REM Magazine June 2009

Real Estate Marketing

Issue #240

News

Mortgages

Te c h n o l o g y

Opinion

June 2009

It’s REM’s 20th anniversary issue!

What’s changed since 1989?

What hasn’t?

Page 12

Why we love this industry Page 14

Critics grumble about Quebec reforms Page 3

Pierre Beauchamp on his 27 years as CREA EO Page 16

REM JUNE 2009 3

Critics grumble about Quebec reforms

By Alex Roslin

Q

uebec’s long-awaited reform of the rules governing the real estate industry is getting mixed reviews from agents and brokers.

The main changes come in the province’s new Real Estate Brokerage Act, which is expected to come into effect July 1. The new law is meant to update rules governing the industry and bring more transparency and accountability. But some critics say the changes will increase the cost of doing business and lead to a big drop in the number of new agents entering the field.

The main cost increase will be a doubling of the duration of the province’s real estate course from 250 to 500 hours. Also going up are membership dues at the Quebec Real Estate Brokers and Agents Association. The new fee will be $903 per year, up from $409.

“The feeling is there will be a drop in the number of agents,” says Domenic Mammarella, owner of a Groupe Sutton-Royal

franchise in Montreal’s West Island and Ville St. Laurent.

“There’s probably going to be a dead period with nobody coming in (for a few months),” he says.

“It’ll be harder for new people to get in,” says Peter Reindler, owner of a Royal LePage franchise in Cowanswille in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, an hour southeast of Montreal.

“The cost of operating will go up substantially. There will be quite a few agents who drop out of the game. The less productive agents are complaining more and more about the increasing costs of staying in business. This is only going to push the envelope further for them,” he says.

The new law, which has been in the works since 1999, is intended to improve accountability and update rules to fit current practices.

Under the existing law, for example, the public does business directly with brokerage firms for which agents work, with only an indirect legal relationship

between agent and client. The new law changes this relationship, making agents the only parties authorized to conduct real estate brokerage acts.

Also under the new law, the association representing the province’s 18,000 agents and brokers will have expanded disciplinary powers and increased board representation from the public. It also gets a new name – the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (Quebec Real Estate Brokerage Self-Regulating Organization).

Another name change: agents will be called “brokers” under the new law, while brokerage firms will be called “realestate agencies.”

As for the increased coursework for new agents, the law drops a requirement that they take 250 hours of classes. Instead, the real estate association has developed a tougher new exam and worked with Quebec colleges to create an updated 500-hour

course for new agents that is expected to debut this fall.

The course won’t be formally required by law, but anyone hoping to pass the new exam will have little choice but to take the classes, says Mammarella, who teaches courses at Montreal’s Champlain College.

The existing exam takes three hours to complete and covers three domains – residential and commercial real estate and mortgages. The new system will have three separate exams that allow agents to have a specialty in any or all of the three areas. The residential and commercial exams will both take six hours each, while the mortgage brokers’ exam will last three hours.

The improved accountability and updated provisions have generally received a good reception.

“There is a lot of good stuff in (the new law),” says Mammarella.

Reindler agrees: “The concept is good. In theory, it’s positive because they’re trying to upgrade the practitioners and

protect the public.”

But he says some of the changes have provoked grumbling. “Many of the cashstrapped agents aren’t very excited about it. Given the state of the economy, many of them are saying it’s not the best time to institute this. They’re already worried about expenses,” he says.

Robert Nadeau, president and CEO of the real estate association, did not speculate about whether the changes will lead to fewer agents. “It’s hard to say if there will be a reduction or not,” he says. “It’s more the economic context that could cause a reduction. For the moment, we don’t see fewer agents.”

Nonetheless, controversy over the reforms was a key issue in this spring’s election for the real estate association’s board of directors.

One candidate for chair of the board, François Léger, wrote on his website: “I am worried about what is happening in our association… I fear that members might not be well informed about what they will be faced with and about the slippery slope on which the association is treading if nothing is done.”

Léger’s website included results from an online poll that asked if the new legislation “will be good for our profession.”

Forty-six per cent of respondents said “not at all,” compared with 23 per cent who said “absolutely” and 26 per cent who answered “maybe.”

Léger couldn’t be reached for comment. The election, scheduled for May 22, took place after press time.

The province is now studying regulations that will accompany the new law, which were developed by the real estate association in consultation with members. Government approval is expected in coming weeks, with Nadeau saying everything appears to be on track for the new law to come into effect July 1 as expected. REM

4 REM JUNE 2009

Better Homes and Gardens recultivates Canada

By Kathy Bevan

S

herry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, recently visited Toronto to drum up interest in the brand’s relaunch in Canada – this time as part of the Realogy family of real estate franchises. Chris says the company is in discussions with independent companies that have over 100 agents, offering them regional master franchises.

Realogy signed a long-term licensing agreement with Meredith Corporation, which owns the Better Homes and Gardens trademarks and has published Better Homes and Gardens magazine since 1927. The company launched the new Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate franchise in the U.S. on July 1, 2008; it is now licensed to operate in Canada and is in the process of licensing the brand in 40 countries around the world.

Chris is a Canadian real estate veteran with almost 30 years experience. She was formerly a Royal LePage executive and most

recently was COO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate, another of the companies that operate as part of Realogy Franchise Group.

Meredith Corporation originally launched its own Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate services in 1978; in 1998, it sold the business to GMAC, but retained ownership of the trademark. As part of the sales agreement, GMAC had the right to use the trademark for 10 years, while it transitioned the business into a new brand. GMAC rebranded its real estate business – including those in Canada – to GMAC Real Estate. The brand has since been acquired by Brookfield Residential Property Services, the parent company of Royal LePage.

Chris says the relaunched Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate franchise is bringing something new to real estate – the industry’s first “lifestyle” brand.

“Our intention is to help take consumers – through our brokers and agents that affiliate with us – right through the buying stage, the

owning stage, decorating, gardening, enjoying the home, getting it ready to sell and selling it,” says Chris. “We want the consumer to continue to visit us online, even after they’ve completed the transaction.”

The real estate franchise hopes to leverage the popularity of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine to help sell franchises and gain customers.

“The name speaks to people who are passionate about living in their home – people of all ages,” says Chris. “Our grandmothers read it, our mothers read it, and we do today and our children are visiting BHG.com online and getting their recipes, decorating tips and whatnot. There’s a huge cachet that goes with that.”

For its international growth efforts, the new real estate franchise is targeting, among others, countries where Better Homes and Gardens magazine is published, which include India, Japan, China and Australia. Internationally, the plan is to sell master franchises

with rights to an entire country.

In the U.S., the company has been licensing a more direct franchise model, directed toward medium to larger companies, typically with 200 to 300 agents or more and gross commission income of five million annually, which are within the top three or four market share leaders for their area. Since launching in the U.S. last summer, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has been bringing aboard one company per month across the country.

While admitting that there were certain challenges in launching in the U.S. in the summer of 2008, when the economic downturn was very evident, Chris says there were certain advantages as well.

“The momentum started to pick up after we launched, with broker/owners looking at how they were going to survive in this market,” she says. “Broker/owners were considering doing things that they never would have done in better markets, such as merging

Sherry Chris

with their fiercest competitor, selling their company, rolling in with other brands that they never thought they’d want to be with.

So for us that created an opportunity.”

The real estate franchise also sees opportunities in marketing its services to consumers between the ages of 18-34, which the franchise believes will be driving the industry over the next 30 years. REM

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6 REM JUNE 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

C

oldwell Banker Platinum Realty Services, a boutique real estate operation in western Toronto, has joined multi-office Coldwell Banker Case Realty.

Michael Reis, broker of record of the former Coldwell Banker Platinum Realty Services, has been in real estate for 17 years and spent many years with Coldwell Banker Case Realty. He was the brokerage’s No. 1 agent for two consecutive years, and one of the national network’s most successful

sales reps. He has now decided to return to selling and real estate development.

Coldwell Banker Case Realty is led by broker/owners Roberta Case, Angelika Erner and Frank Mihalek. The former Platinum office, the brokerage’s seventh, will continue to operate at 311 Roncesvalles Ave., serving the Roncesvalles, High Park and Bloor West Village communities.

■ ■ ■

Guardian Commercial Real

Estate Services in Saskatoon has converted to Re/Max. Current owner Gilbert Dobroskay partnered with Nav Sra and Dale Anderson, and will operate as Re/Max Guardian Commercial.

Dobroskay started his commercial real estate career in 1981.

In 2001, he and a partner purchased a commercial brokerage in Saskatoon. Five years later, he established his own commercial office and started Guardian Commercial Real Estate Services.

Sra recently moved to Saskatoon from Edmonton. Living in Alberta, he saw the potential for growth in Saskatchewan and began to invest in commercial properties in the area before making the move. Anderson, a longtime resident of Saskatoon, has been involved in residential and commercial real estate for over 25 years. In 2001, Anderson joined Re/Max, earning induction into the Re/Max Hall of Fame in 2009.

Williams Advantage Realty in Toronto. He has more than 14 years of real estate service in Durham Region and the GTA, ranking among the top sales reps on the Toronto Real Estate Board.

He has been recognized with multiple sales achievement awards.

“With two-thirds of his business from past clients and their referrals, Dave attributes much of his success to his ongoing service systems,” says Keller Williams in a news release. “A leader in Internet marketing, Dave has shared innovative and creative systems for lead generation through his popular training sessions.”

His team includes Tara Baylis, Sylvia Smith, and full-time marketing co-ordinator Larry Harrison.

■ ■ ■

Dave Sachko

Carole Arbour

Whitby, Ont. sales rep Dave Sachko has joined Keller

Property management specialist Carole Arbour has joined Avison Young’s Quebec operations as vice-president, management services. She will be based out of Avison Young’s Montreal office. Arbour practiced law as a partner with Arbour Cordeau for more than 10 years, specializing in commercial, construction and real estate law. During the past 11 years, she has been actively involved in the property management business. Between 1998 and 2001, she worked for SITQ as building manager for the Laval

Larissa Hadley

Robert Nutbrown

Vanora Spreen

Keith Lutsiak

■ ■ ■

JUNE 2009 Cover photo: PHILLIP MIRSKY

office portfolio. She was subsequently promoted to senior building manager of Place Ville Marie, a position she held for the next seven years. Place Ville Marie is a three million-square-foot complex with more than 280 office and retail tenants in downtown Montreal. During the past year, Arbour was a management consultant with CIM, a specialized consultant firm in Montreal.

■ ■ ■

Exit Realty Corp.

International says it has paid out secretarial bonuses of more than $1.5 million across North America. The deal-driven bonus structure allows secretaries and administrators a way to get a “piece of the action” for the contributions they make at the brokerage level, the company says.

“Exit’s business model provides this as a special thank you for the dedication and hard work that the secretarial personnel provide in assisting their management and agents,” says the company in a news release. “One of the cornerstones of real estate brokerage operations is strong and personable administrative staff that inspires confidence throughout the business day and creates an inviting environment for agents and the public. Often overContinued on page 8

Trevor Yurchak

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

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

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

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

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

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

Phone: 416.425.3504 www.remonline.com

Email jim@remonline.com

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

Art Director LIZ MACKIN Graphic Design SHAWN KELLY

REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned by CREA and identify the services rendered by members of CREA. REM is published 12 times a year. It is an independently owned and operated company and is not affiliated with any real estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by direct delivery in selected areas. Subscriptions are $40.95 per year (including $1.95 GST), payable by personal cheque. Entire contents copyright 2009 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher.

ISSN 1201-1223

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11103M_10X11_REM 5186_11103_REM.indd 1

2/11/09 2:30:40 PM

8 REM JUNE 2009

U.K. agents urged to boycott TV licence Estate agents angered over show that asks if viewers should ‘axe the agent’

T

he BBC has landed itself in a row with Britain’s 125,000 estate agents over a new TV program that encourages viewers not to use them.

The TV series follows the fortunes of homeowners throughout England who have decided to go it alone and sell their houses without the assistance of an agent. The show, which demonstrates to viewers how to use the Internet to buy and sell property and avoid paying any fees, has been getting good viewing figures in the current economic downturn, having re-ignited a long-running debate on whether agents are actually necessary.

But many of Britain’s leading house-sellers have condemned the corporation for airing the program – and some have now called on the profession not to pay the annual £142.50 ($256 Cdn) TV licence fee in protest.

Lee Bramzell, who runs Propertyindex.com – the U.K.’s

Multiple Listings Continued from page 6

looked for their valuable contribution to the business, Exit Realty Corp. International has taken the initiative to reward those individuals who are typically the broker/owner’s ‘right arm’ and facilitators of keeping the back and front office operations working smoothly from day-to-day.”

■ ■ ■

Robert Nutbrown, broker/ owner of the brokerage formerly operating as Coldwell Banker Innovators Realty in Brampton, Ont., has joined the Royal LePage franchise network. The company will operate under the name Royal LePage Innovators Realty. The brokerage has a team of 65 sales professionals who service Brampton and surrounding areas.

Vanora Spreen, broker of

fastest-growing property website with large numbers of U.K. estate agency branches signing up to advertise on a cost per lead basis every day – was so enraged he wrote a letter of complaint to Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC. “Estate agents are expected to pay their TV licence fee, yet the BBC uses this money to create a show that could result in the loss of their jobs – and their ability to pay the licence fee,” he said.

“I believe that estate agents are absolutely essential for both the buyer and the seller. The safety net they provide helps with things like helping people in the chain to completion – a vital service.”

Bramzell said estate agents help to establish an accurate valuation for a property and secure the best possible price during negotiations, while they also accompany potential buyers on viewings and help drive the different members of the chain to record, will manage the two Royal LePage Innovators Realty offices.

■ ■ ■

Century 21 Rison Realty in Clearwater, B.C., located an hour north of Kamloops in the heart of the B.C. interior, was recently opened for business by broker/ owners Larissa and Ronald Hadley. Larissa has been a member of the Century 21 System since 2005.

Century 21 Rison Realty is the only real estate company with a retail location in Clearwater.

■ ■ ■

Keith Lutsiak of Royal LePage Fort Nelson Realty has purchased the brokerage from Bill Craddock, former broker/ owner. Craddock is staying on as a licensed sales agent, specializing in commercial and industrial projects.

By Nigel Burnham

ensure completion.

“Even if the program aims to be reasonably balanced, the premise and the title Axe the Agent? is deliberately antagonistic,” he said.

“This is the kind of irresponsible broadcasting one might expect to see on lesser channels but not from the state broadcaster, which should be inclusive of all professions. I doubt the BBC will be encouraging their viewers to axe their GP, fire department or police,” he added.

One of the show’s presenters, Gary McCausland, accepted that some agents have been upset by the program’s format.

“The boom produced a lot of mediocre agents, the business is changing and people are now better informed,” he says.

“Thanks to the Internet they don’t necessarily need to sell through estate agents. But a good one is worth his weight in gold and I still use them on my own developments.”

The BBC defended the show,

saying it was not encouraging people to avoid estate agents, but exploring their options in the current market.

A spokesman said the program was merely offering guidance to sellers who choose this course and made it clear at the beginning of each episode that not using an agent was a “huge step” which should not be taken lightly, while at the end of every program it said: “Axeing the agent is never the easy option.”

“The program has no intention of depriving estate agents of their livelihood and it complies with the BBC’s editorial guidelines,” he says. “The question mark in the title is deliberate in making this a question and not a statement.

“In the current property market many people are considering what options they have to improve their situation – and one option is to choose to sell your property yourself, and this is what is explored in the series.”

In the U.K., you need a

Fort Nelson Realty is the longest serving real estate company in Fort Nelson. It was formed more than 30 years ago as a proprietorship. The brokerage joined the Royal LePage franchise network in March 2002.

#5. He works out of offices in Livonia, Mich. and Windsor, and says he “intends to help in the greening of Windsor”.

■ ■ ■

Thomas Goebel has affiliated with 100% Realty in Windsor, Ont. Goebel is an international real estate consultant who offers services to brokers, agents, investors and lawyers in Ontario and the U.S. Services include consulting to property managers, specializing in reducing operating cost such as gas, hydro, water and waste removal. He is accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional. Goebel was formerly president of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), Chapter

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage’s interactive online consumer contest, My Great Neighbourhood, is generating a buzz across Canada, the company says. The contest is a national challenge for consumers to submit stories, photos and videos related to their community and why they feel it is the best place to live in Canada.

Hundreds of entries have been received so far.

Each month a prize of $500 is awarded to the entrant with the most votes through www.royallepage/mygreatneighbourhood. The grand prize of $25,000 will be announced on October 20 when the contest ends. In addition, a donation of $5,000 will be made to the Royal LePage Shelter

licence to use any television receiving equipment, including a TV set, set-top box, video or DVD recorder, computer or mobile phone to watch or record TV programs as they are being shown on TV. And you need a licence for any equipment you have capable of receiving pictures – even if you don’t watch them.

The annual cost of a TV licence (which is set by the government) is currently £142.50 for a colour televison and £48 for viewers still watching in black and white.

Viewers who don’t pay are guilty of a criminal offence, which could lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 ($1,809 Cdn) plus legal costs.

The BBC – which provides eight interactive TV channels, 10 radio networks, more than 50 local TV and radio services, the BBC’s website, and the ondemand TV and radio service, BBC iPlayer – is funded directly through each household TV licence and has no advertising.

REM

Foundation in the name of the grand prize winner.

The contest incorporates a strong social media component.

Twitter and Facebook are being used to promote the contest, and provide sales reps tools to promote both the contest and their services.

■ ■ ■

Trevor Yurchak of Royal LePage County Realty has purchased the brokerage from former broker/owner Rod Kerr, who retired last August.

Yurchak started his career in real estate with Royal LePage County in 2005, and in May 2008 completed his broker’s license.

Royal LePage County Realty is a five-person team and enjoys 75 per cent of the market share in the area, says Royal LePage. It serves the areas of Athabasca, Boyle, Wandering River and Wabasca. REM

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10 REM JUNE 2009

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S

adie Moranis, broker of record of Sadie Moranis Prudential Realty in Toronto and the first woman to become president of the Toronto Real Estate Board, died on May 21. She was 84.

Mrs. Moranis was the matriarch of a well-known family of real estate professionals that included her son Stephen and her late daughter Terry. She was also predeceased by her husband Jules.

The obituary issued by her family says Mrs. Moranis “was an accomplished pianist having studied with Boris Berlin at the Royal Conservatory, an editor of the Varsity at University of Toronto and an accomplished athlete and sportswoman who loved tennis, badminton, boating and fishing.”

In 2006, Mrs. Moranis wrote a book about her life, Catch the Gold Ring. In the January 2007 issue of REM, publisher Heino Molls wrote: “Sadie writes about her life from Sunderland, Ont., where she was born, through her career in real estate today. Sadie has had some challenges and tells you how she dealt with them. It is a candid story of her life and her business.

“This is a story about a woman who didn’t need to work when she was young and enjoyed a great lifestyle with a husband who was a successful businessman for many years. Then abruptly at the age of 37, with two young kids at home, she had to go out and find work. It’s a compelling tale of what she went through learning about a business that was not her first choice of what to do as a career or in life.

“One story that stood out for me was her recounting of an evening when she had to leave the kids in the car outside while she was inside a house working on closing a deal. She wrote of how long the evening was and how many times she dashed out of the house to check on the kids.

This story especially touched my

heart. How easily we could all criticize Sadie for leaving the kids in the car. But I can tell you there isn’t a working stiff in this world with children they love desperately, who wouldn’t understand the reality of that situation and the conundrum Sadie must have been in to get that deal done.

“If I had seen Sadie on the street five minutes after I read that part of the book, I would have picked her up and hugged her.”

The family’s obituary adds: “Driven to succeed, she wanted to prove that given equal opportunities, a woman can accomplish as much as a man; she refused to let anything deter her from what she was capable of doing. Sadie grew her company from a neighbourhood broker to a large organization in Toronto.

“Sadie’s zeal for life in the face of surviving breast cancer in 1977 to her most recent health related issues can be best described when she acclaimed, ‘When you think you have problems, remember that other people may have problems greater than yours.’ ” Memorial donations can be made to the Sadie Moranis Memorial Fund c/o The Benjamin Foundation, 3429 Bathurst St., Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2C3. (416) 780-0324 or www.benjamins.ca REM

REAL ESTATE AGENT ALERT: One Day Canadian Recession-Rescue Boot Camp (June 17/09) Craig Proctor with Dave Liniger, Chairman and Founder of RE/MAX® International at one of Craig’s seminars

Are You Sure You Should Continue to Ignore What This Man Can Do For Your Real Estate Career???

➪ He has sold Real Estate for 20 years ➪ For the first five of those years, he struggled, worked like a whipped dog, barely eked out a living and thought about giving up and quitting time and again ➪ At the young age of 29, he became the NumberOne Agent worldwide in RE/MAX® ➪ For 15 consecutive years, he has stayed at the Top of the RE/MAX International charts while working in his Real Estate business only Part-Time! ➪ He works less than 30 hours a week, yet, he generates over 9-Million Dollars A MONTH in real estate transactions, as an agent, not a broker. ➪ Over 25,000 other agents have profited by “copying” his TOTAL-SYSTEMIZED-APPROACH to attracting sellers and buyers without giant ad budgets, without horrible manual labor grunt work like cold prospecting, and without giving up their private life or family life. Yes, that’s 25,000. ➪ His name is Craig Proctor, and he is THE ONLY PERSON IN REAL ESTATE teaching what he currently does. Real-life, real-world, right-now ‘stuff’ that works. (NOT just ‘ideas.’) … And you get First-Hand access to Craig’s system for almost FREE, at his upcoming OneDay Canadian Recession-Rescue Boot Camp to be held Wednesday, June 17/09 in Toronto.

If you feel you’re working too hard for your money, if finding the next client is uncertain and difficult, if you feel “squashed” by top agents outspending you 100-to-1 in advertising, if you know you would benefit from inside secrets-based, current experience-based training and ready-to-use tools, then Craig’s your guy, and this One-Day RecessionRescue Boot Camp is for you.

You HAVE seen information about Craig before. And ignored it.

These agents didn’t...

“After implementing what I learned, I completed 26 transactions the next year, and 65 transactions the year after that.”

-- Matt Cooper, Whitby, ON

“With Craig’s systems, my business went from GOOD to NBELIEVABLE. In 2007 we finished number 125 in Canada.”

-- Gail Bibeau, Ft. McMurray, AB It’s never a good time to go it alone, but now may be the worst time ever. The complexity of the business is rising. The economic pressures are toughening. Be sure to connect yourself with the most constructive influences and protect yourself from the most TOXIC. You need to learn from someone with the track record to help you succeed in THIS Market FAST. But hurry. Seating is limited.

June17BootCamp

Visit www. .com now to reserve one of the remaining seats.

Jun 17/09 Boot Camp Agenda: • Pricing Your Listings to Sell and Getting Price Reductions • Attracting Qualified & Motivated Buyers • Powerful Listing Presentation Scripts to Help Win the Listing • The Only 7 Groups You Should be Targeting to Get Closings in 30 Days • Why Follow Up is the Most Neglected Task and What to Do About it • How to Never Make Another Cold Call • Advanced Internet Lead Generation • The Best Ads to Run on Craigslist, and more…

“... Gee thanks, Craig, but I’m just going to wait until the market improves.”

Look, the crash and burn of the real estate industry may get worse before it gets better, but it WILL get better. Since 1931, there have been 12 documented recessions in North America, and every one of these 12 recessions has been followed by the emergence of a new, healthy economy. So while you may be feeling hopeless about how bad things are right now, it’s important for you to understand that these conditions are temporary.

With that said, however, it’s also important for you to understand that things will never go back to the way they were. Some agents are foolishly burying their heads in the sand, hoping they can hold on long enough until things return to normal. We are never going back to 2005.

You Can’t Wait it Out…This isn’t a mid-afternoon thunderstorm that you can wait out in a doorway until the rain stops. What’s happening in the real estate market is real (of course you know that), but standing still and hoping fervently that you can last long enough for it to all get better is foolish. Allowing yourself to be shell-shocked, cutting back your marketing efforts, putting a halt to your active acquisition of customers, promotion, selling, innovation, growth and expansion is tantamount to suicide.

While some agents are worrying and floundering, I am confidently navigating this market and continue to do really, really well. So are the agents who are ACTIVELY using my system.

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12 REM JUNE 2009

What’s changed since REM’s launch in 1989?

By Toby Welch

This is the 20th anniversary of REM’s launch in June 1989. In our first issue, the feature technology story was about the latest in fax machines. Nowadays, REM gets so few faxes that we’ve ditched our dedicated fax line. A story about cold calling in that first issue outlined how to line the pages of your notebook (not a computer, an actual notebook) and use a box of recipe cards to set up a cold calling system.

Things have indeed come a long way since then.

Or have they? In our first issue, the front-page story dealt with ideas for selling in a recession. We also had stories urging professional conduct for real estate agents and brokers; how to cope with difficult people; and how the industry was being hit with high taxes. That sounds a lot like the contents of this issue in June 2009!

What do some of those in the real estate industry believe have been the biggest changes since 1989? What has stayed the same?

M

ost real estate professionals would agree that the biggest change in real estate in the last 20 years has been the emergency of new technology.

• “If you look at the last 20 years, the biggest change has been the Internet. Fundamentally it has changed how we are perceived, how we do business, and how people can access information, which is the key,” says John Powers of Claussen Walters & Associates in Lunenburg, N.S. (25 years in real estate) • “When I began, cell phones were just coming in. There were lots of ‘dead’ areas so (there were) many stops at pay phones during the day. To get info to your clients you would photocopy the page(s) from the paper catalogue, get your scissors and glue stick out to cut and paste them, then drive over to their home. Very time consuming! Just a little different than now,” says Keith Mazurenko of Coast Realty in Ladysmith, B.C. (20 years) • “No matter where you practice, you are no longer marketing to your specific area or province, you are marketing your listed properties to the entire world 24 hours per day. That is what the consumer wants and we provide them with that service,” says Len Wassill, broker and general manager of Century 21 Broadway Park Realty in Yorkton, Sask. (28 years) But more than technology has changed in the past two decades: • “What’s changed is the amount of bureaucracy and the amount of forms. (In the 1980s)

the listing form and the purchase sale agreement were one page.

Now they are each 10 to 15 pages.

The amount of paperwork, the entanglement with federal regulations for the Privacy Act, terrorism, money laundering, the collection of HST – all that stuff has impacted our business. We’ve become a bureaucratic machine, much different and much more regulated and litigious,” says Powers.

• “The introduction of the Buyer Representation Agreement in the mid-’90s is certainly one of the most significant changes that occurred in real estate in the past 20 years. Given that the co-operating brokerage is no longer a sub-agent to the seller, Realtors can effectively represent the interests of the buyer,” says Toronto Real Estate Board president-elect Tom Lebour, broker at Royal LePage Real Estate in Mississauga, Ont. (33 years) • “The advancement in mandatory education requirements for licensed Realtors and the willingness of Realtors to accept and embrace the consistency of organized real estate throughout our industry” is a major change, says Shirley Powell, owner and manager of Let’s Deal Real Estate in Moncton, N.B. (25 years). “Gone are the days 20 years ago when all one had to do to sell real estate was study a manual and write an exam and pass and then get hired by a broker. But the biggest change is how easy it is to do business today with the proper tools, tools that save so much time.”

• Another major change is

“the legal aspect, which primarily deals with the buyer/seller relationship, compared to what it once was in respect to legal representation,” says Daniel Clover, of Re/Max Camosun Oak Bay in Victoria (23 years). “At one time the seller only was represented.

The buyer was never legally represented other than by a fiduciary responsibility.”

Despite all the changes, some things remained the same. They include: • “One-on-one communication between buyers, sellers and

science. Provide a level of service above what your vendors and purchasers expect and work hard. That was a sure-fire formula for success in real estate 20 years ago and it still works today.” – Wassill • “It’s a personal face-to-face service industry where your commitment to your clients, true caring about doing your best for them, and giving your sincere best advice above all will lead to success in this business.” – Mazurenko • “We still create the paper

sonal contact. If you can’t sit down with your clients and develop that crucial trust and rapport, your business still will not grow the way it is supposed to grow. If you’ve got a client who can trust you, you’ve got a client for life.” – Clover • “What hasn’t changed is the nature of the interaction between an agent and the public. I think it is still a people business, it’s still a trust business, and all of the contract stuff in the world won’t allow you to proceed with a contract unless you have the actual

“This industry is not rocket science. Provide a level of service above what your vendors and purchasers expect and work hard. That was a sure-fire formula for success in real estate 20 years ago and it still works today.” agents,” says Timothy Salisbury, broker with Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. (21 years) • “People still want to receive quality service, advice, and informed consultations on their respective real estate needs,” says Robert Tatomir, broker of record and owner of Future Homes & Real Estate in Leamington, Ontario. (23 years) • “Relationship building with clients and other real estate professionals is still the most fundamental factor.” – Lebour • “This industry is not rocket

trail. Many inquiries still come over the phone. Salespeople still do office caravans and conduct open houses. Salespeople are still only paid on commission basis. Our deposits for trust accounts are still only acceptable by cash, money order, or cheque; don’t know if we will ever advance to Visa or MasterCard. Sales reps still carry business cards where today with all the opportunity of technology we should really be just passing out DVDs.” – Powell • “The ongoing need for buyer/seller and a sales rep’s per-

trust of a client.” – Powers • Another thing that hasn’t changed is “the desire to make real estate something that will make you rich at somebody else’s expense,” says Sam Longbotham of Prudential Toole Peet in Calgary (41 years). “There’s still that group out there that has been there always – the speculators, the hustlers, the people that are trying to manipulate everybody so they can get rich on your efforts.”

It will be interesting in 2029 to reflect on the last 20 years in real estate. REM

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14 REM JUNE 2009

Why we love this industry

By Toby Welch

Twenty-year veterans offer up reasons why real estate is a great profession in Canada.

S

ales reps and brokers who have worked in the real estate industry in Canada for 20 years or more know it can be one of the most rewarding careers. Here is a compilation of what some people in the throes of real estate feel is the best thing about working in their field.

• “The best thing about working in real estate is the people. Real estate is made up of a wide variety of individual personalities, who are an interesting group of classy and very capable professionals,” says Len Wassill, broker and general manager of Century 21 Broadway Park Realty in Yorkton, Sask.

• “The best thing about working in real estate would be the opportunity it provides, especially in relation to the risk factor (as opposed to most businesses for self/small business operator) for those who work hard, show integrity, and continually upgrade their industry knowledge so they can provide a high level of service,” says Keith Mazurenko of Coast Realty in Ladysmith, B.C.

• “The fact that you are never bored in this industry because no two days are ever alike,” adds Len Wassill.

• “The Canadian mortgage industry is much more structured and stable versus the U.S. mortgage industry. Canadians are more conservative in their lending practices, not resulting in the same subprime disaster as witnessed in the U.S.,” says Robert Tatomir, broker of record and owner of Future Homes & Real Estate Ltd. in Leamington, Ont. • “The best thing about working in real estate in Canada today is that there are more educated salespeople and educated consumers,” says Shirley Powell, owner and manager of Let’s Deal Real Estate in Moncton.

• “Back 20 years ago, each real estate board ran their own little shop. Today the real estate boards are always communicating with each other and usually jointly implementing changes on contracts, key boxes, MLS systems, sharing educational speakers, and training material. Specifically in New Brunswick, the real estate

Shirley Powell

Len Wassill

Tom Lebour

John Powers

boards don’t rush into any major change or financial expense unless consultation and feedback was sought from other boards. Clearly gone are the days of real estate boards competing with each other; it’s more working together and being focused on what’s best for the members and public and the bottom line being how the dollar is spent. Twenty years ago each real estate board didn’t freely share the working of their boards, it was their best kept secret!” says Powell.

• “In St. Catharines (Ont.) and Canada, the market overall doesn’t change as much as say the U.S. and other countries,” says Timothy Salisbury, broker with Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre.

• “Through mandatory continuing education, Realtors have raised the level of professionalism.

In fact, real estate has become a career choice for many college and university graduates. In addition to the commitment we make through continuing education, Realtors also agree to adhere to the code of ethics and professional standards. These are just two of the factors that make me proud to be a Realtor,” says Toronto Real Estate Board’s president-elect Tom Lebour, broker at Royal LePage Real Estate Services in Mississauga, Ont. • “I think when you are working in Victoria you’re literally able to thank God every day that you are able to work in a profession that you love in a city that is spectacular. Work isn’t work if you like it. I love it and I get to do it in a wonderful place like this,” says Daniel Clover of Re/Max Camosun Oak Bay in Victoria.

Daniel Clover

• “The best thing about real estate is to see people get something they can afford and wind up owning houses. That’s been my focus since becoming a Realtor over 41 years ago,” says Sam Longbotham of Prudential Toole Peet in Calgary.

• “There’s something like 5,400 of us in Calgary, agents and brokers, but just over 500 or so have been in this business for 20 years or more. If you start talking to that group of people, you’ll find an awful lot of them don’t really spend a whole lot of time out there pushing to get more business, they are happy dealing with the people who come to them. It keeps them busy and they make a good living and it’s a referral business,” says Longbotham.

• “Our particular company has a very strong national base of clientele. Also, where we work in Nova Scotia, it’s a great place to be involved in real estate simply because it’s a place where people want to come. It’s clean, it’s safe, it’s all the things you would say

about Canada in terms of stability,” says John Powers of Claussen Walters & Associates Limited in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

• “It’s a marketplace generally speaking that hasn’t seen the huge highs and lows other countries have seen. It’s a place where there is financial stability in the banking system. It’s a place where our national real estate association has done a fairly good job in monitoring the real estate business nationally, better than the United States, for example, which is more fragmented. We’re essentially well-run and if you have to be run by a bureaucracy, they’re doing a pretty good job. And I think working in Canada there is an underlying stability even though some of the markets tend to be boom or bust.

There are relatively few of those.

It’s generally a good, stable place to work,” says Powers.

What do you think is the best part of working in real estate in Canada? Share it on the REM Forum at www.remonline.com.

REM

Resale housing worth $22.5 billion - report he resale housing industry in Canada generated more than 202,000 jobs and an average of $22.3 billion annually in various economic spinoffs in the period from 2006 and 2008, according to a study prepared for The Canadian Real Estate Association by Altus Clayton.

The report says each residential MLS transaction generated an average of $46,400 in additional consumer spending in the period from 2006 to 2008. This included the purchase of furniture and appliances, moving costs, renovations, services, and taxes. By comparison, from 2004 to 2006 the average transaction yielded $32,200 in additional consumer spending. In the period from 2002 to 2004, it was $24,697.

The new study says the economic impact of each MLS sale varies by province or region, from a high of $60,200 in British Columbia to $28,925 in Atlantic Canada. The report says the spending relates to the cost of moving from one home to another and for renovations after moving in – it does not include any renovation expenditures by sellers to prepare properties for sale.

“Purchases and sales of homes trigger additional expenditures that have broad economic impacts,” says CREA chief economist Gregory Klump. “Job creation is also a major factor of the sale of a home. The study shows that an average of 202,750 jobs was created in Canada each year covered by the study as a direct result of resale housing transactions.”

The complete updated Clayton Research report is available at REM www.crea.ca.

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16 REM JUNE 2009

In conversation with Pierre Beauchamp, CREA CEO For 27 years, Pierre Beauchamp has been in an executive leadership position with the Canadian Real Estate Association – first as executive vice-president and then as CEO. For this 20th anniversary issue of REM, Beauchamp and REM senior editor Kathy Bevan discussed some of the transitions he’s seen over the past two decades, within CREA and Canada’s real estate industry. the buying and selling process?

BEAUCHAMP: Back in the ’80s and ’90s, there were many who said that technology will wipe out the real estate business and Realtors will be out of a job.

In the mid-’90s, when we came out with MLS.ca, exactly the opposite happened. The same thing is happening now, with the new wave of technology.

Technology is great, but at the end of the day what the public does is pick someone who is going to provide a service that’s a complicated one, more than ever before. It’s not just a question of finding a property, it’s a question of what does the consumer do from there, whether they are selling or buying.

Photo: Phillip Mirsky

REM: What would you say has been the change that’s had the biggest impact on Realtors over the past 20 years, since REM first began covering Canada’s real estate industry?

BEAUCHAMP: We’ve gone from pagers and fax machines to Blackberries and other tools that technology has provided to us, and that’s changed a lot of things. It’s put a lot of pressure on everybody to be sharp and to be able to react more quickly than ever before.

It wasn’t so long ago that we went from tear sheets to Realtor.ca for exposure of MLS. The public now has access, particularly in the past 10 years, to superb information that they can consult from a site like Realtor.ca. They no longer have

to go into a broker’s office, like they did 20 years ago, to look at tear sheets and catalogues.

Realtors themselves have changed too. Back at the end of the ’90s, less than 50 per cent of Realtors at that time had an Internet or email address. In 2007, our statistics for members stated that 99 per cent have an email address – that’s a huge difference. In 1998, less than 10 per cent of Realtors had a website.

In 2008, 70 per cent told us they have at least one website that they use for business purposes.

REM: With the sense of empowerment that technology and information access gives to consumers today, is it becoming an increasing challenge for Realtors not to get pushed out of

We end up today with Realtors who are really specialized. Today, you are a specialized condo person, you’re specialized in senior houses – more market niches are being recognized and pursued, so you end up in being specialized in marketing property.

With first-time homebuyers there is definitely a greater appetite now and greater demand for market insight and analysis. What’s happening out there, what’s happening in the market?

Especially with the times we’re in now, with the economic downturn. There’s also recognition that many Realtors have much more to offer than just access to information. I think that’s been recognized and I think it’s for the reasons we’ve been successful as an industry – not just for firsttime homebuyers, but generally speaking for the public.

You have to be flexible to adapt, or say, “This is the service I provide, this is how we work within my brokerage” and offer that to the public. But you have to be in a position to compete. Always remember, Realtors

are probably in one of the most competitive businesses in the world. They compete against each other, yet they share their stock on the shelf. Who else does that – think about it. Realtors as well are people who only get paid when they perform, they don’t get paid otherwise. Those are elements that don’t change.

REM: Do you think the federal government’s Competition Bureau will ever agree that organized real estate is competitive enough, whatever the market and economic conditions?

BEAUCHAMP: The bureau’s job is to ensure competition in every industry – that’s really what they’re trying to do.

The job of Realtors is already a very, very competitive business. Our challenge in many ways has been to demonstrate to the bureau the nature of that competition and how diverse the services and businesses plans are that exist in the real estate industry, to serve consumers. At times, there have been disagreements about that aspect; that’s why we keep plugging at it, trying to show what it is that Realtors do in selling real estate.

We own the MLS trademarks and we’ve been appointed by our membership to protect those trademarks. Those trademarks mean we’re going to have certain limitations, because a trademark is designed to distinguish itself from anything else that is in the market.

We’re there to maintain a trademark within a competitive business and we encourage that competition. CREA does not dictate what business plan a business is going to have; everybody is welcome, provided they are prepared to adhere to the basic rules of our trademark.

It’s a co-operative system that has served the public very well

in our country.

So we keep answering the questions of the bureau; we keep co-operating 100 per cent with all departments at the federal level, whether it is finance with the anti-money laundering, where we’re involved as far as we can go to work to ensure that these programs are in full compliance. There are compliance programs within RealtorLink for competition, for anti-money laundering – it’s all there and we try to help members, through negotiation and discussion with the Competition Bureau, the Finance Department and FINTRAC, to solve these issues.

We’re a big country – the challenge for a national body is to come up with policies and directions that are going to satisfy everybody. How can you do that in a country the size of Canada?

It’s difficult, because no matter what you do, you’ll have some people who will not be totally in accord with where you’re going.

But at one point or another, you have to consider what is the best thing to do. That’s what we do, with the best legal help, with the best minds around and obviously with Realtors looking at the vision that they’ve created and finding ways to better implement it.

REM: CREA’s federal efforts aren’t limited to discussions with various federal government departments and agencies – your association also continues to actively lobby the federal government at all levels, with some notable results. To what do you attribute CREA’s success to date with those lobbying efforts?

BEAUCHAMP: We are very aggressive with that. And at our recent PAC (Political Action) Days in Ottawa, Prime Minister Harper came to visit us and

17 REM JUNE 2009

agreed to have his photograph taken, spending over a full hour with delegates from every province in Canada. We had about 300 people in the room, and the prime minister and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty stood in the room for photos with all these groups from all the regions of the country. We’ve have prime ministers visit before, but we’ve never had them stay and have pictures taken with us.

That night, we had a major reception for all MPs on Parliament Hill in the West Block and Michael Ignatieff dropped by to say hello, as did many ministers and senators. We had the best attendance at this reception that we’ve ever had.

We’ve had a lot of success with our lobbying efforts over time. Part of the reason for that success is that the files we take on – the issues that we deal with – are always designed to stimulate the economy. The Home Buyers’ Plan – that’s an old one now – it’s been in since 1992.

That plan may have been good for Realtors, but it sure has been good to consumers. We’re now suggesting the Home Buyers’ Plan withdrawal limit be permanently indexed to inflation, so we don’t have to come back to the federal government to change the numbers. We’re also suggesting that they consider changing the plan to make it applicable to all homebuyers for two years.

We’re also supporting a reinvestment in real estate program, which would allow a person to roll over the capital gains tax to a new rental property when they are selling their existing rental property. That’s a file that would help get the big engine going for commercial property and help the residential sector. Too many people today are holding onto the commercial property that they own because the capital gains tax on it is going to be so huge that, after they’ve paid the capital gains, it would make no sense for them to reinvest and buy another revenue property. If they were allowed to simply post-

Beauchamp welcomes Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff.

pone the payment of that tax, it would encourage quite a number of people to get involved.

The files that we adopt are not necessarily things that are going to benefit Realtors – that’s important. We do all kinds of things that go beyond just plans that might directly or indirectly help Realtors. For example, for about 15 years now, we’ve been sponsors for parliamentary internships here in Ottawa.

Our Realtors Care programs are designed to show the public and the media, via promotional material about Realtors, what it is that Realtors do to support good works in communities across Canada.

All of this to say that our lobbying efforts are not just based on making money, they’re based on making a contribution as Canadian citizens, wherever in the country we happen to be.

REM: There’s a lot more on the plate of an executive officer now than when you were hired

by CREA – when you eventually step down, what will the job description for the next applicant look like?

BEAUCHAMP: When I applied, there were close to 250 applicants, but CREA decided it would be useful to work with someone from the industry at the time, as that would fulfill one of the needs that they had.

But remember, in those days CREA did not have a lobbying

movement that was as strong as it is today, we didn’t have PAC days, technology was not there, and the legal framework was totally different. I think that those things have structured the national body in a totally different way.

We’re now involved, for example, with the Realtor.ca site; we’re involved in the daily affairs of Realtors, whereas we were not as involved in that way in the past. While we still work through the real estate boards, we have more impact – particularly with the laws at the national level, for example the anti-money laundering laws, the competition laws, and so on.

We have impact that was not needed in the early days of our association.

The people who will succeed me and many others will be individuals who will be required to have a good deal of vision.

Planning will be the key, because there are so many different directions an association like ours can take, whether in the technology or the lobbying field. They’ll have to create visions to follow and have strategic plans that reflect what the expectations of members and consumers are going to be in future.

Volunteers also must be taken into account. Finding willing volunteers is obviously going to be a challenge; once they’re found, the idea will be to try to spend

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty meets Pierre Beauchamp at CREA’s PAC Days.

enough time on training through leadership programs that are now available. That’s something else that wasn’t here 10 years ago. The Ontario Association has written programs that we’ve sponsored jointly, specifically for the training of the elected leadership. It’s important for those who are going to be presidents, vicepresidents and directors of associations and real estate boards to clearly understand their role – an extremely more complicated role than it was way back then. We’ve established courses to lead people to better understand the role function and responsibilities, and help them to work as directors of organizations.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not suggesting that everything was done wrong before! I’m simply suggesting that this is part of the natural evolution, given the demands that are going to be made in the future.

REM: What has given you the greatest personal satisfaction so far, over your past three decades of serving CREA and the real estate industry?

BEAUCHAMP: Basically the success that we have – whether it’s through lobbying or watching my unbelievable staff flick the switch on a new piece of technology that at three o’clock in the morning is going to be seen by 3,000 people who are all on the system at that particular low point in the day.

That’s what happened with

Realtor.ca, so we could continue to work the bugs out.

I get satisfaction out of seeing the industry evolve in all these different directions and in coming up with solutions to the various challenges that we have, whether they be technological, political or legal. It’s been kind of fun to help build and participate in what we’ve done, to end up where we are now.

In just 10 years, we’ve doubled our staff; we’ve more than doubled the budget we had back then, because Realtors want more service. We provide services at a rate that is cheaper than almost any other country at the moment – certainly cheaper than what Realtors to the south are paying for their technology.

I’m proud of those accomplishments because they’ve put us into a leadership role in the world. We’re in demand in other countries that want us to tell them how we do things. I love it when associations in other countries come and see us and say, “Your PAC program and PAC network visiting MPs across the country has worked so well, tell us how do you do it?”

We’ve had 25 years of doing it and I think we’ve got it refined enough that, as happened this time, we had a PM join us to shake hands with 300 people.

I’m proud of those things and I’m happy to be part of what made them happen. REM

18 REM JUNE 2009

challenges faced by Canadians and provided his perspective on how to build a better province.

Phil Nanavati, chairman of the Ontario Real Estate Association Commercial Council, provided an update on the newly formed Ontario Commercial Federation.

■ ■ ■

T

he London St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) says it’s the first real estate board in North America to integrate a security system that uses voice recognition to protect its MLS system data. The voice recognition allows clients to counter identity fraud, and helps identify the fraudulent parties involved.

In a news release, LSTAR and system supplier Touchbase say, “Our voice is as trustworthy and unique as a digital fingerprint. Not only is this technology used as a way to identify ourselves, our voice also offers the possibility of a superior degree of security. Voice authentication cannot be shared, borrowed, or reproduced, and all users need is their voice and a telephone.

“This technology relies on the fact that vocal characteristics, like fingerprints, are unique to each person. When a member attempts to access the MLS, the Doorman (system) verifies their identity by authenticating their voice combined with their MLS access code and password.”

Alain Brunel, Touchbase real estate vice-president, says, “According to statistics from the Canadian Anti-fraud Call Centre, identity theft increased from $19 million to $23 million in 2008.

Especially with the economic situation, it is urgent to protect nonpublic data. The use of our voice offers very efficient, convenient protection, and we are very happy that LSTAR has opted to use our intelligent voice recognition system for their security. Voice biometrics are affordable and easy to use.”

■ ■ ■

John Tillie, a Duncan Realtor and former president of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board, has been elected as 20092010 president of the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA).

“After 29 years as a licensee, I

still love the real estate business and being a Realtor,” says Tillie.

He is an associate broker with Re/Max Duncan.

Joining Tillie as officers of the association are vice-president Moss Moloney of Re/Max Performance Realty in Surrey, past-president Scott Veitch of Century 21 Veitch Realty in Creston and chief executive officer Robert Laing.

New directors are Sharron Billey (Cranbrook), Barbara Gallie (Victoria), Jim McCaughan (Abbotsford) and Rosario Setticasi (North Vancouver). Returning as directors are Eugen Klein (Vancouver), Jennifer Lynch (Gabriola Island), Bea Smith (Penticton), Hanne Selby (Chilliwack), Delores St. Amand (Prince George) and Richard Valouche (Vancouver).

■ ■ ■

The Regional Commercial Council of the Realtors Association of HamiltonBurlington (RAHB) hosted its Annual Commercial Summit recently. This year’s summit, Redefining Risk and Opportunity, drew 130 members and guests and an array of commercially related exhibitors.

The event featured moderator Marvin Ryder and three key speakers well versed in the economy.

Paul Ferley, assistant chief economist from RBC Financial, opened the summit with his presentation encompassing Ontario’s economic status and how it is affected by the U.S. economy. Douglas Newson, director at Statistics Canada’s Central Region, explained the demographics of the region, including information on average household income, average years of education and information on how residents travel to and from their place of work.

Bringing the event to a close was Jonathan Wellum, CEO and CIO of AIC Limited. A no-nonsense optimistic personality, Wellum’s self-proclaimed provocative presentation outlined the

Ontario’s provincial government backed away from imposing mandatory energy audits on the sale of every home. Under the new Green Energy Act, which recently passed in the Ontario Legislature, a buyer can opt out if an audit is not desired.

But Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) president Pauline Aunger says the proposed rules are still flawed, because buyers can still demand an energy audit and the onus is on the seller to provide it. The association also has questions about the standards that will be used for the audits.

A poll released by OREA says that two-thirds of Ontario’s principal residence homeowners oppose mandatory home energy audits and “instead overwhelmingly favour voluntary audits (92 per cent).”

The poll found that 70 per cent of Ontario homeowners think that mandatory home energy audits will deter homeowners from selling

Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently met with Sarnia-Lambton Real Estate Board president Ralph Flaminio. Harper was in Sarnia obtaining information regarding local economic and border issues from business leaders.

their home, having a detrimental effect on the real estate sector and the Ontario economy.

“During these difficult economic times, homeowners are right to oppose a system of mandatory requirements that could see them paying thousands of dollars to preserve equity in their homes,” says Aunger.

OREA is pleased with proposed changes to Ontario’s Mining Act, which it says will strengthen property rights in Ontario. Lands in Southern Ontario, where there is a surface rights owner and the mining rights belong to the Crown, are deemed to be withdrawn from prospecting, staking, sale and lease if the bill becomes law.

“Bill 173 reflects the realities of Ontario in the 21st century,” says Aunger. “Home and cottage owners in Southern Ontario should be pleased to hear that their property is not subject to prospecting and mining.”

For property owners in Northern Ontario, Bill 173 puts restrictions on the types of property that prospectors can enter without permission from the landowner. It also approves the use of map staking.

“The new Mining Act encourages more consultation and dia-

logue between landowners and prospectors,” says Aunger.

“Traditional methods of prospecting are often destructive to private property. Map staking removes the need to cut down trees, knock down fences or excavate land when a prospector stakes a claim.”

Further debate and consultation on the bill will take place over the coming weeks.

■ ■ ■

Bob Cliffe of Sorrento is the president of the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) for the 2009-2010 term. He was installed along with 11 directors representing the Central Okanagan, North Okanagan and Shuswap Zones at OMREB’s Annual General Meeting.

A Realtor and managing broker with Re/Max Shuswap Realty for the past 10 years, Cliffe has been a member of OMREB since 1988, serving as a director since 2007 and previously for six years.

He replaces outgoing president Peter Lockhart of Royal LePage Downtown Vernon, who stays on as past-president.

“I look forward to continuing to raise the profile of our board within the province and working Continued on page 20

More than 100 people gathered at the Colonel R.S. McLaughlin Armoury in Oshawa to support Canadian troops fighting in Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of SNAP Oshawa)

John Tillie

Delegates enjoy a lighter moment at the RAHB Annual Commercial Summit.

Toronto Real Estate Board members stream in to Realtor Quest.

(Photo by Geoff Parkin, GP Photo) Bob Cliffe

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20 REM JUNE 2009

Boards and Associations Continued from page 18

with local governments and other stakeholders to enhance housing opportunities for families in the board area,” Cliffe says. “With improved affordability and record low interest rates, this is an optimum time for first-time buyers to enter the market.”

Brenda Moshansky of Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty in Kelowna was installed as vice-president.

Other members of the Board of Directors: Francis Braam, Royal LePage Kelowna – Central Zone; George Cwiklewski, Macdonald Realty Kelowna – Central Zone; Corry Perret, Re/Max Kelowna – Central Zone; Barret Watson, Coldwell Banker Horizon, Kelowna – Central Zone; Howard Neufeld, Century 21 Executives Vernon – North Zone; Joe Pearson, Re/Max Vernon – North Zone; Rob Shaw, Royal LePage Downtown Vernon – North Zone; Steve Lewis, Shirley Real Estate, Salmon Arm – Shuswap Zone; and Karen Singbeil, Re/Max at Mara Lake, Sicamous – Shuswap Zone.

■ ■ ■

Durham Region Association of Realtors (DRAR) members showed their support for Canadian men and women serving overseas in Afghanistan, by wearing red and getting together for a large group photo. The event was organized by Lindsay Smith of Re/Max Spirit.

Others in the community who took part in the shoot were Mayor John Gray, and members of Durham Regional Police, Durham Firefighters and the Veteran’s Association.

More than 100 soldiers have died during the mission and many more have been injured. For DRAR members, it hit close to home when Darryl Dawson, son of 2009 DRAR president Debbie Dawson, was injured. He was one of five Canadian soldiers that were involved in an accident when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Kandahar. Fortunately he survived the accident.

■ ■ ■

More than 8,000 GTA Realtors took time away from a resurging spring market recently to attend the Toronto Real Estate Board’s annual Realtor Quest conference. Attendance figures for the fifth annual event surpassed those of previous years.

The conference featured Canada’s largest real estate tradeshow with more than 200 booths, a sizeable continuing education component and non-stop information and entertainment.

Several prominent municipal politicians, including Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion, paid a visit for a panel discussion about taxes on property. Moderated by AM640’s morning show host John Oakley, the panel also included City of Toronto councillors Denzil Minnan-Wong, Karen Stintz and Michael Thompson, who have often been cited as potential candidates to challenge Mayor David Miller in the next municipal election. Mayor Frank Scarpitti from the Town of Markham, where property taxes were recently frozen, also took part in the discussion.

Jason Mercer, who is responsible for TREB’s market analysis, teamed up with George Carras, founder of RealNet Canada, to talk about trends in major segments of the GTA real estate market with respect to residential and commercial property, both new and resale. Mercer and Carras told the crowd that the GTA is in stronger shape than many other markets in North America and that recent conditions were weathered much better than in previous cycles.

The session was included as part of TREB’s General Meeting, during which several key decisions were made. Members voted overwhelmingly in favour of participating for the second consecutive year in the Realtors Care Foundation’s Every Realtor program. TREB will make a contribution to the foundation equivalent to $1 per member per month for a year.

On day two of the conference, TV personality Mike Holmes made an appearance at the show.

Throughout the two-day event, 30 free continuing education courses were offered in seven different streams. The courses drew more than 8,000 attendees.

Both days’ events capped off with receptions that included live music, an auction and free refreshments.

“Many members regard the Realtor Quest conference as one of the key benefits of membership,” says TREB president Maureen O’Neill. “It’s certainly a reflection of the emphasis TREB places on value for membership dues.” REM

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Equity in homes a ‘beacon of strength’ A

s Canadians weather the harsh economy, a beacon of their strength is the considerable amount of equity they have in their properties, says a report by the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP). New challenges, such as budgeting for mortgage payments, are emerging, yet housing affordability has dramatically improved due to lower interest rates and price reductions.

The report is authored by CAAMP chief economist Will Dunning and based on information gathered by Maritz Research Canada in an online survey conducted in March.

Over 40 per cent of all mortgage holders have at least 50 per cent of the value of their homes in equity, and of all Canadian homeowners, which includes those without mortgages, 65 per cent hold at least half the value of their properties, says CAAMP. Only two per cent of mortgage holders have negative home equity, meaning the value of the mortgage exceeds the value of the home.

During the past year, 15 per cent of mortgage holders took equity out of their homes, representing a national total of $34 billion. Over half (57 per cent) used these funds for debt repayment or consolidation amounting to $12.5 billion.

“CAAMP’s report demonstrates that homeowners have solid equity positions and although facing financial uncertainties, most Canadians have the ability to deal with temporary market fluctuations and reductions in personal income,” says Jim Murphy, president and CEO of CAAMP. “With only a very small number at risk of not being able to pay or refinance their mortgages, our overall market is very strong.”

There is no doubt that the current economic backdrop means increased financial challenges for Canadians, says CAAMP. Job loss is a major risk factor for homeowners and 18 per cent of those surveyed indicated an individual in their household had lost a job in the past six months.

The economy looms large when people consider buying a

home. Despite the fact that 55 per cent say now is a good time to buy, up almost 20 percentage points from fall 2008, only four per cent of homeowners and six per cent of non-owners actually say they anticipate buying – about the same number as last fall.

Low and flexible interest rates plus longer terms are adding buoyancy to the mortgage market.

Mortgage holders are “extremely successful” negotiating their interest rates, knocking off an average of 1.68 per cent from the posted rate, says the association. Threequarters of those who renewed their mortgage in the past year had their interest rate reduced. On average, renewals resulted in interest rate reductions of almost one full per cent. Three-quarters of Canadian borrowers are also likely to see reductions in their interest rates at their next renewal.

“While many Canadians are experiencing mortgage-related challenges, these issues are much less significant than the problems in the American market,” says Dunning. “We are not seeing the dramatic mortgage rate resets or panic selling that occurred in the United States, and Canadian mortgage lenders and insurers are demonstrating a willingness to work with those who encounter financial difficulties. These are good signs for the health of the market.”

The survey says 46 per cent of new mortgages taken out in the past year were secured through mortgage brokers. Sixty-one per cent of mortgage renewals occurred with the major banks.

Based on current housing market forecasts, CAAMP says the outstanding volume of residential mortgage credit is forecast to expand by close to $70 billion in both 2009 and 2010, growing at a rate of 7.6 per cent in 2009 and seven per cent in 2010, although the growth rate has decreased from 10.4 per cent in 2008. Mortgage credit is expected to surpass $1 trillion about mid-2010. The volume of annual approvals may fall to about $150 billion in 2009 and $160 billion in 2010, down from totals that exceeded $200 billon per year in 2007 and 2008. REM

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24 REM JUNE 2009

Alice in Wonderland inspiration for sale Lewis Carroll was inspired by the building’s statues and stone gargoyles to invent some of the characters that populated his classic fantasy Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and its sequels.

By Nigel Burnham

A

n historic English chapel that inspired Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has come on the market for £725,000.

A unique ecclesiastical conversion given Grade II-listing protection by the British government and enjoying a secure, tranquil setting two miles west of Ripon, North Yorkshire, The Old Chapel will beguile home hunters looking for something a bit different.

The agents’ description focuses on its bedrooms, reception rooms, bathrooms, garages and gardens.

Closer inspection reveals a porch, a living room, kitchen, an inner hallway with lobby, a magnificent drawing room with a study area, a dining room, and two ‘galleried’ bedroom suites.

It’s a desirable property in anyone’s book.

What sets The Old Chapel apart is that Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) spent a lot of time here in the mid19th century, and was inspired by

on the building, including an owl, a cow and a more recent carving of Alice herself,” says current owner David Brown, 49. “They help make the chapel something really different. I really like the Gothic style and the amount of space it offers.

The area is lovely and quiet and I have found it very peaceful living here.”

Lewis Carroll took inspiration for some of the characters in Alice while visiting family and friends in Ripon in the mid-1800s.

His father, Reverend Charles Dodgson, became a resident canon of Ripon Cathedral in 1843 and Carroll would travel up from his home in Oxford to visit his family there. Canon Badcock, a close friend of his father’s, who lived at Ure Lodge in Ripon, had a daughter named Mary, who some historians have claimed was the inspiration for Alice. Carroll, a keen photographer, is thought to have given a portrait of her to John Tenniel, the artist who drew the Much of the original interior of the chapel has been preserved.

The historic chapel was converted to a home about 11 years ago.

There are 14 gargoyles on the building.

the building’s statues and stone gargoyles to invent some of the characters that populated his classic fantasy Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and its sequels.

Now a converted home standing in the grounds of the former Bishop of Ripon’s Palace, The Old Chapel has gone on sale at a difficult time for the English housing market – but its connection to Alice is likely to stand it in good stead.

“We have around 14 gargoyles

Built in 1846, it was designed

by William Railton, a well-known British architect also responsible for the design of the iconic Nelson’s Column in London. Railton won the competition to design the London landmark in 1838 after previously pitching to design The Houses of Parliament and finishing fourth.

Converted in to a home around 11 years ago, The Old Chapel stands in the grounds of the former Bishop’s Palace with several other

original illustrations for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Over his lifetime Carroll built up an extensive portfolio of photographs and used Ripon and The Old Chapel as a backdrop in many of his pictures.

As well as its statues and gargoyles, the Old Chapel has many other original features, including oak paneling, mosaics and stained glass windows, one of which is dedicated to Reverend Dodgson.

residential buildings. While the main building dates back to 1841, the estate has seen many changes over the decades with buildings even being used as an Evacuation Centre by charity Barnardos during the Second World War. A spokeswoman for real estate firm Savills says: “It would be an amazing place to live even without the Lewis Carroll connection. The chapel is said to have been modeled on Ripon Cathedral and much of the timberwork is similar in style.

Its renovation has been sympathetic to the features it holds and because the building has been listed (protected) by the British government, little of the internal décor has been changed.”

Ripon announced in 2000 that it had truly arrived in the land of the Mad Hatters when 38 enthusiasts spent 48 hours peering under cathedral choir stalls and over gypsum craters in the city, confirming an increasingly probable truth in their own mad world: that Ripon was an inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland — her rabbit holes, Mad Hatters and all.

Their discovery meant that the city’s inhabitants could release a collective sigh of relief. Since Carroll’s death in 1898, Ripon’s influence on the Alice stories has been largely overlooked while Oxford, Daresbury in Cheshire and Llandudno, North Wales, have built tourism industries around their Alice heritage – some of which, in Ripon’s opinion, is pretty tenuous.

Ripon’s big breakthrough arrived with the first descent into the city of the 400-strong international Lewis Carroll Society for its annual conference in 2000. The results were impressive even before they began poking about the place: the number of delegates has been bettered only by the society’s centennial gathering in Oxford.

The enthusiasts, from Sweden, Israel, the United States, Canada and beyond, might not have dressed up as Mad Hatters but they were particularly anxious to crawl round the choir stall seats at Ripon Cathedral. This was the place where Lewis Carroll’s father was canon. Carroll frequented it and misericord carvings there depict possible prototype Hatters.

One carving depicts a griffin catching a rabbit, which subsequently escapes down a hole.

Is this why Alice, in the words of the story, fell “down, down, down”, 4,000 miles to the centre of the earth, to land “bump, bump, bump?”

It has been a matter of quiet contemplation ever since. REM

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26 REM JUNE 2009

METES & BOUNDS

Realty Promoter software

By Marty Douglas

T

wenty years – congratulations REM! The decades just seem to fly by don’t they? Wasn’t it only yesterday we celebrated your 100th issue?

(Well, actually Marty, that was October 1997.) Phew – time is flying faster than Spock in the new Star Trek movie. And speaking of icons, REM has been delivering news and views to a generation of readers, achieving impartiality unattainable by industry associations while offering a platform for divergent visions, reaching Canadian brokers and sales reps with very little trace of their Toronto roots. That’s a compliment.

In 1989 – to give you a little historical flavour – the World Wide Web had not yet appeared.

The first Mac portable dropped in someone’s lap. We had just gone from analog to digital in our telephone systems and cell phones were not much smaller than the phone booths they were about to make obsolete. Those of us who had been in the business since the ’70s were learning to put film in a 35mm camera rather than developing a Polaroid with the heat from our armpit. The digital camera would not appear for another six years and while the office copier had been in wide use since the early ’80s, the cost efficient colour copier was a child of the 21st century. The fax machine, despite being invented in the 1860s – that’s not a misprint – didn’t become a feature of every office until the 1980s. Bandwidth was what you got from Meatloaf, then performing for 20 years and about to record Bat Out of Hell II. What was old in 1989 besides the fax machine? Two things we still use today. Not counting fire and water. The QWERTY keyboard (1878) and the ball point

Sorting out changes that last pen (1888). Yes Sylvester, the keyboard on your Blackberry and the writing stick you stab it with is 100 years older than REM! In my retrospective on REM’s 100th issue, I wrote: “The Internet – really, nothing new here. Billboards and want-ads in a new milieu with an electronic coupon for further information. It makes some aspects of the job easier, but, like the laptop and the cell phone and the fax, is just a tool.”

I also referred to John Bearden, then president of Coldwell Banker Canada, quoted

by Katherine Macklem for the Financial Post on June 21, 1997.

He viewed the real estate industry in Canada as sleepy. “We’re real estate guys and we’re competing against accountants . . . I’m like a fox in the chicken house.”

John isn’t the boss any more – not sure how his days in the chicken house would measure up – and there’s a new sheriff in town, John Geha. John was profiled in a recent issue of REM and I had the pleasure of hearing him speak on his swing through the western regions of the Coldwell Banker franchise.

If John is a fox, he’s a subtle one, and a welcome change from the old attitude of “We’re here from the States to show you a thing or two.” Under his leadership, Coldwell’s Canadian operations have been recognized as a distinct region rather than just another state where they have funny money.

His message to an eclectic group of salespeople was a pleasure to hear. “We’ve overcomplicated our business.” Echoing messages we have heard for years but continue to need reminding.

“Does it bring value to the consumer? No? Then don’t do it.”

Common sense advice I first heard in 1985 – going out to find the customer is more important than waiting for them to find you.

On the value of brokerage, he would agree with my boss, Randy Forbes, that the most important thing a company can give a sales-

person is a good image.

Twenty years – a lot of change and constants. Sorting out changes that last is the challenge.

Be suspicious of the hype.

Change at best will provide a useful but temporary tool. Anthony Robbins said, “Times may have changed but the real secrets have not.”

Without readers there is no need for print media and their input is essential. Consider this response to my column on the impact of editorial bias on news headlines. Long-time friend and B.C. Realtor Richard Osborne of Landquest Realty wrote, “As usual my REM magazine landed on my desk and I immediately flipped through to your column.

One of my clients said the other day if a reporter saw Jesus Christ walking across the ocean, the headline would read ‘God Can’t Swim’.”

The last paragraph in my 100th issue column bears repeating. “What else won’t change?

The need for a winning attitude. I was between flights in Seattle, getting the dust off my travel shoes and I ventured the opinion to the shoe shine guy that the airport authority hadn’t given him a very busy spot. He grinned up at me and said “Yeah, but oatmeal is better than no meal!”

From my 40th year in real estate – happy birthday rookie!

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. His first column in REM appeared in December 1994. Email mdouglas@island.net; 1-800-715-3999; Fax (250) 897-3933. REM

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28 REM JUNE 2009

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

S

o, REM is celebrating 20 years of service to the real estate industry in Canada.

It’s no mean feat in today’s economy that your little magazine, so packed with great information, has survived.

I went back to 1989 in REM’s archives and reviewed some of the many articles in some depth.

From August 1989: “A REM survey shows lucrative new employment packages have drawn top agents to those brokerages…”

So, what’s happened since? Take a look at most brokerages today.

We’re all offering similar packages

Lessons from 1989 or menu plans, as some brokers prefer to call them.

The upside to the lucrative packages is that agents receive more “bang out of their buck” to make more money selling real estate, even after paying the broker either a desk fee and/or a percentage of the gross commission. The downside over the years to the brokers has been pressure from consumers to reduce the commission, so the broker nets less than ever in today’s marketplace. Take a look at some of the low fee or, in some cases, negotiation fee-based brokerages. As well, websites such as Zillow.com offer the public viewing of FSBOs and/or listings by all brokers in an area.

Who’d have thought in 1989 that we would have such pressures?

Brokerages could not have foreseen that giving agents more money on each transaction would not be a magic pill to retain their services.

As time went on, many of the brokers realized that in addition to paying for technology to enhance agent’s services, they’d have to

ramp up their own services to the agents. And so today, almost every brokerage offers all types of educational seminars and webinars.

In 1989, when I was executive vice-president at Safeguard Real Estate, the broker and I, like others at that time, could not or would not listen to the war drums of recession beating. The only vision we had at that time was to increase the amount of commission we were paying to the agents who, in spite of our offering more, were leaving to go to higher-paying franchises that had been in Canada for less than 10 years. In addition to the higher commission splits, they offered a brand image that most of us couldn’t match.

Did some of those brands fail in the succeeding years? Yes they did, but several survived.

How did they do it? Well, many, like Royal LePage, Re/Max and Century 21 made some serious decisions to bring not only formal education to the agents, but pushed the envelope to include national advertising as well, via the collection of regional fees.

So, fast forward to 2009. We’re in the depths of the most unimaginable recession, bordering on the big ‘D’ word, and it’s global, not just in North America.

What vision must brokers have today as we move through the 2000s? What images must brokers envision for their future? I believe that the broker of today and tomorrow must be sales rep-driven and not just fee driven. The sales rep of today and those graduating tomorrow are seeking brokerages that will nurture the skills they must develop at those brokerages.

And it’s not a one-day seminar once a month; it’s as often as the broker will allocate his valuable time for. Sure, Brian Buffini, Mike Ferry and Richard Robbins are dynamic leaders in their field. But the guy or the gal at the helm of their brokerage is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of his/her agents to perform.

I know, many brokers are saying, “But Stan, when will I have time to recruit?” or “I do enough for my agents now in the way of training!” Okay, maybe you do, but

here’s a thought: you have to ensure you nurture your current agents. If you do, I promise you this, they will think so highly of what you are offering, other than high commissions, that they will recruit for you.

I would be remiss in closing this 20th anniversary article for REM if I didn’t say to Heino Molls and his tireless staff, big congratulations on your marvelous achievement of 20 years of superb information from writers from all over Canada and the USA. Great work and good luck on your next 20 years!

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. His first REM article appeared in October 2004. REM

32 REM JUNE 2009

TA X C H AT & OTHER MATTERS

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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?”

Market Connections Inc.® 4950 Yonge Street, Suite 101 Toronto, ON M2N 6K1 Bus: (800) 387-6058 Fax: (800) 800-7093 dbrown@marketconnections.com

Solidify client relationships and encourage referrals with realtyreport®.

By Michel Chevalier

realtyreport® Compliments of Danny Brown

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

All the best,

Danny Brown

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?

I invite you to call me for an idea of what’s on the market, so that you can set your savings goal to meet your ultimate target.

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

CNSF

Volume 4, Issue 10

Market Connections Inc. 4950 Yonge Street, Suite 101 Toronto, ON M2N 6K1

Neighbourhood Newsletters Attract New Clients Increase your client base by advertising to select areas.

Danny Brown Broker

EAST END REPORT

Bus: (800) 387-6058 Fax: (800) 800-7093

Market Connections® Inc.

Volume 2, Issue 3

The Lowdown on Down Payments

April Showers Bring May Curb Appeal

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?”

RIVERDALE MARKET WATCH O CM TO AY B E2R0 0 28 008

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That’s—why, you’refrom thinking for their down insurance maintenance ForRSP more tips on howpayment. to boost ofgas, putting your and home up for sale,— towards a down your curb appeal, or for the think about curb payment? appeal first.

I invite you to call me for an idea latest in market trends and First impressions can provide an 9^Y ndj \Zi Vc ^cXdbZ iVm d[ l]ViÉh dc i]Z bVg`Zi! hd i]Vi local real estate action in your important edge over other,from similar refund this year?

A bonus you can set your savings goal to area, please call me today! properties in yourA neighbourhood.

STAN your employer? birthday or meet your ultimate target.

NO. SOLD

AVERAGE PRICE

25

$ 331,098

25

$ 384,591

DAYS ON MARKET

23

DETACHED 2 BEDROOM 3 BEDROOM

54

4 BEDROOM

16

$ 497,222 7,222

22

5+ BEDROOM

10

$ 588,500

35

2 BEDROO BEDROOM

45

$ 308,624

20

SEMI-DETACHED

3 BEDROOM ROO

100

$ 297,423

17

4 BEDROOM

26

$ 429,054

24

5+ BEDROOM

5

$ 403,360

14

2 BEDROOM

12

$ 317,667

13

3 BEDROOM

33

$ 378,779

20

4 BEDROOM

1

$ 290,900

8

TOWNHOUSE

Figures are based on MLS® sales as reported by the Canadian Real Estate Association. Market values depend on factors besides housing type and number of bedrooms. Overall condition, square footage, upgrades, lot size and specific location are some other key factors involved.

Source: Canadian Real Estate Association

From the desk of Danny Brown....

Whether you’re thinking of buying or selling your home, or are just curious as to real estate values in your neighbourhood, you’ll want to make sure you talk to a real estate professional who is knowledgeable and familiar with the area.

I invite you to call me at 416-441-1081 for the most up-to-date market information about Riverdale and East Toronto.

Danny Brown ®

Market Connections Inc. Bus: (800) 387-6058 Fax: (800) 800-70931 4950 Yonge Street, Suite 101, Toronto, ON M2N 6K1

Danny Brown Broker

NEW! Realty Online E-Newsletters Expand your channels of communication by sending Realty Online to your sphere of influence.

1-800-387-6058 www.realtyreport.org 3510-06 05/15/09 R1

T

axes are complicated.

Taxes are boring. People feel they can’t do anything to change the system or to fight the system. People do little or no tax planning. People do their bookkeeping and tax returns at the last minute, which makes for a greater chance mistakes will get made. Few people take the time to learn how to prepare their own tax returns. Many people are intimidated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)…and so on.

All negative stuff! And here I am, wanting to write about it and help people with it. I must be crazy. But believe it or not, this is meat and potatoes to me at this time in my working life. I will try to make it as interesting as I can, but there will be times when the knowledge and information I feel it is important to share will make for ‘dry’ reading.

I am going to outline the basic steps of the process that is available to all taxpayers if they disagree with CRA…or if CRA disagrees with them.

Why am I outlining this in a column? Good question! The answer is F.E.A.R. – aka False Evidence Appearing Real or Future Events Appearing Real.

We are all born with a couple of good fears – fear of falling and fear of pain. These help keep us from hurting ourselves. Just about all other fear is manufactured in our minds and we allow it to take hold because of the great unknowns in our lives. In this case, the great unknown CRA and tax system.

My thinking is that by sharing the system and process, and then in future columns sharing some actual stories/cases that followed

Don’t fear the CRA the steps of the process with success, I will be able to help you remove the fear and intimidation factor from taxes. Then you can legally reduce the amount of tax you pay, and if you are questioned

by CRA you know that there is a process you can follow to stand up for what you feel is right.

These are the steps that a taxpayer might take in order to object to a CRA assessment: 1. Taxpayer submits tax return with expected refund of $4,300.

2. Taxpayer receives CRA Notice of Assessment; CRA either agrees with tax return as filed or disagrees and states that refund should only be $1,800.

3. Taxpayer has 90 days to write and send in a Notice of Objection to the CRA Appeals Division explaining why the original refund amount of $4,300 is valid; it is usually appropriate to submit supporting documentation with the objection.

4. CRA will eventually respond; if they agree with you, case closed. If they disagree and you feel you have a good case with supporting documentation (receipts) and the expenses are real business expenses, you have the option to file a Notice of Appeal to The Tax Court of Canada. This would take the form of a letter outlining the situation, again providing supporting documentation.

5. At this stage, particularly if you have a strong case, CRA may opt not to go to court and you have won. CRA may also suggest negotiating, which is sometimes a good option. If you do end up in Tax Court and the amount of tax owing is $12,000 or less, you can opt for Informal Tax Court, where you don’t need a lawyer. For amounts greater, you would need the help of a lawyer.

6. If you really don’t feel you have been treated fairly, there is now an ombudsman in place to provide help and assistance.

This is a simplified version of the process to show that you can take action – often successfully –

on your own, and it doesn’t have to be costly. CRA does make a lot of mistakes. Some are honest mistakes but many really strike me as being deliberately misleading, so it is a good idea not to take what CRA says at face value. Always deal with CRA in writing. Never ever count on a phone call agreement, always back it up in writing.

Remember what I said in my last column – it is better to fight because if you become known as someone who challenges and doesn’t simply do whatever CRA tells

Always deal with CRA in writing.

Never ever count on a phone call agreement. you to do, they will tend to head for the person from whom they can extract money more easily.

I am happy to answer questions and if I get enough queries on the same matter, I will provide the answer in a subsequent column.

Always remember…FEAR NOT! 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

With my schedule,

I need a membership that helps me grow my business.

6:00 a Joey’s field trip: remember snacks 7:00 a Yoga 8:00 a 8:30 a Pick up signs 9:00 a Offer conference call with Julie 10:00 a 11:00 a 11:30 a Attend REBAC Connection Webinar 12:00 p Meet with potential buyer 1:00 p 2:00 p Read Today’s Buyer’s Rep Newsletter 3:00 p Uncle Bill’s birthday: send e-card 4:00 p Order marketing brochures from

REBAC Print Shop 5:00 p Lily’s swim meet 6:00 p 7:00 p 7:15 p Update blog: add Green article

from TBR HotSheet

That’s why I’m an ABR®.

As an ABR®, I get full access to REBAC.net’s user-friendly member section with news, trends, tips, and tools to help me stay competitive in the market. The marketing materials are easy to customize and effective in getting my name out there and promoting my business. And get this, I was able to take courses for my designation both in person and online. With my ABR® designation my needs are met...on my time.

Grow your business on your schedule at rebac.net

Call 800-648-6224 or visit www.REBAC.net for more information and course schedules.

The Accredited Buyer’s Representative designation is awarded by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

REBAC is a proud partner in NAR’s REALTOR Benefits® Program.

NAR members receive a 10% discount on REALTOR® University online courses owned by REBAC.

empowered by

34 REM JUNE 2009

THE SENIOR AGENT

By Barry Lebow

C

anada faces significant aging of its population as the proportion of seniors increases more rapidly than all other age groups. In 2001, one Canadian in eight was aged 65 years or over. By 2026, one Canadian in five will have reached age 65.

Canada’s senior population has grown about twice as fast as the overall population since the early 1980s. The growth is also expected to continue early in the second decade of the new century when baby boomers turn 65.

Over the next two decades,

The future is old the number of individuals aged 65 to 74 will almost double, from 2.3 million to about 4.5 million.

The share of the total population comprised of these “young seniors” will increase from seven per cent to 11.9 per cent, says Statistics Canada. The number of Canadians aged 85 plus will nearly double as well, rising from about 500,000 in 2006 to about 900,000 in 2026.

For real estate professionals, the problems of dealing within the largest segment of the market consist predominately with tired clichés and mindsets.

Forget about the myth that seniors are difficult or are staying in place. According to Stats Canada, those over 65 will move more than three more times in their lifetimes and for the agent, the rewards are large. First-time buyers and young families will decrease as Canadian low fertility rates are going to have a major impact on the next generations.

They simply are not making as

many young people today as they did in the past. Banking on firsttime buyers, young move-ups and their kind is a dwindling proposition.

In my lectures and seminars I find challenges to the word “senior.” The Oxford Canadian Dictionary defines a senior citizen as “an elderly person, especially a person over 65”. Given that even the government states that at 65 a person is a senior, who cares about the semantics of language?

Many of our pop culture icons from Tina Turner to Bob Dylan are seniors, with Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones and many others in the same demographic.

So where is your business going to come from in the next decade if seniors represent the fastest growing population group in Canada? People are living longer, as attested by the fact that the fastest growth in the seniors’ population is occurring

among the oldest Canadians.

Ninety-three per cent of all seniors reside in private households (including rentals). Most Canadian seniors live in singledetached houses. In 1997, over two-thirds of senior households owned their home, which were on average, mortgage free.

It is wrong to stereotype seniors as elderly. Many live strong, healthy lives and are ripe for new real estate ventures.

They will upgrade, downsize, move to other communities, acquire second homes (remember, they are also going to inherit from their parents) and travel.

They will be seasoned buyers or sellers as it will not be a new experience for them. But for many, it will have been a long time since their last purchase and times have changed.

Real estate professionals also have to change. To work with the coming boom in the senior market will require special knowledge of tax law, estates and

trusts, wills, how to help families in transition, and just dealing with decades of home ownership. A niche agent specializing in any sector of the market traditionally outperforms their peers.

The best part of working within the senior sector is that business can be driven to those who focus in within this area. Lawyers and estate trustees can be sources of referrals for years and can form great working relationships with those agents who understand the special needs of this market.

It is going to happen – buyers and sellers will age and you have a choice. Watch it happen or be part of what is happening.

Barry Lebow, a real estate professional since 1968, is the founder of the successful Accredited Senior Agent designation, now with about 400 members and growing monthly. His first column in REM appeared in October 1991. Email barry@thesenioragent.com; website www.thesenioragent.com. REM

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Many of the new tools and features will make WEBForms™ even easier to use.

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36 REM JUNE 2009

Are you ready for market upturn?

By Leon d’Ancona ou know the upturn is coming when your newspaper’s articles are not just about gloom and doom.

Lately my newspaper has had a healthy sprinkling of optimism in its financial section, and even the front page contained encouraging Canadian economic news.

We all know that consumer confidence fuels home sales. This brings me to the point of this article.

In slower markets with lower prices, too few professionals adapt to the prevailing conditions. Most successful adapters are making almost the same income they made in better times. If you step back and look behind the gloom and doom, the strategy needed is pretty clear – change your business plan to the prevailing conditions.

When I want to have some fun on a dreary telephone call, I ask the question, “When is the last time you changed your business plan?” About 50 per cent come right out and say something like, “Uh, I work in C01, mostly with buyers.” About 35 per cent are too embarrassed to admit to no plan and mumble something like, “I am changing strategies because I have decided to do more condos.” When I

Y

probe a little and ask, “so what percentage of your market is condo sales”, the answer is either nonexistent or totally wrong.

About 13 per cent have a pretty good plan based on bad assumptions. Only about one or two per cent have a good business plan based on proper information.

In some Canadian cities we see the upturn coming. In others it will be many months away. No matter what your market is doing, now is the time to get ready for the upturn by knowing your market inside and out.

First ask yourself: Would you deal with a stockbroker who never knows what the Dow Jones is doing when you call? Or would you work with a plumber who only fixes certain types of faucets? How about a bank that does not let you write cheques? If your answer is no (real estate is full of contrarians) then ask yourself, would people deal with me, given my current expertise?

In an age when the public has access to massive amounts of information, they rightfully demand in-depth information from their real estate professional that is not available to them. If your expertise consists of what your prospective client read in yesterday’s paper, don’t expect to get her business. Perhaps this lack of information is why there are generally about 15 per cent more professionals who work with buyers, than work with sellers.

Here are three steps guaranteed to increase your income now, and in a market upturn.

Step 1: Time allocation – To

participate in the upturn, make a clear-cut decision about how you will allocate your time, with buyers or with sellers. Remember that you can pick a geographical area to list homes, but you have no dominion over where a purchaser wants to buy their dream home. Spending all your time working with buyers can quickly turn you into a glorified taxi driver. The general consensus among coaches is that in a perfect world, you spend 60 per cent on listings and 40 per cent with buyers.

Step 2: The perfect territory – The territory you decide to work in is the wellspring from which your income flows. Start by breaking up your MLS by district, city, county or map-grid.

One of the best ways to decide is to pick an area and distill it into FSA (the first three numbers of a postal code). It will likely give you a homogeneous neighbourhood. For example, Toronto’s M2N had the highest turnover in condo apartments; Vancouver’s V0N had the most two-storey type homes sold.

Go to http://www.canadapost.ca/cpc2/addrm/hh/current/i ndexp/tpALL-e.asp and you get a fabulous breakdown of every FSA in Canada, as well as the total houses, apartments and businesses in each FSA. Bookmark the site and use it often. It’s your taxes at work. Get your money’s worth!

Determine if your pick will satisfy the needs of your clients.

When building your territory, consider historical and current facts about: home inventory diversity, current average days on market, units sold, average and median price.

Step 3: Value ranges – Having picked your dream area, determine the price ranges you have just locked into. Clients can generally be divided into three groups, startup, move-up and luxury.

Examine if this breakdown works for you and your prospective buyers and sellers. There are other obvious factors rooted in ethnicity and culture that are wise to consider when determining where you will work.

Years ago I remember spending weeks with clients working on the perfect territory.

Fortunately, today territory models can be done with greater accuracy in less than 15 minutes.

This allows for the creation of multiple choices and frequent changes. A great strategy is to have a secondary territory to fall back on. Every week I give free webinars to professionals like you and help them in their choice, using the latest Internet technology. The consensus is amazement with the lucrative simplicity available. You’re welcome to join.

My glass is half full rather than half empty evaluating real estate. Many calls I get ask, “Have we hit bottom”? My standard reply is that you can only see the bottom looking down. Even the most astute pundits can’t pinpoint the bottom to the last dollar. But we all know it is coming.

If you’re not ready, some of your competition is! People call the area they work in, their “farm area”, which brings to mind an ancient truth: “He who sows in sorrow, in joy shall surely reap”.

Now is the time to stir up action with prospects. Tell them you’re the expert they can rely on to tell them when the best time is to buy, sell, or trade up.

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

Self-employed: more debt and risk

S

elf-employed Canadians tend to have more debt and risk to manage than the average Canadian employee, but that is having limited effect on their stress and work levels during this recession, according to a survey conducted by Desjardins Financial Security.

Self-employed Canadians are carrying more personal debt, excluding mortgages on their primary residence, than the average Canadian.

Despite their heavier debt loads and the additional risk that it brings, a survey of self-employed Canadians, conducted the first week of March, found that self-employed Canadians remain split on the impact of the recession on their stress levels. Just more than half (56 per cent) feel their stress level is higher now compared to a year ago and fewer (44 per cent) feel it is harder to be competitive now compared to the start of the recession. However, 72 per cent of self-employed Canadians said they are not working significantly more hours since the start of the recession.

“It is encouraging that Canada’s self-employed are getting through the recession, however, the survey results also show that many are not doing enough to mitigate the risks particular to small businesses,” says Nathalie Tremblay, a manager at Desjardins Financial Security. “People who start their own companies often tend to think like an employee with a benefits package, where most of the risk is covered by the company. When you run your own business, you are responsible for everything: your livelihood, employees, creditors, vendors and ultimately your family, so self-employed Canadians need to use different tools to protect their interests.”

While 85 per cent of Canadians carry a debt load of $25,000 or less, just over half of self-employed workers claimed their debt was in this bottom category. At the top end of debt levels, only five per cent of Canadians generally have more than $50,000 of debt, compared to 21 per cent of self-employed Canadians who have more than $50,000 of debt.

The survey says the majority of self-employed Canadians said they own health insurance, like most Canadian employees. However, 54 per cent of respondents said they didn’t have enough disability coverage and 80 per cent said they were not familiar with business expense insurance.

REM

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38 REM JUNE 2009

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40 REM JUNE 2009

LEGAL ISSUES

More recent cases ■ ■ ■

Andy Puthon, Executive Vice President, Network Development is pleased to announce that Robert Nutbrown broker/owner of the brokerage formerly operating as Coldwell Banker Innovators Realty, Brokerage in Brampton, Ontario has joined the Royal LePage franchise network. The company will now operate under the new name of Royal LePage Innovators Realty, Brokerage.

Bob’s background is extensive and varied, having moved to Prince Edward Island after graduating from McGill University where he was appointed as Secretary to the Cabinet and Principal Secretary to the Premier, including a stint as Advisor to the Leader of the Opposition and Assistant Deputy Minister of Agriculture. He later moved to Ontario, where he again worked in government in the Treasury and Economics sectors, and Skills Development.

Bob has been in the real estate industry for 21 years, and first sold with E.A. Mitchell Real Estate. In 1994 Bob joined the Coldwell Banker brand.

Robert Nutbrown

Involved in his local community Bob is Past President of the Brampton Board of Trade, Past President of the YMCA, and has been involved in the Chairman Mayor’s Roundtable on Downtown & Queen Street Corridor. Bob is a 45 year resident of Brampton.

By Donald H. Lapowich

T

Royal LePage Innovators Realty has a team of 65 sales professionals who service Brampton, and surrounding areas.

Vanora Spreen, Broker of Record will be managing the two Royal LePage Innovators Realty offices, located at: 16 Kennedy Road South Brampton, Ontario L6W 3E1 Phone: 905-796-8888 Toll Free: 877-941-1613 Fax: 905-796-8899 Email: robertnutbrown@royallepage.ca

Vanora Spreen

17 Worthington Avenue Brampton, Ontario L6W 3E1 Phone: 905-796-8888 Toll Free: 877-941-1613 Fax: 905-846-6985 Email: robertnutbrown@royallepage.ca

Please join us in welcoming Bob, Vanora and everyone at Royal LePage Innovators Realty to Royal LePage.

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

†

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he plaintiff transferred a cottage to the defendants, her nephew and his wife.

The defendants were to fulfill certain conditions and when they did not, the aunt sued to get the property back.

A settlement offer to return the property in exchange for the price paid and legal fees was orally accepted, but the nephew and his wife reneged. They argued that such a re-conveyance could not be oral but had to be in writing to be binding.

The court made quick work of the argument. This was an “oral” settlement and not an oral contract, it ruled. A contract involving the Statute of Frauds, such as “a sale or purchase of property” in which “writing” would avoid a fraud, could not be left to an oral offer/acceptance only. An oral settlement, however, is enforceable, the court ruled.

In another case, the vendors sold a property and flea market business to the purchaser. The purchaser required a condition that he be able to hire a manager for the business and receive comprehensive information on his purchase (property and flea market).

When the purchaser failed to close, the following facts came to light: • The purchaser interviewed the vendor’s part-time manager of the business, who was willing and able to work full-time for the purchaser; • The purchaser refused to accept the financial information provided, because of “slight” miscalculations.

Despite being offered the opportunity to speak to vendor’s accountant, the purchaser did not contact the accountant.

The court was quick to hold the purchaser liable because there were no grounds to rescind the purchaser agreement. All conditions had been in fact fulfilled and damages were in order.

Is this case a sign of the times?

The ruling proves that perfection is not the standard, nor should it be.

■ ■ ■

In a different case, the plaintiff

bought a house and arranged to finance it through the defendant corporation.

The amount required was $270,000, secured by a mortgage for two years. The defendant required an extension to produce the funds, but this was impossible because the deal had to close, so the plaintiff was forced to obtain an alternative source for one year. Thereafter, another source to finance was obtained.

Costs were incurred and when sued, the defendant admitted liability but denied the damages.

The defendant insisted a trial was required for damages to be determined. The court disagreed and found two years of damages were in order, by simply comparing the cost of the two alternative sources against the proposed cost with the defendant.

Justice can come quickly without trial costs being enforced when liability is admitted.

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. His first column in REM appeared in November 1995. REM

ICI markets feeling downturn anadian office and industrial markets are beginning to experience the full impact of the economic downturn, with rising availability rates and a sharp increase in sublet space in some major Canadian cities, says a report by Colliers International. It says that although Canada’s real estate market is still relatively stable, recent Canadian job losses and stalled economic growth is now having an impact on the commercial real estate sector. Of note is a growing trend by companies to shed leased space that was earmarked for future growth requirements as they reorganize business operations to endure the current economic climate.

The report says that sublet space – one of the leading indicators of the health of the office market – jumped during the first quarter of the year and now accounts for 19.5 per cent of total vacant office space across the country. The flipside of this trend is the opportunity presented to tenants by way of potentially discounted rents for built-out premises that are often “turn-key” on short notice, it says. The average national vacancy rate for downtown and suburban markets rose to 5.9 per cent in the first quarter, up from 5.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2008.

“These figures are by no means bleak,” says Ian MacCulloch, Canadian vice-president of research, Colliers International. “We entered the current recession with historically low vacancy rates and significant new supply coming to market in only two cities. Although demand for office space is likely to remain soft across most regions throughout 2009, we expect to see a healthy bounce once corporate Canada regains confidence. The rise in sublet space seen during Q1 is in line with expectations, and by no means suggests an impending commercial real estate crisis.” REM

C

42 REM JUNE 2009

Environmental issues you need to know

By Avi Rosen

H

ere’s part of a recent conversation I had with Dr. Zvi Blank, a U.S.- based independent consultant and trainer with extensive experience in environmental issues pertaining to various types of real estate markets.

Q. What specific environmental issue(s) do you believe residential real estate agents need to know to become successful?

A. The old cliché, “Location, location, location” applies to the quality of the neighbourhood in which the property is located, not only in terms of educational facilities, shopping convenience, and so on, but also in terms of proximity to potential sources of pollution (both air and water). You may remember the explosion of liquid propane storage tanks in Toronto a few months ago. Would you like your house to be near that tank farm? Similarly, you want to be sure that the water supply in your area is safe to drink.

Every agent needs to know about asbestos in buildings and the importance of how to deal with it. They also need to know about lead in paint, underground storage tanks of heating oil, private wells (if they exist on the property), and septic tanks, as applicable. Vendors may want to know if the insulation in the house is likely to emit residual formaldehyde (a highly carcinogenic material) that was used in manufacturing insulation in the past.

Now, what I mean by “need to know” is not necessarily knowing all the answers to all the technical details, but knowing about the potential problems and how to get the answers to customers’ questions. They can always turn to an outside consultant for help.

Q. Can you outline environmental issues of concern for agents who specialize in commercial properties?

A. All the issues outlined above may well be relevant to commercial properties. Whether the potential buyer can pay cash for the deal or finance the purchase through a third party, the sophisticated buyer will most likely want to conduct a Due Diligence Study (otherwise known as Phase I investigation, All Appropriate Inquiry or ASTM E 1527) and depending on the result of Phase I, a Phase II may be desired. (Phase II may involve sampling in areas of concern on the property that have been identified in Phase I, such as near the location of a heating oil tank).

The services of a competent environmental consultant may be required.

A good real estate agent should be able to identify, for example, the presence of mercury- containing light fixtures and possibly even PCB containing-transformers. If the agent is not sure, again, the advice of a consultant should be sought.

I can share with you a few examples of how our firm has helped clients with some environmental issues. In one case, a lawyer owned a commercial condominium where most tenants on site were offices. One unit became available and a new potential tenant (coming through a real estate agent) was going to set up a shop providing a polyurethane-based product that required the use of at least one hazardous chemical on site. To do that, a variance was required, which the tenant applied for from the local planning board.

The condominium owner realized he needed an expert opinion on the risks involved as a result of storing this chemical in the building.

After an investigation of the process and the unit in which the business was going to be set up, we provided the owner with a risk assessment that convinced the planning board to vote against approving the deal.

In another case, a buyer was looking for a property to set up a day care centre in New Jersey.

After an extensive search, he identified an attractive deal in a shopping mall, conveniently located

with good financing terms, and he was ready to sign on the deal.

Now, in the state of New Jersey, day care centres must be licensed and therefore a due diligence study is mandatory. Our consulting firm was hired to perform the study. In addition to looking at the site itself, we looked at adjacent units and we noticed that the day care centre was going to be very close to a dry cleaning operation that used perchloroethylene – a carcinogenic solvent that is very volatile – as the dry cleaning solvent. From our experience there was a high likelihood of vapour intrusion into the day care centre unit due to the construction of the plenum on the premises.

We advised the buyer of the risk he was taking and the potential liability he may be facing, not to mention the impact on the insurance he would have to purchase.

Q. Can you tell us about some other issues that may be unique to industrial properties?

A. Generally speaking, these are the most complex type of properties any real estate agent is likely to face. So, I must add that in addition to the issues and examples already discussed, a thorough understanding of the industrial activities that have taken place in the past (such as in the case of Brownfield properties) on the site or are currently taking place, is required. In this case it is always recommended to hire the services of an environmental consulting firm who can also advise on site remediation, should it be necessary.

Q. One final question: what can you tell us about green buildings and to what extent does the real estate agent need to know about that?

A. Again, knowledge of green buildings or sustainable buildings is extremely beneficial. Nowadays everybody hears the buzzword “green buildings” just like you hear about “green chemistry”, “green energy” and all other greens.

So what can be defined as

green or sustainable buildings?

These are buildings that save energy via a number of ways. They have to be well insulated, and could provide esthetic appeal at the same time. For example, if a major part of the exterior walls is glass, the glass should have a specially glazed surface so as to repel heat in the summer but allow heat to be retained inside during the winter. There are hand-held devices that can detect infrared radiation and thereby measure heat leakage (energy losses) from buildings. These instruments are useful in conducting an energy audit of a building. If a building is equipped with solar panels it can generate its own electricity and in

some cases also heat.

The way the building is maintained, including cleaning, disposing of waste and protecting against pests is also an important part of considering whether a building is green or not.

Zvi Blank, Ph.D., CHMM, has a degree in chemical engineering and business management, and is a seasoned veteran of environmental issues and management of hazardous materials. He has been a consultant, trainer, and expert witness for over 35 years. www.calilabs.com; phone (973) 335-2254.

Avi Rosen is a 40-year veteran in our industry and has written many books, articles and conducted many seminars. He currently manages a Century 21 office in Toronto. He is also back at university, studying business administration and marketing and economics. Phone (416) 2296400. REM

‘One of Canada’s greenest homes’ opens demonstration house billed as “one of Canada’s greenest homes” was unveiled recently in Vaughan, Ont. The Archetype Sustainable House consists of two semidetached units, with one unit showcasing environmentally sensitive methods of building, and the other featuring the future of “building green”. The units will serve as an education facility for trades and builders. More than 150,000 students and members of the general public are also projected to visit the house annually.

Energy and water conservation technologies, as well as material sourcing and construction processes will be addressed.

Each home is rated under a variety of new home labeling systems including EnergyStar, G r e e n H o u s e , At the official opening of the Archetype Home, LEED for Homes from left: Leith Moore, chair, BILD; George and R-2000 labels. Smitherman, Ontario deputy premier and minis“We’re choosing ter for energy and infrastructure; Alex Waters, newer, innovative house project manager, Toronto and Region and experimental Conservation Authority (TRCA); Larry technologies to help Brydon, Reliance Home Comfort and Green ensure a greener Committee chair with BILD; and Brian Denney, future,” says Leith chief administrative officer, TRCA. Moore, chair of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). “This collaboration will forge the future of sustainable, livable, and affordable communities in the GTA and across Ontario. There are great gains to be made through a short-term investment in sustainable housing, as well as government programs for retrofit that GTA residents need to be educated about.” REM

A

44 REM JUNE 2009

What’s

New Utopria adopts free marketing model Utopria is offering a free interactive media platform for sales reps and brokers. The company launched the free platform in April and has already seen positive results, it says.

“The economy is making things difficult, especially south of the border,” says Marty Lachance, president of Utopria.

“Technology and innovation is the key right now.”

Utopria says it’s the first company in North America to offer a free marketing platform that includes audio/video and property information from the curb and online. Also included is Utopria’s IVR 2.0 platform, which offers a toll-free hotline from the curb.

The service can be linked directly to Realtor.ca or any of the sales rep’s websites.

In February, Utopria launched the Prestige Business Directory.

This allows sales reps and brokers to invite their preferred vendors (lenders, inspectors) to participate in their online listings and websites. It provides a voice to their partners as each business is able to use the IVR platform to explain the benefits of their business using online audio.

“We’re still offering a paid membership model for those sales reps who are heavy listers, but we wanted to provide these tools to others who are looking to add innovative technology to their portfolio. They are now able to compete on a more level-playing field,” says Lachance.

To register for interactive media: http://register.utopria.com

can be viewed on, disable printing or set permissions for a multitude of other items, Protectedpdf makes it quick, easy and economical to protect, track and know who is reading your PDFs,” the company says in a news release.

The service is accessed via the Internet and requires no software installations or downloads. “Users simply login to the Protectedpdf website, upload their PDFs, choose protection options and download the protected PDF for distribution. The PDF may be emailed as an attachment, posted to a web site, burned onto a CD/DVD or saved to a flash/USB drive for distribution as you normally would do.”

For a free trial, visit www.protectedpdf.com.

Protect PDFs without requiring plug-ins

Book can be customized for agents’ clients

Vitrium Systems in Vancouver recently released Protectedpdf Small Business Edition, a web-based application that allows content providers of books, magazines, white papers, reports, data sheets and other publications to define and modify reader access rights to their content. Vitrium says it is now the only company offering PDF protection that does not require readers to use third-party software to view files.

“Whether users want to limit the number of computers a PDF

Arizona-based Dolyttle & Seamore Publishers have released a book that real estate agents customize to suit their needs and give to potential clients.

Titled (Your Name) Guide to Selling Your Home: How to Get the Most Money for Your House, Condo or Co-op in Any Market, the book turns agents into instant experts, generates more listings and helps them sell homes faster by differentiating them from the competition, the

company says.

“Real estate agents have a lot of expertise and many of them have been threatening to write a book for years,” says Mark Young, Dolyttle & Seamore’s president.

“Now, they don’t have to.”

The idea for the Guide to Selling Your Home came about when Young was handling mar-

The customized Guide to Selling Your Home

keting for a local real estate agent and the two of them were looking for ways to make the small agency stand out from the competition. The agent mentioned that he had enough information to fill a book, but lacked the time to make it a reality.

Young suggested that they work on the book together—and offer it to other (non-competing) agents to make it cost effective.

The two began work on the book

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early last year. “It was harder than we thought,” said Young.

“We realized that the way real estate was sold differed in every state, and so we contacted agents everywhere so the book could be used nationally.

“Because there are thousands of books on real estate, ours needed to be different. We set ourselves apart from the competition by making it customizable.

Print-on-demand technology has advanced to the point that it’s now possible to personalize the book for every agent without breaking the bank. This means agents can make changes to suit their circumstances, town or expertise.

“As well as putting their name and company on the cover, a (sales rep) can write a personal introduction, add or delete chapters, and modify any section to meet their needs. They can even get their partners (mortgage brokers, home inspectors) to sponsor the book to reduce costs.”

The book is divided into 15 chapters including: preparing a home for sale, mistakes, staging, marketing, holding an open house, negotiating an offer and closing the deal. There’s a bonus chapter on selling a home in a recession.

Depending on the quantity, agents can purchase the book for as little as $3 each and in quantities as low as 25.

For information: (212) 4968771; www.dolyttle.com REM

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46 REM JUNE 2009

Prices dropping for U.S. second homes A

s the sluggish U.S. economy continues to lag, so does the rise in housing options, with more affordable prices and historically low mortgage interest rates. In the luxury second-home market, at resort communities along the Gulf of Mexico beaches in northwest Florida, buyers can now purchase a 1,432 square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath cottage-style home for $339,000 (US).

It’s at SummerCamp Beach, a 762-acre coastal vacation retreat 46 miles south of Tallahassee, set along four miles of Gulf of Mexico shoreline, woodlands, tidal marshes and conservation land.

The property’s first model beach cottage home offers unobstructed Gulf views 130 feet away and features such as a wood-burning fireplace, pinewood floors, laundry facilities, modern kitchen with granite countertops, dishwasher and microwave oven, and bathrooms with walk-in showers and bench seats. A total of 499 single-family home sites are planned for SummerCamp Beach, located on either Gulf front, Gulf view or wooded lots surrounded by tall pine trees. Home sites begin at $99,900. House designs usually reflect “Old Florida” architecture, featuring wide verandas and sleeping porches.

Further west in Port St. Joe is

WindMark Beach, a new 2,020acre property, spanning nearly four miles of white sand beach along the Gulf of Mexico. The property is now offering home sites priced from $99,900, as well as four new model three- and four-bedroom homes, steps from the beach, with up to 2,838 square feet of living space, priced from $796,000 to $880,000, and designed by some of the nation’s top architects.

Homes have open floor plans that invite social interaction from the kitchen, dining and living spaces, and large screened front and back porches offering a secluded comfortable space for outdoor living.

One of the newest neighborhoods at WaterColor, a 499-acre Southern coastal resort and residential community, is Summersweet Place, a collection of 98 home sites, each with less than a one-quarter acre and priced from the low $100,000 range.

Summersweet Place is part of the Crossing District, which also includes the new neighborhood of Turtle Ridge, with three-bedroom two-storey, single-family cottagestyle homes priced from $415,000.

Elsewhere on the property, home sites range from $96,000 to $1.5 million and houses range from $575,000 to $4.6 million for a sixbedroom, 7.5-bathroom Florida cottage-style mansion, complete

The model beach cottage home at SummerCamp Beach, along the Gulf of Mexico beaches.

with a separate carriage house, two-car garage, garden room, library room, billiard room and a tower for both Gulf and lake views.

WaterColor, which sits directly on the Gulf of Mexico along famed Scenic Highway 30A, will include 1,140 residences at full build-out.

Nearly half the property is devoted

The property’s first model beach cottage home offers unobstructed Gulf views 130 feet away to open space and preservation areas with shared community parks, conservation areas and recreational amenities.

A few miles away from WaterColor is The Town of WaterSound, which includes WaterSound, with 1,400 acres and home sites priced from $59,000 and houses priced from $459,000; WaterSound West Beach, with 62 acres, home sites priced from $159,000 and houses from $699,000; and the flagship property, WaterSound Beach, with 256 acres set on a mile of white sand beach. Homes there are priced from $865,000 to $5.95 million; home sites begin at $275,000. All three communities are an architectural response to the early maritime villages of Nantucket – a merging of distinctive, coastal shingle homes with Floridian vernacular building styles.

For information: www.joe.com.

REM

48 REM JUNE 2009

Good Works R

ight At Home Realty in Toronto, which has more than 1,200 salespeople, recently launched a mission to contribute to the cost of building a home for Habitat For Humanity.

The company made a $10,000 corporate donation and embarked on a salesperson supported program, the Right At Home Realty/ Habitat For Humanity fund. The voluntary program has received overwhelming support from the salespeople, the company says.

“We are pleased to be involved with Habitat For Humanity,” says Arthur Bartram, president of Right At Home Realty. “As a company whose industry revolves around homes, we support the important work this organization has done in the past and look forward to being an important contributor to building homes in the future.”

■ ■ ■

A charity car wash and barbecue was recently held by Re/Max Kelowna’s Real Estate brokers and sales reps in support of Team Corry Re/Max Kelowna’s entry in The 2009 Ride to Conquer Cancer. It’s a cycling fundraiser to raise money for research and enhancements to patient care at the B.C. Cancer Agency. Riders will embark on a two-day ride starting in Vancouver and continuing to Seattle, Wash.

The ride begins June 19.

Cliff Shillington, broker/owner of Re/Max Kelowna, says, “I am thrilled to be leading our group of riders in this very worthwhile event. Cancer has touched our Re/Max Kelowna family and we feel compelled to get involved by creating awareness and raising much needed funds to beat this devastating disease. Our office will be hosting a series of fundraisers prior to the ride in support of our entrants.”

Launching the Right At Home/Habitat for Humanity fund, from left: Howard Drukarsh, vice-president and broker of record; Eva Liu, broker/manager; Anissa Ho, broker/manager; and Arthur Bartram, president/broker of Right At Home.

Ken Cowie Belhumeur

(left)

and

Paul

■ ■ ■

The 100-plus sales reps at Sutton Group - Future Realty in Newmarket, Ont. recently raised $10,000 for the Alzheimer Society York Region, which plans to use the contribution towards developing a new website. The website will offer pertinent information for those affected by the disease and promote the society’s resources including educational programs, support group programs, and a daycare program for those suffering from Alzheimer’s, offering support and providing the primary caregiver with respite.

“So many people in the office have been touched by this disease, and we felt by choosing to contribute to this charity we would

At the Easter Seals cheque presentation to repair damages to a summer camp by vandals, from left: Bill Hubbard, owner, Century 21 Executives Realty; sales rep Shelinda Morin; Jennifer Ingham, Easter Seals representative; Nirm Blatchford, donor development manager; and Real Rousseau, managing broker.

Continued on page 50

The staff at Sutton Group – Future Realty poses with the $10,000 cheque for the Alzheimer Society York Region.

Jim Knowles (top row, second from right) with students and instructors from the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing.

Environmentally friendly volunteers from Royal LePage Performance Realty in Cornwall, Ont. help clean up their city every year.

Will Hickey, a sales rep with Re/Max Accord in Edmonton, presents Carolyn McKenzie, corporate giving manager, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, with a cheque for $440,000. The funds were raised by Re/Max agents in 2008.

Brian McRobert gift cards help out Hearth Place, a local cancer support centre.

Members of the Durham Region Association of Realtors recently came out and showed their pride in the community by participating in the Communities with Brooms event to help clean up Oshawa’s downtown.

50 REM JUNE 2009

Good Works Continued from page 48

make an impact on a diverse range of people,” says Michelle Haick, who was on the company’s charity committee.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max sales associates in Edmonton banded together to become a “Miracle City” in Western Canada. To earn this title, 100 per cent of the sales reps, 565 in total, pledged a donation on behalf of each property bought and sold to the Children’s Miracle Network and its affiliated hospital, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.

In addition to each rep contributing a portion of their income to the cause, broker/owners must encourage new and existing agents to participate in the program.

Office administrators must take part in training sessions to report donations and liaise between the CMN and each office.

Recently the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation hosted a “thank you” luncheon for more than 160 Re/Max agents.

■ ■ ■

Last year Jim Knowles of Re/Max Real Estate Kamloops in Kamloops B.C. was certified as a Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing instructor, and he spent two days a week at Sun Peaks helping mobility challenged kids learn to tackle the slopes. At a Canadian national event held at Sun Peaks, teams from all over the world practiced for the upcoming 2010 Paralympics.

Recently the local television station interviewed one of Knowles’ students, 18-year-old Kayla who has spina bifida.

“What brought home to all of us standing listening to the interview how lucky we all are, were Kayla’s inspiring words: ‘Life is like a puzzle. It’s hard but just keep trying, and in the end, you will find the piece that’s missing.’

We had tears freezing to our faces, and we will never forget those words and how inspiring this young lady is to us, and how inspiring she will be to many others in the future,” says Knowles.

paign to support Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre.

Commission for the Cure is a one-year campaign designed to donate $1,000 per sale to Hearth Place. A McRobert client, using one of his campaign gift cards for his services to buy and/or sell their property, will see $500 from the sale and $500 from a purchase from McRobert’s earned commission create the $1,000 donation. A charitable tax receipt is also issued.

McRobert is a sales representative with Coldwell Banker RMR Real Estate.

Hearth Place provides community support for patients and their families dealing with cancer through peer support, information, a resource centre, wellness programs and an ongoing lecture and discussion series. The facility does not receive ongoing government funding and relies on corporate sponsorships, public donations and community fundraising events to help deliver its services.

Surrey, B.C. suffered with polycystic kidney disease for 11 years, when he was told by his nephrologists that he would need a new kidney. The doctors advised that Belhumeur had a much better chance of finding his own live donor than waiting on the sevenyear-long organ donor list. He started an email campaign to his friends, family and other contacts to plant the seed that he would soon need a kidney transplant.

Without telling friends or family, Ken Cowie of the same office, who was Belhumeur’s colleague for more than 20 years, decided to get tested for the kidney donation.

After six months of thorough testing and screening, Cowie was informed that he was indeed a match. He waited until Belhumeur’s birthday to tell him the news. Five years later, Belhumeur has made a full recovery and is in great health, and the men continue to work together at Re/Max 2000 Realty Guildford.

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■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

Recently members from Sutton Group - West Coast Realty in White Rock, B.C. pedaled through their local neighbourhood on a bicycle built for 30. The Big Bike event’s goal is to raise awareness and fundraise for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. The Sutton office takes part in the event each year, organized by office administrators Barb Maguire and Maria Perry-Whittingham. This year they recruited Deana Legrier, a fellow office administrator, and sales reps Lynn Brice Polegato and Patti Cowan, to help plan the event.

The Cornwall, Ont. streets are looking greener these days thanks to the work of some environmentally friendly volunteers. Royal LePage Performance Realty recently held its annual Earth Day event. For the last four years the company has planted trees or picked up litter. Organizer and sales rep Josiane Duguay says, “The over 300 trees planted so far makes it easier for the world to breathe a little bit easier.”

Oshawa, Ont. sales rep Brian McRobert recently launched a Commission for the Cure cam-

MANAGER WANTED Broker of Record - Ottawa, Ontario We are seeking a highly motivated individual for the position of Broker of Record for a well established independent office.

Ideal candidates should possess the following characteristics: * Candidate must have initiative and personal discipline. * Candidate must have strong leadership qualities. * Candidate must have excellent writing skills. * Candidate must be driven to train, mentor and assist others in reaching their goals. * Candidate must have a minimum of 5 years successful real estate sales experience.

Compensation includes base salary and bonus.

Only qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Contact us today at: lookingforrealtors@hotmail.com

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Re/Max of Western Canada is helping spread the word on the need for organ donors. Re/Max provides a link from its website, www.remax-western.ca, to the provincial transplant programs for organ donation registration.

“It is our hope that our commitment to raising awareness about the shortage of organ donors will encourage the public to register their decision or sign a donor card,” says Elton Ash, regional executive vice-president, Re/Max of Western Canada.

The company became involved with organ donor awareness in 2004 because of the gift of life that one Re/Max agent gave to another. Paul Belhumeur of Re/Max 2000 Realty Guildford in

■ ■ ■

A break-in and vandalism of the Easter Seals camp in Winfield, B.C. shocked the community and left citizens shaking their heads at the heartless crime. The staff of Century 21 Executives Realty in

Vernon wasted no time after the news spread and quickly heeded the call for help.

In -18 C temperatures and midwinter conditions, sales reps from the company donned mitts, parkas and aprons to host a fundraising barbecue. Over $1,500 was raised to replace the goods and special equipment that was stolen from the summer camp for disabled children. The 80-person real estate office matched the funds raised during the cookout and presented a $3,000 cheque to Easter Seals.

“We had people pulling over at the stop lights and holding up traffic while they jumped out and gave us money,” says Bill Hubbard, broker/owner of Century 21 Executives Realty. “We were appalled at this crime and everyone in our office wanted to be proactive and do something to help. We are so pleased about the support that the community has shown.”

■ ■ ■

Twenty-four students from Western Canada have won a Re/Max 2009 Quest for Excellence bursary, valued at $500 each, to be presented during their school commencement ceremonies.

The annual Re/Max Quest for Excellence program encourages graduating students from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest and Yukon Territories to write an essay based on their personal experience in one of six topics – leadership, sports, technology or trades, performing arts, fine arts and community service.

“More than 1,500 entries were received from students across Western Canada,” says Marie Sheppy, senior co-ordinator, corporate affairs, Re/Max of Western Canada. REM

Jim and Maureen Farquharson, sales reps from the Fergus, Ont. office of Re/Max Real Estate Centre, sponsored the Curl for the Cure event at the Fergus Curling Club recently. The event raised $26,390 for the Cancer Unit at Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus.

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you can contact us at info@crea.ca

News and Views from The Canadian Real Estate Association

REALTORS® raise $8 million in community work The Canadian REALTORS Care® Foundation reports that between January 1st, 2008 and May 1st 2009, REALTORS® across Canada raised at least $8,171,826 through a variety of community and volunteer efforts. The amount is compiled based on information provided by real estate Boards and Associations, franchises and other third parties in the stated period.

“The Canadian Real Estate Association and the Canadian REALTORS Care® Foundation recognize the inherent value that REALTORS® bring to their communities” says the Chair of the Canadian REALTORS® Care Foundation, Tom Bosley. “Our goal is to help members to continue engaging in, and growing, community efforts, and to bring their story to a broader audience.”

This is the first time the national Foundation has reported on the collective efforts of REALTORS®.

Boards, Associations and members have been encouraged to provide details of fund raising and community initiatives, so the national Foundation can both promote the events and portray the value of the good works REALTORS® do.

The value of the community involvement was generated from more than 100 reports providing details on REALTORS Care® events since the national Foundation was launched. “We’re obviously hoping for more, and would encourage anyone involved in planning or participating in a community or fundraising event to let us know” the Foundation Chair adds.

The reporting form is available on the REALTORS Care® page of www.realtorlink.ca.

“The Foundation is also there to help” Chair Tom Bosley adds. “Many individuals or organizations may not have the resources or the experience to promote their activities, and may not have charitable status in order to provide tax receipts for their contributions, or the contribution of partners.”

Support material available from the Foundation includes posters, brochures explaining the REALTORS Care® program, and certificates recognizing the efforts of supporters, sponsors, or participants.

REALTORS® across Canada continue to volunteer more than Canadians in general. The latest CREA membership survey shows that 66 per cent of members reported volunteering in their community in 2008, nearly double the national average reported

by Volunteer Canada. There are individual initiatives, local broker office projects, and Board and Association efforts included in the “volunteer mix”.

These are just some of the events REALTOR® volunteers have been involved in because of their care for their community.

Special guests for PAC Days 2009

Fredericton REALTORS® hit the links for Special Olympics Last June approximately 50 golfers hit the links at the Carman Creek Golf Course in support of the Fredericton Real Estate Boards fifth annual charity golf tournament.

Proceeds went to support Special Olympics New Brunswick.

In 2003 the Fredericton Real Estate Board chose the Special Olympics as a charity they were interested in supporting. Over the past five years, the Fredericton Board has raised over $31,000 for Special Olympics New Brunswick – with $5,245 of it coming at this past tournament. In 2008 the Special Olympics developed a tour of nine golf tournaments throughout the province, with the kickoff tournament organized by REALTORS®.

Contacting the local business community for team prizes, silent auction items and donations, organizing tee-off times and ‘hole sponsors’ and assembling volunteers for the barbecue all needed to be done to help make the tournament successful. Major sponsors such as a local Ford dealer provided a car for a hole in one contest and Wilson Insurance provided a twenty thousand dollar cash prize for a hole in one.

Shawn McDonald – a mortgage lender with Scotiabank - donated the food and staffed the barbeque during the entire tournament. There were many other events including a putting contest, a fifty-fifty draw and a silent auction.

Regina REALTORS® help inner-city youth Regina’s North Central Family Centre (NCFC) is a nonprofit charitable organization that delivers over 45 structured programs to Regina’s inner city children, youth, families and seniors. Their programs and services are designed to promote positive and healthy changes in the Regina community and, through the generosity of local REALTORS®, the NCFC now has more funding for a variety of these programs.

2005 marked the start of a three-year partnership between the Association of Regina REALTORS® and the NCFC’s Youth Empowerment Program.

Last July, the ARR presented the Youth Empowerment Program with $4,000 – a portion of which came from the

ARR’s 2008 golf tournament. Over the past three-years, the Association has provided the NCFC with over $10,000 in assistance.

“Regina’s REALTORS® are very pleased to continue this partnership with the NCFC. It’s a grass root organization that is on the ground everyday helping the youth of north central Regina”, said Shawn Fay, 2008 President of the Association of Regina REALTORS® Inc. “This year’s assistance will provide north central teenagers with work experience opportunities that otherwise may not be there.”

Both Prime Minister Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty were guests at PAC Days 2009, held April 26-28 in Ottawa. The two special guests also met with PAC Reps, including the members of CREA’s Board of Directors, pictured here. There was also a record turnout for the PAC Reception on Parliament Hill during PAC Days, where guests included NDP Leader Jack Layton, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and The Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. You can see more photos from PAC Days on REALTOR Link®.

REALTORS® had the opportunity to thank the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister for action taken in Budget 2009 to stimulate the housing sector; and, in particular, for answering the call to restore the purchasing power of the Home Buyers’ Plan. Most report forms filed by PAC Reps after meeting MPs indicate continued interest in our Reinvestment (capital gains rollover) proposal, and for in our proposals to now index the Home Buyers’ Plan RRSP withdrawal limit and to extend the Home Buyers’ Plan to all home buyers for a two year period, rather than restricting it to first time buyers only.

52 REM JUNE 2009

Independent contracting pays off

By Martin K.I. Rumack

S

ome people have asked about the legal differences between someone who is classified as an employee compared to an individual who is considered to be an independent contractor.

For employers and employees, there are tax-saving opportunities and other advantages if you deal with each other as independent contractors. A business that buys services from independent contractors – rather than hiring employees to produce the same results – can avoid a host of employment law obligations such as vacation pay, termination or lay-off notices. As well, pay equity and employment equity requirements may be reduced or eliminated.

Perhaps even more important is avoiding employer costs such as workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, Canada Pension Plan and provincial health taxes – all levied on the payroll. These hidden taxes have grown over the years to become a heavy burden for business.

Employers have to deduct employee contributions to all these programs and withhold income tax from employees’ salaries, wages, commissions and even non-cash benefits, and remit all these funds to the government.

As many employers have learned from experience, you can be severely penalized if you make a simple mistake in the paperwork, or if you’re a day late in

remitting funds. The tax authorities accept no excuses.

If you buy services from an independent contractor, you negotiate the terms of the deal without a lot of laws and regulations. You pay the supplier’s invoice without any added payroll levies and with no need to withhold part of the payment for taxes.

GST may be added to the supplier’s invoice, but it can likely be recovered as an input credit from the GST collected on your own taxable sales.

Employers are not the only beneficiaries. Suppliers who operate as independent contractors can avoid payroll deductions for things like unemployment insurance and income tax.

Independent contractors also have more flexible and convenient work hours, and a much greater ability to deduct the costs of earning an income from their own tax payable.

Under current tax laws, you are allowed almost no deductions for expenses incurred to earn employment income. But the law permits almost any reasonable expenses incurred to earn business income. As an independent contractor, you are earning business income.

For example, employees cannot deduct the cost of commuting from home to an employer’s place of business. But an independent business person operating from home can deduct travel expenses to a customer’s premises to pro-

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vide services there.

The cost of an office or workshop at home is seldom, if ever, deductible from income. But there are much fewer restrictions if you use your home office to earn business income.

In today’s economy, more employers are providing flexible work hours and letting employees work at home using their own computers and other tools of the trade. So, the opportunities for establishing independent contractor relationships are growing.

Revenue Canada, not surprisingly, is always on the lookout for people claiming they are independent contractors when they really are employees. So, understanding the often fine legal distinction between the two is critical if you hope to benefit tax-wise.

In each particular case, the actual relationship between two parties – is it an employment or a contracting arrangement? – is a question of law. If necessary, you should get legal advice in drawing up agreements and planning future dealings. But Revenue Canada does have some operating guidelines on this matter.

When are you an employer or employee and when are you an independent contractor? In each case, this must be decided according to employment law. When in doubt, consult a lawyer.

Here are some general rules you can use to decide whether you fall within or outside an employment relationship. Because Revenue Canada follows guidelines of this kind in reviewing material you submit, you will probably not be scrutinized as closely if you follow them.

For the worker, employment usually is characterized by close control and supervision; for the employer, it means assuming all risk and obligations to third parties and providing a workplace and tools of the trade.

Generally an employer tells an employee what to do and how to do it, and has the right to oversee the work as it is carried out.

Independent contractors are responsible to customers for

results, but they can decide how those results will be delivered.

They make operating decisions as the work progresses.

Contractors usually supply their own tools, equipment and vehicles, and are not required to work specific hours. The job does not have to be done by a specific person or method so long as the finished product is satisfactory and delivered on time.

It may be helpful to have a written agreement between the parties stating they do not intend to be employer and employee, but

essary, an independent contractor should have more than one customer so that there is no implication that he or she is employed by a single customer.

As a minimum, an independent contractor should not be prevented from working for more than one customer. A Yellow Pages listing or other type of advertising is evidence of soliciting additional customers.

Another characteristic of an independent contractor relationship is assuming risks or obligations for minimum performance,

Actions are more important than words in determining the true relationship. this will not be conclusive.

Actions are more important than words in determining the true relationship.

Ordinarily, a supplier of services does not participate in any employee benefit plans, such as group insurance coverage. He should not act like an employee or be treated like an employee. An independent supplier of services should have his own stationery or invoice forms, and render bills or accounts for services on a timely basis before payment is made.

Customers’ payments should be initiated by these bills or invoices and should not be programmed to occur automatically.

Contractors also should have their own business address and telephone number. It can be the same as their home if that’s where they operate from, but if so, it should be used in advertising or provided to business contacts. An independent contractor should not use the address or telephone number of a major customer for his or her own business.

Although not absolutely nec-

rather than just making some effort or awaiting the passage of time.

Insurance coverage for loss or damage to property of third parties, or errors and omissions liability, may be helpful in determining an independent contractor’s true position.

Some of these factors may be more important than others in your case: it’s not necessary to be on side on all points. But the more of these conditions you fulfill, the better. This will help avoid uncertainty that may drag you into disagreements with the tax authorities.

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me directly.

Martin K. I. Rumack was called to the bar in March 1973, and established his own practice in 1978.

His areas of practice include real estate, corporate and commercial law, wills, powers of attorney and estates, some civil litigation and family law. (416) 961-3441; www.martinrumack.com REM

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

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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.

54 REM JUNE 2009

Re/Max honours top Ontario/Atlantic sales professionals Re/Max recently recognized its top-performing sales professionals for 2008 in Ontario and Atlantic Canada at separate award functions held in Toronto and Halifax.

More than 300 sales reps, guests, and industry members from Atlantic Canada attended the Re/Max Awards Gala in Halifax on April 4. An intimate luncheon was held for specialty award winners in Toronto on April 9.

Vesna Kolenc of Re/Max Excellence in Woodbridge was honoured as 2008’s Top Residential Individual in Canada and ranked 10th worldwide. Pam DeCourcey of Re/Max Professionals Saint John in Saint John, N.B. ranked number one in Atlantic Canada for the 14th consecutive year. DeCourcey ranked 52nd nationwide. Andy Pristol of Re/Max Haliburton Highlands in Haliburton was named as the Top Industrial Commercial Investment (ICI) sales rep in Canada in 2008.

Christopher Invidiata and his team at Re/Max Aboutowne in Oakville received the Top Residential Team Award in Canada for the sixth year. The team also ranked fourth worldwide. David Norris of Re/Max United in Mount Pearl, Nfld., earned the Top Residential Team Award in Atlantic Canada. Norris is ranked 82nd nationwide.

Earning top individual awards in the transaction category in Ontario were: Maurice DeLaere, Re/Max Tri County, Tillsonburg, for population under 50,000; Peter Hogeterp, Re/Max Del Mar in Stoney Creek for population 50,000 – 150,000; and Frank Leo, Re/Max West in Toronto for population over 150,000. Pam DeCourcey, Re/Max Professionals Saint John, ranked top individual in the transaction category in

Atlantic Canada. Securing awards for Top Team in the transaction category were: Jean Boynton, Re/Max High Country in Flesherton for population under 50,000; Dan Plowman, Re/Max Rouge River in Whitby for population between 50,000 and 150,000; and Sam McDadi, Re/Max Performance in Mississauga for population of 150,000-plus. David Norris, Re/Max United, claimed first place for Team Transactions in Atlantic Canada.

Along with its top sales representatives, Re/Max OntarioAtlantic Canada marked another year of growth. The organization experienced a substantial net increase of agents in 2008, earning recognition as “Region of the Year” for the second consecutive

year from Re/Max International in February 2009.

Re/Max broker/owners in Ontario were also recognized for excellence in leadership worldwide. Fostering strong and steady growth, Peter Degroot of Re/Max Twin City in Kitchener, Waterloo, Brantford and Cambridge was recognized for a net gain of 70 associates worldwide. Co-broker/owners Delio Oliveira and David Medeiros, of Re/Max Real Estate Centre earned international recognition for the largest net gain in associates in the multi-office category for the Re/Max global network for the second consecutive year. Re/Max Real Estate Centre has close to 500 sales associates operating in 13 offices throughout Peel, Halton, Wellington, and Waterloo regions.

Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada also acknowledged Michael Perry of Re/Max Lakeshore in Cobourg and Corby Adams, Corrie Holliday and Mark Pauli of Re/Max Chay in Barrie for the Largest Net Gain in Associates – Small Market Single Office Operations.

Earlier in the year, Re/Max

recognized exceptional contributions to Children’s Miracle Network. Re/Max Hallmark in Toronto was honoured as the topcontributing company in Ontario.

Re/Max Orillia was the top contributor in the small market category. In Atlantic Canada, the top contributors to both Children’s Miracle Network and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Atlantic Chapter were the sales representatives of Re/Max in St. John’s and Mount Pearl. Re/Max Nova in Halifax and the Re/Max Group of Companies, Rural Newfoundland and Labrador rounded out the top three contributors to Children’s Miracle Network.

Re/Max First Realty in Pickering earned recognition as

the Top Contributing office to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Ontario Chapter.

Re/Max Land Exchange was the top contributor in the small market category. In Atlantic Canada, Re/Max Group Four Realty Ltd. in Fredericton and Re/Max Nova in Halifax ranked second and third for contributions to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Dorothy Friesen receives Award of Excellence The executive officer of the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board, Dorothy Friesen, has been awarded the AEC Award of Excellence for 2009. The presentation was made during the opening cere-

Walter Schneider, president and co-founder, Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada (left) and Michael Polzler, executive vice-president, Re/Max Ontario-Atlantic Canada, present Christopher Invidiata of Re/Max Aboutowne in Oakville with his top team award.

Joe Bosco receives his award from Cail Maclean, DRAR executive officer.

Paul Penner, president of the FVREB, accepts the 2009 Ethics Award from CREA president Dale Ripplinger.

Walter Schneider (left) and Michael Polzler present the Top Individual award to Vesna Kolenc.

Phillip Mack (right) receives his award from Earl Kotlar.

The Re/Max Top Individual for Atlantic Canada, Pam DeCourcey, receives her award from Michael Polzler,

Dorothy Friesen receives the AEC Award of Excellence from CREA CEO Pierre Beauchamp.

REM JUNE 2009 55

monies of CREA’s Leadership Conference in April.

“I am deeply honored by this recognition from my peers,” Friesen said in accepting the award. “I also cannot accept this without acknowledging those who have won it before me. Their dedication to our industry and members is an inspiration.” She said it was important the AEC Award was not a lifetime achievement award. “There is so much more I want to do,” she told delegates at the CREA Leadership Conference. “I am nowhere close to being done yet.”

Phillip Mack is ARR Realtor of the Year The Association of Regina Realtors (ARR) and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

(CMHC) have named Phillip Mack of Re/Max Crown Real Estate as the 2008 Realtor of the Year. Dale Ripplinger, president of CREA, made the presentation on behalf of CMHC at the association’s 24th Annual Member Recognition Evening.

“This award is intended to recognize a Regina Realtor who has made an important contribution to the real estate industry and their community,” says Earl Kotlar, manager of business development, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, CMHC. “Phillip Mack’s involvement in many industry leadership roles and in the community is definitely in the spirit of this award.”

FVREB wins two national awards CREA recently awarded its new Ethics Award to the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB).

The Ethics Award recognizes outstanding achievement in education, promotion and awareness of ethical principles in the real estate industry.

Three weeks later, at CREA’s Political Action Committee (PAC) Days, the FVREB was the recipient of the Most Innovative PAC Program Award in recognition of efforts in lobbying all levels of government to raise homebuyers’ awareness of the challenges in determining whether a property was ever used as an illegal drug operation.

The FVREB hosted a forum last fall, attended by over 100 stakeholders involved in the issue of marijuana grow-ops and clandestine drug labs and their impact on housing and communities. The board would like to see consistent methods of reporting whether a property was an illegal drug operation and consistent standards of remediating them, it says.

Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger wins top award At the recent Coldwell Banker Canadian Awards & Recognition Gala in Toronto, Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty was presented with the Chairman’s Circle Award for 2008. This honour is awarded to Coldwell Banker companies whose sales volume places them in the top tier of the international network. One of only 58 Coldwell Banker companies throughout the world to receive this acknowledgement, this is the 10th time the brokerage has earned this award.

Peter Kritz, broker and operations manager for Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, says, “We are incredibly proud of all of our wonderful sales representatives, brokers and support staff for such an outstanding year.”

The firm’s commercial division also received top accolades, named the No. 1 commercial office in Canada with the highest gross commission from commercial transactions for the performance year.

Joe Bosco gets DRAR award The Durham Region Association of Realtors (DRAR) recently presented the 2008 W. Paul Ristow Founder’s Cup award to Joe Bosco of Royal LePage Frank Real Estate, Oshawa. Bosco was 2008 DRAR commercial council chair. Each year, the award is given to a director or committee chair each year, whose commitment and service to the association was exemplary.

“I would like to thank other committee members throughout the years, the association, and also the late Walter Frank, founder of Royal LePage Frank Real Estate, who was my mentor when I began working in real estate,” said Bosco.

REM

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A FUNNY THING HAPPENED

By Dan St. Yves

U

pon learning that this issue was going to fall on the 20th anniversary of REM’s debut, I had to think about what to write to commemorate such a celebration. Then I thought, if there’s one thing that has changed immensely in the past 20 years, it would be personal computing. Once a curious recreational interest, now it’s integral to everyday business practices in the real estate industry.

That said, not always smoothly.

Lately I crave an Apple.

I crave an Apple Considering my name isn’t Adam, consummating this desire shouldn’t end all that unfavourably. Having been a PC user for over a decade or more now, it’s easy to forget that I started my computing life in the Apple environment a few millennia ago. I owned a cherished little desktop LC II, which offered a number of programs and games. While PC computers at that time offered “windows” and whacks of varied software programs, Apple computers simply offered practical programs, which all worked seamlessly together. My flying toasters alone were magnificent in their flawless formations.

I had no intention of ever switching to a PC, even though everyone I knew would try to coax me into what they considered the industry-leading operating system.

“We can almost see outside, through Windows”, many would boast. I held firm, embracing my toasters.

During my tenure as a real estate agent, the board adopted a new MLS program that apparently ran only on Windows. If I planned on ever using the MLS system after implementation, I would have to switch to a PC. Surprisingly, the move was relatively painless. Not only was I finally able to purchase a few of those whacks of varied software programs, Windows 95 was a fairly user-friendly operating system.

Although I did take a bit of time to get up to speed, which was fasttracked thanks in part to a cousin who had many years of PC experience. I’d thank him here, but I’m reluctant to make his head swell.

Besides, after a month or six of pestering him with incessant (daily) computer questions, he enrolled in a voluntary witness relocation program and vanished. I was left to fend for myself.

Happy enough as a new PCuser, I eventually upgraded to Windows 98, and a few years later, using Intranet blogs for communications within your company or real estate association.

Real Estate Books How to Become a Better Negotiator, second edition

By Richard A. Luecke and James G. Patterson Amacom Books $13.30 at Amazon.ca This 98-page paperback lists the common characteristics shared by great negotiators and outlines different tactics for handling conflict, and when to use each one. It also includes ways to counteract the tactics of others, and how to deal with hostile and overbearing opponents.

The book has a series of quizzes to help readers sharpen their strengths and weaknesses at the negotiating table, as well as a discussion of common mistakes made during negotiations.

Realty Blogging

By Richard Nacht and Paul Chaney McGraw-Hill $16.75 at Amazon.ca This book was released in 2006, which seems like a long time ago when you’re talking about Internet developments.

However, the advice it offers to real estate professionals who want to set up a blog is still valid and updated at the author’s website, www.realtyblogging.com.

You can also set up your own free blog via that site.

The book offers 10 strategic benefits that blogs can provide, along with case studies of sales reps who are effectively using blogs to increase their business.

It also covers the benefits of

Barron’s Real Estate Handbook, seventh edition

By Jack P. Friedman, Jack C. Harris and Barry A. Diskin Barron’s $31.67 at chaptersindigo.ca At more than 400 pages, this textbook offers an A to Z real estate glossary with short definitions of real estate terms, house styles and parts and financing terms. It’s a U.S. publication, so you’ll find a listing for Fannie Mae but none for Canada Mortgage

Windows ME. Sure, there was a learning curve for each of those new environments, and more than a few hiccups along the way, but isn’t that why Extra-Strength Tylenol is readily available over the counter? It had been years since I abandoned my Apple computer, and friends on Macs were now producing theatre-quality movies on their MacBooks. I was still fumbling loading digital pictures onto my PC. Then, along came a product called Windows Vista. A product I was charmingly silly enough to install, before all the bugs had been worked out. Bugs as big as pterodactyls. My computing life came to a grinding halt, accompanied by a forehead welt as large as the open space on the desk. I’d be mistaken for a hammerhead shark by now if I hadn’t seen an episode of Dotto Tech Café, illustrating the ease of Apple’s i-Life suite of products, bringing all the new advanced features there together, just like those and Housing Corp. However, there is lots of information common to both countries, from the listing about urea formaldehyde foam insulation to the definition of a FSBO. There are also assorted forms and worksheets.

Do Your Own Home Staging

By Tina Parker Self-Counsel Press $17.44 at chapters.indigo.ca Aimed at consumers who are getting their homes ready to put them on the market, this book comes with a CD-ROM that includes before-and-after room photos. The book and the CD also

on my beloved old LCII. Sure, I’ll admit there are loads of people out there that love Windows-based operating systems, even Vista. Let’s call them sadomasochists, charge-by-the-minute help desk staff, or “Windows-certified system engineers”. For me, I think the future is looking a bit more like a tree fruit. I must have my Apple. An Apple a day might keep the forehead welts away…

Happy 20th anniversary, REM! I’m happy to have been a small part of your historic run, and wish you many more years!

Humour columnist and author Dan St. Yves was licensed with Royal LePage Kelowna for 11 years. His first column in REM appeared in November 2000.

Check out his website at www.nonsenseandstuff.com, or contact him at ThatDanGuy@shaw.ca. REM include a series of home improvement and staging checklists, providing quick ideas to help any property show better.

The book goes beyond staging ideas to provide practical advice for home renovations, energy-saving tips, good painting techniques, packing and moving tips, and even how to hire professionals including home inspectors and real estate agents. There are tips throughout from professional home inspectors throughout the U.S. and Canada. REM Note: Book prices and availability were accurate at press time but may change.

58 REM JUNE 2009

THE PUBLISHER’S PAGE

By Heino Molls

W

hat a year of anniversaries this is for me.

From the first time I delivered a paper route to working at the Toronto Star to Real Estate News and all kinds of stuff in between. I could tell you stories.

But not today.

This story is about REM. Back in 1989 I launched a cable television business called Real Estate TV and I needed a way to advertise its programs to real estate professionals. There was no newspaper or magazine dedicated to the real estate professional community in Canada that would accept advertising from RETV. Around that time, my friend Jim Adair was writing copy for Real Estate TV, more out of friendship than money, considering the amount he usually received for writing was more than I could pay.

Jim had already established his reputation as an excellent writer and editor for national magazines and

It was 20 years ago today Trade Shows and Conferences newspapers. He and I had talked for years wistfully about the potential of a good sincere publication dedicated to real professionals.

Jim told me he would be pleased to be the founding editor of such a publication. With his encouragement and willingness to be the editor, I started a publication for Realtors and real estate professionals that would be independent, objective and above all useful for those working in the industry – not to mention a publication that would accept advertising from Real Estate TV. I remember Jim saying at the time that it should be a publication where Canadian real estate professionals can get information that they cannot find anywhere else. I use that perfect line to describe REM to this day.

I talked to an advertising salesman with Jim at a restaurant in a shopping mall. We scribbled out a rough draft of what we felt was a fair rate card on a table napkin. I wrote out his first month’s pay cheque from my dwindling personal bank account right there. I took the napkin back to my office. We did not have computers back then, so I had it typeset for printing on card stock. I came up with the name Real Estate Marketing, as it seemed to best describe what it was supposed to be. Then it became Real Estate Magazine and then Jim coined the word REM and that is what it remains today.

The first issue of REM rolled off press in June 1989. Twenty years ago.

It has been quite a ride. There

have been so many times that I have been on the brink and over the edge with this publication – financially and emotionally – I have lost count. Some say that national publications are supposed to be published by big mega corporations. REM has never been that, that’s for sure. I have always kept it going with bits of glue, old rubber bands and scraps of used string, one issue at a time.

Sometimes I think that many who come upon this publication would think it’s just a damn newspaper for a bunch of real estate people. How serious can you get about something like that?

Well I reckon more serious than I can describe. I worry that if REM were to ever actually be published by a big corporation or conglomerate, it could lose its objectivity and no longer be meaningful or important to the real estate community in Canada the way it is now.

Even though my home is rented today, REM has kept a roof over our heads for all this time. Most importantly, REM has helped me understand a great many things in life because I think keeping this thing going is a lot like the business of life. Any time you want to hear about it, give me a call and I’ll tell you about it. Lord knows Jim won’t give me enough space to tell you about it here. He’s one of the finest men I have ever known and about the best friend anyone could ever have but he is a man with no time for schmaltz.

This business never made me very rich in money but it gave me more wealth in friendships and life than I could ever calculate or even describe. If you were to ask me who has been the most important friend to me over all these years I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to say it was you. The way I see it, you are the one I should thank the most. So I thank you so very much for the past 20 years. Thank you for reading all the way through REM to this page. Let’s start the next 20 together right now.

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

REM

For complete listings, visit www.remonline.com To add a listing to this calendar, email jim@remonline.com Canadian Real Estate Association AEC Seminar June 8 – 11 Hilton Hotel Whistler, B.C. Christa Girard – cgirard@crea.ca Shift into Overdrive with Gary Keller Wednesday, June 10 Paramount Conference Centre Vaughan, Ont. www.millionairesystems.com Sutton National Conference 2009 September 16 – 18 The Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto conference@sutton.com La Capitale Real Estate Network Annual Convention September 22 – 23 Levis Convention Center Levis, Que. France Masse – 1-800-363-6715, ext. 312 fmasse@lacapitalevendu.com Century 21 Canadian Conference 2009 September 25 – 27 Vancouver Exhibitor inquiries: pinpin.luk@century21.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 WinnipegRealtors Technology Conference and Trade Show Wednesday, Oct. 14 Victoria Inn, Winnipeg Lucy Hajkowski – lhajkowski@winnipegrealtors.ca The Peak Experience Re/Max 26th Annual Canadian Conference November 5 – 7 Fairmont Banff Springs Banff, Alta. http://www.remaxwestern.ca/banff/ National Association of Realtors 2009 Realtors Conference & Expo November 13 - 16 San Diego, Calif. www.realtor.org

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

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