ONTARIO EDITION
Easy Blog Topics for Your Real Estate Blog
Small Yard?
Big Statement: How to Make The Most Out of Micro Outdoor Spaces
SUCCESS–
THESE 7 HABITS ARE THE REAL SECRET TO SUCCESS
3 EASY AT-HOME
DIY PROJECTS TO INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE
FEATURED AGENTS
SUNNY DUGGAL MICHELE GULKA
COVER STORY
CATHY HAY
Laughs!
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Uncommon Contact:
Connecting with Clientele Through Social Media Social media is one of the newest and most powerful tools in an agent or mortgage professional’s arsenal. With just a few keystrokes, you can stay top-of-mind with buyers, sellers, and borrowers near and far, past and present. The key is knowing how to use these mediums to your advantage, working smarter instead of harder to keep the thread of professional relationships intact. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can maximize the pull and power of social media by shifting just a few of your ideas and practices for the better. 4
Not everything has to be about business. While your relationship with a client or fellow vendor began over the course of business, your relationship going forward doesn’t have to be limited. One of the great things about social media is that’s it’s social. Not every comment, post, or communication has to revolve around your business, its metrics, or turning a sale. In fact, you should do your best to branch out and curate a brand and online identity that’s about who you are and
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the lifestyle you’re authentically interested in living. In that vein, consider interacting with clients in an organically-driven way, encouraging them during life’s milestones, reaching out with a local event, restaurant, or news item that’s relevant to their interests or neighborhood. The goal is to be a persistent presence in their lives without feeling like a talking head. Engage as you would like to be engaged with, as a human being with interests and needs and boundaries. Keep that personal thread in mind and your dynamic will shift from past business contact to present resource.
Expand your medium. Many Realtors are comfortable on Facebook as an interactive meeting to connect with clients, but there are several other mediums where you can connect with clients both past and present, as well as future. Particularly when courting Millennial clientele, the fastest-growing segment of the buying market, a presence on Instagram and Snapchat are key to finding new faces, demonstrating hot properties, and creating an interactive brand as an agent. Not only does this help when you’re listing a property and seeking potential buyers, but it also serves as a perusable portfolio of your work and real estate prowess. You can also use these mediums to interact with clients on an outlet they might feel most comfortable in. Liking pictures, commenting, streaming Instagram Live home tours and Stories are all ways you can build engagement by simply spreading your social media presence around. Likewise, Top Agent Magazine
these photo and video driven mediums are popular for home design ideas, and before and after renovation pictures. When you expand from Facebook into these new platforms, you’ll already have plenty of visual content ready to be transferred and consumed by an expanded audience.
Don’t just react. Create your own content. It’s easy enough to post a link to a new listing, or retweet a helpful article on real estate news. Creating your own organic content is a different story, but worth its weight in gold when it comes to luring engagement, ranking higher in search fields, and overall crafting an interactive presence for yourself and your business online—which is where more than 90% of homebuyers and sellers begin their process. Creating your own content can seem risky, or else like no one is listening in a digital world already crowded with information. However, original content is sure to boost personal engagement with your social media pages, guaranteed. Instead of recycling content, consider posting a video with a Q+A theme for first-time homebuyers, or perhaps posting a live tour of a new listing will perk up your clientele surfing at home. No matter how you decide to expand your social media presence when it comes to interacting with clients, consistency is key. Find the ways that work best for you and stick to them, and you’ll watch your audience and business grow in tandem.
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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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CATHY HAY Top Agent Magazine
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Serving residential and luxury homes, waterfront properties, commercial buildings and investment properties, Top Agent Cathy Hay casts a wide net throughout Ottawa, including Rideau Lakes, Perth, Westport, North Dundas, Kemptville, and Carleton Place. “There are so many synergies between design and real estate,” says REALTOR® and broker Cathy Hay, who represents her clients with a strong awareness of what makes a home special, both inside and out. 10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine
Before moving into real estate almost four years ago, Cathy spent 34 years working as an interior designer, including owning her own commercial interior design business. Still registered as an interior designer Top Agent Magazine
and certified with a Building Code Identification Number, Cathy now uses her expert background in design to help clients understand what you can do with a home structurally, how long it realistically takes to complete any project, and at what cost. Serving residential and luxury homes, waterfront properties, commercial buildings and investment properties, Cathy
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casts a wide net throughout Ottawa, including Rideau Lakes, Perth, Westport, North Dundas, Kemptville, and Carleton Place. Cathy works alongside four agents at the brokerage, Realty Executives Real Estate Ltd. to provide a full-service for all of her clients. In just a few years, she has built a thriving real estate business fueled by her strong network and supportive team. “No matter what stage in life clients are at,
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Cathy works alongside four agents at the brokerage, Realty Executives Real Estate Ltd. to provide a full-service for all of her clients. In just a few years, she has built a thriving real estate business fueled by her strong network and supportive team. I work to find them the perfect home for their needs,” she explains. In addition to traditional homes, she specializes in energy and environmental design and is currently working with clients who are searching for sustainable homes.
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Giving back to those less fortunate is a top priority for Cathy, who has been involved with Habitat for Humanity for almost two decades. Far beyond her own backyard, she has lead Habitat teams in Honduras, Nicaragua, and elsewhere across the globe. “Being involved with nonprofits gives us Top Agent Magazine
all a special purpose,” she explains. One of her main goals for this year is to focus on working with the elderly. “I want to help them transition from a single home to retirement living,” she says. With her design expertise, she has many resources that she uses to help out the elderly community specifically.
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With five grandchildren under the age of six, Cathy’s spare time is often spent with her family. She also loves playing golf, snowmobiling in the winter and riding her motorcycle in the summer. Throughout everything she has done in her career, Cathy has been committed to
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serving her clients to the best of her ability. In addition to helping people buy and sell homes, she owns her own design studio that focuses on residential design, furniture and
decor. This, along with her in-depth knowledge of what makes a home beautiful feed into her success in real estate. “I’m passionate about people and their spaces.”
For more information about Cathy Hay, call 613-851-0954, email cathyhaysells@gmail.com or visit RealtyExecutivesRealEstate.com www.
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Top Agent Magazine
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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SUNNY DUGGAL Top Agent Magazine
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SUNNY DUGGAL
Sunny Duggal of Toronto, Ontario, fuels a successful real estate enterprise by combining his private experiences as an investor with a commitment to ongoing education and a heartfelt desire to serve everyone he has the pleasure of meeting. “I love being true to the process and helping others. People are busy – they have a lot going on in their lives, and helping someone navigate the upsides and downsides of a potential transaction, whether they’re relocating or considering an investment or anything else; just helping someone accomplish their mission always brings a smile to my face. Being a positive part of that journey is a privilege, and it’s a big part of my mission.”
purchasing property for myself, and I saw an opportunity to transition, so I started full time in 2021.” Since then, Sunny has hired a full-time assistant to help him serve the Greater Toronto area, primarily as a listing agent focused in Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon. In his most recent year, Sunny managed to clear $19 million in collective volume, but his success
Before formally entering real estate, Sunny was a private business owner. “I built another company, and I just wanted to expand my horizons,” he recalls. “I got licensed in 2016 since I was already
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does nothing to quell his ambition. “I want to do this at the highest possible level,” he exudes. “My target is $50 million with Sixty Five transactions, I plan to start building my own organization and transition into leadership. Building systems and enterprises from the ground up takes work ethic and commitment, so those are the things I focus on.” Sunny’s business is grounded in a robust interpersonal network, which he pairs with a strategic marketing approach leveraging both physical and digital media. “We use every possible outlet – Cold calling, Door knocking, traditional mailers, YouTube ads, Google ads, Facebook, Instagram – all of the modern techniques of marketing.” This all-encompassing paradigm helps Sunny garner competitive offers for his listings, and he seizes each and every opportunity to deepen his roots in the community. “I probably spend sixty-five percent of my day talking to new people. It’s exciting to learn about others every single day, and it never gets boring.” Once he makes that initial connection, Sunny regularly touches base with holiday greetings, timely gifts, and monthly market reports to make sure his clients stay up-to-date on the latest trends. When he’s not growing his business or connecting with his neighbors, Sunny regularly supports local charities that assist ailing children and their families. He also wakes up early every morning to a workout (while listening to high quality music), followed up by quiet time with a new book. “I’m an avid reader – I love to read and just educate myself. Whether it’s motivation, self-development, sales; anything. I’ve done well so far, but I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I think I can accomplish!” Top Agent Magazine
For more about Sunny, call 647-628-4326, email realtorsunnyduggal@gmail.com, or visit his website: sunnyduggal.com www.
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Success– These 7 Habits Are the Real Secret to Success What makes somesome people so sucWhat isisit itthatthat makes people so cessful andand others not? successful others not?Is Isthere thereaa secret secret recipe recipe one one can can follow, follow, as as easy easy as as baking baking aa cake, cake, which which will will give give them them the the strength strength to to achieve achieve their their ultimate ultimate goals goals and and have have ititall? all? The The answer answer is is that, that,in inaamanner, manner,there thereis. is.The The trick trick is is in in how how you you think think about about success success and and what what itit means means for for you. you. Many Many people people define define success success as as achieving achieving their their personal personal goals, goals, but but could could this this be be leading leading them them to to look look atat the the world a little too narrowly? The people people that that are are truly truly successful successful in in every every aspect aspect of of 22
don’t stop stop at at simply simply achieving achieving their lives don’t their personal goals. goals. They They succeed succeedin inmany many job,job, reavenues of of their theirlife, life,including includingtheir their lationships, health, andand family just to name relationships, health, family just to a few.a few. name ultra-successful people tend It turns turnsout outthatthat ultra-successful people to have quite quite a number of things in comtend to have a number of things in mon. One One main main skill many possess common. skill seem many toseem to is high emotional intelligence, or the abilpossess is high emotional intelligence, or ity to manage your emotions so that you the ability to manage your emotions so can you staycan calm focused even even in high that stayand calm and focused in
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high stress situations. Luckily, it seems not all of them are simply born with this ability, but have many strategies they use to help them achieve higher emotional intelligence. Here are seven strategies and habits that will help you achieve success in every area of your life.
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BE COMPOSED The first thing successful people always seem to have under control is their composure. Successful people stay calmand composed when the going gets tough and fingers start pointing. They don’t panic. The secret? They understand that in life things are always changing.It doesn’tmatter if something is bad at the moment because that will change soon enough. In this topsy turvy life all you can really do is adapt in order to stay happy and remain in control of how you react.
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BE KNOWLEDGEABLE Have you ever noticed how successful people always seem to have such awide range of knowledge and interests? Successful people do know more because they are always working to grow and learn. They strive to constantly increasetheir self-awareness. If a spare moment exists,then they will fill it with some kind of self-education. They do this because they are passionate about learning new things and ways to improve their life. Ignore the fear of being judged and ask questions, because that is the only way you can learn. Successful people don’t
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fear asking questions. They fear not asking those questions and growing stagnant.
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BE DELIBERATE It is important to think and reason before you come to a decision. Successful people don’t rush. They seek out advice from others, they think of all the aspects, and sleep on their thoughts before finally making their decision. Your gut instinct can be misleading, and lead you to make a rash decision that you will come to regret later.
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BE CERTAIN, AND SPEAK WITH CONVICTION Successful people speak with certainty. Unless you communicate your ideas with conviction and certainty, then you will have a hard time getting people to listen to them.
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BE POSITIVE Successful people use positive body language when they are talking to draw other people in. Their tone is enthusiastic, they maintain eye contact, leaning in towards the person speaking to show interest. Successful people use it to draw those other people in. How you say something can be just as if not more important that what you say to people. Positive body language can completely alter how your speech is perceived by others, and helps to keep attention on you and what you are saying.
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BE MEMORABLE BY BE MEMORABLE BY LEAVING A STRONG LEAVING A STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION FIRST IMPRESSION You only have once to make a first impresYou only haveare oneincredibly time to make a firstas sion, and they important, impression, and they importthey are closely tiesare to incredibly positive body lanant, as You theyhave are around closely 7tied to positive guage. seconds to conbody language. 7 seconds vince a person toYou likehave youaround after you initially to convince a person to like after them you meet them. That is how longyou it takes initially a person to decidemeet whenthem. they After meet that, you. After that simplyisspending the rest ofthe therest converaisperson simply spending of the sation justifying that initial reaction they conversation justifying that initial reaction had. You yousure make a good they had.can Youmake can sure make you make impression by having strong strong posafirst good first impression by having ture, a firm handshake, a warm smile,smile, and posture, a firm handshake, a warm openopen shoulders. and shoulders.
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BE FEARLESS BE FEARLESS Successful people know that to give in Successful peopleThey know that let giving to fear is a choice. don’t the into fear fear a choice. They don’t let takeisover, instead focusing onthe thefeart rushake of over, instead, they focus on the rush of euphoria that comes with conquering fears. euphoria that comes with conquering fears. All of this adds up to having a high emotionAll of this addsWhat up tohelps having emoal intelligence. you atohigh succeed is tional intelligence.What helps you toemosucthe ability to control those whirlwind ceed theyou ability control whirlwind tionsisso can to stay calmthose and focused on emotions so you can stay calm andcan focused actually succeeding. These habits help on Theseintelligence, habits can youactually gain a succeeding. higher emotional help a higher emotional intellibut asyou yougain probably already know, anything gence, but dealing as you probably know, involving with youralready emotions in anything dealing with your a healthyinvolving manner takes serious work.emoSo, tions healthy takestime. serious don’t in givea up if you manner fail the first You work. So, don’t up again. if you fail the first must always try give and try time.You must always try and try again.
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MICHELE GULKA Michele Gulka of Stoney Creek, Ontario, is celebrating her recent return to the real estate industry alongside Golden Group Real Estate, part of RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc., Brokerage, at the Queenston location. She’s excited to bring her insider’s expertise, penchant for organic interpersonal networking, and dedication to candor to all of Ontario. “We really pride ourselves on honesty, integrity, and being transparent. We’re knowledgeable and thorough, and we think about our clients, not transactions. When we reflect on our business, we don’t concern ourselves with quantity – we focus exclusively on quality.” Originally, Michele became a registered REALTOR® in her early twenties, but took a leave of absence to start a family and launch an adjacent business. “I fell in love with real estate, but the only thing I loved more were my two daughters,” she recalls. “While I raised them, my husband and I started Rock Solid Home Inspections, and we built that company together from the ground up.” While raising her family, Michele managed the day-to-day operations of the business, and now that her daughters are seven and nine, she has staged her revival within her lifelong career after adding a deep understanding of architecture and construction. Since her return to the industry in January of 2023, Michele is reconnecting with former clients through a variety of media. Golden Group leverages a multifaceted marketing strategy with a robust print and digital footprint, including Christmas gifts, birthday cards, pop-bys, and a large presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (with listings bolstered by Adwerx). “The world is a much smaller place than you believe it is initially. I’m excited to discover new opportunities while reconnecting with past clients, and helping people move to the next chapter in their lives. Helping someone find that dream home, teaching them about construction, or guiding them to become an investor; I love being able to educate people on how that works – building equity and Top Agent Magazine
growing a portfolio. I’m a property investor myself, so my clients already benefit from that financial knowledge and opportunity.” As she grows alongside her team, Michele is excited to deepen her connections with her colleagues and community. Golden Group Real Estate systematically creates quarterly goals, reviews their progress, and encourages one another to stoke their ambition; while simultaneously dedicating an equal amount of time to their local cities and towns. “Every season, as a team, we’ll do a food drive or sponsor something for the community. This summer we are planning a ‘Free Swim’ day where we will pay for pool admissions at the community center. And just before Easter we did a food drive to support the food bank in Mississauga.” As a collective, the team is dedicated to balanced and connected growth, and they pride themselves on mutual success and constant collaboration. When she’s not growing her business or connecting with her neighborhood, Michele spends time with her two daughters, her husband, and her dogs. “I love being with the people I care about, and just making good memories. That’s what life is all about, and at its core, so is real estate!”
To learn more about Michele, call 519-771-8598 email michele@goldengroupre.com, or visit Facebook: facebook.com/michelegulkarealtor https://www.instagram.com/michelegulkarealtor/ or Instagram: @michelegulkarealtor www.
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Easy Blog Topics for Your Real Estate Blog Today, blogging looks a lot different than it did back in 2007, when the platform was just beginning to take off. Successful bloggers don’t choose blog topics on a whim. They think strategically and develop pillar content that their target audience will come back to again and again. Real estate bloggers should be less concerned with whether the same post already exists (it does) 26
than with how they can be more informative and helpful than their competition. Your personality is likely the thing that your clients connect with, and your blog is another place where you can let it shine. Pillar content refers to those evergreen posts that never get old because they are always timely. Think about those questions that you’ve had to
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answer a hundred, if not thousands of times— that’s your pillar content. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could direct your clients to a blog post or, better yet, they discovered the answer on your website rather than you having to constantly repeat yourself?
Or maybe you helped a client sell their house for much more than they were expecting by conducting a series of small and inexpensive renovations. Tell your readers how you did it.
Evergreen Content
Your clients are likely new to the area. Inform them about upcoming community events or mom-and-pop shops they may have never heard of. Are there hiking trails or parks nearby? What’s the best place to grab a cup of coffee before work or a beer after? You can spotlight these places regularly as a monthly series.
This should really make up the bulk of your content. The possibilities are endless, and you could easily come up with an entire year’s worth of content with only a few hours of brainstorming. Here are some examples: You could provide your readers with a list of questions they should ask when interviewing a realtor, the steps to becoming a real estate investor, real estate facts all first-time homeowners should know, steps new parents should take to prepare their home for a baby, recommended vendors for home maintenance, or common real estate terms defined. You could explain to your readers what they need to know about home staging, which home renovations add the most value to their home, how to research schools or crime rates in specific neighborhoods, what a home association is, or how to start flipping houses and buying foreclosures.
Case Studies Sometimes realtors work with a client for years before they are ready to buy a home. Personal finance blogs are a thing for a reason. People want to see exactly how someone else achieved a shared goal. If you have a close relationship with a client who you helped become a homeowner, consider interviewing this client and writing up a case study that shows exactly how the two of you worked together to achieve this goal. Top Agent Magazine
Stay Local
There are plenty of real estate news outlets that will be posting about the state of the market—but they won’t be talking about your specific community, and that’s where your blog comes in. Of course, if you only blog about community functions or properties on the market, then as soon as that event is over or that listing is sold, your content ceases being useful. The best real estate blogs balance their content by posting a little about all the above. Maintaining a high-quality blog means your prospective clients don’t need to visit several websites to have their questions answered because you’ve done the work for them. It’s a tool that helps you make a great first impression. If you still need help coming up with blog topics for your real estate blog, consider sending a survey out to your clients. You can send it via email and post it on social media. Ask your clients what real estate problems they need help solving and write your content with their responses in mind.
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