November 2010

Issue #257

November 2010

Brother Act

Richard and Alex Pilarski celebrate 25 years of Re/Max Realtron Page 14

Floating homes in B.C Page 48

The secret world of Canada Lands Page 12

4 moves in 4 years Page 56

Tranquilli-T provides RE/MAX Sales Associates with a major competitive advantage!

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REM NOVEMBER 2010 3

A primer on the CREA - Competition Bureau agreement Check the REM website at www.remonline.com for updates on this important vote

M

ore questions than answers greeted the September 30 announcement that CREA and the Competition Bureau have reached an agreement in principle regarding MLS access that may preclude the two organizations facing off in court in April.

Most Realtors have not seen any details of the proposed agreement, even though it is to be voted on at CREA’s annual fall Special General Meeting October 24 in St. John’s. Neither CREA nor the bureau are discussing details in public; in private, CREA executives have been hastening to present the agreement to as many boards and associations as possible prior to the October 24 vote.

CREA has given a number of reasons for its secrecy, as shared below. Both CREA and the bureau have provided responses to some of the questions REM and our readers have been asking since the announcement.

Although the substance of the agreement remains undisclosed – complete details apparently won’t be made public unless the agreement is ratified – here’s what has been released so far.

Why isn’t CREA making details of the proposed agreement public, or at least distributing those details to all CREA members for review ahead of its Special General Meeting (SGM) vote on October 24?

CREA – Georges Pahud, president: “The agreement with the bureau will only be final if the members vote in favour at the SGM. Until that time, the agreement is in escrow. In the event the agreement is not ratified, the litigation will continue its course, with tribunal hearings beginning in April... In the meantime, it is critically important not to publicly divulge details, since the agreement is not final and the litigation continues at least until the vote in

St. John’s.”

Is CREA sharing any information about the proposed agreement with its members prior to the SGM? Pahud: “We have started and will continue, where practical in the short time between now and the SGM, with detailed presentations to boards and ssociations regarding all elements of the agreement.”

What has CREA publicly stated about the proposed agreement?

While CREA’s executive is not publicly discussing the substance of the agreement, the association’s president did want to clarify a few points that he said had been misrepresented by some members of the media. “The agreement does not grant public access to the MLS system, it remains a member-to-member service,” says Pahud. “Moreover, it does not require brokerages to change their business models. The agreement specifies that boards and associations cannot prevent or discriminate against mere posting business models. CREA has always maintained its rules do no such thing.”

If the agreement is ratified

by CREA’s membership on October 24, how soon will it come into effect?

Competition Bureau – Greg Scott, senior communications advisor: “Following that ratification, the legally binding consent agreement will need to be registered with the Competition Tribunal. At that point, the agreement comes into effect...we are talking about at most a day or two, but it could be a matter of a few hours.”

If ratified by CREA’s membership, will this agreement become a Prohibition Order, similar to the one that the real estate industry had to comply with almost two decades ago?

Scott: “No, this would not be a prohibition order. It would be a legally binding consent agree-

ment. The agreement, if ratified, will eliminate CREA’s ability to adopt anti-competitive rules that discriminate against real estate agents who are hired by consumers only to list or merely ‘post’ a residential property on the MLS. When a matter is contested before the Competition Tribunal, the tribunal can order remedies, such as an order prohibiting a particular behaviour.

In this case though, if ratified, we will have a mutually agreeable resolution in the form of a 10year legally binding consent agreement.

If the agreement is not ratified by CREA members, what happens next?

CREA – Pahud: “The agreement with the bureau will only be final if the members vote in favour at the SGM. Until that time, the agreement is in escrow.

In the event the agreement is not ratified, the litigation will continue its course, with tribunal hearings beginning in April.”

Competition Bureau – Scott: “While we do not want to speculate about the outcome nor do anything to interfere with the ratification process, we will not withdraw our challenge to the Competition Tribunal until such time as the agreement is ratified.”

John Rook of Bennett Jones, CREA’s legal counsel, writing on behalf of both the Commissioner and CREA’s counsel, stated to tribunal Madame Justice Simpson that the bureau and CREA “have agreed that the current Orders of the Tribunal in this matter, particularly for the delivery of documents and for the hearing, will not be affected, unless and until the Consent Agreement is registered...(and) jointly request that the Competition Tribunal not take any steps to alter any existing plans in respect of this proceeding, pending further communications from counsel.”

The status of the tribunal

By Kathy Bevan

hearing is still listed as “ongoing” on the tribunal’s website, with the first week of hearings scheduled to begin in Ottawa on April 26, 2011. CREA was scheduled to serve some of its documents on the commissioner on September 30; on October 29, CREA is to serve the balance of its documents and the commissioner is scheduled to serve her documents on CREA. Why have CREA and the bureau reached this agreement in principle, instead of pursuing a legal settlement through the courts?

CREA – Pahud: “CREA has always been of the view that its rules regarding member board MLS systems do not in any way prevent or restrict a broad range of business models. In CREA’s view, the consent agreement reflects this reality and would avoid unnecessary and expensive litigation proceedings.”

Competition Bureau – Melanie Aitken, commissioner: “Since challenging CREA’s rules, the bureau’s goal has always been to achieve a long-term solution that would strengthen competition in the residential real estate brokerage services market. This resolution, if ratified by CREA’s membership, achieves this goal.”

Has CREA had enough time prior to the October 24 SGM to provide adequate notice to its members for a ratification vote to be held at that SGM? CREA – Linda Kristal, director of communications: “The Notice of Meeting is sent out 30 days in advance of the meeting.

Competition issues was one of the items on the agenda that accompanied the notice in September.

CREA’s rules provide for short notice of a matter, when required.”

Who will be voting on the proposed agreement at the SGM and how many votes will be necessary for ratification?

CREA – Kristal: “The member boards are the voting dele-

Melanie Aitken

Georges Pahud

gates at CREA meetings. They must be in attendance to vote, either through their own delegates or by way of proxy. The vote on the proposed agreement will be based on simple majority.”

What was the basis of the commissioner’s application to the Competition Tribunal that led to the scheduling of a hearing in April 2011?

As posted on the tribunal’s website, Aitken’s application to the tribunal alleges that CREA’s rules regarding MLS access are anti-competitive and “deny consumer choice and stifle competition” and block real estate agents “from offering innovative services and pricing options to consumers.” The bureau alleges that these rules are contrary to section 79 of Canada’s Competition Act, which forbids the abuse of a dominant market position.

Check www.remonline.com for updates. REM

4 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Christie’s hopes to expand in Canada Names new Toronto-area affiliate

C

hristie’s Great Estates has awarded affiliate status to Bayshore Realty in Mississauga, Ont., joining Harvey Kalles Real Estate as the second affiliate in the Ontario region.

Bayshore will exclusively represent the Christie’s brand in the Port Credit, Oakville and Burlington areas.

The official announcement was made recently at downtown Toronto’s Living Shangri-La presentation centre. The hotel and luxury condominium complex, now under construction, has a $16.888 million penthouse listing that is being handled by Donna Brookes, broker of record for Bayshore Realty.

Brookes says the Christie’s

affiliation “presents a great opportunity for homeowners to expose their properties to buyers from around the world.”

Christie’s Great Estates is the largest international network of real estate companies dedicated to the sale and marketing of luxury homes and is a subsidiary of Christie’s, a well-known art business. Christie’s clients who buy and sell works of art often request real estate services. To satisfy this demand, Great Estates, founded

by Kay Coughlin in 1987, was acquired by Christie’s in 1995.

The network includes more than 40 countries with 1,000 offices and approximately 34,000 brokers.

The company says admittance

At the official announcement of the affiliation of Bayshore Realty with Christie’s Great Estates are, from left: Neil Palmer, CEO, Christie’s; Kathleen Coumou, Christie’s vice-president; and Bayshore Realty’s brokers Donna Brookes and Michael L. Brookes.

OBITUARY

David Rossi W

ell-known Toronto real estate broker David Rossi died Sept. 17 after a battle with leukemia.

Dave Rossi had a distinguished career in real estate and was known as an expert on real estate ethics: indeed, he helped write the Real Estate Council of Ontario’s Code of Ethics.

In 2007, he was presented with the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President’s Award in recognition of the contributions he made to all levels of professional real estate in Ontario. He was a former director and honourary life member at TREB; former chair of the Ethics and Arbitration Hearing Panel at OREA and founding director and past chair of the Board

Cover photo: MARKO SHARK

of Directors of the Real Estate Council of Ontario. He was a broker at Re/Max Professionals in Toronto’s Kingsway area at the time of his death.

In a 2007 interview with REM’s Kathy Bevan, Rossi said that chairing the Code of Ethics Committee at RECO was “one of my most cherished roles, to actually develop with a group of very knowledgeable people, a Code of Ethics that lives on. It demonstrated that we wanted to be professionals, and that we were willing to do what it took in terms of a Code of Ethics and education.”

Rossi said another philosophy of his “is that there are two bottom lines in business: one is to make a lot of money; two is to enjoy the

journey. I’ve always concentrated on enjoying the journey, because when you do, the money comes.

And if you focus on making money, you may not enjoy the journey.

That’s what newer people don’t understand yet. There’s a lot of pressure on them to do a lot of presentations, get a listing, make a sale – but they have to enjoy what they’re doing.”

He was a big Toronto Blue Jays fan and posed for a baseballthemed photo on REM’s cover in 2007. His son Michael was team ball boy when the Jays won back-to-back World Series

Publisher HEINO MOLLS email: heino@remonline.com

Editor JIM ADAIR email: jim@remonline.com

General Manager JOHN COOPER email: john@remonline.com

Senior Editor KATHY BEVAN email: kathy@remonline.com

Director, Sales & Marketing DENNIS ROCK email: dennis@remonline.com Brand Design SANDRA GOODER

Art Director LIZ MACKIN Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY

Championships in 1992 and 1993.

Dave Rossi is survived by his wife, Aleksandra, and children Michael, Mathew and Joseph, and grandchildren Nicholas and Ava. The family has asked that donations in Dave’s memory be made to Princess Margaret Hospital, Leukemia Research.

On his website, Dave Rossi listed his 10 ideals that never go out of style, learned during his more than 35 years in real estate: • Relationships • Honesty • Dedication • Integrity • Follow-through • Knowing the territory and doing your homework • Paying attention to details • Troubleshooting problems before they occur • Striving for perfection - And most importantly…putting client’s interests ahead of your own.

REM

to the Christie’s Great Estates network “is offered by invitation only to those real estate companies with proven records of success in high-value home sales and who exemplify Christie’s traditional value of service. Once awarded affiliate status, brokers may then display the coveted Christie’s brand and use the proprietary marketing services of Christie’s Great Estates, which has successfully marketed high-value real estate around the globe for more than 20 years.”

Until the Bayshore announcement, there were only four affiliates in Canada – Harvey Kalles Real Estate in Toronto; Mont Tremblant Real Estate in Mont Tremblant, Que.; Profusion Realty in Westmount, Que.; and Sea to Sky Premier Properties in Whistler, B.C. Christie’s CEO Neil Palmer of London, England was on hand for the announcement. He told REM that Christie’s is hoping to increase its presence in Canada, particularly in Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa.

“We’re looking for long-standing companies with good reputations that are known for their client service,” he says. “We are highly selective.”

Bayshore Realty provides luxury residential, investment, commercial and industrial sales and leasing services to the communities of Oakville, Mississauga and Burlington. The firm also specializes in new development projects and offers clients tax consulting services. Michael L. Brookes, Donna’s husband, is a broker at the firm and is also a licensed paralegal. REM

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. Subscriptions are $40.95 per year (including $1.95 GST), payable by personal cheque. Entire contents copyright 2010 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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6 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Multiple Listings

By Jim Adair

Do you have news to share with Canada’s real estate community?

Let REM know about it! Email: jim@remonline.com

L

inda Smardon has been named broker of the Exit Realty Citadel office in Halifax. Franchisee Sterling Stephens says Smardon’s mandate is to co-ordinate and manage staffing, office transactions and systems. She is an 18-year veteran of the business who most recently served as the broker for a 100-agent office operation in the Dartmouth area. Smardon is past-president of the Nova Scotia Association of Realtors, where she was known for her volunteer work. Over the years she served on several task forces

and committees, and served on the Board of Directors and the executive.

■ ■ ■

Century 21 Professional Group in the Brantford and Brant County area of Ontario has a new broker/owner, Sean Bryant. He began his career in real estate 10 years ago, working as an assistant to Joan Griffin, the former owner of the brokerage.

“I knew that I wanted to own my own brokerage and I’ve been working towards achieving that

goal for the past few years,” says Bryant. The office specializes in residential and commercial real estate as well as farm and industrial real estate. It serves the Brantford and Brant County area, which encompasses the City of Brantford, Paris, St. George, Burford, Scotland and Oakland.

■ ■ ■

Dennis Irwin has been named manager of Coldwell Banker R.M.R. Real Estate’s Port Perry, Ont. office. “Dennis is a seasoned, award-winning Realtor with 28 years of experience in real estate sales and management,” says the company in a news release. “Having operated his own successful brokerage under the HomeLife and

Coldwell Banker brands and more recently as a broker with Re/Max, Dennis has personally sold millions of dollars worth of homes, farms, commercial properties, land and estates in the local market.”

He joins a team of almost 150 sales reps and employees serving Durham Region, the Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland with 10 offices throughout the area.

■ ■ ■

Dougal Shewan, president of Royal LePage Wolstencroft in Langley, B.C. has promoted Bridget Houghton to the position of general manager, and hired Doug Dyer as sales manager.

Houghton has been the sales manager since 1995, except for a short period when she was employed as the managing broker for a Royal LePage office on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. In February she was the recipient of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board’s John Armeneau Professional Award, which is given to a member of

the board who exemplifies professionalism and community commitment.

Dyer will also assume full responsibility as the managing broker. He started his real estate career with the company in 1987 as a sales representative. In 1993 he obtained his brokers license and continued his sales career as an associate broker. In 2003, Dyer moved to Campbell River as an associate broker with Royal LePage Advance. He has won several sales production awards.

■ ■ ■

Zian Alladina is the new owner of Century 21 City View Realty in North Vancouver, B.C. A UBC Sauder School of Business graduate, Alladina has four years of experience in the real estate industry. He has lived on the North Shore for the last 27 years and is heavily involved in his community. Century 21 City View Realty specializes in residential and commercial properties, investment and rental properties, as well as development real estate. It serves North and West Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, Whistler/Squamish and the Fraser Valley.

■ ■ ■

Linda Smardon

Sean Bryant

Matt Cappuccitti

Tim Novak

Re/Max reports that in the third quarter it had 28 franchise sales in Canada, a 16.6 per cent increase over 2009. In the U.S., franchise sales were up 36 per cent in the third quarter compared to last year.

Re/Max had 18 sales in the Ontario-Atlantic region.

Internationally, 21 franchises were sold in Italy, 18 in Israel and 16 in Australia.

■ ■ ■

Dennis Irwin

Bridget Houghton

Doug Dyer

Zian Alladina

Broker Alexandra Jardino recently joined Brekland Realty Group in Oakville, Ont. She’ll be representing her husband, Carlos Jardino, who builds custom-built luxury homes with his company, Project & Construction Management Inc. (PMC), and was the builder of this year’s Princess Margaret Welcome Home Sweepstakes show home. Jardino has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, focusing on investThe new offices of Sutton Group – Signature Realty in Streetsville (Mississauga), Ont.

Continued on page 8

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8 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Multiple Listings Continued from page 6

ment properties in Canada, Africa and Europe and on home building.

“We are looking forward to the growth of this partnership,” says Matt Cappuccitti, broker of record for Brekland Realty Group. He says he is “pleased to have such a reputable builder and salesperson as part of the Brekland team; it is partnerships such as this which will quickly make Brekland a household name.”

Brekland Realty Group was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Mississauga, with offices in Oakville and Milton.

■ ■ ■

Shirley Porter is the new managing director of Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. She has many years of experience in all levels of the real estate industry including leadership roles with the most senior brands in Canada and the U.S.

“The recent merger by Re/Max Premier added significant strength and opportunity in Vaughan, one of the fastest growing cities in Canada,” she says.

Gabriel Bianchi is president and broker/owner at Re/Max Premier.

■ ■ ■

The newest addition to the Streetsville, Ont. neighbourhood is an attractive 4,800square-foot property at 33 Pearl St. Inside the traditional brick, residential-style exterior, visitors to Sutton Group - Signature Realty are greeted with an inviting, modern décor. Broker/manager Peter Vukojevic says he is proud of the transformation.

Having outgrown the older bungalow-style building, broker of record Mira Tomljenovic and her partner, Debbie Cosic, started from the ground up. They had the old building torn down and, after more than a year under construction, the new space was completed at the end of June.

Recently the office’s 70 sales reps joined in celebrating the official grand opening.

“The boardroom is especially impressive,” says Vukojevic. “It features a beautiful chandelier and a stunning table that complements the décor and chandelier. There is also a flat screen TV mounted on the wall for laptop presentations. The communal agent office area is also very chic and functional, making the office as comfortable as home.”

■ ■ ■

Tim Novak has joined Avison Young as a senior advisor in the Toronto Leasing and Sales groups.

Novak brings to Avison Young 22 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, with a focus on office and retail leasing as well as building

NEWS, OPINION, TRENDS FROM AN INDEPENDENT AND

and land sales in the Downtown West and Downtown East markets. Committed to uncovering new and interesting spaces with “fringe” appeal, Novak started in the industry in the late 1980s with Locations Real Estate and, more recently, Cushman & Wakefield. The company says Novak helped pioneer new real estate options in areas such as Leslieville and, more recently, Dupont Street/Wallace Avenue, Lansdowne Avenue/Bloor Street West and Dundas Street West.

■ ■ ■

The Aventure Realty Network of independent brokerages continues to grow.

The latest member is Hanna Realty of Coquitlam, B.C., under the leadership of broker/owner Simon Ahn and broker Gary Crews. It has more than 80 Realtors.

Cirrius Realty Inc. of Hamilton, Ont. has also become a member of the network. Karen Filice is the broker/owner, serving the Hamilton/Burlington market with a full array of services including investment and new homes.

George McDaniel, broker/ owner, has brought Enter Realty to the network. Operating from

Simon Ahn

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offices in Hammonds Plains, N.S., McDaniel “and a strong group of Realtors serve the Halifax Regional Municipality and bring a keen sense of service and local focus to their business,” says Aventure president Bernie Vogt.

“With these additions, Aventure continues to expand the reach of its members into hundreds of Canadian markets with 64 locations and over 2,000 Realtors,” says Vogt.

■ ■ ■

Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates has signed an exclusive 25-year master franchise agreement with Nella Ponce Realty Peru SAC to develop the Sotheby’s International Realty brand throughout Peru, with its opening of Peru Sotheby’s International Realty in Lima.

Owner Nella Ponce Odria serves as managing director and Nella Pinto Ponce as its general manager. Odria founded Nella Ponce Realty, Peru, an established real estate company specializing in residential and commercial sales for Lima and principal cities of the country: Arequipa, Trujillo, Ica and Cuzco.

Peru Sotheby’s International Realty focuses exclusively on serving luxury clientele.

“Peru is a strategically important market for the Sotheby’s International Realty brand, and this new launch represents another key step forward in our growth across South America,” says Michael R. Good, CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. “Nella Ponce Odria is the co-founder and former president of ASPAI - Peruvian Real Estate Agents Association and uniquely qualified to combine the best global business practices with local knowledge and experience. Nella Pinto already represents the Sotheby’s International Realty brand, having been a successful top producer with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in the Washington, D.C., metro area.”

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here is no place like home, but for many Canadians, buying a home doesn’t mean they plan to stay for long, says a recent TD Canada Trust report. It found one-in-five repeat buyers have owned more than five homes. Twenty-three per cent of those surveyed plan to move again within six years, and less than onethird say their next move will be their last.

Canadians are split on whether their next home will be larger (49 per cent) or smaller, but there is consensus that in their next househunt, they intend to find a fully detached home. Seven-in-10 repeat home buyers are looking for a fully detached home – even those currently living in condos, townhouses or semi-detached homes are looking for fully detached homes for their next purchase.

Half of Canadians say the proceeds from the sale of their current home will be less than the value of their new home, meaning that they will need to take out a mortgage.

The top factor that influences the decision to move is retirement

(29 per cent). Other factors include being bored of their current home (16 per cent), investment opportunities (15 per cent) and market conditions (15 per cent). Fourteen per cent say they had always planned to move but were waiting to save enough money.

The top considerations for Canadians’ next home are the layout of the home (98 per cent), the size of the home (97 per cent) – though they are divided on whether to go smaller or bigger – and price (96 per cent).

The majority of home buyers plan to sell their current property before purchasing another one (84 per cent). Of the remaining 16 per cent who will keep both properties, 39 per cent will use one as a rental property or investment property.

Fifty-five per cent of Canadian home buyers are cautious, saying they wouldn’t buy a new home until their current home is sold – but 45 per cent say they would put in an offer if the perfect home came up for sale and hope that REM their house sells.

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he average value of farmland in Canada increased by three per cent in the first half of 2010, following gains of 3.6 and 2.9 per cent in the two previous reporting periods, says the Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Farmland Values Report.

Farmland values remained the same or increased in each province except British Columbia. Ontario experienced the highest average increase at 4.3 per cent.

“The prices paid for farmland today often reflect the conditions and events experienced by producers over the past six to 12 months.

It’s important for buyers to consider those things in determining whether to purchase and what price to pay,” says Michael Hoffort, FCC senior vice-president. “Although some commonalities exist, this report shows that each province and even each region had a unique set of factors that contributed to the change in farmland values.”

Jean-Philippe Gervais, FCC senior agriculture economist, says, “Competition for highly productive farmland is strong in parts of the country. We are seeing various types of land ownership, which provides farmers with a choice about how they want to operate their business. Some producers choose not to own land to keep capital costs in check or because they can afford to rent better quality land closer to them. This diversity, and the fact that land is still a desirable asset, demonstrates the strength of agriculture over the long term, which is good for the industry.”

The full report can be viewed at www.farmlandvalues.ca. REM

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12 REM NOVEMBER 2010

The secret world of Canada Lands Not many people know about the activities of this Crown corporation, which has received many domestic and international awards for redeveloping surplus government real estate

By Brian Slemming

A

ny day during the summer, you can find a line up of people waiting to buy a ticket for an express elevator ride up 553 metres to take in the spectacular view of Southern Ontario from the CN Tower in Toronto. The tower, opened in 1976, is one of this country’s most popular tourist attractions. Each year more than 1.5 million people make the trip to the top and at an average cost of $25 the attraction grosses almost $40 million each year. Gordon McIvor, speaking for the owners, says, “It is extraordinarily successful. We own a property that is far more famous than our company is.”

McIvor is vice-president of strategic acquisitions for Canada Lands Company, which is the CN Tower’s owner. Canada Lands is a federal Crown corporation, which acquired the CN Tower when the government privatized Canadian National. The railway giant, which was the original owner and developer of the tower, was privatized through a share offering that did not include the tower. The government preferred to keep the tourist attraction but wanted ‘hands-off’ management, so Canada Lands Company was an obvious place to park the business. That decision placed Canada’s tallest piece of real estate with an organization that owes its total existence to real estate.

While ancient alchemists failed in their attempts to turn base metals into gold, the alchemists at Canada Lands are experts at turning largely worthless real estate into a developer’s dream. Canada Lands receives no funding from the federal government, and in fact it has returned $370 million to the government in dividends from successful real estate deals.

“When we were set up in 1995 people wondered why the disposal of unwanted government property was not left to the private sector,” says McIvor. “Prior to our formation, that was how the government

disposed of unwanted assets. An astute auditor general pointed out that the government was missing out on hundreds of millions of dollars… So Canada Lands came into being.”

The company purchases assets from the federal government that are no longer required. It buys from federal departments at “fair market value” and then begins a process of public consultation to canvass ideas for use of the property in question. “We believe that real estate is a local activity. We open offices where we have acquired property. When that project is completed we close the office down and move to other areas,” says McIvor. When the “project is completed” the property has undergone a rezoning process and has been sold to private industry or developers. It is that rezoning or up zoning that can turn an unused, out-dated desolate military base into prime real estate gold.

Every property that Canada Lands owns is for sale, with one exception – the CN Tower. “That stays with us,” says McIvor.

Everything else is open for offers, but don’t look for any fire sales. The corporation has no need to rid itself of anything – it can just sit out price declines and recessions, and only sell when there is a profit.

So successful has Canada Lands become that foreign governments, with their budgets under stress, have been flying to Toronto to see just how the operation works. Representatives from China and the United States have recently visited Canada Lands.

Presumably these foreign information seekers can take the opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Toronto Convention centre while they stay at the Intercontinental Hotel – both properties are part of Canada Lands’ diverse portfolio.

So what are these properties that the government declares are not needed? Old military bases are high on the list of surplus properties. Some of these bases were built

in the 1940s and are environmentally polluted. Asbestos was an essential building material when the bases were built and now lands have to be cleaned up before they can be disposed off. That’s Canada Lands’ task. So far the corporation has handled 11 bases across the country from Newfoundland to Alberta. Six have already been cleaned up, rezoned and sold to developers.

The process of adding value to the properties begins with soliciting local reaction to basic development ideas. “We begin (the consultation process) with a basic land-use plan. Then we work with individual city planning departments, members of the local real estate business, architects, builders, designers and the general public,” says McIvor. The intent is to get ideas and concerns from local people. When a plan has been agreed upon the corporation issues a request for proposals. Once an acceptable proposal has been received, the property is sold and the private sector takes over.

Canada Lands is proud of the work it has done with a variety of properties. “Many of those military bases are right downtown,” says McIvor. “But we are able to plan their revitalisation and develop mixed-use communities that combine a variety of mixed housing and recreational facilities.”

Canada Lands has not only found a use for unwanted buildings and property, but it has discovered a way to get increased value as well. The company has received international recognition for the redevelopment and sustainability work it has done and received many awards, both domestic and international.

McIvor sums up the company’s achievements this way: “Our projects have become very respected.

In addition to the awards we are building a reputation for the quality of our projects, and that is what we are about, quality.” And, let it be added, making a profit. REM

Located on the 156-acre former Canadian Forces Base Calgary, the Garrison Woods development has won many urban design awards.

Garrison Woods celebrates its association with its military past by retaining existing street names from the former Canadian Forces Base.

14 REM NOVEMBER 2010

The Pilarski brothers celebrate 25years

The brokers/owners of Re/Max Realtron mark a quarter century as one of the county’s largest brokerages

By Dennis McCloskey he person who first said, “it takes two men to make one brother” could have been describing Richard and Alex Pilarski, the broker/owner siblings of Re/Max Realtron Realty, with seven real estate offices in the Greater Toronto Area and a head office and education centre in Markham.

The brothers, who started selling real estate separately in 1972-73 and are marking their 25th year in business together, are known as “the hard working nice guys.”

T

500 agents, and the brotherly brokers/owners have created a firm that is consistently in the Top 20 Re/Max companies worldwide (out of 5,600 companies) and the No. 1 Re/ Max company on the Toronto Real Estate Board, based on total number and volume of sales and listings. “It was a struggle for the first 10 years,” says Richard, who tells his grown children there are two ways to get rich: the slow way and the fast way, and the slow way is the fast way.

was, and is, recruitment. “We are independent contractors and we work for our agents; they are our customers,” says the senior Pilarski. “We provide them with the kind of services and a formula for success that we hope will attract the best agents in the industry.” Among those services he names several, including “offering the best brand, education, technology, sales tools, management and an environment to work with the top agents.”

Richard, 64, and his “baby brother” Alex, 57, are like two peas in a pod. “We think alike, and if you ask us a question, nine times out of 10 you’ll get the same answer,” says Alex in a phone interview with REM while holidaying in Hilton Head, S.C. “We like and respect each other.” A day earlier, Richard had been sitting in the company’s Markham boardroom and was asked by REM what it’s like being in business with his brother. “We trust each other; we’ve known each other all our lives.”

Six years after opening their first office in Willowdale, they opened another one in Thornhill. Six years after that they opened a third office on Woodbine Avenue and added a fourth in Richmond Hill in 2000. The most recent to open, the Sheppard Branch in 2008, is managed by Richard’s daughter, Karen Meshwork.

In separate conversations, the veteran brokers sound senatorial in their musings. As they move toward the next stage in their careers, they say they’ve become coach, trainer, mentor and teacher. “We still control the decisions,” says Alex. “But as the company relies less and less on our day-to-day involvement, we want to take it to the next level to make a stronger company.”

He sees the training of agents as their No. 1 task in becoming bigger and better. “We want to help our agents grow because if they do better we do better.” His brother agrees: “We want our people to exceed their clients’ expectations: promise them less and give them more.”

Peas in a bucket! Some things (and people) just naturally go together, like caviar and champagne.

In 1971, Richard graduated from the University of Toronto and is a professional engineer. In 1973 Alex graduated from York University with BSc degree.

Later, with the elder brother working for an international computer firm and the younger brother making more money selling real estate part-time, it didn’t take long for the two men to decide to make real estate a full-time career. Both honed their respective skills in the field, in various positions and capacities, and in 1985 teamed up to found Re/Max Realtron.

Today the company has over

“It’s a complicated business,” says Richard. “You need to develop systems in order to manage it.”

Some of those systems include state-of-the-art facilities; a full-service administration and education centre; a professional appointment and call centre that’s open seven days a week; and proprietary technology.

Alex concurs that the biggest change in the 25 years they’ve been in business is the advance in technology. “One key to our success is that we not only accept change but we are perceived as leaders to help initiate change.

We push for change.”

He believes that the business today is more professional and more business-like than a quarter century ago. “The training is better and there are more rules and regulations that protect the public.”

Both men agree that their biggest challenge over the years

One of the things they teach their agents is the “consultative approach” to selling. “The agent shouldn’t care what house the client buys; the agent’s job is to help them buy the right house that’s right for the client,” says Richard. A lot of this teaching takes place in the company’s head office classroom that holds 80 people and another dedicated room that holds 20.

Richard spends most of his time these days overseeing the facilities (“managing the managers”) and recruiting, along with Alex. Weekly recruiting sessions are conducted at head office, and one of the coaching

Richard, left and Alex Pilarski. (Photo: Marko Shark)

and training programs that Alex takes to the branches is called Power Wednesdays.

When asked what makes a good agent, Richard admits it’s not easy to identify early on who will succeed and who will not.

“It’s all in their head,” he says.

“Persistence and a never-give-up attitude are among the qualities of a top-selling agent.”

A daily runner and marathoner who has completed 17 international marathons with his wife, Marilyn, (who is the company’s vice-president, associate services), Richard says there are a number of things an agent can do to take his game to the next level. He cites three strategies that he learned from inspirational speaker Anthony Robbins: “Raise your standards; eliminate limiting beliefs; and

change your strategy.”

It’s obvious the Pilarski brothers are extremely proud of their company, which Alex calls “a truly Canadian company where every office is representative of what Canada is today.” Richard says he’d like to be working in this business when he’s 85 because “I love it.” Not surprisingly, Alex shares his brother’s enthusiasm.

“We enjoy what we do, we have complete confidence in each other, and we like our people.”

As they celebrate their 25th year with Realtron Realty, it’s not a stretch to imagine them celebrating a few more decades in business together. This scenario is reminiscent of an apt proverb that suggests: “If you help your brother’s boat across, your own will reach the shore.” REM

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18 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Survey shows $1.7 million difference in price average C

oldwell Banker’s latest Home Listing Report (HLR), a snapshot survey of four-bedroom, two-bathroom home listings in Canada and the U.S., found a $1.7 million difference between North America’s most expensive and most affordable housing markets.

Newport Beach, Calif. led the list of most expensive real estate markets, with an average listing price of $1,826,348 US for fourbedroom/two-bathroom homes of $1,826,348 US. Vancouver was the only Canadian city in the North American top 10, posting an average price of $1.324 million ($1,289,179 U.S).

North America’s most affordable housing market was Detroit, with an average four-bedroom,two-bath home listing price of $68,007 US. John Geha, president of Coldwell Banker Canada Operations, says, “Our study shows that due to a wide diversity of home types in major Canadian markets, a four-bedroom, twobath home is still within reach for many Canadians. In densely populated urban centres where condos, townhouses and semidetached homes provide a variety of alternatives for those looking for a four-bedroom home, there are surprisingly affordable options

available. Those who have financial security and a lifestyle reason to move have a unique opportunity to take advantage of historically low mortgage interest rates.

And in many markets, home prices are now beginning to stabilize and as inventory improves, buyers will have more to choose from.”

Geha says there are “some incredible opportunities in U.S. property right now. Canadians who may be thinking of buying property south of the border will find there are a great many options available to them in price ranges not seen here in Canada.”

Some highlights from the report: • Of the Canadian markets included, Western Canada continues to be a price leader. In B.C., the average price of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom listing in Kelowna and Burnaby reached $916,697 and $705,746 respectively.

• Fort McMurray outpaces other Alberta leaders: a booming job market kept four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes at the forefront of Alberta prices at $593,390, outdistancing Calgary and Edmonton at $551,920 and $452,628 respectively.

• In Ontario, four-bedroom,

two-bathroom homes showed affordable pricing in some of the province’s more densely populated urban centres such as Toronto ($495,398) and Mississauga ($393,691), where condo units provide an appealing option for buyers wanting a four-bedroom home in the city, without the price of a large lot.

• The most affordable market in Canada for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home was Windsor, Ont. ($158,242 CDN), across the river from North America’s most affordable market, Detroit. Both markets have been affected by the recent auto industry woes. Windsor presents an affordable alternative for out-ofmarket buyers, such as retirees and individuals who have the freedom to work from home.

• Canadians thinking of buying property in the U.S. will find a large number of markets where homeownership is at affordable levels. There are 85 U.S. markets in the HLR with average reported listing prices less than $200,000 US for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home. There are 183 U.S. markets that are less than $300,000 US. These markets include many “sunshine state” destinations sought after by Canadian snowbirds. REM

Market Name

Average Price 4 bed/2 bath Listings CDN $

BARRIE, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$413,900 BRANTFORD, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$249,800 BURLINGTON, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$444,891 BURNABY, BC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$705,746 CALGARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$551,920 CHARLOTTETOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$243,742 COLLINGWOOD, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$377,569 EDMONTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$452,628 FORT MCMURRAY, AB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$593,390 HALIFAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$310,912 HAMILTON, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$238,671 HUNTSVILLE, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$351,289 KELOWNA, BC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$916,697 KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$347,757 LONDON, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$223,546 MISSISSAUGA, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$393,671 MONCTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$201,522 NEWMARKET, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$513,225 OAKVILLE, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$741,638 OSHAWA, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$207,320 OTTAWA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$425,318 SASKATOON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$260,814 SCARBOROUGH, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$484,000 ST. CATHARINES, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$265,450 ST. JOHN’S* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$385,000 TORONTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$495,398 VANCOUVER* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,324,000 VICTORIA* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$674,450 WHITEHORSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$371,444 WINDSOR, ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$158,242 WINNIPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$343,160 * Market did not conform to study methodology of six or more listings with four bedrooms and two bathrooms on coldwellbanker.ca between March 1, 2010 and September 1, 2010. However, the average prices quoted are believed to be an accurate representation of pricing during that timeframe.

5

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20 REM NOVEMBER 2010

In praise of commissions THE GUEST COLUMN

By Ari Lahdekorpi t seems that every few years someone comes along with a concept or a business model to improve on the tried and true compensation method that has worked best for the real estate industry over the last hundred years.

The means of compensation paid for the services of a real estate agent has been based on a “payment for results” model. When the sales representative for a brokerage is successful in putting together (and keeping together) a transaction, they receive a benefit for their efforts. If their efforts fall short, and a completed sale does not occur, they do not receive any compensation for their time or expenses.

This method has existed in some form or another since the advent of commerce in society.

Some within the real estate industry have experimented with different models of compensation to less effective results.

In England during the Middle Ages, King Alfred ordered every man to give his allegiance to a lord in exchange for mutual benefit.

This benefit included the right to protection from raiding parties, and the right to occupy and cultivate a piece of land in the serfdom.

In turn the lord was allowed to collect taxes in some form and turned them over to his king. The king would then pay a commission based on the results of the lord’s efforts. This commission was a percentage of the taxes as well as gifts of land or other items of value in some cases. The idea of performance-based pay grew from these

I

types of models.

Historically commission wages based on results have brought the most creative and entrepreneurial to the top. When a seller decides to dispose of land holdings, they look for a combination of the highest market price, the least risk on their end and the most efficient process.

Any other compensation model will not address these desired elements as effectively as a commission-based model.

When a compensation model has a pay-as-you-go component, it inadvertently creates a lack of urgency on the part of the agent.

The longer a product is listed, the more compensation is earned. Any type of compensation model that offers a flat fee or à la carte type of formula removes some aspect of motivation or creative thinking on the part of the agent. It is not a question of the dollar value of the outcome – it is a motivational incentive that is of the greatest import.

If a seller wants to feel totally comfortable that an agent is working to gain the highest possible price for their home, and not just make a sale, then a percentage based on the sale price offers the best protection. If a seller wants to have the least up-front risk, or outof-pocket expense, then a resultsbased model is the most desirable.

When a payment can be made out of the proceeds of a successful transaction, the actual impact on the seller’s cash flow is minimal.

If a real estate agent was paid on an hourly or service-based model, the performance would not compare to the success achieved under a results-based model. It is little wonder that the real estate industry has not moved from commission-based compensation despite the other forms of business models that have come and gone over the years.

There is no doubt that commission based sales provide both the client and the agent with the best solution for the complex territory that real estate industry covers.

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

22 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Turning FSBOs into CHC

STOP SELLING HOUSES & START MAKING MONEY

who owned the house and track down their telephone number.

Using a template I developed (all my systems come with easy to use templates), I’d put the picture of their house behind me standing next to my realty sign with SOLD across it. Above that was written, “The next sign you’ll see if you sign with me.”

Underneath the picture was a short section explaining why they should list with me. That went out in the mail, along with a crossword puzzle, a pencil and some other light-hearted reading material.

A week later I’d call them and ask if they’d received my package.

It wasn’t really a cold call then because I’d already introduced myself via the mail package, so most were quite happy to chat. I’d remind them that if at any time they wanted a free real estate consultation with me, all they had to do was call.

Even while I was on the phone to them, a second mail drop was on its way.

This one showed a moving van

tough for a rookie to make much of a splash in their first year in the business. It’s even tougher to become number one in Canada but that’s exactly what I did and the systems I developed were a big reason why. The thinking is that there isn’t a lot of business for new agents, because established agents tend to get most of it, but I noticed there were quite a lot of for sale by owner (FSBO) signs around. Why shouldn’t I go after them and offer my services?

I figured it would be like any other sales-related activity in that I’d have to stand out from all the other agents competing for the same business. I was already busier than a lumberjack with two woodstoves, so I developed a system to make getting that business even easier. As the system was fully automated, all I really had to do was set up the file and make one phone call per week.

Whenever I saw a FSBO house I immediately took a picture of it and jotted down the address. Then I’d find the names of the people

By Debbie Hanlon

I

was pleasantly surprised at the letters I received after my last column about the systems I used to help propel me to number one in Canada in my first year in real estate. Most people wanted a more thorough explanation of what exactly those systems were.

I’ll be detailing them all in a book that’ll be available in the next month or so, but in the meantime I will briefly run through one of the systems that I found invaluable for picking up new clients: my FSBO system.

With all the established Realtors in the industry, it can be

Why shouldn’t I go after them and offer my services? parked in front of their house with the words, “It’s your move” written above it. Again I’d have a small section below it with more reasons why they should list with me. Each week this pattern of a clever picture highlighting their home and soft sell messaging followed by a quick phone call was repeated. It wasn’t long before they were calling me to list their homes.

Most people don’t realize that real estate is hard work. That’s why they think they can bypass the commission fees and sell their home themselves. After a while the stress, the mortgage payments and playing real estate agent after they finish their real job makes the vast majority of people list with an agent. To be that agent you have to

stand out from all the others competing for that listing. How successful was that particular system for me? It, along with the other systems I developed, made me number one in Canada within a year.

Today in the age of the Internet it’s even easier to turn FSBOs into CHC...cold hard cash in your pocket!

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

REM

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2010 Calendar S

JANUARY M T W T F S

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Michaelangelo Morningstone, CPA

AWARD HERE

REAL ESTATE OFFICE NAME HERE INC., Brokerage 123, JOHN-SMITHSON BLVD NORTH 101 HALIFAX REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY, NS A1A 1A1

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Office Name Goes Here Inc., Brokerage

123, JOHN-SMITHSON BLVD NORTH 101 HALIFAX REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY, NS A1A 1A1

283, Saint-Antoine Nord Bureau 101 Halifax Regional Municipality, NS B2W 3Y6

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REAL ESTATE OFFICE NAME HERE INC., Brokerage

Sales Representative Director of Canadian Marketing - East Coast

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AWARD HERE

Right Way Real Estate (2007) Inc., Brokerage 283, Saint-Antoine Nord Bureau 101 Halifax Regional Municipality, NS B2W 3Y6

AWARD AWARD HERE HERE

2011 Calendar

Cellular: (555) 555-5555

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AWARD HERE

Right Way Real Estate (2007) Inc., Brokerage 283, Saint-Antoine Nord Bureau 101 Halifax Regional Municipality, NS B2W 3Y6 Sales Representative Director of Canadian Marketing - East Coast

MARCH

Office: (555) 555-5555 ext. 12345 Fax: (555) 555-5555 www.rightwayrealestate.com michaelangelomorningstone@rightwayrealestate.com

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Februrary

Primary Message Goes Here Michaelangelo Morningstone, CPA Sales Representative Director of Canadian Marketing - East Coast

Cellular: (555) 555-5555

Office: (555) 555-5555 ext. 12345 Fax: (555) 555-5555 michaelangelomorningstone@rightwayrealestate.com www.rightwayrealestate.com

IMPORTANT CONTACTS LIST

Emergency:

Emergency:

Doctor:

Doctor:

Dentist:

Dentist:

Mom:

Mom:

Dad:

Michaelangelo Morningstone, CPA

Each office is independently owned and operated. Not intended to solicit buyers / sellers under contract.

IMPORTANT CONTACTS LIST

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Cellular: (555) 555-5555 Office: (555) 555-5555 ext. 12345 Fax: (555) 555-5555 michaelangelomorningstone@rightwayrealestate.com www.rightwayrealestate.com Each CENTURY 21 ® Office is Independently Owned And Operated. ®™Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under li b L lt O I dC t 21 C d Li it d P t hi

School: Neighbour: Real Estate: Our Address:

Primary Message Goes on this Line.

ANGELINA MORNINGSIDE, CPA SALES REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING CANADA - EAST COAST

CELLULAR: (555) 555-5555 OFFICE: (555) 555-5555 EXT. 12345 FAX: (555) 555-5555 angelinamorningside@officenamehere.com www.officenamehere.com Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Not intended to solicit buyers / sellers under contract.

Dad: School: Neighbour: Real Estate: Our Address:

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May

Sales Representative Director of Canadian Marketing - East Coast

Outgrown your neighbourhood? Let me help!

Each office is independently owned and operated. Not intended to solicit buyers / sellers under contract.

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AWARD AWARD HERE HERE

ANGELINA MORNINGSIDE, CPA SALES REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING CANADA - EAST COAST

CELLULAR: (555) 555-5555 OFFICE: (555) 555-5555 EXT. 12345 FAX: (555) 555-5555 www.officenamehere.com angelinamorningside@officenamehere.com Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Not intended to solicit buyers / sellers under contract.

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AWARD AWARD HERE HERE

Michaelangelo Morningstone, CPA Sales Representative Director of Canadian Marketing - East Coast

Cellular: (555) 555-5555

Office: (555) 555-5555 ext. 12345 Fax: (555) 555-5555 www.rightwayrealestate.com michaelangelomorningstone@rightwayrealestate.com Each office is independently owned and operated. Not intended to solicit buyers / sellers under contract.

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99 CAD

CANADIANS INVADE AMERICA Flying on the Back of a Soaring Loonie Canucks Are Making a Fortune Buying U.S. Real Estate at 70% Off!

by Steve Martel, Leading Canadian U.S. Foreclosure expert “Steve, are you nuts?!” said a friend when I revealed my secret identity as a U.S. real estate investor. “Do you know the risks involved in buying U.S. real estate?”

Most Canadians wrongly believe that it’s too difficult and risky to buy U.S. real estate. Most think that even if they did own U.S. foreclosures they wouldn’t be able to profit from them. This article will blow these myths out of the water like two Canadian geese heading south for the winter...

Don’t Listen to the News The U.S. market has not crashed. It’s economically impossible for an entire nation to experience a real estate crash.

Real estate cycles are unique to each neighbourhood. If you learn how to identify the signs of an emerging market you can buy foreclosed properties at a 50% discount of today’s market value and consistently resell them for a minimum of $30,000 profit like I do 5-10 times monthly.

But much like the 1989-1992 real estate crash where smart investors made millions… this opportunity won’t last much longer.

5 Reasons to Invest South of the Border 1. Loonies’ Up and the Greenback’s Down: As I write this, one Canadian dollar will get you 99 cents American. Our money’s increased 69% in value since 2002. Spend it while it’s up.

2. 50% to 70% Off: Right now U.S. banks are selling tens of thousands of foreclosed property per day. You can buy a $66,000 home and sell it for $220,000 like I do!

3. Only in the U.S.: Only in the States can you

buy repossessed homes at a discount. (Our Canadian courts prevent banks from selling foreclosures at a discount.)

4. Funding Opportunities: Investors have never been so lost with no clue where to invest their hard earned wealth. Many, MANY Canadians are waiting for guidance on how to fund your U.S. deals.

5. Pro-Investor: The U.S. favors the investor.

Canada regulations serve the consumer.

Practices which are perfectly acceptable in the U.S. become borderline illegal in Canada.

Why Most Canadians Wrongly Believe They Can’t Invest in U.S. Real Estate After making $936,417 in my first twelve months alone, buying, selling and renting U.S. properties on a less than part time basis (documented), I can confidently address your concerns about investing in U.S. real estate: No Money or Credit: Most banks are reluctant to mortgage a Canadian’s winter escape, even more for investment properties. Don’t waste your time with mortgages, private investors will happily finance your U.S. real estate investments.

They are eager to invest in something more profitable than a GIC. Never Leave Home: This may sound crazy but I’ve never seen any of the U.S. properties I’ve bought. Using a specific system I rely on satellite images, key websites and local professionals. I’ve never had to leave Ottawa.

No Extra Taxes: I discovered an IRS loophole that avoids me having to pay huge taxes to Uncle Sam. With these savings I was able to invest an extra $468,208 into 50 apartment units which bring in $18,000 every single month in my pocket instead of going to the Canadian Government had I bought Canadian property.

1. YOU CAN buy perfectly good homes for 50% to 70% off.

2. YOU CAN buy foreclosures with NONE of your money.

3. YOU CAN buy foreclosures while holding a full time job.

My main goal here is to teach my system to other people who will then be willing to partner with me. There is simply too much opportunity and too little time for one lone Canuck.

Market Downturns Always Produce Millionaires Turn off the TV for a few hours each week. Stop watching horrible news reports. And focus a few hours a week on this rare opportunity amidst the economic crisis.

I’ve made $936,417 in my first year. I now own enough rental properties to provide me with plenty of cash to never have to work again while still enjoying a lavish lifestyle.

It all started when I ordered my FREE DVD Find out about the ONE reason you will NEVER buy Canadian investment properties again in my FREE, Instant downloadable guide on “The Complete Steps to Buying U.S. Real Estate as a Canadian” and a FREE DVD of me buying U.S. Real Estate live under 5 minutes. Stop what you’re doing and logon NOW to:

www.USTakeOver.net

Most People Are Afraid of Things They Don’t Understand Emotion stops many from seeing the facts. No matter what you fear about U.S. real estate… three things that should be obvious:

Visit: www.USTakeOver.net Now!

Receive YOUR Free guide: “The Complete Steps to Buying U.S. Real Estate as a Canadian*” and a FREE DVD showing you how I: 1. Find U.S. Properties Online 2. Evaluate Them 3. Find Sales Comps 4. Find Rental Comps 5. Find the After Repair Value 6. Determine How & Why I’m Guaranteed a $30,00 Profit in less than 5 minutes. (includes screens hots websites and the programs I use). *For a very limited time and quantity

24 REM NOVEMBER 2010

LEGAL ISSUES

Not ready to close

By Donald H. Lapowich

registered first thing the next day, but not before the vendor put on title a “fictitious” mortgage against the property.

The vendor moved to strike the transfer that was registered the next day, and the purchaser asked the court to strike the fictitious mortgage and confirm the transfer and new ownership.

The court considered whether the purchaser was precluded from seeking an equitable order, since the vendor only allowed seven minutes to close, when the OREA agreement form allowed to 6 pm although the office closed at 5 pm. It ruled in favour of the purchaser, and struck the vendor’s motion.

I

n a recent case, after a real estate deal failed to close, the vendor took legal action against the would-be purchaser.

The vendor resided in the U.S. and hired a local Ontario lawyer to complete the sale of a property.

The vendor’s lawyer was to be away on the closing date and the purchaser’s lawyer had offered to extend closing until the former expected to return to work. This offer was “rejected” and was probably a significant fact in the court’s ultimate decision.

On the closing date, the vendor’s lawyer’s office had only faxed documents from the vendor, because the originals were in transit.

The court dismissed the vendor’s action because he was not ready to close and the purchaser had signed original documents for fire and title insurance and private mortgage arrangements, with funds in the hands of the purchaser’s solicitor.

■ ■ ■

In a commercial real estate deal, the vendor agreed to sell its strip mall to the purchaser. The standard Ontario Real Estate Association Agreement of Purchase and Sale indicated a closing on Nov. 30 at 6 pm, but the registry office closes at 5 pm.

Before closing, the purchaser said it did not understand that it was responsible for tenants’ rent in the mall that was in arrears. The vendor wasn’t happy about this, but the vendor’s lawyer did deliver closing documents to the purchaser’s solicitor for closing, in escrow.

Seven minutes before 5 pm, the vendor’s solicitor gave the okay for the purchase’s solicitor to register.

As it turned out, the clerk stamped the sale transfer at one minute after 5 pm and then refused to register transfer. The purchaser

■ ■ ■

In another case, the plaintiffs and defendants lived side by side in a residential suburb.

The defendant installed an air conditioning unit outside his home, but just a few feet away from the plaintiff’s home. The plaintiff complained about the noise “nuisance” and sued for damages and an injunction.

The court found that a “nuisance” may be created even if the activity of the neighbour is lawful and meets municipal bylaws. The noise prevented the neighbours from sleeping at night and was a factor affecting the plaintiff’s health.

The defendant did try to dull the sound with a noise reduction blanket but it did not reduce the noise enough. The court held that the plaintiffs were not “unduly sensitive” and the noise was unreasonable.

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

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“My client’s next home isn’t just where they’ll live.

It’s their future. It’s where their kids will grow up.”

With over 70 locations across Canada, a certified AmeriSpec home inspector is always close by.

Your client is looking for a place to make memories and a home that feels right. As a buyer gets to know a home, they will feel more comfortable with the thought of building a life there. AmeriSpec has more than 70 locations nationwide with certified and trained home inspectors who can thoroughly examine the home your clients are considering. Your buyers will learn about the condition of the home, feel secure about their decision to buy and be able to envision their family’s future there.

Call AmeriSpec today at 1 (866) 284-6010 or visit www.amerispec.ca.

July 2010 - AmeriSpec - REM Ad “retirement” 21” x 11” (2-page spread) Copyright © 2010 Lime Advertising Inc. All rights reserved.

“My client’s next home isn’t just where they’ll live.

It’s their future. It’s where their kids will grow up.”

With over 70 locations across Canada, a certified AmeriSpec home inspector is always close by.

Your client is looking for a place to make memories and a home that feels right. As a buyer gets to know a home, they will feel more comfortable with the thought of building a life there. AmeriSpec has more than 70 locations nationwide with certified and trained home inspectors who can thoroughly examine the home your clients are considering. Your buyers will learn about the condition of the home, feel secure about their decision to buy and be able to envision their family’s future there.

Call AmeriSpec today at 1 (866) 284-6010 or visit www.amerispec.ca.

July 2010 - AmeriSpec - REM Ad “retirement” 21” x 11” (2-page spread) Copyright © 2010 Lime Advertising Inc. All rights reserved.

28 REM NOVEMBER 2010

G

eorge Bamber of Century 21 Bamber Realty in Calgary was named the 2009 Franchisee of the Year and a 2009 Grand Centurion Office at the Century 21 Canadian Conference in Toronto earlier this month.

“With 24 years at Century 21 Bamber Realty, George attributes his success to having a great support system, making sound business decisions such as owning the building where the Century 21 Bamber Realty office resides, and being a mentor to his agents to help them succeed,” says the company in a news release.

Sales Associate of the Year, and the No.1 sales rep by units sold in all of Canada.

With the brokerage since 1986, Normand “believes in incorporating work with the pleasure of meeting new people and assisting them with their real estate needs,” the company says.

“It’s all about listening and helping people, which leads to building friendships,” says Normand.

In 2008, he was awarded the prestigious 20-Year Centurion Producer Award for two decades of production success in the Century 21 System.

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

Serge Normand of Century 21 Nord-Sud, Rivière-du-Loup, Que. was named Century 21’s 2009

Steve Morris, CEO and Founder of Exit Realty Corp.

International, joined a distin-

guished group of honourees in Istanbul, Turkey recently as global businesses were recognized at the Seventh Annual International Business Awards.

Nicknamed the Stevie, for the Greek word “crowned,” Exit Realty earned a Distinguished Honouree medal in the category of Most Innovative Company of the Year in North America. The International Business Awards are the only global, all-encompassing business awards program honouring great performances in business.

Honourees were selected from more than 1,700 entries received from organizations and individuals in more than 40 countries. The Board of Judges and Advisors included Donald Trump, chairman, president and CEO of the Trump Organization and Anthony Robbins, chairman and CEO of the Anthony Robbins Companies.

“I had the special privilege of introducing single-level residuals to the real estate industry in North America in 1996,” Morris told the gathering. “Based on today’s economic pressures, it has proven to be a godsend to many Realtors.

This award is a wonderful honour that wouldn’t have been possible

without the help of three individuals here with me tonight: Tami Bonnell, president of our US orga-

nization; Erika Gileo, senior vicepresident of operations; and my wife, Cathy Morris.” REM

Serge Normand

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30 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Realtor safety the focus of online courses

By Connie Adair

I

t was a cold call that paid off for John Hope and Jim Rea. Hope, broker and part owner of Re/Max Eastern Realty of Peterborough, Ont. wanted to create a safer workplace for his staff and agents. Out of the blue, Jim Rea of Helpp Innovations phoned with a solution.

Rea contacted Hope, who has Peterborough’s largest brokerage with 125 agents, to let him know about the Realtor safety and compliance courses he offers through his six-year-old company, Helpp Innovations. The new program, designed specifically for real estate agents and brokers, consists of a series of interactive online safety courses that agents can take module by module at their convenience.

Modules cover a variety of subjects, from cell phone safety to meeting a new client to identifying stalkers. Other topics include harassment, protecting privacy and violence in the workplace.

Information is generic where it can be and specific where it needs to be, including rules and regulations specific to each province.

A quiz at the end of each module ensures participants understand the information presented. Brokers can easily track hundreds of agents at a time and provide additional training for those who need it.

Having electronic records as evidence of completion eliminates the paperwork for managers, and offers proof of compliance to provincial regulations, Rea says.

Hope had already taken steps toward compliance with front-end staff, but he says he was surprised to learn that in Ontario, the workplace compliance bill also applies to independent contractors. Hope says he took a chance on Rea, a man who he had never spoken to before the cold call. He set up a seminar and invited his company’s agents to attend. More than 70 agents attended the course, which highlighted some of the Helpp

Innovations modules and offered an example of safety information provided through the program.

Agents who attended the seminar peppered Rea with questions, and when they got back to the office, discussions about safety continued. It wasn’t something in the forefront of people’s minds – people think it won’t happen to them, especially in smaller towns, Hope says. “In Peterborough, you don’t think of the same things happening as in Toronto. We’re complacent. It caused people to think.”

For example, a female agent in his office got a call from a man requesting to see an out-of-town property. She had a funny feeling about it, but because she was now aware of the risks and how to reduce them, she took another agent with her on the showing.

Everything was okay but it was important that she took the precautions, says Hope, who has made taking the online course part of office policy.

Rea designed the course material himself, drawing on his 20 years of experience as a private investigator. He is also a former college law and justice teacher.

“In seminars with Realtors, I’d ask the audience, ‘Who has been threatened or felt violated?’ The show of hands was unbelievable,” Rea says.

Industry Canada ranks Realtors as having one of the top five risk jobs behind taxi driver and health care, says Rea. “Did you know your agents have a one in four chance of being intimidated/threatened and perhaps hurt at work? According to Statistics Canada, 67 per cent of workers will have a violent issue at work.”

Teaching Realtors how to be their own risk managers helps keep them safer, he says.

The program is cost-effective, reducing training costs by as much as 80 per cent and eliminating the need to schedule instructor-led training for new employees and

those who work in different locations, Rea says. It’s priced at $250 per broker, regardless of how many agents are in the office, and $25 for individuals whose offices are not participating.

Helpp Innovations also offers educational resources that agents can make available to their clients and prospects free of charge. If a client or potential client is interested in buying an investment property, the agent can offer the landlord education training platform to them for free. Agents can add the link to the landlord training to their own sites, so each time an individual wants more information, they have to go to the agent’s site first. It keeps bringing people back to the Realtor’s site, Rea says.

For brokers, it’s an easy way to protect salespeople, says Hope. “All agents can be given an opportunity to take the modules.” It helps reduce broker liability, Rea says.

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Thank you to all of our 2010 National Sales Conference attendees.

You made it an overwhelming success!

Highlights from the conference include: Brian Buffini, Terri Sjodin and digital marketing expert Mitch Joel provided terrific insights in keynote addresses at our largest conference ever held.

More than 50 trade fair exhibitors, covering nearly 12,000 sq ft, brought attendees the latest in technology and real estate tools.

Themed networking events served as the perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.

Live Twitter feed, mobile event website, vCard networking and a QR code game helped attendees to find new ways to connect.

Always ready to support a great cause, Royal LePagers raised more than $145,000 for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

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34 REM NOVEMBER 2010

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ecently I participated in a Murder Mystery Weekend at a bed and breakfast lodge. Every guest was a given a role to play. There were eight suspects; each of whom had one or more of the following: means, opportunity and motive. Having the means and opportunity was very important, but having the right motivation was the key to solving the puzzle. We interviewed the suspects, collected clues, then presented who we thought was the killer and why. It was great fun, but I failed to figure out who done it. I was very logical and surmised that a suspect with a monetary motive was the one. But, it turned out to be one with the emotional motive of anger and revenge.

Nevertheless, money is a powerful motivator. It is the original carrot dangling from the stick.

My friend Bill, the computer wizard, told me years ago, “I always follow the money.” Meaning that he would learn those computer skills that paid the best. I did the same thing in my early years as a writer. I found journalism fun, but advertising paid better.

The exciting thing about money, or more specifically prosperity, is that it is a great equalizer.

Prosperity has a way of eliminating envy, hatred and bigotry. Increased wealth makes people more tolerant and giving. The formula for prosperity is simple: economic freedom plus property rights. In other words, minimal regulation and the right to keep what you earn.

Clearly we all know that money is a reliable method for motivating people. But, if you ever want to discover the motivation behind an action that appears to be random, backtracking the money trail is frequently a good way to find it.

The buck starts here Sometimes, however, the money trail is even longer and more convoluted. I recall a hot summer day, back in the late 1980s, when, after mowing the lawn, I popped open an ice cold soda pop and drained it in one long gulp. Moments later I was on the floor with a painful spasm in my back. It lasted nearly half an hour, and when it was over I made an appointment with my doctor. It turned out that I was allergic to the corn syrup in the soda.

“How could that be?” I asked.

I’d had thousands of sodas without having that reaction. What I learned was that up until that can of soda, all the ones I’d had before were made with sugar. So, I asked, “Why would they switch to corn syrup?” The answer was that the cost of sugar had gone up and they did not want to raise the price.

“Why was sugar more expensive?”

Because Congress placed a tariff on imported sugar. “Why did Congress do that?” Sugar growers in Florida asked them to because they did not want to compete with low-cost Caribbean sugar. “Why would Congress comply when it would raise prices on all products made with sugar?” Because the sugar growers donated lots of campaign money to a majority of the members of Congress. The trail ends, and the puzzle is solved.

It turns out that my favourite soda pop is still made with sugar in every country on the planet except the United States. One day, I’m going to get a craving and drive a thousand miles to Mexico. Talk about motivation!

Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist.

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he Association of Regina Realtors, Regina’s North Central Family Centre and members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders recently unveiled a special mural commemorating the Roughriders’ 100th anniversary.

The mural was created by youth involved in one of the Centre’s Youth program. The program is funded by the Association of Regina Realtors and is working to both beautify the neighbourhood and make it safer for residents, while providing learning opportunities for youth.

More than 150 youth take part in the program on an ongoing basis, cutting grass, painting fences and dumpsters, picking up garbage and shovelling snow. Recently they started painting murals upon request.

Ivan Amichand, assistant director with the North Central Family Centre, says much of the clean-up work in the community is done for seniors and people who are “shut-in”. He said the program has helped to build bridges between seniors and youth.

Saskatchewan Roughriders Omarr Morgan, Jason Clermont and Tad Kornegay were on hand for the unveiling of the mural. The Roughriders share a connection with the North Central residents, because their home, Mosaic Stadium, is in the North Central neighbourhood.

■ ■ ■

Members of the Realtors Association of HamiltonBurlington (RAHB) and their friends and relatives spent a Saturday morning walking the historic centre of Grimsby while on the Grimsby Historical Walkabout and Scavenger Hunt. The event was a fundraiser for Community Living Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln.

Participants gathered in front of Grimsby Museum to begin the five km walk, which wound

around streets in the historic core of Grimsby, then out to Centennial Park and back into the centre of Grimsby. Along the route, participants learned about the history of various buildings and sites, and answered questions about what they saw and learned. The walkabout ended with a barbecue, prizes and the cheque presentation for $1,400.

■ ■ ■

Twenty Realtors from The Oakville Milton & District Real Estate Board ([OMDREB) were chosen from a lottery to participate in the Habitat for Humanity Halton Build in Oakville recently.

OMDREB is a sponsor at the $10,000 level, which allows members to participate on a build.

Throughout the day, members led by a crew leader were put to work on tasks such as hanging drywall, fitting installation, painting and many other construction tasks.

The board is holding its first President’s Charity of Choice Black Tie Gala in support of Habitat for Humanity Halton on Friday, Nov. 12 at the Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre.

Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at the OMDREB office.

■ ■ ■

For the first time in the 33-year history of its university scholarship program, the Association of Regina Realtors has awarded its two annual scholarships to twin sisters.

Michelle and Roxanne Korpan were awarded the scholarships because of their achievements academically and in the areas of leadership, athletics and fine arts.

The 19-year-old sisters have completed their first year of a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Regina’s Luther College. Both have danced since they were three-years-old and are currently enrolled with the Youth Continued on page 38

From left: Roxanne Korpan, ARR EO Gord Archibald and Michelle Korpan.

Participants in the Habitat for Humanity build, from left: Carissa Turnball, Case Feenstra, George Niblock, Heather Tilley,Virginia Munden, Thomas Smrekar, Hans Taal, Alex Rundle, Maria Pont, Jan Driver, Payam Koochak, Daniella Aitken, Mary Koehler, Alun Evans, Stephanie Kimmerer, Christopher Balogh, Debbie Braun, Gary Leiskeau and Samantha Johnston.

Each year Greater Moncton Realtors award four bursaries to graduating students who exemplify great enthusiasm in serving their school and their communities. Above, Moncton Real Estate Board president Chris Constantine presents a cheque to one of the recipients, Ashley Dickinson of Moncton High School.

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38 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Boards & Associations Continued from page 36

Ballet and Contemporary Dance of Saskatchewan. They are also members of the Youth Ballet’s performing company. Both volunteer with the Regina Open Door Society’s youth program, assisting immigrant children in reading, writing, English skills and school homework. Roxanne also volunteers with Regina’s Common Weal program that links artists with communities to inspire social change through art.

Each year the ARR awards two scholarships to University of Regina students. The scholarships are intended to encourage and support excellence in education. The criteria includes having attended high school in Regina, having a good academic standing and a demonstrated ability in areas such as leadership, athletics and fine arts.

■ ■ ■

A sold-out event celebrated the “best of commercial building” at the inaugural Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) Commercial Building Awards recently.

The Woodward’s Building redevelopment, at 100 West Hastings, won the Judges’ Choice Award for best overall of the 36 entries. Woodward’s also won the excellence award in the mixed use commercial/residential category for owner/developer Ian Gillespie of Westbank and Ben Yeung, Peterson Investment Group.

Westbank and Peterson Investment Group were also winners of the excellence award in the hospitality/hotel category for the Shangri-La Vancouver hotel at 1128 West Georgia.

“We were very pleased with the excellent entries into our first-ever Commercial Building Awards and want to congratulate all the award recipients,” says Jake Moldowan, REBGV president. “The quality of our commercial buildings is a significant reason why Metro Vancouver is considered to be a world-class area.”

■ ■ ■

Members of the Realtors Association of HamiltonBurlington collected over 550 books for the recent Telling Tales Family Festival of Stories event.

“We are pleased that our members responded so generously in their support of such a great event,” says Larry Szpirglas, chair of RAHB’s Communications Committee. “Literacy is the foundation for anyone’s – and especially a child’s – ability to learn and to understand the world, and we were happy to contribute what we could to both the cause and the event.

This is one more way Realtors demonstrate their commitment to RAHB’s Quality of Life initiative.”

Realtors were invited to donate new and gently used children’s books for the festival’s Swap and Shop tent, where children at the festival were able to trade and purchase books. An estimated 5,000 to 6,000 adults and children visited Telling Tales. REM

From pledges collected by participants, sponsorships and outright donations, RAHB president Joe Ferrante (right) and event chair Tom Peddle presented $1,400 to Sarina La Bonte, executive director of Community Living Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln.

EXIT_ad_Nov2010.indd 1

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40 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Creating a competitor-free zone Differentiating yourself in a world that thinks you all look, act and perform alike

By Richard Robbins

T

here are two challenges facing real estate sales associates and organizations today. The first is the inability to differentiate yourselves from the competition because in most cases, the services you are offering appear, at least on the outside, to be the same that everyone else is offering.

This has led to the second major industry challenge, which is the constant need for real estate sales professionals to justify their fees to the public. The real estate industry has reached a point of “competitive convergence�, forcing many agents to resort to competing primarily on price. The dis-

pute between the Competition Bureau and CREA has brought a great deal of attention to this issue and public perception of real estate sales professionals has plummeted in recent months.

The absence of a clear differentiator amongst competitors in this industry is epidemic but it has also opened up a huge opportunity for those who are bold enough to stop competing to be the best in the same game everyone is playing.

When we continually compete and compare ourselves to others, we allow ourselves to be trapped in our competitors’ game and worse, we lose all creative freedom to express the best that really lies within us. When we lose our creative freedom, we lose the ability to uniquely shape our businesses, our lives and the world. We become almost mechanical in our approach and miss out on the pure enjoyment that comes from expressing who we are in what we do.

Changing times call for you to create your own game and a new playing field. How? Be different and not just for appearance sake.

You must really BE unique. The good news is who you are and how you love to do business is as unique to you as your own DNA. So while everyone else is playing the conventional game, step out and start competing to be unique by expressing the best of who you are through what you do.

It has been said that the strongest motivational force in the world is not conformity, fear nor ego; it is pure joy and boundless passion. When we are able to spend our lives being who we are, doing things the way we love to do them, we are 100-per-centengaged. When we are fully engaged, time flies as we get lost in our creative thoughts and work. It is in this pureness of presence that exceptional work is produced for the world to enjoy.

The first step toward compet-

ing to be unique is to decide exactly who you are and what you are going to do. Equally important, you must decide who you are not and what you are not going to do.

You will need to challenge conventional wisdom and age-old beliefs as you move toward creation of your unique contribution, and away from conformity. This is no easy feat, I know, and rest assured you will encounter critics and cynics who will try holding you back and keeping you small.

What I am talking about requires a great deal of courage and even a leap of faith – but then again, anything worthwhile usually does.

When you make a unique and meaningful contribution to the businesses and lives of your customers, you become an industry leader who embodies the attraction process. Business is attracted to you because of who you are, and the chase of deal after deal is finally over. You will enter what I call a competitor-free zone, and it is here

that business becomes an absolute pleasure. You will be amazed at how easy it is to let go of unproductive, unprofitable relationships and focus on highly profitable and mutually rewarding relationships with those whom you share common values. You are able to spend less time on business development and more time on improving the value of your products and services and delivering extraordinary customer experiences. The cycle of creation simply snowballs and you will never do business the same again.

Join Richard Robbins and several guest speakers at the premier of the new event ACHIEVE 2010 on Dec. 7-9 in North Toronto, where you will learn first-hand how to Compete to Be Unique. For more event information, visit www.richardrobbins.com and download a free Compete to Be Unique Worksheet. Phone: Richard Robbins International Inc. 1-800298-9587. REM

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42 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Powerful photos for great results Tip #3 in the top 10 tips for writing great real estate ads

By Ian Grace

W

hat is the most important part of any ad?

The top bit! The very first part of the ad that prospective buyers see. People will never read every ad – rather, they skim from ad to ad, letting the photo and first few words (which is normally the headline of the ad), decide for them whether they will read the ad further.

Photos and headlines must work together to grab the prospective buyers’ interest, enough for them to decide the ad has something to offer them and that they should read further.

This is where we will change what the real estate industry has been doing forever and I promise you, the results will be amazing. It’s time for a paradigm shift in your thinking!

Visualize a property that, from the back deck or veranda, has a lovely view down over a lake. Now let’s assume we have a headline, something like Watch the yachts sail by and the body copy might continue, “Relax with your feet up on your back deck, enjoying this glorious view of the lake, the seagulls circling and the yachts sailing by...”

Got the picture so far? Now, what would be the ideal photo to complement that headline? A photo taken from that back deck, with the view prospective buyers will enjoy once they are living, in their new home. Certainly not a view of the front of the house.

Now, just to reinforce what I am saying, go and pick up some magazines and your daily newspaper and look at the professionally put together ads. Looking at what we’ve just done above, notice how the photos and headlines work together to identify prospective customers, their wants, their needs, their problems (and how to solve them), so they will make a decision to read past the headline and to see what the ad has to offer them.

This is where we come across a

dilemma – looking at real estate and if there was a photo of the ads, whether on the Internet or in front of the house, it was probably print, the main photo in almost about the last one to be seen. If a every case is of the front of the house has “street appeal”, then house. that is a bonus, but not the reason to purchase a house, except on However, if the rule of photos very rare occasions. and headlines working with and complementing each other makes Do you get the picture? Can sense, then if we have all fronts of you imagine how different these houses as the main photos, with ads will be and how they will stand different headlines, they can’t out against your competitors’ ads? work together – breaking one of Final thing to remember – the most vital rules of advertising. always make sure your photo The main photo does not need to matches the headline, not the be the front of the house! other way around.

Have you ever looked to buy a In my next article we will talk property yourself? You look more about photos, personalizing through pages and pages of ads your ads and understanding someshowing fronts of houses – boring, thing that is vitally important – boring, boring. How can people putting a media mix advertising possibly make an informed decicampaign together – powerful sion about what it would be like to stuff! live there, in that house, with those neighbours, in that area with Known internationally as “Mr. everything it has to offer, by lookReal Estate Advertising”, Australian ing at those ads? born Ian Grace is acknowledged as When I sold my own house, I one of the world’s leading authorities used this headline: Relaxxx in privaon real estate advertising. Since 1994, cy, after a hard day. The three x’s he has delivered his programs throughreally emphasizes the relaxing. The out Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A, main photo showed my wife and I Canada and the U.K. His articles in our hot tub, relaxing with a glass about real estate advertising have been of wine. Now, how easy is it for you published around the world. to visualize yourself relaxing in www.iangrace.com REM exactly the same way? The buyer, who first saw the property on the Internet, asked if it was me and my wife in the photo – it totally personalised the ad, gave it a life, depicted enjoyment and created the perfect picture of what the buyer could do once they owned the home.

Then the copy talked about doing some laps in the pool, or just relaxing in the shallow beach entry area – so, the next photo was of the pool. Then it talked about them enjoying a game of pool and of course, the next photo showed the games room with the pool table.

We had over 20 photos Ian Grace used this photo, rather than in total, showing the home one of the front of the house, to sell his and all the area had to offer home.

44 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Be more than a ‘successful’ salesperson

By Andy Herrington

S

ome big-volume salespeople are looked upon with awe by other people in their industry, because they will write up any deal, regardless of the cost. They never stop running – they can’t because often in the end they aren't making any money. They are the busiest people you know and they never have time for anyone other than their clients.

On the other hand, productive salespeople do the deals that make the most sense, at the right cost, retaining more clients. They are more contented day in and day out. Often they are less wellknown, but they have time for family and friends and they live a life others would envy. They have it figured out.

In this article I want to share some tips to becoming a productive sales rep rather than simply a busy or “successful” one.

Here are the 10 Principles of Sales Productivity: 1. Know what your time is worth and value it as such. Each hour in the day is an opportunity, and for the average real estate agent it is probably worth $1,100 an hour or more. Do you treat it as such? When you waste an hour chatting to colleagues or jump to take an unqualified buyer to see a home, do you consider the loss of income?

2. Evaluate your clients and only work with the best. Clients are like hold ‘em poker – some are pocket aces and others are 7-2 off suit. How much time are you wasting on the worst hand?

3. Time spent qualifying the client is far more profitable than the time spent gallivanting with the wrong customer.

4. If the client is a waste of time, learn it early and let them go. With good qualifying skills, you can find out at the very start if the lead is worth your effort. Walk away before you invest hours of time and get, to steal another poker term, “pot committed”. You will make more money being picky with whom you work than trying to help everyone with a pulse.

5. Take no for an answer. If the prospect is not right for you, don’t push the issue. Now as a caveat, learn what a NO is, and what is an objection. Far too often, as salespeople, we are very good at convincing people to do what we want. Become good at figuring out who to use this skill on.

Remember, with follow-up you will always have an opportunity to convince them when the time is right.

6. It’s not all about the money.

Money is the inevitable result of your effort. Once you lose the des-

offer or doing a listing presentation because in both of those only one deal is possible, while prospecting can create two, three or four or more deals in the same amount of time. Productive agents never forget to schedule and do their prospecting.

And a couple of bonuses: 11. Get some rest. Take time to recharge your batteries.

Nonstop work lowers productivity.

Lastly, 12. Many phones now have an auto on/off feature.

Have your phone turn off at

Time spent prospecting is more important than anything else you are looking to do. perate tie to the all-important dollar, you will see how much more actually comes your way.

7. It is all about the client. As long as you focus on delivering value, clients will want and need you. They will flock to you and they will pay you more to have you looking after them.

8. Create goals and track progress weekly. Set targets for all aspects of the sale – dials, contacts, appointments, contracts, deals.... If you don’t measure it you won’t be able to improve it or know where you are in regard to your goals. Honest tracking is the only way to help yourself.

9. When times get tough, become far pickier with whom you deal. It seems like I have it backwards, but when times are tough, the best way to dig yourself out is to only deal with the very best clients. They will make you feel better and will put more money in your pocket.

10. Time spent prospecting is more important than anything else you are looking to do. It’s more valuable than presenting an

11 pm and back on at a time in the morning when you want to be returning calls. Some people start their day returning calls, some start prospecting and then return calls. Also, make sure you turn off your cell phone while prospecting.

When we begin to focus on productivity rather than sheer volume of sales, or units of sales, you will be amazed at how quickly those numbers rise. Once you take out the need to simply do sales, and replace it with the desire to produce profitable sales, your business will grow, your income will grow, your free time will grow and you will be able to lead the life you foresee for yourself.

Andy Herrington is a master coach and presenter with Dan Plowman Team Systems Inc. For access to marketing campaigns, scripts and listing and buyer presentations that have been designed and perfected over the last five years, visit www.danplowmanteamsystems.com. REM

46 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Are you intimidated by higher-end clients?

By Dr. Maya Bailey

M

any clients who come to see me for coaching want to work with higher-end clients. However, what they usually say to me is, “I feel intimidated whenever I’m around them.”

I was working with a client a few months ago named Karla, who had this issue. I asked her, “What self-limiting belief do you have about yourself that could be causing you to feel intimidated by higher-end clients?” She answered, “I have the belief that I’m inferior.”

I guided her though a reprogramming process to teach her how to eliminate that belief from her consciousness. The first part of the session was to get clear about the positive intention of her old belief. I asked Karla to say, “Dear old belief part of me, what are you trying to do for me by having me believe that I’m inferior?”

At first Karla resisted this whole questioning process and couldn’t imagine what positive intention there could be in the belief, “I am inferior.” However, I encouraged her to dig down deeper. I encouraged her to be a loving detective and to assume that every self-limiting belief that she has about herself has a positive intention at the root. She agreed to cooperate and to look deeper.

Soon she found that what she was trying to do was to make herself humble. So, in other words, the old belief had a positive intention. It said to Karla, “I wanted to make you humble. I wanted to keep you in check. I wanted to keep you out of the centre of attention.”

I asked Karla to probe deeper and ask, “Why do I need to be out of the centre of attention?” And the reply was, “Because if you’re out of the centre of attention, you will be protected from other people’s judgment.” At this point Karla became emotional and started to feel some pain from her

childhood.

The second part of the reprogramming process was to find out the origins of when this whole sequence began. Her old belief part said to her, “You were very young and I gave you the idea that you were inferior so that you would be out of danger.” “What danger?” I asked. “You were playing with kids.

They were making fun of you. To protect yourself, you made yourself as small as possible. You made yourself invisible and the way you did that was by telling yourself ‘I’m inferior.’”

I said to her, “What other core beliefs did you form about yourself at that time in your life?” And she said, “Well in addition to thinking I was inferior, I also told myself I’m not as good as you are, and I told myself I should be perfect.”

Then I asked Karla to come back to her present age and to talk to her old belief part and to thank the old belief part. She said, “Dear old belief part of me, thank you for trying to help me when I was growing up. Now that I’m an adult, everything is different, and even though you’re trying to help me, you’re actually hurting me. In fact, if I keep on believing the belief that I’m inferior, then I will create some major problems, and here’s what they are.”

Karla said if she keeps on believing that she’s inferior, she never will be able to work with higher-end clients and never be able to fulfill her full potential and make the income she wants. I asked her if those results were acceptable to her and she said “Absolutely not.” I then encouraged her to get adamant with her old belief part and say, “Old belief part of me, you no longer have any place in my consciousness. I need to release you right now to your highest good.” She escorted the belief out and said to it, “Thank you and I release you to your highest good.”

I asked her to take a deep

breath and feel lighter. When she came back to her conference table, she felt very much lighter and unburdened. Since nature abhors a vacuum, we needed to fill in that space with some positive new empowered belief. So I had her imagine that she was her future successful self.

She was proud. She was smiling. She was at ease, and the future successful self said to Karla, “Here are your new empowered beliefs. Write them down.” Karla began writing fast and furious, her new empowered beliefs such as: “I’m as good as anyone else.” “I deserve to be successful.” “I am as smart as anyone else.” “I am able to make mistakes, learn from them and move on.” “I’m so happy and grateful now that I’m reclaiming my own power.” “I’m so happy and grateful now that I’m releasing old beliefs from my childhood and realizing my true potential.”

At the end of the session, I asked Karla how she felt and she said she felt lighter and had lost that feeling of inferiority. Many clients who want to work with higher-end clients need to take a look at the self-limiting beliefs that are holding them back.

Do a little inquiry into your own subconscious beliefs. Practice the steps outlined in this article and you’ll find it easy to release those old beliefs, put in your empowered beliefs and then begin to feel at ease and comfortable when you work with any clients.

Dr. Maya Bailey, author of Law of Attraction for Success Minded Professionals, integrates 20 years of experience as a psychologist and 12 years as a business coach with her expertise in the Law of Attraction.

Her powerful work creates a success formula for professionals ready to double and triple their incomes. Apply for a complimentary coaching session by visiting www.coachmaya.com.

REM

Marketing in Difficult Times for Smart Professionals I have been thinking how much of an uphill battle marketing really is.

and service became commonplace.

Is it because we are so bombarded with advertising?

I find myself wondering why we have to work so hard to convince people (sellers, buyers, agents and people in general) to do or use something which will improve their lives in some way.

We are not born sceptical; we aren’t taught negative thinking so I just wondered when this aspect of filtering products

Is it because we now have 24/7 news from around the globe telling us of all the disasters befalling people?

CSP training teaches us we don’t have to better than our competition but we do have to be different. It doesn’t matter what we think about how great we are; what counts is the perception of the customer. Once they have their opinion or their mind made up it’s very difficult to change it.

Real Estate Professionals every week spend thousands on print media to advertise properties which are not ready for sale. They know it, I know it, you know it but no one is equipped to overcome the sellers resistance to changing the way they perceive selling property to be. It’s one of the reasons CSP International invested time andmoney to develop an information and marketing learning opportunity – the CSP Elite agent program; we find some real estate pro’s who gobble up information and some who are sceptical of the value and some who think it should be about credits. I shake just my head.

Surely it’s about marketing and securing listings so they sell for the most equity possible so the client understands the value you bring vs. doing FSBO?

Top of mind awareness is crucial in order to build your business and be referred. If your listing client does not perceive a difference between you and your competitor then price becomes the deciding factor.

The crux of this is the commission rate gets compromised and so does the stager service fee. When the most important marketing components (realtor and stager) are not receiving value (enough $) from the project their service becomes less than 110%. If service levels do remain the same then both parties are working harder for less, and the result will be undervalued, discouraged workers.

The key to marketing success is to find a point of difference for the service that together we bring to a seller. We need to be first to bring this difference to your listing presentation, together we set the precedent for others to follow and try to emulate.

It’s not what you do alone or what I do alone the strength and differential is what we do together.

Take the CSP Elite program and team up with a CSP. Let them work with your clients, on behalf of you. They have learned how to deal with overcoming objections and resistance; then with the right marketing (which I can help with) every house will position you as THE agent to list with and together we will ensure a better home selling experience for your clients.

48 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Floating home stratas growing in B.C.

By Jean Sorensen

B

.C. Re/Max Performance Realtor Leah Bach grew up around the water, lived in a floating home, met her husband in a floating home community and today sells units in her father John deWaal’s “bare land” strata development Queensgate Marina, at the junction of the north and south arms of the Fraser River.

Float homes have grown in popularity throughout B.C. and now regularly appear in marinas as tenants. Some are converted boathouses (with living quarters on top), while others are self-propelled houseboats. The floating homes usually pay a monthly moorage fee in a marina and their tenancy is akin to a trailer park arrangement. (See www.floatinghomes.com for listings of B.C. floating homes for sale). However, strata developments take floating home ownership to a new level, giving the homeowner greater security. DeWaal said his development is the third such marina stra-

and a waterscape view onto the Fraser River. The Queensgate project in Queensborough is being constructed in three phases. Phase I has been sold (four floating homes on site and one currently being constructed) and Phase II, with five lots, is now being offered.

The final phase is under development and features another five lots.

The strata lots are being sold at $300,000 each by the developer.

The homes (which must be approved by developer deWaal) are estimated to cost $300,000 to $400,000. The purchaser provides the floating home either through a company such as Linwood Homes, which is known to build quality floating homes, by hiring an architect or by purchasing plans and doing an independent build on site. “Essentially, for $600,000 you can have the whole floating house,” says Bach.

The strata buyer is purchasing the “upland” from where the floating house sits. The upland is that

legal rights to use the water,” he says. Those rights are set out with Ports Canada on a 40-year lease.

The bare land strata differs from a conventional strata in that while the units share strata arrangements, each unit is an entity and there are no shared walls.

The individuals in the bare land strata share the amenities and infrastructure. The maintenance fees are often lower in bare land

Bach. The City of New Westminster supplies dockside sewer and water. Other amenities include electricity, cable and communications. Natural gas is available for cooking, fireplaces and barbecuing.

The 40-year foreshore lease with Ports Canada has 30 years remaining. At that time, the strata development will receive first right of refusal to renew the lease with

The total cost of the floating home and the land is $600,000 to $700,000.

Built on floats, the homes have all the amenities of a traditional home.

ta project in B.C., with the other two located in Ladner and Richmond.

Realtor Bach says that for $600,000 to $700,000, buyers can obtain a floating home measuring between 1,600 and 1,800 square feet, ownership of a foreshore lot,

area of shore land down to the high water mark. The lots are 50 by 50 feet. “You can’t build on it,” deWaal says, because the land is in a “red zone” that protects fish habitat. However, by purchasing the land, the buyer gets the old common law riparian rights or “the

strata developments because the individual homeowners assume responsibility for maintaining their own home, unlike a shared strata building.

“All the infrastructure is accorded to the strata and is located inside the floating dock,” says

the fee for that renewal coming from the strata funds. Currently, maintenance fees are $160 a month, says Bach.

DeWaal, as the developer, is managing the strata development but once 51 per cent of the lots are sold, it will convert to a strata council to manage. DeWaal is living nearby in a unique home that is built partially on shore and over the Fraser River. However he has the property for sale and wants to build a double-wide floating home within Queensgate.

Buyers who purchase a floating home come from all walks of life, says Bach, who has lived in a floating home community. They range from professionals to homemakers, and are of all ages. “But, there are not a lot of families with children because there is a limited footprint and you can’t send the kids outside to play,” she says. She does know of one family with seven children who were raised in a floating house.

The ideal buyer is one that enjoys the out-of-doors lifestyle. It

Buyers who purchase a floating home come from all walks of life.

includes the marina atmosphere, the river life and views, and the thought of fishing off a dock only a few steps away or climbing into your boat moored at the doorstep for some early-morning catches.

Jim and Kathy Dorval is such a couple. The Dorvals were living in Prince George and moving towards retirement in spring 2011.

Their dream was an ocean waterfront home where they could moor their 26-foot boat nearby and go fishing. However, the price of that dream and waterfront lots seemed out of their financial grasp. They were looking at northern Vancouver Island when they found Queensgate Marina online. They are now having a floating home built.

Bach says one of the advantages of this marina development is that the homes are all sited in a straight line, providing everyone with a view. In some marinas, she says, homes are sited in a “Christmas tree” formation with branches, and views are compromised. With concrete patios and outdoor areas (which don’t count as living space and impact the size of a home), Bach says homeowners could enjoy an affordable waterfront lifestyle at a modest price.

“The world is pretty well your oysREM ter,” she says.

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50 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Talkin’ funny with Jamie Farr

MANAGING BROKER WANTED - VANCOUVER AREA REALTY EXECUTIVES Western Canada is actively seeking a self motivated individual to manage the day to day operations for a brokerage in the Vancouver Area.

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The qualified candidate must have a valid Managing Broker License in the province of British Columbia.

We offer a competitive salary and training and support to ensure success within our dynamic company.

Please send your resume to Brian Klingspon: Brian@RealtyExecutives.com http://www.refranchise.ca/broker-needed

NATIONAL MARKETING DIRECTOR Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC is seeking a Director of Marketing to serve as chief marketing consultant to franchise owners across Canada. Based in the Canadian national office in Burlington, Ontario, this person is solely responsible for driving awareness and maximizing usage of the brand’s tools/systems, national initiatives and services to franchise-affiliated companies.

The successful candidate will be a motivated self-starter possessing drive and initiative who thrives in a high pressure environment. A strong presenter, the candidate should enjoy traveling extensively (75% of time) with opportunities for face-to-face interaction with our affiliate network. They must be a team player who will successfully interact with global management in developing and implementing marketing strategies for the Canadian marketplace.

Other qualifications include: • Serve as a liaison between global marketing headquarters based in the U.S., and the franchisees to ensure tools/systems are developed that meet the needs of both parties • Must possess superior verbal and written communications skills, proficient at crafting email communications, e-newsletter content, comfortable with presenting to audiences of one to 500, live onstage or via WebEx • Post secondary education in Marketing • Hands-on Marketing/Advertising experience • Experience in real estate and/or franchise operations a definite asset • Strong leadership skills and relationship-building ability Qualified candidates seeking further information should contact:

Debbie Beckman at (973) 407-7924 or email your resume to: debbie.beckman@realogy.com

By Dan St. Yves

T

here are months when I must confess I’m skating on thin ice here, when I insert a column that really doesn’t have all that much to do with real estate – aside from the consideration than man (nor woman) does not live by real estate alone, which I feel redeems these occasional offtopic pieces. After all, at the end of a long hard day out in the field cobbling together a difficult deal, the average Realtor will return to their home and unwind with perhaps a good book, or a few hours in front of the television. And there’s where I find my loophole for this column.

Jamie Farr has been a fixture of the entertainment world for the past 57 years, most notably as the popular character of Corporal Max Klinger, which he brought to life weekly in the long-running TV series M*A*S*H. But outside of the shadow of that enduring role, he’s been entertaining audiences from his earliest appearances as a cast member of The Red Skelton Show, and on through truly classic TV (to me at least) – The Gong Show. Currently he appears in live theatre productions across North America.

I recently asked Mr. Farr if comedy was a deliberate route early on in his career, as he had started his career with a role in the dramatic film Blackboard Jungle – a movie that incidentally featured the earliest appearance of rock and roll music in the soundtrack. “Yeah, I enjoyed making people laugh, and I enjoyed laughing myself – I looked at all types of comedy, and I tried to somehow find a way to emulate and deliver in the same vein,” he says.

He grew up listening to classic radio comedy – Red Skelton, Milton Berle, Bob Hope and Jack Benny – and then ended up working with many of them. He also

worked with some of the other biggest names in movies and TV (Lucille Ball, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke).

I was curious to know what might be that magical quality that makes some actors so successful in comedy. “It’s an inherent thing – they’re born with a tickle,” he says.

“It’s something you just can’t learn – I think you either have it or you don’t.”

Despite deliberately trying to steer our conversation away from M*A*S*H, we kept referring to the show – it stands up as a time he’s especially proud of, particularly working with his fellow cast members.

“The quality of the writing, the performances from the cast members, it was just a great chemistry that everyone had. Everything worked right in that series.”

For those readers in the Toronto area, Farr will be appearing at Mississauga’s Stage West Theatre Restaurant in Mitch

Albom’s heart-warming autobiographical production of Tuesdays With Morrie, from April 28 to July 3, 2011. The book was a sensation when it was first released, and at its core is a reminder that we can’t forget to include balance in our lives, while chasing success and dreams.

Hey, there’s another redemptive feature for including this column here!

You can download an audio version of this interview, either at http://thatdanguy.libsyn.com/, or from iTunes by typing in “thatdanguy’s podcast”. Either way, it’s a free download, and filled with far more conversation tidbits than we had space for here, including a discussion on that aforementioned Gong Show.

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

REM NOVEMBER 2010 51

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

W

arning. There is no reference to real estate in the following paragraphs on account of I had no inspiration except a recently discovered quote from Teddy Roosevelt. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” I wandered, lost, in Google, seeking fodder for the deadline.

No animals were injured, no gluten imprisoned. There may be some trans fat because I was snacking over the keyboard.

Guy Fawkes Day is about to be celebrated by those of us for whom blowing up the Houses of Parliament or otherwise being a nuisance remains a fond wish. On the other hand, the funny thing about the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 is that you can go both ways with the event and these days, being AC/DC seems to be politically correct and perhaps prudent.

For those of you who are history challenged, a brief recap. The period follows the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, when

The story of Guy Fawkes Catholics emerged from decades of suppression only to discover that the new king, James I, had little loyalty to his Catholic roots.

Edited from Wikipedia: “Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606) belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics . . . . who planned to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. The plotters secured the lease to an under croft beneath the House of Lords and Fawkes was placed in charge of the gunpowder they stockpiled there. Prompted by the receipt of an anonymous letter, the authorities searched Westminster Palace during the early hours of 5 November, and found Fawkes guarding the explosives. Over the next few days, he was questioned and tortured, and eventually he broke. Immediately before his execution on 31 January, Fawkes jumped from the scaffold where he was to be hanged and broke his neck, thus avoiding the agony of the drawing and quartering that would have followed. The Gunpowder Plot has been commemorated in England since 5 November 1605 where Fawkes’ effigy is burned on a bonfire, often accompanied by a firework display.”

If you’re wondering why Fawkes preferred the high dive to ‘drawing and quartering’ here’s Wikipedia’s description of the execution of Mel Gibson – sorry, that

should be William Wallace. (You remember, Braveheart?)

“Captured and tried in 1305, he was strapped to a hurdle and dragged by horse through the streets of London, to the scaffold at Smithfield. Along the way he was whipped and hit by the spectators, who also threw rotten food and waste at him. After being hanged, and while still alive, he was emasculated, eviscerated, beheaded, and then quartered. His preserved head (dipped in pitch)

The website www.bonfirenight.net includes a game challenging players to discover the cellar with the explosives while posing a history pop quiz, and comments, “Today these conspirators would be known as extremists, or terrorists.” (D’ya think? Maybe burning holy books? What is it about religion, almost all religions it seems, that begets violence?

Why, of all beliefs, do we resort to killing the other chap if he ignores our god but forgive him for failing

Guy Fawkes Day is about to be celebrated by those of us for whom blowing up the Houses of Parliament or otherwise being a nuisance remains a fond wish. was placed on a spike on London Bridge (the first to appear there), while his arms and legs were displayed at various towns across England and Scotland.”

Hollywood was obviously more restrained in 1995 when Braveheart was filmed, although having just sat through the movie Machete, I don’t know what they would have risked by being more graphic. Mel Gibson likely would prefer a stand-in while his ex-wife would likely vote in the alternative. But I digress.

to return partner’s opening lead, which in my bridge club was a capital offence? “What would Jesus do?” “Why I believe he would unsheathe his AK47 and smite the heathen!”)

The interesting opinion from the bonfire night site is that following the discovery of the original plot, fires were lit across England to celebrate the saving of the king. Today, the bonfires are lit, the effigy burned and the celebrants muse whether they are honouring the discovery or the inten-

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tion of the plot. They likely don’t muse aloud considering the likelihood of attracting the attention of MI5, CSIS or Homeland Security.

The tradition of the monarch only visiting the Houses of Parliament after it has been ceremoniously searched stems from this bit of history. There is no connection between the popular condiment HP Sauce and the splat of Fawkes’ landing – although that would be way cool.

One last note. While there is no definitive credit in the Oxford English Dictionary, there remains supposition Guy Fawkes’ final legacy is the word ‘guy’. To raise money for the fireworks and treats connected to the annual burning of his effigy on Nov. 5, children pulled the straw man around the streets in a wagon or pram asking for ‘a penny for the guy.’

You could Google it.

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

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

REM

52 REM NOVEMBER 2010

GOURMET COOKING for real estate professionals

By Carolyne Lederer

A

sbach Uralt is the brandy of brandies, but in Ontario the LCBO has delisted it. Although it is unique and the only one I have used for more than 30 years, try your own favourite brandy and I am sure you will still enjoy the results.

Stollen is as old as history itself, and it is said to have originally been made as a symbol of the Christ child wrapped in swaddling clothes. Stollen can be made as bare or as elaborate as the budget permits, having only raisins in during lean years and being plumped

Getting ahead of the holiday season up with fruits of all description in the fat years. But don’t skimp on the brandy, for its subtle flavour enhances the actual flavour of this country-German fare in an incomparable fashion.

This recipe is produced entirely in metric. Every kitchen should have a small scale.

I played with some of my yeast doughs as I tested them over the years, and decided on one to turn into Stollen, my way. There’s a multitude of variations, as different provinces create their own versions all over Europe.

If you do not have a heavy-duty mixer, old-fashioned (strong) wooden spoons, bowls and hands will certainly suffice; you will just have a little more work to produce the finished product. If you are a bread maker anyhow, you will understand, and will appreciate the exquisite texture of this dough. If you own another machine, adapt the directions to those accompanying your equipment.

Asbach Stollen 1 c candied mixed peel

1 c mixed red and green candied cherries, cut in half 55 ml Asbach Uralt Brandy (or your favourite brandy) 1/2 c fresh, slivered almonds, unblanched 1/4 c freshly shelled and chopped walnuts (really the shelled ones have a different taste) Soak fruit in 55 ml brandy for 2-3 hours prior to making recipe.

Sliver nuts with food slicer attachment of your kitchen machine or with a very sharp knife (cautiously).

1 (8g) pkg dry yeast 200 ml warm milk 3 g sugar 350 g flour 80 g sugar 60 g softened sweet butter 1 warmed egg, beaten (let egg come to room temperature, then stand it in a cup of warm, not hot, water for a few minutes). Always cook or bake with eggs at room temperature for best results (even when you are doing hard cooked eggs).

Measure 200 ml milk into a

beaker. Heat this milk but do not boil. In a warm dish, place 3 g sugar and 100 ml of the milk (reserve the rest). Stir well to dissolve sugar.

Add dry yeast and give a little stir.

Set timer for 15 minutes. When timer rings, stir yeast mixture well.

It will have puffed up in the dish and will deflate when you stir.

In the meantime, place flour, sugar, softened sweet butter and the remaining warm milk into the large bowl of the kitchen mixing machine (not a food processor), along with the beaten egg.

Add yeast mixture and set machine in operation, using the dough hook. Mix for about five minutes on low/slow speed.

This mixing process actually kneads the batter for you, so at this point batter will have left the sides of the bowl and will be a turning blob on the dough hook. Dough will be very pliable and somewhat shiny looking.

Place dough in a warm glass or baked enamel bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to double in size in a warm, draft-free place.

(About 1 - 1 1/2 hrs).

Dredge fruit and nuts in a few grams of flour (just enough so fruit doesn’t stick together). Sprinkle fruit with a couple of grams of salt and a few drops of natural real almond flavouring (don’t use artificial flavourings). A friend brought me a terrific brand of vanilla and almond flavouring from her trip to Aruba, and I kept it for really special recipes like this one.

Knead fruit mixture into punched down dough, adding only a small amount at a time. Knead for several minutes, but don’t handle the dough unnecessarily. Don’t force dough; knead it gently.

With a rolling pin, gently roll dough on very lightly floured board, into a large oval shape about 1 cm thick. Fold dough offcentre lengthwise, plumping it up a bit near the centre. This creates a ridge down the off-centre midpoint. Brush with a little sweet butter and place on a well-buttered cookie sheet. Cover and put in a warm place to double in bulk.

Bake at 400 F for about 40 minutes. Remove and place on rack to cool. Brush with butter again while still warm. After Asbach Stollen is (absolutely) completely cool, sprinkle with icing sugar, sifted over top. Store in a sealed air-tight plastic bag. Store for a few weeks in a cool place. All the flavours meld during the wait-time and create a whole new scent that is irresistible.

Serve, sliced, with all your other Christmas goodies. The scent of the brandied fruit will stay with you as a reminder to make this a seasonal favourite.

Served with a plate of mixed cheeses, a few green grapes and perhaps accompanying your favourite wines or sherry, your guest table will be the talk of the town.

Carolyne Lederer is broker of record at Carolyne Realty Corp.

Proudly putting her name to her work for 29 years, she serves Burlington and Brampton, Ont. residential real estate clients. She taught gourmet cooking in the mid 1970s prior to going into real estate, and wrote a newspaper weekly cooking column. She also has a cookbook in the works. Email Carolyne at BurlingtonHomes@Carolyne.com if you have any questions. www.Carolyne.com or www.MillREM croftHomes.com

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54 REM NOVEMBER 2010

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

S

o, you want to be a manager eh? Maybe you should think it over twice before jumping into the water.

Allow me to share a bit of my background with you.

I first thought about management and owning my own brokerage back in the ’70s and found it to be very rewarding and even financially beneficial. As the years rolled on, I decided to sell off my shares in the brokerage to my partners and pursue a career supervising and training with the now defunct Frank Real

A career as a manager Estate. Travelling nearly every day to the far reaches of Eastern Ontario became very taxing and extremely difficult, especially in the winter months.

Still, I longed for the challenge of management and was enticed to come to Toronto, where I landed at a Century 21 office for a short period of time. I found that my “home spun” idealism and thinking didn’t fit in with the Toronto breed of brokerages.

I quickly realized that I had to change with the territory and make some inroads on how to recruit, other than with the multitude of career nights that we held. Although they were fun to organize and we made some decent presentations, the end results weren’t what we were looking for at all.

After a frustrating year of doing these events, I eventually found my way to the nowdefunct Safeguard Real Estate,

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through the auspices of an agent who had worked with me in Belleville, Ont. I was introduced to an enigmatic broker, the late Demetre Ellis, who had what I thought was a phenomenal vision of the future of real estate: large offices with 50 to 100 agents and several branches. During the 10 1/2 years we worked together, we hired more than 300 agents. My training skills became more polished and I adapted to a totally different mix of agents. We were a “United Nations” of agents, speaking more than 20 languages and running the deals totally off the white board that we kept in those long-past days. Challenges, yes, I had many to cope with, but with help from many of my colleagues, we were able to entice some great people to our nonfranchised independent offices.

During that time, managers were paid a great deal more than what is the norm today, so I really enjoyed my lifestyle. That is until 1989 happened. Remember the book Boom, Bust and Echo, which foretold of the bubble that was about to burst? Most of us ignored it and went on our merry way. But the bubble did burst and in a most devastating way for the industry. Eventually, this once-successful brokerage failed.

So if you’re thinking that a manager’s position is secure, you’d better have another thought.

Going forward... after a few months with two different brokers, I was recruited by a large Re/Max office with two offices and remained there for four years until one of the owners decided to opt for managing as opposed to being a selling owner. Although the severance was fair, I became disconsolate and depressed because I thought that I had done a good job in the areas of recruiting and retention. Returning a year or two later as career development officer, we managed to recruit quite a few agents, but I found that management was still what I wanted to do.

As luck would have it, my best friend, Derek Levitt, of

Re/Max Professionals called to see if I was still interested in management and from that time up to the present, I have been actively involved in management, recruitment and training.

I have been fortunate to have been able to do what I love to do, but the road has not been as secure as you might imagine. It’s as secure as your last year of recruiting activity. Just as you are as good as your last sold listing.

Management is not a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday job. You may

These are difficult times we face, but those who manage with professionalism, integrity and care for others will indeed be around for a long time. Oh, and did I mention patience? It’s an attribute you will need in abundance.

Still want to manage? Better call me or email me first before you leave that $150,000 or more income. But hey, some broker/owners and broker/managers do sell and they are quite successful. If that’s what you real-

We are now faced with yet another challenge, with changes brought on by the Competition Bureau. be required to come in on weekends as well as respond to calls from agents late at night and while you are on holidays (even though the front desk has been so advised). But it goes with the territory.

Managers need to know all the rules that govern our industry – backwards and forwards.

We must be part fireman, part accountant, part psychiatrist and at times, part priest or rabbi. You must continue to strive every year for knowledge that will help guide your team through not only good times, but tough times as well.

We are now faced with yet another challenge, with changes brought on by the Competition Bureau. As brokers and managers, we strive to inform, educate and guide our teams to success after success, in spite of the roadblocks we currently face.

And be prepared at all times to thwart difficult agents and members of the public.

ly want to do, go for it!

As my window of opportunity to manage/consult/train draws to a close over the next couple of years, I will leave this industry with memories to last the rest of my life and with the hope that, in some small way, I have given the tools to succeed to many of those I have had the privilege to work with.

Ah, so much has changed over the years: teams; technology; Twitter; YouTube; Facebook.

I only wish I had been born 30 years ago to see where it will take us and to see where you, my friends, will be.

For more of my ramblings, coaching or venting, see my blog on Active Rain.

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

Stan is now celebrating 40 years as an active real estate professional.

REM

56 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Lessons from four moves in four years A military family that has moved four times in the last four years offers tips on how sales reps can earn their business and their referrals

By Katherine Fawcett

T

he Quealeys look like a typical busy Canadian family. Tom, 8, can’t get enough hockey, Maya, 10, is obsessed with Harry Potter and Ruthie, 4, loves anything to do with ponies or puppies. Kirsten packs a lot of lunches and Pat has become a pro at taking training wheels off kids’ bikes.

Not so typical is the Quealeys’ expertise on the subject of moving. A military family, they’ve relocated four times in the past four years – one move for every year of little Ruthie’s life.

“It’s been pretty crazy,” says Kirsten, recalling her most recent transitions. “We had Ruthie in St. Albert, near Edmonton. From there we moved to Victoria, then to Kansas, then Ottawa. And now back to Victoria.”

In each new location, she and Pat chose not to live in military housing – rather, they purchased and sold homes in each city (except Kansas). She admits they

Over the years, Kirsten has been frustrated by some Realtors and she’s been overwhelmed with gratitude for others. were lucky to take advantage of favourable market conditions and were able to get slightly ahead financially with each move.

When Pat was assigned a new location, and after some Internet research of her own, Kirsten would generally start by cold-calling a real estate office. She would explain their priorities – resale, a family-friendly neighbourhood, four bedrooms and a good-sized fenced-in yard for the dog. She’d also explain their time-line; generally the military provides a one-

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week house-hunting trip for families who must relocate. Over the years, Kirsten has been frustrated by some Realtors and she’s been overwhelmed with gratitude for others. Here is some of the advice she’s gathered on what works, what doesn’t and what totally backfires.

Don’t waste time: “Please block the week for us. I think we’re fairly easy clients for the right Realtor. We have to choose the house and seal the deal, and we have a limited time to do it.

One thing we like to do in advance is choose some properties online. It’s so helpful when our Realtor previews those homes before we arrive, just to rule out those that aren’t quite what they seem on the Internet. I don’t want to see what the Realtor considers the ‘sweet deals’ if they don’t fall within our parameters.

Organization: Have our house-hunting days well-planned, mapped out, organized. Have a GPS that works, and plug all the properties in. We’ve been with Realtors where we have to navigate from property to property, in a city we don’t even know. Also, sometimes lunch can be tricky –we’re all going to have to eat, but please choose something quick, not high-end, and not too noisy to have a conversation. I was grateful to the Realtor who left me and Pat alone to eat lunch, so we could discuss some things in private, especially on the third day of our trip.

Viewing: Respect our space.

The best Realtors are helpful but not intrusive. Let us view on our own, without hovering over us, but be available when we have questions. Personally, I don’t really care how you would decorate the house. Also, keep inappropriate comments to yourself. I’ve heard racist remarks and criticism of the owner’s housekeeping and decorating. It’s not necessary and it makes you sound rude and judgemental. Not the kind of person I want selling my house when it comes time.

Kids: On some of the househunting trips we’ve had to bring our kids along. It’s not ideal for any of us, but we make the best of it, keeping in mind that it’s their move too. We’ve let Realtors know in advance about the kids coming, and the good ones will help us by arranging babysitting/ day care. If that doesn’t work out, at least pretend to like kids. I was so impressed by the Realtor who brought out some drinks and snacks and a colouring book for them. Even better, the Realtor

area. Get to know the local moving companies. I was really pleased when my selling Realtor arranged a third-party “presenter” to come in and not only recommend ways the house would show better, but helped get it done – rearranged the pictures on the walls, decluttered the shelves and put the flowers in the best places.

Follow-up: Moving day is especially stressful. It was even more frustrating when the renters who had been in our new place weren’t out when we showed up with our stuff. A good Realtor will do a walk-through for us and make sure the place is ready for to move into. In St. Albert, the Realtor gave us a list of the service companies we were going to need: utilities, power, the garbage/recycling, cable/Internet company. It made getting settled so much easier.

That little extra: You’ve just made a good chunk of change on the sale. We know its standard to give a little housewarming gift to your client, but we appreciate it when it’s not a “standard” gift. The best Realtors make it personal. A

The best Realtors are helpful but not intrusive.

Let us view on our own, without hovering over us, but be available when we have questions. could offer to take the kids into the yard and play on the swings or something so we can look at the house in peace.

Work with others: I respect a Realtor who has other experts to help them out. Have a home inspector at your fingertips. Have an assistant who can provide a list of community services for the

gift certificate to the local craft store or yoga studio, a dinner out for me and Pat, a basket of local produce, or even something thoughtful like a donation for Habitat for Humanity. Show that you have been paying attention to who we are; it makes us feel welcome in our newest home.

REM

REM NOVEMBER 2010 57

HOUSE WORKS

By Steve Maxwell

R

esidential insulation seems pretty simple at first glance, and that’s the problem. If you’re going to install it right in renovations and new construction, you need to understand and address several subtle details as work unfolds – details that are often missed, even by professionals.

Condensation is the hidden danger in most insulation situations (at least here in Canada) and it’s why vapour barriers and airsealing strategies are crucial. It’s not primarily for keeping out cold drafts. There’s a more important reason.

Air sealing strategies inhibit the movement of warm, moist indoor air into insulated wall cavities and attic spaces. If this movement happens unhindered during winter, most of the gaseous moisture within the leaked air will condense within the cold wall as it cools, forming droplets of water in the midst of your insulation and

Understanding insulation wall framing. Not good.

Preventing this destructive process of infiltration, cooling and condensation is why six-mil polyethylene must be installed on the warm side of all exterior walls and ceilings. The hitch is that it has to be completely sealed to work properly.

Just putting it up is never enough because air gets through the tiniest of cracks.

To help achieve vapour-proof results, use acoustical caulking to seal all vapour barrier joints as they come together. You’ll also find factory-formed plastic liners to extend the seal around, under and behind electrical boxes.

These liners are the only practical way to keep condensation out of wall framing.

Polyurethane spray foam is both an excellent insulation and a first-rate air sealant for preventing drafts from leaking in around window and door frames. It comes in a pressurized can with a rigid application nozzle that lets you inject it into cracks ranging from 1/8-inch to four inches wide. Most formulations expand considerably, and that’s why low-expansion varieties are best for windows that might be bowed inward and damaged by expansion pressures.

Whichever type you use, don’t overfill the area, and don’t miss the target. The best advantage you can give yourself for working neatly in tight quarters is to slip a length of

large diameter drinking straw over the rigid nozzle of the spray can.

This makes it possible to fill tight spots that would otherwise go empty. Choose a straw that slips snugly over the nozzle and stays there with friction. Wrap some electrical tape over the joint, just to be sure. A hacksaw blade, taken out of the usual saw frame, is the best tool for trimming excess foam ooze out after it’s hard. Acetone removes the foam while it’s still sticky. Nothing gets it off after it’s hard.

Rigid, extruded polystyrene foam boards aren’t usually applied to exterior stud walls during construction and renovation, though there are two reasons they make a lot of sense for renovations. First, it’s a great insulator. The R-5 per inch delivered by foam is a great addition to between-stud batts because foam provides an insulation layer that’s unbroken by wall studs. Reduced condensation hazard is another advantage of exterior foam. It warms the stud cavity in winter, reducing the possibility of condensation in areas where the vapour barrier or air sealing is less than perfect. If you choose extruded polystyrene boards with shiplapped edges you’ll also boost the water resistance of your outer walls. Just be sure to orient the joints so they shed water like a shingle.

See what I mean? Insulating properly isn’t as easy as it looks.

That’s because lots of surprising things go on behind the scenes.

But once you know what to look for, warm and cosy insulation is easy.

Steve Maxwell is Canada’s award-winning home improvement expert, and technical editor of Canadian Home Workshop magazine. Sign up for his free homeowner newsletter at www.stevemaxwell.ca REM

A large diameter drinking straw makes an effective foam gun extension.

Creating a longer nozzle like this allows application of foam into tight and otherwise inaccessible areas. Be sure to tape the straw to the nozzle after slipping it over the tip to prevent the straw from coming off under pressure.

Sheets of rigid foam applied to the outside of a building are one of the only ways to boost the insulation value of walls. It’s also very effective.

Applied before new siding goes on, rigid foam creates a continuous layer of insulation. (Photos: Steve Maxwell)

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58 REM NOVEMBER 2010

Good Works T

he Royal LePage Shelter Foundation was the big winner at the Royal LePage National Sales Conference in Montreal, where $145,000 was raised for the charity.

Before the conference began, fundraising was already rolling.

Hitched onto the back of a Via train was Louise Sabino’s (Royal LePage Connect Realty, Ajax, Ont.) Party Train to Montreal.

The beverages were flowing and the train was alive with music and games. Five per cent of ticket sales were donated to the foundation.

In Montreal, many Royal LePager’s were on a different kind of adventure as they boarded a jet boat to ride on the Lachine rapids.

The trip was organized by John Hripko and Josh Nelson of Royal LePage Foothills in Calgary; Ron Pfeifer and Mike Duggleby of Royal LePage Regina and Jason Rumpel of Royal LePage Phil Robertson Realty in Regina, raising an impressive $7,300.

In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono held a bed-in for peace in Suite 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal. At the conference, Mississauga’s Royal LePage Plantation Place branch raised more than $1,400 with its “Give Plantation a Chance” event in that historic suite. Conference goers were invited to have their photo taken in the suite, re-staged to look as it did during the bed-in.

The Plantation Place group and some special guests re-enacted the recording of Give Peace a Chance that took place during the bed-in, with Royal LePage president and CEO Phil Soper acting as John Lennon. Search “Give Peace a Chance Royal LePage” on www.youtube.com.

Reid Greiner, a broker in Mississauga, led a whiskey-tasting for a donation at his Wee Dram for Shelter, while Oakville sales rep Blair Mackey hosted a party in his room, where attendees were asked to guess the number of M&Ms in a bowl for a donation, while they

were quickly disappearing.

Later in the evening Jai Wadhwani of Royal LePage Meadowtowne in Mississauga mixed and mingled at a downtown bar, asking guests for a donation for shelter, instead of cover charge.

The silent and live auctions raised a combined $80,000 thanks to generous bids of patrons and the auctioneering talents of Kent Browne. Browne and his team at Royal LePage Team Realty and Royal LePage Gale in Ottawa topped the fundraising off with a Promotional In House Awareness Contest and Draw that raised $50,000.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Hallmark Realty in Toronto was recently recognized for exceeding the $1-million mark in donations to Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, through its contributions to the Children’s Miracle Network.

“We’ve been involved with Children’s Miracle Network since 1992, as one of the first franchises to get on board when it became an official cause of the Re/Max organization,” says Debra Bain, co-broker/owner. “Our agents are wholly dedicated to Children’s Miracle Network, knowing the vital difference it makes for children and families in their own community.

While we support a number of local charities, this one certainly has a special place in our hearts.”

Re/Max Hallmark was also honoured as the Top Contributing Office to Children’s Miracle Network in Re/Max OntarioAtlantic Canada in 2009, a position that it has held consistently for many years.

“Their efforts really are tireless,” says Christine Martysiewicz, director of public relations and Children’s Miracle Network coordinator, Re/Max OntarioAtlantic Canada. “It is absolutely a reflection of their compassion and generosity. It’s clear to see it means so much to them – the chance to offer hope and healing to children and their families.”

■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker Panda Realty in Edmonton held its annual golf tournament recently. The colourful autumn leaves covered the hillside while frost covered the greens.

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation benefited from a variety of good works at the company’s National Sales Conference in Montreal, including two auctions.

The shotgun start was delayed but the Realtors, sponsors and guests used the time networking and meeting old and new friends over an extended breakfast and coffee.

Because of the delay the decision was to only play nine holes with several of the golfers donating their refunded green fees to the Inner City School Hot Lunch Program.

Mulligans were sold in support of the Realtors Community.

Throughout the years, Panda’s golf tournaments have donated more than $13,000 to the Realtors Community Foundation.

■ ■ ■

Stepping off the edge of an airplane and hurtling toward the ground at up to 200 km per hour takes courage. Following weeks of planning and fundraising, 23 brave participants prepared to take the leap to help children struggling with cancer. On Aug. 22, the first annual Jump for the Cure raised $8,500 for the Michael Cuccione Foundation, a cancer research organization. The event was the brainchild of A.J. Stelacio, a sales rep of Sutton Group - Premier Realty in Surrey, B.C. Since his 18th birthday, Stelacio has taken these pulse-quickening dives 780 times.

“People often say to me that they want to skydive but they rarely commit to it. One day about

Ted Garrard, president and CEO of the Sick Kids Foundation, with Sick Kids champion Selen Hasip and Re/Max Hallmark broker/owner Debra Bain.

Royal LePage Plantation Place brokers and agents sing Give Peace a Chance with Royal LePage CEO Phil Soper playing the part of John Lennon in Montreal.

Valarie Sampson

three months ago, I was having a drink with Heather Armitage, the president of Active First Aid. We wanted to help sick children and a skydiving event was a natural choice,” says Stelacilo. “When a person signed up, they committed to collecting a minimum of $200.

The top fundraiser won their choice of a five-day cruise in Mexico or the Bahamas.”

Low cloud at 4,000 feet made tandem jumps impossible for many participants, most of whom rescheduled their jumps. Stelacio and friends demonstrated advanced level “hop and pop” jumps for the crowd. In addition to attracting 23 skydivers, another 60 people came to cheer them on from an airport hanger and enjoy a barbecue dinner followed by live music.

■ ■ ■

Valarie Sampson, broker/ owner of Re/Max Park Place in Sydney, N.S., recently overcame physical, creative and mental challenges to make dreams come true for three Cape Breton kids through the Children’s Wish Foundation fundraiser, Exile Island.

Sampson participated in the one-day event, modeled after the popular reality television program Survivor: Exile Island. Along with more than 100 others, Sampson was “captured” and sent off to var-

A.J. Stelacio

Sarah Wollner

REM NOVEMBER 2010 59

ious destinations where she was “put to the test.” The challenge: to outsmart, outlast and outpledge in order to raise funds to help grant wishes to children diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The staunch supporter led the Cape Breton contenders by raising $5,600 individually and pushing her tribe to surpass their goal of $10,000.

“This event was incredibly challenging,” says Sampson. “Yet, it’s nothing compared to the challenges faced by these children every day. Their courage is the real inspiration in all this. We simply want to remind them what it’s like to just be a kid.”

■ ■ ■

Broker Jeannette Gligic and sales rep Marlyn Katerenchuk of Coldwell Banker Best Real Estate in Oakville, Ont. recently took part in the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers benefitting the Princess Margaret Hospital. They completed the 60K walk and together raised more than $5,700.

In total, the event raised $10.8 million.

“This is the first year that we have taken on such a challenge, and we came up with the slogan ‘Two Mothers Helping Others’ says Gligtic. “Both Marlyn and I unfortunately have been touched very

closely by friends, family and loved ones that have been diagnosed with cancer, some are currently fighting the battle, and some have lost their battle. However, despite our incredibly hectic lives with families and work we felt compelled to take up this challenge and take a stand against cancer, with the hope of someday soon finding a cure.”

■ ■ ■

Sarah Wollner of Royal LePage Connect in Ajax, Ont. rode for 10 hours on Sept. 18, setting a record for the longest cycle in Ontario’s Durham Region for charity. In her Cycle for Shelter, she biked 200 km throughout all eight municipalities of Durham and raised $3,200 for Herizon House, a local shelter in Ajax.

■ ■ ■

A family in Regina will enjoy safe, affordable housing sooner thanks to the efforts of Sutton Group - Results Realty and Habitat for Humanity. Recently the north and south offices of the brokerage hosted an inaugural Sutton Group/Habitat for Humanity Golf Tournament. The tournament raised more than $43,000.

Rob Pederson, co-owner of Sutton Group - Results Realty’s

Marlyn Katerenchuk (left) and Jeannette Gligic prepare to start the 60K walk.

north office, says: “We spent seven months planning the event and gathering sponsorships and donations. When we talked with friends and clients, we mentioned the event and accepted donations from a penny up. The tournament was held at one of the nicest courses in Regina, making it a great day for all the golfers.”

The organizing committee for the tournament included Realtors Rob Pederson, Brian Albert, Karin Wees, Jen Welykholowa, Tanya Kohl, Tim Chicilo, Chris Parrott, Gaston Sirois and Devon Crawford, as well as Leanne LaMontagne, an administrative assistant, and family members.

■ ■ ■

Ryan Lyons, a commercial sales rep with Avison Young’s Toronto office, participated in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride to raise funds and awareness for fighting childhood cancer. As one of 40plus riders representing the national team, Lyons cycled from Vancouver to Halifax between Sept. 9 and 23, covering more than 7,000 km and stopping in 160 locations across Canada to raise funds.

“At the beginning of the year two primary goals were at the top of my mind in order to prepare and qualify for the Sears National Kids

Cancer Ride – raise $25,000 for the kids and log 10,000 km on the legs,” says Lyons. “I am proud to announce that we finally achieved these goals.”

■ ■ ■

It was Beatlemania all over again as All You Need Is Love took to the stage in Belleville, Ont. recently. The Beatles tribute band is headed by Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty broker/owner Mark Rashotte. The event raised $20,000 for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. Rashotte has been holding this benefit concert annually for 10 years. The funds will be directed to a local Belleville shelter, the Three Oaks Foundation, which helps 260 women and children each year.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max of Western Canada is now offering $16,000 in bursary monies in its annual Quest for Excellence Program, offered to Western Canadian Grade 12 students. The program, now in its 10th year, was established to recognize ongoing pursuits of Western Canadian students. The program has been revised to a single category to recognize students’ leadership and community contribution achievements.

“We are encouraging students

Three Oaks Foundation representatives accept a cheque for $20,000 from Mark Rashotte and All You Need Is Love band members and supporters.

Nigel Denham (right) with his new business partner James Warren at the inaugural charity event in support of World Wildlife Fund Canada. Their new partnership was announced that evening.

to communicate what they have done specifically in their local communities to make a difference in the lives of others, whether it be by fundraising for a cause, volunteering their time or participating in any other local initiatives,” says Marie Sheppy, senior co-ordinator, corporate affairs, Re/Max of Western Canada.

Sixteen entries will be selected from entries received online at www.remax-western.ca in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon. Each winner will receive a Re/Max Quest for Excellence bursary, each valued at $1,000. The application deadline is March 4.

■ ■ ■

Nigel Denham, a sales representative with Royal Lepage Johnston & Daniel Division in Toronto, held Party For Your Planet recently at the newly opened Thompson Hotel on King West. The event attracted 120+ guests who sampled gourmet treats and fine beverages and kicked up their heels to notable deejays Whitney DB and Wayne Leacock.

Hadley Archer, vice-president of World Wildlife Fund Canada, was on hand to deliver a message of thanks to supporters. Six thousand dollars was raised for World Wildlife Fund Canada.

REM

Andy Forgie and Mark Rashotte on stage in All You Need Is Love.

Trish Reid of Royal LePage ProAlliance in Cobourg took to the skies to raise funds for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, raising $700.

She is pictured dropping from the skies with her tandem instructor at the Gananoque Parachute Club.

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REM NOVEMBER 2010 61

What’s

New Email marketing site redesigned (Inman News) – E-mail marketing company Fabusend Media has launched a redesigned website.

Fabusend offers a Smart Letterhead product that allows users to send unlimited, branded emails with up to five customized tabs (usually linking to the user’s website) or icons that link to up to five social media networks: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and the user’s blog. The subscription cost is $138 per year.

Sean Carolan, the company’s president and CEO, said the redesign is intended to streamline the site and also addresses a concern about marketing messages that end up in prospective clients’ spam folders.

Fabusend tracks if and when marketing emails are opened, who opens them and how many times the emails are opened. For those emails that have not been opened, users can automatically re-send them in plain text format with a link to the original branded message.

Users can choose from a library of templates that can be personalized with the user’s picture, logo, contact information and/or signature, according to the website. The product is designed to work with all major email systems, including Outlook, Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook Express, AOL, Apple (Mac) Mail, Windows Mail and Top Producer.

Fabusend emails are optimized for iPhones and newer BlackBerry models such as the Storm, Bold and Torch.

Fabusend Media was founded in 2006 and is based in Vancouver. For information: www.fabusend.com.

Yardi Systems acquires Point2 Yardi Systems, a real estate investment and property management software company based in Goleta, Calif., has acquired Saskatoon-based Point2 Technology, a software company specializing in the distribution of property information and other tools and services for the residential real estate and heavy equipment industries. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Yardi, a nearly 30-year-old company that has offices in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, has historically focused on commercial and multi-family real estate sectors and broadened its operations with its acquisition of real estate data company PropertyShark, announced in April.

Point2 has its own search portal, Point2Homes.com, and receives property listings information from about 154 multiple listing services and real estate associations, which together represent about 270,000 agents. The company distributes property information – at last count about one million active, for sale listings – to about 56 portals.

Saul Klein, a real estate technology pioneer who since 2008 has served as CEO for Point2 Technologies, and also serves as president of online community and technology company InternetCrusade, said the acquisition is a natural fit for both companies. “For (Yardi) it’s just a natural movement into another segment of an industry for which they’re already deeply embedded,� Klein says. “For us, we grow with an entity that has resources beyond (ours).�

Klein says the entire Point2 staff and management team will remain in place – Point2 has about 120 employees in its Saskatoon and Vancouver offices.

Real estate syndication is evolving rapidly across the industry, Klein says, and “the direction in which this is going is very positive.� He also says that listings syndication is one of the most costeffective ways to generate business for real estate professionals. “The whole concept of syndication is still in a state of evolution.�

The industry is still grappling to put a price tag on real estate

data, he says. The bulk of Point2’s syndication agreements are with MLSs, Klein says, and the company also accepts property data from brokers and agents. The company does not charge for its basic syndication service or analytics reporting related to its syndication service, but does offer enhanced services for a paid subscription that can range from $19.99 to $119.95 per month.

Point2 offers to pay MLSs and associations residuals of up to 10 per cent “when you encourage your members to adopt and use the enhanced tools available by upgrading� to any of the company’s three subscription packages, according to an online description of services. The company allows its users to control which properties are syndicated and to which sites they are syndicated. — Glenn Roberts Jr., Inman News

Monster Commercial launches ICI website A new website, Monster Commercial.com, is a commercial real estate information service created to provide knowledge to commercial real estate tenants, investors and decision makers to help them decrease costs, increase operating efficiencies and make wise investment decisions, the company says.

Based in Burlington, Ont., the website has a national focus.

The format includes editorial and video content. Monster Commercial “is a place where stakeholders in the commercial real estate community can engage with, and learn from others while being exposed to new ideas,� says the company in a news release. “The site will share information on topics including best practices for leasing, financing, going green by creating sustainable buildings and workspaces, property design and retrofits, how to maximize energy and business efficiency. The objective is to provide knowledge and creative ideas relative to the overall operation of investment or leased property, to help create long-term gains for all.�

The site also plans to offer “a unique regional property listings showcase.�

For information: www.monREM stercommercial.com.

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62 REM NOVEMBER 2010

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

M

any years ago there was a young man named Cliff Edwards who was very successful on the vaudeville circuit. He was a gregarious fellow who played the ukulele and entertained thousands in theatres all across the land through the 1920s and 1930s. He had hit songs on the radio. He was also a radio host for many years. His personality was so engaging and so joyful that he would draw people to him wherever he went. He was famous for his generosity to others, and above all, his voice. He had a special voice that could deliver a song with such sincerity that it could create goodness, move hearts and even at times bring tears.

Wishing In his personal life, Cliff Edwards, it was said, was foolish with money. He gave a great deal of it away. He encountered problems with alcohol and drugs. He paid alimony to a number of wives and he declared bankruptcy four times in the 1940s. In his later years he lived in a charity home for indigent actors in Hollywood.

It was said that each day he would hang around the Disney studios in the hopes there might be some voice work for him, as he had done some recording and appearances for them in the past. He always wished he could get back to his time of high earnings and good times.

His wishes could have come true. They were within his reach if only he had realized the great potential his voice still had, but he did not. He did not see that it was always right in front of him.

People wish for things all the time and do not realize that what they want is right in front of them. Like in the real estate market.

I have often heard people say,

Trade Shows and Conferences For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com CREA – MTC Technology Forum Saturday, Oct. 23 Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland St. John’s, Nfld.

Julie Daviau – jdaviau@crea.ca Ottawa Real Estate Board Trade Show Thursday, Oct. 28 Centurian Conference Centre Ottawa Wilda Brown – wilda@oreb.ca

Victoria Real Estate Board Real Estate Expo 2010 Thursday, Oct. 28 Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney, B.C. Linda Duchesne – 250-920-4654 or lduchesne@vreb.org Brian Buffini’s Success Seminar Nov. 2 – Mississauga Nov. 3 – Ottawa Nov. 4 – Woodbridge A free workshop www.buffiniandcompany.com/ss

“I wish I had known this market was going to heat up” or “I wish I had realized that the prices were gong to rebound so high.” Over all the years I have watched this industry I have heard this wish many times. Every time the real estate market is in a downturn all these people forget what they wished for because it was always right in front of them all along.

During our worst depressions and in all the major market downturns in our history, real estate prices have always come back and gone higher than previous market prices. It has always happened.

There has never been an exception to that. Those few brave souls who bought in times of low real estate market values have always realized major returns on their properties that by far exceeded any other stocks, bonds, savings certificates or any other kind of investments.

When the real estate market comes back, it does so slowly at first like a snail’s pace and then eventually it comes on like a thundering herd of horses. I have

National Association of Realtors 2010 Conference and Expo Nov. 5 – 8 New Orleans www.realtor.org/convention.nsf/ Mississauga Real Estate Board 2010 Election Meeting and Trade Show Wednesday, Nov. 17 Versailles Convention Centre, Mississauga Gay Napper – 905-608-6732 Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services Sales Rally, Trade Show and Education Event Thursday, Nov. 18 Lejardin Conference Centre Woodbridge, Ont. Nancy Sears – nancy.sears@prudential.com

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is the time. seen it happen, I think, about five times in my days. Maybe six.

Every time it completes the cycle there are hordes of people who walk around wishing they had thought of buying during the slow times when prices were rock bottom.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is the time.

Now is when people should be buying property. Certainly here in Canada but especially in the United States where prices have flat lined. Populations in both countries are going up and up and up. The most basic need people need everywhere is housing. The more people, the more demand. This is not a hard equation.

CAAMP Canadian Mortgage Conference and Expo Nov. 21 – 23 Palais des congrès de Montreal Montreal www.mortgageconference.ca Re/Max & You Tuesday, Nov. 23 Mississauga Convention Centre Mississauga, Ont. www.remaxevents.ca Remarkto2010 Real Estate Marketing Summit Toronto 2010 Monday, Nov. 29 Ellas, 35 Danforth Rd., Toronto www.remarktoSummit.ca

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

You can wait and wish you had bought property or you can realize it is right in front of you. It always was.

Just like Cliff Edwards, whose most popular song endures today.

If you have ever seen a Disney film or television program you have heard it and probably hummed it. It is the Disney theme song When You Wish Upon A Star.

Cliff Edwards was the voice of Jiminy Cricket and elected to the Grammy Hall of Fame. His wish was always right in front of him.

So is yours. Makes no difference who you are.

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

REM

Buffini & Company Turning Point 2010 Dec. 6 – 7 Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto www.buffiniandcompany.com Richard Robbins International Achieve 2010 Dec. 7 – 9 North Toronto www.richardrobbins.com 1-800-298-9587 The Banff Western Connection Jan. 27 - 29, 2011 Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Banff, Alta. www.banffwesternconnection.com La Capitale Real Estate Network Performance Gala Sheraton Centre, Montreal Saturday, Feb.5, 2011 fmasse@lacapitalevendu.com

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Different by Design This is not your ordinary real estate opportunity 80,813 Associates | 689 Market Centers* To learn more about franchise or leadership opportunities at one of Canada’s fastest growing real estate companies, we invite you to contact us. canada@kw.com | 416.565.3851 © 2010 Keller Williams Realty, Inc. Each office is independently owned and operated.

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Help your customers do their homework.

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