November 2018

Issue #353

November 2018

Dave Procter's Vancouver Island Vancouver Island success story Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 42218523 - Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to 2255B Queen St. E., #1178, Toronto ON M4E 1G3

Page 18

Winnipeg board ends ‘other occupation’ bylaw Page 3

Saskatchewan moves toward single association Page 3

Take the landlord-tenant privacy quiz Page 14

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REM NOVEMBER 2018 3

Winnipeg board ends ‘other occupation’ bylaw

By Danny Kucharsky

W

innipeg Realtors can now have another job aside from selling real estate after members of WinnipegRealtors approved an amendment to a longstanding bylaw.

The amendment does away with a bylaw known as “the other occupation” rule that forbade Realtors in Manitoba’s capital from working elsewhere.

“Basically, no longer is it possible for WinnipegRealtors to tell a member, a salesperson, that they cannot have another occupation and still practice real estate within our membership,” says Peter Squire, vice-president, external relations, market intelligence at WinnipegRealtors.

Squire says he does not know how many WinnipegRealtors members are affected by the change.

The amendment was among those approved by members at an Oct. 4 meeting on governance.

Changes to the association’s bylaws and constitution were made after a task force was set up earlier in the

year to review its governance.

The bylaw was deemed not to be in compliance with current civil and criminal law, federal privacy and competition laws and the current regulatory environment, Squire says. WinnipegRealtors received advice from its legal counsel and CREA. The other occupation rule previously said a Realtor with other sources of income could be questioned by WinnipegRealtors.

About 250 voting members participated in the vote and strongly supported the change. (Realtors must be members for at least two years to have voting rights.) “It was a good turnout,” he says. “I think we did the right thing in putting the amendment in front of our membership.”

Although some touted the bylaw as a ban on part-time agents, Squire says the previous bylaw did not require WinnipegRealtors members to work full-time in real estate sales.

“We’ve never said members can’t be part-time. It’s that if they

had another occupation, that’s where it became problematic,” Squire says. “We had part-time Realtors before. If they were working a full-time position and still doing real estate, that’s where that became an issue with our association over many years.”

In the early 1990s, REM reported that the federal Bureau of Competition Policy (now the Competition Bureau) took the Winnipeg Real Estate Board (as it was then known) to court over the rule. The claim alleged the Winnipeg board refused to grant membership to part-time sales reps and had taken disciplinary action against members employing parttimers.

The original case was dismissed by the Federal Court in 1991 and an appeal by the Attorney General against the Winnipeg board and CREA was dismissed by the Federal Court of Appeal.

In another change, WinnipegRealtors members agreed on Oct. 4 to increase maximum fines from $10,000 to $50,000 in

arbitration hearings that involve internal disputes among members.

WinnipegRealtors deals with arbitration disputes among members, while public complaints are handled by the Manitoba Real Estate Association.

The increase in potential maximum fines is aimed at improving deterrence, Squire says. “We want to ensure that professionalism is maintained and is as high a standard as we can make it and that’s partly why the fine regime has changed.”

Squire says WinipegRealtors conducted extensive consultations on the amendments, with 23 sessions members could attend. “It was really a significant effort to bring this to the members’ attention as to why we were bringing forward these amendments and explaining why they were important.”

More possible bylaw changes will be looked at next year.

WinnipegRealtors has a membership of more than 1,900 people, up from about 1,500 during the last 10 years.

Saskatchewan moves toward single association

By Mario Toneguzzi

R

ealtors from across Saskatchewan may be taking another shot at amalgamating all of the province’s real estate boards into one after a failed attempt a year ago.

In September 2017, a vote to fold the current boards and provincial association and create one new entity was rejected by members.

Dave Markus, co-chair of the provincial reorganization working group and also the president-elect of the Association of Regina Realtors, says he expects another vote on the issue to take place, likely in the early part of 2019.

“This isn’t a do-over. It’s a dobetter. That’s what we’re working on. We’re doing a better job this time,” says Markus.

He says the firm MNP, with its expertise in business planning and change management, has been hired as an external consultant to

ensure objectivity on the issue.

MNP is putting together a report about what Saskatchewan Realtors are looking for in a proposed amalgamation.

Markus says MNP is crafting a plan from the information provided from member Realtors. Members have been engaged in the process through surveys and interviews. The idea is to completely understand the concerns that members have had and address the challenges and move forward with what the members want. Markus added that it’s important this be a member-driven initiative, not “just a handful of guys in the backroom.”

It’s possible that MNP can come back with a report advising against an amalgamation, but Markus says he believes the idea will go forward and he assumes a vote will take place early next year.

“Members expressed concerns

on key issues. They want to know what our governance models look like. They want to know what the fees are going to look like. What services are going to look like. Make sure these things are transparent to the membership. That’s why we’re using this consultant to iron these things out to work our way through a plan that will work for our membership,” says Markus, who is also a sales rep with Century 21 Dome Realty in Regina.

“The members (are) telling us this is something we need to examine. At the end of the day, it’s about what the members want. We’ve got a pretty small population of Realtors in Saskatchewan …about 1,600.

Economies of scale are definitely not working for us when we’re split into different associations. What we’ve realized over time is that we already collaborate on a number of things.

There’s a number of services that are

produced out of one location but affects all members. The way our MLS system works or our lock boxes. Member databases. These are already collaborated between the associations. In addition to that we have shared staffing in some cases as well as shared office space.”

Markus says Saskatchewan has been on this path for a long time, adding that about 10 years ago the province had about 10 associations.

During the last decade, smaller boards have folded and joined the larger associations.

In recent years, for example, Moose Jaw Realtors moved into the Regina board and Prince Albert Realtors joined the Saskatoon board.

“We’ve also changed what we call our regional council models. So, over the years, where we’ve had members who are operating in small towns, they might have different

Squire says Winnipeg remains one of the most affordable major markets in the country for housing, but that tightened federal mortgage regulations have made it tougher for some first-time buyers to qualify for loans.

Sales are “down seven per cent this year compared to last year,” but “we still think we’re having a relatively good year,” given that 2016 and 2017 were the best years ever for real estate in the city.

Squire says WinnipegRealtors is getting the message across to buyers that while they may not qualify for a particular home in a particular neighbourhood, that there are many alternatives, including condominiums.

One of the most active price ranges in the city is condos priced between $150,000 and $200,000.

“You’re not going to be able to get that kind of price for a condo in Toronto or Vancouver,” Squire says. “That’s one thing we’re stressing. But we’re still being impacted by (the mortgage regulations).”

REM

sets of rules that they operate under.

They might have slightly different fees, slightly different services.

“In the last year, we’ve made some changes to that.” Markus says many of these differences have been eliminated so “a member is a member is a member” and rules and procedures have been standardized.

Today, the associations across the province include the Saskatoon Region Association of Realtors, the Association of Regina Realtors, Association of Saskatchewan Realtors and the Realtors Association of Lloydminster & District.

The vote in September 2017 did not go forward with the proposal because it did not receive the required two-thirds majority approval from each of the associations.

“When we did a post-survey, we asked our membership if they were in favour of a single association model and we found that 90 per cent of our members surveyed were in favour but they had concerns.

The words we heard over and over were: need more information,” says Markus. REM

4 REM NOVEMBER 2018

Multiple Listings

By Jim Adair, REM Editor

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

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

E

xit Realty Corp.

International has awarded Lynn Findlay subfranchisor rights to the Region of Southwestern Ontario. Findlay has an extensive background in education and sales, the company says. In 2013, she joined Exit Realty Twin Bridges in Sarnia as a sales rep and was awarded for outstanding production.

Findlay plans to begin development of the region close to home in Sarnia-Lambton and expand outward. “We expect to grow to more than 20 franchise locations

in the region, home to hundreds of agents,” she says.

■ ■ ■

More than 1,000 Royal LePage salespeople and brokers from across the country attended the company’s national sales conference, held recently in Halifax.

The event included keynote speakers Rick Mercer, Ryan Estis, Rick Haase, Beata Caranci and a panel from CREA. In addition, 50 educational breakout sessions were hosted by a variety of presenters and experts in their field. A trade

fair featuring Royal LePage suppliers and the latest industry services involved 52 exhibitors.

The next Royal LePage National Sales Conference will be held in Winnipeg.

■ ■ ■

Montasir ‘Monty’ Abdo of Mississauga, Ont. has rebranded his established independent brokerage. The company will now operate as Coldwell Banker Realty In Motion. Abdo has extensive real estate experience and has been a broker in Mississauga for more than 10 years. His background includes marketing and advertising experience gained as a publisher of community newspapers. He founded Realty In Motion in 2015 as a full-service brokerage. His team includes 25 sales reps.

■ ■ ■

Lynn Findlay

Elain Duvall

(Photo: Phoenix Society)

Elain Duvall is the new chair of the Real Estate Council of British Columbia.

Her experience includes 10

years as executive director of the Columbia Housing Advisory Association, several years working at the Housing Centre at the City of Vancouver and six years as a development manager for Progressive Homes, which specialized in developing and building non-profit housing. Duvall replaces the outgoing chair, Robert Holmes.

spending significant time training our agents on a weekly basis and we needed to have a space that was conducive to learning.”

Re/Max Active was launched 15 years ago by broker of record Umer Wahid and partner Ali Wahid. Saeed joined the ownership group recently. He has been a sales rep for 13 years and has also worked as a trainer and organizer.

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

The real estate agency Zone has merged with Royal LePage Triomphe in Brossard, Que. MarieCatherine Jetté, owner of Royal LePage Triomphe, will take over management of the merged agency while the former owner of Zone, Bernard Savard, will continue to act as a broker and special collaborator for the agency. The alliance expands Royal LePage Triomphe’s salesforce to nearly 100 brokers in its Brossard and Saint-Lambert offices.

Rob Longo and Steve Park recently opened a new residential and commercial brokerage in Sarnia, Ont. The residential brokerage will operate as Coldwell Banker Southwest Realty, while the commercial office will be known as Coldwell Banker Commercial Southwest Realty.

Long-time friends and colleagues, Park and Longo are both wellestablished second-generation Realtors with more than 40 years of combined experience selling real estate in Sarnia and Lambton County, the company says.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Active Realty in Mississauga, Ont. recently opened a 6,500-sq.-ft. office on Traders Boulevard to house its 55 sales reps and five support staff. Managing partner Addy Saeed says the brokerage made the move “because we found agents were looking for office space when they joined a new real estate office. We also are

■ ■ ■

Century 21Premier Properties recently opened its second office in the Okanagan, in Greenwood, B.C. Earlier this year owners Ken Davreux, Wendy Brisebois and Payam Sanai opened an office in Osoyoos. Davreux and his team have more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry.

The new office was previously a Re/Max brokerage and was acquired earlier this year by the Premier Properties team. Their goal for the end of the year is to have 12 salespeople and possibly open another branch office in Grand Forks.

■ ■ ■

Marie-Catherine Jetté

Rob Longo

Coldwell Banker Canada president Andy Puthon, centre, and Coldwell Banker Realty in Motion broker of record Monty Abdo, far right, with members of the brokerage team.

Steve Park

Kellyn McMullen

Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Centre broker of record Tania Artenosi, centre, left with Bruce Shipley, centre, rear and the First North team.

In a new digital campaign, Royal LePage highlights the partnership its agents build with their clients. The video campaign “Royal LePage | Home. It’s who we are” digitally paints actual agents into each scene on the backdrop of homes. The campaign pays homage to the launch of company’s partnership with Local Logic, which provides consumers the ability to view school catchment areas for a particular listing, or measure a listing based on how it ranks for anything from green space to nightlife and entertainment. The video is being promoted through targeted YouTube pre-roll Continued on page 28

6 REM NOVEMBER 2018

THE GUEST COLUMN

By Christopher Alexander

T

echnology has disrupted virtually every service industry, from banking and retail, to taxis and travel.

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t used Uber, Amazon or Airbnb in the past week – if not in the last 24 hours.

So, what’s the difference between these trailblazers and others offering similar services? Quite simply, their customer experience strategy is all about being convenient, userfriendly and easy-access.

Change is also bubbling beneath the surface of Canada’s real estate industry, and big data is the catalyst. With the arrival of Zillow and Purplebricks in Canada, and most recently the public release of sold data, you can be sure that our industry will look

The disruptors are knocking different one year from now.

Change is often accompanied by fear, and in this case, the fear is that publicly available sold data will spell the end of the real estate industry as we know it. Instead of fighting the inevitable, I encourage agents and brokers to see this as an opportunity.

Let’s get real – people who are active in the housing market already know what the house down the street sold for. The fact is, sold data has always been available at public land registry offices and from agents directly. Now, it will also be accessible through password-protected web-based brokerages. With this information in hand, consumers will be better equipped to do their own research – and I’m a firm believer that a well-informed consumer is the best kind.

Realtor.ca is already Canada’s most comprehensive real estate listings site. When coupled with sold data, it will be a powerhouse.

Similarly, the websites that offer more information will get more traffic and generate more leads.

The real estate businesses that

don’t give consumers what they want (recall: convenient, userfriendly and easy-access), will fall off the radar.

So, if real estate agents are no longer the gatekeepers of sold data, what’s their value proposition?

Sold data has been publicly accessible to consumers in the U.S. for more than a decade, and FSBOs represent a small fraction of sales – just eight per cent, according to a 2016 National Association of Realtors study. The study also found that the typical FSBO home sold for $190,000, versus $249,000 for agent-assisted home sales. How’s that for customer value? Other FSBO challenges – and agent benefits – include: • setting the right price • selling within the planned time frame • understanding and performing paperwork • preparing/fixing up home for sale • having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale In real estate, customer service

and consumer experience is everything. Members of this industry who perform sub-par work are only serving to tip the consumer’s scale in favour of alternative services to buy or sell a home.

Key takeaway: it’s time to up your game.

There’s a limited number of homes out there to sell, but the number of companies vying for consumers’ attention is growing by leaps and bounds. Here are some things for real estate business owners to think about – not only to survive the industry disruptors, but to reap the rewards: • Wage tech war. Technology is the big disruptor in the real estate industry and is a big lure for millennials and Generation Z, who will flood the market in the next few years. Think “mobile first” and consider engaging an innovation leader to ensure your business strategy is aligned with modern-day digital demand.

• Give people what they want. What do consumers really want, and how can you provide it better than the other guys?

Re/Max surveyed 18- to 24-yearolds in Canada’s hottest housing markets, to learn more about their home-buying perceptions. The majority reported feeling stressed at the prospect of purchasing – 75 per cent in the Greater Toronto Area and 71 per cent in Greater Vancouver. Furthermore, 51 per cent of survey respondents in Greater Toronto and 57 per cent in Greater Vancouver reported feeling undereducated about the housing market and the buying process. Be the teacher, be their guide.

• Think ahead. Where’s your business today, and where would you like it to be five years from now? If “digital” isn’t part of the answer, make it so. This includes investigating and implementing new technologies to make your staff more efficient and improve the level of service they offer. Shift the company culture to embrace the change.

Christopher Alexander is executive vice-president and regional director, Re/Max Integra, OntarioAtlantic Region. REM

Opinion: The truth about TREB The outcome of the Competition Bureau’s case against the Toronto Real Estate Board has attracted significant media attention. The case, given its complexity, has been largely misunderstood. By Brian A. Facey and Joshua Krane

Cover photo: LISA GRAHAM

law was understood to apply only to dominant companies if they tried to exclude their competitors and raise prices. But TREB has no competitors and the courts found its conduct had no effect on prices or commissions. This caused the courts to note that the decision to rule against TREB was a “close call”.

Following the Supreme Court of Canada’s (SCC) refusal to hear

TREB’s leave to appeal, members can now display sold data online through a TREB member password-protected Virtual Office Website (VOW). Some consumers will likely benefit from online access to sold listings on VOWs, but this comes at a price: namely, privacy.

The Competition Bureau, and other similar government agencies around the world, are grappling

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with big data, innovation and privacy. Striking the right balance between these factors will not be easy. The bureau recently noted that data must be collected subject to privacy laws. It also noted that the law does not usually impose on firms an obligation to share data that they have collected and developed. Yet that’s exactly what the courts say TREB must do.

The SCC’s refusal to weigh in

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REM is published 12 times a year. It is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any real estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by direct delivery in selected areas. For subscription information, email distribution@remonline.com. Entire contents copyright 2018 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.

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 complies fully with the CREA’s Trademark Policy (section 5.3.2.6.1).

ISSN 1201-1223

on TREB’s appeal leaves open many legal questions about how our laws will balance the growth of big data, innovation and privacy in an increasingly digital world.

Brian Facey and Joshua Krane are partners in the law firm of Blakes LLP. Blakes was legal counsel to the Toronto Real Estate Board in its application for leave to the Supreme Court.

REM

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T

he outcome of the Competition Bureau’s case against the Toronto Real Estate Board has attracted significant media attention. The case, given its complexity, has been largely misunderstood. It’s important to note that TREB, though criticized for doing so, was justified in defending itself and seeking to clarify the law.

At the outset of this case, the

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8 REM NOVEMBER 2018

THE GUEST COLUMN

By Barb Sukkau

Y

ou take pride in the things you own.

Look no further than your house; you want people to be impressed the minute they walk in the front door. After all, you worked hard to get it and you work even harder at maintaining it.

Well, CREA has given you a reason to be proud of something else you own: Realtor.ca. The No. 1 real estate website in Canada has undergone a “renovation” and now features a sleek design with a more powerful search engine, enhanced homebuyer calculators and access to hyper-local information.

And, coming soon, sold and historical data will be made available on Realtor.ca listings, making

Take pride in owning Realtor.ca it easier for consumers to get the information they want.

Just so we’re all on the same page here: as a member of CREA, you own the website that has, on average, 300,000 accurate Realtor listings at any given time.

Not to mention the 264 million visits and the 2.6 million leads generated from Realtor.ca – at no additional cost – last year alone.

With the largest number of listings, Realtor.ca is the only real estate website combining board/association MLS systems feeds from every real estate board in Canada and remains the most trusted brand by consumers and Realtors.

That’s something to be proud of and it’s something our American counterparts to the south envy.

Third-party, non-Realtor websites flood the U.S. real estate landscape and there is currently no trusted nationwide listing management system there.

Some of the bigger sites will charge a premium to advertise a listing, meaning some leads get buried, or worse, won’t even get

to the original listing agent.

What makes Realtor.ca so special is its investment of time and resources to help you succeed. The consumer-trusted, advertising-free website is where many consumers begin their real estate journey. In fact, 97 per cent of visitors use Realtor.ca and its apps as their primary or secondary source for viewing property listings and 92 per cent of Canadians are aware of Realtor.ca.

However, this isn’t the time to slow down. Technology is advancing the industry at an unimaginable rate, and Realtor.ca is constantly evolving to meet these new-age demands consumers have.

The latest redesign of Realor.ca, released in October, targets desktop users and delivers an improved and responsive website for all.

After leading many presentations and speaking to thousands of Realtors over the last several months, I can tell you there’s a lot of excitement building over the new Realtor.ca You wanted school boundaries added to your listings? You can

Zillow signs up more Canadian brokerages S

eattle-based real estate website Zillow has added several new Canadian partners that are sending a direct listing feed to Zillow.com.

The latest additions are Exit Realty Corp. International; Re/Max Ultimate Realty Inc., owned by former Toronto Real Estate Board president Tim Syrianos; Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Signature Service of Mississauga; Core Assets Real Estate of Toronto; and Greater Property Group, based in Calgary.

Zillow earlier signed deals with Century 21 Canada and Right At Home Realty. Zillow says it will have more than 30,000 for sale listings in Canada.

“We have a reputation of always staying focused on embracing technology that will assist our

agent business partners and clients,” says Syrianos in a news release. “We are confident that partnering with Zillow will be an asset to our team and will only enhance the client experience.”

Tami Bonnell, CEO of Exit Realty, says the company “has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Zillow in the U.S. and we are pleased to be among the first companies in Canada whose listings will appear on Zillow.”

All Canadian listings on Zillow will include a description and photos of the property and will prominently feature the listing agent – with contact information – as well as a link to the brokerage or franchise website, Zillow says.

Errol Samuelson, the company’s chief industry development officer says, “Zillow is committed

to connecting real estate professionals with consumers and we’re tremendously encouraged by the excitement we’re hearing around our efforts in Canada – both from consumers and our industry partners. We continue to talk with and sign new Canadian listing agreements every week.” The site started featuring Canadian listings in mid-October.

Zillow provides homeowners in some U.S. metropolitan areas with the opportunity to receive offers to purchase their home from Zillow.

When Zillow buys a home, it will make necessary updates and list the home for resale on the open market, the company says.

Zillow also operates more than two dozen real estate apps across all major platforms. It was launched in 2006. REM

now view properties for sale within a particular school’s catchment area.

You wanted improved mortgage, land transfer tax and affordability calculators? Done.

You wanted to promote your personal brand on the site? Every Realtor has a customizable profile on Realtor.ca so you can refer your page to potential clients and generate leads.

It’s important to point out Realtor profiles were viewed 6.1 million times last year, meaning consumers are definitely searching for you.

All of these make for impeccable business tools, but one of Realtors.ca’s more refreshing and consumer-focused highlights has been the addition of the Living Room blog. It features Canadian industry experts tackling a variety of home-related topics including market trends, home improvements, neighbourhood guides, design files and unique homes. The latest stats show 45 per cent of visitors to the blog are new to Realtor.ca and those who view the

articles are almost twice as likely to contact a Realtor.

I could go on and on about Realtor.ca, but really it comes down to you embracing all that it has to offer. Become familiar with it, try the new features, and should you need a helping hand, the CREA member support team is an email away. You don’t truly know the powers of Realtor.ca until you discover them for yourself.

We work in an ever-changing industry and Realtors need to embrace innovation. So, be proud of the fact something you own continues to push the envelope and is seen as an industry leader.

Barb Sukkau is president of the Canadian Real Estate Association.

She has been a Realtor for 20 years selling both commercial and residential real estate. She is a member and was the 2005 president of Niagara Association of Realtors. She was also the 2011 Ontario Real Estate Association president. She currently works as a sales rep at Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. REM

Vancouver brokerage offers sold prices online

V

ancouver brokerage Holywell Properties is now putting sold prices online for homes sold through the MLS systems of Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Chilliwack and area on its website at Zealty.ca.

The site’s interactive map provides MLS sold prices soon after they are provided to the real estate board, the company says. It includes a year’s worth of detail on sold properties as well as four years of MLS transaction history for all properties in the Lower Mainland.

The real estate boards are not making the information available in their VOW feeds yet as they study how the Toronto Real Estate Board complies with a Competition Tribunal order to include it and other data, after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled it would not hear TREB’s appeal of the order.

Holywell Properties managing broker Adam Major says the com-

pany created a “workaround” to provide the information until the boards begin offering it. Clients can access sold information by creating a password-controlled account on Zealty.ca. “This also allows them to get access to additional market information that is hard to find anywhere else in B.C., including neighbourhoodspecific sales statistics, MLS transaction history and recently sold comparable properties,” the company says.

The website’s interactive map also has information on active MLS property listings for the entire province, information about public and independent schools throughout B.C., regional climate information and the location of Agricultural Land Reserve tracts, the company says.

“We’re thrilled with the Supreme Court’s decision because we can now deliver this vital information to our clients,” says Major. REM

10 REM NOVEMBER 2018

Sales reps hit the road in mobile office

Collingwood, Ontario’s Read Hilton and Gail Crawford have a lot of geography to cover in their market area – so they take their office on the road. By Susan Doran

R

ead Hilton says that a typical morning often involves running down the driveway after his business partner and fiancée, Gail Crawford, shouting, “Gail, you forgot your phone!”

Hilton is the organized one in this duo, the source of many leads and much outsidethe-box marketing. Crawford is the creative and tenacious salesperson, according to Hilton.

“I’m more anal and detail oriented,” he says.

“I’m more fun,” responds Crawford.

As a two-member team with Chestnut Park Real Estate’s office in Collingwood, Ont., in the picturesque southern Georgian Bay region, their combined skill sets have helped steer them to success, as evidenced by their sales record and their awards for outstanding performance.

“We both work hard to stay up to speed and ahead of the technology curve, and we strive to market uniquely,” says Hilton.

What really sets this diverse pair apart is their unique mobile office, Hilton’s black 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s tricked out with everything from a Wi-Fi device under the steering wheel to a police-style laptop stand/ shelf bolted into the floor of the vehicle, not to mention a CB radio (for updates on the weather and accidents) and multiple outlets. It’s also possible to bring a remote printer into the car.

Thanks to this mobile setup (the result of six months of research and about $1,200 worth of retrofitting), Hilton and Crawford are able to pull over and “search out properties

Read Hilton and Gail Crawford

with a buyer on their Wi-Fi enabled laptop, then do the offer in the vehicle and have them DocuSign it on their mobile device, right then and there in the back seat of the Jeep, and then send it off to the listing agent,” says Hilton.

“Realtors tend to be tied to their desks, always waiting for something, signing something.

We’re not,” says Crawford.

They recently completed an offer in 15 minutes in the driveway of the house for sale.

Says Hilton: “Here I am, 70-years-old, and as far as I know we are the only agents in the area who can do this. We are driving half the day to sales calls. It’s big geography that we cover. We wanted not to be tied to our home office – to be able to do an offer right in the vehicle. We see that clients want immediate action...

“What I’ve done in the Jeep is very unusual. The Bell-connected device comes with a separate cell phone number, so we get Wi-Fi in the vehicle, where most other people just use their cell phone, which is limited in what it can do.” (He says that

some newer vehicles do now come equipped with Wi-Fi.) Hilton has had his Jeep rigged up this way for about seven months. And even though the computer stand takes up so much room that no one can sit in the passenger seat, he’s thrilled with pretty much everything about the retrofit. However, he’s found it can give surrounding drivers quite a shock as they often mistake his vehicle for a police car.

“It does make other drivers slow down, that’s for sure,” he says with a laugh.

Hilton’s background is in sales for construction-related companies servicing the new home building markets. He also has a long-standing, parttime sales job as membership manager of Beaver Valley, a local private ski club. (There are several private ski clubs in the region, as well as the public Blue Mountain Resort, one of the largest resorts in Ontario and a major destination for southern Ontario skiers.)

Hilton’s part-time membership sales position, thanks to all the families he comes into contact with as a result, has

Gail Crawford checks out some listing information in the mobile office.

fortuitously been a bountiful source of real estate leads throughout his eight years as a Realtor.

the most of all the activities in their popular recreational region ever since, including tennis, hiking and biking.

Crawford was a mortgage broker for many years and says she came to Collingwood for a weekend long ago “and never went home” to Toronto.

Having established a niche market, a big portion of their clientele is young families from Toronto and other communities in widespread neighbouring vicinities looking for a ski chalet, a rural country property, or a cottage on nearby Lake Eugenia. Crawford also helps the 55+ demographic, who may be retiring from skiing and are in search of a retirement home close to small-town amenities.

Like Hilton, she also has another job – she’s the owner of Maid in Collingwood, an established residential cleaning business. With that company running smoothly and covered off by an effective manager, Crawford says she is free to spend the majority of her time working in real estate.

As fate would have it, both Crawford and Hilton initially moved to the area with other partners. (“My boyfriend bought a timeshare here and dumped me. I never got to use it,” Crawford jokes.)

Crawford says she wasn’t especially athletic – in fact not at all apparently – when she met Hilton a decade ago. He convinced her to take up skiing.

It worked out well; over time they’ve noticed that everyone wants to talk real estate on the chair lift. Together they’ve made

Besides numerous recreational offerings, the Collingwood area has “beautiful restaurants, all sorts of little boutique shops, and is not far from Wasaga Beach,” says Crawford. “There is tons of new building. Whatever anyone could want is here.”

Crawford and Hilton say the listing-to-sales ratio in the community is low right now, so everybody is “fighting like mad” for listings.

Area agents better be on their toes. Chestnut Park’s Read Hilton and Gail Crawford Team and their cool mobile office could be beating you to the finish line. REM

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©2018 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. This advertisement is not an offering of a franchise, and where required by law, an offering can only be made 14 days after delivery of the applicable franchise disclosure document.

12 REM NOVEMBER 2018

Ontario sales reps told to register as travel agents

By Danny Kucharsky

T

he popularity of services like Airbnb for short-term rentals is likely what was behind a move by the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) to force Realtors to register as travel agents, says the head of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA).

With more people renting properties through apps and websites like Airbnb and VRBO, “there’s probably been those in the tourism industry who say there’s an unlevel playing field between those that are registered as travel agents and those who are running it out of their basement,” says OREA CEO Tim Hudak.

“I suspect that TICO is trying to update the regulations for this new world and unfortunately caught Realtors in their net.”

Hudak was discussing a recent campaign by TICO in which it sent “compliance letters” to Realtors demanding that they register as travel agents in order to arrange short-

term accommodations.

OREA began hearing about the letters from Realtors in cottage country and from boards in the Lakelands and Southern Georgian Bay who “expressed their surprise and frustration,” Hudak says.

He says Realtors talked about “rather aggressive language and consequences” from TICO “if they didn’t toe the party line” and register as travel agents.

OREA says brokerages would have to register under the Travel Industry Act of 2002, a move that would require a nine-module course and exam, pay a $3,000 registration fee and $10,000 deposit and maintain at least $5,000 of working capital.

Ontario Realtors are registered under the 2002 Real Estate & Business Brokers Act (also known as REBBA).

In response to the TICO campaign, OREA alerted Minister of Government and Consumer Services Todd Smith who is responsible for both Real Estate

Council of Ontario (RECO) and TICO, in a Sept. 13 letter and reached out to TICO directly.

Hudak’s letter noted that “according to TICO, real estate professionals are not permitted to transact short-term rental properties because these properties do not fall under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RSA).”

“TICO defines short-term rental properties as accommodations offered to ‘travelers’ for 30 days or less.” Hudak’s letter noted. The letter added the term “travelers” is not defined under the Travel Industry Act of 2002, but that TICO believes Realtors can only handle leases that fall under the Residential Tenancies Act. However, “our point of view is that this is needless and expensive red tape,” Hudak says, as it would force Realtors through a double registration and licensing procedure. “This is a classic example of red tape and bureaucratic overreach. We don’t need

two sets of licensing.”

Hudak’s letter to Smith adds that “real estate professionals in Ontario are licensed to trade in all types of real estate with very limited exceptions.” In addition, “based on our preliminary analysis, there is no basis for TICO’s ruling that real estate registrants can only transact RSA defined rental leases.”

Hudak spoke with TICO CEO Richard Smart, who agreed to put the campaign on hold until there is a resolution to the issue.

“I was quite pleased. He was very good to work with.”

Smart agreed no action will be taken against the Realtors TICO has contacted to date.

Smart’s response came at “light speed” compared with how governments usually operate and was a very promising first step, says Hudak, who spent 21 years as a member of the Ontario legislature and was the former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Hudak, who was once the minister responsible for RECO and TICO, says the professional organizations do not want to have regulatory overlap that undermines the credibility of regulators and government and confuses consumers.

Double licensing “makes no sense; it costs time and substantial funds to our members and it’s not good for consumers when they have to run all over the place trying to figure out who the proper regulator is.”

Lawyers who are involved in Ontario real estate transactions don’t have to register as Realtors, he says, because they’re overseen by the Law Society of Upper Canada. “The same thing should happen here when it comes to Realtors who are already governed by RECO when it comes to leases.”

Hudak hopes that regulators RECO and TICO will meet soon and is confident that the dispute can be resolved. REM

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14 REM NOVEMBER 2018

DR. LANDLORD

By Christopher Seepe

A

ll private businesses across Canada, including residential landlords and real estate brokerages, will be impacted by the latest changes to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) beginning Nov. 1. PIPEDA is Canada’s federal private sector privacy law that sets out the ground rules for how businesses, including landlords, must handle personal information in the course of their commercial activity. PIPEDA was significantly amended when the The Digital Privacy Act received Royal Assent in June 2015.

Under PIPEDA, landlords must:

A landlord-tenant privacy quiz • Obtain a tenant’s consent to collect, use or disclose a person’s personal information. • Identify the reasons for collecting the personal information before collection and only ask for the limited information needed for what a reasonable person would consider appropriate to the circumstances. • Provide an individual with access to the personal information the holder has about the individual and allow them to challenge its accuracy. • Only use a tenant’s personal information for the purposes for which it was collected.

The time limit for PIPEDA court applications changed from 45 days to one year.

As of Nov. 1, PIPEDA will include a mandatory requirement for organizations to give written notice to affected individuals and to the commissioner about privacy breaches and to maintain records for 24 months about each breach.

All businesses (and landlords of

every size) must ensure that personal information is protected by appropriate safeguards including physical measures (locked filing cabinets, restricting access to offices, alarm systems), technological tools (passwords, encryption, firewalls) and organizational controls (security clearances, limiting access to a “need-toknow� basis, staff training, agreements).

The full implications of PIPEDA to Canadian businesses would require possibly a small book to analyze the obligations for every type of small business.

My personal focus is on residential “landlording�, which includes Realtors who assist residential property investors, so here’s a 20 Questions LandlordTenant Privacy test: 1. Do you need a tenant’s SIN number for most things?

2. Do you need permission to capture a tenant’s face on a surveillance camera?

3. Do you need written permission to do a credit check?

4. What minimum information is needed to do a credit check?

5. Is it against the law to demand a tenant’s SIN number?

6. Can you deny a tenancy applicant because they didn’t give you their SIN number?

7. Can you use the SIN as a general tenant identifier, for example in your accounting system?

8. Can a landlord ask for a driver’s licence, tax information, pay stubs?

9. Can you look into a tenant’s background by looking at social media postings or calling another landlord?

10. Can you put a tenant’s name on a “bad tenant� list?

11. Can you verbally disclose bad tenant behaviour to other landlords, for example a phone reference?

12. Can you take pictures of a tenant’s apartment and contents if you suspect a tenancy agreement breach?

13. Can you set up surveillance cameras in your building that capture tenant faces?

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Coldwell Banker Realty In Motion

The Coldwell BankerÂŽ organization is pleased to welcome a new EÇ˝ PMEXI MR XLI ,VIEXIV 8SVSRXS &VIE (SPH[IPP 'EROIV 7IEPX] .R 2SXMSR 'VSOIV SJ 7IGSVH 2SRXEWMV Ćľ2SRX]Ćś &FHS LEW GLSWIR XS VIFVERH LMW IWXEFPMWLIH 2MWWMWWEYKE FVSOIVEKI ERH EÇ˝ PMEXI [MXL the Coldwell Banker network.

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14. Can a tenant ask what information you hold about them?

15. Can other tenants collect information on a tenant?

16. How long can you retain a tenant’s information?

17. Is there a prescribed process for personal information destruction?

18. Can you disclose personal information to pursue a debt?

19. Can police agencies demand tenant information from you?

20. Can police agencies demand the landlord allow them entry to a tenant’s unit?

Short (and incomplete) answers: 1: No. 2: Yes, but can be implied. 3: Yes. 4: name, address, date of birth. 5: No law currently prevents landlords from asking for a SIN for purposes such as identification. 6: No. 7: No. 8: Privacy law doesn’t prevent such requests but information must be fully protected.

9: Informal checks are a collection of personal information – permission required, privacy laws apply. 10: Not to an unregulated or ad hoc list. 11: No. 12: Strict rules apply. 13: Strict rules apply. 14: Yes. 15: Generally, no. 16: No prescribed period but not indefinitely. 17: No but “must be done appropriately�. 18: Strict rules apply. Disclosure to a tenant’s family, co-workers or on social media is not allowed. 19: Strict rules apply, specific documentation required. 20: Maybe, if police declare it an emergency. Otherwise, warrant usually required or 24hours’ notice to tenant. Strict rules apply.

Now, be honest with yourself: how well did you score? More importantly, do you have all of the above risk exposures covered in your Rental Application form and Standard Lease appendix B clauses?

Chris Seepe is a published writer and author, “landlording� course instructor, president of the Landlords Association of Durham, and a commercial real estate broker of record at Aztech Realty in Toronto, specializing in income-generating and multi-residential investment properties. (416) 525-1558 Email cseepe@aztechrealty.com; website: www.drlandlord.ca REM

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Sharper Skills. Stronger Connections.

Brighter Futures

.

At the end of September, thousands of Royal LePagers from across Canada reunited for an inspiring week at the 2018 Royal LePage National Sales Conference in Halifax. Their phenomenal experience delivered: • Powerful keynote speakers, including: Rick Mercer, Ryan Estis, and TD’s Chief Economist and SVP, Beata Caranci

Check out more photos by searching

#rlpNSC

This is not intended as a solicitation of any sales representatives or brokers that are currently under contract. All offices are independently owned and operated, except those marked as “Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd.”, “Royal LePage West Real Estate Services” and “Royal LePage Sussex”. Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2018 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.

• Power panels with CREA presidents, top-producing agents and team leaders

• 50 interactive learning sessions • Exciting evening entertainment • An incredible opportunity to network and build strong, meaningful connections

Don’t miss out on the latest trends, networking and entertainment.

Join us at our next National Sales Conference in Winnipeg!

Learn more at royallepageevents.ca

Sharper Skills. Stronger Connections.

Brighter Futures

.

At the end of September, thousands of Royal LePagers from across Canada reunited for an inspiring week at the 2018 Royal LePage National Sales Conference in Halifax. Their phenomenal experience delivered: • Powerful keynote speakers, including: Rick Mercer, Ryan Estis, and TD’s Chief Economist and SVP, Beata Caranci

Check out more photos by searching

#rlpNSC

This is not intended as a solicitation of any sales representatives or brokers that are currently under contract. All offices are independently owned and operated, except those marked as “Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd.”, “Royal LePage West Real Estate Services” and “Royal LePage Sussex”. Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2018 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.

• Power panels with CREA presidents, top-producing agents and team leaders

• 50 interactive learning sessions • Exciting evening entertainment • An incredible opportunity to network and build strong, meaningful connections

Don’t miss out on the latest trends, networking and entertainment.

Join us at our next National Sales Conference in Winnipeg!

Learn more at royallepageevents.ca

18 REM NOVEMBER 2018

Dave Procter’s Vancouver Island success story

Re/Max Ocean Pacific Realty has won the franchise’s top transaction award for Canada and Western Canada for two years.

Dave Procter leads the successful brokerage, but regulatory changes are not making his job any easier. By Danny Kucharsky ave Procter says his 40-yearlong real estate career started as somewhat of a fluke.

D

selling – handling only long-term clients – and into the managing broker role.

The managing broker of Re/ Max Ocean Pacific Realty in Vancouver Island’s Comox Valley was home sick recovering from a fairly serious operation, getting bored while watching TV and reading books. His Realtor father asked, “Why don’t you take the real estate course instead of sitting around and doing nothing?”

“It’s been a learning curve because I’ve always been a selling agent,” says Procter, who has lived in the Comox Valley his entire life.

The course “really piqued my interest” and Procter left his job in a paper mill to work briefly at Nanaimo Realty, where his dad worked, before working as an agent at Block Brothers, which later became National Real Estate Services.

Flash forward to 2018 and Procter’s Re/Max Ocean Pacific Realty has won the Re/Max top transaction award for Canada and Western Canada for two years.

He has sold more than 3,000 properties since acquiring the brokerage in 1986.

It has a 55.1 per cent market share in Comox Valley and a 40 per cent share in Campbell River, Procter says.

“I have a number of highachieving agents in my office,” says Procter. There are 73 sales reps in the Comox and Courtenay offices and 32 in a Campbell River office. These include Ronni Lister, who has won the Western Canada top transaction award for two straight years as an agent. Per capita “we probably have some of the highest-producing people in the system,” Procter says.

He was part of a team of four people who bought the franchise 32 years ago, but over the years the others sold their shares and left, leaving him recently as sole owner and operator. He’s been slowly transitioning away from

One of the new challenges, he admits, is dealing with new real estate legislation in B.C. since June 15 that, among other things, bans double-enders – working with both the buyer and seller of a property.

The rules were “brought in almost by way of a shotgun. We didn’t have time to train or get ready for it or really know what we were getting ourselves into,” he says. The changes have been “so time consuming” that he’s had to hire another full-time employee to help out with the paperwork. “It’s overwhelming.”

The legislation has “put Realtors at the level of what a qualified lawyer has to know,” he says. Realtors are dealmakers and “were never put into position to be a lawyer.”

Procter says fines attached to the new rules are too high and, as a result, he’s lost several experienced agents who find the risk-reward ratio too high.

Four agents in Campbell River and three in Courtenay left his agency, largely as a result of the legislation, leaving him eight to 10 agents short.

Procter says many younger people are interested in becoming agents, but for those working full-time elsewhere, the transition from salaried jobs to commissions can be difficult. Since there are no real apprentice programs to let the agents get full training, Procter has set up his own training and mentoring program.

The housing market covered

by Re/Max Ocean Pacific Realty is “pretty strong,” with average sale prices of $525,000 in the Comox Valley and about $475,000 in Campbell River.

Homes selling for $550,000 and under are seeing a lot of action while activity for those priced at more than $750,000 has slowed, he says.

With house prices a fraction of those in Vancouver, the area is attracting young retirees from Vancouver who can buy mortgage-free, Procter says.

On the negative side, a proposed speculation tax on seasonal properties could hurt sales from out-of-province buyers.

He notes the area does not have many high-tech, high-paying jobs. Major employers include the Canadian Forces Base in Comox and Mount Washington ski resort. A pulp and paper mill in Campbell River shut down about 10 years ago.

In his spare time, Procter fixes old cars. He rebuilt a 1973 Triumph TR6, turning three cars into one, and a 1991 911 Porsche Cabriolet, both of which he drives during the summer. “I like working on older cars because they’re very simple,” with no computers.

He’s also an avid downhill skier and cyclist. In 2010, as part of his 50th birthday celebration, Procter cycled across Canada in 65 days – from Victoria to Halifax – and raised $40,000 for breast cancer research in B.C. His former partner and his kids accompanied him in a motor home. (Procter has three children: Chase, 21, Miles, 29, and Bryanne, 31.)

His agency is heavily involved in charitable work, including for You are Not Alone (YANA), a Comox Valley organization that

Dave Procter (Photo: Lisa Graham)

provides support to families with sick children who need to travel for medical services.

When Procter became engaged to his partner Janine Martin in February, he announced Sept.

22 as his wedding date. When he told his 86-year-old mother, she reminded him that the day marked the second anniversary of his father’s passing. But she urged him to keep the wedding date and gave him his dad’s wedding

ring that she’d been wearing since he died.

Procter credits his father as being instrumental in his success.

“My dad was hard-working, goals orientated and quite dedicated and a lot of the qualities my dad instilled in me really pushed me further.”

Four decades into his career, “I’m really enjoying it. I like that every day there’s something new.” REM

Putting

CLIENTS

First

The Ultimate Service™ program is founded on a business philosophy of listening to clients and putting their needs first. This unique program offers a strong foundation to deliver full-service real estate support to your clients, as well as provide a marketing platform to help differentiate you in the marketplace.

Coldwell Banker Canada professionals have earned a 98% overall satisfaction rating from over 80,000 Canadian home buyers and sellers*. That’s an achievement that is unparalleled in the Canadian real estate industry.

Discover for yourself what Ultimate Service is all about.

For franchising opportunities in Canada please contact: Mark Lindsey, Regional VP Franchise Sales • 1.800.268.9599 Ext 402

Join the blue. coldwellbanker.ca/careers

* Based on survey responses from over 80,000 Canadian home buying and selling customers to July 31, 2018, 98% of customers responding were satisfied with the service delivered by their Coldwell Banker representative. © 2018 Coldwell Banker LLC. All rights reserved. Each office is independently owned and operated. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker LLC. Each sales representative and broker is responsible for complying with any consumer disclosure laws or regulations, as well as applicable Real Estate Association rules and codes of conduct.

Not intended to solicit brokers under contract.

20 REM NOVEMBER 2018

THE GUEST COLUMN

By David Reid

B

eing a Realtor is about so much more than just buying and selling homes. It’s about the people behind the transaction – the young buyers looking for a place to finally call their own and the empty-nesters selling the family home, a place where they created their fondest memories with family and friends.

It’s no wonder that this financial transaction is filled with so much emotion and deliberation.

Every day, consumers put their trust in knowledgeable and hardworking professionals whose job is to help Ontarians through the lifechanging experience of buying or selling a home.

We need stronger enforcement and discipline Nothing makes a Realtor happier than helping buyers and sellers navigate through the complexities of the transaction because the joy on their faces when they get the keys is worth every effort. But, nothing makes a hardworking, dedicated Realtor angrier than hearing about a colleague who has taken advantage of a client and broken their trust. They’re angry not just because unethical operators bring down the profession, but because they care deeply about the families they work for every day.

That’s why Ontario Realtors are saying enough. We want to see a strong enforcement regime that deters unethical behaviour, penalizes the bad seeds and kicks offenders out of the profession. We want a regulator that is tough, fair and efficient, that focuses its energies on where problems are.

In my 15 years as a Realtor, and now as the president of the

Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), I’ve heard it over and over again: Raise professional and ethical standards, and discipline those who intentionally refuse to meet them.

The OREA Board of Directors took that feedback and turned it into action. First, we set a goal for the profession: to become leaders in North American real estate professional standards.

Step one was convincing the Ontario government to review the rules governing our profession. The Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002, (REBBA) is a 16-yearold piece of legislation that needs to be updated if Realtors are to be held to standards that make sense in today’s modern real estate market. The government agreed.

Step two was consulting with Ontario Realtors on what needs to change. Our REBBA Review Taskforce engaged thousands of

members in a conversation about the future of the profession and put together a report outlining recommendations for a new REBBA. In September, OREA released the first of three sets of recommendations from our report: Roadmap to a new REBBA: Making Ontario the North American Leader in Real Estate Professionalism. Then, earlier this month, we shared the second set of recommendations on Stronger Enforcement and Discipline.

The second set outlines five recommendations that will give our regulator, the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), the tools it needs to succeed.

They are: 1. Give RECO greater investigative powers for the worst offenders: We’re proposing RECO is given the authority to proactively investigate REBBA and Code of Ethics violations, instead of wait-

ing for a complaint to be filed by a consumer or fellow registrant.

2. Allow for administrative monetary penalties for minor offenses: There’s no middle ground between serious enforcement tools like revocation and simple warnings. We’re proposing that RECO be allowed to use administrative monetary penalties, similar to traffic tickets, to enforce minor offenses, like advertising infractions. The current disciplinary process at RECO for minor infractions clogs up the system and takes the regulator’s focus away from more egregious breaches of REBBA and the REBBA Code of Ethics.

3. Give RECO the authority to suspend or revoke licenses: We’re recommending the RECO Discipline and Appeals Committee be given authority to revoke and suspend licenses, instead of having this power reside with the License Appeal Tribunal (LAT). In large part because they do not have real estate expertise, LAT has a poor track record of revoking licenses, even in serious circumstances, such as criminal Continued on page 30

RECO’s bold and ambitious Strategic Plan

By Joseph Richer

I

f you sit down and talk with a real estate salesperson who has been in the business for more than just a few years, they will likely tell you that both the industry and the marketplace in Ontario have changed considerably from when they entered the profession.

The availability of smartphones, social media and other technology has changed and continues to change everything we do, including the attitudes of home buyers and sellers. Consumers are using these tools to access instantly available data and make more informed decisions. The media has also generated a greater interest in real estate and the rules that govern its purchase and sale. And the number of sales-

people, brokers and brokerages registered with the Real Estate Council of Ontario has grown by an astounding 68 per cent to 82,152 since 1997. That’s a huge increase.

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus had it right when he said that the only thing constant in life is change; organizations must anticipate and embrace change. With that in mind, RECO’s Board of Directors and senior staff spent two days in April discussing some very big questions about RECO’s future: how are we doing, where are we going and how will we get there?

We covered a lot of ground in those talks. The end result was a Strategic Plan for the next five years that’s bold in tone and bold in its commitments: Modern Regulation for a Dynamic Marketplace. The plan is ambitious and forward-thinking. It enhances our commitment to being a progressive regulator, putting transparency and accountability at the heart of all we do.

The Strategic Plan outlines

three key goals and a number of practical objectives: 1. Deliver innovative, progressive regulation: RECO can’t merely respond to change – we must have the capacity to forecast and anticipate change, and then have the systems, regulatory processes and workplace culture in place to adapt nimbly. This goal speaks to RECO’s mission: protecting consumers through effective and innovative regulation. The development of a new education program designed to meet this objective is a huge initiative to move us in that direction.

In practice, this means: gathering and analyzing greater amounts of data to better inform our decision making; integrating risk-based analysis into everything we do; proactively advising government on the state of real estate regulation; and enhancing the communication of our professional standards.

2. Support an informed real estate market in Ontario: At RECO, we often say that an educated consumer is an empowered

consumer. Creating a well-informed real estate market is a big part of what we do. RECO’s consumer and stakeholder outreach efforts must continue to focus on informing buyers and sellers about their rights and responsibilities, delivering consumer protection advice and raising awareness of the services we provide to safeguard consumers in the public interest.

In practice, this means: enhancing our initiatives to inform Ontario consumers; making it easier for the public to access critical regulatory information and reinforcing RECO’s role as a regulator; and engaging with real estate salespeople and brokers to raise the bar for professionalism and promote consumer protection.

3. Create a resilient organization: It’s useful to set high-level priorities and craft elegantly written mission statements for an organization, but change is ultimately achieved by the efforts of people.

The foundation of any organization is its staff, so we must ensure we have the right people working for us

and they have the tools they need to do their jobs effectively.

In practice, this means modernizing our system of governance and inspiring staff to embrace our vision, and ensuring we have the organizational structure (staff, facilities, capital and technology) to anticipate and respond to change.

As I mentioned in my last article, my colleagues at RECO and I are currently touring the province on a second Town Hall tour. I’m pleased to report that our new Strategic Plan has already generated a worthwhile dialogue among industry leaders. We want to hear what RECO stakeholders have to say. The only way we’re going to meet the challenges of the years ahead is by working together.

Joseph Richer is registrar of the Real Estate Council of Ontario. He is in charge of the administration and enforcement of all rules that govern real estate professionals in Ontario.

You can find more tips at reco.on.ca, follow on Twitter @RECOhelps or on www.youtube.com/recohelps. REM

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22 REM NOVEMBER 2018

Bidding wars: Win or walk?

By Ross Wilson Pictured L-R: Mark Pauli, Kareen Rainville, Dave Moore, Shannon Murree, John Brassard (Innisfil-Barrie MP), Andrea Khanjin (MPP in Barrie-Innisfil), Cindy Pollard, Sabina Sadl-Kolchetski

I

Congratulations RE/MAX Chay Realty!

It is with great pleasure that we announce the opening of a brand new RE/MAX Chay Realty office in Innisfil!

RE/MAX Chay’s greatest assets are their Agents. As a full service brokerage, their mission is to help their Agents be as successful as possible — that’s a mission we can easily get behind!

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Jennifer Dominey at 1.647.519.7735 to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

Brokers Corrie Holliday and Mark Pauli were inspired to expand RE/MAX Chay and their service offerings to support their Agents’ needs in the area. As a RE/MAX brokerage for over 30 years, Corrie and Mark have the experience to grow the RE/MAX Chay Realty name and watch it flourish in Innisfil.

Please join us in celebrating their expansion, and wish them continued success!

remaxintegra.com

Pictured: Perry Wuest (left), and Angela Hunter (right)

Welcome RE/MAX Pursuit Realty!

New Liskeard is home to the newest RE/MAX office, RE/MAX Pursuit Realty! Angela Hunter and Perry Wuest are proud to open the doors to 63 Whitewood Ave., New Liskeard, Temiskaming Shores.

With a combined 12 years in the real estate industry, Angela and Perry’s primary transaction areas will be residential properties, vacant land, commercial and industrial properties, and farmland. Their office will be built on a foundation of fostering respect for agents, clients, and the wider South Temiskaming District.

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Jennifer Dominey at 1.647.519.7735 to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”

— Albert Einstein

Angela and Perry are thrilled to be a part of the most powerful brand in the real estate industry, and they are especially excited to open their office with new faces, a new location, and a new energy. The high-level of Agent support with ongoing educational training opportunities made RE/MAX the obvious choice for the new Brokers.

Angela and Perry are committed to supporting the Children’s Miracle Network, along with various other local causes.

Congratulations, Angela & Perry! We are excited for your success!

remaxintegra.com

n an ideal world, your buyer is the only bidder on their dream home. However, unless all the planets are impeccably aligned and you’re in the midst of a balanced or buyers’ market, you and your buyer may find yourselves in the unenviable position of having to compete with another anxious buyer (or several) who shares your client’s ideal of what constitutes a dream home.

When should you encourage your buyer to walk away from a war?

Does the procedure involve a logical strategy for buyer or seller, or does it all boil down to gut feeling?

How can a seller maximize the benefit of a multiple bid?

When accepting a listing, experienced agents are aware that there are two basic options. The traditional conservative approach involves establishing a reasonable asking price marginally higher than perceived fair market value.

Individual offers ensue and are presented on a first-come, first-served basis. The other more aggressive approach normally requires not only a market wherein buyer demand excessively exceeds supply, but also the trifecta of a suitable property, a mutually trusting agent/seller relationship and nerves of steel.

To incite a competition and hopefully generate great terms for your seller, list at or below fair market value. The remarks section of the MLS system listing should include a specific date and time, usually a few days after the listing is uploaded, when all offers will be presented to the seller during the same assembly. This hard-hitting option permits all interested buyers and their agents with the chance to be notified of and, like a furniture auction preview, leisurely view the listing prior to presentation day. It also affords the interested parties

the time to improve the attractiveness of their upcoming offers by fulfilling any conditions in advance.

Offers can then be submitted without the typical frenetic feeding flurry on the day the listing appears.

It can be a more civil procedure for obvious reasons, and certainly great for a homeowner, but the competition is often a nightmare for anxious buyers and their agents. Be careful with this marketing method, though, because it can backfire. If you don’t have an appropriate property during the right market conditions, the result can be a sale price below market value – and an unhappy seller.

Before your buyer even begins to view property in a competitionprone market, they should confirm – in writing – their ability to finance a purchase by seeking an unconditional pre-approved mortgage. A good practice anytime, but it’s particularly so when competing. Insist on an approval letter that doesn’t just state they’re approved subject to confirmation of employment, down payment and credit report. If you can assure the seller and their agent that the financing condition is a mere formality and that your client has been unconditionally preapproved – and you can prove it – you may be in a stronger bargaining position.

Depending on circumstances, to enhance the attractiveness of your client’s offer even further, you might exclude the financing condition. However, if your buyer elects to include it, during the negotiation, clarify to the seller that their property must be approved by the lender by way of a realistic appraisal. If the lender thinks the buyer was overly generous and they have a minimum down payment, the buyer had better have more cash in the piggy bank. The loan may be approved, but at a lower principle amount because the purchase price excessively exceeded the lender’s appraised value.

Arguably, though, the best reason to seek a pre-approval before entering a bidding war is to confirm your buyer’s absolute maxi-

mum affordable price. Then, they can’t go nuts in the heat of the moment. Reasonable heads may then prevail.

To avoid further conditions, your buyer could arrange for technical inspections to be performed prior to the offer presentation date.

It means upfront fees for a potentially losing bid, but as they say, better safe than sorry. Unless your buyer’s offered price is exceptionally higher than a competitor’s, or all competing bids include the same condition and the seller is confident that their home will easily pass an inspector’s scrutiny, the seller is unlikely to even consider accepting such a condition.

It’s really easy for a group of competing buyers sitting on the edge of their seats to agree to pay an unreasonably high price which, under calmer circumstances, would be considered ridiculous. Winning the bid may be emotionally satisfying, but from a money perspective, it’s crazy. Leave impulse shopping for the grocery store check-out. If their emotions get the better of them, they may ultimately buy a lovely home, but at an exorbitant price.

To get the best possible deal, they must steer clear of emotionally attaching to a particular outcome – or property. It can certainly be exciting at the time, but also painful if they lose a bid – or later when they realize they grossly overpaid. Tell them to be cool. If they’re successful, that’s great; celebrate. If not, then at least they tried. Move on. There’s always another house.

It’s just sticks and bricks.

In the next of this three-column series, I address what I feel is the best practice for buyer and seller agents to follow during a multiple bid scenario.

Ross Wilson is a retired real estate broker. He has extensive experience as a brokerage owner, manager, trainer and mentor. His book, The Happy Agent – Finding Harmony with a Thriving Realty Career and an Enriched Personal Life is available where print and e-books are sold, including the TREB, BREB, RAHB and OMDREB stores. Visit RealtyVoice.com. REM

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24 REM NOVEMBER 2018

Good Works R

oyal LePage professionals gathered in Halifax recently at the company’s National Sales Conference, attending several pre-conference fundraisers with the goal of raising funds for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. More than $150,000 was collected at the various events.

Royal LePage Atlantic sales reps and brokers hosted several events, including Shuttle for Shelter, driven by Don Ranni and Lori Hennessey; Shuck ‘n’ Sail for Shelter, hosted by Rosie Porter; Lower Deck pub party, hosted by Ian Angus and Toni Leroux; Halifax Hike for Shelter, lead by Paula Langille; and Halifax pub crawl, hosted by Ashley Patterson.

Other events included the Ceilidh for Shelter hosted by Alex Ocsai and Gloria Riddall and their team at Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty in Mississauga, Ont.; Wake up

WELCOME

Coldwell Banker Southwest Realty

Steven Park

Rob Longo

Co-owner & Broker of Record

Co-Owner

Rosie Porter toasts to her guests during the pre-conference Shuck ‘n’ Sail for Shelter.

Workout for Shelter hosted

by Chantelle Johnstone of Royal LePage NRC Realty in St. Catharines, Ont. a #Lindsay4Shelter selfie contest organized by The Modern Real Estate Team of Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty in Victoria; and other fundraising activities and matching donations organized

by Genworth Canada; Al Daimee, Miguel Madeira and Said Warde of Royal LePage Signature Realty in Toronto; The Vancouver Island Connection agents; and Neil Bosdet of Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty with Mike Mitchell of Royal LePage Westwin Realty in Kamloops, B.C. Also taking place ahead of the conference was the annual motorcycle Ride for Shelter, organized by Josh Nelson and John Hripko of Royal LePage Benchmark. This year a handful of motorcyclists drove from their hometowns to

Halifax in addition to completing the event’s two-day itinerary.

These riders included: Anthony and Karen Boos from Royal LePage Cascade Realty in Dawson Creek, B.C.; Val Brooks from Royal LePage Crown Realty Services in Cambridge, Ont.; Carlo de Castris from Royal LePage Royal City Realty in Guelph, Ont.; and Ahmed Helmi with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Johnston and Daniel in Toronto. Together with the entire Ride for Shelter motorcycle club, more than $18,000 was raised at this pre-conference event alone.

■ ■ ■

Nischal Ram, a sales rep at Sutton - Premier Realty in Surrey, B.C. helped provide families in need in the Lower Mainland with a full, delicious turkey dinner. Ram, along with friends, clients and office colleagues, delivered 85 baskets to feed a total of 515 people.

“Our family enjoys this project because it is our way of giving back to the community,” Ram says. “We are immigrants from Fiji and we came here in 2000 with almost no money. Lots of people went out of their way to help us out when we arrived. This amazing country provided us with tons of opportunities that we tapped into to be successContinued on page 26

The Sutton Group - West Coast Realty (Victoria) Big Bike team, from left: Caitlin McKenna, Sean Wen, Samantha Brachat, Tess Baechler, Tammy Crack, Jackie Ngai, Cherrie Zhang, Christine Simcoe, Jenny Lu, Paul McDonald, Rajesh Chicher, Cale Grieve, Chris Langdon, Danielle Moreau and Seb Kaiser.

Richard Whittaker has participated in eight Friends for Life Bike rallies.

The Coldwell Banker global network welcomes a new VIWMHIRXMEP ERH GSQQIVGMEP Eǽ PMEXI MR SYXLIVR 4RXEVMS Coldwell Banker Southwest Realty. Owners Rob Longo and Steven Park, joined by a team of established sales TVSJIWWMSREPW FVMRK I\XIRWMZI VIEP IWXEXI I\TIVMIRGI XS the Sarnia and Lambton County markets.

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Join the blue. coldwellbanker.ca

l (SPH[IPP 'EROIV 11( &PP 7MKLXW 7IWIVZIH *EGL 4ǽ GI MW .RHITIRHIRXP] 4[RIH ERH 4TIVEXIH (SPH[IPP Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo EVI VIKMWXIVIH WIVZMGI QEVOW S[RIH F] (SPH[IPP 'EROIV 11( *EGL WEPIW VITVIWIRXEXMZI ERH FVSOIV MW VIWTSRWMFPI JSV GSQTP]MRK [MXL ER] GSRWYQIV HMWGPSWYVI PE[W SV VIKYPEXMSRW

Presenting funds raised at The Paula Mitchell Group’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament, from left: Samantha Amodeo, in-house stager; Melody Watson, executive director of the Family Life Resource Centre; and sales associates Paula Mitchell and Krystle Mitchell-Bryson.

Wendy Siltamaki, broker with Royal LePage Lannon Realty, poses with keynote speaker Rick Mercer at a VIP lunch in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

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Good Works Continued from page 24

ful and our family is extremely grateful for that.”

This is the third year that Ram has delivered turkeys at Thanksgiving. Next year he is hoping to deliver 100 turkey dinner baskets.

■ ■ ■

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Richard Whittaker, a sales rep with Sutton Group - Associates Realty in Toronto, recently biked 600 km through all sorts of terrain, in traffic, and up long hills in sweltering summer heat. He had to raise a minimum of $2,500 to take part in the Friends for Life Bike Rally, which he did by brushing up on his piano, singing and dancing skills to be part of a cabaret performance that raised $8,000 for his entry fee. This year marked his eighth time he has participated in the rally.

“There was a good turnout this year and together we raised $1.7 million for the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation,” says Whittaker. “That amount is staggering – a breakthrough for the 20th anniversary of the rally.”

■ ■ ■

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The team at Re/Max Professionals Saint John in Saint John, N.S. raised more than $34,000 at their annual auction in support of the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.

This was the 11th year for the annual fundraiser and was by far the most successful event so far.

The brokerage plans to continue the tradition next fall.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Advance Realty in Campbell River, B.C. recently raised $62,000 at its Annual Salmon Derby. First-place winner Kevin Bown and crew brought in the days’ largest salmon, which weighed in at 26.2 lbs.

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■ ■ ■

An enthusiastic team of 15 Realtors and staff from Sutton Group - West Coast Realty (Victoria) rode the Big Bike this summer and helped raise more than $42,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Jenny Lu organized her team’s participation.

They were among 70,000 riders from 200 communities across Canada who raised millions of dollars for research into blood clot and heart attack prevention, genderspecific stroke treatments and more.

■ ■ ■

Hanlon Realty of St. John’s, Nfld. has put its tour bus to good use this summer. In June the brokerage participated in the Mundy Pond Regatta in west end St. John’s. “A group of our agents were on hand all day long with the bus at the regatta. We spent the whole day giving out bottles of water and prizes,” says sales rep Debbie Hollett. The bus also was used at the Avalon Raceway Fun Day sponsored by Hanlon Realty. A group of agents volunteered to sell 50/50 tickets in aid of the school lunch association, raising $1,000.

In August the brokerage sponsored a food drive at Colemans Grocery in Mount Pearl. The theme was “fill the bus with food for the kids”. It raised $5,600 in food and cash for St. Vincent De Paul Food Bank.

■ ■ ■

Sutton - Premier Realty along with TD Canada Trust hosted the 11th annual Real Estate Softball

Tournament recently in South Surrey, B.C. Fourteen offices participated, making this year’s tournament the most popular so far.

The players kept smiling through sliders, sunshine and rain and raised $370 for the Surrey Christmas Bureau. Broker Larry Anderson says, “Homelife Benchmark Cloverdale was the winner in the A Division and Re/Max Treeland took top spot in the B Division.”

Also playing in the friendly competition: Sutton Group Westcoast (White Rock), Fifth Avenue Marketing, Sutton Premier, Royal LePage Wolstencroft, MacDonald Realty, Royal LePage West, Re/Max Colonial, Re/Max Sabre, Re/Max Blueprint, HomeLife Glenayre, Re/Max Aldercentre and eXp Realty.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Royal City Realty raised more than $19,000 at its inaugural Summer Soiree in Puslinch, Ont. The funds raised will benefit Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, via the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

The event attracted 130 guests.

It featured backyard games, including a life-sized replica of Jenga that was handmade for the occasion by sales rep Len Day. A live band, Southbound Soul, performed with dancing and silent and live auctions rounding out the evening.

Committee members Jeff Morley, Gillian Shannon, Jordan Brown, Karen Jans, Stephanie Riley, Len Day, David Halls, Jeff Dodd, Michelle Martelli, Kelly Richards and Donna Doouss are already planning next year’s event.

■ ■ ■

Century 21 Green Realty of Mississauga, Ont. hosted its second annual Easter Seals golf tournament in Caledon recently. The Continued on page 28

The Sutton Group – Premier volleyball team

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From the proceeds, $31,000 is allocated to the Ann Elmore Transition House, via the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

Remaining funds support the Campbell River Salmon Foundation.

In just three years, this event has raised more than $150,000.

Above: Nischal Ram and 21 friends and colleagues delivered 85 Thanksgiving baskets.

Right: Brin Werrett of Royal LePage Regina Realty shows off his 32 lb. Chinook salmon.

From left: Praveen’s mother, Pirabahiny Thiyagarajah; Praveen Sritharan and Luis Moniz.

(Photo: Lisa Fedele)

The recipient of the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2019 Proudly Presented by the REALTOR.ca will join the ranks of:

Vince Mirabelli of Thunder Bay (2016) Laura-Leah Shaw of Vancouver (2017) Carolyn Swinson of Toronto (2018)

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The Canadian Real Estate Association is now accepting nominations for the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2019 Proudly Presented by REALTOR.ca.

CREA is looking to give national recognition to a REALTOR® doing outstanding charitable work in the community where they live and work. Our winner’s favourite charity will also benefit by receiving a $5,000 donation in their honour.

The deadline for nominations is December 7, 2018, at 4 p.m. EST. Visit REALTORSCare.ca/nominate to learn more and download a nomination form.

Thanks to our 2019 award sponsors:

REALTOR®. Member of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and more.

28 REM NOVEMBER 2018

Good Works Continued from page 26

Pictured L-R: Richard Pilarski, Cam Forbes, Alex Pilarski, Levon Nazarian

Congratulations RE/MAX Realtron & RE/MAX I<47<7B3!

Richmond Hill, Ontario is about to see two RE/MAX brokerages join forces! Please join us in congratulating RE/MAX I<47<7B3 Inc. on merging with RE/MAX Realtron Inc., serving Toronto, York, Peel and Durham Regions, as well as Simcoe County.

RE/MAX Realtron Realty Brokers Richard Pilarski and Alex Pilarski are thrilled to welcome Broker Levon Nazarian of RE/MAX I<47<7B3 to the RE/MAX Realtron team, as their new Managing Partner.

A brokerage of 33 years in Richmond Hill, Richard and Alex know what it takes to grow a successful business, with nine offices in the GTA and over 35 years of experience in the real estate industry.

RE/MAX I<47<7B3 made the decision to merge with RE/MAX Realtron to create greater synergy in their service area, and offer even more tools and If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Jennifer Dominey at 1.647.519.7735 to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

tech to their team of Agents. RE/MAX Realtron’s dedication to helping their Agents reach their full potential, coaching and accountability, proven prospecting systems, and technology resources helps this brokerage stand above the crowd.

What’s not changing for RE/MAX Realtron is its long-standing commitment to the Children’s Miracle Network and the Canadian Breast Cancer Society, contributing time and money to advancing these charitable causes.

We are thrilled to see these two great RE/MAX brokerages become one under the RE/MAX Realtron Inc. name. Now the possibilities at RE/MAX Realtron are truly I<47<7B3!

Congratulations Richard, Alex, Cam, and Levon on this exciting merger!

remaxintegra.com

tournament raised more than $25,000 for Easter Seals.

“The opportunities that Easter Seals provides to kids are truly life changing,” says Lakhvir Randhawa, owner of Century 21 Green Realty. “One of the messages I continue to hear from participants is that they are inspired to see how these camps shape children’s lives. We plan to host this golf tournament every year and each year we want to increase our donations.”

■ ■ ■

HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) is a non-profit organization launched 36 years ago by Fred Logan and his friends. They were inspired by Terry Fox to make a positive difference and chose to focus on helping neighbours in need. Their annual HOPE Volleyball Festival has grown into one of the world’s largest one-day tournaments. Sutton Group Premier Realty in Ottawa contributed a $905 entry fee for their team of 10 players.

Office administrator Anik Lamothe says, “Our team played in the corporate division, networking with other local businesses. We enjoyed every minute of the event knowing that our participation contributed to many local charities, including the Children’s Aid Foundation, Special Olympics Ontario and the Ottawa Mission.”

■ ■ ■

The 5th Annual Royal LePage Broker/Owner Fishing Derby, held in Campbell River, B.C., raised $2,600 in support of domestic violence prevention and education.

Event organizer Jim Morris,

Congratulations, RE/MAX Realty Professionals!

Every great RE/MAX office needs to stay as fresh and up-to-date as its service offerings!

We are excited to announce the grand opening of RE/MAX Realty Professionals’ new office in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador. As a brokerage that promotes ownership to its clients and community, the RE/MAX Realty Professionals team believed they should practice what they preach in opening their new space.

service. We are in pursuit of creating the most optimum, empowering environment for our sales force, while being rooted in our communities.”

Broker Carol Anstey is proud to stand by her brokerage’s mission statement: “We are committed to the highest level of customer

Please join us in congratulating RE/MAX Realty Professionals on their continued success!

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Jennifer Dominey at 1.647.519.7735 to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

Located at 4% Park Street in Corner Brook, the RE/MAX Realty Professionals team Wa thrilled to share their new office with their community, continuing to specialize in residential real estate.

remaxintegra.com

Multiple Listings Continued from page 4

buys and social media ads through to the end of the year.

■ ■ ■

An established Ontario brokerage serving Barrie, Innisfil and Simcoe County has switched banners and joined Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Centre, under the leadership of owners Dean and Tania Artenosi. Bruce Shipley, former owner of Exit Realty First North and a past president of the Barrie and District Association of Realtors, is now business develop-

manager of business development in Western Canada for Royal LePage, along with Royal LePage president and CEO Phil Soper, welcomed 28 participants from brokerages from across Canada for a weekend of fishing, networking and fundraising for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

Daniel Ocasi, son of Alex Ocsai, broker/owner at Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty in Mississauga, Ont., had the largest salmon at 22 lbs. Kent Browne, broker/owner of Royal LePage Team Realty in Ottawa, pulled in three salmon over two days that weighed in at more than 33 lbs.

Royal LePage Regina Realty’s Brin Werrett arrived a few days early and hauled in an enormous Chinook weighing 32 lbs.

■ ■ ■

The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) booth at Re/Max Integra’s annual Re/Charge event raised $6,264 through CMN-branded sock sales and a silent auction. On night one of Re/Charge at a networking fundraiser, Paul Hannan of Re/Max Professionals in Toronto and Jeff Ironi of Re/Max Ultimate Realty in Toronto raised almost $3,000 for the Alyssa Rae Johnson Fund via SickKids hospital and CMN. ■ ■ ■

The annual Bradford Children’s Charity Fund Golf Tournament, founded by Luis Moniz, a sales rep at Century 21 Heritage Group in Bradford, Ont., recently took place to benefit Praveen Sritharan, a 12-year-old boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The event raised $14,000, which will go towards helping Praveen get the ment manager for the Coldwell Banker brokerage.

Last year the company opened a new Coldwell Banker Global Luxury themed office in Scarborough. It now has eight offices in Toronto, Vaughan, Newmarket, Innisfil, Orillia and Barrie.

■ ■ ■

Four experienced sales reps recently joined broker/owner Michael Bertrand and managing broker Barbara Bell-Olsen at their Royal LePage Westside office in Vancouver. Joining the broker-

assistance he needs, and to modify a vehicle to make it accessible.

■ ■ ■

More than $6,500 was raised at The Paula Mitchell Group’s 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament recently in Brampton, Ont. All funds raised were donated to the Salvation Army Brampton Family Life Resource Centre, an emergency short-term shelter in the Brampton area for women and their children escaping intimate partner violence.

A long-time supporter of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, “Paula is a great example of a Royal LePage agent who shares her passion for giving back with her clients and community,” says Shanan Spencer-Brown, executive director of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

■ ■ ■

Alaina Burnett, a sales rep with Sutton Group - West Coast Realty (Broadway) in Vancouver, has donated blood 41 times during the past nine years.

“Donating blood is a great way to contribute and Canadian Blood Services will be using what you give completely towards helping others, instead of administration costs,” she says. For those considering making their first donation, she suggests visiting www.blood.ca.

“If you have had certain illnesses or have lived in certain parts of the world when there have been disease outbreaks, you may be disqualified. If you are able to donate, eat well beforehand and ensure your iron levels are up by taking a regular supplement, especially if, like me, you don’t eat meat, and drink plenty of fluids beforehand,” she says.

REM age are Kellyn McMullen, Terry and Raminta Sidhu and Alex Ninow. McMullen is a relocation and homes transition specialist.

She has more than 15 years of experience in the customer service industry. She serves the Point Grey, Kitsilano and Mount Pleasant neighbourhoods.

Ninow worked as an unlicensed assistant prior to receiving her license this summer. A secondgeneration Realtor, she grew up and went to school on the Westside of Vancouver, where she will concentrate her real estate REM business.

REM NOVEMBER 2018 29

5 reasons why your leads aren’t converting A lead comes in. You call. No answer. You email. No response. Crickets. Sound familiar?

By Catherine Willems

A

lead comes in. You call.

No answer. You email. No response. Crickets. Sound familiar?

In my previous post, I talked about why not all leads are created equal. Another common challenge I hear when talking to Realtors centres around conversion and the frustration of not being able to turn leads into clients.

Here are five reasons why leads don’t convert: 1. You don’t understand your prospect: If you haven’t done your

homework ahead of time to both identify and understand who your ideal customer is, you may be getting leads that are not the right fit for you. You don’t really “get” them, and they don’t resonate with you. If you don’t understand who your ideal prospect is, the messages and the methods you use to generate leads will likely not attract the right people to you or you may simply not get them at the right time.

A common lead generation tactic is to offer visitors a free home evaluation. While this can generate a lot of leads, there is nothing personal or magical about it.

Nothing to make you stand out from every other real estate agent out there. At the same time, this tool does nothing to qualify the prospect. Half the leads may simply be curious about the value of their home, with no intention of selling in the near future resulting in a lot of unanswered calls and emails.

Crickets.

By better understanding your ideal prospect, you can create a

more targeted approach to your lead generation activities – using their language and addressing their pain points or motivations – so that those completing the form for a free home evaluation, for example, are a better fit for you. This will likely mean fewer leads, but your conversion rate will go up.

2. You don’t follow up right away: A number of agents I’ve spoken to admit their follow up is less than ideal. Studies have shown that contacting a new lead within the first five minutes significantly improves your chances of conversion. It’s quite simple really: • they’ve just reached out, so your chances of connecting with them are greater; • you’re contacting them when their mindset is currently on real estate; and • you can be sure you’re not the only agent they’ve reached out to, so you want to get to them first.

3. You give up too soon: If you don’t connect with a lead right away, don’t give up. Continue to

reach out by phone or text for a number of days. Some refer to this as the “10 days of pain” rule. In the meantime, you should have them on an email drip campaign to help develop and nurture a relationship.

But more on that in a bit.

4. You try to “sell” too early: No one likes to be sold to. It gets our back up. A real estate purchase or sale is a very personal, significant and stressful process. There are many factors that come into play – both financial and emotional – and jumping too quickly into the transaction opportunity will turn many leads away.

Focus on building a relationship first – start a conversation; get to know them better; really listen to and understand their needs.

Build trust. The transaction will follow.

5. You don’t nurture the relationship: Focus on the long term. Some leads are simply not ready to make a move yet; they’re just exploring options. Don’t give up on these leads. If you’re in this

OREA dedicated an office that will be known as the Keith Teetzel Room. Association directors visiting from out of town for meetings will be able use the office for private conferences or to stay in touch with colleagues at home. Current CEO Tim Hudak said that if OREA relocates in future, the “Keith Teetzel Room will move with it.”

The 2018 recipients are: • Megan Harris, daughter of Mike Harris and Beate Winter.

• Alexa Kilbourne, daughter of Hanna Stadler and John Kilbourne.

business for the long term, your success will depend on your relationships with people – and relationships are cultivated over time.

Keep in touch with prospects regularly – a monthly email newsletter, an occasional phone call to say hello or a hand-written card on their birthday. Build a relationship over time and when they are ready, your name will be top of mind.

Self-described geek, artist and fledgling hockey goalie, Catherine Willems has been in marketing for over 25 years and focused on digital since it became a thing. Since starting her own business in 2009, she’s helped over 100 clients across two continents achieve online marketing success. As the owner of Realty Marketing, she has faced the same entrepreneurial struggles as many of you and can pass on her learnings to give you back your late nights and weekends. https://calendly.com/realtymarketing Phone 416-994-2332. REM • Qianyi (Dollar) Luo, daughter of Grace Li and Shawn Luo. • Lauren Swigger, daughter of Arnate Swigger and Terry Swigger.

REM

■ ■ ■

T

he Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) and the Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board (OMDREB) have signed an agreement to swap MLS data for properties located in the Halton Hills, Oakville and Milton areas that are listed by members of either board.

It means TREB members will be able to view any properties listed by OMDREB members in these municipalities, and OMDREB members will be able to see properties listed by TREB members. Since OMDREB is a member of the ORTIS group that shares data with nine other boards, any TREB data that is listed will also be available to

members from those boards.

The tentative roll-out date is January.

■ ■ ■

The late Keith Teetzel, the first CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) was recently honoured with a ceremony at the association’s Toronto offices.

Keith started working for the Ontario Association of Real Estate Boards in 1959. His wife Joyce, who spoke at the ceremony, said Keith was the association’s first CEO as well as its first full-time employee.

The organization became known as OREA in 1972.

Keith retired in 1994. He died in 2016 at the age of 84.

The London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) announced that $6,000 has been awarded to four outstanding students to support their post-secondary endeavours.

The LSTAR Student Scholarship Awards recognize four university or college-bound students who have demonstrated academic excellence, a high level of school and community involvement, maturity, responsibility, initiative and strength of character.

Eligible applicants must be either the children, grandchildren or under the legal guardianship of LSTAR members or members’ staff.

Each award recipient receives a $1,500 bursary.

OREA president David Reid and Joyce Teetzel officially open the Keith Teetzel Room.

Signing the agreement, front row, from left: Marta Sponder, EO, OMDREB; Garry Bhaura, president, TREB; Rick Kedzior, president, OMDREB. Top, Michael Collins, president elect, TREB; Oliver Matas, president elect, OMDREB; John DiMichelle, CEO, TREB.

From left: LSTAR CEO John Geha; Alexa Kilbourne; Megan Harris; and LSTAR president Jeff Nethercott

30 REM NOVEMBER 2018

THE PUBLISHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PAGE

By William Molls

I

t is not difficult for me to imagine what hell is like. I may not be a very religious man, but I do believe in hell. I know hell exists. But when and where is up to us.

On Apr. 22, 1915, hell was Ypres, Belgium.

It was then and there that soldiers of the German Empire dispersed 5,730 cylinders of chlorine gas across the frontlines. The gas was carried by a slight easterly breeze until it reached the lungs of

Why we wear the poppy the unsuspecting French troops.

The effects of chlorine gas on the human body are horrific.

Anthony R. Hossack, a member of the Queen Victoria Rifles, describes the scene in his memoir: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Plainly something terrible was happening. What was it? Officers, and staff officers too, stood gazing at the scene, awestruck and dumbfounded; for in the northerly breeze there came a pungent nauseating smell that tickled the throat and made our eyes smartâ&#x20AC;Ś â&#x20AC;&#x153;One man came stumbling through our lines. An officer of ours held him up with levelled revolver, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the matter, you bloody lot of cowards?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; says he.

The Zouave was frothing at the mouth, his eyes started from their sockets, and he fell writhing at the officerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet.â&#x20AC;?

Chlorine gas destroys the vic-

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timâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s respiratory organs. Death comes from asphyxiation.

Depending on the level of exposure, it may happen quickly, or it may be agonizingly slow. There is no treatment or cure.

In November we wear the red poppy, a symbol immortalized famously in John McCraeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s haunting poem In Flanders Fields.

McCrae was at Ypres on Apr. 22, 1915. He was present for this horrific scene and was inspired to write the poem after a close friend was killed in the ensuing battle.

As the French troops fled the devastating effects of the gas, Canadian troops filled the line to prevent the Germans from advancing. The Canadians also discovered they could use urinedosed rags to counteract the effects of the gas.

We are taught these facts in history class, and how we should be proud of our country because of them. They are a point of

We need stronger...

Continued from page 20

convictions.

4. Increase the maximum fines for breaches of REBBA and the Code of Ethics. A fine for breaking the rules should be a deterrent, not just the cost of doing business.

Maximum fines should therefore be doubled and increased to $50,000 for salespeople and brokers and $100,000 for brokerages.

NATIONAL REAL ESTATE IN NFORMATION LIISTING SE ERVICE E . COM WWW. REILS.COM / 416-214-4875

nationalistic pride.

But we too easily forget what, exactly, McCrae and the other soldiers present at the Second Battle of Ypres witnessed, and the lesson we were meant to learn from it.

The poppy is not, and never should be, a celebration of war.

On Nov. 11, we are not called to remember only how brave and admirable the Canadian soldiers were, or how fundamental a role they played in the Allies victory.

We are not meant to celebrate how successful Canadians are at violence, however justified that violence may be. Yet, too often, we seem to believe thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the case.

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wear the poppy to celebrate Canada going to war.

The poppy should be a stark reminder of the horror of war. It is a reminder of the gas at Ypres. The shelling at Verdun. The bombing of Dresden. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and 5. Kick violent or fraudulent offenders out of the business.

Consumers must be able to trust that RECO is keeping violent or fraudulent offenders out of the real estate business and their homes.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re recommending that RECO be given the authority to deny registration to an applicant with any violent criminal and fraudulent convictions within the last 10 years.

Ontario Realtors want to be leaders in North America when it

Nagasaki. The napalm girl in Vietnam. The prisoners of Abu Ghraib.

The poppy is a call for us to always be skeptical of our leaders when they send our military to war, and the reasons they give for doing so. It is a call to never again go to war unless it is absolutely necessary.

It is for remembering the enormous sacrifice of soldiers like McCrae, and a pledge to never put them in harms way again unless there is no other choice. It is a symbol meant to remind us of our own extraordinary capability for evil in the name of nationalism and war.

I wear the poppy because I strongly believe it is, and always should be, an anti-war symbol.

I wear the poppy because I know hell is a real place that exists on Earth. If we allow ourselves to forget that, we will bear the responsibility of needlessly sending our young men and women into it.

Lest we forget.

William Molls is president and REM CEO of REM. comes to professional standards.

We want buyers and sellers to feel safe and confident when entering one of the biggest transactions of their lives. This starts with modernizing REBBA. I invite you to learn about all of our recommendations by visiting www.REBBAReform.ca.

David Reid is president of the Ontario Real Estate Association.

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