio of agents/managers is also a good indicator for potential and existing managers, but also applicable for salespeople, to use when they are selecting a brokerage. For example, if a brokerage has 200 agents, with two managers (excluding “phantom managers” – admin staff with licenses masquerading as managers) – the ratio is 100:1. If the salespeople have reasonable productivity of five to eight transactions per year, then this would subjectively be considered a good ratio.

If the brokerage has 500 agents with two managers, with lower productivity, then the ratio is 250:1. In this scenario, the managers are probably over taxed and potentially overworked due to the inexperience level of the salespeople and the volume of support calls. A little due diligence on agent productivity levels is always a good idea before accepting a management position.

I asked some seasoned brokers

ing for a management position, we look for a passionate, empathetic, knowledgeable individual who works well on a team and communicates very effectively.”

Jack Fusco, manager at Royal LePage Your Community in Richmond Hill, Ont. says that “the reputation of the brokerage is tremendously important. Ask around if you do not know. You should find out about the turnover rate of their management team. If the management

A little due diligence on agent productivity levels is always a good idea before accepting a management position. and owners about the traits and characteristics of great managers.

Dianne Usher, senior vice president at Royal LePage’s Johnston & Daniel Division in Toronto says, “It takes a special individual to be a real estate manager, as you need to be a problem solver, a diplomat, a communicator, a mentor, but first and foremost a leader.”

Dave Peerless, owner/managing partner of Dexter Real Estate in Vancouver says, “A great manager cares about the people he or she works with and sincerely wants to help them succeed.

They treat their associates like partners with a goal of mutual success and provide mentoring and support in order to achieve positive results.”

Nelson Goulart, owner of Better Homes & Gardens Signature Service in Mississauga, Ont. says, “I love my job as a manager. One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is when, through coaching and mentoring, a salesperson exceeds their sales targets. In terms of hir-

team has a high turnover rate that usually signifies bad leadership at the top of the organization and probably some cultural cracks in the foundation.”

Fusco adds, “One of the most important reasons salespeople choose one brokerage over another is due to the knowledge level of the manager. While negotiating a deal, the salesperson wants to be able to reach the manager, but also feel comfortable that a solution to their question will be provided.”

The remuneration package for a manager varies greatly based on the experience level of the individual, the geographic region (urban versus rural), the reputation of the company, selling versus non-selling managers and the type of brokerage. The position typically includes a base salary with a bonus that should be objectively based, quite often with a focus on recruiting, retention and/or profitability. The bonus should be achievable and may include a “slight stretch element” used for motivational pur-

poses. Always be sure to put the remuneration package in writing to ensure that the clearly defined parameters are fixed to avoid any controversy.

What are some other questions you should ask about a brokerage before accepting a real estate management position?

• How many part-time agents versus full-time agents are registered? (speaks to quantity of calls) • How many agents will I be managing? (very important) • What kind of back-up support and coverage do I have? (speaks to workload) • Will I have legal support? (a requirement for those difficult questions) • Are there any minimum hiring criteria or do we just hire anyone? (speaks to the reputation of the brand) • Do you have any management training after I am hired? (speaks to culture) • Do I have any assistance with compliance related issues? (speaks to workload) • Will I be responsible for sales training? (speaks to culture) Real estate brokerage management can be an exceptionally rewarding and fulfilling career when you are with a reputable, ethical organization that has a solid track record of looking after its management, support staff and its sales team. If you have not considered this as a career option, it is definitely worth exploring further, because there is a big demand in the marketplace for a good manager.

Don Kottick, FRI, is executive vice-president, corporate development for Peerage Realty Partners, which is the parent company for Chestnut Park Real Estate and Baker Real Estate in Toronto.

Kottick is currently director at large for the Toronto Real Estate Board, a director for FIABCI and a national director for the Real Estate Institute REM of Canada.

REM MARCH 2016 33

Using managed lead services Will they help you get more leads online?

By Robin Wilding

M

anaged lead services take lead-generating tools and online-marketing strategies and put them into hyperdrive. They take lead generation to another level by adding quantitative intelligence through A/B testing and critical analysis.

What are managed lead services? They examine traffic levels and previous lead generation numbers to determine your leadacquisition percentage – and boost it through A/B testing.

This empowers agents who are doing online marketing efforts, such as pay per click, search engine optimization or Facebook

marketing, to make their existing marketing more productive through a higher conversion rate (the amount of people who visit your website and become a lead).

When you combine your existing paid online marketing numbers with this lead acceleration, you can get an improved lead-acquisition cost. Then you simply pour more gas on the fire.

Managed lead services include: • A/B testing • Traffic analysis • Lead summary and traffic report • Your lead vs. traffic acquisition percentage • Recommendations for improved lead-generation techniques What is A/B testing? It shows lead-gen form A to one visitor and lead-gen form B to another visitor. By showing two variations

Who should use managed lead services? They aren’t for everyone. of your lead-gen forms to different groups of visitors, you can test to see which one performs better. By continually improving these forms you can increase the number of leads you get.

As an example, form A may have a lead-acquisition rate of 1.25 per cent and form B 1.56 per cent. You would then continue with form B and test it against

other variations until you raise that percentage even higher.

Using an A/B testing strategy is critical to lead generation. It is the opposite of the “throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks� approach. It’s lead generation, done scientifically.

Who should use managed lead services? They aren’t for everyone. If you aren’t currently

engaged in online marketing efforts that bring traffic to your website, then leveraging these services would be like trying to squeeze blood from a stone.

These services are designed for salespeople and brokers who have websites with medium to high traffic rates (generally achieved through paid forms of advertising and marketing) and that have – or want – a lead-generation strategy.

Robin Wilding is the creative mind behind http://real-estate-websites.ca, a boutique real estate website company providing “differentiating-yet-laughably-affordable web solutions for agents across the country.� She says: “The company’s success is highly attributable to creating low-cost branded websites that highlight the personality of each individual agent. You’re unique; your website REM should be too.�

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34 REM MARCH 2016

Real Estate Technology Free app offers social media training Sombrero is a free mobile app that promises to turn every online marketing newbie into a professional.

“When you’re a real estate professional, getting new clients through online channels seems to be a great way to boost your local business. But where to start if you have no experience and a limited social media marketing budget?” says social media analytics company Sotrender, the developer of the app.

The answer may be Sombrero, which debuted on Google Play and Apple App Store last November. It offers Facebook, Twitter and Instagram training courses as well as a “specially designed and exceptional plan for starting out content marketing” with the effective use

Sombrero offers social media training

of a company blog.

The basic training plan covers such topics as content creation, branding and social media optimization, measuring data, customer service, target group and competition tracking. The tasks and hints are tailored to different goals, so you can work on either

raising the local community awareness of your business or finding the most efficient channels and ways of promoting certain properties, the company says.

For information: www.sombreroapp.com/

Core Assets introduces ‘avoid bidding wars’ button on website Core Assets in Toronto says it is the first real estate brokerage to launch an “avoid bidding wars” button on its website. The button will give buyers the ability to search for properties that are no longer holding back offers.

“In Toronto’s heated real estate market, this button will be extremely useful for buyers tired of competing and will allow them to find properties that may be still on the market after an offer date has come to pass,” the company says in a news release. “This feature is being released as a package of new theme-based searches available on the all-new coreassets.ca including “multifamily”, “fixeruppers”, “renovated properties” and “new build” search buttons.”

The website will also provide a series of filters it says were traditionally unavailable to the public including the age of the property, lot size, parking and more.

Adam Brind, the broker of record, says there is a void in the marketplace for a website that offers the general public the same type of searching capabilities available to agents. He says, “Our goal is to give our clients and the public a sense of transparency in the market.”

Century 21 unveils mobile-friendly website redesign After seeing that nearly half of the millions of monthly visitors to century21.ca were using mobile devices, the real estate website got a modern, mobile redesign on Oct.1. Since its launch, the site has

Martin Charlwood

seen a 70 per cent boost in mobile visitors year-over-year as well as a 10 per cent increase in total visits, the company says.

“We wanted to ensure an exceptional, effortless online experience for every home buyer or seller. In response to these demands, our Realtors can now create their own personalized, mobile-friendly website in just a few clicks,” says Martin Charlwood, vice chairman and CEO, Century 21 Canada.

As well as being accessible on any device, the new design offers: • A high-quality photo gallery.

• Simplified property information right at the top of listings.

• In-depth property features, map and directions, commute time and Walk Score are readily available in a simple scroll or click.

• Convenient buttons to contact, share, save and print stay top of page as visitors scroll.

• Visitors can get preapproved for a mortgage in just 15 minutes, right on the website, through sister company Centum Canada.

• Contact and property search are front and centre on sales reps and company websites, so consumers can take the actions they want, immediately.

• Website options such as blogs, social media feeds, eNewsletter signups and more.

Lone Wolf acquires Barcode Publicity New acquisition highlights education and training opportunities for real estate professionals Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies of Cambridge, Ont. has acquired technology and mobile web creator Barcode Publicity, which provides services under the Barcode Realty brand.

Barcode offers speaking, training and education services as well as a mobile application and IDX website solutions, which will be incorporated into Lone Wolf’s

Complete Enterprise Solution. It is a full-service platform supporting technology and tools for brokers and agents, the company says.

“Barcode and Lone Wolf teams will soon begin working together on an extensive review of the Barcode platforms to determine which features will be developed into the eco-system of technology and service offerings under the Lone Wolf umbrella,” the company says.

CityBlast teams up with RESAAS CityBlast, a social media marketing firm that connects agents with buyers and sellers through social media, is partnering up with RESAAS, a social network designed specifically for the real estate industry.

RESAAS is a network of more than 360,000 real estate professionals, “aimed at helping expand

their influence and money-making potential by connecting professionals with each other across the globe,” the company says.

CityBlast manages and promotes agents’ social accounts, helping agents passively generate leads while keeping their online presence looking fresh and up to date.

Working together has obvious synergies, the companies say.

CityBlast will now be available for purchase by RESAAS members. “This type of partnership is great news for anyone looking to kick start their real estate marketing this year and take advantage of new media to its fullest potential.

Plus we have plans to add more tools as we go,” says CityBlast cofounder Shaun Nilsson.

Real estate professionals can register with RESAAS for free.

CityBlast accounts come with a two-week free demo. For information: www.CityBlast.com and REM resaas.com.

Indoor air Continued from page 38

healthy seems to be the most natural: plants.

The most difficult thing about the results of the NASA study is that there is not necessarily one plant that is the best overall. You really have to consider all the plants recommended to determine which one best fits your situation. For example, all plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. However, some plants are specifically good at eliminating formaldehyde, others are good at fighting other harmful elements in the air. There are also other considerations such as the soil in which indoor plants are potted.

Some potting mixes have micro enzymes that remove benzene from the air. Other plants that do as well.

One the most important parts of NASA’s study, at least to pet owners, is the identification of which plants are toxic to animals.

You really have to look through the list to determine which plants are right for you and your lifestyle. If you are in a condo next to a major highway, I would think the one that removes benzene would be the most important. If you live in the country, perhaps another kind of plant would be the most useful.

I live in a co-op apartment in downtown Toronto so a quick look at the list tells me that English Ivy would be a good choice to eliminate formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and benzene. However, it is toxic for cats and I have one, so either I figure out a way to keep it way up high away from the cat or do not get one of these plants at all. There are many choices and many things to decide when looking through this list.

The greatest thing that NASA did with this study was to make it available free of charge to everybody. I am very grateful to them that in this day and age of trying to make profit from important information, they just give this away. Just Google NASA plants or look in Wikipedia under NASA Clean Air Study.

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

REM

REM MARCH 2016 35

Good Works T

his Christmas, the team at Sutton Group - Elite Realty in Mississauga, Ont. donated to the Salvation Army Christmas hamper program, contributing $1,150. That was enough to help more than four families in need.

Susan Meckiffe, broker/owner and Sandra MacTavish, administrator, co-ordinated the project for their office and delivered the cheque and food to the Salvation Army. Meckiffe said her colleagues “have proven that if everyone does a little, it can mean a lot.

I am going to keep this Christmas in my heart all year.”

■ ■ ■

The Team at Re/Max Centre City in London, Ont. donated $17,500 to London’s Children’s Hospital in 2015, bringing the bro-

kerage’s total contribution to the hospital to $303,000.

Broker/owner Carl Vandergoot says the Children’s Health Foundation is dedicated to raising and granting funds to support Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, Thames Valley Children’s Centre and Children’s Health Research Institute.

■ ■ ■

Sutton Group - Lakefront Realty in Vernon, B.C. was a sponsor of the inaugural Vernon Vipers’ First Responders Appreciation Night recently. More than 400 firefighters, paramedics, search and rescue workers, tow truck drivers, RCMP officers and fire water bombers enjoyed a free Vipers hockey game.

The game was a way to say

thank you to first responders and allow the public to interact with them in a social atmosphere. Beth Marks, a sales rep at Sutton Group - Lakefront Realty, took a leadership role in organizing the appreciation night.

“These brave individuals risk their lives to keep our community safe and we just want to say how much we appreciate their efforts,” says Marks.

The event also raised $600 for burn victims. Salespeople from the brokerage and their family members sold 50/50 tickets throughout the evening.

In response to a dire need in the region, the office also came up with the concept of the Warm & Fuzzy clothing drive, which is now in its fourth year. The team promoted the weeklong event, held a drive-thru and delivered items.

Announcement Congratulations RE/MAX Real Estate Centre!

RE/MAX Real Estate Centre has acquired two offices, previously operated

by RE/MAX Garden City in Burlington and Waterdown.

Wayne Quirk owns and has successfully operated RE/MAX Garden City, a multi-office brokerage, for three decades. Wayne has decided to focus his efforts on his flagship offices in St. Catharines and in Grimsby.

RE/MAX Real Estate Centre’s Broker/Owners Delio Oliveira and David Medeiros converted their office to RE/MAX twelve years ago. With this latest acquisition, RE/MAX Real Estate Centre now has 15 offices and over 670 Sales Associates.

Please join us in congratulating these Broker/Owners and wishing them continued success!

RE/MAX Real Estate Centre 766 Hespeler Rd, Cambridge, ON

■ ■ ■

Century 21 Infinity Realty in Oshawa, Ont. recently made a presentation of $8,605 to Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre.

The funds were donated by the brokerage’s sales reps on a per transaction basis. Hearth Place provides support services to cancer patients and their families. REM

David Medeiros (L) Broker/Owner

Wayne Quirk (C)

Delio Oliveira (R)

Broker/Owner

Broker/Owner

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552 to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

The team at Re/Max Centre City celebrates its $17,500 donation to London’s Children’s Hospital.

Announcement Welcome to the Team!

Harbinder Brar and Rick Brar are two high level producers, who with energy and enthusiasm have joined RE/MAX Realty Services Inc.!

Combined, they have nearly 15 years of experience in the real estate industry. They chose the RE/MAX brand as they wanted to be part of the market share leader, and recognize that RE/MAX has the global presence to enhance their current value proposition, giving them more exposure and experience.

Please join us in welcoming Harbinder and Rick, and congratulations on your decision to join RE/MAX!

The team at Sutton Group – Elite Realty donated $1,150 to the local Salvation Army.

Rick Brar (L)

Sales Associate

Sutton Group - Lakefront Realty took part in a first responder appreciation night. Back row, from left: Erika Belsheim, Marlene Belsheim, Mark Nichiporuk, Meisu Chang, Aaron Luprypa, Roel Van De Crommenacker, (Corine Van De Crommenacker is hidden) Debbie Steenkamp, Beth Marks, Tamara Cinnamon, Rachael Gaylard and Craig Gaylard. Front row: Jake Russell, Kim Hay, Dave Forai and Joe Forai.

Century 21 Infinity donated $8,606 to Hearth Place.

Harbinder Brar (R) Sales Associate

Realty Services Inc. 295 Queen St E Brampton, ON

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552 to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

36 REM MARCH 2016

Retirement planning must start now

By Lloyd R. Manning

T

he last thing on the mind of a busy real estate professional is planning for retirement. When a person is younger and aggressive, any thought of retirement is far down on the list of things to consider.

However, this postponement is often short sighted whatever your age. No matter how successful and career oriented you are, as age and time takes its toll, someday you must give it all up. Sooner than you think, you will join the ranks of the unemployed. Ready or not, you will be forced to retire.

Statistics Canada advises that 45 per cent of people enter retirement totally unprepared, financially and psychologically. The

baby boomers are the most common in this group. They do not know what to expect in retirement. Television advertisements are misleading. The problem is largely created by insufficient planning for this eventuality, or more often, no planning at all. As the median age of those in the real estate business is steadily increasing, preparing for the day when you will have to step out should commence now.

Resolving the myriad of personal and other issues that could arise will be more onerous if you are uncertain about your longer term objectives. The germane issues revolve about around the age at which you wish to retire, your retirement needs, spousal and family considerations, health issues and financial matters. In this, you must be pro-active.

Delaying could bring about unintended negative consequences.

Time is not always your friend.

The big question is “How much money will I need? Will the

The purpose of meaningful pre-retirement planning is to arm yourself with an understanding of what is feasible and what is not. money I have, cash in the bank, government pension, savings and all that I know for sure will be coming in last as long as I do?”

Financial preparedness is the assurance that you will have as much money coming in as is going out. If too much is going out, financial hardship will occur. In planning, allow for contingencies, changing circumstances and unexpected expenses.

There are many retired folks, not necessarily former real estate pros, who are in dire straits. They did no forward planning and didn’t save any money. It says in The Book of Ruth, “Gather here a little and there a little to provide for the infirmities of old age.”

This is wise advice. Many elderly people find that their money is insufficient to support themselves above the poverty level.

They must take on part-time jobs, or find income producing methods to supplement their limited government pension(s).

So far as I know there are no pension plans provided by real estate

brokerages. You are on your own.

The purpose of meaningful pre-retirement planning is to arm yourself with an understanding of what is feasible and what is not.

There are several paths you could take, each depending on how and when you leave the business. You need to make your plan flexible in case you change your mind about some important factor or unforeseen circumstances that may come along the way. It will provide you with an understanding, or at least an awareness of all of the options that are open to you that take into consideration your experience and intentions.

Select the appropriate time to retire. This governs the actions to be taken, the critical path of what you do first, second, third and the timetable. You must answer the question, how much money will I need to carry me from the date of retirement until the end? Where will it come from? How long will it be before the source dries up?

What is the possibility of me outliving my money?”

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The initial steps include: • Identifying your most important objectives.

• Bringing you spouse into the process. What you do during your retirement will affect your spouse as much as it does you. Ensure that she/he is in agreement with your intentions. You might include a trusted professional planner to render assistance and advice.

• Establishing a time line for entering retirement.

• Creating a strategy.

Formulating a critical path timetable.

• Developing a financial plan for yourself and your spouse, one that ensures a comfortable afterretirement living, considers contingencies and protects your estate.

• Addressing the legal and tax problems you could have.

Determining the best way to minimize income taxes.

• Developing a contingency plan.

• Considering all of your options.

• Expecting a major readjustment period.

• Getting your bills paid. It is vitally important that you enter retirement without debt.

• Remember! Retirement planning is not a single event. It requires time and effort.

Timing is all important. Lay out the ground rules while you are still working. Allow yourself sufficient time to get all of your ducks in order. Develop a written plan and leave some open spaces in it that you can later fill in if things change. Start now: not someday when it becomes clearly a do or die situation, or when, for some reason, you must move on. Far from being an end point, retirement marks a new beginning, a gateway to the next chapter in your life.

Lloyd Manning, AACI, FRI, CCRA, PApp is a semi-retired commercial real estate and business appraiser and broker who now spends his time writing for professional journals and trade magazines. He resides in Lloydminster, Alta. Email lloydmann@shaw.ca REM

REM MARCH 2016 37

Trade Shows and Conferences To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com

Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s Realtor Xchange Trade Show and Conference Monday, March 14 Vancouver Convention Centre West, Vancouver www.realtorxchange.ca Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington Realtor Connections 2016 AGM, Conference and Trade Show Wednesday, March 23 Hamilton Convention Centre Hamilton Sheila Sferrazza sheilas@rahb.ca or 905-5298101 x234

London St. Thomas Association of Realtors 9th Annual Realtor Trade Show Tuesday, April 19 London Convention Centre London Tracy Marino - tracy@lstar.ca C21 Insiders Conference May 3 - 4 Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Richmond Hill, Ont. Carla Ty – supplier.expo@century21.ca

Toronto Real Estate Board’s Realtor Quest May 4 - 5 Toronto Congress Centre Toronto www.realtorquest.ca C21 Insiders Conference May 5 - 6 Sheraton Cavalier Calgary Calgary Carla Ty supplier.expo@century21.ca Atlantic Connection July 26 - 29 Delta Prince Edward & P.E.I. Convention Centre Charlottetown www.atlanticconnection.ca/ 2016 Coldwell Banker Gen Blue Experience Miami Beach, Fla. Oct. 18 - 20

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

Multiple Listings Continued from page 6

high retention because we go above and beyond. That’s why the majority of our team has been here since day one.”

■ ■ ■

Century 21’s new Coaching Academy program aims to provide a proven system that incorporates expert guidance and effective tasks into their salespeople’s daily routine, the company says.

“The coaching academy doesn’t take time away from an agent’s busy schedule. It’s there for them while they work, providing and supporting the specific actions they need to take in order to grow their business every day,” says Martin Charlwood, vice chairman and CEO, Century 21 Canada. “It’s all about accountability and action. ” The program provides a coachon-call, an online daily activity tracking system, weekly coaching webinars, a daily motivational message and an online training library.

“This program shifts power from local market trends and

empowers agents with proven habits and skills for any situation,” says Rob Vivian, a C21 Coaching Academy presenter and sales rep.

“Down market, work with buyers in this way. Up market, work with sellers in that way. We show them exactly how to apply real estate’s basics in specific, scheduled tasks so they are continuously productive.”

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage is teaming up with Desjardins and National Bank to offer two Royal LePage clients in Quebec their first year without mortgage payments, up to a maximum value of $12,000. One prize will be granted to a Desjardins client and another to a National Bank client.

No entry form is required to participate. Consumers who have done business with a Royal LePage broker from Quebec in the search of their new property and who secure an approved mortgage from a Desjardins or National Bank mortgage representative during the contest period (between Feb. 1 and July 31) are eligible for a chance to win. The two grand prize winners will be revealed in September.

REM

38 REM MARCH 2016

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls ouses, condo units, apartments and office buildings are far more airtight than they ever were. So where we live and where we work need air management. Those needs have become greater than ever before. It could be argued that with so many computers, big screen entertainment systems and all the communication technology, many people are spending more time indoors than ever before.

It is a dramatic change from a time just 60 years ago when there were no condo buildings in our cities and very few apartment buildings. We used to have duplexes, triplexes and flat

MARKETPLACE

H

Indoor air management rentals. Those units are still with us, we just don’t have those words in our language as much.

Back in the day, the wind would whistle through many of these units behind rattling windows and poorly insulated walls.

This was before we used terms like thermal pane glass. This was also before the range and weight of pollutants in the air were as great a worry as they are today.

Today we live behind walls and doors that are so air tight they ironically are making the air inside as great a worry as it is outside.

We have a proliferation of machines now that claim to clean the air in our houses and offices.

There are also machines that generate things like negative ions in our air that allegedly give us good energy. All of this is on top of the machinery involved in cooling, warming and exchanging the air.

As much as people extol the

REM’s Dennis Rock retires ennis Rock has done many things and had many achievements in business. He worked for Canada’s largest advertising agency, MacLaren’s. He ran his own studio for many years with enviable clients such as Coca Cola and General Motors and then concentrated more on the marketing side of business to help us here at REM for the past 20 years.

Dennis has been in the advertising and marketing business for more than 50 years.

He could probably tell you first hand of some experiences like that depicted in the television series Mad Men. He can even tell you about the trials of working on the advertising side of Trudeau’s political campaign – Pierre’s, not Justin’s.

Dennis has never made a secret of his dreams to see the world. To that end he has achieved a good deal already, visiting Europe, the U.K., the Far East and even Antarctica. That may only be a small portion of what he is planning. To do more travelling, Dennis must first retire to find the time. And that is just what he has done.

We are going to miss him a great deal here at REM. The help he gave us all, the profound advice and the wise counsel he gave to everyone at REM will never be forgotten. The relationships that Dennis established with the who’s who of Canada’s real estate industry is a staggering list of people who became friends. Each person within Dennis’ circle of friends was more than a client; they were fellow souls in the real estate community. It’s interesting to note that many of them are retiring as well. It would not be surprising if some even travel with Dennis.

We wish Dennis well in his retirement and wherever the road may REM take him in the years ahead. – Heino Molls

D

virtues of all these air conditioners and air management systems, there are just as many people who express grave concern about the value of these clean air and coolant devices. Who are we to believe?

A quick search of the Internet revealed that there are some powerful scientific and engineering minds working on challenges of the air inside of our homes. I was astounded to find that a major study was undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Agency in the U.S. It makes sense when you think about it that there is a part of NASA that is concerned with the air inside an airtight environment. As in spacecraft. So what system did they come up with? What machinery do they recommend?

They concluded that one of the best ways to make the air Continued on page 34

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JAN LUISTERMANS 1.519.709.0702

Real Estate Representative, Realty 1 Strategic Real Estate Services Ltd.

YOUR LONDON ONTARIO CONNECTION 40% for referral

Syndicate your listings easily with Agent iFrame. $4.95/mo.

WE ARE HIRING EXPERIENCED REAL ESTATE MANAGER/TRAINER REQUIRED We are seeking a proven leader to help guide the Team to new levels of growth and success. Successful candidate will be responsible for recruiting, training and managing the daily operations of a high-volume, fast-paced office!

REQUIREMENTS: •

REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE

FOR SALE

• Award winning franchise brand • Located in Southern Ontario • Modern and professional office • Excellent high impact location with great visibility • Great office culture

Requests for information can be sent to: ontariobrokerageforsale@gmail.com

• • • •

Currently registered, & in good standing, as a Real Estate Sales Representative or Real Estate Broker Past management experience Experience conducting & developing real estate training initiatives Experience with RECO Computer skills

Please send resume to: jobs@darylking.com 9050 Yonge St., Suite 100, Richmond Hill ON L4C 9S6 OFFICE: (905) 907-5464 | TORONTO: (416) 987-5464 www.darylking.com | homes@darylking.com Find The Daryl King Team on Social Media

*The Daryl King Team consists of 43 registered Sales Representatives.

Not intended to solicit clients currently under contract with another Brokerage.

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1

As the world’s NO. 1 TRAINING ORGANIZATION2, we teach agent teams how to build and expand a business.

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1. Keller Williams leads industry with more top agent teams ranked by transactions, according to the 2015 REAL Trends “The Thousand” ranking. 2. Training magazine 2015 ranking.

ONTARIO - ATLANTIC

You’re invited to join Ontario-Atlantic’s top real estate agents at RE/MAX CONNECT! We want you to be in the “KNOW” in 2016! RE/MAX CONNECT will help you tune up your business and give you some tips to increase your productivity.

Keynote Speakers Ottawa – Maura Neill

“Doing Business the Nordstrom Way”

Mississauga – Imran Poladi “Creating Your Own Unique Value Proposition”

Dates/Cities 3/23 – Ottawa 4/27 – Mississauga 5/17 – St. John’s

St. John’s – Jared James

“Having a More Predictable Business”

Ottawa – Mississauga – St. John’s – Valerie Garcia “Dragons, Determination and The Dark Ages”

Tentative Agenda 8:30am Registration and Exhibitor Showcase 9:30am Program starts - Event Concludes with Lunch

Don’t miss your opportunity to CONNECT with agents from around the region, learn from our training team, and take some time to master the skills that will take your business to the next level!

Visit remaxintegra.com/connect for more information!