CANADA 7-3-23

CANADA EDITION

UNTANGLING THE BIDDING WAR:

A BUYER’S & SELLER’S PERSPECTIVES

3 EASY AT-HOME DIY PROJECTS

5 Morning Habits to MAKE YOUR DAY SUPER PRODUCTIVE

TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE

SMALL YARD? BIG STATEMENT:

FEATURED AGENT

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF MICRO OUTDOOR SPACES

JOE VARING

COVER STORY

ARON PINTO

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5 Morning Habits to Make Your Day Super Productive For many, most mornings begin with a rush—a rush to get dressed, a rush to find something edible for breakfast, a rush out the door and into rush hour. Likely you have heard articles advising you to set your

alarm early to give yourself some flexibility —which is sound advice, of course—but consider a few of these additional tweaks to your morning routine that can set a productive tone for your day at large.

1. Keep Screens Away Until Breakfast Oftentimes, our first instinct upon waking is to check-in on our phones, tablets, or computers, to scope out the latest social media updates and e-mail correspondence. While diving into the action might seem productive, studies show that waylaying screen time until you’re up and dressed, and have had a good breakfast, will actually make your first pass 4

at all things digital more focused, clear, and efficient. Instead of answering a few e-mails, checking out a friend’s photos, and then hurrying to shower and dress, instead make a resolution to keep the online world at bay for the first half-hour to an hour after you rise, then you’ll approach the digital world with fresh eyes, energy, and adeptness.

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2. Meal Prep Sometimes hitting the snooze button is inevitable, but if you make prepping breakfast the night before a part of your routine, then grabbing something healthy on the go will be a snap—and your stomach will thank you for it. Load up your coffee machine ahead of time, so all you have to do

is hit brew. Or, chop up a fruit salad, mix a smoothie, or simply put a granola bar and a grapefruit in your lunch bag, ready to be grabbed on your way out the door. Even if it’s small or basic, keeping yourself fueled will keep distractions, inefficiency, and mood swings at bay.

3. Queue Up a Podcast on Your Commute Whether you’re driving, biking, or taking public transportation into the office, a podcast is a perfect way to brush up on industry knowledge. Try sourcing a podcast relative to your field and narrated by experts.

Not only will it get you thinking about the topics of your industry—while expanding

your professional vocabulary—it will also wake up your brain and get your head in the game as you prepare to launch your day. Use your commute time to bump up your knowledge and conversation points, and you’ll be ahead of the curve before you reach the office.

4. Begin with a To-Do List When work gets busy, sometimes just getting started is an overwhelming prospect.

Before you dive in to your e-mails and projects, take twenty minutes and be thoughtful as you assess your daily and weekly to-do

list items, then map them. By giving yourself a bullet point system of what you need to accomplish and by when, you can undo some of the anxiety that a busy schedule promotes.

5. Walk It Out, Even If You Missed the Gym While we often rely on coffee for our morning buzz, exercise provides a potent burst of energy that can supercharge your day. But, let’s say you’re running behind and skip the gym—all is not lost! Take fifteen minutes in

the early morning to take a walk around the block a few times. The fresh air and aerobic exercise will wake you up, get your blood moving, and provide your morning with a natural injection of motivation.

Everyone’s morning routine varies, but perhaps the first step is identifying aspects of your routine that could be improved, and tackling them from there. From waylaying

screen time distractions to getting in a little blood-pumping exercise, keep these tips in mind as you launch your most productive morning routine ever.

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Small Yard? Big Statement: How to Make the Most Out of Micro Outdoor Spaces When house-hunters compile their lists of musthave home items, a dreamy backyard space is often near the top. After all, who doesn’t want an outdoor oasis of their very own? From summer barbecues to open space for your dog to frolic— everyone has their own aspirations when it comes to creating the perfect backyard paradise. But as homebuyers seek properties deeper within city limits, and Millennials opt for properties with 6

urban amenities and access, home-connected outdoor spaces are becoming a bit smaller in stature.

Of course, size isn’t everything when it comes to outdoor space. Even balconies, rear patios, and ultra-tiny yards can provide homebuyers with the outdoor reprieve they crave—even on a smaller scale. For a few ideas that can help you envision all the possibilities of a micro outdoor space, read on for inspiration.

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Think vertically.

When space is at a premium, think up instead of out. In other words, make the most of small spaces by capitalizing on your backyard, balcony, or patio’s overhead height. Mood-setting string lights, hanging pocket or wall gardens, floating shelves, and modern overhead hangings can create a sense of privacy and luxury without cluttering the square footage on the ground.

Soothing sounds set the mood.

Upgrade the look of structural components.

Not in love with your patio pavers? Don’t have the sweetest view off your balcony? Whatever your small backyard living space gripe may be, there’s always a solution if you go back to the basics. Consider the structural components of your outdoor space that you aren’t in love with and there’s likely an affordable, eye-pleasing solution. For instance, plenty of home goods Top Agent Magazine

retailers make a variety of punchy or luxe outdoor rugs that can disguise stained or lackluster outdoor flooring. Power-washing is another great solution for old grime and dirt that’s an eyesore. Don’t have a great view? Planting ivy on bare walls, installing adjustable mood lighting, or hanging planters can create a more inviting ambiance.

While there may not be room for a swimming pool or pond in a micro yard or balcony, you can still bring the calming presence of water to your outdoor oasis. Fountains run the gamut in sizing and price, making this amenity an easy acquisition. What’s more, a running fountain not only adds a soothing sound to your space, but it also helps drown out noise from the street or the neighbors—making your space entirely your own and stress-free.

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Don’t compromise on your culinary dreams.

If you love to entertain in outdoor spaces or relish the chance to man the grill—small outdoor spaces don’t have to trip you up. Grill options (both propane and charcoal) come in a range of sizes, many of which can be outfitted securely to balcony posts or be tucked away and out of sight when out of use. Consider nesting tables or those with a removable leaf to adjust your seating and dining options depending on company.

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Another trick? A small, oscillating fan can keep air flow moving in a small space during grill season—and can be easily affixed to walls or posts, as well.

Don’t let yourself or clients be discouraged by spaces with more limited square footage in outdoor areas. Furniture and design trends have already begun shifting toward providing better small-space options, and at the end of the day, a backyard space is all about providing an area for relaxation. With a few well-placed, strategic choices, you can still have it all.

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ARON PINTO Top Agent Magazine

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ARON PINTO “There is nothing more gratifying than helping my clients differentiate themselves in a very competitive market and help them to sell their homes for record prices using our top of the line strategies.

Exceeding their expectations and seeing them overly excited with our results is hands down the best part of my job.”

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longtime resident of the Waterloo Region, Aron Pinto has always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit. After attending the University of Waterloo, he would build a successful career in corporate sales at BlackBerry, helping them expand into Fortune 500 companies, banks, government, and the public sector across Latin America.

He worked at BlackBerry during their golden years of growth, having lived as an expatriate in Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia over the years, traveling the continent on a weekly basis and being one of BlackBerry’s few official public relations professionals as they were rapidly growing their brand. Following his time at BlackBerry, Aron launched a 10

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construction company in the Waterloo Region and quickly took it to seven-figure revenues within the first year alone. It was quickly recognized as the fastest-growing franchise as it built a strong local reputation guided by principles and quality.

When his wife, Angelica, launched her career in real estate, Aron decided to sell the business and join her, leveraging his strong negotiation skills and background managing teams across 13 countries to find rapid success while with BlackBerry and his vast knowledge regarding construction, with he and Angelica quickly garnering Re/Max’s esteemed Diamond Award for outstanding sales volume. Inspired by these experiences, the two then decided to take their work to the next level

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and launch their team within the rapidly growing eXp Realty, sharing their success and ability to succeed with other strategic team members, partners, and allies. The rest is history.

Today, Aron is a Real Estate Broker and the Team Leader of Team Pinto, powered by eXp Realty, where he and Angelica assist clients throughout Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, and the surrounding areas. Together, they have cultivated a boutique workflow to meet the needs of any buyer, seller, or investor.

When listing a property, Aron takes a multiplatform approach. Starting out, he helps his clients fully prepare for the market, providing them with

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a strong understanding of the local market and what this means to them and their home. He is quickly ready to assist them with a suite of professional staging, photography, videography, and drone footage services in order to differentiate their home from the rest. From there, he broadcasts their listing through a highly targeted blend of digital and social media campaigns and his extensive network within the Waterloo Region, GTA, and beyond. Along the way, he utilizes key resources like interview-style video walkthroughs and 3D tours to showcase the unique attributes of a given property, giving his clients an added advantage in capturing the best buyers in this extremely competitive local market.

Elsewhere, Aron is just as attentive when assisting his buyers, carefully guiding them to the Top Agent Magazine

right investment for their best interests. In fact, he keeps in touch long after the deals are done through regular check-ins, his team’s popular real estate blog, and lively appreciation events to ensure his clients are thriving in their new homes.

Over the years, he and Angelica have earned a terrific reputation throughout Waterloo, with a high percentage of their volume coming from repeat clients and referrals. Whether they’re serving buyers or sellers, Aron’s Master Certified Negotiation Expert (MCNE) designation from the Real Estate Negotiation Institute helps them negotiate at a high level and help their clients get the results they want.

“We believe in going above and beyond to get our clients the best possible results,” Aron says.

“That begins with learning exactly what they’re 13

looking for and finding a property that excites them, but sits comfortably within their budget. At the end of the day, there could be nothing more rewarding than solving problems for our clients and seeing them happy on the day of their closing.”

Outside of real estate, Aron and Angelica contribute to their local school system and community outreach efforts throughout the year. When he’s not with clients or giving back, he can be found spending quality time with his family and children, playing racquet sports, or supporting his team members as they establish their brand within the Waterloo market.

Aron is also passionate about hockey, and loves to attend NHL games and play sports with his two young sons.

Having exceeded $58 million in volume in 2022 alone, Aron intends on scaling his leading standards further throughout the region. In the meantime, he looks forward to all the new opportunities that await. “This is only the beginning,” he says. “I’m so excited to continue building on our model of quality service.

Whether Angelica and I are helping our team members achieve a better life or helping families realize the dream of home ownership, we look forward to growing together.”

To learn more about Aron Pinto, email aron@teampinto.com, visit teampinto.com or call (519) 498-8747 www.

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3 Easy At-Home DIY Projects to Increase Property Value Most homeowners have a lengthy list of chores and bit projects they intend to accomplish around the house. Oftentimes, those to-do items are completed piecemeal over a long stretch of time, or else sometimes not at all. However, when it comes time to prepare a home for market, all those tasks begin to pile-up and overwhelm. The Top Agent Magazine

list of things to do before the photographer comes or the first open house is held might seem endless, but not if you tackle just a few things here and there as you go. These sorts of projects—easy, DIY, at-home tasks you can accomplish in a few hours or less, with tools you most likely have on hand— go a long way with marginal effort.

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Complete a quick rehab of closets and storage areas Many agents advise clients to declutter and depersonalize their spaces ahead of professional photography and home showings. The idea is to provide prospective buyers with a neutral palette. Not only does this allow them to imagine their own lives unfolding within those four walls, but it also helps make a home’s square footage stand out. One way to add visual space to your home without calling in the contractor is to declutter common storage areas and closets. When buyers can get a complete look at a closet’s capacity, or a pantry’s depth, or the garage’s full functional potential, they get a better sense of a home’s potential and thus, its value.

In that vein, consider decluttering and cleaning your high-traffic storage spaces: the garage, pantries, closets, attics, and basements. Besides, organizing and discarding unwanted items help you prep for a move anyway, while giving potential buyers a peak at how spacious your home really is.

Add easy curb appeal with a bit of sweat equity Sure, curb appeal can arrive in the form of a new mailbox, pathway lighting, or updated house numbers, but it can also come cheaper than that. Curb extends to the upkeep of your lawn, landscaping, and home’s façade, and there are plenty of ways 16

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you can give these zones a refresh without spending anything but time. Keeping your front and back yard green and uniform adds a lux layer to exterior square footage.

Likewise, polishing the outside of your windows, trimming hedges, and sweeping the walkway can make a tidy and wellcared for first impression. There are other measures you can take too. Planting wildflower seeds in empty beds, or collecting some landscaping rocks to frame mulched areas can add a bit of character to your residence. Repainting the front door, ensuring trees are trimmed, and keeping back patios Top Agent Magazine

neat and uncluttered also underscore a home at its finest, which is ripe for buyers to snatch up.

Transform tiled spaces into sparkling clean surfaces.

Bathrooms and kitchens are where sellers can stand to add plenty of value in the process of selling a home. While pricey renovations might be out of the question for some, there are still affordable and time-effective ways you can transform for these spaces for the better. Cleaning,

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bleaching, or redoing your tile grout—in either kitchens, bathrooms, or other tiled spaces—can give these high-trafficked areas a new lease on life. Ensuring windows, mirrors, stainless steel appliances and backsplashes are streak-free and polished also demonstrate to buyers that your home is well-cared for and practically move-in ready. Sometimes, the devil is in the details. You might consider relining drawers, changing out knobs and fixtures,

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or else decluttering cabinets and shelves for a fresher look.

No matter the challenges ahead as you prepare your home for sale, completing a few small tasks every weekend or so can put you miles ahead of the competition.

Without spending a dime, you can add serious value to your home’s bottom line, setting you up for success as you begin your own home-shopping adventure.

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JOE VARING Having stepped into the world of real estate at the tender age of 21, Joe Varing has spent the past 18 years honing his craft. He has carved out a niche in the Fraser Valley area from Surrey to Chilliwack. His formidable team of committed professionals is the engine behind his operations.

The team’s unique blend of roles, from marketing to legal, cultivates a comprehensive approach to their work. With a focus on systems and procedures, Joe’s team has a shared dedication to forward-thinking business practices and client relationships. It’s clear Joe has turned his early leap of faith into a prosperous career, becoming a wellknown agent in British Columbia.

Joe’s specialty is development and investment land, and it’s a field he’s dominated through effective marketing strategies. Joe is able to reach a wide variety of interested parties for these types of properties. “When it comes to marketing listings, we believe in a targeted approach,” Joe explains. His team utilizes a two-pronged strategy that focuses on direct marketing. “We hand-select clients, maybe a dozen or two dozen in a certain geographic area, who would be the prime candidates to acquire a certain property,” he explains. Instead of casting a wide net, they zero in on a small circle of buyers spread over a large geographical area. Each potential buyer is sent a carefully curated package, followed by a personal phone call to ensure its receipt. Social media and other strategies supplement this personalized outreach, but it is this meticulous, client-focused method that remains the backbone of their marketing efforts.

For Joe and his team, the proof is in the results. “Our yearly sales volume averages at least $100 million, and we often surpass that,” he explains.

When asked what keeps clients coming back to them, Joe insists it’s their attention to detail. A striking 75% of his business is repeat and referral-based, a testament to the lasting relationships his team cultivates.

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Undoubtedly, he has a signature style that has made him a standout in the real estate industry. At the foundation of his work is his willingness to go above and beyond. Joe is not just about going the extra mile—he goes the extra 10.

“We offer a wide variety of services,” he explains, committed to over-delivering for each client. His emphasis on data mining and education further separates him from the pack, providing clients with the ability to make clear, informed decisions. These aspects of his work continue to propel his team to the top. “Clients want to know that the person they’re working with is walking straight and they can count on us,” Joe shares.

Year after year, Joe is ranked as the number one choice among 15,000 agents at HomeLife.

As for the future, Joe’s plan is clear and steadfast in its simplicity. He intends to continue doing what he does best: providing unparalleled real estate services with integrity and authenticity. “I didn’t know what to expect when I got into this business,” Joe explains. “Now, I credit everything I am to real estate. I’ve met the most amazing people, from clients to colleagues, and it’s been a thrilling experience.”

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Contact Joe at 604-832-2626, email joe@varinggroup.com, or visit WeSellDirt.ca www.

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Graham Harrop Graham Harrop Cartoons Cartoons

Putting the power of humour to work for you!

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Untangling the Bidding War: A Buyer’s & Seller’s Perspectives In a competitive marketplace, bidding wars become the norm. While this may put sellers in an excellent position to recoup on their investment, it can push buyers beyond their budgets and test their temperaments in the process. As an agent, how do you navigate both sides of the coin? After all, you want to net the best results for your client—regardless of which side of the closing table they’re on. To fortify your approach to a heated bidding war, here are a few ideas and insights to better clue you in on the perspectives of buyers and sellers alike.

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Buyer’s Perspective: Emotions Running High?

Channel it.

When the market is booming, buyers feel the pressure—especially when affordable inventory is limited. This can create stress, feelings of hopelessness, and impulsivity. As an agent, how do you channel this emotional energy into something positive? Consider asking buyers to put those anxieties and high hopes onto paper. Have buyers outline

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who they are, why they’re inspired to buy a home at this juncture in their lives, and how they see their lives unfolding once they become a homeowner (or repeat homeowner). Think of it as a letter of intent.

Buyers benefit from taking abstract fears and dreams and articulating them on paper. Likewise, this document can serve as a valuable tool during a bidding war. Letters like these can help sellers with multiple offers make a personal, emotional connection with a particular buyer.

Sellers Perspective: Manage expectations.

When multiple offers are rolling in on a property, it’s easy for sellers to get carried away. Numbers are flying, expectations are heightened, and sellers may become hypnotized by higher and higher offers and ideal outcomes. While it’s good to celebrate prime market positioning, it’s also important to maintain an even keel so that your seller’s mind is clear and they’re thinking rationally through their options.

Sometimes the highest offer isn’t necessarily the sure thing. Manage your clients’ expectations by leading by example, offering a balanced perspective, and talking them through all potential outcomes so that they don’t only hone in on the best-case scenario.

During a bidding war, tensions are running high for seller’s too, who will soon begin their next chapter in another home. Keep a cool head and remind your client to see the big picture, recognize that it’s possible for some offers to fall through, and to sit tight until the closing table has been successfully reached.

Buyer’s Perspective: How do you authentically and convincingly convey your interest?

When ten or so offers are in the mix, it can be hard to differentiate your buyer from the next. While numbers will obviously do a lot of the talking, you’d be surprised how much of a difference a Top Agent Magazine

personal touch can make. Some popular approaches to standing out include personal letters—as mentioned above—tailored to the property. Was the property in question a family home for years? You might have clients detail their dreams of raising a family inside those walls, rather than tear the property down and rebuild something to boost the lot’s value. Including a family photo is also a good tact for personalizing letters in a bidding war. Likewise, little gifts included with your offer can speak volumes about your personality and due diligence as an agent. It may seem a little cheesy, but when sellers are looking at ten near-identical offers, those personal touches can really paint a compelling, personalized picture.

Seller’s Perspective: How powerful is cash?

Data shows that cash offers—typical of investor clientele—double the chances of having an offer accepted. This goes hand in hand with waiving a financing contingency, which also helped boost the probability of an accepted offer, according to research. Cash is king, however, since offers that aren’t completely reliant on comprehensive financing seem to minimize risk for sellers, who are already eager to see a deal go through. Cash deals also tend to go through quickly, freeing sellers up to pursue their next property and move on to new horizons. While not every buyer has the ability to operate in cash, it’s a worthwhile consideration for those in ultra-competitive markets and with liquid capital.

While the bidding process can be stressful for agents and clients alike, it’s important to remember that it’s a time of opportunity, too. If you want to make the most of it as a seller, data shows that a personal touch can endear buyers to their seller counterparts. For sellers navigating a competitive process, it’s important to keep a balanced perspective. For agents, here’s the bottom line: get creative, be resourceful, and use all the tools in your arsenal to achieve the best result for the clients you serve.

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