September 2009 - Web Edition

Real Estate Marketing

Issue #243

News

September 2009

Ken MacKenzie FVREB’s EO rides off to new adventures Page 8

Buying the college dorm Page 14

Surf’s up! Google Wave’s real estate potential Page 24

Mortgages

Te c h n o l o g y

Opinion

3 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

Former broker takes complaints to YouTube Peter Ysselstein says the Real Estate Council of Ontario’s failure to enforce its mandate has driven him out of business By Don Procter He says the verdicts handed down by RECO from the complaints he filed resulted in little disciplinary action against the brokers and sales reps.

A

former Guelph, Ont. real estate broker has settled into life as a farmhand in Prince Edward Island, claiming he was pushed out of the real estate business in Guelph by the local real estate community and the Real Estate Council of Ontario’s “failure to protect the public interest.”

When Peter Ysselstein, 52, set up NetPlus Realty in Guelph in 2002, home sales boomed in the first few years. But the business tailed off significantly by 2005 and never recovered. He claims he was blackballed by the real estate community because of his company’s flat fee rate structure.

He offered an average of a 1.5 per cent commission on home sales.

But Ysselstein’s problems started even before he set up NetPlus Realty. The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) disciplined him for what it alleged was a breach of RECO’s Code of Ethics when Ysselstein distinguished himself from a religious group in a brochure advertisement, and used that distinction as a reason why consumers should do business with him. Ysselstein served two years probation and had to pay costs of $800.

The company Ysselstein worked for at the time, Re/Max Realty Specialists, was assessed a $2,000 administrative fine and

ordered to pay costs of $900 because it didn’t properly review Ysselstein’s ad before publication.

Ysselstein says he made an additional $500 donation to B’nai B’rith Canada and planned to enroll in an “anti-hate” seminar presented by the Jewish advocacy organization. That seminar, however, amounted to $60 worth of literature that he was told by B’nai B’rith to take home and read.

From his home in PEI, Ysselstein told REM that he has some big beefs with RECO, calling its conduct toward him “discriminatory and prejudicial”.

He is upset with how the council handled some of his many complaints about attacks made on his character by other brokers and sales reps in Guelph while he was at the helm of NetPlus Realty.

“RECO permits registrants to pressure and threaten real estate customers that if they do not pay the going 2.5 per cent selling broker commission rate, that their properties will take longer to sell, not sell, or will sell for less money because of the length of time they remain on the market,” Ysselstein wrote in a letter to REM. “RECO permits registrants to use terms such as ‘blackball’ and ‘boycott’ in discussing the business practices of NetPlus Realty.”

Furthermore, RECO, he says, took “way too long” to deal with his complaints, including one he filed in December 2002. RECO’s decision wasn’t handed down until June 2006. The complaint was against an agent who published an ad that denounced flat fee real estate commission rates in a local newspaper.

RECO’s decision was to warn the agent to discontinue the activity.

Another complaint Ysselstein filed in 2005 against a registrant wasn’t closed by RECO for more than two years and no disciplinary measures resulted.

He says realty companies with different commission rate structures such as his former company, NetPlus Realty, are treated unfairly by RECO when complaints are raised.

Ysselstein says that RECO’s policy concerning complaints is to deal with most of them within a six- to eight-month period.

Why did his complaints take so long to resolve?

Sherri Haigh, RECO’s manager of communications, says the council does not speak about the specifics of any cases, but that it hands down decisions on about 85 per cent of the complaints within six to eight months of the date they were filed with RECO. “However, this is a legal process and, as is the case with other regulatory bodies, complaints can take longer to resolve,” she says.

There are a number of circumstances that affect the length of time for resolution, she says. They include: obtaining a “permission to share” from

the complainant (allowing RECO to share the complaint with registrant involved); the complexity of the complaint; delays by the respondent; changes or additions to complaints or to responses from the registrant; research required for further information; the availability of witnesses to conduct interviews; the availability of all parties for a discipline hearing if that occurs, and the appeals process.

During the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the council opened 1,158 complaint files and closed 1,474 files, she says. “While these files are not necessarily related to each other, it is an indication that RECO remains very active in dealing with complaints.”

Ysselstein, who closed NetPlus Realty one year ago, is still licensed to sell real estate in Ontario but he has no plans to return to the business.

“RECO has failed to protect the public interest by not providing a fair, safe and informed marketplace regarding commission rates and ethical behaviour,” Ysselstein says.

“And, RECO officials have allowed their personal feelings and dislike for Peter Ysselstein to jeopardize their terms of the Administrative Agreement with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.”

Ysselstein has posted several videos on YouTube outlining his concerns about RECO and the brokers and sales reps in Guelph, including a taped conversation with a sales rep at an open house. He says he embarked on the campaign in hopes that Realtors with similar problems will muster the courage to come forward with their own complaints. REM

‘I’m just being honest’ Here are some of the statements that Peter Ysselstein alleges were made

by Guelph real estate brokers and sales reps concerning his discount company.

• Question from buyer: “Now, is that 2.5 per cent to the selling broker negotiable?” Answer: “No, because if we put it lower, nobody is going to come and show your house. Usually when people bring the buyer, we get 2.5 per cent. Why would we show it for less?”

• “I know that NetPlus is offering to a selling broker 1.5 per cent. You see how many people will show it because you know, everyone wants to get paid. I’m just being honest.”

• “You go for the small company and go for the discount agent, I suggest that you sell by yourself, it is the same thing.”

• “No Realtor will work with him, no Realtor will show the property…I can show you how long their homes have been on the market because they usually sell themselves because another Realtor from another company will not show their properties.”

• “I don’t mind competition, but the guy, he sells houses, but sometimes he’s a bit shady.”

• “To be truthful with you, agents actually try to avoid his listings.”

• “So Mr. Ysselstein, or NetPlus is offering a commission split of one per cent, so the buyer has to make up the difference out of their pocket to pay the real estate agent that money. Would you want to do that?”

4 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

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

M

awhinney Real Estate in Saint John and Sussex, N.B. has shut

down.

After opening his firm with 20 sales reps in January, and expanding to the second office and growing to 62 sales reps, Marc Mawhinney shocked the

real estate community in August by announcing that the independent firm was closing its doors.

“We came in with a big bang,” Mawhinney told the Saint John Telegraph-Journal. “I think it was just too much, too soon.”

Mawhinney, who was former-

Staff and energetic supporters of Re/Max Welland Realty took part in the Welland, Ont. Rose Festival Parade recently. Planning for the event began six weeks before the parade, and it took two full days to decorate 48-footlong float.

Century 21 Bravo’s new offices in Calgary.

ly with Royal LePage and Re/Max, launched the real estate firm as part of the Mawhinney Group, which included companies that specialize in mortgages, property management, home staging and lawn care. The group also had a charitable body, The Mawhinney Foundation, whose goal was to help the neediest in New Brunswick’s communities.

At the launch, Mawhinney said, “We’re going to be offering a different type of real estate company. Our model is more of a teambased approach, where agents work together rather than compete against one another.”

But reports say Mawhinney couldn’t afford the business model, in which he paid for all of his agents’ expenses, including buying advertisements and paying the costs of their signage.

Mawhinney says he is now thinking about the future of the other companies in his organiza-

tion, and he promises that he’ll soon have more to say on his real estate blog.

■ ■ ■

Long-time real estate professionals Garry Bhaura and Sukh Bhaura have opened a new office in Brampton, Ont. – Century 21 President Realty.

Garry Bhaura is a 10-year veteran of the real estate industry.

The full-service office will serve the city from its location at 27 Armthorpe Rd. ■ ■ ■

Danny Moase, president of the Board of Directors for the Prince Edward Island Real Estate Board, is now the franchisee of Exit Realty P.E.I. in Charlottetown.

“Danny has been helping people with their housing needs for the past 31 years; the first 17 years in home construction and home renovation, and the past 14 years in the real estate business. He is a consistent top producer who understands the value of service and building relationships,” says Ed Martens, Exit senior vice-president. “We are proud to have Danny on board. His intentions are to build the largest and most productively successful real estate company on the island and we

Darren Martel and Kira Cope

fully expect that he will accomplish his goals.”

Formerly the owner of Realty Advantage, Moase has moved his operation into a substantially larger location that was previously occupied by another real estate company. The firm has 3,500 sq. ft. of space.

“I have already gone from three to nine agents in just a matter of days. I have big plans ahead of me and this is just the beginning,” Moase says.

■ ■ ■

Elmar Moser and his team of real estate practitioners formerly operating as Sutton Group Granite Hill Realty Inc. in Toronto have joined Royal LePage Real Estate Services.

■ ■ ■

Larry Mandlsohn has been named general manager of HomeLife Realty Services.

Mandlsohn will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of HomeLife in Canada, with a focus on franchise development. He will also manage all activities associated with implementation, change management, communication strategy and educational components related to HomeLife’s various programs, the company says.

Mandlsohn started his real estate career in 1978, and progressed to become a broker in 1982. After managing a HomeLife office for six years, he managed a Re/Max office for five years and then a Century 21 office for six years. He was on the Ethics Committee of the Toronto Real Estate Board for three years, was a vice-chair of TREB’s Professional Standards Committee for two years, and was on the Board of Directors and chair of the Membership Committee for the York Region Real Estate Board.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Alpine Realty (an iREALTY office) in Calgary has opened a new “virtual” office that it says boasts the most current use of technology and has implemented paperless and green strategies.

The office has leased just 1,200 square feet, compared to typical real estate offices at 4,000 to 8,000 Garry Bhaura

Danny Moase

Jessica Stoner

Graham Wilson

Continued on page 6

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6 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

Women decide faster than men - survey W

hen it comes to the home-buying decision, women make up their minds quicker than men, according to a survey by Coldwell Banker Real Estate.

When asked how long it took before they knew their home was “right” for them, almost 70 per cent of women had made up their mind the day they walked into the house, versus 62 per cent of men. Conversely, significantly more men needed two or more visits: (32 per cent of men versus 23 per cent of women).

Coldwell Banker engaged a third-party research firm, International Communications Research (ICR), to delve into the inner-psyche of men and women, asking questions such as,

Multiple Listings Continued from page 4

square feet. “Instead of pouring money into office space and furnishings, I have chosen to invest dollars in technology that will allow my agents to provide superior and more convenient service to their clients,” says broker/owner Jessica Stoner.

Each sales rep based out of the office has 24-hour-a-day secure access to their paperless documents and the contracts needed in a real estate transaction. With the use of Internet Air Cards, or “rocket sticks”, agents can now meet clients anywhere it is convenient, the company says. Many are using tablet computers that allow contracts to be signed directly on the screen to negotiate and close a deal.

“Going paperless and training

SEPTEMBER 2009 Cover photo: CRAIG HODGE

“If you found the home of your dreams but had concerns about its security, would you still be interested?” Coldwell Banker also surveyed couples on additional topics, such as, “Who wears the pants in the relationship?” when it comes to making major financial decisions.

“The results were surprising,” says Diann Patton, the Coldwell Banker consumer spokesperson.

“Not only did we uncover some of the inherent differences between men and women, but we also pinpointed a number of ways that the two genders are actually the same. For example, both men and women are increasingly concerned with having a space to work in their homes – something we would

not have seen 40 years ago. We also found that feeling insecure about a home’s safety is a dealbreaker for most people, regardless of gender.”

Some other highlights from the survey: • Women would rather live closer to their extended family than to their job. Fifty-five per cent of women find it more important to be closer to their extended family (those that do not live in their household) than to their job, compared to only 37 per cent of men.

• Sixty-four per cent of women said that if they found the home of their dreams but had concerns about its security, they would no longer be interested. More than half of men agreed

agents in online marketing techniques will change the reality of a traditional real estate transaction,” says Eldon Ash, the regional executive vice-president of Re/Max of Western Canada.

“Consumers will start to recognize the value of mobility and environmental awareness that comes with dealing with a virtual office.”

age with partner Darren Martel.

They also own and operate Dominion Lending Centre Altra, which provides mortgage financing and financial consolidation for their clients.

Royal LePage Connect Realty has 120 sales reps – 50 in the new office and 70 in their office in Durham, Ont. There are also 20 support staff members and four managers.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Connect Realty in Toronto is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary, and to celebrate created a fresh new look for a new Kingston Road office. The new facility is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and replaces a 25-year old location a kilometer away.

“It is great to have a state-ofthe-art facility with a superior location, finishes and layout,” says Kira Cope, who owns the broker-

■ ■ ■

Century 21 Bravo Realty has opened a second location in Calgary South on the corner of 24 Street and 114 Ave. SE. “This is an excellent location for us because 60 per cent of the population of Calgary lives south of the 17 Ave. SW and we are right where our clients live and work,” says Graham Wilson, broker/ owner of the company. “Our new office is only minutes from

(51 per cent).

• When asked who wears the pants in the relationship (when it comes to major financial decisions, such as purchasing a home), almost 70 per cent of respondents living with their significant other said it’s mutual.

However, 23 per cent think that they, themselves, wear the pants in the relationship, not their partner. More men than women said this (26 per cent versus 20 per cent, respectively).

• When the respondents were asked how they would use an extra 12 x 12 room if it could be anything they wanted, men and women agreed on the top three most popular, and very practical, responses: bedroom - 25 per cent, office/study - 15 per cent, family Qearry Park, which is Calgary’s leading new commercial and residential community.”

A member of the Calgary Real Estate Board since 1988, Century 21 Bravo has more than 100 sales reps. It also provides in-house legal, mortgage and appraisal services.

■ ■ ■

Ashlar Urban Realty in Toronto has joined NAI Global’s Canadian network. The firm will now operate as NAI Ashlar Urban.

The firm offers acquisition/ disposition services, landlord and tenant representation, lease negotiation, portfolio disposition and development services to its roster of more than 3,000 clients.

In 2008, the Ashlar team closed more than $125 million in property sales and leased more than 430,000 square feet of space.

room/den: 11 per cent.

• Out of the eight per cent who indicated they would turn that spare room into an entertainment centre, it was a preponderance of men leading the charge. Four times as many men as women said they would use the extra space for recreation/ entertainment.

“These results further validate how critical it is for couples to recognize each other’s differences and work together, from deciding a neighbourhood to how to use a spare room,” says Patton. “Online tools and the expertise of a real estate professional can be particularly helpful for couples, especially if they work together step-by-step along REM the way.”

Craig G. Smith is president of the firm.

NAI Global’s Canadian Network includes 10 other offices operating under the NAI Commercial umbrella in Calgary, Edmonton, Gatineau, Que. Halifax, Langley, B.C., Montreal, New Westminster, B.C., Ottawa, Vancouver and Victoria.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Kelowna has moved to a new office in West Kelowna.

Broker/owner Cliff Shillington says, “We are very pleased with the look of our new office and particularly the convenient location.

Since we are in the heart of the expanding new business centre of the Westside, it offers greater accessibility to our clients and terrific exposure to the public.”

The new office is at 2205 Louie Dr. Re/Max Kelowna has more than 130 sales reps. REM

Publisher HEINO MOLLS e-mail: heino@remonline.com

Editor JIM ADAIR e-mail: jim@remonline.com

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

If you have industry news or want us to know about your company or services

General Manager JOHN COOPER e-mail: john@remonline.com

Senior Editor KATHY BEVAN e-mail: kathy@remonline.com

Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com

Email jim@remonline.com

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

Art Director LIZ MACKIN Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY

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 2009 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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2/11/09 2:30:40 PM

8 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

In conversation with Ken MacKenzie

REM: Your Fraser Valley board, with its 3,000 members, has been very active on the national as well as the local stage – what are some of the factors that have made that possible over your past 30 years as EO of FVREB? MacKenzie: The size of our board seems to be really good. We can do certain things because we have a good, solid membership, but we’re still small enough to be able to react rapidly and to make changes quickly.

We have had a lot of successes.

We were not founders of MLS.ca and RealtorLink, but we were certainly in the leading group for MLS.ca and for RealtorLink.

Those two initiatives – that are serving the real estate industry so well – were part of our initial plans and we were one of the two or three boards that were pressing for these initiatives at the beginning.

We now have five boards in the group that share an MLS system – the three of us (Fraser Valley, Vancouver and Chilliwack

boards), plus the B.C. Northern and the Kootenay boards. The REB4 group has been a real benefit to us too. Joining together with Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton has given us a combined purchasing power that has been significant. We’ve also benefited from our combined intellect.

When we’re able to get together as a group, we can brainstorm and come up with some great ideas.

We have a culture here in B.C. of pulling together. We have a Spirit of Co-operation agreement among all the boards in B.C. The model here is that you can list a property anywhere in the province on any MLS system in B.C. A Prince George Realtor can list a property in the Fraser Valley on our MLS system.

It’s a model that others are looking at. It’s been unique in Canada and it’s worked superbly for us.

Locally, we developed Webforms that are now being used by 70,000 Realtors in Canada.

Every real estate board in Canada is now on Webforms. We recently entered into the U.S. and did a test market in Minnesota, bringing Webforms to their 20,000 members. That’s going over really well and I expect we’ll see future developments of Webforms outside the country.

REM: What would you say has had the greatest influence on Realtors and boards over the past three decades?

MacKenzie: The switch in technology has been the biggest influence over the past 30 years.

Thirty years ago, who would have thought of an MLS.ca or Realtor.ca or intranet or anything of that nature? We were still printing out listing cards.

The world is changing so rapidly, Realtors need to keep at the forefront and they are hoping their boards will help keep them there.

It’s important for boards to be leaders. Disintermediation hasn’t gone away – in particular, there are still a lot of technical people who would like to see Realtors eliminated by technology. We need to stay abreast of modern technology to ensure that the Realtor does stay at the centre of the transaction.

REM: How has the role of executive officer changed since you first took on this position in 1979?

MacKenzie: It’s a leadership role today, whereas it was an administrative role before. Boards didn’t look to staff 30 years ago for the leadership they look to staff to provide today. If you’re not involved in and leading strategic planning, you’re not being an effective leader today. And you build a team around you. The measure of my success is not me, it’s the people I have around me. You couldn’t possibly have one person doing all of the work that the team does here.

aware about anti-competition concerns?

MacKenzie: We had good company back then – there were nine different boards across the country that were served by search warrants. We went through 10 years of hell with that, with both the Competition Bureau investigation and a lawsuit that followed.

I tell members to think of a meeting as a transcript. You can be sitting around the table and someone makes some smart-alecky remark about doing something

I know that the Competition Bureau will be anxious to find something that they can sink their teeth into and they’ve warned us that they’re going to be looking for jail terms, if they find anything.

But the marketplace has looked after it – there is no such thing as common commission rates, as the business models are all over the wall. So I really don’t think the Bureau has anything to worry about anymore.

REM: The Competition Bureau was raising concerns about

REM: Early in your tenure, communication between your board and your members was a challenge. How has that communication changed over the years?

MacKenzie: We struggle with it constantly – it’s like the old expression, “they don’t read what we send them”. That’s as true here as it is anywhere.

We have a rule of five, which is we communicate five ways with our members whenever we have anything important to communicate. We have newsletters we send our brokers, newsletters we send to members, emails, flyers about education seminars – a whole raft of ways we communicate.

One of the best communications we have, though, is through our breakfast meetings. Every year we hold five different breakfast meetings throughout the board.

We invite all the members to come out for a free breakfast and we go through a presentation of two and a half hours of material to update them on everything we think they need to know or ought to know.

This is board-driven, just trying to get messages across. It’s become very successful, so we’ve expanded it and emphasized it more over the years.

REM: Another challenge for FVREB during your tenure was the anti-competition investigation the Competition Bureau launched in the late 1990s against your board and others. Do you think this past history makes your members more

PHOTO: CRAIG HODGE

O

ne of Canada’s longestserving executive officers has retired from the real estate industry. Ken MacKenzie was originally hired by B.C.’s Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) in 1979. During the 30 years since, MacKenzie and the FVREB have been prominently involved in a number of key technology initiatives that are now national in scope, including MLS.ca (now Realtor.ca), RealtorLink and Webforms. Regionally, MacKenzie’s board helped break new ground by joining with the boards of neighbouring Vancouver and Chilliwack to create a single Lower Mainland MLS system for the all three boards to access in 2002. Two years later, alongside the Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton boards in the REB4 group, FVREB helped launch the cross-border MLXchange, a single commercial MLS system linking Realtors across the B.C./Alberta border.

During his final month as FVREB executive officer, MacKenzie talked about some of his board’s successes and challenges with REM senior editor Kathy Bevan.

wrong, as black humour. When you put that into a transcript, it doesn’t come across as humour at all and it can be devastating. We went through that, because we had tape recordings of meetings and side comments that weren’t even part of the meeting would be twisted to make us look bad.

MLS.ca, while CREA and real estate boards across the country wrestled with this website’s branding. Now that the site has been rebranded Realtor.ca, do you think your concerns about diluting the MLS brand were justified?

Continued on page 10

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MacKenzie: I had concerns that we were losing the advantage we had with the MLS brand. I recognized the difficulties people were having, because consumers were confusing MLS.ca with what MLS is and misunderstanding things. I never had that concern because I felt that a consumer approaching a Realtor with some misunderstandings was never a bad thing – that’s what a Realtor does, puts aside a consumer’s misunderstandings and explains things. So it’s a good talking point for Realtors, no matter what.

But in any event, the day was won by those who wanted to change the name and I’m very pleased that this didn’t have a devastating effect on the usage of MLS.ca. It’s still an absolutely great, meaningful tool for Realtors and serving them very, very well – it has from the very beginning.

And we’ve always felt that our board’s participation helped it along its way. Fraser Valley and a few other boards got it started and we’re pretty proud of that.

The benefit of MLS.ca – now Realtor.ca – is the quantity of data it contains. Virtually all MLS listings in the country are there and the quality is there too – these are all active listings. On other systems you can see listings up there for years after they’ve expired or been sold.

The numbers – three million unique visitors a month – are holding. That’s a very impressive number, in a country with 30 million people.

REM: On a community involvement level, I understand the library on the Surrey campus of Simon Fraser University has been named in perpetuity after the Fraser Valley board?

MacKenzie: We’re very proud of that. We were instrumental in forming a group to get a university south of the Fraser River.

Our participation in post-secondary education south of the Fraser River was really bad. So we set about to see what we could do about that. I joined with two other people and we formed a Fraser Valley University Society, to get a university south of the Fraser River. That evolved and developed

and we had thousands of members join that society and we lobbied and pushed and pressed to get a university.

We got the Technical University of B.C. as the first postsecondary degree-granting university south of the Fraser that was a full research university. But it ran into financial difficulties and a new government came in and asked Simon Fraser University (SFU) to come out and take it over and run it as the Surrey campus of SFU. This campus continues to be wildly successful, bursting at the seams, continuing to try to expand to take all the people who want to get into this university.

There’s a huge real estate spinoff. Having a university here attracts business, it attracts people – not only the professors and those working at the university, but just having a university available attracts residents here as well. It’s been a huge boon to Surrey – Surrey now holds the university up as one of the highest benefits of living in Surrey. We’re very proud to have this university here and that the library on campus has been named after the FVREB, with a big plaque acknowledging our contribution to establishing of that university.

Boards and Realtors across the country are doing these kinds of things – our Realty Watch program is another good example – to improve the society that we live in.

Realtors are anxious to do that – it’s good for business, but these are their communities too and they want their communities to be successful.

REM: What do you think the focus will be for the real estate industry in the near future, as you step down from your executive position?

MacKenzie: I think the emphasis will be on image and ethical behaviour.

The system that Fraser Valley has here for discipline and for promoting ethics has been copied by many boards. We’ve received several awards for improving ethics – including the Ethics award from CREA this year, which was based on our eight-point program to improve ethics in the industry. I think that the industry will focus there in future – on ethics and professionalism and promoting the image of Realtors. REM

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12 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

Real estate is now the fashion Former fashion designer and Shopping Channel TV star Anita Rozenblat is now a top sales rep in the Montreal area

By Danny Kucharsky

A

nita Rozenblat once had a life in the limelight, appearing regularly on The Shopping Channel to sell her own fashion line. She dined on Caesar salads with Joan Rivers and sipped Diet Cokes with Sylvester Stallone’s wife in the greenroom.

But she’s given up all that to become a top real estate agent in her hometown suburb of Montreal.

Now, after being in the business for only 2 1/2 years, she’s won a Centurion Excellence Award from Century 21, for having sold 40 properties last year worth more than $18 million.

Rozenblat doesn’t miss her past life for a second and “I’m not at my peak yet,” she says.

Rozenblat’s current career is a long way from organizing fashion show benefits, which is how she got her start in the clothing business as a teen. After witnessing a downright bad fashion show at a Montreal nightclub, she walked up to a well-known local personality and told him how horrible she thought it was. Unbeknownst to Rozenblat, he was the organizer. He

asked her if she thought she could organize a better fashion show, leaving her little choice but to take up the challenge. Fortunately, her fashion show turned out well and several followed suit, with Rozenblat raising money for causes ranging from children with AIDS to juvenile diabetes. After organizing the shows part-time for five years, she decided to design her own fashions.

Rozenblat created a collection of comfortable, high-end leather stretch wear, targeted at women aged 30 and up. The collection of jackets, shirts and pants was ideal for women whose bodies had changed through weight gain, weight loss or childbirth, and helped them “create that body that we once had.”

It sold under the Alfred Chung name in Winners in Canada and T.J. Maxx in the U.S. and U.K. After a buyer asked her to create an additional name for her clothing line, she came up with one while reading an alphabetical book (“A is for apple…”) to her young daughter. At the letter M, there was moss

on one page and mosquito on the next. Et voila: Mosskito.

One of Rozenblat’s goals was to get her fashions exposed on Canada’s Shopping Channel. After five years of trying, she finally convinced a buyer to give her chance.

“To have a collection of clothing on a shopping channel is a really big privilege,” she says. For the next several years she was a regular staple on TV, presenting an exclusive line on the Toronto-based network.

“I had a lot of fun and met a lot of people, but that wasn’t where I wanted to be. Travelling is great if you’re single and have no commitment to a family.” But Rozenblat, who has two daughters, eventually tired of the regular trips to Toronto and eating chicken wings alone in a hotel room. “I felt that if I was going to work hard and be away from my family, I’d rather do it here in my own hometown.”

Several people told Rozenblat she’d be a natural for real estate, and she decided to take the plunge, taking real estate courses at night while winding down her fashion business of 17 years.

“It was time for a new challenge,” she says. “I love talking. I’m just a people person. I can almost sell anything, I believe.” After selling fashion for years, “selling a home was not going to be a difficult task,” Rozenblat says – she would just have to learn about things like foundations and electricity.

When Rozenblat told friends she was going into real estate, they told her it was the best decision she’d ever made. As an added bonus, five listings were handed to her by friends and acquaintances upon her debut in the business.

Rozenblat decided to focus on two areas – Côte St. Luc, the westend Montreal neighbourhood where she’s lived most of her life, and nearby Hampstead. Having a large network and family helped her land listings quickly. So did her TV notoriety: clients still say, “‘Oh, I remember you from the Shopping Channel, and I still have some of your clothing.’ It shows that my clothing had some quality,” she says.

Rozenblat, who works for Century 21 Vision, now believes

Realogy losses narrow to $15 million

D

rastic cost-cutting measures helped real estate franchisor Realogy Corp. limit second-quarter losses to $15 million, despite a $371million decline in revenue from a year ago.

Realogy, which in February was forced to respond to rumours that it could be forced to seek bankruptcy protection – had posted a $259 million net loss in the first three months of the year, due in part to interest payments on its massive debt.

The company said recently that it had $356 million in cash on hand as of June 30, and that the 5.1-to-1 debt ratio on $3.4 billion in senior secured debt remains within the maximum 5.35-to-1 ratio stipulated in its credit agreement. The

maximum steps down to 5.0-to-1 on Sept. 30, however, and then to 4.75-to-1 on March 31, 2011.

Realogy has said private-equity firm Apollo Management LP has pledged to help the company maintain its debt ratio and cash flow through the end of this year.

At $1.018 billion, second-quarter net revenue was down 27 per cent from a year ago. Gross commission income fell by $294 million, to $746 million, a 28-per-cent decrease from a year ago.

But Realogy also slashed $400 million in expenses, reducing spending by 28 per cent from a year ago to $1.036 billion.

Realogy has “worked diligently to create efficiencies and act upon cost-saving opportunities within our businesses, and we will contin-

ue to do so,” chief financial officer Anthony Hull said in a news release.

Commissions and other agentrelated costs were down 30 per cent, to $477 million, while operating expenses for the quarter were down nearly 26 per cent, to $313 million. Realogy slashed spending on marketing for the quarter by 25 per cent, to $45 million.

Transaction sides and average home-sale price were down at both NRT, the company’s owned brokerage unit, and at companies within the Realogy Franchise Group, including Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA, and Sotheby’s International Realty.

Transaction sides within Realogy Franchise Group fell eight

per cent, to 259,476, and the average home-sale price fell 15 per cent, to $188,489. Transaction sides at NRT were down nine per cent from a year ago, to 72,362, and the average home-sale price was off 24 per cent, to $378,870.

Compared to a year ago, average broker commission rates were up at NRT and companies within the franchise group. Within Realogy Franchise Group, average broker commission rates per transaction side were 2.57 per cent, up five basis points from 2.52 per cent a year ago but unchanged from the first quarter. At NRT, the 2.52 per cent average broker commission was up four basis points from a year ago, but down three basis points from the first quarter.

– Inman News REM

Anita Rozenblat

she is the highest listing agent in Côte St. Luc. She takes on listings for all price ranges in the area – from $300,000 to $1.2 million – and deals with a demographic that ranges from young married couples to seniors.

Her quick rise through the real estate ranks has engendered “a lot of negativity from agents who don’t do as well,” she says. But, Rozenblat says, “I’m not an aggressive agent, I’m just a good agent. Frankly, the more people talk about me, the better it is for me.”

As of early May, Rozenblat had sold 15 properties this year and is on track to meet or surpass last year’s results. “Quite frankly, I believe the recession is rumour.

Whatever happens in the States doesn’t necessarily happen to us.” If homes have dropped in price, it’s simply because they were overpriced to begin with, she says.

Still, the recession has had some impact on the local market.

“The banks are not giving it away.

They’re being very difficult. Every file is stressful. Their rates are great but they’re being very finicky,” she says.

Although she’s given up her fashion career, Rozenblat discovered five years ago that she had another hidden talent: making Judaica sculptures by hand, out of mystique clay. She had an exhibition of her sculptures in Las Vegas, and has used proceeds from sales to buy a Torah at a local synagogue to honour her late brother.

Rozenblat likes the fact real estate can have positive impacts on people’s lives – citing the women in divorce cases who thank her for changing their lives through home sales. “I love this business. I wake up in the morning and look forward to going on my computer.” REM

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14 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

Buying the college dorm Buying a home for college or university students can be a good financial strategy, but special rules apply

By Judy Leibner

I

t’s not unusual to see parents buy a house for their children when they enter university or college, because they see it as a better investment than paying rent for an apartment or a room in on-campus housing. Although buying a home can be a good financial strategy, being a landlord isn’t for everyone, experts say.

Bill Warder, broker of record at The Real Estate Company in London, Ont. and a small landlord, says out-of-town parents who buy a home and sell it three or four years later will almost certainly realize a profit due to strong growth in the housing market during the last decade. Even in a flat market where there is little equity growth, parents will still earn money on the resale – instead of paying rent and having no return on their investment.

When they factor in the revenue provided from roommates,

their child could live quite inexpensively.

“At least with this approach to doing a purchase, and a three-or four-year program, the resale down the road generally gives you that money back, plus it can be a very low monthly cost because of supplemental income,” Warder says.

“The numbers really do work well for that as opposed to having the child on campus or just simply renting off-campus.”

Close proximity to campus, as well as parking, laundry facilities, a dishwasher, wireless Internet access and central air-conditioning are all desirable features that can increase the rent. Providing those amenities, however, can add renovation costs to the purchase price of a home.

Warder says investors should deal with a buyer’s agent who understands what’s involved in investment buying. The agent

should also make investors aware of electrical safety standards, fire code requirements and municipal property standards bylaws.

In most cases, buyers will have to invest in renovations so they meet those standards. Illegal bedrooms in basements that lack proper egress and don’t meet fire safety standards raise issues surrounding liability and insurance coverage, Warder says.

Joe Hoffer, a London lawyer who specializes in residential tenancy law for landlords, advises parents to purchase a home in their own name and not a corporate name. That approach ensures they will be protected if there is a dispute and one roommate needs to be removed from the home without going through a formal eviction process.

All roommates should sign a written tenancy agreement, even if the owner’s child is renting rooms

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to his or her friends. Hoffer recommends having a separate agreement for each student that doesn’t specify a fixed term. The agreement should indicate roommates will share living accommodations, including bathroom and kitchen facilities, with the owner or with a child of the owner.

Because the kitchen and bathroom are shared with the owner’s child, in Ontario the termination provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) do not apply. This exemption from the act means roommates could find themselves out on the street with little or no notice.

“It works to the benefit of the child of the owner or the owner and it works to the detriment of the prospective roommate,” Hoffer says. “They need to know, coming in, that if there’s a breach of the agreement they can be tossed out with basically no notice.”

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Those consequences should be outlined in the tenancy agreement, along with the timelines involved. In a volatile situation, for example, the agreement could stipulate the roommate would have to leave immediately. Otherwise, seven days’ notice would be given.

The tenancy agreement should also set out the monthly rent.

Hoffer recommends making the rent all-inclusive so the owner’s child doesn’t have to collect each roommate’s portion of electricity and Internet costs. The agreement should include a clause stipulating that roommates won’t abuse the utilities by operating their air conditioner while they’re at school, for example.

If the owner’s child is renting out rooms to strangers, most roommates will want to have locks on their bedroom doors. In that case, a key should be available to the owner’s child in case of an emergency.

Hoffer says it’s prudent for the owner to request a guarantor in case a roommate defaulted on the rent. And in Ontario, because the Residential Tenancies Act doesn’t apply, the owner of the property can also ask for a security deposit.

Glenn Matthews, housing mediation officer for the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College, recommends that all roommates sign a roommate agreement that outlines house rules and roommates’ responsibilities, as well as rules that concern guests, laundry, smoking and pets. Because the child of the parent/owner is representing the owner’s interests, roommates tend to look on that person as being responsible for taking care of the house.

“Putting things down on paper at least sets out some of the guidelines with regards to how people are going to live together,” Matthews says. “With bathroom chores, cleaning up the kitchen and vacuuming, you sometimes get scenarios where other roommates look at it as, ‘I’m paying you rent, now you do the work.’ The line is blurred between ‘Am I tenant or am I a roommate?’” REM

You are not alone

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16 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

OBITUARIES

Frank Sbrocchi DID YOU KNOW: More than 75% of real estate transactions are generated through repeat and referral business?*

*NAR

Customized Client Newsletters realtyreport®

Danny Brown

Real Estate Agent Market Connections Inc.® 4950 Yonge Street, Suite 101 Toronto, ON M2N 6K1 Bus: (800) 387-6058 Fax: (800) 800-7093 dbrown@marketconnections.com Greetings! You’re receiving this newsletter with hopes that you find it informative and entertaining.

If you’re thinking of making a move, or are just curious as to real estate trends in your area, please feel free to call at any time. It’s always good to hear from you!

All the best,

Danny Brown

Ghulam Badar, 53, of Mississauga, Ont. died August 6 after being pulled from the basin of the Bala Falls in the Muskoka region. He was a sales rep with Right at Home Realty.

The Bracebridge Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police say that Mr. Badar and his brother-inlaw, Nadim Shah of Hanover, Ill., dove into the fast-moving water to rescue Mr. Shah’s nine-year-old daughter, who had drifted away from

The Lowdown on Down Payments With a wide selection of properties for sale these days, and the reasonable mortgage rates available, it’s tempting for first-time buyers to push their home ownership goals forward, and for existing homeowners to consider buying a second or investment property. One question we are frequently asked is, “How much of a down payment do I need?”

A conventional mortgage requires a 20 percent down payment, while a high-ratio mortgage requires a minimum of 5 percent down. Note that as high-ratio mortgages require less cash up front than conventional mortgages, they are subject to a higher insurance premium.

The next question often broached is, “How do I come up with the funds for the down payment?”

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO CONSIDER: With the price of gas at an all-time high, do you need that second car?

Why not sell it and put that money –and savings from gas, insurance and maintenance – towards a down payment?

Did you get an income tax refund this year? A bonus from your

employer? A birthday or holiday cash gift from a family member?

Put any extra money into a separate savings account that you won’t withdraw from until you meet your savings goal. Set up an automatic savings plan so that a predetermined amount is automatically deposited into your special account every payday.

If you know anyone who is a firsttime homebuyer, make sure they know about the Home Buyers’ Plan, a federally instituted government program that allows the homebuyer to withdraw up to $20,000 per person from an RSP for their down payment.

Mr. John Sample

I invite you to call me for an idea of what’s on market, so thatSuite you 123 123theCenter Street, can set your savings goal to meet Your City, Your Province your ultimate target.

A1A 2A2

uine interest in helping others exceed their expectations,” says his obituary.

The Mississauga News reports that Phil Sbrocchi, Frank’s son, who was general manager at the brokerage, will now become broker of record. Phil told the News that more than anything else, his father was “a highly motivated individual who really believed in his work and was very passionate about it. He taught us to never be afraid to try, and don’t look at anything as impossible.”

Frank Sbrocchi died at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington after a long battle with peripheral vascular disease, the News reports.

The family says those wishing to honour his memory are invited to make a donation to the Catholic Missions in Canada or the charity of their choice.

Ghulam Badar

Market Connections Inc.®

Compliments of Danny Brown

Frank Sbrocchi, broker/ owner of Royal LePage Realty Centre in Mississauga, Ont. and a 47-year real estate industry veteran, died on July 27. He was 70.

Born in Roseto Valfortore, Italy, Mr. Sbrocchi immigrated to Canada on his own as a teenager in 1956. He married and made a home together with wife Rosa in Etobicoke, and established his own flourishing real estate business in 1966.

At Royal LePage Realty Centre, he led an office of 120 employees.

“Frank will be remembered for among other things his inspiring positive attitude and courage, his impressive work ethic and his gen-

CNSF

12345-6789 Volume 4, Issue 10

2ETAIN s 2EPEAT s Referrals

For more information on realtyreport® and other products please call:

1-800-387-6058 www.realtyreport.org 3510-08 08/12/09 R1

strates the inherent dangers of our lakes and rivers and the need to be vigilant at all times.”

Mr. Badar is survived by his wife Durre Samin and sons Moiz, 21, Anas, 16, and Daniel, 4.

Mr. Badar’s son Moiz, a student at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus, told the Globe & Mail: “Death comes to us at any moment and one must be ready for that. I’m proud of my dad. I’m proud to say he’s my dad.” REM

B.C. survey says confidence improving

A

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Call today for details.

shore. The girl was recovered safely but Mr. Shah and Mr. Badar both were pulled from the water with vital signs absent. They were transported to hospital, where Mr. Shah was pronounced dead. Mr. Badar was revived at hospital and put on life support, but he died the next day.

OPP commissioner Julian Fantino said, “This latest incident where two brave men were attempting to rescue a small child demon-

new survey of B.C. homeowners and renters on housing affordability and green housing issues suggests consumer confidence concerning real estate purchases may be improving.

Sponsored by the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA), the survey shows that four in 10 British Columbians plan or hope to purchase homes or properties within the next five years, with about half of these potential buyers expecting to do so in the next two years. A higher proportion plan to purchase in Metro Vancouver (46 per cent) than elsewhere (35 per cent), which may indicate that consumer confidence is now higher in the urban area,

says BCREA. “We’ve had five consecutive months of increasing home sales, which may suggest that the optimism uncovered in this survey is being reflected in provincial home sales,” says BCREA president John Tillie. “The May 2009 survey also revealed that people’s perception of the barriers to home ownership have also changed, which is good news for homebuyers, sellers and renters.”

Affordability continues to be the key barrier to purchase, along with concerns about job security, lowering market values and general concerns about the economy.

Compared to a January 2009 survey, a slightly higher proportion of

B.C. residents in the May survey indicated they did not have any purchase barriers at all. There was also a decrease in the number of people concerned about depreciating property values and less mention of general financial barriers.

The survey findings also revealed that making smart green choices at home is still top of mind for most British Columbians.

When asked if they were more likely, less likely or about as likely to make green improvements to their homes compared to this time in 2008, one out of every two respondents answered that they were more likely now to green their home than they were approximately one year ago. REM

Proven industry performers reveal how they doubled and tripled their businesses

How I Automatically Produce $9.7 Million per MONTH Selling Real Estate …and how you can too. My easy-to-use Real Estate System inexpensively and automatically generates prospects with absolutely NO cold-calling, and is being used successfully by over 25,000 agents from across North America.

My name is Craig Proctor, and I've been selling does NOT require you to absorb untold amounts real estate for over 20 years. At the beginning of of rejection, stress and drudgery; does not my career, I worked much too hard for every dollar require you to be out all hours or to be a I earned… just the way many of you probably are. stranger to your family.

You see, when I first started out, I made the I now consistently sell more than a home a same BIG MISTAKE most new agents make day to earn almost $4 million a year in -- I looked around and copied the Old School, commissions, and I accomplish this while traditional techniques of cold calling and door working less than 40 hours a week. This is all the knocking, chasing FSBOs, hounding Expireds, and more critical to me now that I am married with wasting my weekends at long and uneventful open three small children. houses. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

So easy and duplicatable is the system that I've developed, that it is now being used I was young and single at the time, so I was successfully by over 25,000 of your fellow agents able to basically give up my personal life in pursuit Craig Proctor, shown here with ® Dave Liniger, co-founder of REMAX from right across North America. You may have of my job. What I found was that if you're willing International, has topped the REMAX® read some of their testimonials in this publication, to work at it, and if you can get past the constant International charts for over a decade. and you can listen to agents share their success rejection and humiliation, these nauseating tasks stories first hand on my toll free eavesdrop line at 1-800-411-1107. actually can help you find prospects and clients. I'm living proof of Like me, they've found that my system allows them to earn that. In fact, at the age of 29, I actually sold enough houses to great money in real estate without having to work long or become the #1 agent worldwide for REMAX®.

Sounds great doesn't it. The problem is that inconvenient hours, or engage in the demeaning, demoralizing “I burned myself out and I quickly came to the realization that it's really tasks like cold-call prospecting that so many of you are finding almost made the hard work to sustain the energy, enthusiasm yourselves tragically consumed by. decision to leave and thick skin required to make this work day in, day out, 7 days a week and too many FREE Booklet the business.” hours a day. It seems agents have had it Explains How You Can Duplicate These Results beaten into their heads that there is a direct To order a FREE booklet which explains how Craig Proctor’s system link between hard work, long hours and income in this business. works, including proof of the success that it has brought to so many It was after doing it the hard (stupid) way for my first few years of your fellow agents, listen to a FREE recorded message that I burned myself out and almost made the decision to quit the (Toll Free call) at 1-800-270-4047 ID#1009 business altogether. or visit www.CraigProctorPlan.com But over the last 15 years, I've developed a real estate system You will not have to speak with anyone and there is that has entirely changed my life. I can prove to you that there's a no cost or obligation to order the booklet. very different, hidden business waiting for you in real estate that

These Agents Achieved Explosive and Unprecedented Growth in Their Businesses Overnight ... Here’s How! JOEY TROMBLEY, NY: “Before I started using Craig’s system, I was doing 30-40 units a year. Now I get 2-5 leads a day and will do 250 units this year. The leads are just sitting there waiting for me to pick them off.”

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18 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

president Ray Francis says.

The board sent 6,818 letters to residential buyers obtained from the MLS database for 2008.

There were 1,642 responses.

The report also contains a threeyear comparative section as a snap-shot of current trends. â&#x2013; â&#x2013; â&#x2013;

T

he Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) has released its 2008 Buyer Profile, tracking where people are coming from, what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re buying and why.

Bryan Yu, economist with the British Columbia Real Estate Association, says the VIREB Buyer Profile reveals interesting demographic trends. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A large share of buyers in the VIREB region originated from areas off the Island.

Albertans and buyers from the Lower Mainland continued to be a strong source of demand in 2008,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The relatively constant buyer activity from Alberta may pull back more than local buyer activity in the current year due to their recession, but it will like-

ly rebound in a few years as their economy improves.â&#x20AC;?

The profile shows that 34 per cent of buyers originate from the same area, 17 per cent from elsewhere on Vancouver Island, five per cent from Victoria and less than two per cent from the Gulf Islands.

From the rest of B.C. and outside of the province: 13 per cent of buyers originated from Alberta, seven per cent from Vancouver, 2.6 per cent from the Fraser Valley and 11 per cent from elsewhere in B.C. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vancouver Island continues to be a preferred destination for retirees. In 2008, 36 per cent of residential properties purchased were purchased as a retirement home, and that number is likely to increase in the future,â&#x20AC;? VIREB

William R. Brown of Brown Bros. Agencies, Victoria, has been elected chair of the Real Estate Council of British Columbia for the 2009/10 term.

Gerry Martin of B.C. Farm & Ranch Realty Corp., Abbotsford, was elected vicechair.

There are 16 members of the Real Estate Council, including three members appointed by the provincial government.

Thirteen members are chosen through an election process open to all real estate licensees in the province. The elected members are comprised of three representatives and nine brokers representing the various provincial counties. One individual is elected as the strata/rental property management member. The three government appointed

William Brown

Gerry Martin

public members are Danny Leung of Richmond, Bruce Turner of Courtenay and newly appointed member John Nagy of Richmond.

Newly elected to the council for a two-year term are: Abdul R. Ghouri, Royal Pacific Realty (Kingsway), Vancouver; Patrick Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell, Prudential Sussex Realty, West Vancouver; and R.E. Michael Ziegler, Newport Realty, Victoria.

Re-elected council members for a two-year term are: William R. Brown; Elizabeth (Liz) C. Tutt, Re/Max Nyda Realty, Chilliwack; Bryon R. Brandle,

Re/Max Armstrong, Armstrong and Re/Max-Vernon, Silver Star; and James (Jim) Gordon McNeal, Royal LePage Prince George, Prince George.

Council members with one year remaining in their terms are: William (Bill) Binnie, Royal LePage Northshore, West Vancouver; William (Bill) Phillips, Whistler Real Estate Company, Whistler; Ann Petrone, Re/Max Kelowna, Kelowna; John Finlayson, Osborne Realty Services, Duncan; Marshall Cowe, Royal LePage Coronation West Realty, Coquitlam; and Gerry Martin. REM

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20 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

TA X C H AT & OTHER MATTERS

Realty Promoter software

By Michel Chevalier

I

n my last column, I related a case history of one small company’s involvement with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

If you don’t recall, check out www.remonline.com, where you will find a posting of this and many other columns that have been published over the years…an extremely useful resource.

Last time we had reached the point where the company had won the case with CRA, which elected not to go to Tax Court on the advice of the Ministry of Justice lawyer, as it was felt they had a losing case. We will pick up the story here.

All the papers (Consents to Judgment) were signed to close the case and the company waited for the CRA Notice of ReAssessment they had been told to expect. Nothing was heard for nearly four months, until a demanding collections letter was received, followed pretty quickly by a very demanding call from CRA collections – asking for the whole amount in question, $29,000. This was disturbing.

The company had won the case but the account had not been corrected.

After a number of calls, a CRA Appeals Officer was finally reached. The whole story was explained and agreement was reached that indeed the company had won and the account needed to be updated accordingly. Another month went by and the company received a Notice of Re-Assessment that indicated that the $29,000 had been reduced to $21,000. There was no explanation to indicate how this number had been arrived at,

Taking on the tax man, part 2 but in CRA’s usual fashion there was a strongly worded demand for payment.

The taxpayer company had estimated that having won the case, they would owe something in the order of $9,000, so there was still a wide gap to reconcile.

As you might imagine, this was extremely frustrating for the company because it was continuing to consume a fair amount of time. At this stage the company spent another four hours preparing a detailed spreadsheet analysis of the original Audit Report to clearly indicate what amounts had to removed and/or corrected.

Together with this, the company requested a detailed response from CRA, and not just a number with no supporting calculations and explanations.

This latest company submission was received, digested and responded to by CRA, and here it must be noted that the CRA Appeals Officer did finally respond in considerable detail – and the gap had finally decreased significantly, to $13,000 owing.

There were some additional exchanges of phone calls and correspondence, in the course of which it became clear that the original auditor had made some incorrect assessments that were somehow not included in the objection and appeal, and for which there would therefore have to be a new objection filed.

This latest discovery amounted to approximately $1,000.

So, some eight months after the Tax Court case had been won, the company, with a considerable additional expenditure of time, was left owing $13,000 with the possibility of reducing this by another $1,000 if they decided to file a new Notice of Objection. Of the $13,000, about $4,000 was made up of penalties and interest. The calculation of penalties was clear, while the interest was very unclear. “You put the numbers in and the computer does it,” they were told. Based on all of the

foregoing, to be told that “the computer does it” did not inspire a great deal of confidence. One is left hoping that the computer is correctly programmed.

The end result of all this is a reduction in the company’s assessment of some $16,000 and some lessons learned. These basic lessons are the ‘why’ behind these two columns: • Never accept the numbers you receive from CRA as being correct; always make sure you understand and agree; • Always insist on the background calculations and assumptions to the numbers; there is no way anyone should pay a bill without understanding it; too many people just pay when it comes to CRA; • Never give up if you think you are right; having said this, I do not know yet if the company in this story will in fact file a second Notice of Objection to recover the additional $1,000…cost benefit does enter into the equation at times; • There are a surprising number of CRA staff in the various departments who are understanding and helpful; • As I have stated in earlier columns, there are mechanisms built into the system that protect and allow taxpayers to challenge CRA where it is appropriate; I hope this somewhat convoluted tale proves helpful and that it has not been too difficult to follow.

Michel Chevalier has many years of business experience, combining over 20 years managing multiple trade associations representing several dozen industries; building his own small business from the ground up and more recently as a consultant specializing in helping individuals and small business significantly reduce taxes by implementing legal business strategies. He also represents clients in audit and other difficult situations with Canada Revenue Agency.

Email: michel@mcchevalier.com; REM www.taxaction.net

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26 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

New homeowner satisfaction down in GTA, Ottawa N

ew home buyers in the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa are significantly less satisfied with their purchase experience than in previous years, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

In the GTA, overall satisfaction has decreased to 674 points (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2009, down 36 points from 710 in 2008. In Ottawa, satisfaction scored 638 points (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2009, down 43 points from 681 in 2008. This overall decline is driven by decreased homeowner satisfaction in the home readiness and service/warranty staff factors, says J.D. Power and Associates.

“Given the challenging market conditions, some builders have had to make some very tough decisions regarding their staffing models, and service levels may have suffered as a result,” says Marc Thibault, real estate practice leader at the Canadian office of J.D. Power and Associates. “Some of the service levels that homeowners may have been promised or have come to expect from earlier experiences with the builder are not being realized.”

The study measures customer satisfaction of homeowners throughout the new home purchase and early ownership experience.

Customer satisfaction is measured across eight factors (in order of importance): home readiness; service/warranty staff; home quality; physical design; price/value; sales staff; design centre; and construction/site team.

In the GTA, Brookfield Homes ranks highest in satisfying new homeowners, with an overall satisfaction score of 861. Mattamy Homes (834) and Tribute Communities (811) follow Brookfield in the GTA market rankings. In Ottawa, Monarch Corp. ranks highest, followed by Urbandale (652) and Minto (650).

The study finds that the total number of construction problems noted by homeowners following possession has increased to 27 problems per home in the GTA, from 21 in 2008. In Ottawa, the number of

problems has soared to 37 problems per home in 2009, from 26 in 2008.

“To resolve these problems, the builder’s warranty team (including trade partners) is making an average of seven service visits (7.5 in Ottawa), and each additional service visit translates into added costs for the builder and an added inconvenience for the homeowner, resulting in lost time and satisfaction,” says Thibault. “This decline in satisfaction may mean fewer referrals, which are especially important in a soft housing market. Builders depend on positive referrals from homeowners to drive as much traffic as possible to their sales centre and cannot be taken for granted.”

The study also finds that nearly two-thirds of homeowners were offered an incentive from their builder to purchase. While an upgrade credit was offered most often by builders, price discounts and paid closing costs have the greatest impact on encouraging the purchase – considered by homeowners to be twice as important as other builder incentives.

The study finds that 44 per cent of GTA homeowners (39 per cent in Ottawa) felt that their builder set realistic expectations and prepared them for what to expect with their new-home purchase experience.

Among the builders who successfully met homeowner expectations, more than 80 per cent of their buyers said that the new-home purchase experience exceeded their expectations.

Thibault says: “Homebuilders that are proactive and provide their homeowners with a comprehensive roadmap of the steps in the process, and then adhere to these commitments, may have far more satisfied buyers. When the homebuilder does not set expectations, they are typically created by the homeowner and disconnects may occur.”

While green initiatives are increasing each year in the residential construction industry, only 28 per cent of Ottawa homeowners (26 per cent in the GTA) say that their builder provided attractive green options for their new-home purchase. REM

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28 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

THE UN-COMFORT ZONE

By Robert Wilson he latest fad in motivation is the Law of Attraction, or more popularly, The Secret after the motion picture and book by Rhonda Byrne. The idea is that if you use the power of The Secret, you will attract health, wealth and friends to you in abundance.

The Secret takes an old idea and repackages it for today’s society.

The core idea is that your thoughts control the world around you. If you have positive thoughts, good things come your way. If you have

T

The secret without the voodoo negative thoughts, then bad things come your way. In other words, if you wish hard enough for the things you want, you will get them.

Simple. Or is it? If it were simple, countless people throughout history would have figured it out over and over, and it would not be much of a secret. Perhaps it takes a little more effort than suggested – or perhaps it is just a pipe dream.

As modern educated people, we need more proof. In order to make it palatable to the skeptic in us, The Secret adds an element of science. We are told that quantum physics has identified that all things at the sub-atomic level exist as both particles and as waves – constantly shifting between being solid matter and being pure energy. It is then proposed that our thoughts create brain waves, which in turn influence the sub-atomic waves of the entire universe. The Secret claims that the more intent you are in your wish, the faster the universe will act upon it. Is it real, or is it voodoo science?

If real, it sounds wonderful!

Now, if I understand correctly, if I wish real hard I can become a concert pianist and play to a sold-out audience in Carnegie Hall. I only see one hitch: I’ve never had a piano lesson in my life.

The Secret also presents the Law of Attraction as if it had been intentionally kept hidden for centuries. That it was suppressed and held by a few conspirators so that they could control all the wealth of the world. Unfortunately, that notion is nothing other than a marketing ploy to generate interest in the book. It also contradicts the concept of Law of Attraction.

The idea that a select group of people have kept it away from the masses intentionally preys on the destructively negative emotion of envy.

To the contrary, people who have understood the Law of Attraction have made numerous attempts at sharing it with the world at large. The best example is Andrew Carnegie, who was one of the most successful so-called “robber barons” of the Industrial Age. Carnegie hired Napoleon Hill to

research the most successful people in the world, how they got that way, and then record his findings in a book. The book is Think and Grow Rich and was published in 1937.

The best thing about Think and Grow Rich is that it takes the mysticism out of the Law of Attraction. So, for those of you who find wishing on a star a bit difficult to swallow as a method for acquiring wealth, here is the real secret.

Identify your goal. Make a written plan to acquire that goal.

Work your plan persistently.

Give it your time, attention and energy. The more time and effort you give, the quicker you will achieve it. Visualize it coming to fruition. Draw it, illustrate it, photograph it, and then keep it in front of you. Revise your plan as your knowledge grows. Be open minded to opportunities that arise that may deviate from your plan, but still move you toward your goal.

The world’s most successful people were extremely focused on

achieving one goal. They focused to the exclusion of everything else including family, friends, lovers, recreation, entertainment, vacations and hobbies.

Next, tell everyone you know about your goal. Spread the word, so that people who can assist you are aware of your intentions. I truly believe that positive minded people attract more opportunities to themselves because they are so pleasant to deal with.

The formula is simple, but most of us compromise our goals because we want to enjoy a full balanced life. A life filled with friends, family and good times. We focus on our goals when time allows, and in turn, our goals take much longer to achieve. The true secret is staying focused on your goal.

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

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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34 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

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The baby boomers – the demographic that brought us rock-androll, the peace movement and the personal computer – are turning grey and starting to retire. It’s a transition that can mean changes in lifestyle and reductions in income. Are you ready for your financial change of life, and if not, how do you begin?

“It’s best to start planning while you’re still working,” says chartered accountant Robert C. Sealey, who sees some elderly, aging and notalways-healthy people in his North Toronto practice. “I try to interest middle-aged clients in doing more than a basic tax return. I encourage them to evaluate their finances, project where they’ll be in 10 years and save more so they can live better in retirement.”

Chartered accountant David Seeds, of Seeds and Company in Sharbot Lake, Ont. agrees that there is no substitute for advance preparation and good organization.

“The last day of work is not the time to evaluate your retirement finances,” he says. “Start early and map out a budget. Know what your expenses are going to be, and what sources of income you’ll have.”

Start seriously planning your retirement well before age 60, when collecting Canada Pension (CP) becomes an option. “If you begin collecting CP before age 65, you can lose up to 30 per cent of the total benefit; one-half of oneper-cent per month for every year before you’re 65,” says Seeds.

“When you reach 65, Old Age Security comes into effect, adding about $500 per month.”

Factor in any income you’ll expect from dividends, capital gains or investments such as registered retirement savings plans

(RRSPs). “The money in your RRSP must all be converted to a RRIF (Registered Retirement Income Fund) by December of the year you turn 71,” says Sealey.

“When you turn 72, a minimum amount must be withdrawn from the RIF each year, and you must pay tax on it.”

“The next consideration is claw-backs,” says Seeds. “The government can start reducing or clawing-back your Old Age Security payments by as much as 15 per cent for every dollar you make above a certain amount.”

But new rules introduced in 2007 allow spouses to split up to onehalf of qualifying pension income, so there are opportunities for some pensioners to hold on to more of their savings.

Information is power, especially as we get older and need to exercise greater care with our money. “I recommend my clients get a document organizer and put all their information about insurance, RRSPs, wills and living wills in it,” says Seeds. “Put in deeds, bank account and safety deposit box information and where the keys can be found.

“Most important,” he says, “is for people of all ages, especially seniors, to complete both financial and healthcare powers of attorney.

In the event of a serious accident or a catastrophic illness, these documents will allow those you love and trust to make decisions for you and help you manage your finances.”

Written by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.

REM

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36 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

Not quite ready for full-time?

By Jennifer Allan

W

hether or not a new agent can succeed in this business starting out part-time is a topic of much debate all over the world of real estate online forums. Rookies ask. Old fogies answer. And the discussion usually deteriorates into a contest of wills between the two camps.

I’ve written extensively on the topic and I have no problem declaring which side I fall on. I believe that this biz is tough enough to get started in without making it even harder by hitting it with only half (or less) of your

time, energy and focus. So, in case that wasn’t clear, I think a new agent oughta do it full-time, or not at all.

Oh, yes, I know the arguments. The main one is, “But I can’t afford to give up my regular paycheck yet; I need to keep my job to pay my bills.”

Others claim to know someone who managed to survive working only nights and weekends, or fitting in real estate around their “real” job.

Fair enough. My goal here is not to open that tired old can of worms yet again. You have your opinion. I have mine, she has hers and he has his. But the fact remains that most rookies fail in their real estate venture. MOST. Even the ones who think they’ll be the exception. Obviously, MOST won’t be.

I hope it’s a fair statement to say that if you want to succeed in a business, you’ll have a better chance of doing so if you give it

more effort than less effort – can we agree on that? Therefore, the ideal situation for new agents is to be able to go full-time, right from the start, right?

If we can agree on that, then how about this? If you’re cool with the idea of working your backside off on two jobs (your “real” job and your new real estate career), why not keep your day job and go get a second job that actually pays you money instead of costs you money? For six months, a year, whatever it takes to save up a nice nest-egg that will enable you to pursue your dream of being a wildly successful (full-time) real estate agent. Tend bar, deliver pizza, clean houses, tutor, mow lawns – whatever you can do in your spare time to generate some spare cash to sock away.

I promise you, this business is a whole lot more fun when you’re not freaked out about your next mortgage payment or exhausted

from trying to start a new business after a long day’s work. Those six months will fly by, and if you’re lucky, maybe the real estate market will improve by then!

Jennifer Allan is a former topproducing real estate broker, a published author, a trainer, a speaker and one of the real estate industry’s most popular bloggers. She is a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame and is currently the new-

agent trainer in her Re/Max office.

She has written five books on the art of selling real estate and has authored several courses approved for Continuing Education credit.

She says she is passionate about improving the perception of the real estate industry from the inside out not with expensive advertising, but by showing the public that we really do care about them and their most significant investment. www.SellwithSoul.com. REM

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38 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

Victoria’s secrets unearthed by collector

By Brian Slemming

T

here’s no indication that Victoria Court in Toronto’s North York, one of many office complexes there, has a name.

“The Victoria Court sign blew down in a storm earlier this year,” says Barbara Rusch, Victoria Court’s property manager, “I am working on a new sign now.” It will have a drawing of the grand old Queen Victoria. That sign, and the name of the complex, are the secret indicators of Rusch’s interests away from her real estate work.

She describes herself as “a raving obsessive/compulsive,” an admirer and expert on the life of Queen Victoria and the mores of Victorian life. In the pursuit of ever more detail about those far off times and its peoples, she has become a collector of Victorian bric-a-brac, or as she refers to her collection “ephemera.”

It’s one of those words that has developed a new meaning. Most dictionaries describe ephemera as “that which lasts for a very short time.” To collectors around the

world, ephemera means “anything that is printed as a document intended for a very short life and then to be disposed of after use. Bus and train tickets, newspapers, advertising flyers are all examples of ephemera. We are surrounded by ephemera everywhere we go,” Rusch says. “It tells us so much about the times and people for whom the ephemera was produced.”

These dedicated collectors band themselves into societies. Rusch formed the Ephemera Society of Canada in 1987 and is the current president of the group. The paradox is that these original items, destined to be discarded after use, are now keenly collected and treasured. The ephemeral articles have now taken on a life that will long outlive their collectors. The Ephemera Society and its members are in the process of changing the ephemeral into the permanent.

One large part of Rusch’s collection is made up of Victorian cards.

These include Christmas and

Valentine cards, but the real heart of her card collection is visiting or calling cards. “Because Victorian life was so severely circumscribed, there was a secret language imbued in those cards. It was almost a secret code,” she says.

Cards could contain a specific meaning when a particular corner of the card was turned down. In an 1894 book titled Enquire Within Upon Everything, readers are directed that “after a ball or party, cards should be delivered to the host within one month. It is polite to send your servant (with the card) or to deliver it yourself. In the latter case a corner should be turned down.” A turned down lower left corner implied condolences and the lower right corner meant farewell.

Cards were just one of the methods by which messages were exchanged without being expressed verbally. “Fans were another method of passing hidden messages,” says Rusch.

Again quoting Enquire Within Upon Everything: “When a gentleman presents a fan, flower, or trinket, to a lady with the left hand, this, on his part, is an overture of regard; should she receive it with the left hand it is considered an acceptance of his esteem; but if with the right hand, it is a refusal of the offer.”

Rusch started her collection in 1980. “The very first thing I started collecting was advertising trade cards. Coloured cards produced in vast quantities advertised the services or goods available in Victorian times. They were given away at the point of sale. They were one of the main ways companies or shops promoted themselves. Today they are almost completely forgotten, but that is my largest collection.”

The heart of her collection is artifacts directly associated with Queen Victoria herself. Rusch produced an impressive invitation produced on thick expensive card with beautiful copperplate handwriting, which regally and formally announces: “The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by Her Majesty to invite the Countess of Clarendon to attend the ceremony of Her Majesty’s marriage in the Chapel Royal, St James’ Palace on the 10th February 1840. Full dress. Ladies

Barbara Rusch shows off Queen Victoria’s chemise, which has a 60inch bust.

without trains.”

On the top corner of this rare artifact there appears a hand-written note, presumably written by the Countess of Clarendon herself. It says: “This will someday be a curiosity. Lord Clarendon’s name is not here because he attended the Queen’s marriage in his official capacity at the time of Lord Privy Seal.”

legs joined by a drawstring at the waist. The size of the garments says more than anything else how overweight the Queen had become, not at all like the slim young 18-yearold girl who ascended the throne in 1837.

Rusch is proud of her collection, but like all dedicated collectors she is in pursuit of what she describes as her Holy Grail. She is seeking a

“Because Victorian life was so severely circumscribed, there was a secret language imbued in those cards. It was almost a secret code.”

“It is a very great treasure,” Rusch says, “Strangely, I bought it at a collectors show in Toronto.

Invitations to the Queen’s wedding are extremely rare.”

If the invitation is at the heart of her curios, a close second and third must be two items of Victoria’s clothing. Not to put too fine a point on it, Victoria’s underwear.

“Her underwear was hand-made for her. It all carried the Royal cipher and was numbered. I bought these in an auction in England by phone,” says Rusch. The items are a chemise with a 60-inch bust and a pair of knickers, 50 inches at the waist. They were, as was the fashion of the day, crotch-less with separate

piece of Victoria’s wedding cake.

After the wedding, a cake was cut into small pieces, sealed in suitably decorated boxes and sent to people not privileged to attend the ceremony.

“I saw one of these boxes at an exhibition in London, and a few years ago one came up for auction in New York. I placed a bid but it came second so I lost out. But I keep searching.”

Will that illusive box of wedding cake take front and centre in her collection? Time will tell, but “raving obsessive/compulsives” are not easily deterred. It would be unwise to bet against her finding her particular Holy Grail. REM

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40 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas hat does Arlo Guthrie have to do with real estate? Well that’s a story in itself, involving an argument about whether the original Woodstock was in 1967 or 1969 – the theory being if you remember Woodstock, you weren’t there. I wasn’t but I do remember where I was on a weekend in July this year – at the Vancouver Island Music Fest. With Arlo Guthrie. And Jennifer Warnes. And Stephen Page. And Leonard Bibb. And Eric Bibb.

I know what you’re thinking – name dropper.

W

Three more days of peace & music Arlo sang and told stories. In the gloom of a summer evening, eyes closed, it was easy to imagine being in his living room rather than a field of 5,000 lawn chairs and blankets. He related the Bible story of Joseph “according to Arlo” describing Joseph’s search for his brothers (Genesis 37 15-17) and how an anonymous ‘man’, when asked directions, sent Joseph down the path that lead to Potiphar, Pharaoh, and ultimately to Moses, David and Jesus.

One anonymous dude standing in a field shaped history. Arlo’s point being you never know what footprints you are leaving, what directions you are giving, what example you are setting.

Jennifer Warnes – (Up Where we Belong and The Time of My Life are two of her more famous duets with Joe Cocker and Bill Medley, not to mention a ton of stuff for “our guy” Leonard Cohen, as she referred to him) sang an Arlo Guthrie song on the closing night of Music Fest – When a Soldier

Visit the new www.remonline.com Check out REM’s Real Estate Job Board Post a message on the improved REM Forum Browse through years of REM archived stories

One anonymous dude standing in a field shaped history. Arlo’s point being you never know what footprints you are leaving, what directions you are giving, what example you are setting.

Makes it Home. The lyrics are appropriate to our Canadian troops and her musicians did an incredible thing in a bridge – guitar picking America the Beautiful and O Canada. I have never heard our anthems so appropriately placed.

And the lyrics: And the living will be walking down A long and lonely road Because nobody seems to care these days When a soldier makes it home After three days of Music Fest, I had pretty much reverted to my paisley bell bottom pants days, when I used to sew Indian brass bells in the cuffs just to alert those on “the straight and narrow highway,” while I enjoyed chimes as an alternative to the sloughing of corduroy. High from second-hand sweet smoke and enjoying a blood pressure at least 20 points lower than on the festival’s opening day, the rest of the world passed us by.

As I explained to someone later, a live event like this – there are many across Canada of varying sizes – is really as simple as people watching set to incredible music.

In other words, it’s theatre.

Theatre where many people – some unwisely – remove most of their clothes. Where rail-thin vegans avoid being downwind from the burger stands and live in fear that a person carrying a beef au jus will trip in their direction. Where laughter comes easily because that’s the mood you’re in. Old Blind Dogs, a bagpipe-equipped rock and roll band from Scotland

(one of two Celtic rockers featured; the other was Enter the Haggis from Toronto) asked how many of us had been to Edinburgh.

At least half the multitude put their hands up, proving that Canadians are so polite they would lie or that the controlled substances in use combined with the bagpipe made them feel they actually were in Edinburgh.

Kevin Fox, playing cello as a sideman for Steven Page, ex of Bare Naked Ladies, reminded me strings have a place in rock music.

Big and little boys stood around a picnic table watching a facedown female body become the artist’s canvas. Some wanted to throw water on her to see if she’d sit up. Me, I was just curious about the paint – water soluble or not.

Tattoos were everywhere; one photographer posted his collection of tattoos online. Stilt walkers of all heights, gnomes and fairies and Venetian masked mimes added to the atmosphere whether there was music playing or poetry being read.

Workshops on guitar, harp, singing, song writing, and a cappella vocals committed one of six stage venues.

So Marty, where’s the real estate angle? We sat on it for three days. The preamble to the Realtor Code of Ethics says it all. “Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. . . .”

So take in a cultural event, indoors or out, and give some thought to the foundation of our culture in which we play an integral role – real estate.

“Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. . . .”

At one of five side stages, Eric Bibb drew 500 fans to a 400-seat barn where the heat and sweat from the human bodies mingled with the remnants of the former occupants – and no one cared. From Louisiana’s Red Stick Ramblers to Quebec’s Yves Lambert, folks were stomping, clapping and, if they couldn’t stand, chair dancing. Men made serious fashion misstatements, usually involving a madras tablecloth or lace curtain tucked under a hat, cinched with a belt or rope of exotic origin.

Marty Douglas is a managing broker for Coast Realty Group (Comox Valley) Ltd., managing two of 15 Coast Realty Group offices on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast of B.C. He 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, and is a current director of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. Email mdouglas@island.net; 1-800-715-3999; Fax (250) 897-3933. REM

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News and Views from The Canadian Real Estate Association

you can contact us at info@crea.ca

PROTECTION IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS In Canada, REALTORS® might be licensed real estate practitioners – but not every licensed real estate practitioner is a REALTOR®. Is there a difference? The simple answer is yes. The term REALTOR® is a trademark owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). In fact, CREA is the owner of various trademarks that can only be displayed by their members and serve to identify and brand the services of CREA, Boards, Associations and their members. While CREA owns a number of trademarks, the most widely known are the MLS® and REALTOR® families of marks.

Common Misuses of the Marks Wrong

Why

Correct

mls

All letters must be capitalized.

The ® symbol is missing.

As part of CREA’s ongoing campaign to promote and protect its trademarks, this article illustrates some key rules relating to the use of the MLS® and REALTOR® marks.

M.L.S®

The MLS® mark contains no periods.

MLS

The mark cannot be distorted.

The MLS® Family of Certification Marks

realtor

All letters must be capitalized.

The ® symbol is missing.

REALTOR®

The MLS® marks have been used in Canada since 1954 to define the standard of service provided by licensed practitioners who are members of CREA. These services are properly identified as "MLS® Services".

MLS® is only being used properly when it identifies a quality of service provided by CREA members. No other use is correct.

REALTOR®-Guy

CREA’s marks must never be combined with any other words or graphics.

REALTOR®

realtor.ca

The Realtor® term must be capitalized when referring to CREA’s website.

REALTOR.ca

All letters must be capitalized.

The ® symbol is missing.

REALTOR®

MLS® is not a noun. It is a certification mark identifying a standard of services and must always be used as an adjective.

References to “the MLS®” are always wrong.

“I placed a listing on the Ottawa Real Estate Board’s MLS® System.”

Never use adjectives with the “The Community REALTOR®”, REALTOR® mark. Adjectives give the mark a generic mean“Your Toronto REALTOR®” ing. Consumers read that as meaning “top selling real estate agent”, which is an infringement.

Top Selling Salesperson.

What does MLS® mean?

The MLS® trademark does not mean a database of listings or any other "thing". It is never to be used as a noun.

What does MLS® NOT mean?

CREA licenses its member Real Estate Boards and Associations to use the MLS® marks in conjunction with the operation of their co-operative selling systems. Those systems are correctly described as "Board MLS® Systems", and are much more than simple databases. Board MLS® Systems are the focal points through which members provide MLS® Services, and are operated under rules that ensure co-operation between members and a high level of service that satisfies the requirements of the MLS® trademark.

REALTOR “I placed a listing on MLS®.”

What does MLS® System mean?

The REALTOR® Family of Certification Marks REALTOR® and its plural form, REALTORS®, are certification marks that identify the quality of services provided by members of CREA.

What does REALTOR® mean?

The REALTOR® mark branding transcends pure service. REALTOR® is synonymous with professionalism.

And professionalism means at least three things – service, competence and ethics. All three are essential ingredients in the REALTOR® recipe.

What REALTOR® absolutely does not mean is “real estate agent”, salesperson, broker or any other job that a real estate practitioner does. It identifies only membership in CREA. Any use or display of the term REALTOR® in a way where a consumer might interpret the term as meaning “real estate agent” would be a trademark infringement. The general rule is – if the phrase "member of CREA" cannot be logically substituted for REALTOR®, then the trademark is being misused.

What does REALTOR® NOT mean?

“Top Selling REALTOR®”,

MLS®

The Community Real Estate Agent.

Your Toronto Real Estate Broker.

Internet Applications and Business Names None of CREA's trademarks are ever to be used in website meta tags.

The MLS® marks are never to be used in domain names or email addresses.

The REALTOR® marks can be used by members in domain names and email addresses as long as they are used in conjunction with the member's name (e.g. www.johnsmithrealtor.com). No other use is allowed.

A detailed description of the rules for use of CREA’s trademarks by its members can be found in the Trademark Manual available through your Board or Association or online through REALTOR Link®.

If you have any questions regarding the rules and usage of CREA’s trademarks, please contact CREA’s legal department.

42 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

THE GUEST COLUMN

An annual check-up for the maps on Realtor.ca

By Gary Little

C

REA’s Realtor.ca interactive real estate map was a preemie, born a year ago on July 2, 2008, about six months before it should have seen the light of day. As a result, it suffered from a number of birth defects, most of which I chronicled here in the pages of REM in August 2008.

The most serious problem was that prospective home buyers were unable to embrace CREA’s baby unless they happened to be using Internet Explorer on Windows or an old version of the Firefox browser.

This meant that about one in four people, perhaps many more, were very disappointed.

I have good news to report: thanks to some excellent work by some software surgeons, many of the early defects have now been corrected and the patient is expected to have a long life. However, there are still several blemishes that need prompt attention, some genetic (which may be difficult or expensive to fix) and others environmental (which can be fixed more easily).

The map’s genetic defects derive from flaws in its parents (CREA and its member real estate boards) and its grandparents (Microsoft and its licensees). Their commitment to make fundamental lifestyle changes could overcome these flaws but, inevitably, the occasional intervention by concerned friends (we agents) will be necessary to ensure continued good health.

A long-standing CREA flaw has been its apparent assumption that everyone in the general public has a computer running

The best aerial photography available for Nanaimo, B.C. on Bing (left) and Google (above). That’s the roof of the Nanaimo Bastion on Google. Good luck finding it on Bing.

Windows and Internet Explorer.

CREA rarely seems to make an effort to support anything else, particularly other important operating systems. (I just checked the statistics for my own website and 28 per cent of the visitors are running the Macintosh OS. This is an OS that CREA still says it does not support!) This just doesn’t cut it when adoption of Internet standards makes it easy for web-based software to work with virtually any modern OS and browser.

CREA’s decision last year to release a Realtor.ca map that

shut out huge numbers of potential buyers was unforgivable.

The good news is that CREA finally seems to have changed its attitude – no doubt the result of the several thousand complaints it likely received when the map was born. The map now works very well with the latest versions of the most popular browsers: Internet Explorer (Windows), Firefox (Windows and Mac), Google Chrome (Windows), and Safari (Windows and Mac). The Location box and zoom slider still drift out of position on some of these browsers and the “Save

Search” feature is inexplicably missing when using Safari, but the basic capabilities of the map work as advertised. Users of the Opera browser, very popular in Europe, aren’t so lucky because the Location box and zoom slider are both missing, making it awkward to navigate the map.

Let’s now take a close look at the grandparents. They are Microsoft, which provides CREA with the interactive map infrastructure called Bing Maps (formerly called Virtual Earth), and a handful of Microsoft’s data suppliers who provide the road

Shoreline resolution in a rural area (Madeira Park, B.C.): Bing (left) and Google (right). The Google depiction reflects reality.

maps and aerial photography.

Microsoft’s biggest competitor in the interactive map business is Google, which has created the popular Google Maps service. Bing Maps and Google Maps are quite similar in concept and functionality but, as we will see, the quality of the geographic data they present is quite different.

Let’s begin by looking at the quality of Bing’s aerial photography. What we need in a useful real estate map is the ability to examine photographs of a property so that we can discern the positions of homes and outbuildings, especially relative to neighbouring properties. I hate to embarrass the largest software company on the planet, so I won’t use the word that best describes its aerial photography, but it begins with “s-t” and ends with “i-n-k-s”.

I’m exaggerating, of course.

The aerial photography is excellent for the biggest cities in Canada. But anyone looking for homes in such backwaters as Saskatoon, Nanaimo, Thunder Bay, Lunenburg, Moose Jaw or Red Deer will be very disappointed. The resolution is so bad that it is not possible to identify individual homes.

The aerial photography used in Google Maps is far superior for these towns (the resolution is often more than 100 times better) as well as for many other towns in Canada. I have yet to find an example where the Google photography is worse than the corresponding Bing photography.

Someone at CREA needs to insist that Microsoft licence better aerial photography for Canada… or else.

The Bing road maps are certainly in better shape than the aerial photography and are similar in quality to the road maps available on Google Maps. Both suffer from infrequent updates, Continued on page 44

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It provides our staff and associates the opportunity to participate in the profits which they help generate, without assuming any financial risks.

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44 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

GREEN REAL ESTATE

By Elden Freeman

W

ith environmental concerns at the forefront of the news agenda, businesses are taking notice of the opportunity that today’s consumer mindset presents. As divided American legislators wrestle over the landmark Waxman-Markey bill, the writing is on the wall that the market is interested in goods and services that facilitate a more ecological lifestyle. The public relations arms of many companies have noticed the trend, and not always to great effect.

Guest Column Continued from page 42

however, so don’t expect to see new subdivisions show up anytime soon. The biggest problem with Bing seems to be the atrocious low-resolution depiction of shorelines in rural areas, often making them look quite distorted. Google has its own difficulties: its maps often fail to apply a blue colour to lakes and major rivers — on a large-scale map of Castlegar, B.C., for example, the mighty Columbia River passing through town is mysteriously missing.

A no-brainer requirement for any map is that towns and other landmarks be accurately positioned. If they’re not, the map is useless. CREA uses a complex address-to-co-ordinate conversion database to automate the placement of properties for sale, but the results are often unacceptable since the

The dangers of greenwashing Corporate response to widespread environmental awareness ranges from the positive and transparent to the unfortunate and deceptive. Some companies have responded well and have been rewarded, as in the case of the success of hybrid vehicles.

Even Caterpillar has developed a hybrid diesel-electric bulldozer.

But in all fields, there are organizations more interested in marketing themselves than addressing the issue. The term “greenwashing” was coined to describe the disingenuous activities of companies and organizations that pursue activities that supposedly benefit the environment but in reality are only public relations exercises without any substantial environmental benefit, or whose benefits are vague and misleading at best.

Recently controversy has erupted in the United States over which foods can be classified as “organic”, and accusa-

tions of greenwashing have been thrown around accordingly.

Certifying organizations are subject to their own pressures, and so knowing which authorities to trust can be confusing. At first glance, a lot of businesses may seem to be quite environmentally friendly, with certifications from green-sounding organizations, some which the average consumer may see quite often. The truth is that some certifying organizations are simply business-affiliated groups or lobby organizations with minimal if any certification standards. Or, sometimes certification logos of groups like EnergyStar are used without permission.

Not all greenwashing is on purpose. There are some organizations that, while well-meaning, lack the knowledge and preparedness required to fully tackle the considerable task of reducing their environmental

database often returns only rough estimates, particularly in rural areas. It also cannot handle vacant lots that do not yet have a conventional street address. My rule of thumb is that properties need to be plotted on the correct street within 50 metres of their actual location for a real estate map to be useful.

A few weeks ago an excited young couple rushed into our office, saying they had just spotted on Realtor.ca a home on 2nd Street for a very low price. “We have to see it now!” they exclaimed. After a little due diligence, we determined that the house was on 2nd Street all right, but the one located several hundred km away on Malcolm Island, off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. The couple was very disappointed. This is the type of error we need to eliminate before the public will have complete confidence in

using the Realtor.ca map.

We can fix positioning problems once and for all by making a simple change to our work environment: whenever we take a listing, we also determine the geographic co-ordinates of the property and supply them to the board. It’s so easy, but few of us seem to do it.

I suggested to my local board that it require all agents to provide co-ordinates when they send in listing details. I was met with surprising resistance: “We’re concerned about putting more requirements on agents.”

All I can do is shake my head in dismay – the location of a property is its most important attribute, especially now that CREA has made the Realor.ca map the primary tool for searching for property in Canada.

Why the specious concern for the agent – shouldn’t client satisfaction be the No. 1 priority?

So, Dr. Gary’s Rx for CREA

impact. So some bottled water companies advertise how they have reduced paper labels on their products, as opposed to evaluating the production, materials sourcing, transportation, and disposal of their product.

Realizing authentic improvements requires considering all parts of the manufacturing process, and the entire lifecycle of a product. The organizations that make a difference are those that have been diligent in their study of environmental issues, and possess the allaround knowledge to offer strong solutions that aren’t just public relations Band-Aids.

The National Association of Green Agents and Brokers provides real estate professionals in Canada with the best tools to improve their real estate practice. It provides training and educational resources to help practitioners identify environmentally friendly homes, and to

is: (1) iron out the last few browser wrinkles; (2) insist that Microsoft provide better aerial photography and road maps – or switch to a Google Maps solution if they don’t; and (3) have every board in Canada insist that agents provide geographic co-ordinates with their listing data. This prescription will ensure that our cartographic baby will grow up to become a healthy, productive adult.

Okay, it’s time for me to wrap up. I have to check out a hot $500,000 waterfront property in West Vancouver that I’ve just spotted on the map. At least I think it’s on the waterfront… and I think it’s in West Van! Gary Little is a sales rep for Royal LePage Sunshine Coast in Sechelt, B.C. He is well-known for his interactive maps of the area – real estate for sale, waterfalls and exploration. Find out more about him at www.GaryLittle.ca. REM

see how buyers and sellers can enhance property values and reduce costs by making homes more energy efficient. It also certifies real estate organizations through its corporate green real estate leaders program, identifying organizations that adopt green practices in their day-today business operation to reduce energy consumption and waste.

As well, it has partnered with home inspection leaders AmeriSpec, the nonprofit Earth Day Canada, and the Ontario provincial government to deliver programs, information, and services to real estate professionals. NAGAB’s certification is backed up by thorough research and the best environmental practices in use in the real estate business.

Identifying genuine green organizations and learning about the services and information they offer give both businesses and private individuals a leg up on coming changes that will affect business operations and personal lives in the near future.

The Waxman-Markey bill is part of a historical trend along with previous agreements like the Kyoto Accord, and both likely represent just a taste of changes to come. In time, it is probable that institutions like governmental regulators, insurers, and all manner of business will codify in policy what is now a top concern for consumers.

Organizations like NAGAB offer genuine and useful tools for meeting challenges in the more ecologically sensitive marketplace, and to excel in it.

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). Freeman says he believes that Realtors across Canada can play an important role in educating their clients on increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

(416) 536-7325; elden@nagab.org REM

46 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

The top 10 self-limiting beliefs

By Dr. Maya Bailey

D

id you know the No. 1 reason why most people fail to reach their goals? Is it the lack of skill, lack of intelligence, or lack of motivation?

The answer is none of the above. It is the presence of self-limiting beliefs.

Having been a business coach for the past 12 years, I’ve noticed that everyone has an abundance of self-limiting beliefs. Sometimes these lie dormant for years, but when you are building a business, they often stop you dead in your tracks.

I’ve noticed that there are categories in which most people have self-limiting beliefs:

Beliefs about themselves Beliefs about money Beliefs about work Let’s take these categories one at a time and discover the selflimiting beliefs that live within each one of us.

Beliefs about yourself: Do any of these sound familiar?

“I’m not educated enough.”

“I’m not good enough.”

“It’s selfish for me to want more.”

Beliefs about work: “Work needs to be hard.”

“Work requires struggle and sacrifice.”

“To be successful I have to give up my personal life.”

Beliefs about money: “There is never enough money.”

“Nice people don’t have money.”

“People who have money are cut-throat.”

“Money will create a problem in my relationships.”

If you recognize any of these self-limiting beliefs in yourself,

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keep in mind that: It doesn’t help to judge yourself for these beliefs, so be compassionate with yourself.

These beliefs are not facts, just beliefs.

These beliefs can be changed; you’re not stuck with them.

At this point, you’re probably wondering, “How do I get rid of these beliefs?”

Step 1: Make a T diagram by drawing a horizontal line on your paper and a vertical line. This will create two columns. Label the heading of the left-hand column, “self-limiting beliefs”. Then label the right-hand column, “empowered beliefs”.

After you’ve written down all of your self-limiting beliefs in your left-hand column, find the belief that would cancel out the old belief. Then write that in your right-hand column.

For example, if your self-limiting belief about yourself is, “I don’t have what it takes to succeed”, then cancel that out by writing the opposite of that statement in your right-hand column, such as, “I have more than I need to succeed.”

Step 2: Make a list of your inner and outer resources. At the top of the page write, “I have all I need to succeed.” Then began to write down all of your inner resources, such as intelligence, determination, people skills and so forth.

Next, determine your outer resources, such as: a supportive office, a supportive spouse, years of experience, an excellent mentor and so forth.

Step 3: Become highly aware

of your thoughts and feelings. If you’re feeling anything less than wonderful, then you’re probably focusing on what you don’t want, rather than what you do want.

When you notice that, ask yourself, “So…what do I want?”

Step 4: Once you are aware of what you want, begin to visualize it and feel what it feels like to have it.

For example, if you want to make $400,000 a year, work 30 hours or less a week and take several vaca-

counter intention? For most people, it is the belief, “I’m not worthy of abundance.”

Ask your old belief this question, “What are you trying to do for me, by having me hold on to the belief that I’m not worthy of abundance?” Most of the time, the answer will be, “I’m trying to keep you safe.”

When I coach my clients, I help them to see the origin of that belief so they are able to realize the

Success is created from the inside out. By doing this inner work, you are building a solid blueprint for success within yourself. tions within the next 12 months, visualize that. Close your eyes and capture the feeling.

Take a few moments each day to be in that feeling. Be sure to bring all of your senses into it.

For example, if you visualize yourself vacationing in Hawaii, then feel the balmy ocean air, the feeling of the sand beneath you and the warmth of the sun on your body.

Step 5: If any self-limiting belief opposes your intention to make $400,000 a year, work 30 hours a week or less, and have several vacations within the next 12 months, become a “loving detective” in yourself and find out what self-limiting belief is opposing that.

In other words, what is your

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connection in their subconscious mind between perceived “safety” and stopping themselves from abundance.

Usually what we discover is that this belief was installed as a survival strategy in childhood.

Once the awareness of that is available, we can reprogram or release that self-limiting belief. I have my clients thank that selflimiting belief for trying to be of service, and then release it to its highest good.

If you have been feeling stuck and unable to reach your goals, I highly recommend that you practice the five steps shown above.

Once you’ve released your self-limiting beliefs, you will have unleashed your “unstoppable energy.” Success is created from the inside out. By doing this inner work, you are building a solid blueprint for success within yourself.

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 stepby-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 (707) 799-5412. REM

ADVERTISEMENT

Assist-2-Sell franchise owners say low-commission-plus-full-service approach wins business and meets challenges of real estate's future.

Written by: Marcie Geffner freelance real estate reporter, writer and blogger

Lyle and Sandy Longridge were no different from countless other real estate agents who sell property across Canada. That is, until last August, when the dynamic husband-and-wife duo decided to open up the country's newest Assist-2-Sell® franchise. Their new company, in New Westminster, B.C., opened for business in October, and today, Sandy Longridge calls the couple's choice "the most exciting and fulfilling" decision of their careers.

"We wanted to run our own show and be our own boss," she says. "We wanted to do something that we could believe in."

The Longridges settled on Assist-2-Sell after almost a year of research because they admired the company's business model, which is built around giving home sellers and buyers exactly what they want in today's housing markets: Flexible commissions and superior service.

"Real estate is changing," says Lyle Longridge. "The traditional model is not going to survive in the same form as it is now.

Assist-2-Sell is a great way for us to position ourselves for that future and those changes."

Assist-2-Sell's mission is to provide home sellers substantial savings and professional reliable representation throughout the homeselling process. Owning a franchise offers real estate professionals an opportunity to start and run their own business, effectively manage a significant volume of transactions and still provide the full service that sellers and buyers want and need.

Assist-2-Sell: "Best Model in the Business" Many brokers are understandably leery of discount companies that offer home sellers lower costs and less service. But the Longridges discovered that Assist-2-Sell takes a radically different and far superior approach to the conundrum of lower commissions and better service.

"The Assist-2-Sell full-service, low-fee commission structure is a big deal," Sandy Longridge explains. "It opens up options for home sellers. They're impressed because they have choices and love that it is not do-ityourself."

The Longridges liked the fact that Assist-2-Sell isn't just about low commissions: It's also about good service. While the company's commission model can attract more business and assure significant discounts for home sellers, full service is still the key to the company's success.

"For example, sellers like being kept in the loop," his wife adds. "Assist-2-Sell has a million and one great ways to keep people up-to-date, and it's not just at the beginning of the transaction and the end, but all the way through the entire process."

Mayor Wayne Wright cuts banner and welcomes new Assist-2-Sell office to New Westminster.

Assist-2-Sell Begins With Fresh Approach Assist-2-Sell was founded in 1987, when Mary LaMeres and Lyle Martin left a traditional real estate brokerage behind in search of a better way for consumers to sell their homes. They developed an innovative model that gives sellers all of the services they need, along with a low flat fee. They soon discovered that the model also had strong appeal for home buyers, who appreciated the large selection of competitively priced homes offered through Assist-2-Sell s exclusive home listings database in addition to MLS listings.

The response to this consumer-friendly model was immediate and significant. Since LaMeres and Martin opened the first office in Reno, Nevada, Assist-2-Sell has grown to more than 400 franchise offices in 44 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces. Over the years, Assist-2-Sell has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing and most successful real estate franchises, a testament to the efficacy of the low-fee, full-service real estate service model. The model is even featured in the company's business-winning slogan: "Results with Savings!"® Their track record of growth and success really impressed Lyle and Sandy Longridge.

"We tried hard to poke holes in the Assist-2-Sell model, but we couldn't find any," Lyle Longridge explains. "We really thought Assist-2-Sell was the best model in the business because it gives people a break on the commission without compromising service."

"We've seen so many problems with other discount agencies," Sandy Longridge adds.

"Assist-2-Sell has taken the good qualities of the discount model and the good qualities of the traditional model and put them together.

It's a model we believe in and feel really positive about."

Brokers Learn Secrets of Success LaMeres and Martin continue to play a vital role in Assist-2-Sell's success and growth.

Nearly every month, they personally train new franchise owners who travel to the corporate headquarters in Reno, Nevada.

They continue to teach these training classes because they love sharing their ideas, methods and experiences, and they enjoy being part of each new franchisee's success.

Lyle and Sandy Longridge recall their trip to Reno with great enthusiasm.

"We got a ton of tips that we've used in our business," Sandy Longridge says. "We picked up a lot of ideas from Mary and Lyle in the class that you can't get through reading a book. It comes from their experience of what works and what doesn't."

That experience continues to shape LaMeres' and Martin's efforts to make the Assist-2-Sell model even better and even more responsive to the needs of today's home buyers and sellers.

"You can spend thousands of dollars just to find out what doesn't work," Lyle Longridge says. "But they've already adjusted the Assist-2-Sell model, worked out the kinks

and shown us what works. We bought into their plan and everything that came with it."

Assist-2-Sell Model Works in Canada Assist-2-Sell first came to the Longridges' attention when a franchise office opened in 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," Lyle Longridge recalls. "But then we looked at the model, and we couldn't find any flaws in it."

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," Sandy Longridge chimes in with a laugh.

"The owners of the White Rock franchise have been generous with their support and advice on how to apply the Assist-2-Sell model to the Canadian market," she adds.

"We talked to other Assist-2-Sell brokers in the U.S. and Canada," she says. "They are all very supportive. You really are part of a team!"

The Longridges say they weren't concerned about the fact that Assist-2-Sell is based in the U.S. The company is well-established and has offices in Canada that are doing well.

The Longridges are so committed to Assist-2-Sell that they've purchased the building that houses their new office, he adds.

"We plan to be here for a long time."

For information on franchise opportunities, call 800-528-7816 or visit BuyAssist2Sell.com.

48 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

Newsletters complement your online marketing

By Larry Easto

B

ack in January, I took my first tentative steps into blogging and social media.

For blogging purposes, I opened an ActiveRain account. If you work in real estate and do not actively participate in the site, you should.

ActiveRain is an online community of more than 155,000 North American real estate professionals. Primarily through their personal blogs, members exchange information about all aspects of the business of real estate, from advising clients to writing marketing messages. You can even pro-

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

S

o, here it is deadline time again, and Jim Adair, editor supreme, has granted me a last-minute deadline of 24 hours.

It’s not that I didn’t think of several ideas to talk to our readers about, it’s the fact that since joining this new office in Vaughan, Ont., I haven’t had a whole lot of time to commiserate about what I could either coach you dear readers about, or give a rant about a system or product that may be of interest to you.

Since 2004, I have been contributing to this fine magazine and

mote your listings there. Google “ActiveRain” to learn more.

As for social media, I opened a Twitter account. Among its many features, Twitter allows you to update other members on what you are doing, such as announcing a new listing or closed sale.

Both these applications are now as important to my business as the Internet and my website were last year at this time.

The headlines of my ActiveRain blog posts are automatically posted as updates in my Twitter account. Using these updates and a series of updates on Twitter, I can increase the awareness of my blog posts, which helps drive traffic to the blog.

About the middle of March, I started to recognize the importance of blogging and social media and wondered aloud in my blog if these

electronic media “...reduced the use...and usefulness of newsletters?”

As part of reflecting on the issue, I raised the specific questions: Do you use newsletters in either hard-copy or electronic format? Why or why not?

Everyone who took the time to respond to my blog post had very positive things to say about newsletters. In all honesty, I was surprised at the enthusiasm for newsletters. At the time, after only a couple of months, I thought that the ease of blogging and social media would have decreased the popularity of newsletters as a means of keeping in touch with clients and contacts.

Part of my rationale for raising the question in my blog was to help me decide if I should start my own newsletter. Although my own inclination was to use blogging

and social media instead of a newsletter, the comments of my blog readers suggested that was probably not the right decision.

In late July, I asked the same question in a blog post, secretly hoping that this time around my blog readers would support my inclination not to get involved in producing a newsletter.

However, in July all but three respondents were quite positive about their newsletters and also about the benefits that they yield.

As for the three that were not positive, they were planning on starting their own newsletters.

I got the message—you can now sign up for my newsletter at my website, the address of which is listed below.

The real learning from this straw poll was not so much gathering the information that I needed

Community relationships continue to receive, for the most part, good reviews. (I can’t please everyone!) Often I am asked, “Where do you get your ideas?”

Well, sometimes it’s from something I’ve read or been exposed to and the fingers start flying on my laptop. This month’s article, however, has nothing to do with real estate, the economy, or even Buyer Agency.

This summer, I had the opportunity to connect with an old friend of mine in Belleville, Ont., where I began my career. Robert (Bob) Howell and I did a lot of real estate deals but I lost contact with him through a mystifying set of circumstances.

He was involved in the ambulance business for many years, and subsequently had to sell the business to the provincial government years back and he retired, for the most part. In the early ’90s he became friends with a psychologist, the late Dr. Harold Goldsman, in the Quinte area.

Goldsman had a great idea to help single moms with “at risk” chil-

dren and formed an organization called Abigail’s Club, named after the doctor’s gifted daughter.

So, he and Bob, with little assistance, set up a facility for a segment of our population that had very little support, other than from the welfare system.

Since 1995, some financial support for the organization has come from the province, the city and at times the United Appeal.

The facility offers the opportunity for moms to take correspondence courses and/or find work, while it provides an excellent day care for the kids.

Summer camps, pre-school education, culinary arts and much more are offered by this unique organization.

Bob has worked tirelessly at this community project, even after the founding principal passed away a few years ago. The organization is a non-profit and has been so from day one.

In our business, many of us have given back to the community in many forms and many

shapes. I have given much of my time in the past to the Children’s Miracle Network and the Run for the Cure. We make a great deal of money in our business and maybe it’s time for more of us to consider giving back to worthwhile causes like Abigail’s Club.

What can you do to give back to your community? If you’re interested in more information about Abigail’s Learning Centre in Belleville, my long lost friend Bob Howell is managing director and would love to hear from you.

I hope you enjoy reading about this worthwhile endeavour and if you do, let me know at stanalb@rogers.com “Part of being a person is about helping others” – Seth Caplan Stan Albert, broker/manager, ABR, ASA at Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. can be reached for consultation at stanalb@rogers.com.

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

REM

to make a decision, but the ease with which I gathered the information.

Ask the questions and wait for responses. It just can’t get much simpler than that.

As I mentioned, I was quite surprised at the enthusiasm for newsletters. Projecting my thoughts onto my blog readers, I would have expected a thumbsdown reaction. Had I followed my own inclinations I would have no doubt chosen not to develop a newsletter, eliminating a potentially valuable vehicle for keeping in touch with clients and contacts.

What this newsletter experience means to me is that I can use my blog as a forum for ideas, with the readers serving as an informal focus group. No longer will I be required to struggle alone through the process of gathering the necessary information for decision-making purposes.

In fact, I need not limit my information-gathering to my ActiveRain blog.

The Twitter search function will allow me check out what other Twitter-users (I cannot bring myself to call us “Twits”, the official jargon for Twitter-users) are saying about any given topic. And if I wish, I can post a question on Twitter for response, just as I did on my blog.

Think about that for a minute.

Checking out what Twitter-users are saying about a specific topic is like being a fly on the wall where the topic is being discussed. You can learn what is being said without having to identify yourself.

The response to questions posted in blogs or on Twitter is better than having your own focus group. It’s free, easy to set up and generates same-day results. Once you have raised the question, you can engage in the discussion or not – it’s your call.

Now, when I look back at my blogging and Twittering, my only question is, what took me so long?

If you are not blogging and Twittering yet, what’s holding you back?

Larry Easto is a best-selling business writer, syndicated columnist and author of four e-books about real estate marketing. He is also publisher of www.realestate-marketing-link.info. To learn more about newsletters, see www.real-estatemarketing link.info/newsletters.html.

To follow Larry on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/Larry_Easto.

REM

REM SEPTEMBER 2009 49

Increasing traffic to your website

By Kory Gorgani

A

ll Internet marketers know the importance of good quality traffic.

This is the single most important factor in the success of your online business. The biggest problem new Internet marketers face is driving traffic to their products. Some think getting visitors to their site is difficult, others say getting traffic to your website is a matter of strategic planning. Getting traffic to your website for free is a matter of knowing how to use the marketing tools and strategies available to you.

Everyone has heard the

phrase “content is king”, and it’s true. Content is the name of the game when it comes to getting traffic to your website, and getting visitors to come back again and again. If your web pages have quality content, readers will visit your site regularly. An added bonus for you is that search engines love fresh, quality content, and will “crawl” your site more frequently than other sites that update infrequently.

Traffic exchange or hit exchange is receiving exposure for your website by viewing ads on other websites. This is a great way to get your services viewed across the web, as well as a chance to see what other people are promoting. You can also get an idea of how your competition is marketing their services.

Joining and participating in forums and message boards is another great way to create an online presence. Join forums

that are related to your interests.

Asking questions and leaving comments frequently will peak the interest of others in your niche and they will check your signature box for more information about you. This is where you add your website URL, which will direct them to your website.

The more you interact, the more traffic you will get.

Social networking is the fastest way to build a name for yourself. Again, you must participate and leave real comments – not just, “I loved your post.” If you want to utilize the power of a blog, you need to be prepared to provide frequent posts. People lose interest rather quickly, and with a million other blogs to choose from, you can find that you are receiving no traffic if you don’t keep your blog updated.

Of all the ways of getting traffic to your website, keyword research is probably the most

essential step in the process. It’s often an overlooked step, as many people think they already have their keywords picked out. This is one of the sloppiest errors of all time. Keyword research is essential because the slightest variation in your keyword phrasing can drastically change the amount of traffic you gain from it.

There are several ways available to do keyword research. One that I would like to mention is what is called “organic keyword research.” The idea behind this is to type a keyword into a search engine. By observing the appearance of the results page, much can be surmised about the market of this keyword.

Web 2.0 properties cover a wide range of different platforms.

Social media, social bookmarking, Squidoo lenses, and Hub pages – all are opportunities for you to participate and get your name out there. In order to be

successful using any Web 2.0 properties, you have to interact.

One bookmark or one Squidoo lens will quickly get lost, so you have to participate and be consistent.

In general, getting traffic to your website may take a little time, but if your content is right, and you can attract an audience, you will see the visitors start rolling in. It’s also very important that your web pages are inviting, easy to navigate through, and straightforward.

After all of your hard work in getting the traffic to come to you, you don’t want to turn them off with a poorly designed website. Good luck.

Kory Gorgani is a Realtor with Re/Max Hallmark in Richmond Hill, Ont. He holds an MBA in Operations Management, and has an extensive IT background. kory@gorgani.com. REM

ACCREDITED BUYER REPRESENTATIVE Effectively representing buyers is critical in any market and when multiple offers become common place the buyer representative’s skills are critical to a successful transaction. This professional designation course was developed by the National Association of REALTORS with input from CREA and OREA.

You will learn: s (OW TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH #LIENTS AND #USTOMERS s 7HAT SERVICES "UYERS AND 3ELLERS WANT AND HOW TO PROVIDE THEM s (OW TO CREATE A LOYAL !GENCY RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BUYERS s (OW TO BUILD A BUYER REPRESENTATION BUSINESS THAT PROVIDES QUALITY SERVICE AND VALUE s (OW TO REACH OUT AND lND QUALIlED BUYERS s (OW TO CONDUCT A KILLER BUYER COUNSELING SESSION s (OW TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR VALUE AND SECURE BUYER REPRESENTATION AGREEMENTS WITH BUYERS 9/5 WANT TO WORK WITH s (OW TO NEGOTIATE FOR YOUR BUYERS s 5SING YOUR !"2 DESIGNATION AS A MARKETING EDGE

Where: 7101 Syntex Dr., Mississauga, ON When: September 15th & 16th, 2009 Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Investment: $369.00 + GST Bring a friend and SAVE. The cost is $299.00 each Course: qualifies for 12 RECO credits Limited Seating. Must be pre-registered to attend.

Instructor: Adorna Carroll Adorna is an active REALTOR who specializes in buyer representation. A top speaker and facilitator who receives RAVE reviews every ABR session she delivers (most recently in Calgary and Edmonton)

To register visit www.remaxcareer.ca/calendar 800-648-6224 www.REBAC.net REBAC@REALTORS.org The Real Estate BUYER’S AGENT Council (REBAC) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

50 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

HOT JOB: OPPORTUNITY TO DIVERSIFY YOUR MANAGEMENT TALENT Having a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment with a solid track record, Keller Williams Valley Realty is excited to offer you the position of Team Leader. Presenting you with exposure in the Lower Mainland Residential Market, you will lead this business unit to new levels of success and credibility by spearheading this group’s Market Centre. Reporting to the Operating Partner, this position offers an above-average base salary as they desire a candidate with a high degree of business administration, technical capabilities and sophistication.

You will possess a current Real Estate Broker’s License, a real estate background in residential sales, the ability to recruit, retain and coach the sales associates, and build succession and depth in the real estate area. Ideally, a post-secondary education along with excellent business administration is desired. Personal attributes desired for this position are: results and time oriented, strong interpersonal skills, ability to endure tough situations, act and present like a leader, ability to influence others, team building and a past record of success.

With your post-secondary education and leadership experience, along with your experience in Real Estate Management/Real Estate Sales, you are prepared for this move. You are geared up to work for an exclusive company who wants to build market share. You are invited to send your resume in confidence to David Boughton, c/o davidboughton@kw.com Keller Williams Valley Realty has a focus on Knowledge Keller Williams University keeps our associates ahead of trends, tools and advancements in the real estate industry, Keller Williams Realty was designed to reward agents for working together, to serve our clients better.

Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is an international real estate company with more than 650 offices located across the United States and Canada and became the third-largest U.S. residential real estate firm in 2009. The company has succeeded by treating its associates as partners and shares its knowledge, policy control and company profits on a system-wide basis.

Aventure Realty Network ™

Announcement The Aventure Realty Network is pleased to announce the addition of two outstanding independent brokerages to its’ network. These companies are rooted in their communities, committed to great service, and building strong, independent organizations.

Broker/Owners Murray Powers (broker of record) & Cleo Laframboise 705 475 2222 www.northbayhomesolutions.com

Broker/Owner Tracy Arnett (broker of record) 613 233 4488 www.tracyarnett.com

The Aventure Realty Network is the non franchise alternative for Canadian brokers.

If independence is in your plan, please contact Bernie Vogt, president, 647 638 8930 or bvogt@aventurerealty.ca

www.aventurerealty.ca

Why your online lead generation fails

By Scott Pierce

D

o you realize that you are losing 35 leads for every one that you get?

The best way to get buyers who are searching for real estate online to become leads is to provide them with the tools and information they need to conduct their home searches better than the competitor.

Here’s the 99-35-1 Principle: 99 per cent of the people looking at your property listing online are not interested in that property and are not going to contact you about that specific property.

Thirty-five per cent of the people looking at your property listing online are interested in other real estate. Your online marketing is going after only one per cent of the market!

The goal of online marketing is to give buyers valuable information with multiple reasons and ways to motivate them to contact you….about real estate, not just a specific listing.

Ninety-nine per cent of the people who look at a listing online are not going to click for more information or make contact with you because they decide for whatever reason that it is not the home for them.

But, of this 99 per cent, what about the estimated 35 per cent of people who will still be buying a home in the short or long term and still need help finding the home of their dreams? There is no reason why you can’t offer them your expertise and services.

Your online marketing has to get this much larger group of future buyers to contact you if you want any chance at getting a healthy share of online leads.

Buyers begin their online home search looking at property listings. This is why having your property on as many relevant websites as possible is critical.

Buyers also want information about the neighbourhoods, the schools and unique things like the history, farmers markets and

more that will help them make a better decision in the home buying process.

This is where local brokers and agents can stand apart and put themselves at an advantage over others in their market. Put these tools and information in front of buyers when they are most likely to ‘convert,’ when they are looking at the property detail information of your listings on the Internet. Trulia, Zillow and Realtor.com do this, and you should too.

People love it when answers come easy. And people much prefer clicking to typing. You know what is hot in your market.

Don’t make buyers go somewhere else looking for this information. Include links to predefined IDX searches for some of the hottest or most desirable markets in your area to really get buyers clicking on your online marketing and not typing their way to another website. Here are some examples: Downtown Condos $200,000 -$250,000 Hayes Valley Homes $800,000 - $1.2 million $5 million + Homes Local Farmers’ Markets Include a few searches for the hottest markets in your area with hyper links to your website, where the appropriate IDX search will be displayed along with all the rest of the tools and information that buyers are looking for online.

By giving buyers the easy answers you know they want at a click, you will start to get your share of the 35 per cent of potential buyers and get the opportunity to continue the conversation further, increasing your chances of converting more leads.

While Craigslist, Backpage and other similar websites might not be considered worthy of a broker’s time, the numbers tell a very different story. The number eight website in the United

States by unique visitors, with 1.2 billion page views a month, Craigslist is the 800-pound gorilla in the world of real estate related websites sending buyer leads to brokers and agents.

There is no other website with as much traffic that gives you so much opportunity to publish ads that directly target BOTH the one per cent of buyers looking for a property similar to yours AND the 35 per cent of buyers interested in buying other real estate.

To convert the greatest number of online leads, your online marketing should include the following: • Approximately six goodquality pictures of the property (Not two and not 25!).

• Basic information of the property (condition of the foundation not needed here!).

• Multiple search tools and local information to increase buyer response (a link to your homepage or a virtual tour is great, but not nearly enough).

• Multiple reasons and ways for the buyer to contact you (just an email and phone number is not enough).

The goal of online marketing is to whet the appetite of likely buyers and then give them the tools, reasons and ways to contact you. By following these principles just like the big corporate websites, you will find, as brokers and agents have before you, that there is a lot of business easily found online.

Scott Pierce, founder of Listings-to-Leads, was the former director of online marketing at People & Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, where he oversaw, started or was involved with online programs with Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com, Craigslist and other websites. Website: www.listingstoleads.com. Email scott@listingstoleads.com; Phone (415) REM 595-3519.

REM SEPTEMBER 2009 51

Trade Shows and Conferences For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario Ottawa Mortgage Symposium and Mini-Trade Show Tuesday, Sept. 15 Belleville Mortgage Symposium and Mini-Trade Show Thursday, Nov. 12 www.imba.ca Sutton National Conference 2009 September 16 – 18 The Fairmont Royal York Hotel Toronto conference@sutton.com The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board Halton Symposium and Trade Show Thursday, Sept. 17 Oakville Conference & Banquet Centre, Oakville mls@omdreb.on.ca La Capitale Real Estate Network Annual Convention September 22 – 23 Levis Convention Centre Levis, Que. France Masse – 1-800-363-6715, ext. 312 fmasse@lacapitalevendu.com Royal LePage HeadStart 2009 Conference September 23 – 25 Penticton Lakeside Resort Penticton, B.C. www.rlp-headstart.com/ Century 21 Canadian Conference 2009 September 25 – 27 Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, Vancouver Exhibitor inquiries: pinpin.luk@century21.ca 11th Annual Exit Realty International Convention Gala Sept. 28 – Oct. 4 Gaylord National Hotel Washington, D.C. www.exitresourcecenter.com

The Royal LePage Shelter Gala Saturday, Oct. 3 Royal York Hotel - Concert Hall Toronto Sharon Promm sharonpromm@royallepage.ca Sandra Diaz - sandradiaz@royallepage.ca Realtors Association of HamiltonBurlington Realtors without Borders Conference & Trade Show Thursday, Oct. 8 Hamilton Convention Centre Hamilton, Ont. Sheila Sferrazza - sheilas@rahb.ca Coldwell Banker GMS Preconference Management Training October 11 - 12 Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Los Angeles, Calif.

ACT-Plus Management Training program, free to first 40 GMS registrants. teresa.camara@realogy.com Coldwell Banker Global Management Summit (GMS) October 12 - 14 Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Los Angeles, Calif.

Open to all Coldwell Banker brokers, owners and managers teresa.camara@realogy.com WinnipegRealtors Technology Conference and Trade Show Wednesday, Oct. 14 Victoria Inn, Winnipeg Lucy Hajkowski – lhajkowski@winnipegrealtors.ca www.wrexpo.ca Lone Wolf/DPN Partner Summit Oct. 14 - 16 Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Las Vegas summit@lwolf.com www.lonewolfsummit.com

More listings at www.remonline.com

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

52 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

HOUSE WORKS

MANAGER WANTED The Owner of Multi Office Real Estate Company located North of Toronto wishes to recruit an outstanding, enthusiastic individual to Manage and provide exceptional Leadership.

For a Personal Interview, please reply in confidence to theharp17@gmail.com

By Steve Maxwell

L

aminates and wood floors have a lot going for them.

They look good, they’re easy to keep clean and they don’t harbour dust mites or odours. But even the toughest versions call for protection from scratches caused by chair legs, tables and home office furniture (especially home office furniture). Even some products made specifically for protecting wood-type floors don’t actually work as well as they’re supposed to.

Self adhesive felt pads are the first thing that comes to mind for floor protection. They work well as long as you remember two things.

Protecting wood and laminate floors and coffee tables and couches to have domed plastic glides fastened to the bottom of their legs at the factory. These might be fine on carpet or ceramic tiles, but they sure do a number on wood and laminate floors. You must take them off.

Glides fasten like a great big thumbtack. Use a screwdriver to

home office chair with runners on the bottom instead of wheels. I’ve been using one of these since March and it works great. I bought mine from Crate Designs (www.cratedesigns.ca), and with strips of felt fastened along the entire length of the runners there’s been absolutely no damage to the laminate floors in my office. These

This felt-backed, bamboo matt is one of the few options for protecting a wooden floor from a rolling desk chair. It’s hard enough to prevent most damage.

Self-sticking felt pads are essential for protecting wood floors and laminates, but they need to be kept clean in order to work.

Vacuum them off when you’re doing the rest of the floor, and make sure they’re holding no grit. Photos by Steve Maxwell

First, you need to renew the pads every year or two, because they get compressed and hard. Also, you need to watch out for grit trapped in the felt, scratching the floor as furniture is moved about. Rub your finger over the felt to clean it every now and then, to keep it working properly. This isn’t essential on couches and coffee tables and other pieces of furniture that don’t move much, but it’s pretty important on dining chairs and other items that are constantly sliding back and forth.

It’s not unusual for new chairs

pry off the glide. You’ll find a smooth, flat wood surface underneath – ideal for sticky felt pads.

Just wipe the bottom of the leg clean to remove any dust, then peel the backing off the felt and put it on.

You’re faced with an entirely different challenge when it comes to rolling desk chairs on wood floors. Actually, quite a daunting challenge. Felt isn’t an option because of the wheels, and I’ve learned the hard way that those thick, flexible, clear plastic pads they sell for office chairs to roll on carpet don’t protect wood or laminate either. Even with a little bit of grit under there, these plastic pads act as one gigantic sanding block when used over hard surface floors.

They won’t ruin your floor right away, and they do protect the surface from wheel damage, but even with diligent vacuuming underneath, plastic pads cause trouble in a few years.

One alternative is a wooden

chairs are also easy to slide around and they’re even designed to tip backwards without suffering damage when you want to kick back.

The best solution I’ve found so far for protecting a wooden floor from a rolling office chair is a folding bamboo floor protector with felt fastened across the entire bottom surface. These aren’t very common, but I got mine from Select Rugs Canada (www.selectrugscanada.ca). The bamboo comes factory finished (either dark or light), and it’s quite hard.

Rolling desk chairs do cause minor damage to the surface of the bamboo, but the unit I’ve been using for more than 12 months has been holding up surprisingly well.

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

REM SEPTEMBER 2009 53

Good Works R

ecently a group of sales reps, brokers and other industry professionals took part in the Fifth Annual Realtors Care Foundation Charity Motorcycle Ride. The kick-off took place at the Brampton Real Estate Board.

Upon arrival, riders were greeted

by Pauline Aunger, Ontario Real Estate Association president; Edward Barisa, CEO at OREA; Sharon Lee, director of development for the foundation; Brampton Real Estate Board president Leah Shaw, president-elect Ruth Ballantyne, EO Lynn Martin and board staff. All participants were provided with breakfast and goodie bags compliments of BREB. Fourteen real estate boards across Southwestern Ontario welcomed the riders and showed their support through donations to the foundation and providing the riders with gifts, refreshments, snacks, breakfasts, barbecue lunches and dinners along the way. Stops included Orangeville, Guelph, Cambridge, KitchenerWaterloo, Stratford, Grand Bend, Sarnia, Chatham, Windsor, Tillsonburg, Simcoe, Port Dover, Brantford, Hamilton-Burlington and St. Catharines. Collections were made throughout the ride for donations to the foundation.

At its stop at the Realtors Association of HamiltonBurlington (RAHB), riders enjoyed a barbecue and accepted a donation of $14,231 from RAHB. Since 1999, that board has received $61,500 in grants from the Realtors Care Foundation, enabling it to present donations to various shelter related charities in the region.

The total amount collected by the ride has not yet been calculated, but it’s estimated to be more than $40,000. In four previous rides, more than $121,000 was raised.

■ ■ ■

Exit associates from across the Maritimes came together to golf in support of Habitat for Humanity recently.

“Raising $12,000 for a one-day event is incredible,” says Ed Martens, Exit’s senior vice-president of franchise sales – Canada, who played a round with Exit agents. “I had the privilege of riding on the Exit bus from Halifax to the golf course in Bridgewater with a full complement of happy real estate agents anxious to hit the greens.”

Spearheading the annual event is Jon Walker, owner of Exit Realty Inter Lake, and his team who took care of getting sponsorships and scheduling. Jeremy Cowan, owner of Exit Realty Metro arranged the bus.

The money raised will be directed toward a Habitat build in Liverpool, N.S., which is scheduled for later this year. Habitat for Humanity is Exit’s charity of choice, and the company has now pledged more than $1.5 million to Habitat for Humanity efforts across North America.

“Fundraising events hosted by Exit franchisees and associates like this one are in addition to corporate contributions and illustrate the truly caring nature and depth of initiative on the part of our people,” says Martens.

■ ■ ■

Red Deer, Alta.’s Neall Stevens, broker/owner of Sutton Group - Landmark Realty, spent a month recently in Cape Town, South Africa, volunteering with the Dibanani AIDS Project. The organization helps those with AIDS/HIV by providing support groups and education.

Stevens got involved because he sees AIDS/HIV as “one of South Africa’s major issues” but one with little government assistance. South Africa has the high-

est incidence of AIDS/HIV in the world; 800 to 1,000 citizens die from the disease and related health complications each day. It is estimated that 35 per cent of pregnant women arriving at hospitals for delivery test positive for the disease.

Stevens’ major role while in South Africa was to meet and work with locals to identify fundraising opportunities and to begin to execute these efforts. He also spent some time working directly with patients, learning and experiencing how the project provides services for the community. To help with fundraising, the organization is selling CDs for $30, recorded for the Dibanani AIDS Project by classical pianist Victor Tichart. If you are interested in purchasing a CD, contact Stevens at nehest@telus.net.

Riders and staff from OREA, the Realtors Care Foundation and the Brampton Real Estate Board pose at the kick-off of the charity motorcycle ride.

■ ■ ■

Century 21 B.J. Roth Realty in Barrie, Ont. raised more than $31,000 at its Showcase of Celebrities fundraising golf tournament benefiting Easter Seals Canada.

Barrie Colts players, former NHL players and hockey legend Paul Henderson were among the celebrity guests who putted at the tournament. More than 120 golfers and many more spectators took part. Attendees enjoyed lunch and dinner as well as a silent auction of gifts and items donated by local businesses. “I can’t thank local businesses enough for continually supporting this event year after year,” says broker/owner B.J. Roth.

Easter Seals ambassador Zack Walton was on the lawn to join the festivities and his presence was a reminder of the crucial services that the charity provides to help those with disabilities gain independence. Walton, who just graduated high school, says, “I’ve gone to Easter Seals camp since I was three-years-old and I have great memories of camp….Easter Seals made it easier for me and other disabled kids across Canada. I really appreciate being able to represent a charity that has done so much for me,” says Walton.

Since Century 21 B.J. Roth Realty began supporting the Continued on page 54

The Cornwall and District Real Estate Board held its annual golf tournament recently. With major sponsor Scotiabank matching funds of $5,000, the board presented a cheque for $10,000 to Hospice Cornwall.

From left: Johanna Murray, executive officer, Cornwall and District Real Estate Board; Lana Barnes, chair of the Golf Committee; Sherry McCullough, board member and Hospice Cornwall cabinet member; and Jack Richards, manager, personal banking at Scotiabank.

The Exit golf tournament cheque presentation to Habitat for Humanity.

From left, front row, Habitat representatives John Wiles, Robert Boudreau and Patrice Gibson.

Second row, Mark Seamone and Jon Walker, franchisees of Exit Realty Inter Lake; David Grace, franchisee of Exit Realty Professionals. Back row, Jamie Higby, franchisee of Exit Realty 1st Call; and Sterling Stephens, franchisee of Exit Realty Citadel.

B.J. Roth at his company’s annual golf fundraiser.

54 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

Good Works Continued from page 53

Showcase of Celebrities fundraising golf tournament four years ago, the company has raised more than $156,000.

■ ■ ■

The motorcycle riders raising money for the Realtors Care Foundation also made a stop at the offices of the Realtors Association of HamiltonBurlington.

Doug Stoneman, president of the Guelph and District Realtors, presents a $1,000 cheque to Rosemarie Coombs of the Michael House Pregnancy Care Centre.

John Zimnock ran to SidKids hospital with his many cheques from clients and friends.

Guelph and District Realtors helped celebrate its 50th anniversary by presenting cheques for $1,000 each to several charities, including the Realtors Care Foundation as the charity motorcycle ride came to the association office. Other groups that received cheques were The Welcome In Drop-in Centre, Michael House Pregnancy Care Centre and Wellington-Dufferin Homes for Psychiatric Rehabilitation.

■ ■ ■

Jerome the Gnome with volunteers from HomeLife Integrity in Alliston, Ont.

The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Association of Realtors recently presented a cheque for $15,943 to the Heart and Stroke Association of Ontario. Four defibrillators will be purchased and placed throughout Peterborough County. PKAR Members raised the funds at the Annual Silent Auction, Charity Golf Tournament and some smaller fundraisers during the year. From left: Judith Anne Fowler and Tyler Moon of the Heart and Stroke Foundation; Barbara Criegern, PKAR president; Dennis Roberts, PKAR Community Involvement chair; and Christine Kemp, PKAR 2008 Community Involvement chair.

A poster for the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, sponsored by local Sutton Group offices.

Rae Phillips and other dragon boaters.

The Ottawa Real Estate Board raised more than $18,000 at its charity golf tournament for the Realtors Care Foundation.

Part of the group from Re/Max Advantage Realty who rode from Vancouver to Seattle to raise funds for cancer research. From left: Jesse East, Deb Murray, Kristi Hayward, Melodie Coelho, James Hampton, Frank Wright (captain), Lorne Westnedge, Gary Morris.

Jerome the Gnome, HomeLife Realty Services’ ambassador to children, was in Alliston, Ont. recently to assist HomeLife Integrity Realty in celebrating the Potato Festival Parade. HomeLife Integrity’s float featuring Jerome won the Third Prize Commercial Plaque from the Rotary Potato Festival Committee.

HomeLife Integrity sales reps volunteered their time and support for the Habitat for Humanity fundraiser, “Spud Puttin”. They donated a Nike standing golf bag as one of the golf themed prizes for the event.

■ ■ ■

After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, Rae Phillips of Sutton - Premier Realty has been actively involved with Abreast in a Boat, a group of women who have battled breast cancer and paddle in several dragon boating regattas a year. The group has traveled as far as Australia for international events.

Rae describes the goals of the group as being two-fold: “To raise awareness of breast cancer and to demonstrate that there is life after breast cancer.”

The group first came together in 1996 as a part of a research project conducted by Dr. Don McKenzie, a sports medicine doctor and exercise physiologist at the University of British Columbia.

Women with breast cancer at this time were told not to engage in any upper body exercise such as

REM SEPTEMBER 2009 55

gardening and lifting. A desire to return these women to an unrestricted, active lifestyle was the goal behind McKenzie’s idea to form the all-breast-cancer dragon boat team. It has changed how women with breast cancer can live their lives and there are now 130 teams worldwide as a result of the research.

“It has been a wonderful experience,” Rae says. I would recommend this group of women to anyone dealing with breast cancer who wants to stay fit, be involved in a great sport and meet some fabulous people.” She is currently on the Board of Directors for Abreast in a Boat and serves as vice-member chairman.

■ ■ ■

Up against the 112 degree heat of the Mojave desert, unrelenting terrain, and with no support crew, Re/Max Hallmark senior sales rep John Zimnoch says he “would have crawled to the finish line” in the extreme half-marathon Running with the Devil in order to support Toronto’s SickKids Hospital through Children’s Miracle Network.

“I chose to support the SickKids Foundation, because it’s a cause that’s very near and dear to my family,” says Zimnoch. “From a runner’s perspective, this run puts you up against the worst conditions imaginable. It tests your body and your resolve to the limit.

Yet, it’s nothing compared to the challenges faced by the children at

SickKids everyday. That’s how I had to think about it, when I didn’t think I could take another step.

That’s what carried me to the finish line.”

Zimnoch’s inspiration is his daughter, who courageously fought a battle with leukemia and lost at age 13. She was treated at SickKids’ 8B Oncology Unit.

Zimnock credits family, friends and Re/Max clients for helping him raise funds. He received correspondence and donations from more than 100 clients, wishing him good luck. To date, he has presented $7,500 to SickKids Hospital, and money continues to trickle in.

The Running with the Devil marathon is an annual event in Boulder City, Nev. Zimnoch finished in less than four hours. “I was first in the ‘over-60’ category, but that’s because nobody else over 60 was daft enough to do it! I think the next youngest was 51,” he says.

■ ■ ■

The Ottawa Real Estate Board has donated $18,557 in proceeds from its annual charity golf tournament to the Realtors Care Foundation. Members of this year’s 2009 Golf Committee were chairman Dwight Delahunt, Mary Jane Dumbrell, Marcel Grondin, Ian MacDonald, Phil Thibert and Joanne Tibbles.

The directors have asked the governors of the Realtors Care Foundation to direct the funds raised by the golf tournament back

to the community in the form of grants to shelter-related charitable organizations. Grant applications have been submitted by eight Ottawa-area organizations; successful grant recipients will be notified in the fall.

■ ■ ■

Richard Whittaker, a sales rep with Sutton Group - Associates in Toronto, held a fundraiser called The Pedallers Cabaret recently, to raise funds for the Friends for Life Bike Rally supporting the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation.

The evening included dancers, bands and burlesque troops.

Whittaker performed in a play he wrote for the event called The Rally. It was based on the journey of a bicycle on the 600 km ride, depicting the emotional highs and lows of exhaustion. More than $2,500 was raised.

Whittaker and several other riders embarked on the six-day trek on July 26, starting in Toronto and ending in Montreal. He participated in this ride for the past two years.

“Completing this ride is so inspiring and it allows me to put everything in perspective,” he says. “It has given me the opportunity to challenge myself both mentally and physically.”

■ ■ ■

Sales reps from Sutton Group Premier Realty in Ottawa took time out to support Otter Lodge #504, a Masonic Lodge in

Lombardy, Ont., in a golf tournament. Proceeds raised were given to several outreach programs in the community, including Rideau Lakes Day Camps, the Canadian Diabetes Association’s Camp Banting and the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal.

Brokers Lorne Sheridan and Marian Clark are members of Otter Lodge #504. “My dad was a lifelong member, and after he passed away I wanted to continue his work with the Lodge. It is rewarding to have the chance to give back to the community,” he says.

■ ■ ■

Frank Wright, team captain of the Re/Max Retreads team from Re/Max Advantage in Vancouver, led a team of nine cyclists on a trip from Vancouver to Seattle to raise money for cancer research. They achieved their goal of $35,000 and along with 1,700 other riders, they pushed the total raised to $6.9 million.

“It was a very emotional and sometimes grueling event,” says Wright. The ride was covered in two days. Riders spent the first night in tents in Mt. Vernon, Washington.

More than half of Wright’s team has signed up already for 2010. If you would like to join them, contact Wright at frank@wrightmove.com ■ ■ ■

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together to support the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. It is one of Canada’s largest theatre festivals, bringing artists and audiences together.

Last year’s event brought in over $77,000 in ticket sales for indoor events. All of the revenue generated from the festival is given back to the artists and producing companies that participate in the event.

This year the Walterdale Playhouse, one of the venues for the festival, was renamed the Sutton Real Estate Stage for the 10-day event. Sutton also sponsored an outdoor wireless café for the duration of the event. James Mabey, broker at Sutton Group Nor-Vista Realty says, “We are providing a venue for artists to celebrate their success and share their efforts with all different kinds of people. This event offers balance to our committee’s other efforts that typically support causes where we are helping those in need or distress.”

This will be the 12th consecutive year that the Sutton Institutional Advertising Committee will be sponsoring this event. The committee is an initiative of the Sutton offices located in Edmonton. Cheryl Kurek, Devota Donnelly, Bill Boyes and David Massie of Sutton - Premiere Real Estate, and Lynne Pipella and Carole Switzer-McColman of Sutton Group - Nor-Vista Realty are active members on the committee. REM

56 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

Blackberry dependence?

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED

By Dan St. Yves t has come to my attention recently that I am beginning to exhibit some pronounced quirkiness. Alright, so this isn’t the first column of mine you’ve ever read, and you’re thinking “beginning to develop”? Touché.

The most pronounced area of my newly discovered quirkiness is an alleged dependence on my Blackberry handheld wireless device. At least that’s the opinion of another member of my household.

So what, I ask, if I happen to read every email as soon as it arrives to my handheld? Even if on

I

MARKETPLACE

sages – I am nurturing a content group of sensitive intestines here!

One room in the house I will agree is not a wise choice to bother with freshly delivered email is the bathroom. A Blackberry is not waterproof, nor does it float. As urgent as my desire to check for new messages might be, I choose to wait until I have returned to rooms without standing or running water.

This example I share after surfing “The Google” and reading about some dimwit that dropped his handheld device into standing water in such a room. That’s one time the little net from Billy’s aquarium and some rubber gloves came in handy…but the handheld

the odd occasion I may be occupied in an activity that is not the most conducive for reading said emails. Like while I’m spelunking, or when my spouse is giving me very specific instructions about what to bring home from the pharmacy. Easy Bake Oven sounds an awful lot like Ibuprofen to me…it was an honest mistake.

So what, I ask, if I can’t even eat a meal anymore without pausing to read my emails as they arrive? As part of my overall prevention regimen against unpleasant digestive maladies, a relaxed pace is advisable during mealtimes.

A forkful of turkey, alternated with a relaxed browsing of my text mes-

device never recovered. Who can blame it?

In addition to the washroom, there are a handful of commonsense restrictions in the handheld wireless device operating manual that even I will generally tend to follow: 1) Do not check for new messages while operating a lawnmower.

2) Do not check for new messages while cutting your children’s hair.

3) Do not check for new messages while wrestling alligators.

4) Do not check for new messages while performing trapeze acts with multiple partners.

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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What’s

St. Catharines, Ont., with easy access from highways and three major airports.

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Easy to install adapters increase wireless speed

New CSP expands to include broad-basedbusiness training Canadian Staging Professionals (CSP) is expanding its well-known home staging training to include new broad-based business training.

“Business as usual just doesn’t cut it in today’s marketplace; while some businesses are languishing or barely surviving, why are others thriving?” says Christine Rae, president and founder of the CSP International Business Training Academy. “This kind of economy is like boot camp; only the strong will be left standing.”

She says all businesses should take a fresh look at their business and marketing strategies. “Many entrepreneurs don’t have a strategy to evaluate their present state.

Typically the skill they have is passion but many lack the business skills to move to profitability,” Rae says. “The evolution of the CSPI Academy from a leader in the staging training business to broad-based educator is to help sustain the ‘niche market’ business owner and a result of the economic situation.”

Angela Brooks, director of marketing for CSPI, says, “As the economy changed globally, Rae rethought the business direction and made a swift change. Many people need to retrench their business plans and need quick access to build skills set deficiencies in order to more than survive in this marketplace.”

CSPI Academy courses are offered in class, through online base technology (webinars, teleclasses) and in CD work booklet format. CSPI headquarters are in

Encore Electronics has a new line of 802.11n NX2 series networking solutions including a wireless USB adapter (ENUWINX2), wireless PC Card adapter (ENPWI-NX2) and a wireless PCI adapter (ENLWI-NX2). The Encore 802.11n NX2 series is ideal for those who want the speed of 802.11n technology at a lesser cost than competing brands, the company says.

Backward compatibility allows users to connect to older 802.11g networks in offices, hotels and job sites, while providing the opportunity to take advantage of newer 802.11n networks as they become available with transfer speeds up to 300Mbps.

The USB adapter can be easily connected to a desktop or notebook computer, by connecting to any USB port and running the installation wizard software; there is no complicated hardware installation. The ENPWI-NX2 plugs into any laptop PC card slot, without occupying one of the few USB ports that laptops offer.

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For information: www.encoreusa.com.

LAWPRO gets award from real estate bar The Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company (LAWPRO) was honoured with an award for its work with real estate lawyers at the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) Gala evening in Toronto hosted by the Real Property Section recently.

The award – presented by

OBA Real Property chair Jeffrey Schwartz – recognizes LAWPRO’s dedicated work during the past three years on behalf of Ontario real estate lawyers through numerous public education/ awareness campaigns.

“LAWPRO has for several years gone out of its way to support the real estate bar,” said Schwartz in presenting the award to LAWPRO president and CEO Kathleen A. Waters. “Its promotion and advertising efforts ensure that consumers, financial institutions, even government, who are affected by or involved in the real estate transaction, better understand what we do and the importance of our role.”

Schwartz says real estate lawyers are often too busy to effectively educate, promote and market themselves. “LAWPRO does that for us. Tonight we recognize that they continue to use their resources and tools to let everyone know the good that (real estate lawyers) do. We are grateful for their efforts that benefit us all.”

Through its TitlePlus program, LAWPRO has undertaken several campaigns to raise awareness among consumers, lenders and government of the role lawyers play in protecting consumer interests in a real estate transaction.

Tiny camcorder provides hands-free video recording IRES Technology Corp. of Toronto has launched a 3.5-inch wearable mini Digital Video (DV) camcorder able to record up to seven hours of video and audio.

The tiny device can be worn in a shirt pocket with its integrated clip, attached to a lanyard (included) as a necklace, or pinned to clothing.

The “uCorder offers convenience and ease-of-use in digital video recording. Unlike mobile phones, digital cameras or other camcorders, uCorder can be worn, providing hands-free video and audio recording at the touch of a button,” says company CEO Joel Kligman.

Measuring 3.5 inches high, one inch wide and 1/2 inch thick, uCorder is the most portable camera and recorder available, the company says. There are endless

uses for uCorder – lectures, memorable family moments and vacations are examples, it says.

Two models are available: IRDC150 includes one GB of internal memory. The IRDC250 features two GB of internal memory plus PC webcam functionality.

The IRDC250 also includes a stand that can be desk mounted or clipped to a laptop computer.

“Models are expected to sell for $100 to $140 and are available for purchase at participating retail and e-tail locations as well as www.ucorder.com,” says Kligman.

It connects to a computer via USB without any proprietary software being required to play or save the video and audio files.

The internal lithium ion battery is charged via USB. “Compatible with PCs and Macs, uCorder records VGA quality (640 x 480 resolution) standard AVI video files for playback on any computer system.

Additionally, it can be set to record audio only WAV files,” says Kligman. REM

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58 REM SEPTEMBER 2009

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls t is an irrefutable fact that there is no better country to live in than Canada. North America is the most highly sought after destination in the world for people who want to leave their country and immigrate to another. I have beaten that drum so many times that even my friends are tired of hearing it. And I mean both of them.

So what? Well it means everything.

It means that this is the country where it all matters the most.

This is the place that sets the example of stewardship for the world. We are the ones who set

I

What a country. What a profession. the bar for conduct toward the environment and the way we treat each other in all things we do. We are the ones who are responsible to show the world how to live together. If none of that was true, then all these people would not want to immigrate here.

Do people want to immigrate here because Canada is the biggest country in the world? No. Russia is bigger. There sure is no line-up to immigrate there. Collectively the countries of Africa are bigger too, but nobody I know is desperate to live there either. As for Europe and its high degree of development, it does not even come close to the level of desire there is world wide to live in Canada and North America.

In fact there are a lot of countries that are losing population.

Stop for a moment and look it up for yourself. Google “population decline” or look it up on Wikipedia. Here is a partial list of countries where population is declining according to reports

from the United Nations: Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Hungary and Italy. Countries rapidly approaching population decline include: Greece, Spain, Iceland, Denmark, Finland and Austria. There are plenty of others. The point is that as these populations decline, hundreds of thousands of people are clamouring to get into Canada and North America.

What does that have to do with real estate? Well I’m thinking a great deal. There was a piece in the media recently about how immigrants are driving housing demand. If you didn’t catch it in the mainstream press surely you saw it in REM. You can look that up too. There is a search engine at www.remonline.com. Go ahead and check it out for yourself.

There is a demand for home ownership in this country that runs right across the board from coast to coast. It is a demand that will continue to flow into our country for years to come.

Today property buyers are far more educated, substantially more sophisticated and far more aware of the elements of home buying and selling than ever before. They can look at Realtor.ca and see properties they would like to buy before they talk to a Realtor.

That does not mean that the buyers and sellers of today believe they can traverse the critical path necessary to complete a real estate transaction on their own. It means that they are now smart enough to respect and understand the expertise that a good Realtor brings to the table, just like they expect that you are now smart enough to respect their expertise in their profession, whatever it may be.

Make no mistake, to be a good Realtor today means you must possess that expertise. You must have the communication and information systems that are the delivery tools of the trade. You must always upgrade and stay aware of what’s new in the indus-

try. And by far the most important element you can have is a good reputation. Integrity is the hardest piece of the sales puzzle that a good Realtor must deliver.

The only other task a Realtor needs to achieve success today is well-thought-out promotion and marketing.

The real estate profession continues to be one that does not require a prohibitive investment of money to enter compared to the rewards that can be achieved in a reasonably short period of time.

Oh, to be a Realtor today. Do you already have your license?

Then you are way ahead of everybody else already. Success is within your grasp.

Because you live in the best country in the world, you have a customer base that is growing. All you have to do is truly be good at what you do. How lucky you are.

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

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Visit www.genworth.ca to learn more.

Š 2009 Genworth Financial

Complimentary Networking Event Wednesday September 30th - Thursday October 1st, 2009 RE/MAX FALL CONNECT is packed with the latest real estate trends, unbiased market analysis and expert advice to help you attract more clients and close more deals.

Sponsored by: ®

TECHNOLOGY BREAKFAST: Find out what YOU NEED TO DO to stay CONNECTED to the current real estate market.

Guest Speaker David Knox – “Closing Techniques”

Guest Speaker Beverly Thomson – “Think Pink, Wear Pink”

For more information, visit: www.remaxevents.ca/connect09

Each office is independently owned and operated.