October 2010 Issue by Real Estate Magazine (REM)

Issue #256

October 2010

Assist-2-Sell breaks new ground in Nova Scotia Page 3

The future of Google Street View Page 12

Real estate in Russia Page 16

Learn to shed non-paying clients Page 42

Michael and Lisa Doyle

REM OCTOBER 2010 3

Assist-2-Sell breaks new ground in N.S. Brokerage’s $2,995 non-MLS flat fee popular with sellers in the Halifax area, but expanding the franchise in Canada hasn’t been easy By Kathy Bevan

lmost 10 years ago, Halifax-Dartmouth Realtors Michael and Lisa Doyle left the world of traditional real estate behind and became the first in Canada to purchase franchise rights to Reno, Nevada-based Assist-2-Sell. The concept was simple: offer consumers full service through fulltime Realtors for a flat fee, without listing properties on MLS. The Doyles’ Assist-2-Sell HomeWorks Realty brokerage also offered an “MLS for Less” service, listing properties on MLS and offering competitive commission rates to co-operating brokers, but still charging a flat fee for their own services; and a “Paperwork Only” option, helping private sellers complete their own sales. Nova Scotia consumers appeared to be more than ready for this new brokerage approach. “The phones rang off the hook – the public was dying for a new and innovative way to sell real estate,” says Lisa, broker/owner of Assist-2-Sell HomeWorks Realty. Their most popular program continues to be what most consumers want from them today: their nonMLS, flat fee Direct to Buyer program. Their flat fee begins at $2,995 for houses listed at $200,000 and less; for $200,000 to $300,000 listings it rises to $3,995; for $300,000 to $400,000 listings, it rises to $4,995 and so on. The Doyles say that no fees are charged upfront – homeowners only pay upon closing. If a homeowner opts for the MLS for Less program and Assist-2-Sell finds the buyer, the firm still will only charge its flat fee. “It’s not a bait and switch whereby we’re just trying to get people onto MLS to make more money; we make the same amount of money,” says Michael. Getting past consumers’ concerns that a flat fee is a “scam” is one of Assist-2-Sell’s biggest challenges. “People who call us for the flat fee program are usually shocked that we do everything we say that we’ll do for the flat fee. We do all the marketing and advertising, we put the signs out and feature sheets, the information box. We do

everything a traditional Realtor would do, other than place the listing on the MLS,” says Michael. He adds that their happiest customers, however, are often those who end up working with Assist-2-Sell’s MLS for Less program. “Maybe they weren’t successful on the flat fee and they decided they want to go on the MLS system – and then we sold their home and only charged them a flat fee. That is the happiest guy. Because then they realize this never was a scam; this is a real, honest program.” The brokerage operates with five full-time Realtors, supported by Lisa as broker/owner and Michael as owner/Realtor and three administrative staff. The office is open seven days a week, with an office staff person there until 9 pm each evening. The Realtors are paid a flat rate per transaction and are provided with their computers, phones, office equipment and forms; they pay no desk fees. Volume is key to the company’s success to date. The Doyles estimate that each of their Realtors sell, on average, five to 10 homes a month, focusing on single family homes and condominiums. In a peak year, they estimate the firm closes 700 transactions. For Realtors, one of the best selling points of working at Assist-2-Sell: they don’t have to beat the bushes for listings, as the company brings in the leads, focusing on residential single family, semi-detached homes and condominiums. “We take away the stress and degrading part of sales – cold calling and pizza night at the brokerage where you’re calling or walking a street. Our agents don’t have to resort to all that searching for leads – we give them the leads,” Lisa says. Finding willing sellers doesn’t seem to be an issue for Assist-2Sell in the regions where it currently has operations in Canada – finding new franchisees has been more of a challenge, says Assist-2Sell’s Lyle Martin, who co-founded the company in 1987 with Mary LaMeres-Pomin. Assist-2-Sell has 10 franchisees in Canada (in B.C.,

Ontario and Nova Scotia) compared to over 300 offices in the U.S. With the Canadian real estate market in much healthier shape than its counterpart in the U.S., the franchisor is putting a new focus on potential expansion opportunities in Canada. Martin says that a major barrier to growth in Canada in the past has been what it calls CREA’s anticompetitive attitude toward discount brokerages, particularly those promoting an ‘entry-only’ MLS program, offering to place

Lyle Martin

listings on the MLS system only, providing no other real estate services. Even though Assist-2-Sell’s business model is not built around the entry-only concept, Martin says his firm was “painted with the same brush”. “There was a fear in the real estate community to get involved with companies like ours, so they’ve stayed away. Those who have ignored that perception and have bought franchises from us have done very well, but a lot of people have stayed away, because of the posturing by CREA,” Martin says. Now that CREA has changed some of its rules “we’re starting to get calls from people asking us what we’re about.” Another barrier to expansion in Canada is the same one Assist2-Sell faces in the U.S. “Our name still gives people the impression that we’re a do-ityourself company,” says Martin. “In Canada as in the United States, we don’t have any problem getting our message to consumers. Consumers are very responsive to our message, they like what we have to offer. The big challenge we have here is getting people over

Michael and Lisa Doyle (Photo by Dan Callis)

the perception that we’re a DIY company.” To counter that impression, says Martin, Assist-2-Sell describes itself as “a company of choices”. “You know with the iPhone, there’s an ad that says ‘there’s an app for that’? We love that – it’s a great commercial. Well, we look at it the same way. With Assist-2Sell, what do you need, as a buyer or as a seller? We have an app for that, we have a solution,” says Martin. What the franchisor, and its premier franchisee in Canada, have yet to find a solution for is what they see as CREA’s restrictive advertising policies, which mean that Assist-2-Sell HomeWorks, for example, has to include a very lengthy CREA-approved disclaimer in all its ads mentioning its fees and how much money the company is saving consumers. “CREA’s Article 15 is designed to make people believe that the only way you can sell real estate is

through MLS, there’s going to be a buyer agent, a seller agent, all these people potentially have to be involved in the sale of your home,” says Michael. “That’s what keeps commission rates where they are. It makes it very difficult for any discount model to come in and offer something different. I want anybody to be able to offer what they want – if they want to offer a dollar, let’s see how many homes they sell.” If Assist-2-Sell HomeWorks’ early experience within the Halifax-Dartmouth real estate market is any indication, time may be on the company’s side, as changes continue to work their way through the industry. They are now a well-established local business, but when the Doyles first opened their Assist-2-Sell franchise in 2001, they faced a solid block of opposition from other brokers and Realtors. Continued on page 4

4 REM OCTOBER 2010

Is it a bubble or a soft landing? Economists split on whether the housing market is “an accident waiting to happen”

s Canada’s housing market “an accident waiting to happen” as a recent report suggests, or are Canadian housing policies working well to “mitigate the risk of a massive wave of defaults in the future” as another report says? The first report, by David Macdonald of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, says Canada has a housing bubble because house price increases in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Ottawa between 1980 and 2010 “are outside of a historic comfort level.” “The bursting of housing bubbles is a rare event in Canada, but

the steep rise in house prices in so many cities displays all the hallmarks of an accident waiting to happen,” says Macdonald. “As house prices rise outside of their historical range they become much more susceptible to mortgage rate changes. The hottest six real estate markets could be in for a correction at best or, at worst, a bubble burst. Rate setters at the big banks are in the driver’s seat now as mortgage rates inch up. They need to hit the brakes lightly.” But Mario Lefebvre of the Conference Board of Canada is one of many economists who disagree with Macdonald’s view. “Let’s put things in perspective:

the Canadian housing market has generally been booming for about a decade now (except for a slowdown during the recession), and the Conference Board of Canada has long claimed.…the market would have to come back to more normal levels of activity,” says Lefebvre. “This is what’s happening right now. It has to be stressed that 24 of 48 markets are currently showing a balanced stance in their existing home markets, a sign that the recent large declines in sales have more to do with a return to more normal levels of activity than the start of a steep downturn.” Lefebvre says, “We are not the U.S. The house price bubble in the

United States came about due to elements that have less to do with economic fundamentals than with U.S.-specific laws…If anything, Canada will see a pause in home price growth with possible marginal declines in a few markets, but nothing near what the United States has been through.” Another report, by Jim MacGee of the C.D. Howe institute, concludes that Canadian housing policies have done a good job to ensure that a U.S.-style housing market crash is not likely to happen here. “Canadian housing policies, which avoided the sharp decline in underwriting standards seen in the

Judge grants class-action status to Century 21 lawsuit in the U.S. n eight-year-old lawsuit claiming Century 21 Real Estate Corp. and its parent company misused franchisee proceeds after Century 21 was sold in 1995 has new legs, after a judge granted the case class-action status. Attorneys who filed the lawsuit say the class certified by New Jersey Suprerior Court Judge Robert J. Brennan includes at least 1,000 current and former Century 21 franchisees in the U.S., and possibly 4,000 or more. It does not affect Century 21 Canada, which has different ownership, or its franchises. In a press release, attorneys for the plaintiffs said they estimate damages suffered “may total in the hundreds of millions of dollars.”

The lawsuit charges that Century 21 and its parent company failed to provide the required level of services, and misappropriated fees paid by franchisees into a national advertising fund. In a statement, Century 21 parent company Realogy Corp. says the claims in the 2002 lawsuit “were without merit, and they remain so today.” “We have capably managed the Century 21 brand since its acquisition in 1995 and have continuously enhanced the brand through many market cycles, including the worst downturn in housing in the history of our country,” Realogy says. The lawsuit “does not properly reflect the strong relationships we have with our current fran-

chisees,” Realogy says, promising to “aggressively defend” against its claims. The 2002 lawsuit was filed on behalf of five Century 21 brokerages in Florida, Michigan, Arizona and New Jersey, and sought class-action certification to expand its reach to other brokers. With class certification, any Century 21 franchisee active from August 1995 to April 2002 and whose franchise agreement contains a clause stipulating that legal disputes be resolved in New Jersey is a potential class member. The lawsuit names as a defendant Realogy’s predecessor company Cendant Corp., which was known as Hospitality Franchise Systems

Inc. at the time of the Century 21 acquisition. After acquiring Century 21 from Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., Cendant also began buying all of the previously independent regional Century franchisors, and took charge of a $40-million-ayear national advertising fund, the lawsuit alleged. Franchisees paid two per cent of their gross revenue into the fund, on top of a six per cent franchise service fee, the complaint said. The lawsuit alleges that revenue from the fund was diverted for uses that did not benefit Century 21 franchisees, such as the promotion of Cendant-owned competitors Coldwell Banker and ERA.— Inman News REM

U.S, worked well in reducing the possibility of a housing bust in Canada during 2008-2009, and continue to mitigate the risk of a massive wave of defaults in the future,” says MacGee. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. predicts that existing home market conditions will remain balanced during the next two years as MLS sales ease and inventory levels remain elevated. It forecasts that “existing home sales will be in the range of 450,000 to 485,700 units in 2010, with a point forecast of 463,800 units. In 2011, MLS sales will move lower and are expected to be in the range of 425,000 to 490,700 units, with a point forecast of 456,000 units.” It says that with an improved balance between demand and supply, the average MLS price is expected to edge lower through the end of 2010 and then rise modestly in 2011. REM

Assist-2-Sell Continued from page 3

“I joke that for the first three years, my full-time job was handling professional standards complaints. Letters came in on a weekly basis to our association, asking them to shut us down – they wanted us stopped, to go away,” Lisa says. “And it was all because we were advertising our fee. ‘We sell homes for $2,995.’ No one had ever done that before.” A decade later, Assist-2-Sell HomeWorks has demonstrated that its business model can successfully work side-by-side with the traditional brokerages. Lisa recalls with great pride a comment from one of the board members of the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission, telling them that their brokerage has changed the way real estate is being done in Nova Scotia. “We take that as a huge compliment, because it was a hard go at the beginning.” REM

Cover photo: DAN CALLIS

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Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com REM complies fully with the Canadian Real Estate Association's Rules for Trademarks (CREA Rule 16.5.3.1) REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned by CREA and identify the services rendered by members of CREA. REM is published 12 times a year. It is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any real estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by direct delivery in selected areas. Subscriptions are $40.95 per year (including $1.95 GST), payable by personal cheque. Entire contents copyright 2010 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1201-1223

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6 REM OCTOBER 2010

Multiple Listings By Jim Adair

Do you have news to share with Canada’s real estate community? Let REM know about it! Email: jim@remonline.com

entury 21 B.J. Roth Realty has relocated its Penetanguishene office to Midland, Ont. “Since our move, we have gone from two agents to eight and we are still growing. We are working to expand our residential division and as well we would like to expand our commercial department in Midland and will be seeking out salespeople to fill key roles,” says Bernie Roth, owner and broker of record of the company. The brokerage has been in the

Simcoe County area for almost 30 years. It has five offices and over 150 sales reps. ■ ■ ■

George O’Neill recently opened O’Neill Real Estate Limited, a boutique real estate brokerage serving The Beach and downtown Toronto. “We do not aspire to be the biggest, but we do aspire to be the best in the eyes of our clients,” says O’Neill. He says the business is based on “core values of client first,

transparency, old-fashioned honest service, coupled with contemporary digital and social media marketing.” O’Neill is a second-generation broker, and “proudly continues the tradition started by his parents in their New Brunswick brokerage,” he says. He is active on social media sites, host of a daily real estate video blog, and a speaker and educator on marketing and running a professional brokerage. He also founded the annual fall conference, Real Estate Marketing Summit. ■ ■ ■

Century 21 expanded its pres-

ence on Vancouver Island, B.C. with the recent addition of Century 21 Gold River Realty in Gold River. Broker/owner Janet Scotland has more than 15 years of experience in the real estate industry and six years of experience in the finance industry. “Gold River Realty has been in business since 1982, under the ownership and stewardship of Lorraine Welch,” says Scotland. “Lorraine sold the business to me and my partner, Brian Dickson, in April. Lorraine is still on the team as a sales representative, along with Judy McLean and Donna Reynolds. Derek Madson has joined the team as property manager and Michael Ilnitsky as sales rep for the Comox Valley.” The brokerage is a full service real estate office specializing in rural and commercial properties, leases and agricultural transactions. The office serves the communities of Gold River and Tahsis. It also serves the Campbell River area and North Island from its newly opened satellite office in Campbell River. ■ ■ ■

Blair Gordon

Bernie Roth

Gary Kuchik

George O’Neill

Jim Holody, broker/owner of the brokerage formerly operating as Coldwell Banker 1st London Real Estate Services in London, Ont. has joined the Royal LePage franchise network. Holody’s company operates under the new name Royal LePage 1st London Real Estate

Jim Holody

Radio personality Arlene Bynon and Lou Berkovits of Re/Max Ultimate Realty host a radio show every second Sunday.

Tanya Lemcke

Angie Foster

Jeanette Vallance

Kevin Grimes

Services, and includes a team of 57 sales reps. ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Vegreville is now serving the community of Vegreville, Alta., operated by broker/owner Gary Kuchik. He has been in the real estate industry for 20 years. “We’re a friendly bunch and we are always eager to help our clients in any way we can. Many of our clients are repeat customers, and I credit that to our amazing agents and office staff,” says Kuchik. It’s a full-service brokerage specializing in residential, commercial, acreages, farmland and vacant lot sales in Vegreville and surrounding areas, including Two Hills, Lavoy, Mundare, Ranfurly and Willingdon. Century 21 Vegreville also assists clients with their construction needs through Gar/Max Home Construction company. ■ ■ ■

Sales rep Lou Berkovits has joined Re/Max Ultimate Realty in Toronto. Berkovits is an experienced full-time Realtor and can be heard on his own radio show called Inside Real Estate, every other Sunday morning on AM640. The show discusses the current market, emerging trends and the values and benefits of using a Realtor. ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Lemcke Real Estate Services recently opened in Westport, Ont. in the Rideau Lakes area. Broker/owner Tanya Lemcke, who has been a member of the Century 21 System since 2005, received her broker’s license early this year. “I began my career with another franchise company in Burlington, but shortly after starting my real estate career, my family and I moved back to my hometown of Westport,” she says. “I joined Century 21 so I could mentor under my mother, Lois Lemcke, who has been with Century 21 for years.” Westport is north of Kingston and is within easy driving distance to Ottawa, Perth, Kingston and Brockville. “Westport itself offers fantastic waterfront and residential prices and is a hidden gem that most buyers feel fortunate to have come across,” says Lemcke. Continued on page 8

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Multiple Listings Continued from page 6 ■ ■ ■

Broker Jeanette Vallance opened Vision Realty Windsor, serving Windsor and Essex County, Ont., about a year ago and the firm has grown to include nine Realtors. A consistent sales leader since she started her real estate career, Vallance has been in the business since 2005. She says she wants to work with other salespeople who are looking to do well and become sales leaders in the business. Her motto is “where service soars.” She says her office’s strength is a willingness of the sales reps to share information and help each other grow in a team environment of mentorship, support and training. “The Realtors here get a genuine feeling of trust and support that is proving to make a big difference in their careers,” she says. ■ ■ ■

Carl Sharpe has been named manager of recruiting at Exit Realty on the Rock in St. John’s, Nfld., in addition to his current role as manager of special projects. Sharpe has 30 years of combined management experience in retail and the real estate industry. “Carl is the perfect fit for this and for our growth in

Newfoundland,” says Anne Squires, franchisee of Exit Realty on the Rock. “With over 90 agents and a focus on continually improving our productivity, Carl is the ultimate talent scout. He has completed provincial and international training in recruiting and is well versed and knowledgeable in leading new recruits in preparation for their career.” ■ ■ ■

Mike Cartwright recently opened an independent brokerage, Main Street Realty in Newmarket, Ont. “We offer a full-service brokerage with 100 per cent of the commission going to the agent,” says Cartwright. “We are located in the historic downtown area of Newmarket and have quickly grown in two weeks to 23 salespeople.” Cartwright’s wife Dianna is a sales rep for the new company. They were an award-winning team for Sutton Group in the area for 15 years, and have been selling real estate in the Newmarket area for 17 years. “Our motto at Main Street Realty is, ‘You can have it all at Main Street...The Cheaper Fees You Want and The Training You Deserve’,” says Mike Cartwright. “Our fee structure is simple – $99 per month and $399 per deal. After you do 10 deals the fee drops

Jacalyn Feenstra

Heather Atkinson

Geoff Lloyd

Dianna Cartwright

to $199 per deal. No charge on residential leases and double end deals are one transaction. This, with a professional trainer we have hired, I believe will help our agents succeed at a higher level.”

experiencing enormous growth. So whether a client is looking for the conveniences of the city or the quietness of the country, the Foothills offers it all.”

■ ■ ■

Valerie and Kim Connell, franchisees of Exit Realty Town and Country in Greenwood, N.S., have appointed Angie Foster to manage the Kentville/New Minas territory. “Angie Foster came to us three years ago, already a licensed Realtor and with 16 years of experience in retail and finance. She sold real estate and mortgages in the Kentville area for two major lending brands,” says Valerie Connell. Since joining Exit, “she has played a pivotal role in the growth of the Kentville office, taking it from a satellite location to a true competitor in the marketplace. She annually makes Exit’s provincial Top 10 roster and she has led the Kentville office in sales and listing production,” Connell says.

Century 21 Foothills Real Estate, one of Southern Alberta’s largest real estate companies, has moved its Black Diamond office to Turner Valley. Since opening its original office locations in High River and Okotoks, the brokerage has expanded its territory through to Lethbridge, Taber, Pincher Creek and now Turner Valley. Blair Gordon, broker/owner of the company, has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and has been a member of the Calgary Real Estate Board since 1977. “I specialize mostly in commercial real estate and leasing. As well as a leading residential sales force, within the office we have several associates that specialize in country residential and rural agriculture. Operating out of our Lethbridge location, we have a special team called the Eco Agents that specialize in ‘green’ real estate,” says Gordon. “We operate in a location that prides itself on small town values and loyalty. Not only is our area stunning with views of the Rocky Mountains and slow rolling hills and valleys, it offers towns that are

Mike Cartwright

■ ■ ■

Kevin Grimes and Jacalyn Feenstra have joined the management team at Century 21 Your Choice Realty in Smiths Falls, Ont. Grimes is the broker of record. He has seven years of experience in the real estate industry and became a broker earlier this year. He is also the current president of the Rideau St. Lawrence Real Estate Board. Feenstra has been in the real estate industry for five years and will complete her broker’s license this fall. Former owner and broker Nan Bell has been involved with the Century 21 System for more than 20 years and continues to work at the brokerage. “The new owners are young, full of great ideas and really looking forward to getting right into the

From left: Tracey Poyton, Andy Thompson, Michelle Scott

workings of Century 21,” says Bell. “We have already seen an increase in sales and in listings. They have a really good team here and we intend to set the town on fire. Our new location is prime and is shaping up very nicely,” she says. ■ ■ ■

Eastron Realty (2008) of Kingston, Ont. has become the newest member of the Aventure Realty Network. Owners and broker of record Tracey Poyton, Andy Thompson and Michelle Scott, together with a staff of experienced Realtors, operate throughout the Kingston, Napanee and Gananoque marketplace. “This addition extends Aventure to over 60 member locations coast to coast, bringing together many of the leading independent brokerages in Canada,” says Aventure president Bernie Vogt. ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Seaside Realty in White Rock, B.C., recently opened a satellite office in 100 Mile House, B.C. The office managers, Ingrid and Gerhard Berger, work closely with owners Heather Atkinson and Geoff Lloyd. “We have had a lot of walk-ins because people have gone on to our website and were able to research properties in our region. People stop by just to say how happy they are that Century 21 is back in town after a nine-year absence,” says Berger. “Currently we are a small office with three sales professionals, but we are planning to expand in the very near future.” Atkinson says, “Our new office managers are fluent in German. They have a big referral network from Germany and are very involved in the community affairs of the town.” ■ ■ ■

Continued on page 34

Carl Sharpe

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aren Flood, 49, broker of Re/Max Hallmark Realty in Port Carling and past president of The Muskoka & Haliburton Association of Realtors (MHAR), lost her battle with cancer on August 11. She served as president of MHAR three times and she was a current member of the MHAR Board of Directors. In a note to REM, the association says, “Karen had many friends throughout the area and because of her involvement in organized real estate, was well known by many, at both the provincial and national level. Karen was always the first to volunteer for any project and used her strong negotiating skills to solve issues at the association and throughout her real estate career. “Karen is survived by her mother Maria Schwab, sisters Linda and Chris, her brother Peter and many nieces and nephews. Fondly remembered, sadly missed.” REM

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New homes cheaper than resale, says B.C. builder Metro Vancouver builder Morningstar Homes says it is taking a direct approach in keeping B.C.’s Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) as simple as possible, realizing that mixed messages have circulated about the new tax and how it affects the price of a new home. The builder is offering new homes at prices that are less than comparable used homes even with the HST included. Buyers can purchase a new Morningstar home in Abbotsford’s Pepin Brook development for $519,900 including HST. Resale listings for comparable used homes in the Abbotsford area have an average price of $556,048, the builder says. “Morningstar’s homes in Pepin Brook are an opportunity to own a new home in a great location for less money,” says Bob Morse, president of

Morningstar Homes. “We have worked with our building trades to make sure that any savings from the removal of the seven per cent PST has been passed on to our buyers. We are also generally encouraging our trades and suppliers to lower their prices to us so that we can offer homes at a lower cost without sacrificing the high quality craftsmanship buyers have come to expect.” On top of lower home costs that include HST, Morse says there are other sources of value for buyers. The five-year fixed mortgage interest rates are now considerably lower than they were last March. “Add it all up and this is a great time to buy a new Morningstar home,” Morse says. Morningstar Homes is one of British Columbia’s largest builders of single family homes. REM

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12 REM OCTOBER 2010

Real Estate Technology G

oogle Street View enables house hunters to look beyond the listings and view property at ground level or take a stroll around the neighbourhood. Following the Canadian debut of Street View last October, more than 150 cities and towns across Canada were covered by February, enabling Internet users to visit maps.google.ca and view properties at street level simply by dragging an icon shaped like a person on to a map. In the U.S., Trulia incorporated Street View technology into its homes for sale, recently sold homes and property records (http://info.trulia.com/ index.php?s=43&item=33) and there are signs that real estate agents are beginning to do the same here in Canada. Gary Little (www.garylittle.ca) of Royal LePage Sunshine Coast in Sechelt, B.C., provides house hunters with a map of property for sale on the Sunshine Coast with listing locations flagged as house, condo/townhouse or manufactured home. Internet users can access Google Street View either by dragging the Street View icon on to the map or by clicking the Street View button that appears on a property’s information page. Little has this advice: “If you’re going to incorporate Street View for a specific listing, make it easy to use. When Street View first comes up, make sure it’s oriented properly so that your property is front and centre. Also include basic navigation instructions nearby – the standard Google controls are not particularly intuitive and need some explanation.” Dean Birks of Royal LePage Prince George Real Estate (www. deanbirks.com) has integrated

Google Street View on his website by offering maps with flagged listing locations along with the GSV icon, which can be dragged on to the map to provide a street level view of the property. Dean says, “Even though Street View can have dated images I think it is a great way for clients to view the surrounding homes and area. To start you have to go to Google maps and find the home you want to use. Once you see it, then in the top right corner click on the ‘link’ button, then click on ‘customize and preview embedded map’ (bottom of the box area). Pick the size you want and then copy and paste the code provided below into your site or blog.” It’s already possible to get a sense of what the future holds for Google Street View by looking at some of the third party mashup apps appearing on the Internet – such as Paul Hagon’s Then and Now Flickr and Google Street View site (http://www. paulhagon.com/thenandnow/). It takes historic images from photo sharing site Flickr and compares them with the same locations today. The idea of Google Street View making use of photographs from image repositories like Flickr has been eagerly embraced by Google too, which is offering access to them via Street View. Although it’s still the early days for this feature, with the focus more on popular tourist destinations (see http://googlelatlong.blogspot.com/2010/02/ navigate-your-way-throughuser-photos.html), it provides a glimpse of a future Street View that might also include real estate agents’ and other users’ photos of properties. It’s also possible to sign up to Panoramio using a Google Account to upload up

The future of Google Street View

With Google Street View already integrated into real estate sites like Trulia, we look at how the next generation of Canadian real estate apps will make use of Street View. By Petra Jones to 2GB of photos for free and create a map pinpointing where they were taken. Besides making use of user photos, footage from local traffic cams might also be displayed – a feature that is already available on CanPages. ca, providing commuters with info on a potential new location from a travel perspective. Google Street View’s main rival, Microsoft Bing maps, already allows you to create a real estate photosynth – essentially a 3D image made up from a number of photos of a property taken from different angles and

smooth panning and variable perspectives. Research is being carried out at the University of Ottawa on technology that would be capable of offering Internet users a selection of angles from which to view property, as well as seamless transitions as house hunters view properties from both the inside and outside. Images are captured using a Point Grey Ladybug omnidirectional camera, consisting of six cameras in one housing. The manufacturer’s photo stitching software then

arrangement.” The technology should be available within two to three years. Google Street View, Bing Streetside and the University of Ottawa’s project are all likely to face challenges ranging from privacy concerns to the difficulty of keeping images up to date in a changing world. But there are some exciting possibilities for tomorrow’s real estate views – Microsoft is already promising compass directions, 360-degree panoramas and street names to help orientate streetside users (http://www.bing.com/toolbox/

Sales rep Gary Little of Royal LePage Sunshine Coast in Sechelt, B.C. offers Google Street View on his own listings map application.

locations. It can even include animations that let the user zoom in. This can all be added to Bing’s ‘streetside’ ground level view. For instructions on how to do this visit Microsoft’s Photosynth blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ photosynth/archive/2009/12/01/ photosynths-in-bing-maps-divein.aspx). For now Microsoft Bing’s rival tool is limited to a ‘TechPreview’ that includes Vancouver, San Francisco and Seattle. But with Microsoft’s Bing potentially offering seamless transitions between street level images thanks to both Photosynth and Silverlight plugins, Google is likely to be forced into developing a slicker Street View that offers

combines the images with the help of a few of the university’s own stitching algorithms to create a kind of street view that offers Internet users more freedom of movement. Panoramic views in outdoor environments are created through the use of an electronic scooter equipped with camera, laptop and GPS. Professor Eric Dubois says, “This technology could be used to visit existing homes in a fashion similar to current virtual tours but with free motion throughout the property. We also want to be able to add or remove objects, which might be interesting in visualizing how a property would look with different furniture or

blogs/maps/archive/2010/02/11/ new-bing-maps-applicationstreetside-photos.aspx). Gary Little adds: “Perhaps we’ll also see the ability to record movements around a Street View panorama. You could then send the recording to a prospective buyer to show him, for example, how to make his way from the house of interest to the beach.” With increasing numbers of digital cameras capable of automatically geocoding property pictures using GPS, and increasing integration with public photos, tomorrow’s street views are likely to be very powerful tools. REM

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14 REM OCTOBER 2010

THE UN-COMFORT ZONE

By Robert Wilson

y sons recently started talking about being cool, and I recalled my own teenage years and the need to be cool. That driving desire dictated the clothes I wore, the music I listened to, and what subjects I became conversant in. And yet, despite all my motivation and effort, it remained elusive. When I look back, I can see that all I really wanted was to be accepted, liked and admired. But whatever I tried, I never quite

How cool are you? felt cool enough. The problem was that I didn’t really understand the term until I’d spent a few years living and working in the real world. So I explained to my kids, “Cool is when there’s a problem and you do not get upset by it. When everyone else is panicking, rushing around and over reacting, the cool person is the one who stays calm, assesses the situation and then makes a reasoned decision on what to do. ” One day, I’ll tell them about Frances Healan, my friend who completely owned this concept. Mrs. Healan walked with a limp, and I learned that she had suffered a severe injury to her hip and pelvis. Her doctor told her she would never walk again. His diagnosis was unacceptable. She had three daughters and two sons, all less than two years apart, with whom she had to keep up. Instead she ignored the pain and struggled with crutches,

then canes, before walking under her own power again. I never once knew her to mention the great pain she continued to endure. I met her when my friend Tony started dating Becky, the wildest of her children, and I dated Becky’s best friend. It was while Tony and I waited for our dates to get ready, that I learned what an amazing conversationalist Mrs. Healan was. She would talk of her family and friends, of movies and novels. Pleasant stories that had no impact on my life or the world, and yet they were irresistibly soothing and peaceful. Meanwhile, with five rambunctious kids and their friends, hers was the house on the street where everything happened. It was a tumultuous environment of laughter one moment and tears the next as young personalities came together and then clashed. Nothing ever seemed to rattle Mrs.

Healan; she was always calm and relaxed. Tony and Becky didn’t last very long, but I refused to give up those wonderful conversations and started showing up just to hang out. Over the years, I realized that whenever my own life got a little stressed, I was drawn to the Healan household. Once there I would just sit and listen to Mrs. Healan’s stories and absorb her serene energy. I was rejuvenated by her presence. I never planned any of those visits. I would just start to feel the need, and before I knew it, I was in the car driving. Those visits continued for years. Eventually the cumulative responsibilities of work, marriage and children made my life too busy for the simple pleasure of spending an afternoon with Mrs. Healan. A few years ago she died of lung cancer. Frances was never a smoker, but a critical spot on her

lung was missed on a routine chest x-ray. Her oncologist said that if he’d seen the x-ray when it was taken, he could have saved her life. Despite that, Frances Healan was never bitter. Even though I had not seen her in years, her children called me to visit on her last day. When I arrived, her daughter Judy said, “Look Mama, it’s Bobby Wilson.” Mrs. Healan raised her head and said, “Bobby Wilson! Who’s dying?” We all laughed. That moment sums up her life for me. Facing death, she maintained her sense of humour. She was quite simply the coolest person I’ve ever known. Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist. He works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on his programs visit www. jumpstartyourmeeting.com. REM

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16 REM OCTOBER 2010

Russia’s evolving real estate industry

They don’t trust MLS and no licenses are required, but real estate agencies have been taking hold in Russia. By Eugene Vorotnikov

he real estate brokerage industry is still a relatively new phenomenon for Russia. During Soviet times there were no registered real estate agents and brokers in the country, due to a ban on buying and selling real estate properties. The only legitimate way to exchange an apartment or to improve living conditions for Soviet citizens was an appeal to The Bureau of Exchange of Living Floor Space, which dealt mainly with the exchange of residential apartments. Real estate agencies and residential brokers were officially banned by the state. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, lots of real estate agencies have been established in Russia, with most of the brokers focussing on the secondary residential real estate market. Currently more than 70 per cent of transactions in Moscow’s resale market (the largest in Russia) are completed with the participation of residential agents. Most of the Russian real estate companies specialize in the residential market. As a rule, most of them are small companies that employ about 10 agents. Such firms operate in most cities of Russia. There are also companies that, in addition to typical broker activities, are involved in the construction of residential complexes. They invest money in home building and focus on other types of investment activities. One reason why real estate brokers in Russia have been successful is because of their ability not only to find good options for their clients, but to collect all the necessary transactional documents in a relatively short time. The procedure of buying or

selling a house in Russia remains highly bureaucratic. After signing an agreement with the client, the real estate agent becomes fully responsible for the completion of the deal. High levels of bureaucracy and corruption often lead to a significant delay in closings. Most of the brokers have the right “connections” with regulatory authorities to help them accelerate completion of the transactions.

Most of the Russian agents prefer to search for customers and properties through the use of professional databases and real estate agency websites, as well as special newspapers that publish private ads for buying/ selling apartments. After finding an attractive option, the broker contacts the client in order to negotiate conditions of possible co-operation, as well as the amount of his commission fees.

The first private real estate agencies were established in Russia in the early 1990s. By 2009 in Moscow, the number of agencies reached 2,000 companies. Among Russia’s biggest real estate companies are Moscow-based Mian, Miel, Inkom and others. In addition to broker services, most of them are involved in property development activities, through the implementation of multimillion dollar investment projects in the country’s construction and real estate industry.

According to GdeEtotDom, Russia’s analytical real estate portal, the average annual income of Moscow real estate agents is estimated at $60,000 to $70,000(US). About 20 per cent of agents earn more than $70,000 a year. The incomes of real estate professionals in the Russian province is much lower.

For instance, Inkom agency specializes in the construction of cottage villages on a credit basis, selling homes directly to its customers. Miel is a co-investor in the construction of apartment complexes in Moscow and in some foreign countries, in particular in Latvia. In 1993 the Russian Guild of Realtors was founded, and by 2009 it was comprised of 59 regional guilds and organizations throughout Russia. In contrast to the U.S. and Canada, an MLS type of system is not widely used in Russia, although it has already been introduced in some regions of the country. There’s still a lack of trust among the agents and brokers. They are reluctant to share information about their customers with competitors.

As a rule, a typical Russian agent with good experience is able to complete from two to six transactions per month. The minimum commission fee is 1.5 per cent of the cost of the apartment. The average fee of an experienced agent is not less than three per cent of the purchase price, while in the elite segment the commission is even higher. Until 2000, Russian real estate practitioners were obliged to obtain a license for their activities. The cost of a license for a real estate agency ranged from $5,000 to $10,000, while firms provided guarantees for the state to pay for special training for their employees. In 2002, the need for licensing was abolished, which resulted in a decline of the skill level of Russian salespeople. Now Russian real estate agencies often hire people who do not have any skills, experience or even minimal knowledge of the current legislation in the field of real estate, with the result that customers suffer both moral and

The average Moscow real estate agent makes $60,000 to $70,000 (US) annually.

material damage. The situation is aggravated by the fact that currently there are no specialized educational institutions in Russia (except for short-term courses), that efficiently train future salespeople. The global recession negatively affected the demand for real estate broker services in Russia, with many agencies being forced to leave the market or to go to the related sectors. According to analysts at Doki Agency, another of Russia’s largest real estate firms, last year the total revenue of Moscow agents and brokers reached 7.2 billion rubles ($210 million US), which is 42 per cent less than in 2008. The total number of transactions in Moscow in 2009 reached 55,674. Of these, 46 per cent were handled by the largest real estate agencies. More than half of real estate transactions were conducted with the participation of independent brokers who took some of the market away from real estate agencies. Doki Agency CEO Leonid Menshikov says this was because of a fall in demand for real estate and fewer transactions for new and high-end housing. Still, since the beginning of this year, the Russian real estate

market is steadily growing and the largest real estate agencies have already reached pre-crisis indicators. Lyudmila Zaitseva, president of Russia’s Regional Guild of Realtors, says, “Currently, the Russian real estate business is recovering from the crisis, with an ever-growing number of transactions. I believe that the worst is already behind it, and today the prospects of the market are bright.” The Russian residential real estate market is steadily developing, thanks to ongoing construction of new housing and the increase of the number of construction firms. Since the early 2000s, the Russian government has worked to solve the problem of the country’s decaying housing stock, through the implementation of a number of federal programs aimed at improving the living conditions of citizens and stimulating growth in demand for real estate – and at the same time, for the services of real estate brokers. Based in Moscow, Eugene Vorotnikov is a former real estate broker. He is now an international writer for property and real estate magazines. REM

18 REM OCTOBER 2010

Letters to the Editor Leaky faucet or ghost?

his morning I received a copy of the article entitled Is it a leaky faucet or a ghost? (REM, September) from a friend who is a Realtor in Orangeville, Ont. I am an ordained Christian minister and part of my ministry has been getting rid of spirits/ghosts from people’s homes or buildings so the occupants will no longer be harassed and even injured by the spirits. There is a certain kind of Christian clergy who have the spiritual authority to get rid of such spirits/ghosts. Most cannot do so. I have been a guest on many radio and television talk shows in order to discuss this problem. I am

presently in the middle of writing a book about this very subject. People such as Nadine Mercey can certainly identify the problem but they cannot exorcise or get rid of it. I have lost count of the number of homes and buildings that I have been able to cast the spirits out and give the occupants a peaceful place in which to live or conduct their businesses. I am writing to let you know that there is a solution and people can purchase houses or buildings that can be made safe for them to live in or conduct their business from. Rev. Gordon Williams Orangeville, Ont. REM

Jail term for unregistered sales rep

n Alliston, Ont. man who traded in real estate without being registered and defrauded potential investors in the Barrie area of almost $90,000 was sentenced to 15 months in jail and ordered to pay restitution. Terry D. Graham, who was wanted on a bench warrant after failing to appear on two similar charges in Mississauga, must also serve two years probation beginning on the date of his release. Sentencing related to the Mississauga charges is pending. Tim Snell, counsel for the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), had asked that Graham receive a sentence of 18 to 20 months in jail. The sentence follows a guilty plea in April to eight counts of trading in real estate while unregistered and eight counts of failing to deposit trust money. Graham, formerly of Oro, Ont., had been charged in October 2008 with six offences under the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA 2002), but

public response to the advisory posted on RECO’s website led to additional complaints and charges. Graham, who is not registered to trade in real estate in Ontario, had pleaded guilty to representing himself as a registered real estate salesperson and performing the services of a brokerage in real estate transactions. He also pleaded guilty to accepting trust deposits from consumers for real estate trades, and then failed to deposit the funds into a trust account as required under REBBA 2002. “I think it’s important to note that consumers were not able to recover their deposits because Mr. Graham was not registered,” says Snell in a news release, “and therefore, was not insured.” All registered real estate professionals in Ontario are required by law to participate in RECO’s insurance program. Consumer deposit insurance offers protection in the event of fraud, insolvency or misappropriation of funds by a registrant. REM

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20 REM OCTOBER 2010

Cycling from Victoria to Thunder Bay Real estate veteran’s cross-country ride raises funds and awareness for the YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign By Connie Adair

n 2008, real estate veteran Don Patterson started a youth triathlon program at the Mississauga, Ont. YMCA that encourages kids to bike, swim and run. It’s the only program of its kind in Canada, but it won’t be for long if Patterson has his way. To that end, on June 26, Patterson got on his bike and set off for a 3,500-km solo ride to raise funds for the Y’s Strong Kids Campaign and to spread the word about his triathlon program. The program gets kids to participate in a non-competitive environment. He also wanted to increase awareness about the importance of getting kids healthy and active, he says. During the ride, which took him from Victoria to Thunder Bay, “I took it upon myself to stop at four Ys to chat about the program. I (applaud) the dedication of the Y staff and volunteers I met along the way. They are excited to implement a similar program,” he says. Word has even spread to Australia. Patterson’s cousin in Sydney read about his ride at www.ykids.blog.com and contacted her local organization, he says. “She is encouraging them to develop a triathlon for inner city children.” Patterson’s ride raised $11,000, all of which will go to the cause. He funded the ride out of his own pocket. Patterson is managing director, commercial at Royal LePage Kingsbury. He’s been in the business for 30 years, and is a lawyer by profession. Although the ride was for a serious cause, Patterson had a blast along the way. The first day had him climbing mountains and the next day riding in the rain, but Patterson said the scenery is a big part of what kept him going. “The sheer beauty of the country, from the Pacific Ocean to Thunder Bay…. I looked around at mountains, or prairies or the scenery in Ontario’s north, and

kept on going.” Patterson’s wife, Debi, accompanied him on the first half of the trip, driving a car and meeting him for coffee and lunch along the way. At the half-way point, Edmonton, they stopped to attend a family wedding. “From there on I was strictly on my own. I rode continuously. It was up before the sun came up. It was the best time to ride. I missed the (hotels’) continental breakfasts but got on the road and stopped for pancakes and syrup at 8,” he says. He says he and Debi weren’t sure what to expect, but they enjoyed the trip together. He enjoyed being able to share his experiences and that they could meet the same people. “We stopped at four YMCAs along the way – Victoria, Kelowna, Calgary and Edmonton. We met people, she heard me speak and we experienced things together. It was a great experience.” The couple has been married for 32 years, celebrating their anniversary on the road on July 1. It wasn’t a long romantic dinner – Don says he was asleep by 8 pm. Although he says at times his body was tired, he had only enthusiasm each morning. “It was an exhilarating experience. I didn’t feel tired. I couldn’t wait to get back on the road.” Patterson had a relaxed schedule, stopping to take photos of a waterfall, a deer and other interesting sites along the way. “Of 22 destinations, I hit only five or six on schedule. I didn’t want to be tied down by a time frame. I rode longer on some days, shorter others.” He booked 22 days off for the trip but finished it in 18, doing just less than 200 km per day. Luckily the ride went smoothly. “I rode by a guy in Winnipeg who had had seven flat tires. I didn’t have one.” “I’m not a racer but can go a long way at a steady pace. I ate and drank to keep my body fuelled but wasn’t overly stressed about what I

ate. And I rode with the weather. I have to be more disciplined in my real estate career, but the ride was part holiday experience,” he says. At work, his office was supportive, letting him take the time off. “I got lots of encouragement when I was training” and people sent messages as he biked across the country. The last day of the ride was tough, he says. “I was a bit sad it was all over and had a tear in my eye when I reached the Terry Fox monument in Thunder Bay. It was a fabulous experience, and who knows if I’ll get to do something like this again?” That said, he says he’s “itching to do the other part of the country, from Thunder Bay to St. John’s, but I don’t know when that will be.” Since the ride ended, Patterson is letting his body recover and enjoying some dessert. “I’m taking a few easy rides and getting back into the routine. I lost a bit of weight so I’m enjoying pie at dinner.” “We can all play a role in helping our kids to become active and healthy, whether it is by increasing public awareness, lobbying governments and business, volunteering, providing financial support, getting our own families involved or being role models to youth,” he says. “Everyone can do something to make a difference. Set a goal and work toward it, but have fun along the way. “We should try to be passionate about everything we do in life.” It’s not too late to donate: go online to http://tinyurl.com/donpatterson or send a cheque to the Mississauga YMCA, 325 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W., Mississauga, ON, L5B 3R2. Mark “Don’s Ride” in the memo area of your cheque. Paterson will also be sharing stories and photos from his trip at the Mississauga, Ont. YMCA on Oct.5 at 7 pm, at 325 Burnamthorpe W. REM

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22 REM OCTOBER 2010

STOP SELLING HOUSES & START MAKING MONEY

By Debbie Hanlon

ithout a doubt the single biggest thing I did that helped propel me to No. 1 in Canada in my first year in real estate was the systems I put in place. Systems are the blueprints you follow to build the real estate career you want. Done right, they become parts of a selling machine that makes your life a whole lot easier. I used a system for every activity I had to do as a real estate agent, from open houses to a listing process that included pre-listing, listing and postlisting systems. Together, the systems I developed helped me

Systems are blueprints for success retain clients as well as get new clients and keep my costs in line. They also gave me more free time to enjoy the money I was making on my way to becoming No. 1. My systems are broken down into the activities you have to do on a certain day. Let’s say you just listed a house. Your post-listing system will show exactly what your next step is and then all the steps after that. Following those steps ensures that the house sells as quickly as possible and your client becomes a word-of-mouth advertisement to their friends and family about the fantastic level of personal service they received from you. The same rules apply to any other activity you undertake as a real estate agent. If you have an open house this Sunday, your open house system shows you what activity you do on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday leading up to that Sunday. Once you put real estate systems in place, you will get more

successful, and the more successful you get the more activities you’ll have happening at the same time. In a week you’ll be giving listing presentations, organizing open houses, closing deals, targeting For

as only one listing each. Without these systems in place I would probably have lost my mind trying to service all those clients. My real estate systems simplify things to the point where it doesn’t matter

Put systems in place and trust me, in no time at all you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank. Sale By Owner homes, creating and running advertising campaigns, preparing for seminars and Lord knows what else. Real estate systems allow you to do all those activities without having to think about what you have to do next. It really is that simple! There was a point in my career when I had over 100 listings and I counted the subdivisions I carried

how many listings you’re carrying. It works just as well for a hundred as it does for one. I also developed systems when I started my own real estate company, so it ran as effortlessly as possible – but that’s another story for another day. Now that you’re running your career as a business, instead of a real estate agent running

yourself ragged trying to sell houses, systems make perfect sense. It’s no different than any other business. From banks to bakeries, all businesses employ systems that they follow to streamline and simplify the work they have to do to ensure a successful outcome. For banks, that could be anything from signing up new customers to approving loans and for a bakery it’s the recipe they follow for the perfect baked goods every time. So don’t go off half-baked in your real estate career. Put systems in place and trust me, in no time at all you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank. Debbie Hanlon is the president and founder of Hanlon Realty. She is a three-time top 50 CEO winner and was named one of the top 100 female entrepreneurs in Canada. She is currently an elected city official in St. John’s, Nfld. and is available for motivational and training seminars. Email debbie@hanlonrealtynl.com. REM

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24 REM OCTOBER 2010

LEGAL ISSUES

By Donald H. Lapowich

ere’s a quick summary of three recent legal cases: A school board agreed to sell land to S, who intended to develop the parcel of land. The Agreement of Sale was conditional on the school board obtaining a severance before the closing date. The closing was extended so the board could get severance, but it failed to submit a development plan with its application. It then refused to further extend the deal, and returned the deposit to S. The court held that the board breached its obligations by not using its best efforts to complete the deal, but only nominal damages ($1) were granted by the Appeal Decision. Why? The purchaser failed to take any steps to mitigate the loss by looking for another property to buy. ■ ■ ■

Different factors command a court’s equitable sense of justice, even where there is no doubt of a breach by one of the parties. In a recent case a tenant leased commercial premises to carry on the business of a marble/stone wholesaler. These operations caused excess humidity in the building the tenant was leasing. The landlord served notice that the tenant must carry out repairs as specified within a time limit. When this was not done, the landlord terminated the lease and asked the court to make a declaration that the lease was over. The tenant applied for relief from forfeiture, even though the tenant had breached covenants of the lease from doing damage to the building, and the failure to make repairs. Relief was given to the tenant on strict grounds because the court

Three recent cases was influenced by the following: 1. The tenant had invested a substantial amount in the building and its business; 2. Damage to the building was not significant. 3. The tenant was seriously addressing the problems caused by its operations and addressing remedies. Under these circumstances, the tenant was granted relief from forfeiture of the lease, if the tenant immediately repaired the existing damage and designed and installed a system acceptable to the landlord to control the humidity. ■ ■ ■

Three dentists’ wives jointly owned the premises where their respective husbands practised. The agreement between the wives stated that if any one wished to sell her interest to a third party, she had to first offer it to her husband and second to the other coowners (rights of first refusal). As it turned out, two dentists sold their practices and the purchaser entered a lease with the two wives, obtaining an option agreement to purchase the wives’ interest in the property. The purchasers exercised their options and entered agreements of purchase and sale. Despite this complexity of rights, the remaining wife asserted her right of first refusal. It was held that all these rights could co-exist and the right of first refusal of the remaining wife was valid and had not been swept aside by the purchaser’s options under the lease they entered into. Only if the right of first refusal was not exercised, would the agreements of purchase and sale become binding. Donald Lapowich, Q.C. is a partner at the law firm of Koskie, Minsky in Toronto, where he practices civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on real estate litigation and mediation, acting for builders, real REM estate agents and lawyers.

26 REM OCTOBER 2010

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Mortgage Architects plans to expand its Atlantic Canada presence and build on its strength in the Ottawa and surrounding areas with the appointment of industry veteran Glen Ward to regional VP, Atlantic Canada and Eastern Ontario, the company says in a news release. Ward has more than 15 years of financial industry experience – the past nine of which were spent successfully building and developing the brokerage market in the Atlantic region. Previous to working in the mortgage industry, he worked for two major Canadian banks. “Glen Ward is extremely well regarded in Atlantic Canada, where he is recognized for his very impressive track record of delivering results and dedication to the mortgage broker channel. If you’re in the mortgage business in the East, you know Glen Ward,” says Meini Ickert, VP national sales, Mortgage Architects. In his new role, Ward will provide core support to the Mortgage Architects’ network of lead and associate planners with-

in his region, and will assist with recruiting qualified planners to the Mortgage Architects team.

MortgageBrokers.com hires Stewart Eadie to lead Ontario region MortgageBrokers.com Holdings has signed Stewart Eadie to join its senior management team as vice-president of the company’s Ontario region. Eadie has an extensive background in financial services in several capacities, including a senior role with the industry’s premier technology provider, says the company in a news release. He has held executive positions with several major financial institutions that included both sales and branch management. Eadie is currently a director on the board of the Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario (IMBA), chairing the Association Relations Committee. As regional VP of Ontario, Eadie will provide core support to the MortgageBrokers.com network of franchises, managing partners and business partners, and will also focus on recruiting qualified brokers to the MortgageBrokers.com REM team.

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WinnipegRealtors add Terry Fox to Hall of Fame he WinnipegRealtors Citizens Hall of Fame committee has selected Terry Fox as the Citizens Hall of Fame’s 2010 inductee. Established in 1986 by WinnipegRealtors, the hall of fame is a program honouring outstanding citizens who have brought recognition to Winnipeg or have made outstanding contributions to the city’s quality of life. Each inductee has a likeness sculpted and prominently displayed at the Citizens Hall of Fame site in Assiniboine Park. “Born and raised in Winnipeg for more than one-third of his life, Terry Fox’s legacy from his cross-country 1980 Marathon of Hope lives on 30 years later to be truly monumental in its scope of inspiration, perseverance and hope for a better world in which cures will one day be found for the different types of cancer,” says Rick Preston, chair of the committee. Terry Fox’s parents, Rolly and Betty Fox, will accept the award at the ceremony and reception later this month. Other family members and relatives will also be in attendance. REM

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Industrial, Commercial & Investment R e/Max Real Estate (Lethbridge) has opened a new Commercial Division, created to service all commercial real estate needs including industrial, leasing, ranches and more. Commercial real estate agents, both business and agricultural, have been part of Re/Max Real Estate (Lethbridge) for years, but broker/owner Allan Fox decided it was time to launch an official division dedicated solely to commercial real estate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With their service area spanning from south of Calgary to the Montana border and from Bow Island to Crowsnest Pass, Re/Max Real Estate (Lethbridge) is one of the most successful residential real estate offices in Alberta,â&#x20AC;? says Elton Ash, regional EVP, Re/Max of Western Canada.

Originally founded in 1980 as the second Re/Max office in Western Canada, the brokerage is now the only office in the Lethbridge Real Estate Board that has commercial, residential and agricultural agents as members. Recipient of the Re/Max of Western Canada Broker/Owner of the Year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Multi Office award, Fox owns four offices throughout Alberta. I I I

Jones Lang LaSalle has moved into the Ottawa market by hiring industry veteran Jean Chalifour to lead its brokerage services. Chalifour will join the firm as senior vice-president and will provide advisory and transaction services to Jones Lang LaSalleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office user clients. He

will also lead new business generation. Chalifour brings more than 20 years of corporate real estate experience including advisory work on lease restructuring and negotiations, head office relocations and site selection across numerous industries and property types. He comes from DTZ Barnicke where he was vice-president of brokerage services. In the Jones Lang LaSalle Montreal office, Liliana Elias has been promoted to vice-president in Corporate Solutions. Elias specializes in facility management and mobile engineering services. She has been with the firm for six years. Marco Marciante has been promoted to vice-president in Project and Development Services. Marciante is focused on clients that require project management for renovation and construction projects across the province. Ryan Cymet has been promoted to vice-president in Industrial Services. He represents industrial tenants, owners and landlords for leasing, dispositions and developments. Jones Lang LaSalle has also

promoted Michael Weber to senior vice-president in finance and operations. Based in downtown Toronto, Weber is responsible for all financial, operational,

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30 REM OCTOBER 2010

Forging marketing partnerships

By Gary Meger

etting the most out of your advertising dollars often involves extensive trial and error as part of your marketing plan. But have you considered how pooling marketing dollars or cost sharing with another like-minded professional – such as a mortgage broker – could help increase your exposure while also ensuring you get the best bang for your buck? Here are three ideas you can implement fairly easily to help boost your exposure, while not having to set aside excessive marketing dollars. Install sign riders: Sign riders are an excellent example of how

real estate agents and mortgage professionals can work together to generate maximum exposure for a listing, and acts as a no-cost option for the real estate agent. A sign rider is an add-on to the For Sale sign that can hang over the top or around the side. This is a great way to generate added business for real estate agents, since the mortgage professional may also receive general calls just by including a sign that says “Same Day Mortgage Approval” and the mortgage professional’s contact information. The real estate agent will have to seek permission from the homeowner. This is generally not an issue, however, since the homeowner will be pleased to have additional traffic attracted to the listing. Depending on your partnership with the mortgage professional, you can either agree to install the sign rider on each listing, if you’re given an advance supply, or co-ordinate with the mortgage professional to install the sign rider. Either way, the goal is to have added traffic for the

listing and/or your business in general. Drip marketing: Another costeffective co-marketing idea involves partnering up with a mortgage professional who has access to software that enables an automated e-mail drip marketing campaign. There is no cost to the real estate agent – except for the time it takes to send your database details – and your contacts will receive timely and relevant information pertaining to home purchasing and mortgage financing. Many mortgage professionals have a set-and-forget system in place where they can easily send your customers information that their customers are already receiving. Or, if you’d rather, you can also request that the mortgage professional add you to the database so you can receive the information updates or monthly newsletters, and then forward the information on to your own database. Homebuyer guides: By partnering up with a mortgage profes-

sional to offer homebuyer guides to your clients, you can ensure you are reaching beyond your own connections and into contacts acquired by the mortgage broker. If you both already have homebuyer guides, why not create a special page that can be inserted into each other’s guides that introduce you to the client and explain how you can help them find/finance their ideal home? Again, this is a cost-effective means of reaching more potential clients, because you’re only paying for the printing costs. You can also include CDs in the package from both professionals so your potential customers can put faces to your names and start to build trust in your offerings. When forming a true partnership with a like-minded professional, there really are no limits as to what marketing initiatives you can undertake together. The key, however, is to ensure the partnership is reciprocal and no one is wasting their time providing information

and generating business for someone who will not refer business to them in return. While no real estate agent or mortgage professional can expect to receive a referral from every deal, each professional must feel comfortable that the bulk of the other person’s referrals will be sent their way. There must always be a win-win relationship in each professional partnership to ensure you can maximize that business relationship. When building any partnership, it’s important to be able to put yourself in the other professional’s shoes to truly understand what they can offer your clients and how their services are a true add-on to your own value proposition. Gary Meger is a veteran mortgage broker and co-owner of Neighbourhood Dominion Lending Centres in Barrie, Ont. He can be reached at 705-720-1001, Ext 224; gary@ndlc.ca; www.garymeger.ca REM

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34 REM OCTOBER 2010

Passed over for another If you’ve been a sales rep for any length of time, it’s bound to happen – a friend or family member will use someone else to buy or sell a house By Toby Welch

ost successful sales reps work hard to maintain their database of potential clients, and it stings when you find out a friend or family member is using somebody else to buy or sell their home. How do you react when it happens to you? “In my experience, family and friends have used other Realtors for different reasons and each one can have a healthy response,” says Kathy Pilon, broker of Realty Executives Cold Lake in Cold Lake, Alta. “In one situation, my nephew received information at a trade fair. A developer who was connected with a specific Realtor came up with a new and I think excellent idea to sell his homes. His idea was to build a new home fully developed with a suite in the basement. The purchaser could use the rent to help with the mortgage – new house and low payment. The builder even went to a lending institution to have them agree to use the whole amount of the rent towards the mortgage instead of half. My young nephew, who works in the oil patch, thought it was a great idea and got excited about putting this deal together....without me.” Pilon continues, “So how did I respond to that? My nephew talked to me about the process and how it worked. As far as I was concerned, the responsibility was all mine. What is the problem here? Education. I can’t assume that just because my family and friends know I’m in real estate that they know what that means, how I get paid, how I can help them, or what options they have when it comes to finding a home or running into a very exciting real estate opportunity. Talk to people and let them know how our business works. Bottom line, educate. Make sure that family and friends know that no matter what real estate situation arises, even if they can get the information, you can help put it together.” Pilon says that “taking things personally is one of the hardest things I have had to learn to work

through in real estate. Some people are just born with a thicker skin or are more disconnected. I think that most good salespeople are also people-people and we get hurt feelings.” Shelley Gossett, a sales rep with Re/Max Little Oak Realty Ltd. in Abbotsford, B.C., says, “Taking the high road in this situation is the best choice, but it can be very difficult… Unfortunately feelings are often hurt when this happens and a breach in the relationship is inevitable. Remind yourself that they have either been bulldozed into another real estate relationship; or they want to keep their matters private and the biggest investment they’ll ever make in the hands of a total stranger, which is their prerogative. And remember, you could be the ‘total stranger’ in another scenario.” Gossett continues, “When it’s all said and done, you have done nothing wrong! You are still the best ‘you’ and there are other great friends, family members and people you don’t know who will undoubtedly ‘use’ you! And remember to delete them from your database because there is no point in wasting your resources and time. For the successful Realtor, it’s a life lesson that won’t let anything deter them from succeeding.” Another sales rep who wants to remain nameless says, “We all have friends and acquaintances who are service providers and sometimes we choose one over another. I have three friends who are massage therapists, but I only use one. I have two friends who are accountants. I know a gazillion mortgage brokers. When I don’t hire or use one of them, I certainly don’t expect them to whine, fuss or pout about it. If they did, they just kissed my future business and referrals goodbye. I prefer to work with professionals. “There is nothing wrong with running a business based on the personal relationships in your life. In fact, it’s an extremely rewarding way to work and live! But it’s just

plain wrong to assume that your friends and acquaintances owe you anything and besides being wrong, it’s a great way to chase off perfectly good friendships and future business opportunities.” Should you discuss the issue with the person who didn’t use your services? Pilon says, “I often wonder if going to people and asking about their decision is a good thing or a bad thing. Do people really tell you why they did something or they didn’t do something? My experience is that if there really is an issue, they tell you something to answer your question that will not hurt your feelings. You don’t get the real reason and all that has happened is you have made them uncomfortable and put them on the spot. Better to be supportive and if they happen to add some explanation, great. If not and you have supported them, next time they have a question or a referral they may think of you.” Pilon offers advice on what to do in this scenario: • Evaluate: Is there something I missed? Have I talked with them about real estate? What could I do different next time? Ask, ask, ask. • Respect: Whatever decision they made is their decision and ultimately they have the right to make it. • Grace: Provide them with this as well. Let it go. “In my experience it goes a long way to getting business in the future,” says Pilon. • Don’t over-evaluate: “I have discovered that trying to understand WHY is the biggest waste of time on the planet. People make decisions in a particular way because they do. That’s it. Most of the time it has absolutely nothing to do with us. Learn, move on. Don’t beat up yourself. Another huge waste of time,” she says. • Remember they are still your family and friends. “The tallest tree bends the farthest.” The bottom line: Try hard not to take it personally when a loved one doesn’t use your services. REM

Kathy Pilon

Multiple Listings Continued from page 8

Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates recently announced that leading Swedish real estate firm Skeppsholmen Fastighetsmäkleri in Stockholm has joined its luxury real estate network. The firm will do business as Sweden Skeppsholmen Sotheby’s International Realty and is owned by Lars Andersson, who signed an exclusive 25-year master franchise agreement to develop the Sotheby’s International Realty brand throughout Sweden. Andersson established Skeppsholmen Fastighetsmäkleri in 1992, a real estate business specializing in the sale of luxury residential and commercial properties. “The luxury market throughout Sweden remains stable and demand is still high for quality, well-priced luxury properties,” said Andersson. “We offer extensive marketing campaigns, use the latest technology and believe in building strong teams of experienced real estate agents.” The Sotheby’s International Realty network currently has more than 10,900 sales associates in approximately 500 offices in 37 countries and territories worldwide. ■ ■ ■

Shelley Gossett

Re/Max has further broadened its international reach into two new countries: Bolivia and Tunisia. Tunisia, located on the Mediterranean Coast of North Africa, is a combination of desert in the south and coastal towns in the north. Re/Max region owner Tarek Thabet, a Tunisian native who has lived in Paris, London and Johannesburg, says homeownership is the norm for many Tunisians. Nearly 80 per cent of Tunisia’s 10.5 million residents own a home. With a growing population and an increase in European investment in its economy, Tunisia has significant potential for a booming real estate market, he says. “Right now, real estate is a very basic service where most real estate agents lack training and qualifications, and are operating in isolation,” Thabet says. Region owner Oliver Viera has similar hopes for Re/Max Bolivia. The South American nation, which also has a population of about 10 million people, is bordered by Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Paraguay. “There are many opportunities here for new construction and growth, and this is the best time to capitalize on outgoing referrals to Latin America,” he says. REM

36 REM OCTOBER 2010

GOURMET COOKING for real estate professionals

Instant rose pasta sauce (and several additional uses)

By Carolyne Lederer

n a wide low skillet, on high heat, scald two cups of halfand-half cream. You cannot turn your back on the skillet, even for a second. The cream needs to rise to the top. Lift the skillet quickly as cream approaches the top of pan so that it does not over boil, because it makes a very big nasty mess on your stovetop if that happens. Turn down the heat so that the cream continues to cook but not burn. The cream will thicken considerably. Stir it a few times,

wiping down the edges of the pan with your wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Salt and add fresh ground pepper, a pinch of dry thyme and a pinch of garlic salt. Stir in a third to a half cup of your favourite two cheeses, grated. I prefer Romano and Parmesan mixed for this recipe. You can use dried ready-grated cheese. In a tall but narrow pot or bowl, cover one large fresh red tomato with boiling water. Let it sit briefly, then dunk the tomato into a pot of ice water. The skin will slip right off. Remove seeds, core and chop coarsely. Add to the cream mixture in the skillet. Add minced fresh green basil leaves (about a quarter cup). I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like purple grape colour basil in this recipe. Stir in egg noodle pasta that has been cooked, al dente, in boiling salted water, drained and tossed with a little real butter (this

recipe really does need that butter) and a drop of your favourite olive oil (stops pasta from sticking together). Serve. Prep time 20 minutes. This sauce is even more fabulous the second day. Reheat gently with fresh cooked pasta in the sauce. The sauce can be made a day ahead, reheated and served over fresh cooked very hot pasta. Other suggestions: Serve over rotini pasta. This curled pasta keeps the sauce in the grooves of the pasta nicely. Before serving, try adding fresh cooked shrimp and/or large whole sea scallops that are just barely cooked (about three minutes each side, in real butter of course, with a pinch of thyme). Fresh poached lobster is fabulous with this sauce. Add sliced mushrooms that have been cooked: once over easy in sizzling real butter. You could mince a

tablespoon of onion and add it if you like. Another alternative: fry three slices of bacon until quite crispy. Break bacon into quarterinch pieces so you can see them in the mix. Add just before serving. One more choice: Poach fresh lobster pieces in an abundance of real butter (save the leftover butter to cook shrimp or scallops in); add a little tiny bit of dry thyme and salt, or use large pieces of tinned, frozen lobster tossed in a bit of sizzling butter just to warm; add lobster to the sauce right at the end, just before serving. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to continue cooking the lobster. Alternate serving instead of with pasta: serve in a rolled freshly made thin crepe. Place the filled crepe in a hot, buttered, but not burning hot skillet and flambĂŠ with your favourite brandy or bitters. Decorate each of the plates with a sprig of fresh, brilliant green basil, just plucked from the pot.

For an extra decorative serving idea, add a dollop of whipped cream (add just a little sugar and a tiny drizzle of vanilla, the way you would for a dessert cream) into which you have stirred a tablespoon of finely minced (fresh only) basil leaves. Stick a basil leaf into the dollop so people will know what is in it. Whipped cream will turn a little green and people will wonder what is in it, but with the basil trimming, they might guess. These uses of the rose sauce are so YUM! A Mommessin Beaujolais or a Chianti is nice with this dish. Carolyne Lederer is broker of record at Carolyne Realty Corp. Proudly putting her name to her work for 29 years, she serves Burlington and Brampton, Ont. residential real estate clients. She taught gourmet cooking in the mid 1970s prior to going into real estate, and wrote a newspaper weekly cooking column. She also has a cookbook in the works. Email Carolyne at BurlingtonHomes@Carolyne.com if you have any questions. www.Carolyne.com or www.Mill REM croftHomes.com

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38 REM OCTOBER 2010

THE GUEST COLUMN

Will you still be in business in 5 years? The devices you use to check and respond to email and surf listings are not what matter. What does matter is how you use those tools

By George O’Neill

emember the day you started in this business? I do, vividly. There it was, finally, the envelope. I anxiously put the letter opener to work. I was excited to see for the first time my Real Estate Council of Ontario Certificate of Registration. I immediately affixed it high on the wall over my desk for all to see, and inserted the credit-card sized copy in my wallet in case someone requested to see it when I was away from the office. Countless hours of study over six months, plus sitting through several exams, had resulted in this day. Now I was officially ready to launch my real estate career. My license said so. But, where do I start? How do I actually go about getting my first client? Can I effectively compete with others who must be doing something right since their signs are all over the place? Where does on-going business come from? How can I grow my business so I am where I want to be in five years? These questions, and others, were flowing through my mind. Yes, of course I was trained in the fundamentals of how to fill in the forms, the proper procedures and regulations to adhere to, and I already was experienced in consultative selling and marketing from previous jobs, but I did not exactly have clients lined up down the hall waiting for an appointment with me. Remember those days? We have all gone through something like this. Unfortunately for many sales reps this anxiety repeats itself all too often as the ebb and flow of our businesses must constantly adjust to a dynamic economy, to shifting buyer and seller expectations, and to other external forces – not the least of which includes rapid changes in

technology and digital marketing driven by the explosion in Internet usage. It is believed about 90 per cent of consumers now first look on the Internet when searching for real estate, and also when looking to find their selling agent. For some reps these factors lead to a feast or famine cycle. If only we could build a business that grows steadily and predictably, getting ahead of change instead of always trying to play catch up. So, what is one to do? Well the first thing we all need to accept is that technological change is here for good, that it will continue to impact our businesses on a go-forward basis, that consumers are all over it and it empowers them, and if we do not learn to leverage it as an enabler, we will fall behind and possibly become irrelevant. Fast. Clear? Technology in this context is not just about your PC or your Blackberry or your website – you have those, right? Table stakes, really just commodities needed to operate any efficient business. The debate is not about being a little more adventurous, like me perhaps, who owns a Mac and an iPhone, despite the lack of any support from my local real estate board. The devices you use to check and respond to email and surf listings are not what matter. What does matter is how you use those tools to stay informed, to communicate and to remain relevant so you can continue to add value to your clients’ experience when they engage you to help them buy or sell real estate. The debate is all about whether you are going to adopt or not. Today, consumers are so much more informed than ever before, due to the almost limitless instant access to information on the Internet. For some in our business this is a threat, big time. But for most, this is a fantastic shift we can exploit. We can move up-market so to speak, to a higher place in the service value chain, where the rewards are also higher. Let me explain how.

To answer almost any question today, the first thing many people do – remember, sales reps are people also, so we too do this – is search Google or Yahoo or Bing, or even better, YouTube to watch a video. But pay attention, this is where the opportunity lies. Since there is so much information on the web, it is very difficult to know what is credible, what can be relied upon, and whether or not all the steps and issues are really described to address your true need. Information overload is absolutely a factor. You know information is not necessarily knowledge. To prove this to yourself, go to your PC, I will go to my Mac, and let’s type the following phrase in Google: How to hire a real estate agent. Google.com will return over 20 million suggested links while Google.ca will return over 18 million – even the Googles can’t be consistent outlining answers to your question.

by sharing relevant local knowledge to help them with what is perhaps the largest single financial decision they may ever make in their lives. Do you want to be just an email clerk and a neighbourhood tour chauffeur, or do you want to be a trusted advisor, whom people seek out to request help? I know you know the right answer since you may be that now. But hear this, if you do not also do this online, someone else will. For sure. If you are totally happy with the current volume of business you are doing, and believe that level is sustainable and have a plan to improve upon that level over the coming years, then you may not need to read any further. However, I have never met a sales rep who is totally happy with their current volume, since one can always do better, can’t we! In addition, the meter does get reset to zero each January. Job one is to determine where

Let’s get back the excitement we all felt when we first were licensed, with none of the anxiety. Do you really have time to check them all? Of course not, nobody does. So consumers will go to proven trusted sources, and still need help turning all that information into knowledge, which is something they can use. That is what you want to be ready to help them with, both online and off. After all, you already do that in real life, right? Take your skill, knowledge and experience online to move up the service value chain by not just emailing listings to prospects, but

you want to be in five years. If you still want to be in the real estate business, you need to articulate a vision of what your business will look like including clear goals to get you there. You need to define your unique value proposition and build your brand around that consistently, in everything you do on a daily basis. Job two is to seriously, and I mean seriously, embrace technology and what it can enable. This does not mean you have to become a propeller head – apologies to any-

one reading this who may fit that description, you know who you are. The first hire in my brokerage was a VP of technology – that is how serious I am about the Internet. Get on board with social media, experiment with digital marketing, and advertise online. Talk to your clients and other business owners about how they use the Internet and their expectations about service. I believe you will find most are willing to pay fairly for valued service. Today consumers already have access to the low-hanging fruit – listings, information on how to run open houses, how to stage a home. Some believe they can go it alone when selling and many can. But, nothing can replace real experience, deep knowledge and wise council. Old-fashioned professional service and the Internet are perfect for each other. Experienced agents are best suited to deliver this since they should have resources available to them others may not have. The key is to know what you don’t know, and to get the right people involved to fill in the digital gaps. Let’s get back the excitement we all felt when we first were licensed, with none of the anxiety. Let’s define where we want to be in the future and let’s genuinely embrace technology and what it can do to get us there. Stay informed and get involved. I will still be in business in five years. Will you? George O’Neill is a second-generation broker operating his boutique real estate brokerage from the Beaches, Toronto. His business was founded on a passion for transparent, old-fashioned honest service, coupled with total leverage of social media and digital marketing. He is a sought after speaker, author, video blogger and is founder of the Real Estate Marketing Summit, an annual fall conference for real estate professionals interested in digital and online marketing. 416-946-1300; www.ONeillRealEstate.ca. Or Google him. REM

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*In listing and selling performance, meaning combined totals for properties completed from Jan. 1, 2008 to June 30, 2010 by the Toronto office (895 Don Mills Rd.) based on Toronto Real Estate Board MLS® statistics. **In listing and selling performance, meaning combined totals for properties completed from Jan. 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010 by the Mississauga office (7045 Edwards Blvd.) based on Toronto Real Estate Board MLS® statistics. Independently audited. Comparisons are based on Sold Date and Sold status Data gathered by independent research for residential properties on the Toronto Real Estate Board, a Multiple Listing Service®. These listings do not necessarily reflect all of the real estate activity in the applicable market. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed; data may vary by 2.5%.

40 REM OCTOBER 2010

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By Elden Freeman

ou’ve won the green contract. Now, you have to prepare the property for the market. First of all, be realistic. The seller is not likely ready to embark on major renovations, but small touches can make a big difference. Much of the green agent’s job lies in recognizing and accentuating those great attributes that already exist. All Accredited Greenagents come armed with the National Association of Green Agents and Brokers’ (NAGAB) Energy Conservation Checklist – prepared with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Energy. Designed to determine the ener-

effective touch-ups. The checklist covers all areas of the home and gives ideas for low-cost adjustments that will increase energy efficiency – and comfort. If the client needs to paint half the house, why not suggest the low-VOC option? If the floors need to be redone, why not go for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood? Low-flow shower heads aren’t too expensive, but they can reduce water consumption by 50 per cent. (And with the cost of water going up by about nine per cent per year in Toronto, cutting down on consumption is becoming an increasing priority.) Elden Freeman B.A., M.E.S, broker is the founder and executive director of the non-profit National Association of Green Agents and Brokers (NAGAB). 416-5367325; elden@nagab.org REM

CREA launches fall advertising campaign C

Danny Brown Real Estate Agent nt Market Connections Inc.® 4950 Yonge Street, Suite 10 01 Toronto, ON M2N 6K1

What at Is a Short Sale Sale, and Is It Right for Me?

Bus: (800) 387-6058 387 6058 Fax: (800) 800-7093 dbrown@marketconnectio ons.cc

Now that the holidays are over, your thoughts may be shifting back to your housing situation, including a 2010 move. The real estate market is still front-page news in many cities, with numerous mentions of “short sales.” What are short sales, and how might they apply to you?

If you’re thinking of making a m or are just curious as to reaal estaa trends in your area, please feel f to call at any time. It’s alwaays go o to hear from you!

gy efficiency of homes, it gives the agent another level of information that many potential buyers (and other agents) miss at first glance. You can use it to bring some of the green features to their attention. An insulated attic might not sound like the most common selling point, but if you can convert that and other details into dollars off the energy bill, you’ll engage your audience. Sit down with the client’s utility bills. Are the kilowatt hours lower than the norm? It may be because the client never eats in or never showers. But maybe it’s the good insulation and the energy-efficient appliances. Maybe they have a tankless water heater. Find out, and you can add value to the sale. Once you’ve brought out the hidden virtues of the property, you can recommend cheap but

Market Connections Inc.®

Compliments of Danny Brown

Greetings! You’re receiving thiss newsletter with hopes thatt you u it informative and entertaining g

Marketing green real estate: Part 3

or t realt yrep

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Brown s of Danny Compliment Danny Brown ctions Inc. Market Conne , Suite 101 4950 Yonge Street6K1 Toronto, ON M2N

All the best,

Danny Brown

Name Your Client’s ss Client’s Addre P.O. Box 0000 ce B0B 0B0 Any City, Provin

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Real Estate Agen

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REA launched a new national television commercial in August featuring production and editing techniques developed specifically for the project and never before used in Canadian television advertising, the association says. Shot in HD, the new commercial is called Faces. It highlights the value Realtors bring to home buying and selling. In the 30-second ad, viewers see and hear testimonials from several individuals about their experience with their Realtor. Women and men representing people from all walks of life talk about their unique needs when

buying and selling a home. While they talk, their faces continually change, eventually becoming another person with another positive story. The commercial was created for CREA by Toronto ad agency CP+B Canada. It is part of CREA’s 2010 fall advertising campaign, which runs from August 23 through the week of October 18. CREA’s national ad campaign program started in 2006 and runs twice a year, in the

spring and fall. Last fall’s ad, entitled Never-ending Negotiations, won a bronze award at this year’s national Marketing Awards. To view CREA’s latest television commercial, visit howrealtorshelp.ca. REM

42 REM OCTOBER 2010

Learn to shed non-paying clients On day one it is necessary to develop a Realtor-client relationship that will be profitable. If it is obvious that it probably will not become so, divest yourself of this client

By Lloyd R. Manning

bout a year ago, REM publisher Heino Molls wrote a column about retainers – that is, requiring an upfront fee from a prospective client before actually doing anything for him. Heino and several subsequent people who wrote letters to the editor would have you believe that this is something thats time has come. However, this is not a new idea but one which, like the fabled Phoenix, rises from the ashes, popping up every once in a while only to get shot down or forgotten about. Although letters to the editor are fair game for rebuttal, old hacks like me must be extra careful

about finding fault with what the publisher has to say. This is the guy who pays my exorbitant fee for writing this stuff and punching holes in his reflections is treading on sacred ground. Black’s Law Dictionary defines a retainer as an act of employment; the client has said to have retained the attorney, or in this case a salesperson, and the agreement between them sets forth the nature of the services to be performed. When paying a retainer or an advance fee for services to be rendered, the client expects a high level of competency, timely performance and the attainment of a specific objective. Although unquestionably there are many highly qualified and very professional salespeople who meet all of the requirements and are perhaps entitled to ask for a retainer, unfortunately they are not the majority. An upfront fee

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may be justifiable if marketing an investment property or a business where substantial pre-sale research and analysis is prerequisite. However, this criteria is somewhat reduced with most residential and smaller commercial properties. The public will seldom separate the proficient, professional sales rep from the multitude of comers and goers that many real estate brokers harbour. The other problem is that the industry is rife with commission cutters with whom you must compete, sellers who think the commission structure is far too high now, the marginal producers who will never ask for a retainer, and incompetent agents who are not entitled anyhow. Get a retainer? Forget it! Tain’t gonna happen. However, in view of skyrocketing costs you cannot continue indefinitely to spend time and give service to tire kickers. Since you have high selling expenses, even a marginal client could be a loser. It is far too easy to become a tour guide, particularly if you specialize in new homes. To avoid these pitfalls, you require a system to sort out those who will be profitable from the lookers and potential time wasters. This involves thoroughly reviewing the information that was used to identify the individual client in the first place and developing the skill to separate the probable winners from the sure losers. With difficult and very small properties where you could lose money even if the sale is made, this may involve adjusting the standard fees from what the industry usually charges to a more assured profitability margin. When selling farms around the St. Paul, Alta. country several years ago, frequently on a warm summer day a prospect would say he had just driven up from somewhere to visit a friend, or something of the sort, and would like to see some farms while in the area. Too often I drove these tourists around for a look-see at the countryside. Then I got smart – handed them a few highlight sheets, a location map and a business card, and

said, “If you see anything you like, give me a call.” Never heard from any of them again. On the other hand, when it was in the middle of winter, - 30 F, and a fellow said he had just driven up from Southern Saskatchewan and wanted to see one of the farms I had advertised, he was given the royal tour. Usually, shoppers only are not that hard to pick out. I know it’s the time-worn pitch but too soon forgotten by so many agents who are so pleased to have a prospect, any prospect, that they

to have and what is reasonable, you must determine the best way to fill in those gaps. The pre-qualified and educated client will be less likely to waste your time or blame you if the relationship dissolves. After you have done the hard work of assessing your present relationship with a prospective client, assessing the what and why of one who may be unprofitable and taking by the hand those who could be borderline, you will be able to more clearly assess the relativity of each input factor, after which you

You require a system to sort out those who will be profitable from the lookers and potential time wasters. forget about that pre-qualification bit. It is more profitable and far easier to focus on the right clients, the ones who are specific about their needs, wants and have the financial where-with-all rather than pleasure tripping and pitching everyone who walks through the door. On day one it is necessary to develop a Realtor-client relationship that will be profitable. If it is obvious that it probably will not become so, divest yourself of this client. As sellers do not give away their properties, you cannot afford to give away your time and your talent and pay the expenses associated with showing your wares. This can only be done by determining the client’s expectations and managing those expectations in light of what is reasonable. But before saying to a prospect, “no pay – no show,” you will want to ensure you are using an appropriate qualifying strategy. You are a provider of information. Where there are relevant gaps in the client’s knowledge, particularly as to the interplay between what they would like

must decide whether to continue with or divest yourself of this person(s). However you play it, it’s a law of averages game. By divesting you could be doing your competitors a favour by sending new business their way or do damage to the potentially good client who may come to see you as service unfriendly. Since you will never get a retainer, the game is to assess the potential profitability of each client and potential client and drop any who early in the game give all indication that you will never make a dollar on this person. But before dropping one, ensure that you have a sufficient number of prospects and clients, your qualification procedure is error free, and you can adequately and professionally tend to them all. Can you afford to squander even one who you may have misjudged, who does not respond to the usual stimuli, and who may not be aware of the entire value proposition? Maybe yes, maybe no, sometimes, and all with qualifications. REM

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44 REM OCTOBER 2010

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

he Wizard of Oz, Ozzie Jurock, once said, “You’re in business for yourself, not by yourself.” I know he said that ‘cause I wrote it down in my little red book where it occupies two lines of a 95-page journal of observations I’ve been keeping, largely to do with life and my 40 years in real estate. As a matter of fact you can follow Ozzie’s and other pithy real estate quotes on Twitter under 40yrsrealestate. “For yourself, not by yourself.” I was thinking about the meaning of the phrase because I had written a note to myself for a column: “The real estate business isn’t a team game – I wish it were.” Is the phrase “not by yourself” encouraging to the extent we think others will ensure we meet our financial obligations at the end of the month? That we can rely on the kindness of strangers? I don’t think so. Consumers may believe there’s a communal pot of money we access when the deals don’t flow our way but are we being encouraged down that socialistic slippery slope? Let me say immediately I intend no disrespect to real estate teams. I have had several in my office and during the last decade or so. But at best they are a small, profitable office within the brokerage. At worst, they are a waste of time as two egos assume they can find someone to do the work they simply don’t want to do. How often do we see new Realtors give up on prospecting for listings because, “I’m really a people person and would be more effective working with buyers.” It’s really because prospecting is the daily essential grind that has to be done in order to achieve the financial levels new licensees

The downside of teams were told could be theirs. Understand this - “NO ONE LIKES PROSPECTING!” Top producers do it, they do it regularly, they do it in a variety of formats and styles and they do it well. They practice. They put in the 10,000 hours behind mastery as illustrated brilliantly by Malcolm Gladwell in The Outliers. The next step after the transition from listing agent to buyers agent is usually to no agent at all – sometimes in the short term but all too often a couple of years down the road when with a shrug, they say, “I guess I wasn’t meant to be in sales.” Sometimes there’s a segue into, “Maybe I’ll try property management,” where they discover the real meaning of low pay and long hours. Every now and then, while sitting around on floor duty, making their 649 quick picks and waiting for the elusive buyer to walk, phone or be carried in, they find a fellow traveller. I’m sure the conversation goes something like this: “Hey – you’re new here right, Howard isn’t it?” “Actually it’s Brian and I’ve been here about a year.” “Yeah sure – so how’s it going?” “Ah you know – win some lose some. Listen, since you’re here, I always follow you on the floor duty roster and there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.” “Shoot.” “Do you have your own nail clipper or do you just bite off the bits I find on the desk?” “Ha! Very funny! You’re my kind of guy; probably use the Bic pen cap to clean your ears like I do! Say, maybe we should team up.” And so it begins. They spend days structuring how they will split their imaginary commissions, how much they’ll save by combining their photocopy accounts, run the whole thing by others, perhaps even the boss,

and when faced with some cautionary advice, ignore it as being negative. The first crack in the makeup is usually over previous clients or personal acquaintances. Then comes conflicting vacation coverage, floor duty, open houses, ad calls, tour and “Why should I pay for your mistake? You’re the one who said the stereo system was included.” Eventually, one or the other asks for a private meeting with the boss and says things aren’t working out; he’s not living up to his side of the partnership. This predictable soap opera is usually followed within a day or so by the other partner and a remarkably similar dialogue. Early in my career I got this advice: the very best partner is the one you’re sleeping with. For the sake of discussion, let’s assume that means your spouse. All other partnerships are constructed on sand. Economist Richard Allen said bluntly: “If you want to consume, you’ve got to produce.” You are in business for yourself and that means you are responsible for your success or failure. Only you. If you chose to put your future in the hands of another, to risk the food for your kids, your mortgage payment, your retirement; then that person must be worthy. Are they out there? Sure. But . . . Why would they want you? You can follow Marty Douglas on Twitter 40yrsrealestate or on LinkedIn and on Facebook. He is a managing broker for Coast Realty Group (Comox Valley) Ltd., with offices on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast of B.C. Marty is a past chair of the Real Estate Errors and Omissions Corporation of B.C., the Real Estate Council of B.C. and the B.C. Real Estate Association. He’s a current director of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. mdouglas@island.net; 1-800-715-3999. REM

Prudential Real Estate’s Caring Individuals Make Rock Solid Communities. ®

Our associates take volunteerism to heart. Driven by a deep desire to make a difference, they have spearheaded ingenious initiatives to make life better in their communities and around the world.

Congratulations to these outstanding volunteers! List of 2010 Prudential Cares Grant Winners PRUDENTIAL FAMILY REALTY, BROKERAGE, ON Stewart Blair Thames Valley Children’s Centre PRUDENTIAL SPENCER REAL ESTATE, AB Susan Carson Dynamyx Gymnastics Club of St. Albert Bessie Goldstick Realtors Community Foundation Patrick Milligan Namao Ridge Rides Pony Club PRUDENTIAL KELOWNA PROPERTIES, BC Helen Holton Westside Community Foodbank Society James Erhardt Church-Serve PRUDENTIAL SIMCO REALTY, AB Deborah Hansen Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of Alberta Darryl Sim Optimist Club of Red Deer PRUDENTIAL PROPERTY SPECIALISTS, NS Wendy Harrington Habitat for Humanity HRM PRUDENTIAL GRAND VALLEY REALTY, BROKERAGE, ON Lisa Hube Lisaard House Wilfred Rettinger Knights of Columbus PRUDENTIAL TOWN CENTRE REALTY, BROKERAGE, ON Peter Sangster Freedom Village for Troubled Teens-Oakville PRUDENTIAL PARKWAY REALTY INC., BROKERAGE, ON Patricia Sweeting Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation PRUDENTIAL KLEIMAKER & BRUSE REALTY, BROKERAGE, ON David Weiskopf Ecole Secondaire Catholique Algonquin PRUDENTIAL SELECT REALTY INC., BROKERAGE, ON Jean Dunn Hospice Caledon

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46 REM OCTOBER 2010

‘So, what do you do?’ By Dr. Maya Bailey

kay, so you’re standing in line in the supermarket, or you’re in an elevator, or you’re at a party, or you’re in a networking group. Sooner or later, someone is going to say to you, “So what do you do?” This is what you want, free publicity so to speak. However, how you handle this question could determine whether this person becomes a prospective client, a prospective referral source or just walks away. This article exposes the three mistakes you could be making and why they don’t work. Then you’ll discover the ideal answer and understand why it’s important to use it. Here are three common answers: Mistake #1: You say too little. You say something like, “My name is Jane Doe and I’m with X Real Estate Company.” Then you smile, hoping the other person will ask you a question. Probably they won’t. This is a mistake because you have made a short statement that doesn’t engage the other person’s attention. It doesn’t invite questioning. The other person may politely say what they do to fill in the awkward silence or they may excuse themselves in some socially graceful way. Mistake #2: You say too much and ask for the business. You say something like, “My name is Jane Doe. I work for X Real Estate Company and I specialize in country homes. I love the country and I love to show country property. It feels so good to get outdoors, breathe the fresh air and help someone find a home they love in the country. So who do you know who is seeking to buy or sell a country home?” This is a mistake because you

said too much about yourself, did not ask a question that would engage the other person’s attention, and it’s way too early to ask for the business. You should be cultivating a relationship with that person. Remember, people do business with you when they know, like and trust you. With someone you just met, you’re still in the “getting to know each other stage.” The most you should ask for is their business card and give them yours. If you have a connection with that person and would like to contact them in the future, you might consider adding them to your Sphere of Influence and sending them an Item of Value once a month. Mistake #3: You talk on and on about yourself and your career. I know this may sound hard to believe but you’d be amazed at the things people say when they are nervous and trying to make small talk. Someone says, “So what do you do?” and you answer, “My name is Jane Doe and I’m with X Real Estate Company. I have been with them for five years. It’s a great company. All the people there are so friendly and helpful. I am so glad I chose real estate. I love the flexible hours and the income potential. This really beats my corporate job and ….” This is a mistake because it’s all about you. The only things you’re promoting here are (1) the nice atmosphere of your office; and (2) what a great career real estate is. If you keep going you might talk the other person into becoming a real estate agent but they won’t be a prospective client or referral source. So, what should you say? Here’s the scoop. When the other person asks, “So what do you do?” you need to ask them a question to engage them. The question is, “Well, you know when people are buying or selling a home, how nervous and stressed out they can get?” Pause and let the other person respond

with a “yes”. Then you say, “Well I take care of all the details and paper work, I hold their hand through the process and make the whole thing a relaxing, enjoyable experience for my client. Now, what do you think you’d feel or think if you heard that? Most likely you’d want to do business with that person. Why? There are three reasons: They didn’t talk about themselves. They showed that they have a thorough understanding of the issues and problems people face when buying or selling a home. They provided specific solutions to the client’s problems. When you give this kind of answer there are a lot of benefits. Can you guess what they are? The other person will be genuinely interested because you’ve engaged them. The other person will begin to trust you because you put the client’s needs before your own. Finally, you answered in a unique way and that sets you apart from the crowd. So the next time the person has a real estate question, they are going to call you because you have demonstrated that you care. With those kinds of benefits, wouldn’t you want to use this answer, memorize every word and have it roll off your tongue the next time someone says, “So what do you do?” You bet you would. Just watch your income increase. With her 30 years of psychological expertise, Dr. Maya Bailey specializes in helping real estate professionals who want more clients, more free time, and a better lifestyle to create confidence, a positive mindset, and a step-by-step blueprint for success. For specific ways to “master your psychology” to get clients and grow your business, and your personalized step-bystep success blueprint, visit www.90DaysToMoreClients.com. To contact Dr. Maya Bailey, call REM (707) 799-5412.

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48 REM OCTOBER 2010

Be first to be different to be better eing different is the first step to being better, particularly in sales. What needs to be different? Everything about you and the service you provide. These are the things that people are loyal to. They are loyal to your service, how it makes them feel and what it does for them. They are loyal only to results. If we take this as the truth, we know that we must create a standard of service that is second to none. We must provide results that are second to none. That is step one. Step two is telling anyone and everyone that you have done that. You need to inform the world about you and your service. This is where so many people fail. Most people will begin to advertise, “I’m the No. 1 agent for agents under 5’ 6” tall with brown hair.” The public does not believe this type of garbage. It is a feature that you offer, but it is not a benefit for the client. It is the main reason you will not see the top sales reps in

your area talking about where they rank but rather what they do. You need to inform the public of the wonderful things you do and how they will benefit your clients. Then let your clients draw their own conclusion that your service is second to none. A feature is what you offer; a benefit is how what you offer affects the client. People cannot immediately understand how your service is different or better without an understanding of the service you offer and what your competition offers. To tell a homeowner you provide weekly advertising or that you upload their home to two websites, doesn’t make you different or better, even if no one else in your area does either of these things. However, “We expose your home to 150,000 people every week via newspapers and the Internet and because of this our homes sell faster and for more money” is a benefit. This immediately sets you apart. This is what the client will see value in.

Next you need to back it up. Show the statistics of Average Days on Market versus your days on market. Show the statistics of unique visitors and weekly distribution of the paper. These are the kinds of proof you need. Then people will see you as not only different, but better than your competition. The most amazing part is that once the public sees you as different and better, they are willing to pay more for your service. Cost is only a concern in the absence of value. If Mercedes Benz doesn’t position itself as different and better than Kia, people will not pay five times the price to buy one. If Heinz doesn’t position itself as different and better than “catsup”, people will not pay twice the price and go out of their way to make sure they get Heinz. If the model works for ketchup and cars, why would it not work for real estate? This technique works for more than getting people interested in your services. It will also work to position your listings in a much better light. Again, do not look to tell people all the details or features about a property. Tell them the benefits, the extras and the added bonus. This is what will set your listing apart. This works in print and Internet advertising as well as your MLS write-ups. The better you create your ads and write-ups, the more calls and showings you will get. If you look at any real estate section of any newspaper, there are five to 20 listings that will actually grab someone’s attention. Take the time and read through it cover to cover as a buyer, and look at which ads you would call on. Circle them and study them. Why would you call, what did these ads do differently than the other ads, and more important what did they do better? We need to strongly position our ad as The Ad. The one everyone says, “You have to go to this ad, it has the best deals, it has the best homes, it has what you are looking for.” Once you are known for this, people will come to your ad first and call you first. Then this traditionally expensive form of advertising becomes much more

cost effective. It is expensive when you look at the bill, but when you break it down to cost per lead or even cost per deal, this is a nobrainer. Different is not always better, but the same is never better. You need to allow your mindset to be always looking at everything with

there reading, think about your service, take out a pen and paper and write down five things that you do that makes you different. Then take those five things and write beside them how they are a benefit to your clients. Then write an advertisement for your website, your next flyer, your newspaper ad

Everything from your image, your services, your scripting, your presentations and your advertising to your offers must address, “What is in it for me?” a “What’s in it for me” attitude, because that is how your clients will look at it. Everything from your image, your services, your scripting, your presentations and your advertising to your offers must address, “What is in it for me?” When you raise the ratio of benefits to features, you will raise the number of calls, the number of appointments, the number of clients, the number of offers and ultimately the number of deals. This simple mindset shift is what it is all about. So right now, as you sit

or your bench sign. Track your results and see the significant increase in attention this campaign receives. Then start to look throughout your business and structure everything so that the benefits are obvious and out front. This article was provided by Dan Plowman Team System. For access to marketing campaigns, scripts and listing and buyer presentations that have been designed and perfected over the last five years, visit www.danplowREM manteamsystems.com.

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50 REM OCTOBER 2010

How to create powerful headlines

By Ian Grace

eadlines are absolutely vital for any good ad – in fact, it’s only the ad and/or photo that will determine if the prospective buyer decides to read the ad at all. Scary statistics show that, with all advertising, only one out of five people read past the headline of an ad. So, when a sales rep says, “When they read my ad, they will understand that.......” I point out it’s not when they read the ad, but if they read the ad. Your aim is to create ads where five out of five people, in the market you are targeting, will read your ad – then you are on the path to great success. Remember who your target is when you write your headline, and then qualify it quickly, so the reader knows you’re both on the same wavelength. Then ideally, reinforce or remind about the headline at the end of the ad. For example: Swim in winter (reading that headline, one

would assume that to swim in winter, the pool would have to be heated, so the qualifying statement might be, “The solar heated pool will give you year-round family fun and entertaining.” When reading an ad, people’s attention is distracted by other ads, so, at the end of the ad it can pay to reinforce the headline and bring their attention back to what attracted them to the ad in the first place. “So, if you’d like to be in the swim this winter, phone Fred Smith today at......” Powerful headlines must contain one or more of: • a benefit or implied benefit for the reader • something that is new, news or topical at the time • a curiosity element – but beware of gimmicks for gimmicks sake. For example, have you ever seen or heard headlines such as: Announcing the all-new XYZ dishwasher that will save you time and money. How many of the rules above does it have in that headline – yes, all three of them. So, great headlines will contain at least one, often two and occasionally three. Another example: Hard work does pay as a headline for a property that needs work done to it. That headline has two of the

rules – a benefit and also the curiosity element “what/how much do I have to do?” Now is probably a good time to explode a myth in the real estate industry. Most sales reps around the world believe they are selling houses and sadly, most real estate ads reflect just that – in fact, most real estate ads only seem to prove that sales reps can count. One dining room, two bathrooms, four bedrooms… two bathrooms, one study, one dining room. It is vitally important to understand that you are not selling houses. You are selling living there. That is the picture the prospective buyer has in their mind – living in their new home, which may have an extra bedroom or two so the kids can have their own space and privacy and the resultant family harmony. Or perhaps they are thinking about the extra entertaining areas, where both parents and their children can entertain their friends at the same time, but separately. Once an ad matches the picture the prospective buyers have in their minds about what it will be like living there, you have a match and have now attracted the right buyer.

When I was speaking at the NAR conference some years ago, Colin Powell was the keynote speaker and he told a story about a military officer who was continually transferred from base to base, city to city. Their young son was asked if it was hard for him, always living in a different home. His response was, “Oh, no. We always live in the same home; we just put it in a different house.” When you buy a house and they take all the furnishings out, all you are left with are bare floors and walls. It doesn’t look so good empty, but then you fill it with your furnishings, your knickknacks and your photos and make it your home. But after that, you need all the information to know what living there is all about – what are the neighbours like, are they friendly? Where are the nearest golf courses? Where do we go shopping? What transport is available and where? What are the quickest driving routes to my work? Are there other children in the area for the kids to play with? The list goes on. Great real estate advertising, particularly using the flexibility of the Internet, will answer all these questions for them. As an example: We sold our

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own property in Brisbane 3-1/2 years ago, before moving to the Gold Coast. The buyers lived a two-hour plane flight away and only the husband had visited our home and made the buying decision. The day before the family was due to pick up the keys from our solicitor, we agreed to meet them there, to teach them how to maintain the pool and the hot tub. Their two children ran around the house saying, “There’s my bedroom, the one with the Vshaped bookshelf” – they knew exactly which room they would be living in, even though they had never visited the home previously. That’s what great real estate advertising does. Oh, by the way, we had four other prospective buyers lined up, waiting in case the sale fell through. Known internationally as “Mr. Real Estate Advertising”, Australian born Ian Grace is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading authorities on real estate advertising. Since 1994, he has delivered his programs throughout Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A, Canada and the U.K. His articles about real estate advertising have been published around the world. www.iangrace.com REM

52 REM OCTOBER 2010

HOUSE WORKS

By Steve Maxwell

hoosing new flooring is serious business because so much rides on your decision. Even cheap flooring costs a lot, both in terms of money and the inevitable installation hassles. You also have to live with your choice for a long time after your new floor goes down. Before you make any crucial decisions, let me show you some things you may not know about three popular flooring options. Ceramic tiles are a durable and beautiful choice, but even if you’ve installed them on a rigid base, cracking and loose tiles are

Choosing a new floor a danger. Expansion and contraction is the reason why. When movement of the supporting subfloor doesn’t match that of the tiles, problems can (and often do) occur. That’s where something called uncoupling membrane can help. It allows a small amount of side-to-side movement of the tiles independently from the floor. I wouldn’t install ceramic tiles without an uncoupling membrane. Invented by a German company called Schluter Systems, the flexible Ditra underlay allows enough independent tile movement to virtually eliminate the risk of cracking. Complete your installation over a code-built wooden subfloor that meets Schluter’s installation directives and it warrants everything about the installation against failure for five years – cost of new tiles, cost of ripping the old tiles out and cost of putting the new ones in. You’re completely off the hook financially if the system fails.

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Although not just used for floors, a brand-new material called structural foam tile backer board is poised to change the way walls, countertops, vanities and showers are built. Kerdi-Board is the name of this product and it’s available in different thicknesses. The material cuts easily with a saw, and joins together with the same kind of thinset adhesive used to anchor tiles. Use it to build anything you want to cover in tiles, and then stick them directly to the surface. Keep your eye on this new material because it’s sure to be copied. Laminate floors have become mainstream, though there are two things that homeowners routinely fail to consider when choosing laminates. The first has to do with toughness. Although not prominently advertised, most laminates carry an “abrasion class” (AC) rating from 1 to 5. An AC rating of 5, for instance, means the laminate is capable of standing up under commercial conditions – stores, restaurants, offices. AC-4 laminate is tough enough for heavy household use. Laminates with an AC rating of 3 are fine for ordinary household situations. Is your floor flat enough for laminates? Most brands required a surface that’s flat within 1/4 inch in a 10-foot radius. Any more irregularity than this and your new laminate floor will make noise as you walk on it. It used to be that real wood floors meant putting up with sanding dust and finishing fumes. That’s one reason why prefinished hardwood has captured a big part of the market. Another reason is durability. Factory applied finishes are thicker and tougher than anything that can be site-applied. Some factory finishes are even warranted for 35 years. Click-together solid hardwood is a variation on the wood floor theme and it’s gaining a growing share of the market. These options go down just like laminates, without fastening to the underlying subfloor. They have all the good looks of real wood (because they are real wood), they can be refinished and they aren’t as dependent as laminates on a perfectly flat subfloor.

Engineered click flooring is the most recent variation on the DIY flooring theme. The surface layer of this option is real wood – about 3mm or 4mm thick – bonded to a plywood substrate. This combination gives the floor all the good looks of real wood, plus greater physical stability, especially when

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

You can use a mitre saw when cutting laminate floor precisely, but you need to use the kind of blade made specifically for this work. Less than a dozen cuts will make an ordinary carbide blade too dull to use.

The dimpled orange plastic sheet makes tile installation more durable. It allows a small amount of side-to-side movement between tiles, a leading cause of installations that crack in time.

Click together engineered flooring offers many advantages: easy installation, stable performance, durable factory finish and the ability to be refinished. (Photos: Steve Maxwell)

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Assist-2-Sell ® first came to our attention when a f r a n c h i s e o ff i c e o p e n e d i n nearby White Rock, BC and quickly won a significant number of listings throughout the area. We were nervous about a discounter coming into our market and taking our business. But we looked at the model, and we couldn t find any flaws in it. At that point our logic said, If you can t beat em, join em. And we re glad we did. Prosperity!

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Toronto’s dual-brand hotel an emerging trend By Jim Adair

ou would think that launching a new hotel concept in the middle of a recession, using a brand not wellknown in Canada, would be a risk that most real estate investors would avoid. But for Al Gulamani of Bayview Hospitality Group, the opportunity to build a new dualbranded hotel near Toronto Airport was too good an idea to pass up – and now his gamble is paying off. “In Canada, the extended stay market has been underserved for a long time,” says Gulamani. An entrepreneur formerly associated with other brands, he was attracted to Homewood Suites when he toured the first one in Canada, at Mont Tremblant, Que. Now he owns three of the nine Homewood Suites hotels in Canada – one in Cambridge, Ont., one in Oakville, and the recently opened Toronto Airport site. The Toronto site is unique because it is part of a trend to dual-

like an old-fashioned lodge, with communal spaces where a free hot breakfast is served every morning and free light dinners and refreshments are offered in the evening. The menus are changed constantly and posted in the rooms so guests can decide if they want to eat in the lodge or make their own dinner in their suite. Bill Duncan, global head of Homewood Suites, says that “Canada has been a great success story” for the brand and there are

The dual-branded Toronto Airport complex was built during the recession for $31 million.

A panoramic view of one of the Homewood suites.

branded hotels on the same site – in this case, the Homewood Suites building sits beside a Hampton Inn. The two operate as separate hotels, with their own check-in desks, food service areas, lobbies and elevators, but they share meeting rooms, a business centre, a swimming pool and exercise facilities. Both the Homewood Suites and Hampton Inn brands are owned by Hilton. Homewood Suites is aimed at business travellers who need a place for stay for five or more nights – the average is 11 nights. The hotels offer studio, one and two-bedroom suites, and include fully equipped kitchens, complimentary high-speed Internet access, and a comfortable, homey surrounding. The hotels are built

Inn side of the complex, where prices are typically $20 to $30 cheaper per night. The Hampton Inn also offers a free hot breakfast, as well as “on the run breakfast bags” for those who need their breakfast to go. The hotel has its own breakfast area. The inn also offers free Internet access. Both brands offer points for the Hilton loyalty program, as well as airline loyalty miles. Duncan says that’s an increasingly important factor when travellers are choosing

plans to expand it across the country. The company takes existing properties and renovates them to its standards, or builds new, as in the case of Gulamani’s properties. While the original Homewood Suites were designed to feel somewhat like a “hunting lodge”, Duncan says the interior design has become more upscale to cater to female clients. He says that while business travellers used to be mostly men, now the split is closer to 50/50. Homewood Suites targets mostly extended-stay visitors, but those coming for shorter stays are also welcome, as are families that are on vacation. At the Toronto Airport site, those in town for a shorter visit may want to stay on the Hampton

where they will stay. The Toronto complex includes 128 Homewood Suites rooms and 126 Hampton Inn guest rooms. Opened this spring, the hotel ran at about 40 per cent occupancy for the first few months and Gulamani expects that to grow to 60 per cent by the end of the year as the hotel becomes more well-known. Built during the recession, the complex cost $31 million to construct. Gulamani says the downturn actually helped him because more tradespeople were available and some building material prices came down – “I probably saved about 10 to 15 per cent.” It also helped that the site is on the extreme western edge of Toronto, one of the last sites near the airport that could be developed. If it had been built on the other side of the street, it would be in the City of Mississauga – where development charges would have added $4 million to the cost of the project. Homewood Suites now has almost 300 hotels in the United States, Canada and Mexico. REM

REM OCTOBER 2010 55

Type ‘A’ personality quiz

By Dan St. Yves

t takes all kinds to make the world go around, or so the old saying goes. But there are certain types of individuals who strive to ensure that the world goes around a bit more efficiently — or at least a bit more efficiently for them. I’m talking about people who possess what is commonly called a “Type A” personality. Some might call them “go-getters”, others might refer to them as “divas” or “asspants”. I’m not here to make any such judgment calls, I’m just hoping to provide a few clues that you may be working alongside one. Or, funny enough – that you may be one yourself. 1) When the office gets the sales force together for the annual group photo, do you know someone who: a) Proceeds directly to the front of the group, even if they are 7’ 2”? b) Hops up and down to be noticed, until the photographer relents and snaps their picture in mid-leap? c) Wears a fluorescent green blazer and bright yellow pants for picture day, just by coincidence? These are indeed Type A personalities. 2) When you are in the office trying to get on a photocopier that is already in use, do you: a) Pace like a trapped jungle cat while everyone else clearly moves in slow motion, making the onset of rigor mortis seem quicker by comparison? b) Mutter under your breath about how you’ve seen faster molasses pouring onto pancakes on a backyard picnic table in midDecember? c) Start planning a wake for the individual on the copier, who has

obviously gone into rigor mortis? I believe YOU may have a Type A personality, my friend. 3) You are mounting an amateur theatre production of Annie with fellow office colleagues at an annual sales conference, and they refuse to allow you to play the lead role. Your reaction is to: a) Threaten to turn the Annie wig into a brush-cut clump of frayed red yarn? b) Vent vigorously for 30 minutes about the folly of allowing a child to fill such a crucial role in the musical, saying. “The audience will never buy it”? c) Defend the merits of a middle-aged male in the title role, but admit the wardrobe may need a few modifications for showcasing your sturdy calves? Seriously, that’s a Type A personality, dude! 4) If someone in your office has an opinion contrary to yours, do you: a) Politely listen to their point of view, consider the merits and then gently ask the co-worker when their last IQ test was? If ever? b) Cut them off abruptly, and ask them to go refill your coffee? c) Try to prevent your head from exploding while waiting for the moron to finish talking? Signs of a Type A personality, I would suggest. 5) If you are in the middle of a “fun” inter-office weekend curling bonspiel, and one of your teammates throws a stone that completely misses the target, do you: a) Walk over and coach her empathically on the importance of focus and discipline, even though this is just supposed to be a chance to mingle with your fellow agents? b) Repeatedly smash your broom on the hog line until it turns into bacon? c) Propel that teammate along the ice to illustrate the proper trajectory required for his next shot? Type A for sure! Humour columnist and author Dan St. Yves was licensed with Royal LePage Kelowna for 11 years. Check out his website at www.nonsenseandstuff.com, or contact him at ThatDanGuy@shaw.ca. REM

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56 REM OCTOBER 2010

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Brand name closing gifts give clients ‘something to talk about’

Jim Holody Royal LePage 1st London Real Estate Services, Brokerage London, Ontario

Andy Puthon, Executive Vice President, Network Development, is pleased to announce that Jim Holody broker/owner of the brokerage formerly operating as Coldwell Banker 1st London Real Estate Services in London, Ontario has chosen to join the Royal LePage franchise network. Jim’s company operates under the new name Royal LePage 1st London Real Estate Services, and includes a team of 57 sales representatives.

Glencoe, Strathroy, Parkhill, Grand Bend, Ailsa Craig, Lucan, Dorchester, Belmont, Ingersoll, and surrounding communities.

Jim is past vice president of the London & St. Thomas Association of REALTORS®, and is currently a director. He is also chairman of the Broker Advisory Committee.

Please join us in welcoming Jim, and wishing him and everyone at Royal LePage 1st London Real Estate Services continued success.

In addition to London, the team also services the areas Kilworth, Komoka, Mount Brydges, Delaware, St. Thomas, Dutton, West Lorne, Rodney, Bothwell,

New Yahoo Canada launches Zoocasa real estate application

Jim and his team can be reached at: 1069 Wellington Road South London, Ontario N6E 2H6 Phone: 519-685-4190 Fax: 519-685-7497 JimHolody@royallepage.ca

For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call Andy Puthon directly at (416) 510-5827.

Email: franchise@royallepage.ca †

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

Gurinder Sandhu Chief Financial Officer

RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc., RE/MAX Europe Integra Enterprise Group

Walter Schneider, President and Co-Founder and Pamela Alexander, CEO RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc; are pleased to announce the appointment of Gurinder Sandhu. Mr. Sandhu has more than 17 years of experience in progressively senior finance leadership positions in real estate, relocation and other business services sectors. Most recently, he served as Vice-President of Finance for Brookfield Real Estate Services Ltd.. Prior to that, Mr. Sandhu worked at Torstar and KPMG. Mr. Sandhu has a BA in Economics from York University and has a CA designation. In his new position as Chief Financial Officer of RE/MAX and affiliated companies, Mr. Sandhu will oversee our group of companies that operate the RE/MAX brand in 35 countries, consisting of over 2,500 franchised offices and 26,000 sales associates with headquarters in Mississauga, Vienna, Geneva, Boston, Indianapolis and Minneapolis.

RE/MAX sells 1 in every 3 homes in Canada.

enjoy nothing more than assisting a broker in building his/her business,” he says. He will work with brokers on business planning, recruiting, training, profitability, retaining, business systems and leadership.

Yahoo and Zoocasa, a real estate property search site, recently launched a new application that enables house hunters to access Zoocasa’s online real estate search service directly from their Yahoo.ca homepage. Yahoo boasts more than 17 million visitors per month, who now can search for a new home, research local neighbourhoods and receive updates about properties that fit their personal profile through the Zoocasa.com application on their Yahoo.ca homepage. Combining real-time listing information and mapping technology, Zoocasa.com allows users to personalize their search experience and discover community, demographic and lifestyle information. For information: www.zoocasa.ca.

Neighbourhood Greetings provides corporate and real estate gifts that “generate buzz and reinforce the care you take” with your clients, providing more impact than a “one and done” gift basket, the company says. With prices starting at just over $100, the company provides an assortment of packages with premium items from brands such as Lalique, Waterford Crystal, Porsche Design, Royal Doulton, Visconti and Stelton. You can get some items engraved or add an anniversary card or information package. This package, aimed at welcoming homeowners to their new neighbourhoods, includes a personal letter from the real estate rep and listings of local schools, daycares, shopping and services (including maps) and key municipal contacts. For information: www.neighbourhoodgreetings.com

Canadians win major AmeriSpec award

Gary Schnarr signs with CKG International CKG International has named CREA past-president and former Re/Max executive Gary Schnarr as director of broker coaching. He will be responsible for the further development and growth of the CKG Broker Program. Schnarr has been involved in real estate for over 25 years including building his own brokerage with more than 65 agents. He was president of CREA in 1995. He has conducted speaking and workshop engagements throughout North America and Europe. For the past eight years he has been an executive at Re/Max Ontario – Atlantic Canada. “Now, I have the opportunity to work with brokers as a coach. I

company specializing in helping Realtors and mortgage brokers. “Working with mortgage and real estate professionals since 2006 has helped to mould our understanding of what agents are looking for. We don’t create something and try and sell it to the agents, we take the opposite approach – we ask the agents what they want, and build upon that to create something well beyond their expectations,” says Menninga. She says, “We heard from our clients that they did not have the time or the interest in doing the marketing themselves. They are not looking for a company that creates a beautiful piece and leaves the rest up to them. They are looking for great marketing materials and someone to make that marketing work for them.” Jolt’s Business Booster Marketing Program incorporates enewsletters, mailed note cards and follow up phone calls, and is designed to build agent’s repeat and referral business. The program is managed by Jolt, so agents can stay connected with their network of clients and provide professional touch-points, without taking time away from actually signing deals, the company says. It also offers online and social media solutions including social media representation, Wordpress blog customization and social media profile customization. For information: 1-877-6205658 or 416-840-9352.

Dave and Celine Novak, AmeriSpec franchise owners in Regina, were presented with a major award at AmeriSpec’s International Convention recently in Boston. Recipients of the Achiever Award must meet a variety of criteria in order to be nominated by Neighbourhood Greetings provides closing gifts that clients will remember.

Former RLP manager forms company to give real estate a Jolt Former Royal LePage Canada marketing manager Ingrid Menninga recently launched Jolt Marketing, a full service marketing

Dave and Celine Novak Continued on page 57

REM OCTOBER 2010 57

Personal Finances

Small business – big insurance f you own a small business, you need insurance. But how much and what kind? “Insurance can be one strategy to manage your risk,” says chartered accountant Vic Skot, principal, Benefit Partners Inc. in Barrie, Ont. “It can give the business owner and the corporation ways to manage and mitigate their risks that are both tax and cost effective.” Life insurance is important, whether you are a sole owner or have a business partner. “If a sole owner dies, life insurance can help the business continue and/or liquidate in an orderly manner,” says Skot. “If you have a partner and one of you dies, insurance can provide the cash the surviving partner needs to acquire the shares of the business and keep it running.” If you become ill or have an accident, disability insurance can

What’s New? Continued from page 56

their business development manager. From these recipients, the top franchises are selected for the Marion E. Wade Expert Award, which was presented to the Novaks at the convention. There are more than 250 AmeriSpec franchise territories in North America. For more information: www.amerispec.com.

Gary Little upgrades Sunshine Coast interactive map Real estate agent Gary Little has released a major upgrade to his

protect your income stream while you are unable to work. “A subset of disability insurance is critical illness insurance,” says Skot. “It can provide the cash you might need to seek treatment to restore your health without having to tap into personal savings.” Be sure to insure your property, inventory and equipment against such risks as fire and theft. “You need insurance to protect you from business interruption and employee dishonesty,” says chartered accountant Eric Walker, a partner with Cookson Walker LLP in Toronto. “You can customize your coverage to the size and nature of your business.” Liability insurance is also mandatory. “Accidents on your property may injure your staff or others,” says Walker. “Many owner-operators don’t realize that court settlements for some injuries unique interactive map showing the locations of hundreds of MLSlisted homes for sale on the Sunshine Coast (Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay, and Pender Harbour), a popular residential and recreational area located 40 minutes by ferry from Vancouver. The real estate map, which integrates satellite imagery, street maps, topographical data, and Google Street View panoramas, can be used to locate homes for sale in neighbourhoods of interest. To learn more about a home the user simply clicks its icon on the map. Markers for public services, such as schools, post offices, fire halls, police stations and beach accesses can also be overlaid on the map, making it easier for buy-

can run up to $10 million. Talk to your insurance broker about having enough liability insurance to cover the worst-case scenario.” Most small business owners provide group insurance benefits to their employees, which may include life, accidental death or dismemberment, extended health, dental, long-term disability and/or critical illness insurance. “For key employees, you may want to provide additional disability or critical illness insurance because you want to get these key individuals back to work quickly or because you need to immediately hire someone to replace them if they cannot return,” says Skot. “Banks often require key person coverage so that their loans to a business are well protected and will be paid back if something happens to the business’s key person.” Talk to your CA about your insurance needs. “Your CA can help determine how much coverage you should have for your inventory, property and equipment by advising your insurance broker on their value,” says Walker. Adds Skot: “There are many different insurance products available and it can be very difficult for a layperson to determine what is necessary versus what is marketing. Your CA can help assess your risk, analyze the options and identify the right solution for you.” This article was written by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. REM

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58 REM OCTOBER 2010

Good Works T

he Saint John Real Estate Board hosted an Amazing Race recently to raise $7,028 for the YMCAYWCA Strong Kids Charity (www.strongkids.ca). Competition was fierce among the participating teams of Realtors; as the first clues were handed out, members shoved each other out of the way to race to their cars and, hurling a last few good-humoured insults to one another, they sped off across the city. Cryptic clues led teams to various stops, including the zoo, a seafood market to chomp down raw oysters, a nearby lake for a canoeing expedition, an aquatic driving range, a rock wall, a children’s indoor park, hotel corridors to hunt down a room with a lock-

box and a grocery store. In the end, the team of Pam Trites, Heather Stewart, Tara Morrison and Dorothy Reid from Exit Realty Specialists in Saint John reigned victorious, raising more than $2,000 for Strong Kids and finishing what should have been a roughly 90-minute race in 45 short minutes. That evening, many more members enjoyed a barbecue, a silent auction and a beautiful summer evening by the lake. ■ ■ ■

The Second Annual Stampede Golf Tournament raised $8,000 for Horizon Housing Society, a charitable organization that provides affordable, integrated and supported homes to more than 700 ten-

ants. The event attracted 80 golfers, donations of 15 prizes for the silent auction and sponsors for each hole on the 18-hole course. The tournament was organized and hosted by all Sutton offices in Calgary: Sutton Group - Canwest, Sutton Group - Altawest and Sutton - Partners Realty Group.

ing tears with complete strangers at times. Meek says, “For those who lost their hair without a choice, this was for you. Hopefully one day soon, cancer will be no more of a threat than chicken pox or the common cold.”

■ ■ ■

Manitoba Realtors, friends, family and colleagues golfed their way to a record-breaking $14,000plus for the Manitoba Real Estate Association Shelter Foundation at the Fourth Annual MREA President’s Charity Golf Classic. The foundation donates funds to shelter-related charities in Manitoba.

Kelly Meek, a sales rep with Century 21 First Canadian Corp in London, Ont. shaved her head and reached her goal of raising more than $10,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society recently. She also sent 22 inches of hair to the Cuts for Cancer program, which makes wigs for cancer patients. “It is really difficult to put into words the impact that this experience has had on me,” she says. “I had over 500 people sponsor me, or make a donation towards my (head shaving) event. During my fundraising, I met so many wonderful people and, from close friends to complete strangers, I was privileged to hear their personal stories of experiences with cancer. There were some incredibly inspiring stories, and others so heartbreaking that I found myself shar-

Kelly Meek, before the head shaving….

A competitive and enthusiastic group gears up to participate in the Saint John Real Estate Board’s Amazing Race, which raised money for YMCA’s Strong Kids campaign. Clockwise, from top: Dorothy Reid, Scott McAllister, Pam Trites, Barry MacDonald. Centre: board EO Angela Beyea. From left, Bob Steacy, lawyer Yuri Tarnowecky, Don Holway of Thomson and Jemmett Insurance Brokers and Jim Dorey of Dorey & Tolgyesi at Steacy’s second annual golf tournament to raise money for a local food bank.

■ ■ ■

Bob Steacy, a salesperson at Sutton Group - Masters Realty in Kingston, Ont. held his second annual Hit and Giggle Golf Tournament recently, raising $5,000 for the Partners in Mission Food Bank of Kingston. It brings the two-year fundraising total to $8,000. “We are all in a country that is struggling economically and the hardest hit are the charities that

don’t receive any provincial or federal funding,” says Steacy. “It was a wake-up call for me that even in Canada children still go off to school hungry – that needs to be corrected. I started this golf tournament last year to benefit the local food bank. As a fourth-generation Kingstonian and having many contacts, I thought the time was right to step up and organize this event. My office suspended their golf tournament, which I chaired for two years and which raised thousands of dollars for Juvenile Diabetes.” One participant was Jim Dorey, a retired hockey defenseman who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers. Now living in his hometown of Kingston, Dorey recently established Dorey & Tolgyesi Insurance Brokers. ■ ■ ■

Exit Realty associates from across the Maritimes recently came together to golf in support of Habitat for Humanity, raising $13,000. “The event has been organized for several years by Jon Walker, franchisee of Exit Realty Inter Lake and his team of staff and

and after. Meek raised more than $10,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Above: Exit’s Jon Walker and Gary Mailman present a cheque to Hank Middleton, chairman of Habitat for Humanity HRM-South Shore Chapter. Looking on are (back row, from left) Kendall Eisnor, David Larkin, Angie Brown, Monica Robar and Donna Vant’Hof. Middle row: Dianne Corkum, Sylvia Cherry, Patricia MacLeod.

REM OCTOBER 2010 59

agents,â&#x20AC;? says Ed Martens, Exitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior VP of franchise sales. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They always do a first-class job, with every detail precisely looked after. Multiple Exit offices from the Halifax and surrounding areas participated as well as Exit associates from New Brunswick and P.E.I.â&#x20AC;? Habitat for Humanity is Exit Realty Corp. Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charity of choice, and the company has now pledged over $1.5 million to Habitat for Humanity efforts across North America. â&#x2013; â&#x2013; â&#x2013;

The Central Alberta Realtors Association and Charitable Foundation hosted its annual Golf Tournament for Charity recently. Ninety-nine golfers enjoyed a beautiful sun-filled day of golf and raised more than $6,400 for the Ronald MacDonald house in Red Deer, Alta. These proceeds will go towards the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three-year pledge to the Ronald MacDonald House to raise $75,000 for its new facility. â&#x2013; â&#x2013; â&#x2013;

Sid van der Meulen of Ada

Realty in Edmonton honoured the liberation of Holland in 1945 by cycling the Elfstedentocht, a 240km route, on May 24. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the first 80 km there was a slight breeze on our back and I made good time, but then our direction changed, the wind picked up and the slight breeze became a very stiff wind for most of the rest of the 160 km,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Throughout the day I was encouraged by my wife, sister and friends as well as countless citizens who cheered and roared whenever I waved the Canadian flag. How proud and emotional I was when I draped myself in the Canadian flag for the last 200 meters to collect my last stamp and medal and raise Churchillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for victory sign.â&#x20AC;? The journey raised almost $25,000 for the Youth Emergency Shelter Society and E4Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School Lunch program. â&#x2013; â&#x2013; â&#x2013;

Bobbing along from Shadow Lake, Ont. to Balsam Lake, 1,400 yellow rubber ducks meandered to the finish line recently. Crowds followed along from the shore,

cheering on their racers in the derby. This is the 12th year in a row that Sutton Group Kawartha Lakes Realty has accommodated the United Way and Coboconk Lions Club for the event. The real estate brokerage set up a new food preparation trailer in the parking lot and used the office for ticket sales and prizes. Broker Grace Cork is an enthusiastic supporter of this annual event: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was more than happy to let the United Way and Lions Club use our parking lot and office again this year. The Duck Derby brings many visitors into town and raises money for very worthy causes. On a summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great reason for people to get together, enjoy a hamburger and listen to music in the streets.â&#x20AC;? Earlier this summer, Cork donated $500 on behalf of Sutton Group - Kawartha Lakes Realty to help the Lions Club purchase their new food preparation trailer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more convenient for them to use it instead of bringing in barbecues and carloads of supREM plies.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ooey-gooey barsâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Loriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lazy perogy casseroleâ&#x20AC;? are just two of the tasty recipes in Royal LePage Lannonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cookbook. The Simply Entertaining cookbook was originally created to raise money for the United Way in the brokerageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home of Thunder Bay, Ont., but now a second edition is being planed to benefit the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. To get a copy, email info@royallepagethunderbay.com

What our members sayâ&#x20AC;Ś â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;ŚAventure is really working well in our area and we have received more response and more listing presentations just because of Aventureâ&#x20AC;Ś we are really proud to be part of this great Network. â&#x20AC;? Hazel Ladouceur, Broker/Owner WISE MOVE REALTY INC., Brokerage

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;ŚAventure is a key ingredient to

have been excited and proud to be a part of Aventure Realty Network. The referrals we have received to date have had a positive impact on our businessâ&#x20AC;Ś the network adds value to our individual businesses and the industry we work in! â&#x20AC;?

our companyâ&#x20AC;Ś we just eliminated the objections of â&#x20AC;&#x153;why would I leave my franchise organization for an independent companyâ&#x20AC;?. We are hiring, and feel really great about Aventure. We have made use of the referral networkâ&#x20AC;Ś the most important factor for us as owners is to feel connectedâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;?

Tracy Arnett, Broker/Owner TRACY ARNETT REALTY LTD., Brokerage

Thomas McBurney, Broker/Owner URBAN LANDMARK REALTY INC., Brokerage

â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śour team at Tracy Arnett Realty Ltd.

Visit us at www.aventurerealty.ca to ďŹ nd out more

Growing successful Real Estate team in the Kingsway areaâ&#x20AC;Ś we have 2 positions that we are looking to fill immediately! BUYER AGENT The ideal candidate should beâ&#x20AC;Ś â&#x20AC;˘ Registered Sales Representative/Broker â&#x20AC;˘ Highly motivated â&#x20AC;˘ Work with a team and independently Some leads will be provided.

FULL TIME ADMINISTRATOR Royal LePage Your Community Realty, which has several offices north of Toronto, held its third annual golf tournament in support of the Yellow Brick House and the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation recently. More than $30,000 was raised. From left: Michelle Risi, broker; Dave Barrow, mayor of Richmond Hill; Vivian Risi, Royal LePage Your Community Realtyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s broker of record; and Julie Risi-Careri, broker.

The ideal candidate should haveâ&#x20AC;Ś Real Estate knowledge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a must! Excellent verbal & written communication skills Meticulous attention to detail Proficient with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Top Producer & Lone Wolf â&#x20AC;˘ Own vehicle, requires some travel â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Serious inquiries only. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

Please send your cover letter and resume to 1stclassjobopp@gmail.com Re/Max Professionals Inc. 270 The Kingsway, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M9A 3T7 Tel: 416-236-1241 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax: 416-231-0563

60 REM OCTOBER 2010

Keep more of your commissions 10 ways to make every penny count

n today’s tough market, you have to make every penny count. While how much you earn is important, what really matters is how much you keep. When you ask how much most Realtors earned in 2009, most report their gross commission income (GCI), which is how much they made before expenses. Profitability, however, is determined by how much you keep after expenses. If you want to keep more of your hardearned commission dollars, here are 10 ways to do it. 1. Begin by calculating your net hourly rate for 2009. Take the gross commission amount that you earned and subtract all your business expenses. (Take net income you report to Canada Revenue Agency.) Next, divide it by 2,000 (i.e., 40 hours per week for 50 weeks) to determine your net earnings per hour. (This is your after-tax, hourly rate of profit per hour.) If it’s greater than the minimum

By Bernice Ross

wage, seriously consider delegating part of your business to a minimum-wage earner. When you spend time doing minimumwage tasks such as going to the post office, dropping off dry cleaning, filling brochure boxes, and so on, you are working for minimum wage. This reduces your profit because you could be engaged in prospecting, presenting offers or doing other activities that produce more income. 2. Eliminate nonproductive opportunity costs. Opportunity cost refers to the “value or benefit of something that must be given up to achieve something else.” For example, if you spend four hours holding an open house, you would give up the opportunity to work with your relocation buyers during that time. To understand the “cost” of that decision to your business, assume that you had an after-tax net income of $40,000 in 2009. Your hourly rate would be $20 per hour. Thus, if you held a four-hour open house that gener-

BRANCH MANAGER Work with a Leader! Royal LePage RCR Realty requires an experienced and talented individual to fill the role of full-time Broker/Manager in Central Ontario. The successful candidate will have experience in a management capacity and a proven track record. If you are looking to further your career with a proven leader, please send your resume in complete confidence to careers@rcrrealty.com. We regret that we can only respond to candidates chosen for an interview.

ated no leads, the opportunity cost of that open house was $80 plus the cost of operating your vehicle to get there, refreshments and any prospecting pieces you may have used. To reduce these costs, carefully examine which activities consistently generate leads and which activities generate little if any income. Be ruthless about eliminating activities with no return, no matter how much you think you should do them. Remember, the less time you spend on nonproductive opportunity costs, the greater your profits. 3. Get more bang for your marketing buck. Top producers consistently report that the bulk of their business comes from their referral database. Nevertheless, many agents continue to spend a huge percentage of their marketing dollars developing new sources of business rather than strengthening their existing referral database. To be more profitable, focus on building referrals from your existing sphere of influence. It takes less time and as a rule, usually yields higher results. 4. Innovate to keep pace. Each quarter, challenge your assumptions about how you conduct your business by experimenting with new ideas, new niches and new processes. Profit is always temporary. What keeps profits increasing long-term is staying in touch with an alwayschanging marketplace and a willingness to try what is new. Be willing to invest at least one to five per cent of your gross revenues in making mistakes, taking time away from the business to do strategic planning, and learning new ideas. 5. Slash expenses. Limit marketing and promotion to 10 per cent of your gross revenues. Instead, use your telephone, email and social media to keep in touch with your client base rather than expensive mailings and other forms of print advertising. 6. Buy in bulk. This includes computer supplies, paper prod-

ucts and open house supplies, as well as personal items you use at home. For example, if you serve coffee or mineral water at your open houses, stock up at your local membership department store or order online to save sales tax. Watch for sales on products you use and buy a six- to 12month supply. This not only

their time when they’re at home plus the features they most like (and don’t like) in their present home. Having clarity about what your buyers are really looking for saves you both time and money. 10. Feedback is the breakfast of champions. Ask for your client’s input during the transaction and after it has closed. Be

Profit is always temporary. What keeps profits increasing long-term is staying in touch with an always-changing marketplace and a willingness to try what is new. saves you money, it also saves time because you don’t have to make several trips to purchase the same products. 7. Telecommute. When you drive, you spend money, time and energy. How much would you save if you worked at home one day a week? Two days a week? Most cars cost a minimum of 50 cents per mile to operate. Cutting mileage by 50 miles per week can save you more than $1,000 per year, not to mention the reduction in time and stress. 8. Cut market time by pricing your listings correctly. The shorter the time your listings are on the market, the fewer hours you spend earning your commission and the greater your profit will be. Just say no to sellers who refuse to be realistic about their price. 9. Show buyers fewer houses. Decrease time spent showing buyers property by spending at least 20 minutes interviewing them about their lifestyle. Ask questions about how they spend

proactive in finding out what your clients really are feeling and experiencing. By identifying troublesome areas, you can take steps to correct problems before they occur. Also be sure to survey each of your clients for their feedback on how you can provide better service. Conducting your own research on how to improve your customer service will help you maintain long-term profitability in terms of client referrals and client loyalty. In terms of this list, it makes no difference where you start. Every step you take brings you closer to becoming increasingly more profitable throughout the year. Bernice Ross, CEO of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, trainer and author of Real Estate Dough: Your Recipe for Real Estate Success and other books. Email Bernice@RealEstate Coach.com and find her on Twitter: REM @bross. – Inman News

REM OCTOBER 2010 61

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THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

hen I was a kid back in the late ’50s, we had men’s clubs in our communities. Not the creepy men’s clubs like today but honourable organizations that meant well. They were associations of benevolent men who did good things for their towns and charities. They were Rotary Clubs, Kinsmen, Order of Moose and Kiwanis. We kids didn’t know all the names of these clubs so we just called them “men’s clubs”. In those days the clubs were only for men. It was a different world back then. It was more naïve than intentionally wrong that women were not

Men’s clubs and social networking included in the clubs in those days. These clubs did a great deal of wonderful community work, like the Shriners who raised a lot of money for kids’ hospitals. Back in 1959 I was a beneficiary of the West Hill-Highland Creek Lions Club because they sponsored the rink where I played hockey in Scarborough, Ont. I am grateful to them to this day. Clubs like this flourished in the ’40s and ’50s doing good work to benefit their communities. The men in the organizations came to realize that it was a good idea to do business with each other. After all, they had already formed a bond of trust by membership. So why not do business with fellow members? It made sense. As time went on into the ’60s, things unfortunately began to go awry. A lot of men joined so they could make business contacts blatantly. Many of them had no interest in doing any good work for the community at all. They only wanted to get business from the members of the club. It did not take

Trade Shows and Conferences For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Edmonton Apartment Association in partnership with the Realtors Association of Edmonton Suites and Homes Trade Show Tuesday, Sept. 28 Mayfield Inn and Suites Trade Centre, Edmonton www.eaa.ab.ca/eventdetail.aspx?ID=59 Re/Max Fall Connect Agent Sales Rally Sept. 28 – 29 Toronto Congress Centre, North Building, Toronto www.remaxevents.ca

Realtors Association of HamiltonBurlington Realtors Connections Conference & Trade Show Thursday, Sept. 30 Hamilton Convention Centre Hamilton Sheila Sferrazza – sheilas@rahb.ca or 905-529-8101, ext.234 Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of Realtors Technology Day and Trade Show Friday, Oct. 1 Living Hope, Peterborough, Ont. info@peterboroughrealestate.org

long before everyone began to talk about how these clubs were loaded with social predators. The public perception of the clubs suffered because of that talk and memberships declined drastically. Some closed all together. The best clubs survived and solved their problems. Thank heavens they did. Many people, especially children, benefit from the continued good work the honourable men and honourable women in those clubs do for their communities. Today we are all involved in making business contacts. Most of us call it networking. There are computer programs for organizing contacts. There are seminars for managing them. The point is that I fear that some of this networking has become wrongful like some of the men’s clubs I knew over 50 years ago. I think we ought to be careful and to remain honourable as we gather contact names and addresses. There should be a point in our networking efforts where we have to make sure that our contacts are

true contacts and that we come by them honestly. We must ensure that they are genuine and meaningful to us. A lot of folks who network today have lost sight of any concerns about who is on their “list” of email addresses and names. The quest to gather more names seems to have become more ruthless than ever before. “Can I have your networking names? Who’s on your contact list, can I have that list?” Those questions are shamelessly asked in business conversations every day. Names are grabbed any where from any source. I have no doubt that if a list of children were available it would be grabbed and thrown on someone’s list under the guise of networking. It seems as though many people have no limits anymore for making pitches on the Internet. It doesn’t cost any money to send messages out. There are no stamps, no advertising costs and no need to spend money on a courier. Just get names, get as many names as you can, and send, send, send.

Century 21 Canadian Conference 2010 Oct. 1 – 3 Metro Toronto Convention Centre Toronto Jeff Sampson – jeff.sampson@century21.ca

Dan Plowman Team Systems Leadership Workshop Oct. 20 – 21 Mayfield Inn & Suites, Edmonton 1-877-626-3757 www.real-estate-teamcoaching.com/edmonton/

2010 Atlantic Connection Oct. 5 – 7 Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel, Halifax “A Realtor ‘How To’ conference” www.atlanticconnection.ca

CREA – MTC Technology Forum Saturday, Oct. 23 Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland St. John’s, Nfld. Julie Daviau – jdaviau@crea.ca

WinnipegRealtors Association Technology Conference and Trade Show Wednesday, Oct.13 Victoria Inn & Conference Centre Winnipeg Wendy Wasylnuk – wwasylnuk@winnipegrealtors.ca or (204) 786-8854 www.wrexpo.ca Realtors Association of Grey Bruce Owen Sound Trade Show Tuesday, Oct. 19 Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre, Owen Sound MarilynN@ragbos.com

Ottawa Real Estate Board Trade Show Thursday, Oct. 28 Centurian Conference Centre Ottawa Wilda Brown – wilda@oreb.ca Victoria Real Estate Board Real Estate Expo 2010 Thursday, Oct. 28 Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney, B.C. Linda Duchesne - 250-920-4654 or lduchesne@vreb.org National Association of Realtors 2010 Conference and Expo Nov. 5 – 8 New Orleans www.realtor.org/convention.nsf/

We now spend more money trying to stop spam and junk messages in our emails from people who somehow get our names on their “list”, than we used to spend in postage and proper advertising. Here is my advice to anyone wanting to promote their product or service: advertise honourably in a proper medium. Pick an established credible medium you know people read, or listen to or visit on the Internet. Use a medium that presents information and news objectively. Advertise in a newspaper or website where people go of their own volition. I confess that I do not really know how to describe social networking but I know one thing for sure. Sending out messages by computer to people that you do not know is not social networking. Be careful that you don’t find yourself thought of as a social predator from back in the ’60s. Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email heino@remonline.com. REM

Mississauga Real Estate Board 2010 Election Meeting and Trade Show Wednesday, Nov. 17 Versailles Convention Centre, Mississauga Gay Napper – 905-608-6732 Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services Sales Rally, Trade Show and Education Event Thursday, Nov. 18 Lejardin Conference Centre Woodbridge, Ont. Nancy Sears – nancy.sears@prudential.com CAAMP Canadian Mortgage Conference and Expo Nov. 21 – 23 Palais des congrès de Montreal Montreal www.mortgageconference.ca Buffini & Company Turning Point 2010 Dec. 6 – 7 Metro Toronto Convention Centre Toronto www.buffiniandcompany.com Compiled with the assistance of Bob Campbell at Colour Tech Marketing, www.colourtech.com

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