REM Magazine August 2009 by J Fred Duncan

Real Estate Marketing

Issue #242

News

August 2009

Lisa Ames

brings Olympic-sized spirit to Pemberton Page 8

When to fire your clients Page 6

Recruiting the right agents Page 12

The story of a survivor Page 18

Mortgages

Te c h n o l o g y

Opinion

REM AUGUST 2009 3

Immigrants to drive housing demand, says report C

anadian immigrants are narrowing the homeownership gap with their Canadian-born counterparts, says a report by Scotia Economics. The most recent census data available shows that in 2006, almost 72 per cent of immigrants lived in a dwelling owned by a household member, up from 68 per cent in 2001. The comparable share for the Canadian-born population rose a more modest two percentage points over this period, from 73 per cent to 75 per cent. “Homeownership tends to increase the longer one has lived in Canada, with the majority of new

arrivals first settling in rental accommodation,” says Adrienne Warren, senior economist, Scotia Economics. “Over time, immigrant families eventually make the move to homeownership, at rates similar to the Canadian-born population. However, between 2001 and 2006, the homeownership rate rose for all immigrant groups, regardless of how long they had resided in Canada. The biggest increase was among those living in Canada for less than 10 years. “As recent immigrants to Canada make the transition from renter to owner, they will increasingly drive housing demand,” says Warren.

The report says the faster transition to homeownership has been supported in part by strong labour markets. The employment rate for core working-age recent immigrants jumped 3.5 percentage points between 2001 and 2006 (to 67 per cent). This was faster than the 1.5 percentage point gain among their Canadian-born counterparts (to 82.4 per cent). The employment rate for all immigrants also increased over this period, but by a more modest one percentage point (to 77.5 per cent). “The better labour market performance of recent immigrants may reflect a favourable skills mix, with many employed in high-

Royal LePage sees more upbeat market C

anada’s resale housing market recovered lost ground in the second quarter and is poised to stabilize for the remainder of 2009 after a very slow start to the year, says a Royal LePage report. The company says that as the economy begins to stabilize and consumer confidence improves, house prices are expected to appreciate slightly in much of eastern and central Canada. Greater than national average price declines are predicted for the western cities that saw the greatest price inflation earlier in the decade, including Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. “Given the grim shape that Canada’s real estate market was in this past winter, the turnaround we have witnessed in the second quarter is really quite remarkable. We believe this improvement represents a sustainable change across the country,” says Phil Soper, president and chief executive officer of Royal LePage Real Estate Services. “While seasonally weaker conditions are to be expected in the fall, the plucky Canadian real estate market is stabilizing and a healthy level of activity is forecast for the second half of 2009.”

During the second quarter, average house prices across most Canadian markets began to appreciate, recovering from the lows experienced during the winter months. Average national prices remain slightly behind those posted during the same period in 2008. Of the housing types surveyed, the price of detached bungalows declined to $327,964 (-3.5 per cent), two-storey property prices decreased to $392,378 (3.7 per cent), and standard condominiums price points fell slightly to $236,612 (-4.0 per cent), year-over-year. “With our industry’s busiest quarter behind us, we feel comfortable revising our 2009 forecast to the positive,” says Soper. “When the anticipated market decline struck last winter, it was with greater speed and intensity than predicted, but the strength of the rebound was equally surprising. If general economic conditions continue to improve, as we expect they will, 2009 will be characterized as a period of moderate housing market correction after several years of above-average price growth.” Royal LePage says the 2009 national average house price is forecast to decline marginally by

two per cent, to $297, 500 by end of year and unit sales are projected to fall slightly by one per cent to 430, 000. “Improved affordability, driven by flat or lower home prices and inexpensive mortgage financing, has been the principle catalyst in this recovery. Pent-up demand is also a factor in the lift we see in the second quarter numbers. For six months straddling the year’s beginning, buyers stayed away from the market in an understandable, emotional reaction to very unsettled global economic conditions. Canadians appear to be stepping beyond these fears and are once again moving onto and up the home ownership ladder,” says Soper. “Looking ahead to the second half of 2009, year-over-year price comparisons will likely appear increasingly more favourable. It is important to remember that the baseline for the latter half of 2008 was unusually low, particularly in the fourth quarter when the full impact of the global financial crisis was felt. Our expectation is that most Canadian regions will experience stable housing prices through into the spring of 2010,” REM says Soper.

growth industries such as engineering, construction and skilled trades. It may also reflect a greater geographic mobility to meet shifting regional labour requirements,” says Warren. The report also states that, of the more than one million immigrants that came to Canada between 2001 and 2006, 69 per cent settled in the three largest census metropolitan areas (CMAs) – Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver – and their surrounding municipalities. Meanwhile, a growing proportion (28 per cent) of immigrants settled in smaller CMAs, most notably Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau, Edmonton,

Winnipeg, Hamilton and Kitchener. Less than three per cent chose to live in a rural area. “Given Canada’s aging population and relatively low fertility rates, longer-term household formation and housing needs will be largely determined by immigration,” says Warren. “Using standard assumptions regarding immigration, fertility and mortality rates, the share of Canada’s population growth coming from immigration could rise to three-quarters a decade from now, up from 60-65 per cent today and almost all by 2030. Most of this growth will be in Canada’s urban areas.” REM

Housing sector in ‘recovery’ says Re/Max

ent-up demand for housing has bolstered sales in Canada’s major markets – a clear signal that the housing sector has shifted into recovery mode, says Re/Max. More balanced market conditions have emerged, effectively ending the stronghold that buyers had on the market over the past six to eight months, the company says. Canada’s largest markets, Toronto and Vancouver, led the charge, with June sales among the highest in history for both local real estate boards. Close to 11,000 properties changed hands in Toronto, up 27 per cent over one year ago, setting a new record for sales in the month of June. Residential sales in Greater Vancouver increased 75.6 per cent over one year ago to 4,259 units, just short of the record breaking 4,333 sales, which occurred in June 2005. “The strength of the market, amid the most significant global recession in recent history, once again underscores its relevance to the nation’s economic engine,” says Michael Polzler, executive vice-president, Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada. “Canadians believe in homeownership – a fact best illustrated by the purchasers who ventured forward in recent months and snapped up some of the best real estate deals this market has seen in years. Those who chose to sit it out on the sidelines are now facing a market in transition, characterized by the threat of rising interest rates, low inventory levels, and upward pressure on housing values.” The recent surge in resale activity can be attributed to pent-up demand, low interest rates and greater affordability, says Re/Max. The combination, in conjunction with declining inventory levels, has created heated market conditions in hot pocket neighbourhoods, prompting a resurgence in multiple offers in June. Average prices are holding steady or climbing, days on market are down, and inventory levels continue to tighten, especially at entry-level price points. “While sales are the leading indicator, there are other clear signals that recovery is indeed underway,” says Elton Ash, regional executive vice-president, Re/Max of Western Canada. “Renewed consumer confidence, albeit cautious, has been key, supported by improved economic news. In addition, we’ve seen sale price-to-list price ratios climb across the country, rising as high as 105 per cent in some communities. Vendor incentives have also come off the table, both for resale and new housing stock.” REM

4 REM AUGUST 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

entury 21 In Town Realty, one of Vancouver’s largest real estate companies, recently expanded into a third location in the Vancouver downtown area, at #1123 – 88 Pender St. W., between Chinatown and historic Gastown. Broker/owners Michael LaPrairie and Heather LaPrairie have been operating the company since purchasing it in April 2005. “We are excited about growing our company into its third location and having the Thomas Park Team represent us in this location,” says Michael. LaPrairie. The company has more than 80 sales reps. It has also built a strong online presence. “It’s vital to have a presence on sites where consumers

work and play. That is why we have invested time in YouTube, Facebook, Yammer and Twitter,” he says. “This is incredibly important to network building and to being successful in this business.” ■ ■ ■

Karl Merrill, broker/owner of the brokerage formerly operating as Charlotte Realty in St. Stephen, N.B., has joined the Royal LePage franchise network. The company will operate under the name of Royal LePage Topsail Realty. The company has a team of six sales professionals, who have about 33 per cent of the town’s market share, says Royal LePage. It serves the areas of St. Stephen, St. Andrews, St. George, Blacks

Harbour, Campobello Island and surrounding areas. ■ ■ ■

The HomeLife 2009 International Conference in Ottawa was attended by over 300 HomeLife members from across the country recently. The two-day event included a brokers’ day followed by a trade show and the HomeLife Higher Standards Excellence Awards. The keynote address by Andrew Cimerman, founder and CEO of HomeLife Realty Services, focused on HomeLife’s national and international growth, and its commitment to ensuring “no agent is left behind” – the company’s mantra to ensuring every sales rep receives training, education, coaching and mentoring. Cimerman also discussed HomeLife’s commitment to the environment and communities through its HomeLife Environmental Leadership Program (HELP), which includes a national tree planting program – each HomeLife brokerage plants a tree in their client’s honour for every closed transaction. Larry Bryans, broker of record at HomeLife Bayside Realty in Owen Sound, Ont. won a new HD TV at the “Travel the Tradeshow” event. ■ ■ ■

Keller Williams Real Estate Service recently opened in North York, Ont. From left: Ora Ross, Jeff Hooper, Gon Lee and John Furber.

Gary Keller, founder and chairman of the board for Keller

Williams Realty, made his Toronto speaking debut recently, bringing with him Canadian rock legends The Guess Who. The half-day event was attended by nearly 900 agents and staff from all of the major real estate companies. Keller is also the author of the best-selling Millionaire Real Estate Agent series of books, which have sold more than one million copies. He came to Toronto in promotion of his latest title, Shift: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times. The Guess Who performed a free concert for all attendees of the Shift seminar, to an enthusiastic response. “The energy in the room was electric and the reaction to the entire event has been phenomenal,” says John Furber, director of Keller Williams Canada and organizer of the event. The company says similar future events are already in the works. ■ ■ ■

Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services has renamed its commercial brokerage franchise division as part of its efforts to bolster its presence in the commercial real estate marketplace, the company says. The commercial real estate affiliate network will now operate as Prudential Commercial Real Estate and is headed by Mike McLean, who was named vicepresident of the division. McLean returns to Prudential after most recently serving Realogy as senior vice-president for NRT’s U.S. commercial brokerage operation. During his prior tenure with Prudential Real Estate in the late 1990s, he was director of corporate services. “Our new name leverages the power of the Prudential brand – a well established force in the real estate industry,” McLean says. “Brand, expertise, and technology are the cornerstones of our approach to success. We’re focused on expanding our geographic footprint with a network of professionals who share the same values and wish to join one of the most respected names in real estate.” ■ ■ ■

Michael LaPrairie

Heather LaPrairie

Gary Keller

Jeff Hooper, operating principal of the first Ontario Keller Williams franchise in Ottawa, has

teamed up with Toronto sales reps Peter Mulholland and Ora Ross, and broker Gon Lee to open Keller Williams Real Estate Service in North York, Ont. Hooper and his Ottawa team have built Keller Williams Ottawa Realty to be among the top 10 of the nearly 700 Keller Williams offices across North America. Mulholland, a 25-year real estate veteran and his partner, Ross, are among the top agents in Toronto, the company says. Gon Lee works in both the residential and commercial markets throughout Toronto. ■ ■ ■

Coldwell Banker Canada recently launched a re-tooled eFastStart program, customized to the Canadian market and designed for new recruits and sales representatives wanting to refresh their skills with back-to-basics training. “Coldwell Banker has built a strong reputation as a leader in education and skills development,” says John Geha, president of Coldwell Banker Canada. “Our new interactive eFastStart program will help new recruits get up and running quickly, and help sales representatives in our system to maximize the benefits of our unique Coldwell Banker resources.” ■ ■ ■

Century 21 Real Estate LLC recently announced its expansion in Asia Pacific with the signing of a master franchise agreement to open Century 21 franchises in Thailand. With this agreement, Kitisak Jampathipphong is chief operating officer and master franchisor of the Century 21 System for Thailand. “Thailand has been quite successful in improving its economy and increasing its role in the world economy,” says Tom Kunz, president and CEO of Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “The potential for growth opportunities in this dynamic marketplace are unlimited.” The agreement represents a further expansion into Asia Pacific for the brand, which now has a presence in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. REM

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6 REM AUGUST 2009

When to fire your clients “It may be a little bit cocky but when you get to a certain level it’s nice to be able to pick and choose your clients just like they pick and choose their Realtor.” – Ian Watt By Toby Welch

f you stay in real estate long enough, chances are you’ll have to fire a client. Whether it’s a buyer who will never find the perfect house or the seller who refuses to list his home at a price point even remotely close to where it will sell, one day you will want to cut the ties. Or maybe you’ll need to say sayonara due to a personality clash, or if your client is a real estate know-it-all and won’t listen to reason. As Ian Watt of Sutton West Coast Realty in Vancouver shared on his blog on February 23, “Today was an interesting day because I fired two clients. I kind of feel bad for doing so but the thing is when you get to a certain level, you want to just work with the people you want to work with. An extra $5,000 or $10,000 at the end of the year is not going to make or break my year. One guy had his place listed with another Realtor and it didn’t sell. I took over the listing and it didn’t sell. Halfway through the listing, he wanted to increase the price by 10 per cent. If it didn’t sell at the lower price, why would a 10 per cent INCREASE in the price make a difference? It’s not worth my time, energy, or my money to market this property anymore so I basically just said, ‘Thank you very much. It’s time for you to find a new Realtor.’” Watt tells what happened with the buyer he fired the same day. “The client I fired is stats oriented (and that’s great as some people are just that way.) Engineers,

AU G U S T 2 0 0 9 Cover photo: TOSHI KAWANO

accountants, and such need a lot of information. I guess I’m not the right Realtor for them. Finding the right Realtor is like finding the right doctor, lawyer or hairdresser. Anyone can do the job but you want to find the guy you have confidence in and you have the right fit for. To tell you the truth, I’m not a great fit for that guy so I referred him off to my mentor, the guy who trained me when I first got into the business. I can’t waste time with people that I don’t connect with or that don’t understand the way I do this business.” It is vital for your sanity and reputation to get rid of a client before you start having fantasies about wrapping your hands around his throat and throttling him. How do you know when it is time? Here are a few telltale signs: • You get worked up talking to the client. • You know you will never be able to find a middle ground in your disagreements. • Your client calls and you don’t pick up or, if you answer, you do it with a heavy heart. • Your client does not do what you repeatedly ask of him. • You can no longer make impartial decisions regarding your client. • Lines of communication have broken down. • Your client expects you to be “on call” for him 24 hours a day and your relationship is exhausting. • Your client is questioning your integrity or is lying to you.

Ian Watt fired two clients one day recently.

• Your client is adamant you do something that goes against your moral code. • Your client is driving you crazy and it’s taking a toll on your sanity. Breaking up is never pleasant but it is sometimes necessary. Go into the discussion rationally and professionally and without emotion. Keep the end goal in mind – to sever the relationship with the least amount of damage. Try to keep the accusations and profanity to a minimum. You can offer to refer the client to another Realtor you feel they may be better suited to work with. Before you part, wish the client good luck and leave the situation amicably even

if you still want to throttle him. If the client doesn’t agree with you and wants to continue working together, stick with your decision no matter how much he tries to convince you otherwise. There’s a reason you are having this discussion to begin with! Although you’ll want to get out your frustrations, resist venting about the client to colleagues. Not only does it increase your risk of a slander or defamation lawsuit, it also makes you look bad. Watt has some thoughts on this topic: “Our time as Realtors is very limited. We can’t be everywhere, with every client at every moment. It’s very important to understand that working with

clients who are wasting your time are also taking away from the ability to work with less high-maintenance clients, those who are serious about putting pen to paper. We have to remember we can’t be all things to all people, and we can’t all be a perfect fit for every person – if that were the case we’d never see divorce in our society. I think when firing a client, you just have to be honest and explain that you (the Realtor) are not the right fit for the client and then refer them off to another Realtor. Furthermore, if there is strain on the client/Realtor relationship, this experience will result in just one sale, no repeat business and no referrals.” REM

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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. ISSN 1201-1223

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2/11/09 2:30:40 PM

8 REM AUGUST 2009

Olympic-sized spirit in a small town L

isa Ames is fairly sure she won’t sell a thing during the better part of next February. She doubts she’ll show a home, write up any contracts, close any deals, or field more than a few vague inquiries during the month. But the effervescent 40-year-old agent doesn’t care. She’s been selling houses, condos, farms and acreages in the Pemberton Valley for the

two towns is tight: much of Whistler’s work-force lives in Pemberton. Those who don’t work in Whistler, play there. Whistler/Blackcomb Ski Resort is known worldwide for its great snow conditions and incredible terrain. Because there is no swimming pool, ice arena or movie theatre in Pemberton, many families make the halfhour drive to Whistler regularly for recreation.

“(The Olympics) give the exposure that creates the interest that brings the buyers.” past eight years and plans to put it all on hold to be part of the 2010 Winter Olympics, being hosted 23 km down the road in Whistler. Ames has signed up for a volunteer position during the Games (her exact role has yet to be assigned). Her family is billeting a room in their home to an athlete’s family or a visiting volunteer, and she’ll be helping organize locals to celebrate and enjoy the Olympics. And, she’ll be cheering for Canadian athletes as loudly as she can. “I want to experience the Games,” says Ames. “It’s going to be so exciting. I want to be a part of it.” Even though she doesn’t have tickets to any events yet, she and her family are looking forward to immersing themselves in the Olympic spirit. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” As the thousands of athletes, fans, media, volunteers and support workers converge and the world’s spotlight shines on Whistler, many wonder what impact – if any – will be felt in neighbouring Pemberton, with its nearly 5,000 residents (if you include the surrounding areas). The connection between the

However, Pemberton offers something that Whistler does not: affordable housing and a tight-knit community feeling. It’s a town with a strong agricultural heritage that attracts many young families unable to afford Whistler’s million-dollar starter homes. It may not have Whistler’s night life, shopping opportunities or, come February, worldwide attention, but Pemberton feels like home to people like Ames. She and her husband Pat moved to “Pembie” in 1995 after living in Whistler for nine years. She joined Whistler Real Estate’s Pemberton office in 2002, the year Statistics Canada called Pemberton “the fastestgrowing community in British Columbia”. “I came into a busy market,” says Ames. “It was a good time to start.” Although she knew there was more money to be made selling homes in Whistler, she felt a strong connection to Pemberton. She fell in love with the community and knew it was the right place to raise her two daughters. Gradually, Ames developed a reputation as a local expert. The

By Katherine Fawcett

Pemberton real estate market is unique and can be complicated. There are many aspects to selling rural real estate and knowledge of the Agricultural Land Act, Dyking District and local rules and regulations are important to facilitate a smooth transaction. Ames also became more and more involved in the community, and has been instrumental in Pemberton’s growth. She is a Chamber of Commerce director, president of The Rotary Club, a town councillor, a former Day Care Board member and last year’s Citizen of the Year. When asked what her hobby is – how she spends her free time – Ames laughs. “Free time? I don’t have any free time,” she says. “My hobby is doing things for town. It’s what I enjoy doing. I love being a part of Pemberton. I don’t consider it work.” She’s completely sincere. Ames is a woman of action and energy who is known for her ability to get things done. After the Indonesian tsunami in 2005, she spearheaded a bottle drive that raised over $10,000 in a single day. Recently, she worked with the Rotary Club to have a derelict tract of land beside the Pemberton ambulance station transformed into a beautifully landscaped green space. Last summer, she raised money and gathered local volunteer tradespeople to erect a 14-foot Inukshuk beside the Visitors’ Info Centre to provide a welcoming icon, a focal point, and a place for people to stop and have their photos taken with the mountain backdrop. Ames is confident that Pemberton will make it through the current economic turmoil with few scars. While house prices have fallen 20 to 30 per cent on average throughout B.C. during the past year and 10 to 20 per cent in Whistler, Pemberton prices have not taken such a hit, falling on average only three to

Lisa Ames helped raise money to build a 14-foot Inukshuk to provide a welcoming icon. -Photo by Toshi Kawano

ten per cent. Ames says this is because “many of our buyers are buying for personal use. It’s not second or third homes or recreational property. Here, we’re seeing a lot of the first-time buyers taking advantage of the low interest rates.” She says that exposure from the Olympics will bolster the local real estate market even more, but she’s hesitant to make specific predictions. “People always ask me the ‘Olympic question.’ I tell them ‘I do not have a crystal ball.’” However, her company researched similar communities near Salt Lake City when the Games were held there. They found that “although nothing really happens during the games in terms of real estate transactions, there is huge media exposure. We will see our boom maybe six months or so after. (The Olympics) give the expo-

sure that creates the interest that brings the buyers.” To help increase that exposure and interest, Ames is currently working with the Pemberton Chamber of Commerce Spirit Committee to ensure locals are engaged and involved next February. The committee is planning to show Olympic events on a giant screen at the community centre, plus perhaps hold barn dances and other events to attract people to town and to give locals a way to plug in to the energy of the Games. Whether it’s an international tourist on a side-trip during their Olympic visit or a house-hunter looking for a small, friendly town, Ames works hard to make them feel welcome. “I always tell people ‘You’ll love it here’,” says Ames with a smile. “I’ve never had that one backfire on me.” REM

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10 REM AUGUST 2009

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am writing in regards to an article by Erik Pisor of Inman News that appeared in the June 2009 edition of REM: Competition Bureau visits flat-fee U.S. brokers. The article contains inaccurate statements about the Canadian Real Estate Association’s rules. Quoting Chris Ballard, the article states: “MLS rules and bylaws in Canada appear to place restrictions on real estate companies that charge a flat fee”. CREA’s bylaws and rules do not prescribe, require, limit or restrict the nature of the services performed by Realtors or the prices charged for any such services. Decisions about what services to provide or what price to charge are business decisions that each real estate firm or Realtor makes independently. For a real estate firm or Realtor to charge a flat fee would not be a violation of CREA’s rules. The article goes on to say: “One (CREA) rule requires listing agents to receive offers from potential buyers and negotiate on behalf of the seller in order to list the property within the MLS”. This statement is incorrect. CREA’s rules require listing agents to be available to provide professional advice and counsel to the seller on all offers and counteroffers. CREA’s rules do not require listing agents to negotiate on behalf of the seller if the seller advises the listing member in writing that he or she does not want professional advice and counsel. The next sentence in the article states that “the seller does not have the legal right to opt out and negotiate the offer without the aid of the listing agent”. CREA’s rules do not establish or affect legal rights. Real estate agents and brokers must comply with CREA’s rules in order to maintain their CREA membership, but any restrictions on a seller to negotiate the purchase of a property on their own would be a matter of provincial law in the province where the property is located. It bears noting that members of organized real estate must comply with all legislative, regulatory and common law requirements applicable to real

estate professionals in jurisdictions across Canada, quite apart from any of CREA’s rules. Further, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify some differences between MLS systems in Canada and in the U.S. In Canada, MLS is a registered trademark owned by CREA whereas MLS is not a trademark in the U.S. In Canada, real estate boards and associations are licensed to use the MLS trademark in association with the operation of an MLS system. CREA has rules that protect the MLS trademark from misuse and infringement, which all boards and associations must comply with in order to use the mark. As MLS is not a trademark in the U.S., one would expect the rules of NAR and American MLS providers to differ from those in Canada. Finally, as stated in the article, there are numerous MLS systems that operate throughout Canada, but the MLS mark is a national trademark. There is also a national

As MLS is not a trademark in the U.S., one would expect the rules of NAR and American MLS providers to differ from those in Canada. website, Realtor.ca, which is a public website that consolidates and displays a subset of the information contained in MLS listings on individual boards’ MLS systems. This website should not be confused with an MLS system, which is a cooperative selling system operated by a board or association that includes an inventory of listings of participating Realtors. Pierre Beauchamp Chief Executive Officer Canadian Real Estate Association Ottawa REM

12 REM AUGUST 2009

Recruiting the right agents - Part 1

By Leon d’Ancona

icking the wrong agent can be a costly and time consuming affair. Yet many recruiters don’t seem to have a definitive plan about who they should recruit. Others take the point of view that as long as the person in front of them “can fog up a mirror” and has the ability to pay desk fees, that’s good enough. If you take that point of view, you likely are in the “people business” and your raison d’être happens to be real estate. In which case, move on to the next page. I’m not offended.

The average cost to a broker who hires the wrong person, given to me by seasoned recruiters, is well over $8,700. It is certainly worth your while to invest some time and effort to learn more about the candidate you want to have on your team. For those looking for long-term stability in your organization I offer the following sage advice. Know the benchmark: It amazes me that many seasoned brokers and owners I speak to daily do not have a measure of the production of agents. It is only through this knowledge that the above-average professional can be hired. The average “ends” for the last 12-month period varied from three to eight units. It is also fair to say that nationally, almost 50 per cent of licensed residential real estate professionals do not make enough money to sustain their careers. Possibly for some readers who

are in a position to give great training to struggling hires, this works out well. For most of us, the recipe of hiring people who will not make money ultimately ends with a demoralized staff, not conducive to high morale or profits. Monthly sales activity: There is a tendency in the profession to rest on laurels. When you study the profile of your prospective new hire, have a look at the consistency of the candidate’s production. Chart #1 shows that this prospective hire had almost no activity in March, April, May and June. It is possible that you might not see any activity from the new hire, after a period of successful sales. Another key criterion I recommend is what I call the comfort graph (Chart #2). By charting the performance of the MLS (in blue) and the performance of your prospective candidate (in red) you can quickly see if the candidate performs

according to your expectations. If the market is doing poorly, it would not be unusual for the professional’s sales activity to be poor. Conversely, if the market is hot and the candidate does poorly, that might indicate a lack of talent or ability. There is comfort in knowing that a sales representative’s performance is in tune with the market activity. What you are likely looking for is someone who actually outperforms what the overall real estate market is doing, with a performance level of Joe Superstar (Chart 3). You will note that Joe follows the market trend and in many months exceeds it. Picking the right people for your team should not be a guessing game. You can spend many hours CHART 1

Estate Association, and just concluded his term as its president at the end of April. Veitch began his real estate career as a commercial developer. He joined the Century 21 System in 1999. REM CHART 2

omeLife’s 2008 Higher Standards of Excellence Awards Ceremony in Ottawa recently saw more than 330 awards handed out to sales reps and brokers from across Canada. HomeLife’s Top Guns were Tom Tauro, broker of record and Steven Schmeiser, broker, from HomeLife Bayview Realty in Toronto, the No. 1 HomeLife Brokerage in Canada for 21 consecutive years. Jason Atkins of HomeLife Bayview was Top Sales Representative in Canada for a record fourth consecutive year.

leadership and contribution within the real estate industry, his community and/or the broader society. Veitch has served as a REIBC governor and president in 2002, and was a director and vice-president of the Kootenay Real Estate Board. He has also served on the board of the British Columbia Real Above: David Podmore (left), 2002 Award of Excellence recipient, presents the 2009 Award of Excellence to Scott Veitch.

■ ■ ■

Scott Veitch, manager of Century 21 Veitch Realty in Creston, B.C., won the 2009 Real Estate Institute of British Columbia (REIBC) Award of Excellence. It is awarded to the REIBC member who best demonstrates outstanding

Tom Tauro

Jason Atkins

CHART 3

doing your own research, or you can make intelligent informed choices with tools that are available to you from a third party. Many markets are seeing the turnarounds I have been writing about. This is the perfect time to take the time to add long-term candidates to your organization. Leon d’Ancona B.T.L., M.T.L., RRESI, is president and founder of IMS Incorporated, and creator of REality, an online service used by franchises, brokers and agents to improve their bottom line. Author and writer, he is a regular speaker at real estate gatherings throughout the continent, and is well-known for his entertaining, illuminating presentations. Email: Leon@realestatestatistics.com. REM

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14 REM AUGUST 2009

TA X C H AT & OTHER MATTERS

By Michel Chevalier n my last column I promised to share a case history that would illuminate how the process of standing up to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) actually worked. The taxpayers in this case were a small corporation and its two owners. In the beginning, the owners did most of the work and only occasionally hired parttime help. They paid the help as contractors and did not deduct tax at source. After the first couple of years, as the company grew and took on full-time employees,

Standing up to the tax man a formal payroll was established. The partners were always aware that they might owe CRA money for those early years because they had treated employees as contractors. The owner/directors also went for many years paying themselves as contractors, before the company accountants finally browbeat them into becoming T4 employees of their own corporation…something that went severely against the grain. Even though they did not deduct and remit tax in the startup years, they always remitted Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) premiums. Some years later, the corporation received a letter that had both the WSIB and CRA logos as part of the letterhead. This letter indicated that CRA and WSIB cross-referenced their files. This caused a slight ripple of fear because the early years of paying WSIB and not withhold-

ing and paying source deductions would obviously pop up as an anomaly. Why is this company paying WSIB premiums and not withholding and paying source deductions, was the obvious question. Well, another year or two went by and the letter was forgotten…until the company received a letter from CRA advising that they wished to carry out a payroll audit. This caused another and greater ripple of fear and guilt. So the process began…boxes of records were dredged up and taken to the companies’ accountants’ office and the auditor came and spent a couple of days going through the ‘stuff’ and causing the accounting bill that month to increase somewhat. Then nothing was heard from CRA for several months…until the phone rang again and the same auditor needed to come back. This happened

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a third time, although on this occasion it was a different auditor. Of course, each time this happened the accounting bill hiccupped upwards. A good many months went by before the company finally received the audit report, which was followed by the Notice of Assessment. It stated that the corporation owed some $23,000, which included some actual tax money owed and a lot of interest and penalties. A portion of the money was certainly owed because of those early years. However, a very large percentage of the assessment related to CRA having assessed the two owners/directors as employees of their own corporation and issuing T4s on their behalf. So began the next stage of the process. After receiving a Notice of Assessment, the taxpayer has 90 days to file a Notice of Objection, which goes to the

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Appeals Division within CRA. The company filed a Notice of Objection and three months later received a letter explaining that a small portion of what had been assessed was being subtracted…about $3,000. This was not acceptable at all to the owners/directors because the CRA had ignored some blatant math errors made by the auditors, which had been pointed out. Also, the CRA had chosen not to accept the representations made in the objection to the effect that directors should not be forced into being T4 employees of their own corporation. The stage was then set for the next evolution of the process… an Appeal to The Tax Court of Canada. Again there is a 90-day window to file this appeal after receiving the Notice of ReAssessment resulting from the objection. The Notice of Appeal was drafted and submitted to the Tax Court and seven more months went by. At this point the company was contacted by the Ministry of Justice, whose lawyers represent CRA in tax court, and advised that on the advice of Justice, CRA wished to withdraw and not go to court over the matter…Eureka! The company had won! By this time the amount owing had escalated to $29,000 and the partners calculated that, having won the case, the actual amount owing should be in the order of $9,000. But the story is far from over. I’ll continue this saga in my next column. 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; www.taxaction.net. REM

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16 REM AUGUST 2009

The straw homebuyer scheme By Bob Aaron

elanie came to her lawyer’s office in tears. Two years earlier she had received $5,000 from a “friend” to allow her name to be used on the purchase of a property by someone who could not qualify for bank financing. She signed some papers, which were not explained to her, and received $5,000 for an hour or two of her time. It was the easiest money she ever made. She heard nothing more about the house until she was served with court papers demanding repayment of the mortgage. Her lawyer explained that the mortgage on the house she bought was tens of thousands of dollars in arrears, and she was personally responsible for the debt. She stood to lose her own house and car, and her wages would most likely be garnisheed. She was facing personal bankruptcy. Unfortunately, Melanie had fallen victim to the straw purchaser scam. It’s become so common these days, that one Ontario title insurer last month announced that it would no longer insure transactions that match the profile of the scam. Here’s how it works. An individual with good credit is offered a sum of money – which can be as much as $10,000 – to go through the motions of buying a property. The individual lends his or her name and credit by acting as a dummy or “straw” buyer of a property for someone else. Typically, the scheme enables the “purchase” of a property by a third party, such as a tenant, who would not otherwise qualify for a mortgage. An alternate purpose of the scam is to allow a defaulting owner to remain in the property. The previous mortgages, which are in default, are refinanced using the straw buyer, and the process cancels the inevitable eviction. The new mortgage lender is not aware that the person signing for the mortgage is really fronting for someone else and has no intention of paying it back. Often the

“borrower” has no idea what documents he or she is signing. The straw buyer becomes the registered owner of the house. He makes no financial contribution to the purchase and has no intention of living there or managing it. Their only involvement is to apply for a mortgage loan and sign documents at closing as if he was the real buyer and never makes mortgage or tax payments. If the house is rented, he never collects rent from the tenant. The straw buyer may be a stranger to the third party, or there may be a prior relationship with him. If the tenant or “true owner” defaults on the mortgage, the straw buyer – the one with the previously good credit, like Melanie – is surprised to find herself at the wrong end of a lawsuit for mortgage arrears and the lender’s loss when the property is sold. Mortgage fraud by straw buyers is being monitored by the Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada (CISC), an inter-agency organization that co-ordinates and shares information with member police forces. According to a CISC report in 2007, the use of straw buyers is often linked to mortgage fraud and organized crime in Canada. Some straw buyers are not innocent. A straw buyer, CISC says, “pretends to be a legitimate buyer for a property but in reality is in collusion with another criminally inclined individual to further a mortgage scam. The straw buyer often uses fake or stolen identification to prevent being traced.” Criminal groups, the report notes, often seek out vulnerable or criminally inclined individuals to use as straw buyers. The targets that are recruited or coerced are often newly arrived in the country. The bottom line is that participating in a straw buyer scheme is illegal. It can result in personal bankruptcy and jail. Bob Aaron is a sole practitioner at the law firm of Aaron & Aaron in Toronto and a board member of the Tarion Warranty Corp. E-mail bob@aaron.ca. REM

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18 REM AUGUST 2009

The story of a survivor

At 86, Sigmund Sobolewski sells real estate, runs an inn, and tells audiences his incredible story about being incarcerated in Auschwitz at the age of 17. By Gabriele Quinn old Sigmund Sobolewski, a Polish Catholic, was arrested at his home in the small southern town of Nisko, Poland. At 2 am, two German soldiers pounded on the door, shouting for someone to open up. “They were asking for my father, because my father was a captain in the Polish Army, but he was also the Mayor of Nisko. They could not get him so they arrested me and my mother,” Sigmund says. Within days, Sobolewski found himself and 31 other Intelligentsia, or people with a higher education, on one of the first transports to Auschwitz. Of this group, only Sobolewski survived. He easily remembers the date of arrival, June 14, 1940. It was the day he was branded Prisoner 88.

Sigmund Sobolewski, 86, poses in his replicated striped Auschwitz prisoner’s uniform, an outfit he wears at worldwide speaking engagements to tell his story.

he next time you feel life is treating you unfairly, count your blessings. Last night, you probably opened the refrigerator to reach for a bedtime snack – even though you really didn’t need it. Then you woke this morning in a warm, clean, bed to the aroma of fresh brewed coffee. Doubtless, you spoke freely with friends and co-workers without so much as a second thought. What about your family? Are they safe? Such a silly question; of course they are. The great majority of us have much to learn. And if we could find ourselves fortunate enough to speak with Sigmund Sobolewski, 86, we just might get that chance. Sobolewski, an associate with Realty Executives Devonshire Realty in Lethbridge, Alta. is thankful to be alive. Sobolewski is an Auschwitz survivor.

The mere mention of Auschwitz to those familiar with the Holocaust evokes surreal images of endless cold barracks, heavily shrouded in human smoke, stretching as far as the eye can see. Despite its humble beginnings, AuschwitzBirkenau grew to approximately 40 square km. It was the largest of all German concentration/ extermination camps with about 155,000 inmates. It was here that lives of tormented souls hung by a thin, fragile thread. Among them were Poles, Russian POWs, Gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Freemasons, visible minorities and the disabled. Even German citizens found themselves guests at this nightmarish hotel. But, as many know, the vast majority was Jews. Notoriously, Auschwitz became an assembly line for mass murder. On May 28, 1940, 17-year-

“At that time, Auschwitz did not yet exist. When we arrived, there was no camp. There was nothing. We were kept in a big warehouse of a Polish tobacco company. And then gradually, the prisoners formed up the barbed wire around the building.” Sobolewski says. “Then we were working to convert the brick barracks of the Polish Artillery Regiment close to Auschwitz into the main camp.” At this point, Auschwitz became the first Nazi concentration camp on Polish soil. It began as a labour camp, but soon it grew into something far more sinister. Those chosen for work received a forearm identification. All others went directly to the gas chambers. A camp of this size was run like a city with prisoners performing most of the work. Officially, the daily ration of food was 780 calories, but most prisoners were lucky to get this much. “Tea was supposed to be made from menthol leaves. But later on, they just made the tea

with grass or anything; some warm water with something green floating in it. That was breakfast,” Sobolewski says. “For supper, we received one litre of watery soup.” Fortunately, when the opportunity arose, Sobolewski found himself in one of the most desirable positions in the camp – the Fire Brigade. “My number, 88, attracted a lot of attention, because the numbers by this point were numbering in the hundreds of thousands. They treated me different. Because of the very fact that I had survived this long, it opened a lot of doors for me,” he says. “What do firemen do between fires? They don’t do anything. They waited for a fire.” This meant energy was not expended like most prisoners who worked at hard labour with a pick and axe. If less fortunate prisoners were unable to supplement their rations, they died with three months. Over 4 1/2 years, Sigmund bore witness to many horrors. Each day’s 6 am awakening brought renewed fears of beatings, hunger, sickness and death for those the Nazis considered not worthy of life. Hard labour and lack of food ensured the swift deterioration of the body; selections, or the act of choosing weakened persons to fill vacant gas chambers capable of killing 2,000 people at one time, awaited those whose bones protruded the most. Horrific human medical testing took place without the humane use of anesthetics. Those who succumbed to this torture then made their way to the ovens, which operated for 24 hours a day and spewed more human ash into the air. These are but a few examples of the awfulness of Auschwitz. When all was said and done, approximately 1.3 million lives ended

here. Ninety per cent were Jews. Asked if he has forgiven his Nazi tormentors who murdered so many, Sobolewski says, “I really have no hate against German people, because I know how Germans suffered” during the relentless round-the-clock Allied bombing of German centres. “There must have been thousands and thousands of civilians killed – for nothing.” Many years later, and despite his age, Sobolewski is still going strong. Today, he is not only a Realtor, but he and Ramona, his wife of 47 years, run The Heritage Inn, a small motel, in Ft. Macleod, Alta. He has also found his calling as teacher. Clad in a reproduction of his Auschwitz garb, he has traveled worldwide and spoken before large crowds to tell his story of Auschwitz survival and lessons of tolerance. Sobolewski has been back to Auschwitz many times to speak out against Nazism, racism, and Holocaust denial. Incredibly, this emboldened man has confronted NeoNazis and anti-Semites alike. Does this make him a hero? Sobolewski says, “No, I’m not a hero. I’m just a lucky guy, who by the grace of God, and by some unusual circumstances, I survived the camp. I was just lucky.” Gabriele Quinn lives with her husband Mike Quinn, manager of the Lethbridge, Alta. office of Realty Executives Devonshire Realty. As well as a stint as Realtor, she has also been employed in the home building industry in Ontario and is currently employed with Greer Home Builders in Lethbridge. She has written and soon plans to publish her mother’s Second World War memoir. This is her first attempt at writing a journalistic piece. REM

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20 REM AUGUST 2009

Management Council: Chair – Suzanne Longley, Calgary; first vice-chair – Sherril Carlson, Saskatoon. Real Estate Finance Council: Chair – Clarence Wedge, Toronto; first vice-chair – Denis Archambault, Ottawa. ■ ■ ■

he Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC) inaugurated its new president and Board of Directors at its annual conference recently. The president for 2009-2010 is William McCarthy of Burnaby, B.C. McCarthy joined REIC in 1987 and has earned three different designations through the institute. He is also an active member of the IREM B.C. Chapter. “I am a firm believer that education, professionalism and the development of one’s skill set never stops. To be the president of an association that is so dedicated in providing advanced real estate education is very important to me,” says McCarthy. He is the founder, president

and owner of W.P.J McCarthy and Company, a full service independent real estate firm that focuses on property development, real estate management and consulting. In addition to his own professional activities, McCarthy is an author, educator and scholar. He has 20 professional designations. Also named to the Board of Directors are: Immediate past-president Myrton Bello of Brossard, Que.; vice-president Chrystal Skead, Edmonton; and secretary/treasurer Kim Aasen, Melfort Sask. Real Estate Sales & Leasing Council: Chair – Renaud Campbell, Toronto; first vice-chair – Léo Ziadé, Longueuil, Que. Real Estate Property/Asset

David Plouffe, who was Barack Obama’s campaign manager during the presidential election, was the guest speaker at the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Civic Connections Reception. The event brought together many elected representatives, Realtors, other real estate industry representatives, housing charity leaders, and media to reinforce the message that Realtors make it a priority to work with governments to represent the interests of home buyers and owners. In his remarks, Plouffe stressed the importance of grassroots efforts during the election campaign, and spoke about the role that social media played. He also took part in a Q&A session and mingled with the audience later at a reception. REM

David Plouffe addresses the TREB Civic Connections audience.

The 2009-2010 REIC National Board of Directors prepare to take the REIC Oath. From left: Myrton Bello, Suzanne Longley, Kim Aasen, Chrystal Skead, William McCarthy, Renaud Campbell, Clarence Wedge, Léo Ziadé, Sherril Carlson and Denis Archambault.

INSURANCE RENEWAL 2009 Real Estate Council of Ontario

For the past nine years, Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) registrants have benefited from unique insurance coverage for claims resulting from errors and omissions, loss of deposits and loss of commissions. RECO has been able to arrange stable and affordable insurance coverage for registrants that is broader than any other Canadian jurisdiction. RECO is pleased to announce that, through the program’s insurance broker Alternative Risk Services Inc. (AR Services), affordable insurance coverage has been renewed with Lloyd’s of London for the policy period from September 1, 2009 to September 1, 2010. The Insurance Program is managed by Dion, Durrell + Associates Inc. The total cost of insurance, including taxes and expenses, for the 2009-2010 term is $258.00. Coverage includes Errors and Omissions, Consumer Deposit and Commission Protection insurance. Insurance renewal invoices will be mailed in early July to all registrants. Online payments can be made through MyWeb, RECO’s exclusive online member service. Log on to https://myweb.reco.on.ca to access the site.

INSURANCE PAYMENT DUE DATE: AUGUST 14, 2009 POLICY CHANGES The most significant change to your coverage starting September 1, 2009 is the introduction of a graduated deductible for claims that are paid on behalf of registrants by the Insurer. The concept of a graduated deductible is simple – the more claims experience a registrant has, the more he/she should pay towards the cost of those claims. In the past, regardless of the number of claims, a registrant was only responsible for payment of a deductible of $2,500. Effective September 1, 2009, the deductible for the first claim will remain unchanged at $2,500. Registrants will now have their claims experience tracked by the Insurer and each additional claim paid over a rolling three-year period will trigger an additional $2,500 surcharge. For example, a registrant will pay $2,500 for the first claim, $5,000 for the second claim, $7,500 for the third claim etc. based on his/her claims experience over the previous three years. NON-PAYMENT RESULTS IN SUSPENSION OF REGISTRATION EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 The Registrar will initiate the suspension process for each registrant who has failed to make the required payment by the due date of August 14, 2009. Suspensions will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on September 1, 2009 as required by the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002. Suspended registrants are not entitled to trade in real estate. REPORTING CLAIMS All claims must be reported no later than midnight on August 31, 2009. If you have knowledge of a possible claim or circumstance and do not report it by the end of the policy year, your claim may not qualify for coverage. An errors and omissions claim form can be downloaded from the RECO website at www.reco.on.ca or the program manager’s web site at www.reco-claims.ca. If you are planning on retiring or leaving the business you may wish to have your completed ‘Notice of Change: Termination/Transfer’ form and a copy of your resignation letter submitted to the Registration Department by August 14, 2009 to avoid the initiation of the suspension process.

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22 REM AUGUST 2009

Famous English cottage hits the market By Nigel Burnham

ne of England’s most famous cottages has come on the market at $547,000 Cdn – and it could appeal to a Canadian buyer given the historic links between the two countries in the Yorkshire village of Staithes. Eighteenth-century Beckside Cottage, in the picturesque fishing village 10 miles north of Whitby, has been seen by millions as the house on boxes of Yorkshire Tea – one of England’s leading brands. The historic property, which sits by the quayside next to the lifeboat station overlooking Roxby Beck and the harbour, is also one of Britain’s most photographed homes, pictured on souvenirs, postcards and calendars of the celebrated seaside village made famous by Captain James Cook.

“I’ve lost count of the number of people who have said: ‘We’ve seen your cottage on a souvenir, tea tray, tea box and so on.” Beckside started out as a fisherman’s cottage 250 years ago when Staithes was one of the busiest fishing ports on England’s east coast and was at one point the home of the lifeboat coxswain. But thanks to Staithes’ year-round popularity with visitors, the cottage has in recent years become a successful holiday property. Andrew Revitt, who owns Beckside with business partners

Clare Revitt and Chris and Fran Peace, says: “A friend spotted it and picked up the brochure for us. When we saw it we fell in love with it and bought it straightaway. It was a bit tired so we renovated it but we really tried to keep its character because we didn’t want to spoil it in any way. This area of the village is one of the U.K.’s most photographed places, so the cottage features on everything from postcards to the Millennium calendar and on brochures and adverts promoting the East Coast, and, of course, on the Yorkshire Tea box. “I’ve lost count of the number of people who have said: ‘We’ve seen your cottage on a souvenir, tea tray, tea box and so on.” Beckside’s location is so idyllic it would probably be referred to a ‘chocolate-box’ cottage if it

weren’t already so widely known as the cottage on the Yorkshire Tea box. A charming threestorey property with an entrance vestibule, a large sitting room, a kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor, two bedrooms on the first floor and another bedroom on the second floor, it is sure to attract widespread interest in the U.K. It even comes with its own parking space – hard to come by in a village known for its narrow cobbled streets. The Canadian interest may surface thanks to the village’s history in that Captain James Cook, the great explorer and circumnavigator who searched for the Northwest passage, worked in the village of Staithes as a boy – and also because many paintings by the celebrated Staithes Group of artists are known to be

The historic village of Beckside.

The interior has recently been renovated.

The cottage graces Yorkshire Tea boxes.

in Canada. Captain Cook moved to the town in 1744, aged 16, to work in a grocer’s shop. Although it didn’t take him long to realize that life behind a shop counter was not for him, it was in Staithes that Cook fell in love with the sea – the passion that took him down the coast to Whitby to pursue a career on the ocean waves two years later. Beckside would have been built around the time Cook strode the streets of Staithes, surely never dreaming he would one day become the world’s most famous mariner. A spokesman for the estate agents, Carter Jonas, says: “Beckside is a particularly rare and very viable investment opportunity, with Staithes such a

tranquil and picturesque village noted for its sheltered harbour bounded by high cliffs. “Inside, the cottage retains a great deal of character, although the current owners have given it a thorough makeover, including a new kitchen and bathroom with underfloor heating. “The bedrooms are surprisingly roomy and offer further views across the bay. For good reason, the cottage has featured on numerous adverts and literature promoting the heritage coastline, one of the most notable being the Yorkshire Tea box and, more recently, the Millennium Calendar.” More information about Beckside Cottage is available from Carter Jonas at T +44 (0)1904 558200. REM

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24 REM AUGUST 2009

LEGAL ISSUES

Find a place to call home.

By Donald H. Lapowich n many litigation cases, the key to a defence of professionals, whether acting as lawyers, real estate agents or more frequently directors and officers, is on the onus of proof. The normal rule in litigation and prosecutions against professionals is that the onus of proof must be established by the claimant or prosecutor. A recent case involved a large soil remediation contract. The prosecutor attempted to hold the directors and officers of a corporation liable for contaminated earth. The directors and officers sought indemnification from the corporation under by-laws that provided it. However, the director officer had to “act honestly and in good faith and with a view to the best interest of the corporation.” The basis for the demand for indemnification was prosecution by the Ontario Securities Commission, which said the directors had violated disclosure of the contaminated soil. In the settlement that ensued, it was agreed that the director had an honest “but mistaken belief” that despite the dispute, a contract was enforceable and the issue would be resolved in the company’s favour. That was the basis on which the director sought indemnification from its corporation for the costs of that prosecution. The Ontario court recognized the competing principles of encouraging director entrepreneurism and discouraging director misconduct. This court ruled that the corporation had the burden of showing the director did not act honestly and in good faith in order to avoid providing indemnification to the director. Not only must the corporation show that the conduct of the director was not honest and in good faith, but also that the director did not have reasonable

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Indemnification of directors and officers grounds for his or her belief. When you put these grounds together, the corporation fell short, particularly where the court looks at the individual director and his or her conduct. This area of directors’ and officers’ professional liability has come to the foreground in these economic conditions. The director is an individual who can ill-afford the costs to undergo extensive investigation and meet allegations and provide a defence when he or she is objectively not at fault. Certainly the conduct of directors should not be viewed in hindsight and also there is a subjective ele-

ment when considering a director’s decision. This will be some comfort as many professionals sit on the boards of various corporations, sometimes for remuneration and sometimes not, and face potential disastrous consequences under various statutes and common law. Donald H. Lapowich, Q.C. Hon. FRGD is a partner at the law firm of Koskie, Minsky LLP in Toronto, where he practices civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on real estate litigation and acts for professionals including lawyers, real estate agents, insurance brokers/agents and dentists. REM

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

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

Sutton National Conference 2009 September 16 – 18 The Fairmont Royal York Hotel Toronto conference@sutton.com

Century 21 Canadian Conference 2009 September 25 – 27 Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, Vancouver Exhibitor inquiries: pinpin.luk@century21.ca

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

Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington Realtors without Borders Conference & Trade Show Thursday, Oct. 8 Hamilton Convention Centre Hamilton, Ont. Sheila Sferrazza - sheilas@rahb.ca

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

26 REM AUGUST 2009

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

Realty Promoter software

By Stan Albert

s there a recession? And if there is one in our business, where is it happening? Okay, so the stock market is in the pits. What goes down must eventually go up. So let’s not worry about the things we have no control over and seek what we do have control over. It’s supposedly the “dog days of summer.” What’s been happening in your world of real estate? Some of my friends from far and wide in Canada have been emailing me with reports of multiple offers, listing shortages and buyers having a ball with the lowest mortgage rates in years. Several boards set all-time sales records in June. Where are the buyers coming from? Dah! Renters. Entrepreneurial agents take note: If you are not taking heed of the fact that there have been more buyers than sellers at most times in the last 40 years, you should get out of the business. What about the seniors’ marketplace? With 45 per cent of the population in Canada hitting the 45+ age bracket, what are we waiting for? Opportunities abound and most of us are not taking advantage of this niche market. And it’s growing every year in both Canada and the U.S. If you hold an ASA or SRES designation and are not utilizing the course material, you better dig it out of your desk now. Start doing some research in your various market areas. Use the material and dialogue with your fellow colleagues. Talk it up with your manager/trainer as well. Everyone in your office will benefit. (The ASA is a Canadian course by Barry Lebow, well-known trainer and educator. The SRES course does not address all the current Canadian issues. Both of these designations are available in most provinces and territories).

Where to find buyers From Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., June 22 – “Vacancy rates and rent levels in the seniors’ market reflect a different market makeup than the traditional rental market. Demand for seniors’ housing is expected to increase as the baby boom generation ages, spurring an increase in seniors’ construction units ahead of actual demand. The vacancy ratio in this type of housing is 9.2 per cent, which is higher than the usual traditional rental market.” The average monthly rents for seniors’ homes are higher and reflect the services that these homes provide, such as meals and special caregivers. So, where am I going in this article? Simply put, mount a campaign that brings seniors and young renters into your office meeting rooms or hire a hall. Bring in an estate lawyer, a real estate lawyer, an accountant and a home stager, to mention a few. They’ll be happy

to help you hold regular information events. In this marketplace, you have to become pro-active and not reactive. Start to service this market as never before. The timing couldn’t be better. Remember, seniors have bought and sold probably four or five times and are most likely “empty nesters.” They’re sophisticated potential buyers/sellers and/or possible renters. Most young couples start out in rental units and they will become your biggest advocates when you find them a home that fulfills their needs and wants. Most agents will agree that buyers are the largest percentage of their referral base. Carpe diem! 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

Parking fees rise

arking costs have increased across Canada for a sixth consecutive year as owners and operators of parking lots resist the economic downturn, according to results from Colliers International’s annual global parking survey. Monthly parking rates in Canada increased by $20, a 9.9 per cent over 2008 levels. The average daily parking rate in Canada rose 9.89 per cent over last year to $17.78 daily, with an average monthly parking rate of $222.75, up 9.94 per cent from 2008. South of the border, average monthly prices fell just 0.9 per cent. Ian MacCulloch, vice-president of research for Colliers International, says the Canadian results were indicative of the stability of the Canadian economy when compared to the U.S. “The survey results from the U.S. show a decrease in daily and monthly averages, which is probably a good indication of some of the challenges their property mar-

kets face today,” he says. Downtown Calgary has the most expensive monthly unreserved spaces in Canada and is second only to New York (US$500 Downtown, US$550 Midtown) in all of North America with a median monthly rate of US$460. Calgary is followed by Toronto ($305), which is the second most expensive Canadian city to rent a space by the month, with Montreal ($280), Edmonton ($275) and Vancouver ($224) closing the top five destinations. All markets surveyed recorded increases in both daily and monthly parking rates with the exception of Montreal, which recorded a 3.45 per cent reduction in the monthly-unreserved median rate and Vancouver, which recorded a reduction in the median daily rate of 2.86 per cent. The largest increase in parking rates was seen in Winnipeg, which had a whopping 72 per cent jump in the median rate for monthly car space rental. REM

28 REM AUGUST 2009

Real Estate Books The Canadian Landlord’s Guide By Douglas Gray and Peter Mitham Wiley $24.38 at chapers.indigo.ca Former Vancouver real estate lawyer Douglas Gray has written eight books about Canadian real estate matters, and many more books for small businesses. His latest offers advice for anyone who is thinking of becoming a landlord, whether it’s as a real estate investor with rental properties or is someone thinking of renting out their basement to help cover their mortgage payments. Gray describes the book as “a step-by-step guide to property ownership from purchase through

to sale. It includes information designed to make it a reference for both novice and veteran property investors alike.” It covers residential, commercial and recreational properties. The book includes a detailed checklist as well as other useful charts and worksheets. The Homeowner’s Guide to Managing a Renovation By Susan E. Solakian Sterling $16.68 at chapers.indigo.ca Well-illustrated with colour photographs and floorplans, this book promises to be “your guardian angel from the time you make the first list of what you want to

change, until you write the final cheque to the contractor, providing all the information and encouragement you need to tackle even the most complex project.” It covers topics such as how to hold contractors to their promises, how to find a good general contractor, and dealing with “surprises” that often seem to pop up during renovations.

up….and the follow up.” She says building relationships is the first step, and then keeping in touch with a newsletter is the critical next step. She says that by “leveraging the power of relation-

ships”, her system can make any business virtually self-sustaining. Note: Book prices and availability were accurate at press time but may change. REM

Your Million Dollar Network By July Ono On the Beach Education Corp. $24.97 at www.yourmilliondollarnetworkbook.com B.C. author July Ono owns and manages a $30 million commercial real estate portfolio, and offers coaching and mentoring programs for real estate investors. “I am here to tell you that building a million dollar network is easy, once you know how to do it,” writes Ono. “And once you start you will wonder why you never started this sooner. It’s all about managing and following up with the people you meet. The fortune is in the follow up…and the follow

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30 REM AUGUST 2009

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

n the theory that Marshall McLuhan was right when he said in the last century, “The future of work will be about learning a living” and that Peter Legge’s maxim, “Live as though you’ll die tomorrow, learn as though you’ll live forever” is right, I suppose I had better toss a little ‘larnin’ into this column with some regularity, or the editor will get suspicious. Once a year should do it and I’ll give you plenty of warning when it’s going to be happening. I promise. For now let’s talk about something rarely covered by today’s motivator/educators. One of my favourites is Richard Robbins and I recently enjoyed one of his conference calls on three keys to productivity and profit. They are: 1. Embrace change. 2. Stop trying to work harder. 3. Deliver value. The subtext of each of those points is better delivered by Richard and the only point I make after watching this industry for nearly 40 years is – not much has changed. On the road trip I mentioned in my last column, I arrived at my topic for this column through the analogy of travel. What’s the point of the trip if you don’t have a destination? And having a destination, you need to know you’re on track and when to take the appropriate exit. It occurred to me that in all of my recruiting interviews with prospective salespeople, both new and used, every one asks “How do I get started in real estate?” No one ever asks “How do I get out of real estate?” So take a minute and ask yourself, “What’s my exit plan?” Is it money? Age? What are the chances life gets in the way with an unexpected change of plans? Illness, divorce? Will it be your boss or spouse or the grim reaper who decides when you’re done? Are you walking around in real estate with a DNR tag on your toe or worse, in a coma waiting for

The road to your exit plan someone to pull the plug? Or are you embracing change, working smarter and asking what you can give, rather than what you can get? (That’s the Coles Notes version of Richard Robbins’ three keys by the way.) Marcus Aurelius said, “Give your heart to the trade you have learned and draw refreshment from it.” It sounds so much better in Latin -Tribuo vestri pectus pectoris ut professio vos philologus quod duco levamen ex ix. Where would we be without our online site for English-Latin (or any other for that matter!) translation? The way to get out of this business is to build a career that will refresh and sustain you, to build your Field of Dreams – and they will come. Your exit strategy will be there in the value of your client list in repeat and referral business. Successful baby boomer Realtors are getting out with income, for lump sums based on actual values, or on multipliers or on results-based referrals. Here’s an often-ignored economic reality – if you want to consume, you’ve got to produce. You likely will not succeed by maintaining the status quo. The old song said, “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.” Two entries from my real estate diary, 22 years apart: “I’ve been in this business for years looking for shortcuts – I’ll be the first to let you know if I find one.” And, “Times may have changed but the real secrets have not.” At a recent sales rally of Coast Realty Group’s several hundred sales associates held at the Tigh Na Mara Resort in Parksville, B.C. (Really, you should go there – just a walk through the spa makes you feel better!) I moderated a panel of young Realtors who shared their experiences in what has been an “interesting” market to say the least. I had very little to do other than introductions, just suggest some questions and stand back! I learned a lot. Along with the audience, from 40-year veterans to day-old licensees, judging by the laughter at ‘been there, done that’ experiences and the furious notetaking as seven rookies described where their business originates, their favourite marketing tools, their challenges and the how and why of

picking real estate as a career. Of course blogs and Facebook – a photo album of every listing – and YouTube and Google ads are part of their plans. It’s a shock to my troglodyte alpha-numeric friends, but even I have a ‘wall’. A surprise to some – the open house along with door knocking and farming – they call it networking – are still mainstays. Past clients were recognized as the bread and butter of their futures and so newsletter data bases were being created. Money back guarantees – “If it doesn’t sell, I’ll give you back all the money you’ve spent marketing your home.” – educating sellers, getting clients to help in the marketing of their home, communicating even when there’s nothing to say (sort of like my columns!). Providing market information in an informal manner, selling lifestyle, making the blog reader want to live on an island and differentiating myself from the next

five Realtors they will meet. Branding with a difference – no name, no personal photos. And humour – when asked to describe their favourite buyer, one replied – “Desperate - with lots of money.” And listening. I’m a good listener – especially to smart people. Jim Ballard, one of Coast Realty Group’s founding shareholders, is such a person. His Jesuit schooling and the subsequent imbued guilt makes him an entertaining conversationalist. Combined with a conservative streak tinged with a liberal upbringing, you get a stream of fascinating points of view. His newspaper is the National Post of course – don’t even bring the Globe and Mail into the room. Hybrid cars? Dirty pieces of environmental trash – the batteries, you know. Nuclear waste? Load it onto one of those reliable Russian rockets and fire it into the sun. Environmentalists? Mostly folks

who are supportive of every species on earth with the exception of the human race. “Champagne socialist!” is one of his most condemning epithets. Jim is constantly finding humour in the human condition. Checking into a Powell River hotel, he pointed to the sign at the restaurant entrance announcing a Bottomless Pasta Bar. Observed Jim with a grin, “Even Toronto isn’t that progressive – best they can do is a topless bar.” 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; 1-800-7153999; Fax (250) 897-3933. REM

Condos bring fresh look to Pompano Beach

ompano Beach, Fl. is seeing a major beachfront resurgence – a fresh new look to a second-home, resort community. The 17-storey WCI Community features 186 luxury condominiums, each spanning 1,441 square feet to over 4,500 square of living space, and an outdoor design reflecting a calm ocean wave. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Intracoastal Waterway on the other, luxury residences are priced from $400,000 (US) to $3 million for one- and two-bedroom units, lofts and a choice of eight penthouses. Buyers can select from 14 different floor plans offering an ocean or Intracoastal view or both. Award-winning interior designer Steven G. Inc. designed the contemporary public spaces, giving it a sleek, “beach chic” feel. He says the goal behind this property was to “bring an infusion of freshness to Pompano, an area that hadn’t seen much interior design change in 20 years. Residences sport a retro feel

and a combination of soft, round edges with lots of wood and natural sunlight.” Homeowners have access to over 40,000 square feet of amenities, including a virtual reality golf simulator, movie theater/private screening Amenities include this “social room” at the WCI room, wine room, Oceanside community. cigar humidor $230,000 range for a two-bedroom, teen’s and kid’s lounge, fit- room/two-bathroom condomininess centre and media centre. um. Amenities include beaches, a At Pelican Preserve in Fort golf course and a marina. Myers, Palazzo-styled two-bedAt Westmore Yacht Club in room/two-bath condominium resi- Tampa, prices begin in the dences are priced from $99,990. $250,000 range for a two-bedAmenities include a 27-hole cham- room/two-bathroom home on this pionship golf course, nature board- waterfront community, complete walk and preserve, fishing pier and with a 149-slip marina, The Bay butterfly garden. Club, Spa Nautique, Billiards At Lost Key Marina and Yacht Room, and Bistro & Tiki Bar. Club (Perdido Key, near For information: http://oceanPensacola), prices begin in the side.wcicommunities.com REM

32 REM AUGUST 2009

A social media primer ll The fa t is marke nd ou just ar er! rn the co

S Solidify client re relationships

By Richard Silver

Customized Client Newsletters realtyreport® Compliments of Danny Brown

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

Market Connections Inc.®

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

CNSF

12345-6789 Volume 4, Issue 10

2ETAIN s 2EPEAT s Referrals DID YOU KNOW: More than 75% of real estate transactions are generated through repeat and referral business?*

*NAR

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

1-800-387-6058 www.realtyreport.org 3510-07 07/09/09 R2

s social media gets more and more popular, many sales reps are jumping on the bandwagon, writing blogs, Twittering, and appearing on Linkedin and Facebook. While all of that is great, there are some questions you should be asking yourself before you head down what you might think is a shortcut on the Information Highway. Have you established your brand? Do you have a personally branded website and email address? Many agents assume that being part of the broker brand is enough, but what if you should change brokerages or if your brokerage gets bought? Establishing a personal brand means that you have become www.yourname.com and that your email address is yourname@yourname.com. It means that you have used this URL and email address on all your advertising, signs and cards and have driven clients to your site as the place for expert information on you, your market and real estate issues. Your site or blog has become the location where the local guru, you, can answer all questions pertaining to real estate and the neighbourhood you work in. It is the reservoir of pertinent information about the kind of houses you sell and issues you deal with, as well as constantly updating market statistics. How updated is your database? Over the past years, have you been growing your database so that it includes up-to-date email addresses? For some reasons, sales reps and their clients will update you about changes to their phone numbers but not their email addresses, even though more communication is occurring online. Most Internet users think that the answer to spam is changing their email addresses frequently, rather than installing firewalls and spam-filtering software.

Does your database break down your contacts in terms of spheres of influence – such as sales reps and brokers, buyers, sellers and service providers? Do you have a history of contacting all of these people by email? Have you culled your snail mail database, asking them if they would rather be contacted by email? Have you been sending out regular snail mail with market updates? Are you attuned to the social media consumer? If you expect that you are going to get this consumer to give you 100 per cent undivided attention, you are going to be disappointed. This is the ADD generation, me included, so it is not just an age thing. We are used to “channel surfing” quickly until we find what interests us. We have gone from surfing TV to surfing the Internet, so you had better be concise, topical and easy to understand. Twitter messages are not longer than 140 characters. If you want to sell something, you

leave yourself open for input and discussion. The greatest thing about sharing views on the Internet is that as time passes and more information comes to light or your thoughts change, you can always revisit your posts, changing them and linking to supporting documentation, or even a mea culpa. Also, from time-to-time you will get comments from the public on a position that you may have taken and you realize from the comments left that you did not explain your position well and you can go back and further explain. The next step? Social media is a great door to open, but once open you may not be able to close it. You may find that you have quite a need to say publicly what you have been telling clients privately for years. Don’t assume that you cannot write: you speak in an original manner and the great thing about this kind of communication is that you are best when you approach topics with your own

If you cannot let something be viewed in the public eye, maybe you should not be doing it. have limited space and time to get the message out. You must be engaging to engage customers in today’s economy. Are you really ready to be transparent? If you cannot let something be viewed in the public eye, maybe you should not be doing it. If your friends keep filling your Facebook photos with pictures of you after too many drinks, maybe they are trying a Facebook intervention. You do have some control over who can view your profiles on the social media sites, but if you are a person with a public persona, maybe table dancing at someone’s birthday party is not a good idea. If you have strong views on any topic, make sure you can back them up with information and

thoughts and in your own voice. Before you jump into the traffic, make sure that you have some of the basics down. Spend the time to develop your brand, remembering that your contacts are your best promoters. Be honest, giving succinct information and commentary that allows your true self to emerge. You may find that underneath the Clark Kent/Lois Lane exterior lives a social media super star waiting to get out! Richard Silver is “blogging-as-fastas-I-can” at www.Torontoism.com. He is also a director-at-large of the Toronto Real Estate Board and on the MLS and Technology Council at CREA. Email mail@richardsilver.com. REM

REM AUGUST 2009 33

Writing your real estate blog Everyone says you should have a blog, but what should your write about?

eal estate agents are being encouraged by marketing experts to start a blog, but when it comes to practical advice on writing it, there’s little guidance on what to include and what form your blog should take. It’s easy for the line between websites and blogs to become blurred – both offer Internet-based real estate information. Blogs are essentially regular bulletins providing a mixture of real estate news, opinions, how-to guides and information. Their purpose is not to replicate real estate listings or other information already published on your website, but to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise, and present a friendly human face to your real estate agency. Blogs can be used to develop the rapport that is so necessary in building relationships with

posts all based around statistics – readers are interested in a wide range of topics, from news about local developments to information on local infrastructure and transport, through to the opinions of locals on what’s it’s like to live in the neighbourhood. Size – Readers aren’t looking for real estate essays but manageable bite-size blogs. It’s better to write smaller blogs regularly (perhaps once or twice a week) than enormous blogs once every month. It may be worth trying to keep your blogs around the same length by splitting longer blogs into several parts, saving some of the content for another blog. Holding a blog in reserve can also be useful for those weeks when you simply haven’t the time to write a new blog. Goals – Have a clear goal in mind for every blog entry you post.

Blogs are meant to be personal and readers are as interested in the humour and opinions of the real estate agent as they are in factual information. potential new clients. It’s important to keep your blogs reasonably informal – remember, people should enjoy reading them and find them thought-provoking or interesting. Let your personality and passion for real estate shine through as well as your knowledge. Blogs are meant to be personal and readers are as interested in the humour and opinions of the real estate agent as they are in factual information. Here are a few more tips: Statistics – If you’re going to include statistics in your blog posts, try not to bombard the reader with data. Intersperse tables and charts with large paragraphs of text and avoid the more complex forms of line graph, stacked bar or pie charts. Keep things simple – any trend illustrated by a chart should be immediately obvious and easily understood. Avoid successive blog

What are you trying to achieve? Blogs can be used to forge stronger relationships with existing clients, to seek out new ones in new markets or offer insights into particular aspects of your area, market and business. Ideas for blogs can be based around questions that property buyers frequently have – where are the local schools and which ones are best, how can I commute/get around, what sort of job opportunities are there? Margaret Scheben-Edey, broker at Re/Max Four Seasons Realty, is the author of The Collingwood – Blue Mountain Real Estate Blog (http://blog.collingwood-bluemountain.com/). “The blog has attracted the attention of potential buyers who live outside of our area. They tell me that it becomes a lifeline for them as they try to plan a life in a new community,” she says.

“The content of my posts lets them know that I am an area expert as well as a real estate professional. The frequency (of my blog) also lets them know I am committed to the process of sharing and caring about my clients and my community. I know myself that when I hit on a blog that hasn’t been updated in weeks or months, I move on.” Scheben-Edey’s blog is a member of a number of rings (groups of blogs that deal with real estate or a particular geographical area) and blog directories. Importantly, her blog also makes use of buttons for readers to “share this link” with others, spreading the word about her blog. It makes full use of tags (keywords summarizing blog content that are picked up by search engines) and subject categories. Consider setting up a Twitter account to build up a sense of community (a social networking website that allows real estate agents to post brief updates about everything from new listings and property images to blogs). Followers on Twitter can subscribe to your posts and you can even include your latest Twitter posts as part of most blogs. Scheben-Edey says the benefits of blogging have “been in search engine optimization ranking and in some cases, relationship building with people I’ve ‘met’ through the process.” She says, “What I think is important is to link to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. They have become our new virtual communities or spheres of influence and our new, younger clientele coming into the market use these with ease. I get a fair amount of traffic from Twitter by feeding my blog to it. I also think cross posting to sites such as Active Rain or commenting on other blogs are important traffic generators that also lead to new relationships, referrals, information and knowledge building.” Be careful not to limit yourself to blogs written solely in plain text format. Keep things interesting by including images, graphs, short presentations and occasionally even multimedia such as video and audio when you have time. The prospect of recording and editing

By Petra Jones

The Collingwood Blue Mountain Blog by Margaret Scheben-Edey makes use of Twitter updates, “share this link” features and real estate rings and networks to promote blog information.

your own video can be daunting but there are lots of tutorials on the web (see below) and places like YouTube, and with inexpensive webcams available, it may not be as difficult as you think. Check out: www.problogger.net/archives/2 008/03/17/create-a-video-tutorialand-help-others/)

www.metacafe.com/watch/147 7112/how_to_make_a_video_tuto rial/ It’s easy to think of blogs as just another kind of newsletter, but their potential for two-way dialogue is tremendous. Blogs are a great tool for building relationships and communicating with real estate clients. REM

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

34 REM AUGUST 2009

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED

By Dan St. Yves

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ummer time is filled with camping trips, long lazy days of fishing, and stories shared around a late-night bonfire. Summer time might also offer the perfect weather and opportunity to finish a project around the house. One of those outstanding projects around our house was adding a medicine cabinet in our guest bathroom. The home had a flat mirror there when we moved in, and we thought it would be a nice feature to have some basic medical supplies for overnight guests. How hard could hanging a medicine cabinet be? The hard part turned out to be removing the flat mirror that had occupied the wall space in the first place. In retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t have removed the wall thing-a-ma-jiggies at the bottom of the mirror first. That may have prevented it from sliding down the wall after I removed the top whatcha-ma-callums, and before I could then prevent the mirror from banging heavily down on the top of the cabinet housing the sink and water taps. Carefully gathering up the shards of glass took less time than you might have expected, and underscored the necessity for basic medical supplies in the guest bathroom. Bandages, not necessarily dogs, can be a man’s best friend. What took considerably longer was trying to remove the top portion of the bathroom vanity, which had nicely cracked almost into a perfect half-moon shape, around the faucets and sink. There’s probably a smarter system in place for removing countertops, but at the time of my undertaking, I hadn’t bothered to find that out. Which ended up being another expensive error in judgment, watching the sidewalls of

Bonfire of the vanity the bathroom vanity (best particle board money can buy) shred like corn getting husked en route to a boiling pot of water. At this juncture, I observed a wall no longer featuring a mirror, and a far cry from hosting a medicine cabinet. The bathroom vanity no longer had a countertop, as it perched precariously above the shredded sidewalls. As luck would have it, neither Mike Holmes nor Bob Vila had a timely program running on HGTV. I would have been happy to see Homer Simpson giving handyman tips at that moment. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve taken his advice. The wonderful thing about this age we live in is that help is just a short drive away. Any number of home improvement mega-stores can be found within a few minutes of any residential subdivision. With prefab vanities, and medicine cabinets practically begging to be attached to a bathroom wall. Returning from one of those handy facilities, I was able to unload a shiny new vanity, all in one sturdy piece, which slipped right over the plumbing, like it was born just for that task. Which I suppose it was. And no, there was no plumbing disaster. I shut the water valves off before I replaced the cabinet. What sort of incompetent boob do you take me for?? Anyways… The medicine cabinet was a snap to install on the wall. There were something called “anchors” left over, but I’m sure that I’ll find a use for those somewhere else. On the plus side, the old vanity will be great kindling for our bonfire tonight. But I think I’ll wait till next summer before I replace the kitchen cabinets. 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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News and Views from The Canadian Real Estate Association

you can contact us at info@crea.ca

Improving the house hunt on REALTOR.ca

REALTOR.ca, Canada’s online real estate destination will be rolling out a number of enhancements to the site over the next few months. Since the website’s re-launch and rebranding (formerly mls.ca) last year, CREA has been gathering comments from users and a recent usability study to identify some issues that have been appearing on the site. “We want REALTOR.ca to be easy to use from a consumer perspective, ” says CREA’s Director of Marketing and Member Services, Marc Lafrance, “ and this is what I think this next release will do.”

CREA gets social

Do you tweet? Are you on Facebook?

These and many similar comments are becoming a constant in our everyday language. And if you are not already a user of these popular sites, CREA is hoping that you will become a part of their social online network.

Starting this summer, CREA is going to make its mark in the world of social media. “By being a part of a number of social networking groups, CREA hopes to expand it message outside the boarders of our membership.“ says Ray Sapiano, CREA’s Interim Director of Communications.

Through our pages on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube and regular blog postings on crea.ca, followers can receive the latest information from the Association and the world of real estate. And we want our source for information to grow. We are asking CREA members to join one or more of the social networking groups to share up-to-date industry information, start interesting conversations with other REALTORS®, post pictures, videos and promote upcoming events or activities in your area.

For members of CREA, the benefits of being a part of this expanding and exciting social community are endless. You will be able to share and receive information faster than traditional means and learn more about the industry than you ever thought possible.

Interested in joining us online? You can visit CREA’s Web 2.0 portal on www.realtorlink.ca for links to our Facebook and Linkedin groups, Twitter account and Youtube channel.

In this summer’s first release, the first noticeable can. REALTOR.ca has added a field that that will change comes with neighbourhood information. allow you to attach captions to each of the photos When property information is added to with the property information. However, it should REALTOR.ca, neighbourhoods are now displayed be noted that the open house and photo descripon property thumbnails. And if the property has a tions can only occur where it is supported by scheduled open Boards and Associations in house, there is “We want REALTOR.ca to be easy to their uploads to the site. use from a consumer perspective now the ability to and this is what I think this next When REALTOR.ca was provide a detailed launched, the map search release will do.” description for was redesigned and with this each instance latest version, the loading that an open house occurs. message on the map search has also been updatWant to add comments to photos? Well, now you ed. Prior to this new version, users saw a loading

How CREA spreads its International wings

Looking for REALTORS® who care

With the recent economic downturn, many Each and every day, REALTORS® right across this REALTORS® are now looking to expand their clientele country are giving their time and money to help worthoutside of the Canadian borders. For the past 9 years, while community causes. Are enough of these stories ICREA has been assisting real estate professionals being told? who are looking for ways to better serve their clients and customers who wish to buy property outside their “I don’t think people really know how involved country and/or who are seeking to sell a property with REALTORS® are in their communities. “ says Thomas Bosley, Chair of the Canadian worldwide appeal. REALTORS Care® Foundation, The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS®, and Today, the which was established to showthe REALTOR® logo are controlled by Association has 2 case the volunteer work and The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) million members community involvement of and identify real estate professionals who are from 34 national REALTORS® from coast-tomembers of CREA. Associations and, coast-to-coast. It’s website as a founding The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® (www.realtorscare.ca) highlights member, CREA is and the associated logos are owned by The the stories that REALTORS® committed to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and right to own and identify the quality of services provided by real have to tell and showcases their transfer real prop- estate professionals who are members of CREA. fundraising efforts and community involvement. erty, and set standards for international real estate practice. Until recently the stories have only been told within

CREA members can obtain more information on ICREA through WorldProperties.com, a website that provides access to more than 3 million distinctive property listings from participating associations. Canadian REALTORS® are able to list properties on the site through the Distinctive Properties Service.

For REALTORS® interested in becoming Transnational Referred Certified (TRC), CREA also provides members with a link to the course (online or in-class) through its Realtor Link® site.

the Boards and Associations, now we want the rest of Canada to know that REALTORS® have a heart. The public can view all REALTORS Care® initiatives through the REALTOR.ca website. According to Bosley, REALTORS® have reportedly raised over 8 million dollars since January 2008 and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. “The stories we’ve heard about represent only a fraction of what’s going on out there. There are many stories we’re still waiting to hear.” In order to get a true picture of what REALTORS® are doing in their communities, all fundraising and

circle while the map located properties. Now during a search, users will see a loading message appear stating that the red property pins are being plotted on the map.

So with all of these changes and more to come over the summer – including how one searches for new properties and a new search method for Condo/Strata, Lafrance really hopes that users who have had issues with the website in the past, will like what they see and can do. And what does Lafrance see on the horizon for REALTOR.ca? A lot - including a mobile version for iPhone and Blackberry fans. So stay tuned!

community service events need to be reported. So if you are planning or participating in a fundraiser this year, be sure to tell your Board or Association who will then forward the details onto the REALTORS Care® Foundation. If you would like to let us know about your community involvement, please fill in the report form on REALTOR Link® or email the REALTORS Care® Foundation at info@crea.ca.

CREA welcomes ICREA to Ottawa

Last month, CREA CEO Pierre Beauchamp welcomed members of The International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA) as they held their annual retreat of its executive committee in Ottawa. From June 24 to 27th, the nine-member committee conducted a number of meetings to discuss a variety of business issues, including international referrals, membership, and compliance and enforcement professional, business and technical standards. The meeting of the executive is held in a different location each year and it was CREA’s pleasure having the members visit it’s national headquarters.

36 REM AUGUST 2009

Time to begin your personal e-branding By Kory Gorgani

hinking back to when I was first starting my career, personal branding meant not getting embarrassed in public, carrying business cards and looking professional at all times. Personal branding has come a long way! Nowadays, personal branding is more important than ever. Brand authenticity and its communication through social media are two of the hottest ideas in our business, and these important trends apply to the brand called ‘you’. Personal e-branding is how we market ourselves to others online. Each of us has a brand because we are constantly being judged based on first impressions. Personal ebranding is critical in a world filled

with clutter, competition and ambiguity. To be an e-brand means to use similar branding strategies that corporations and products use to create an experience – a friendship – with an audience. People trust people, and will therefore be more inclined to buy or sell with you based on their relationship with you or what they hear about you. The necessity for personal ebrands is increasing as marketing budgets decrease and the need to spread messages through social media accelerates. Social media is free except for the cost of your time. Agents with strong personal e-brands and networks can market their ideas and services easily and effectively. It can also create a viral effect. By being someone who is already a major influencer in your industry, you’re gaining that credibility, following and platform. Okay, so now we know you are your brand, and we know that personal e-branding describes the process by which you stand out from a crowd of peers, so what’s

next? Social technologies have enabled us to position ourselves so we can get paid for doing something we’re passionate about. In order to get noticed online, you have to be known for something. To do that, you have to select a niche that aligns your passion with expertise. Then start actively contributing content, either video or text, over a period of time on that niche topic, while joining social networks and constantly marketing yourself by commenting on blogs. There are three elements that your brand should focus on: • Value proposition. This means what you stand for, in terms of your personality, appearance, competencies, and strengths. It’s everything you provide as an agent that may fulfill your job description. • Differentiation. This is what makes you distinct from the crowd of peers. • Marketability. This is how compelling your brand is to potential prospects. It’s what will make them want to hire you to represent

them in their next purchase or sale. If you’re part of the larger percentage of agents who sell within the smaller percentage of the market, you must unearth your strengths and become a better marketer online and offline. By doing some research you will realize that personal e-branding is the next wave of personal and professional development online. It’s never too early to begin building a personal, professional e-brand – and the earlier you begin it in your career, the more weight it will carry. Start today. Within the next five minutes, you have the ability to ignite your personal e-brand by using tools such as a Wordpress.com blog, Facebook or LinkedIn profile, or by simply micro-blogging using a Twitter account. Indeed, e-branding requires a multi-pronged online strategy that exploits every content-appropriate platform and level available. As each asset is built, you will need to keep tabs on it, provide fresh updates and comments, and use Google Alerts and Technorati

to track your online exposure and popularity. Whether you are an agent or an executive in a large brokerage, ebranding will bring meaning to your life and expedite your professional networking profile and profitability opportunities. Brokerages, please take note – if you are not providing such tools to your agents, you are falling behind. E-branding is growing exponentially, and both individuals and corporations who underestimate the power of their online reputation will suffer from arriving late to a venue that is already crowded with established brands. As our entire society is transferred to digital bits, your ebrand becomes a digital asset and an avatar for being a part of a brave new world. Good luck and happy e-branding! Kory Gorgani is a sales rep with Re/Max Hallmark Realty in Richmond Hill, Ont. He holds an MBA in operations management, and has an IT background. He can be reached at kory@gorgani.com. REM

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38 REM AUGUST 2009

Obtaining home financing for the self employed

MANAGER/JUNIOR PARTNER POSITION The Owner of Multi Office Real Estate Company located minutes from Toronto wishes to recruit an outstanding, enthusiastic individual to Manage, Recruit and provide exceptional Leadership.

By Gemma Riley-Laurin

Serious consideration will be given to possible future ownership participation in this Company. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.

Please reply in confidence to theharp17@gmail.com

Karl Merrill Royal LePage Topsail Realty St. Stephen, New Brunswick

Andy Puthon, Executive Vice President, Network Development is pleased to announce that Karl Merrill broker/owner of the brokerage formerly operating as Charlotte Realty in St. Stephen, New Brunswick has joined the Royal LePage franchise network. The company will operate under the new name of Royal LePage Topsail Realty. Karl Merrill was first licensed to sell real estate in 1991 and sold with Coastal Realty. In 1997 he purchased Charlotte Realty. Karl is active in organized real estate and is currently on both the Discipline Panel and Nominating Committee of the New Brunswick Real Estate Association (NBREA). He has also served as Director for both the Saint John Real Estate Board and the NBREA. Royal LePage Topsail Realty has a team of 6

sales professionals who stake claim to an approximate 33% share of their town’s market. They service the areas of St Stephen, St. Andrews, St. George, Blacks Harbour, Campobello Island, and surrounding areas. Karl, and the team at Royal LePage Topsail Realty can be reached at: 140 Milltown Blvd. St. Stephen, New Brunswick E3L 1G6 Phone: 506-466-4324 • Fax: 506-466-3658 Toll Free: 866-466-4326 Email: KarlMerrill@royallepage.ca Please join us in welcoming Karl, and everyone at Royal LePage Topsail Realty to Royal LePage. For information on the Royal LePage franchise program, please call Andy Puthon directly at (416) 510-5827. †

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

hile your self-employed – or business-for-self (BFS) – clients may have been able to easily obtain financing for their real estate purchases just 18 months ago, it’s likely a more difficult endeavour in the current credit-crunched lending environment. There are essentially two types of BFS clients – those who can prove their income and those who cannot, and must instead use a stated-income mortgage product. Your BFS clients who can prove their income must also show they have a business licence and are up-to-date on their taxes. Documents often required include: Notice of Assessments (NOAs) for the past two years showing taxes have been paid and are up to date; T1 generals or T4As; GST returns; and articles of incorporation. Your clients who have the above documents readily available are much more likely to be approved for a mortgage if they qualify based on their income – as long as their credit is strong. The trouble is that those who cannot prove their income pose a higher risk in the eyes of lenders. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) offers default mortgage insurance for BFS clients through a stated-income mortgage product up to 95 per cent loan to value (LTV) – so the down payment can be as low as five per cent of the purchase price – but the income has to make sense based on the occupation. This is important, because the chances of finding lenders to fund this type of deal are significantly boosted if the mortgage is CMHC insured. Lenders and insurers are well aware of the tax write-offs that selfemployed borrowers can leverage, but these deals are accepted or declined based on average incomes for specific fields, as well as the borrower’s credit rating. It pretty much

goes without saying that those with credit blemishes will have a tough time obtaining mortgage financing if they’re self-employed. While BFS mortgage financing is viewed on a case-by-case basis, if your client works with a mortgage professional or banker to obtain a pre-approval, they can confirm that they have access to mortgage financing and find out exactly

lend money to BFS individuals looking to obtain mortgages. Although your clients will pay a higher interest rate – on average about 12 per cent – they will be thankful that you were able to point them towards another professional who could help them acquire funds to purchase a home. It’s also important to note that there are added fees involved with

If your BFS clients cannot obtain a pre-approval and/or mortgage insurance, the maximum LTV they are likely to qualify for is between 50 per cent and 75 per cent – which means they will need a much larger down payment. what they can spend on a home before they head out property shopping. It’s important to note, however, that there is a significant difference between being pre-approved and pre-qualified. In order to obtain a pre-approval, the lender fully underwrites the deal, whereas with a pre-qualification only the most basic details are taken into consideration. Many banks will only issue a pre-qualification, so it’s worthwhile to discuss this terminology with your BFS clients. If your BFS clients cannot obtain a pre-approval and/or mortgage insurance, the maximum LTV they are likely to qualify for is between 50 per cent and 75 per cent – which means they will need a much larger down payment. If your BFS clients do not qualify for traditional financing, they may be eligible for alternative – or private – funding. Mortgage professionals often have access to private investors who are willing to

private funding because the deals involve a higher degree of risk. The combined lender/brokerage fee will depend on the specific deal and the risk it poses, but the figure will be disclosed upfront so you know exactly what you’ll be expected to pay for these services. Another key point to mention to your BFS clients about private lending is that it is equity based, meaning that the lender’s decision will be based on a specific piece of real estate. Private lenders want to know that the property is marketable and that they will be able to easily sell it should the mortgage go into foreclosure. Gemma Riley-Laurin is a mortgage agent with Dominion Lending Centres Integrity Financing based in Ottawa, where a significant portion of her clients are self-employed. She has been brokering for the past decade. (613) 290-0196; gemma@thelaurinteam.com; www.thelaurinteam.com. REM

REM AUGUST 2009 39

Why some agents are doing well

By Dr. Maya Bailey

ave you ever wondered why some real estate agents do well in today’s economy while others fail? There is a huge discrepancy right now between people who are failing and people who are succeeding. Having been a real estate business coach for the past 12 years I’ve had the privilege to observe how real estate agents function. This experience has included new agents and seasoned agents, and the experience of watching them function through hard times and good times. Here’s the secret to what sepa-

rates those who are doing well in today’s economy from those who are not. It’s one word – fear. The not-so-successful real estate agents have fallen into a cycle of fear. Usually that pattern is established through incessant watching of the news. The agents who aren’t doing well are following the news much too closely – their mind is focused on gloom and doom. In Law of Attraction terms you could say that they have gotten in a cycle of focusing on what they don’t want instead of what they do want. Because the media focuses on lack, they have also been focusing on lack. Since our thoughts create our reality, the more we focus on lack the more we bring that experience to us. The energy of fear is a contracting energy. If you’re caught up in fear you might not know it but you might notice the signs and symptoms of fear. Here are some things to watch out for. Are you feeling discouraged? Are you pro-

crastinating? Are you avoiding marketing? Are you feeling depressed? Are you suffering from low energy? All of these signs and symptoms simply indicate that your energy, instead of being expansive and confident, has shrunk. So what’s the way out? Let’s take a look at group B, the successful real estate professionals in today’s economy. These professionals are not watching the news very much at all; in fact most of them go out of their way to avoid the news because they know the devastating effects on their mindset if they inundate themselves with the latest media blitz. Instead they focus on the opportunities available in their marketplace. They are keenly aware of the properties available. They are keenly aware that this is one of the best times to buy. They are taking action. In addition they are not focusing on what they don’t want;

they’re focusing on what they do want. They’re focusing on their vision. They’re focusing on the income they want to create. They’re focusing on how they want to help people. They’re focusing on their capabilities. If they have skills that they need to refresh, they’re taking the opportunity to do it now. With a positive mindset it’s easy to take action. They are getting on the phone. They’re not afraid to pick up the phone and call their past clients, their current clients, their sphere of influence, and even people they don’t know, because they know that they have a valuable service they offer. Since our beliefs create our reality, if that’s what you put out to the universe, that is what you get back. Many of my former clients that are practicing being proactive, practice getting their clients connected with great opportunities. They have actually doubled and

tripled their income in an economy that the rest of the world is calling a recession. My advice to any real estate professional right now who wants to be successful is this: you may have knowledge of the current economy, but you don’t have to participate. Instead you could do what Jack Canfield recommends and just say to yourself, “I hear there’s a recession going on and I choose not to participate.” 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

Toronto Real Estate Board 2009/10 Board of Directors

Tom Lebour, MVA President

Heather A. Fuller Central Brokerage Director

William E. (Bill) Johnston, M.A., LLB President Elect

Maureen O’Neill, B.A. Past President

Karen Gerrard North Non-Brokerage Director

Ann Hannah West Brokerage Director

Stuart Braund West Non-Brokerage Director

Lydia Ingles Director-at-Large

C. Anne Briscoe, FRI, CMR

East Non-Brokerage Director

James (Jim) Burtnick John (Jerry) England Central Non-Brokerage Director-at-Large Director

Garry Lander Chair, Executive Council Commercial Division

David Pearce East Brokerage Director

Joseph C.W. Shum North Brokerage Director

Paul Etherington Director-at-Large

Richard Silver Director-at-Large

40 REM AUGUST 2009

HOUSE WORKS

By Steve Maxwell

n the spring of 1986, I coated six pieces of white pine lumber, each with a different kind of outdoor finishing product. I set them along the sunny south side of a cedar tree in the forest near my house and paid the wood a visit twice a year for the next three years. Only one sample still looked good after this trial, and last month I opened a fresh can of the same stuff to protect some outdoor wood at my place. What I’ve learned over the last 23 years of outdoor wood finishing can save you a lot of work and disappointment, while also delivering what I believe is one of the best outdoor finishes available today. The product that came out on top is called Cetol. There are longer-lasting opaque outdoor finishes available, but nothing translucent that I know of lasts as long while also letting

Wood finish proves itself over the long haul wood grain show through. Cetol is made for every kind of outdoor wood application except decks. It’s not physically tough enough to stand up to the abrasion of foot traffic, but it does an excellent job on wooden fences, siding, windows, railings and trim. Cetol is not particularly easy to use, but I consider this a good sign. I’ve found that a certain complication is usually the necessary price you have to pay for quality in the real world. Cetol’s not a one-coat product, but rather a process that involves two different and related products applied in a specific way over specifically prepared wood. The first step involves brushing on a base coat of Cetol 1. This is a thin viscosity liquid that soaks into the surface, getting a good grip on the fibers. Subsequent coats – either one or two more – are completed with a thicker companion product called Cetol 23 Plus. What you get is a furnituregrade finish that lasts at least three years in full sun and probably more than 20 years in full shade. The first stuff I applied to a shady window in 1991 still looks virtually new, so I don’t know for sure how long it’ll last.

a great appearance, though it does involve a small amount of complication. My favourite application procedure involves applying the first coat of Cetol 1 in Dark Oak, followed by another coat or two of Cetol 23 Plus in Natural or Cedar. Since this first coat soaks completely into the wood, there are no areas of dark and light streaking because there is no surface film to vary in thickness. The natural and cedar colours do

Steve Maxwell applies the first of three coats of Cetol to a cedar veranda railing.

Cetol isn’t perfect, but I’ve learned to work around its difficulties. It comes in a range of shades from an antiquey yellow (they call this Natural) right through to a chestnut brown called Dark Oak. Multiple coats of dark colours shows brush strokes like crazy where thicker and thinner applications meet side-by-side. This problem led me to a work-around that yields

Steve Maxwell is Canada’s award-winning home improvement expert, and technical editor of Canadian Home Workshop magazine. Sign A close-up view of my favourite Cetol recipe: up for his free homeowner first coat Cetol 1 Dark Oak, second and third newsletter at www.stevecoats Cetol 23 Plus in Cedar. maxwell.ca. REM (Photo: Steve Maxwell)

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have pigment, but not enough to cause streaking. The result is a stunning medium brown colour that gets a lot of admiration, without the need for a lot of maintenance. There’s one more thing you need to understand about Cetol. Sanding wood is essential for success, both on new wood and before applying maintenance coats. Forget this step and you’ll get peeling. Sand new surfaces with an 80-grit abrasive in a random orbit or detail sander to open the pores and allow the product to soak in as far as possible. Later, at the first signs of finish failure, sand the area lightly with a 120-grit abrasive to remove loose finish and scuff up the remaining old stuff before freshening up the surface with a single coat of Cetol 23. Not many products stay on store shelves 20 years, and I for one am glad there’s at least one corporation out there that knows enough to keep a good thing going.

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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.

42 REM AUGUST 2009

Good Works S

heldon Zamick of Sutton Group - Kilkenny Real Estate in Winnipeg has been appointed chair of the Realtor Fundraising Campaign for the new Canadian Human Rights Museum. “Human rights are important to everyone and need to be properly acknowledged,” he says. “Human rights are paramount to people around the world.” Construction on the facility will begin this fall, with completion in two years. “The building can be described as awe-inspiring,” says Zamick. Situated in downtown Winnipeg, the facility will be the first national museum that the federal government has agreed to locate outside of Ottawa. Realtors from the Winnipeg area have raised $210,000 for the project to date. Zamick took his fundraising efforts to the Banff Western Connection in January with former Winnipeg mayor Glenn Murray, asking for the support of Realtors from across the country. For more information about the museum, visit www.canadianmuseumforhumanrights.com. ■ ■ ■

Susan Oneid, a broker with Royal LePage Performance Realty in Ottawa, has been named the National Capital Region YMCAYWCA Volunteer of the Year.

“Sue Oneid is the quintessential example of the YMCA-YWCA mission in action and mission accomplished,” said the organization in announcing the award. “Whether it is operating a successful real estate practice, mentoring her children or giving leadership to Y activities, Sue balances these roles and achieves excellence and really does make a difference.” Oneid started as a volunteer with the YMCA/YWCA when her children were young, joined the staff in different capacities when the kids went to school full-time, and eventually became director of membership for all the Ottawa centres. She resigned and launched her real estate career in 2004, but kept volunteering three days a week, and chairing the funds development committee for sending kids to camp, among other charitable activities. Oneid has also been an active volunteer with the Ottawa Real Estate Board, serving on the MLS, Finance, Technology and Arbitration committees. ■ ■ ■

The Toronto Real Estate Board’s Every Realtor campaign donated an amount equal to $1 per member per month, more than $342,000, to the Realtors Care Foundation. TREB past-president Maureen O’Neill presented the cheque to Richard Silver, representing the foundation, at TREB’s Civic Night event. Rod Smith, director of philanthropy for Vancouver Island, B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation, and Mike Heinrich, broker/owner, Re/Max of Nanaimo.

Shedon Zamick

Vince Isber, Suzie Hay, Mark Biehler and Brian Walker were big winners at the RAHB charity golf tournament.

Ed Styffe

Re/Max sales associates in Nanaimo, B.C. have earned the “Miracle City” designation. To earn the title, 100 per cent of the sales associates, nearly 100 in total, have pledged to donate on behalf of each property bought and sold

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Above: Sutton Group First Realty in Stratford and St. Marys raised $1,700 for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board president Bob Cliffe (left) of Re/Max Shuswap in Sorrento and vice-president Brenda Moshansky (right) of Coldwell Banker - Horizon Realty present a cheque for $11,773 to the 10 food banks in the board area at the Kelowna Community Food Bank.

Augy Carnovale of Re/Max Abouttowne presents a cheque for $5,000 to be used to build a fountain in the Garden of Hope at the Halton Lighthouse Shelter.

Keller Williams Referred Realty agents and staff celebrate RED day.

REM AUGUST 2009 43

to the Children’s Miracle Network and its affiliated hospital. Mike Heinrich, broker/owner, Re/Max of Nanaimo, says: “It is because of each person’s commitment to the cause that we were able to contribute over $32,000 to the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation in 2008. Many of us have been touched by a sick child. Nothing feels better than to contribute to an organization that helps so many sick and injured children and their families.” In addition to each agent contributing a portion of their income to the cause, broker/owners must encourage new and existing agents to participate in the program. Office administrators take part in training sessions to report donations and liaise between the Children’s Miracle Network and the office. ■ ■ ■

More than 144 Hamilton-area Realtors and business associates participated in the 13th annual charity golf tournament this month to raise money for the Home Ownership Affordability Partnership (HOAP) and the Karan Barker Memorial Scholarship Fund, raising about $8,400. This brings the total raised by this event since 1997 to $153,400, in support of local charities. The event sold out within three weeks of tickets going on sale. “We had a waiting list of Realtors who wished to play this year,” says chairman Bill Kopac. “Some of those who were unable to play volunteered their time at the event.” HOAP is a unique affordable housing initiative that helps families in social housing become home owners. The scholarship fund provides selected children and grandchildren of Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington members and staff with funding for post-secondary education. ■ ■ ■

Recently 30 agents from Keller Williams Referred Realty in Toronto participated in celebrating RED (Renew-Energize-Donate) Day, a Keller Williams initiative dedicated to improving local communities. Agents throughout Canada and the U.S. were encouraged to organize activities with the focus “giving where you live”. Keller Williams Referred agents

used the proceeds of a giant charity yard sale to buy food and go on a “hunger run.” They drove to parts of the inner city and handed out food to the hungry; feeding more than 500 people. “We heard so many moving stories, and one group met Joe, a wonderful retiree who is committing his life to making a difference in the homeless community by getting regular donations for food in several shelters and providing a source of support to people in need,” says a message from the Keller Williams Care Committee. “Meeting Joe was very inspirational and has us thinking, what can we do on an on-going basis? We realized more than anything that we are all blessed beyond measure and that giving and helping is not a one-day event, but something we want and need to do regularly.” ■ ■ ■

Ed Styffe of Sutton Group West Coast Realty in Whistler, B.C. has bequeathed a donation in his will to the Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to prevent depression-related suicide among young people. In 2002, Styffe lost a close friend to suicide. Styffe says that when he received the news, “my immediate reaction was to feel physically sick and I was unable to speak to the friend who delivered the message. The memory still brings me to tears. No one should have to go through what parents, families and friends suffer due to depression and suicide. That is why I am proud to offer continued support by including a bequest to the Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation in my will.” Styffe says he encourages fellow real estate colleagues to speak with their lawyer regarding bequeathing a donation to a cause that has touched them. ■ ■ ■

Staff at the Stratford and St. Marys, Ont. offices of Sutton Group - First Choice Realty raised $1,700 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Stratford and District at an annual Bowl for Kids Sake Realtor Challenge. Sales rep Stephanie Hall says the charity “has fantastic programs that go beyond the traditional mentoring partnerships.” An example is a theatre proContinued on page 44

44 REM AUGUST 2009

Good Works

uted to local food banks from Peachland to Revelstoke,” says OMREB president Bob Cliffe. “The cash distribution to the larger food banks was based on the hunger count served by each as a percentage of the total, and the balance was evenly distributed to the smaller food banks.”

Continued from page 43

gram the organization has implemented where kids have the opportunity to write and stage their own productions with guidance from mentors. A drumming class program has also been recently introduced. “These programs are really important as they provide opportunity for those children who are not able to get a match right away,” says Hall. “These programs also give kids normally not involved in extracurricular activities a chance.”

■ ■ ■

The outstanding efforts of two community-focused Realtors were recently honoured with the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Civic Service Award. Susan Gucci, a salesperson with Royal LePage, has given her time to maintain leadership roles on various parent school councils at the Toronto District School Board. Her roles included enhancing parent-to-parent communications by almost tripling the list of parent emails, participating in a group that hosted a teacher appreciation luncheon and supporting a team to compete in a national robotics competition supported by the NASA program. This year, she

The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board (OMDREB) recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Garden of Hope at the Halton Lighthouse Shelter. The Garden of Hope will provide a sanctuary for those needing the services of the shelter and to remember those who have passed through the shelter’s doors and have taken their own lives. Re/Max Abouttowne broker Augy Carnovale and his wife Anna Carnovale donated $5,000 to construct the centrepiece of the garden, a large fountain. The Carnovales presented the cheque

■ ■ ■

The Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board’s (OMREB) recent 50th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser raised almost $12,000 to benefit 10 food banks. “Through a silent and live auction generously supported by local businesses throughout the board, the evening event raised a total of $11,773, which has been distrib-

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in memory of former business partner and close friend Robert Hunter, to whom the fountain will be dedicated. OMDREB has raised more than $15,000 towards the Halton Lighthouse Shelter Garden Project.

played an integral role in starting a morning breakfast program at a local high school to address the growing number of students who arrived hungry each morning. She has also been instrumental in developing a media campaign to promote this program. Norman T. Jones, a salesperson with Prudential Achievers Realty, chaired a fundraiser for the Canadian Sunshine Kids Foundation in Scarborough and organized Realtors from different brokerages to work towards sending kids with cancer on various trips. In the past four years, he has helped to raise approximately $30,000 for this cause. He has also volunteered for the Hospital for Sick Children, Social Support Division of West Hill Community Services, Scarborough Breakfast Club and the Lyons Club District, where he encouraged high school students to participate in public speaking. He supports the Canadian Sunshine Kids Foundation and actively partici-

pates in the Realtors Food Drive. ■ ■ ■

Recently TREB awarded scholarships to two graduating high school students. Based on academics, community involvement and a 500-word essay judged by university professors, the awards were presented to Cristiana Mergianian, a graduating student from Victoria Park Collegiate Institute and Konrad Teichman, graduating this year from St. Michael’s College School. Mergianian, whose essay explored the potential impact of rising energy costs and uncertain international economies on GTA real estate, is going on to study education and arts at Queen’s University. Teichman, whose essay offered suggestions to government and real estate developers on initiatives to help create environmentally conscious communities in the GTA, will be attending the Rotman School of Commerce at the University of Toronto. REM

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What’s

New Silver:House offers HD virtual tours First there was a black and white picture on an MLS listing. Then there was a series of photos. Next came the virtual tour, but now the virtual tour is passé, says Leighton Smith, director of operations of Silver:House. “We’ve nicknamed it the ‘vintage virtual tour’,” says Andre Mckenzie, who with Natasha Pearcy owns Silver:House, a provider of high-definition, professionally shot and edited video tours that the company says are more like mini-movies. “It’s 2009 and video is the most viewed thing on the Internet.”

Professional/corporate videography can be costly, especially when shooting high definition, but Silver:House offers streamlined and competitive pricing and appeals to a much larger demographic than the virtual tour has ever had in its lifetime, Mckenzie says. “We currently have (sales reps) from 23 to 56 years of age who use our services.” The tours are shot in standard or HD format, with package prices starting at $179 for the first 1,000 square feet, and 11 cents per square foot after. An average home around 3,000 square feet would cost approximately $400. Videos are web ready, designed for online distribution to a sales rep’s website, or to be posted on MLS systems or YouTube. They are searchable through Google, Smith says. The company offers a number of packages, including some that offer extra DVDs of the video tour. They make great gifts for clients who have an attachment to their house and for those who are downsizing and leaving the family home, Smith says. The usual scenario has Smith, a videographer and the agent meeting at the house for the shoot, which typically takes one to 1.5 hours for the average house. Or,

the agent can let the videographer film on his own, following a template and making additions at the agent’s request, Smith says. Before hand, the company also offers staging suggestions with a design specialist and set stylist. The video is edited, and a first draft provided to the client for changes, additions or enhancements. The final copy is branded with the agent’s name and is ready for distribution online. The agent also gets a hard copy on DVD as part of the package, Smith says. “Previous to this, we’ve done a bit of work in this industry, but within the last year we have geared all of our services to the real estate market,” Mckenzie says. Silver:House services include producing high definition web video, web design/development, graphic design, 3D rendering/ animation and aerial photography, agent/team profiles and sales/promo videos. The company has videographers in the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montreal and Mexico. Tapes are shot then sent to head office for editing. “We want to become the go-to guys for video,” Smith says. For more information: (416) 704-5442 or www.silverhousehd.com. REM

Canadians still love their cottages A

new report by Royal LePage found that 64 per cent of Canadians view cottage ownership as a sound investment, and plan to pursue their dream of buying a recreational property. Fifty-five per cent would be willing to make compromises with regards to their financial or lifestyle choices, such as purchasing a property with family and friends, renting out their cottage, making a cottage their primary residence, buying a fixerupper or moving into a smaller principal home in the city. Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, says: “An interesting trend is emerging that we believe is a direct response to the increasing size and congestion of our

cities, accelerated by the recession. More and more Canadians have a desire to escape the urban jungle and use their recreational properties year-round. To save money, a majority told us that if they owned a cottage, they would be happy to call it their new vacation destination. It appears that many view owning a recreational property as the ultimate, no-hassle ‘staycation’ and one that presents an opportunity to invest while they enjoy.” The report says consumer concern about the recession and increasing inventories have eased demand and helped alleviate the chronic supply shortage that has characterized the recreational real estate market in recent years. Improved affordability is keeping many markets busy. So far this year

the busiest areas have been those offering more modestly priced or entry-level properties, such as the Kawarthas in Ontario, says the report. Given their choice, 68 per cent of Canadians would purchase a recreational property on a lake, far and away the most popular choice. The three most important features of a recreational property are peace and quiet (58 per cent), access to electricity, sewage and plumbing, and four-season use (39 per cent). Other highly rated features include access to boating and fishing (23 per cent), proximity to amenities (18 per cent), ecologically friendly or “green” sites (17 per cent) and year-round activities (16 per cent). REM

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46 REM AUGUST 2009

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

n real estate, the idea of sharing property is hardly an extraordinary thing. Owning a residence or tenure within the same property with other people is a condominium. You have your own place, but you share some broader ownership like entrances, the grounds and the responsibility of managing these commonly owned things. In the business world, properties have been shared for years, well before acceptance in residential real estate. Business brands have been shared, for a price, way

THE UN-COMFORT ZONE

By Robert Wilson alf a century ago, marketing consultant James Vicary pulled a hoax on the American people as a way to promote his advertising agency. He reported that he flashed the words “Drink CocaCola” and “Eat popcorn” on the screen for a millisecond during a movie in a theatre, and caused large numbers of people to visit the concession stand. He called the effect Subliminal Advertising. Subliminal means that the effect functions below the threshold of consciousness. Years later, when

The Buffalo Blue Jays back to the days of Popsicles and Coca Cola bottling. Sharing sports teams has been done before too. Of all the businesses in the world, the purchase of a sports team is the kind of property purchase that is the most like the purchase of a home. That’s because it is so often driven by emotion. People become attached to sports teams like they do their very own homes. Sometimes when a sports team moves, fans move right along with it. To this day there are die-hard Brooklyn Dodger baseball fans who continue to follow their team, despite the fact that they moved across the country to Los Angeles in 1958. Sports teams often have moved because their original market is not big enough. On a few occasions in sports history, larger markets have stepped forward to help a small market

sports property survive. An example of that would be the Green Bay Packers football franchise a number of years ago. The town of Green Bay was helped by a big city down the highway when the Packers played a few games in Milwaukee. Today people drive up from Milwaukee to buy tickets in Green Bay. They have an emotional bond with this out of town but close team. Today in the Golden Horseshoe Area, a similar challenge exists for the Buffalo Bills NFL football team. They play in the relatively small market of Buffalo and could use a bit of help in terms of support from the big city of Toronto up the road. Rogers Communications jumped on the opportunity to get the Buffalo Bills to play a few games in Toronto – for several million dollars, of course. But the games in Toronto have not been

successful. Tickets have gone unsold. Instead of gratitude from the folks in Buffalo, there is resentment. Folks in Toronto are not buying into the idea of sharing the property of the Buffalo Bills. There isn’t an emotional attachment to the Buffalo Bills from the people in Toronto. There is a perceived arrogance with the whole concept rolled out by Rogers. It looks too much like a money grab instead of a shared ownership with all parties. People don’t buy that kind of real estate and they don’t buy tickets for those kinds of games. Rogers can’t figure out what’s wrong. I believe the answer to closing this deal is the same as closing a house. Rogers should approach this like a condominium, where you own your part but you have to share common ownership and interest. The only way to do that is to

truly share. Rogers owns the Blue Jays but they can’t keep that team all to themselves and expect others share to what they have with them. People in Buffalo would love to see a few Blue Jay games in their city. Sharing the Blue Jays would go a long way to building an emotional bond between these two cities. It would mean great success for both the Bills and the Blue Jays. Buffalo has a major leagueready baseball stadium. It was built in 1988 (ironically one year before the SkyDome) in a bid to get a major league baseball team for Buffalo, but they were passed over for other locations. For just a few games, the Buffalo Blue Jays would work. They would be sellouts and a huge success. For the Buffalo Bills, the Toronto Blue Jays and Rogers Communications, it would be like buying a home. They can’t go wrong. Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email heino@remonline.com. REM

Emotion trumps logic every time others failed to duplicate his results, he admitted that he made the whole thing up. Nevertheless, the myth continues. So, is there any advertising that does work below the threshold of consciousness? Yes. Much of advertising is clearly designed to speak to you on a subconscious level. Ads are created to get you to relate to the setting; the background music; the age, race and gender of the actors; their clothing; and the activities in which they are involved. The idea is that you will recognize yourself in these people and, in turn, make the connection, “Ah, this is my kind of product.” You don’t think it... you feel it. And feelings move us to act. A few years ago I was involved in non-profit fund-raising for a Christian mission in Africa. In order to learn what type of appeal would bring in the most money, we conducted a series of focus groups. We asked, “Which would you be more likely to do: A. Give

money to feed starving babies; or B. Give money to teach people how to grow drought-resistant crops that would end starvation in their community.” The answer they gave was almost universally B. The comments we heard frequently included the proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for life.” We then tested both appeals. Oops, the focus groups were wrong. The appeal for feeding starving babies won by a landslide. The lesson we learned was that the emotional appeal to save the life of a child is much more powerful than a logical appeal for teaching a village survival skills that would eliminate starvation. From that point forward, the heart-tugging stories of babies dying headlined every ad we ran. Emotion trumps logic every time. Take for example, Nick Ut’s 1972 photograph of a nine-yearold Vietnamese girl who was naked, shrieking and running

away from her village that had just been bombed with napalm. Fear, despair and suffering were written all over her face. More than anything it was her complete vulnerability that captured our attention. One snapshot revealed the gut-wrenching horror of war, and millions of people, whose hearts were touched, turned their attention toward ending the Vietnam War. Perhaps you recall hearing these potent words in a speech by Jesse Jackson back in 1984: “These hands... these black hands... these hands that once picked cotton will now pick presidents.” Thrilling words. Exciting words. I remember them well. And, even though I wasn’t his target audience, they created a powerful image in my mind and when he finished, all I could say was, “Wow!” Meanwhile, for millions of African Americans, it was the motivation needed to put apathy aside and go to the ballot box. We are charged and moved by

many emotions. Here are just a few: acceptance, amusement, anger, angst, annoyance, anticipation, arrogance, awe, anxiety, bitterness, calmness, caution, confidence, courage, determination, disappointment, discontent, disgust, desire, delight, elation, embarrassment, envy, excitement, fear, friendship, frustration, gratitude, grief, guilt, hate, happiness, impatience, inadequacy, irritability, inspiration, joy, jealousy, kindness, loneliness, love, lust, modesty, negativity, nostalgia, paranoia, patience, pity, pride, regret, resentment, sadness, self-pity, serenity, shame, surprise, timidity, torment, worry, yearning and zeal. Which ones move you? 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: www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com. REM

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Feel the Freedom! The simplest way to access KeyBoxes Using ActiveKEY is simple, convenient, and secure. Receive all the information you need– when and where you need it. ActiveKEY provides instant, continuous, and automatic delivery of showing information– ideal for today's real estate professionals. Specific features include: • Wireless connectivity–no computer, phone line, or cradle required • Read KeyBoxes at listing • Display messages from Board / Association / MLS • Secure Token MLS access ensures security* • Automatic, continuous renewal without update codes No effort required–with ActiveKEY in your hand, you will feel the freedom. Visit us online at www.gesecurity.com/supraekey

GE-Security, making the world safer. WIRELESS

EY UPDATES

imagination at work *Subscription required. Check with your Board / Association / MLS for more details.

RE/MAX has created a program to sell properties quickly for top dollar. When it comes to selling there are 3 major factors that come into play: condition, price, and location. Buyers are reviewing more and more information on the Internet before they visit properties. The biggest decision for a buyer regarding the house is often made before they see it, and this is based on location and size for the asking price. Optimizing condition of the property is the best way to sell your home quickly for top dollar.

Each office is independently owned and operated.