January 2016

Start 2016 with a bang!Page 3

It’s all about agency Page 14

App brings print publications to lifePage 24

Marvin AlexanderNew Keller Williams

boss hits the roadPage 8

Marvin AlexanderNew Keller Williams

boss hits the roadPage 8

Start 2016 with a bang!Page 3

It’s all about agency Page 14

App brings print publications to lifePage 24

Issue #319 January 2016Issue #319 January 2016

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FUN NIGHT FEATURING

Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated. This advertisement is not intended as an offer to sell, or the

solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for informational purposes only. If you own a franchise affiliated with another

organization, this advertisement is not intended to offer a RE/MAX franchise or to solicit a change in your affiliation.

TO REGISTER FOR R4, VISIT MAINSTREET AT REMAX.NET

RE/MAX OF WESTERN CANADA AWARDS CELEBRATIONRE/MAX of Western Canada Awards Celebration takes place SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28,

2016 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino recognizing CLUB LEVEL, CAREER and SPECIALTY

awards. For more details on the event, go to: remax-western.ca/blog or our official

Facebook Event Page! To register, email us at [email protected]. You must be a

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GLOBAL CONVENTION

or the past 12 years, brokerGlenn Wildenmann hasannually ranked in the top

10 salespeople with GroupeSutton Performer in PointeClaire, Que. In 2013 he was theNo. 1 producer in his office. Heplans to start 2016 off strong.

“The holiday season is agreat time to rest and recharge.The trouble comes when thosefew days off lead to a few moredays off and even a few moredays after that. Before you knowit you’re well into January andFor Sale signs start popping upthroughout the neighbourhood –but none of them are yours!Don’t allow yourself to sufferfrom a holiday hangover.”

Wildenmann continues,“Selling shouldn’t be a desperatesprint but rather a well-pacedconsistent marathon. The key isgoals and rewards... but how? Setgreat goals – achievable butgreat. I like to break goals intomilestones, which make themrealistic and not overwhelming.As the old joke goes, “How doyou eat an elephant (over-whelming)? One bite at a time(achievable)!”

Wildenmann suggests a fewways you can accomplish this:

1. Set up a buddy system.“Even if you don’t work withanother agent, find someonelike-minded and whom you arecomfortable with. Make a planto call and meet each other reg-ularly. There is a responsibilityand accountability that is mutu-ally beneficial and will help youovercome holiday inertia,” hesays.

2. Attend a seminar. Findone at the beginning of the yearand go. “Allow a superstar tokick-start your season and wakeyou from your turkey coma.”

3. Set up your own rewardsystem. Companies do it foremployees. You are selfemployed, your own boss, soreward yourself. Make your veryown “wish list” and a corre-sponding milestone that is just

REM JANUARY 2016 3

F

Start 2016 with a bang!A new year has arrived. Shake off the lingering doldrums from 2015 and set yourself up for a successfuland productive 2016. By Toby Welch

for you.“I collect hockey memorabil-

ia, but I also have a wife and fourdaughters so it’s hard to justifyspending money on a signedstick, jersey or classic card,” saysWildenmann. “I set up my ownsystem where after five closings,for example, I buy myself a littlesomething. I achieved a goal andnow I can afford to do it. I staymotivated and my office lookspretty cool, too!”

If you watch Canada’s WorstDriver, you know that you haveto look in the direction you wantto go. Focusing on the yearahead, start by looking back.Take into account everythingyou accomplished in 2015 andestablish a list of goals for 2016.It is vital that you spend sometime planning where you want tobe at the end of this year. Thatwill give you a roadmap to followto success. Starting today, getmoving in the direction youwant to go.

Push yourself out of yourcomfort zone, because that iswhen the magic usually happens.Hate cold calling or following upon Internet leads but know itwill be a boon to your business?Pick up the phone. Alwayswanted to become a real estatepublic speaker but have nevergiven a talk? Sign yourself up togive a presentation. Join neworganizations, try new pastimes.Action yields results.

Surround yourself with posi-tive and successful people.Spending time with negativecolleagues or whiners – youknow who they are – will keepyou mired in a mental statewhere great things don’t easilyhappen. Where to meet others inreal estate who have reached theheights where you want to be?Consider attending real estateconferences, conventions andnetworking events and reachingout to inspiring people in yournetwork that you’ve lost touchwith.

Make a conscious effort tospend time with people who are

doing what you want to do in thefuture. Carry the positive peopleguideline into your personal life,limiting time spent with friendsand family who leave you feelingmentally drained. Follow thepositivity through to your work-ing environment. Does youroffice energize you or is it unin-spiring? Do whatever is necessaryto create a work space that sets

you up for success. Zac de Silva, who was named

2014 International Coach of theYear by The Coach Institute inAmerica, is the founder ofwww.accme.co, a software pro-gram that helps people make for-ward progress every week.

“As we all know, Rome wasnot built in a day and neither isbusiness (or personal) success.As long as you are doing some-thing weekly about getting towhere you need to get to and youconsistently think about how toget around the obstacles that willbe thrown your way, you are like-ly to be on the right track,” says

de Silva. “I have found with myclients that getting better andbetter is not really that hard – it’sjust about getting into theprocess of constant improvementand recognizing that not every-thing is rosy and can beimproved. Facing reality, think-ing of greatness and what youcould be, and then doing some-thing about moving closer to

that state is what will make youthe success you want to be.”

The most common excusepeople cite for not reaching theirgoals is a lack of time. Yet we allhave the same 24 hours in a day.The difference between success-ful and unsuccessful people ishow they choose to use those 24hours. Spending three hourswatching TV, trolling Facebookwith no time limit and passinghours playing League of Legendsall but guarantees that you maynot be living up to your poten-tial. If such things are a problemfor you, consider cutting thetime you spend doing them inhalf and once that becomes rou-tine, cut the time in half again.Get a grip on your time manage-ment.

Start now to make this yearunforgettable. Stop makingexcuses, formulate a plan and getout there and kick some ass.Ready, aim, fire! REM

Glenn Wildenmann

Zac de Silva

Focusing on the yearahead, start by looking

back. Take into account everything you accomplished in 2015and establish a list of

goals for 2016.

Push yourself out of your comfort zone,because

that is when the magic usually happens.

Multiple ListingsDo you have news to share with Canada’s real estate community?Let REM know about it! Email: [email protected]

By Jim Adair, REM Editor

Broker Hamid Parsa and 50salespeople from Top ChoiceRealty have joined Century 21Atria Realty in Toronto.

“We are very excited to wel-come Top Choice Realty to ourteam. Their well-known expertisein the community adds so muchvalue to our team,” says StephenChow, owner of the brokerage.

Chow’s firm was namedCentury 21’s 2015 Franchisee ofthe Year. It now has more than300 salespeople in three locations.

■ ■ ■

The brokerage formerly knownas Coldwell Banker Pinnacle RealEstate in Hamilton, Ont. will nowoperate as Coldwell BankerCommunity Real Estate. Therebranding is part of a reposition-ing strategy designed to capitalizeon new and emerging growthopportunities, the company says.

“This initiative signals a newdirection for the company,” saysRon Hunter, president of the bro-kerage. “We are restructuring ourentire operation and we have

ealty Executives Platinum,based in Exeter, Ont.,recently opened a new

office in Stratford.Broker/owner Matt Den

Hollander has been in real estatefor more than eight years. In 2013,salesperson Steve Sararas and Den Hollander formed RealtyExecutives Platinum in Exeter. “Itwas a humble beginning of two,”says Den Hollander. It is now ateam of 13, including two adminis-trators and two property managers.

In late 2014, the firm opened asecond office in downtownMitchell. Earlier this year it pur-chased a 5,000 sq ft. restaurant thatformerly housed the Taj FineDining Restaurant.

“This building has been com-pletely gutted and reconstructedinto three commercial units andtwo beautiful upscale apartments.One of the commercial units is thehome of our newest RealtyExecutives Platinum branchoffice,” says Den Hollander.

■ ■ ■

R

listed in the top 10 Realtors inChilliwack and is part of the pres-tigious President’s Club for theChilliwack and District RealEstate Board,” the company says.

Van Klei grew up in the com-munity. “Chilliwack has a smalltown feel with the amenities of alarger metropolitan area – it truly isthe perfect balance,” he says.

■ ■ ■

Independent Ken Gies RealEstate in Hamilton, Ont. hasjoined Royal LePage State Realty.

Ken Gies opened his brokeragein 1982, after a successful careerwith a large trust company. Heserved as broker at the firm, whilehis brother Dan Gies was broker ofrecord.

Royal LePage State Realty hasserved the Hamilton area since1977. The company has more than300 sales reps and staff with officesin Ancaster, Hamilton and StoneyCreek.

■ ■ ■

Kevin and Jacalyn Grimesrecently acquired Re/MaxAffiliates in Ottawa from GeoffMcGowan. They also acquiredRe/Max Connections Realty fromJohn Gray, so Re/Max AffiliatesRealty now has offices inBarrhaven, Kanata, Smiths Fallsand Kemptville. In total the bro-kerage has 95 agents.

Kevin Grimes has been in the

made significant investments inrenovations and technology…”He says the company has alsoimplemented “an innovative com-pensation model that we believewill be instrumental in attractingprospective Realtors to our for-ward-focused operation.”

The current leadership teamwill remain in place, now with newresponsibilities following the re-organization. Ann Cosens, wellknown in the industry as a formerCREA director and past presidentof the Realtors Association ofHamilton-Burlington (RAHB),remains as broker of record. GaryHerron, formerly branch manager,now takes on the role of director ofrecruiting and training/develop-ment. Herron is also a former pres-ident of RAHB.

■ ■ ■

Amanda and Cameron VanKlei recently opened Century 21Creekside Realty in Chilliwack,B.C.

Cameron Van Klei, formerlywith HomeLife, is “consistently

real estate industry for 10 years –five with Royal LePage and fiveyears as broker of record/owner atCentury 21 Your Choice Realty.He is a past president of the RideauSt Lawrence Real Estate Board.

Jacalyn has been in the indus-try for nine years, also with RoyalLePage and Century 21 YourChoice Realty. She served on thePrograms Committee for two yearson the board and currently sits onthe Board of Directors for theSmiths Falls Community FoodBank, as well as the Committee ofAdjustment for the Town ofSmiths Falls.

■ ■ ■

Roger LeBlanc is the newowner of Re/Max Avante inMoncton. He and his team of 15agents formerly operated under theRoyal LePage Equipe RogerLeBlanc banner.

LeBlanc has sold residentialand commercial real estatethroughout Greater Moncton formore than 30 years and he is nostranger to Re/Max. He previouslyworked as an agent for the compa-ny from 1992 to 2001, when hewas a Platinum Club sales awardwinner.

■ ■ ■

Coast Realty Group Brokerageand Property Management inPowell River, B.C. is now operat-ing under the Royal LePage ban-ner. The Powell River office is thefinal member of the former CoastRealty Group to join Royal LePage– all the other former Coast RealtyGroup offices and agents wereacquired in July 2015 by RoyalLePage brokerage owners onVancouver Island.

4 REM JANUARY 2016

Taking part in the ribbon cutting at Realty Executives Platinium, from left:Stratford Chamber of Commerce general manager Brad Beatty; MP forPerth Wellington John Nater; broker/owner Matt Den Hollander;Stratford Mayor Dan Matheison; and the owner of Arjan Construction,Janette Meinen.

The Century 21 Atria team.

From left, Ann Cosens, Ron Hunter and Gary Herron of the newlyrenamed Coldwell Banker Community Real Estate.

Ken Gies Dan Gies

Century 21 Creekside Realty own-ers Amanda and Cameron Van Kleiwith Chilliwack city councillorChris Kloot.

Continued on page 6

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6 REM JANUARY 2016

Kevin Grimes Roger LeBlanc

Tim Fulford

The Lisa Fayle Team.

Warren Behan Chiyoko Kakino

Warren Behan has assumedownership of Royal LePage PowellRiver from the previous owners ofCoast Realty Group. DawnAdaszynski continues as manag-ing broker for the brokerage andlicensee for the property manage-ment business, both of which arethe largest in Powell River.

■ ■ ■

Bianca Myddleton andDanielle Hrasko, who both havewell-established personal salesoperations in the GreaterVancouver area, recently openedColdwell Banker Marquise Realtyin South Surrey, B.C.

Hrasko was born into a realestate family from White Rock andbrings customer service and finan-cial experience from her previousrole as a personal financial servicesofficer with RBC. Myddleton hascalled the White Rock and SouthSurrey area home for most of herlife. She brings marketing, fran-chise development and bankingexperience from a range of businessservice industries, the companysays. Myddleton has also providedtraining and instruction at theFraser Valley Real Estate Board.

■ ■ ■

Lisa Fayle, currently ranked inthe top one per cent of sales associ-ates for units sold in 2015 on theToronto Real Estate Board MLSsystem, has rejoined Re/Max afterspending the last five years withKeller Williams. She is joiningRe/Max Rouge River Realty.

“This move will create a signif-icant shift in the Re/Max MarketShare in the Durham Region asLisa has been recognized as No. 1sales rep for Keller WilliamsCanada in the Durham Region for2014 and No. 1 for Keller WilliamsCanada in Whitby, Ont. for 2015year to date,” says Re/Max in anews release.

Multiple ListingsContinued from page 4

“Lisa is a perfect fit for our new,premium office location atTaunton Gardens in NorthWhitby/Brooklin,” says MelodyPearce, broker/owner, Re/MaxRouge River.

■ ■ ■

Joseph Schirripa recentlylaunched Re/Max Hartland inMississauga, Ont. The office wasformerly under the ColdwellBanker banner.

Schirripa has been in the realestate industry since 1977, obtain-ing his broker’s license in 1982. Heopened his brokerage in 1989. Theoffice repeatedly won the ColdwellBanker Premier Office award andmany salespeople within the officehave won a variety of ColdwellBanker’s top international awards.

The location of the office hasallowed agents to cover all of theGTA and their involvement in thesale of new homes has helped themgain a presence throughout manySouthern Ontario marketplaces,the company says.

■ ■ ■

Rachel Viau and SébastienBonnerot, with a combined 15years of real estate industry experi-ence, recently opened Century 21Élite in Cantley, Que.

“The visibility and proximityto the community has allowed us

PublisherHEINO MOLLS

[email protected]

Director, Sales & MarketingDENNIS ROCK

[email protected]

Digital Media Manager WILLIAM [email protected]

Brand DesignSANDRA GOODER

EditorJIM ADAIR

[email protected]

Distribution & ProductionMILA PURCELL

[email protected]

Art DirectorLIZ MACKIN

Graphic DesignSHAWN KELLY

REM complies fully with the Canadian Real Estate Association's Rules for Trademarks (CREA Rule 16.5.3.1)

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 ListingService® 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 anyreal estate association, board or company. REM is distributed across Canada by leading real estate boards and by directdelivery in selected areas. For subscription information, email [email protected]. Entire contents copyright2015 REM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is pro-hibited. The opinions expressed in REM are not necessarily those of the publisher.

ISSN 1201-1223

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

Phone: 416.425.3504www.remonline.com

Cover photo: MARKO SHARK Pr

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to focus on building a tight team ofnew-age Realtors – elites withinthe industry,” says Bonnerot.“Over 17,000 cars drive past thefront doors daily. It was a simpledecision to open here both for ourclients’ convenience and exposurefor their listings.”

The owners have been recog-nized nationally for their high levelof service and results. Bonnerotearned the Double CenturionProducer award in 2014 andCenturion Producer sales awards in2013 and 2012. Viau earned theCentury 21 Masters Silver in 2014and Masters Emerald 2013 for salessuccess. She brings more than 10years of experience serving the realestate needs of the local market.

■ ■ ■

Kate Mammen of Exit RealtyAdvantage in Fredericton won a$25,000 grand prize at theChairman’s Ball finale at the 2015Exit Realty Corp. InternationalConvention in Nashville recently.

Mammen was one of threeindividuals who won a grand prizeout of more than 1,500 in atten-dance. Three other Canadians –Francine Comeau, sales rep withExit Realty Advantage inFredericton; Wendell Black, salesrep with Exit Realty Specialists in

Kate Mammen with Exit CEO andfounder Steve Morris.

Sébastien Bonnerot, Cantley City Mayor Madeleine Brunette and RachelViau at the official opening of Century 21 Élite.

Continued on page 29

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8 REM JANUARY 2016

Canada’s top agent tackles new challengeMarvin Alexander, ranked Canada’s No. 1 agent by Real Trends last year, is now director of Canadian operations for Keller Williams Realty. Not bad for a guy who once tried to sell his own home privately and failed. By Susan Doran

Spending months criss-crossing the country was

among the first items on the agenda for Marvin Alexander of Newmarket, Ont., who as Keller Williams Realty’s newly appointed director of Canadian operations will lead a growing team of more than 2,400 associates in two dozen offices across Canada.

By all accounts, this kind of share-the-vision-tour is a time-tested Keller Williams strategy. The idea is that Alexander’s trips across Canada visiting the company’s local leadership teams and associates will help build awareness, share best practices and promote expansion.

Seems like a good plan, although it certainly added an element of challenge to the process of setting up a REM interview with Alexander via his public relations rep. (“He’s travelling right now....”)

Such is life. Alexander, who is president/owner of Keller Williams Realty Centres in Ontario, last year was Canada’s No. 1 agent by individual ends, according to the independent American company Real Trends.

Now he has a mission. His plan as the new director of operations in Canada involves “unifying the company from coast to coast” and ensuring that Keller Williams’ vision is spread to all associates, he says. But first, the vision had to be crystal clear to Alexander.

“Part of my agreement to take on this role was predicated on the company having a sound plan,” he says.

It does – a very ambitious one. For starters, Keller Williams, which is currently in a world-wide expansion mode, is gearing up to double in size in Canada within two years and more than

quadruple in five years. This growth is expected to come both from the opening of new offices coast to coast and the expansion of existing ones.

The “big three” focus areas for expansion in Canada will be Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, Alexander says. Last year, Keller Williams Canada associates handled more than 21,000 transactions and closed more than $8 billion in sales, the company’s stats show.

“We have an army of people out there and they are coming to me,” says Alexander. “We have had a great quantity of interest and a great quality of interest...Since June I’ve already had over 80 franchise inquiries in Canada.”

That’s a lot. In Alexander’s opinion, Keller Williams “is actually under developed in Canada...the best-kept secret in Canadian real estate.”

Another reason Keller Williams is able to attract franchisees and expand in Canada and elsewhere falls somewhere in the spectrum of “build it and they will come” (the famous line from the 1989 movie, Field of Dreams).

To put it in Alexander’s words, “The chassis we are built on allows for great results.”

With 125,000 sales reps, Keller Williams is the world’s largest franchise by agent count. It says it achieved historic productivity, profit gains and recruitment with a business model that delivers through profit sharing and a culture of independence and shared decision making that rewards agents as stakeholders.

Alexander, with close to 24 years in real estate, was initially attracted to Keller

Williams because the company’s philosophy of “creating an environment that brings out the best in people,” matches his own, he says.

“Keller Williams is a company with a caring culture.”

Alexander joined Keller Williams as a franchisee in 2008, attracted by the company’s “multiple value propositions,” which besides the financial incentive of profit sharing include strong training systems. “We are ranked as the No. 1 company for training in the world,” he says. The company’s technological tools, a revenue-capped model especially appreciated by top producers, residual income opportunities and a culture of good corporate citizenship were also appealing to him.

In particular, Alexander likes that Keller Williams cedes significant decision-making authority to its associates and “is not just a business model based on ‘what’s in it for me.’”

The company has an open book policy and “is probably the only franchise in North America with no debt,” he says. “And we teach our business operators how to do so too. It’s a very sound business model – and very Canadian too, as Canadians are debt adverse.”

Alexander stresses that part of Keller Williams’ mission is to attract the best in the business.

“A Keller Williams franchise is the most difficult to be awarded, I’d say. It needs to be a good fit” and involves a multi-layered screening process for the operating partner, including a behavioural assessment, multiple interviews and several days of research and training at the company’s Austin, Texas, headquarters.

Having a long track record of success before and after joining Keller Williams, Alexander was contacted “by virtually every franchisor in Canada,” when he began to search for new opportunities not long ago. Not bad for a guy who admits that before he got into real estate he attempted to sell his own home privately but failed.

At first the offer from

Keller Williams to head up the Canadian division seemed too good to be true, he says.

“I feel honoured to be appointed and I don’t take it lightly,” he says. “I’m excited about solidifying the foundation our operating partners have built... I’m looking forward to growth with great new people and also fostering those we already have.” REM

Marvin Alexander (Photo by Marko Shark)

ou wake up one morningand receive a call thatyou’ve won $500,000! All

you need to do is drive eight hoursto claim your prize. You jump inyour car, enter the address intoyour GPS and off you go.

An hour into your drive, yourstomach begins to growl. Younotice a flashing sign in the dis-tance that says, “World famouspizza – turn left”. A minute later,your washer fluid indicator lightbegins to flash and your phonebeeps, notifying you that you have10 new Snapchat messages. Eyesback on the road now, you beginto notice various street signs lur-ing you to the casino up ahead,the designer clothing sale down

10 REM JANUARY 2016

By Michelle Risi

Y

royallepage.ca/franchising

We are thrilled to welcome Warren Behan, broker/owner, and the formerCoast Realty Group from Powell River, British Columbia to the

Royal LePage family. The brokerage will now operate as Royal LePage Powell River.

Warren and his team of 14 Realtors® are market leaders, with almost 60% market share on the Northern Sunshine Coast.

With this change, Royal LePage solidifies its position as the #1 brand on the B.C. Sunshine Coast.

Partner with a leader. Join Royal LePage.

This is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, including a solicitation of any sales representatives or broker that is currently under contract. All offices are independently owned and operated, except those marked as “Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage”, “Royal LePage West Real Estate Services” and “Royal LePage Sussex”. Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2016 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.

IS WHAT WE DO#1 on the Sunshine Coast

Driving your way to successthe road and wouldn’t you knowit, a “This way to the beach” signstraight ahead! All you need to dois remain focused on the prize, butit seems that everywhere youlook, there are things trying totake you off your path.

We are surrounded by distrac-tions every day and while somepeople are able to stay productivedespite them, others – not somuch.

It’s easy to let distractive activ-ities take up valuable hours fromour day and steer us off course. Butto be successful, you need to takeaction and find a way to managethem, especially in our technolo-gy-driven world where we areconstantly bombarded with a zil-lion distractions every minute.

So how do successful peopledo it? There is certainly no short-age on Google for productivitytips. Tips like blocking out distrac-tions, getting up earlier or out-sourcing chores. I’m not sureabout you, but the last time Iattempted to block out incoming

calls, screaming kids and constantemails, I wasn’t exactly produc-tive. I’m a believer in keeping itsimple. Too many directions and Iam bound to end up lost.

Here are three simple tips tohelp you stay the course:

1) Stay in the driver’s seat.Distractions are not going any-where. When you are in the dri-ver’s seat, you are in control. Usethis control to manage the timeyou spend on certain activities,rather than letting the activitiescontrol you. Identifying which

activities are productive and pur-poseful in your business will helpyou to avoid the ones that aren’t.

Set time limits when on socialmedia. If you’re on Facebook tostay connected to your sphere ofinfluence, then carve out time atthe beginning or end of your dayto do so. But be sure you are stick-ing to task. Last time I checked,Candy Crush was not a lead gen-eration tool.

2) Keep your eyes on theroad. You know where you wantto go and what you need toachieve every day – or at least youshould. Set goals and targets foryour week. Check in with yourselfevery day to be sure you are stay-ing focused.

I once heard the phrase “stayclose to the cash” and I believe itis an accurate measure to deter-mine productivity. Whether it’sconnecting with a past client,engaging in lead generation or fol-lowing up with a current prospect,if the activity involves businessdevelopment, do it. If it doesn’t,

don’t. (Or at least wait untilyou’ve accomplished your goalsfor the day.)

3) Have a full tank of gas.Before you set out on your day, besure you have everything youneed to stay productive. Did youexercise? Eat right? Sleep enough?Have you mentally prepared forthe day? Being prepared is key tobeing productive! If you aren’ttaking care of your mind andbody, don’t expect it to take careof you. In fact, you might as wellstart scheduling sick days andmaking room for headaches andbody pains.

There are many roadmaps tosuccess. The best ones are theones you stick to. What actionswill you take today to get youback on the road to where youwant to be?

Michelle Risi is the executive vicepresident for Royal LePage YourCommunity Realty in Toronto andpresident of the Real EstateAcademy. REM

Last time I checked,

Candy Crushwas not a lead

generationtool.

ADVERTISEMENT

Alberta Real Estate Agent Earns $2.2 Million in GCI Despite Taking 4 Months Off

By Len T. Wong

When I got into realestate, I was kind of a lost sheep. I was puttingin 16 hour days, 60-70hour weeks, including 5-6 evenings per week and every weekend,always on call and basi-cally doing everythingon my own. My wife and I barely saw each other. All I knew how todo was just get out thereand work away at thebusiness – always in the business, putting outfires, chasing business,babysitting clients, andthen getting up eachmorning to do it all over again. It was very frus-trating. I knew there had to be a better way, but I never had time toreally look at what and how I was doing thingsso I could find that bet-ter way.

I did this for about2-3 years prior to goingto one of Craig Proc-tor’s SuperConferences.I found my way to Craig because I wanted to learn from someone who

was successful in thereal estate business and who had created sys-tems. This was the kind of trainer I was lookingfor. Someone who couldprovide me with coach-ing and mentoringbased on his real and proven track record.

I’ve been with Craigsince 1997 – almost20 years -- and my life is completely differ-ent because of what he’staught me. Before Craig,I was doing around 60transactions a year andhave increased my busi-ness by 10-20% every year since then. Lastyear I took 4 months off, worked only 35-40hours a week and stilldid 340 sales . . . that’s more than a home a day.This has multiplied my GCI by over 600% to about $2,000,000.00.

The cost for you tobuy Craig’s system or attend one of his Super-Conferences is minimalbecause it’ll come back to you tenfold in a very short time. I know thatfrom my own experi-ence and there are thou-sands in his programjust like me. Don’t bescared about stepping in because Craig has madeit so easy. It’s really just

about following the very easy guidelines he sets out for each part of yourbusiness. It’s about copy-ing what he did.

What Craig hastaught me has made my business much more systematic. He’s helped me with lead generation and retention. By copy-ing Craig, we now haveamazing follow up sys-tems in place that havedramatically increased our lead conversion.Craig’s systems havebeen proven successfulby thousands of agents from right across thecontinent. Why rein-vent the wheel of real estate when Craigalready has somethingso successful?

n n n

Hi, Craig Proctorhere. What if I told youthat you could EASILY increase your income from real estate the way Len has if you will take only THREE simple actions.

I was the top agent in Canada for over a de-cade, and the numberone Re/Max agent in theworld several times, andtop 10 for more than 20years. No one can even come close to matching

my track record. This invitation is only for you if you place a high value on successful experi-ence. On methods thatare working now buthave also proven them-selves in every kind of market over time and can be counted on. I know from that experi-ence that this market is good enough, just abouteverywhere, to rewardan agent with a solid 6-7figure income and, yes,thousands of my stu-dents are easily earning $1 Million + in GCI and there’s no reason youcan’t do the same.

Of course, a lot of people would rather have a good excuse than a good plan, butI’ll tell you: there is no legitimate excuse fornot having all the goodprospects and clientscoming to you rightnow, for you to earn the big numbers my successful students areearning and still work sane hours, have a real personal or family life, and be able to “enforce”your time off with your cell-phone off with-out the desperate fearof loss that comes with poor positioning and unpredictable income.

Listen, aren’t you SICK AND TIRED of the worry and anxi-ety of income uncer-tainty? Of defendingyour career to spouse or family or relatives atholidays – and to your-self? Of believing oth-ers are making more,easier, and wonderingwhat’s wrong with you?Of being stuck at a levelyou can’t rise above? Of feast ‘n celebration, then months of famine?Maybe worse: being“successful” but still feeling anxious about it, trapped by it, working much harder for it thanyou should have to? Iliterally re-invented realestate once, and mademyself a multi-million-aire agent by doing so.Now I’m doing it again,and the new video pre-sentation I’ve posted for you at:www.ProctorSystem.com tells you my “back sto-ry” but more impor-tantly, tells you how I’m reinventing the realestate business…..basi-cally putting my very proven system on ste-roids, and tells you how you can be a part of it.

Watch for yourself now at:www.ProctorSystem.com

hicken, Alaska is probablythe last place you’d wantto live if you’re a real estate

agent. With a population of just 60in the summer and five in the win-ter, there aren’t many homes to buyand sell.

And forget commercial proper-ty. The downtown, if you can call itthat, has four shops and a gas sta-tion and they’re all owned by onewoman, Susan Wiren, aPhiladelphia native who has beenoperating these remnants of oldfrontier Alaska for the past 27 years.

A former book store manager inNew Jersey, Wiren followed her“adventurer” boyfriend to Alaska28 years ago and never looked back.While he dredged for gold, shelooked after two children and whensome vacant shops came up for sale,she took a risk and purchased themfrom the bank.

The boyfriend is long gone, butWiren now has a thriving businesswith seven employees. “We try tofind fun-loving, silly people,” shesays, admitting downtown resem-bles a “B-grade, surrealistic movie.”Helping her run the operation isher son John, her friend Cindy andher daughter, and a new hire from

Oklahoma, plus several repeatemployees. Wiren’s mutt Daisy Mayand a few pet chickens watch fromthe sidelines.

The weathered-looking store-fronts set amidst a stark landscapeinclude a souvenir emporium witht-shirts that read: “I got laid inChicken, Alaska” or “Cluck-U.” Atthe Chicken Creek Saloon, thou-sands of baseball caps, left behindby passing visitors, hang from theceiling. Countless business cards,license plates and other parapher-nalia cover the walls near the juke-box, the pool table and around thebar. Outside is a giant tire.“Occasionally people get in and weroll them to the airport,” she says.“I’ve done it. It’s horrible, but peo-ple think it’s funny.”

The café has a diverse menu,including vegan and gluten-freedishes, and of course chicken.There’s barbecue chicken, chickenpot pie, grilled chicken breast,chicken salad sandwich, chickenparmesan sandwich, Caesar saladwith chicken and one of the housespecialties, chicken soup.

The town’s unconventionalname is believed to have originatedwith area gold miners in the 1800s,

who wanted to call their campPtarmigan – after a grouse that wasabundant in the area. But unsure ofits spelling, they settled on Chickeninstead.

Today, Chicken, located insoutheast Alaska, is still fairlyremote. The roads aren’t plowed inthe winter, so Wiren’s shops areonly open from about May toSeptember.

The closest big town is Tok,Alaska (population 3,500) which is128 km away. From Canada it’s 174km from Dawson City, Yukon.

You can’t expect modern con-veniences here. Mail arrives byplane Tuesdays and Fridays. A gen-erator provides electricity andthere’s no central plumbing (to col-lect water from the local river andhave it filtered and chlorinated,Wiren had to become a federallycertified public water system opera-tor). Telephone land lines and cellphones are not an option. InsteadWiren has two satellite dishes toconnect to the Internet and whileit’s not cheap, it allows her to Skypewith friends and customers andcheck email.

In recent years she added tworental cabins, one with a “great

view,” that is often rented by localAlaskans. “Some people come toChicken as a destination,” saysWiren. “They sit on the deck, enjoythe view and have a nice dinner.There’s a fire pit, so they can relaxand have a nice weekend.”

Wiren expects she’ll put thebusinesses up for sale in a few yearstime. “It’ll take a while to sellbecause it takes an unusual personto operate,” she says. “You have tobe able to talk to people and to runa business in a very efficient waybecause operating costs are so high.And you have to be a good cook.”

But for now Wiren, who justturned 60, seems content to contin-

ue welcoming visitors to her quirkylittle Alaskan town. “It’s my pas-sion,” she says. REM

imes are still changing,and some people reallyneed to get on board.

It used to be that being a pro-fessional was about being anony-mous and keeping one’s personaland professional life absolutely,unequivocally separate.

It also used to be that if onewanted information about buyingor selling a home, they had toappeal to a real estate agent forinsider details.

Those days are gone, and old-schoolers need to jolt awake towhat’s really happening. How peo-ple shop – for houses or agents –

12 REM JANUARY 2016

By Tina Plett

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C

Don’t be afraid of well-informed clientshas changed drastically. Signageand anonymity don’t cut it.

Now, with the vast availabilityof information, it’s not about hid-ing anymore. It’s about transparen-cy. Authenticity. Being yourself iswhat wins people over, not sometin-can sales pitch and flashy sig-nage.

It’s scary to be all “out there”being yourself, but to be effectivewith marketing and to attract read-ers or clients, it needs to be done.People don’t care what you knowuntil they know you care, youknow?

Besides, buyers can get infor-mation anywhere.

They don’t need to come toagents to compare DIY selling toselling with an agent. They canresearch the sales prices and prop-erties on their own, and read aboutthe top 10 mistakes people makewhen selling. They don’t needagents to tell them that.

They can even find out aboutthe owners of a home they want tobuy.

The volume and intimacy ofinformation available for anyoneto read is staggering.

Gen Y-ers are a major segmentof the home buying populationand they’re avid researchers. Theydon’t need agents for research any-more.

This scares some agents.If you’re not willing to change

with the times and adapt, then itshould scare you.

If you’re clinging to old-school thinking, believing thatpersonality and transparencyhave no place in the realm ofyour business, you are clinging toextinct methods.

Gen Y-ers are on the hunt,not for the agent with the shini-est car or the biggest brokerage,but for a real person they want towork with. They are a thoughtful

bunch who can smell a sales pitchthree miles away, and will havenone of it.

They want transparency.“If I could show you this, would

you commit to that?” is a dead tac-tic. They won’t put up with carrotsstrung from sticks. There’s toomuch information out there forthat. I love that about Gen Y-ers. Ifeel similarly turned off by salesscripts and pressure tactics.

I love it when buyers take theinitiative and inform themselves.In fact, I respect the daylights outof them. That’s why I blog! I hopeto help people who are searchingfor information, help, insight andto avoid some of the pitfalls thatcome with buying and selling.

I admire thoughtfulness. Andanyone who is researching the ele-ments of the home they want tobuy or the various aspects of wherethey’re going to live, is definitelythoughtful. Those are the kinds of

people I adore working with.So, colleagues, friends, don’t be

afraid of informed buyers.Don’t be afraid of people who

research, initiate self education,and who are highly aware of whatthey want.

If you’re going to fear anything,fear the dusty sales tactics taughtby too many people. Fear relyingon pressure, manipulation, and allthings shiny to win a client. Runfrom those things.

Raise your opinion of people abit – they’re smarter than youthink, and that’s a good thing.

Attentive from sign up till signdown, rural agent Tina Plett wins theaffections of people near Steinbach,Man. with her unique blend of for-ward-thinking business savvy anddown-home, countrified lifestyle.Sutton Group-Kilkenny proudly callsher their own. www.tinaplett.com

REM

Livin’ large in Chicken, Alaska By Diane Slawych

All the shops in downtown Chicken, Alaska, one of America’s quirki-est towns, are owned by one person. (Photo: State of Alaska/ReinhardPantke)

Susan Wiren (Photo: DianeSlawych)

“I saw this as an opportunity to grow and elevate client services in Vancouver. I was impressed with the Engel & Völkers brand and the company’s stellar track record and reputation.”

Greg Carros, Managing Director, Engel & Völkers Vancouver

©2016 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. This advertisement is not an offering of a franchise, and where required by law, an offering can only be made 14 days after delivery of the applicable franchise disclosure document.

Only the best in the business join our brand.

Well-known in the industry for serving exclusive clientele, the Carros Group has managed some of Vancouver’s most iconic properties. By joining Engel & Völkers, the Group combines their experience and innate knowledge of the city’s luxury marketplace with the brand's progressive training, technology, marketing tools and renowned global network. Now, as the market's global leader, they are redefining real estate service in Vancouver.

Engel & Völkers Canada2 Bloor Street West, Suite 700 · Toronto · ON M4W 3RI · Phone +1 416-323-1100

evcanada.com · [email protected]

14 REM JANUARY 2016

By Paul Cowhig

Visit us at AmeriSpec.ca

to download your freeHome Improvement & Repair Cost Guide

here are no MLS rulesthat say a listing has toprovide what you expect

to receive for acting as a buyer’sagent in a transaction, other thanit must be greater than zero.

The rules say that before youbegin to act as an agent for a buyeror seller, you fully explain your ser-vice plan, establish the amount ofyour fee (including how and whenit will be paid) and that you put itin writing. Then, and only then,you provide the services you con-tracted to deliver. You don’t eatyour meal in a restaurant and thenask what you owe. Knowing thecost is part of your decision ofwhether or not to proceed or lookfor other available options.

From CREA’s Standards ofBusiness Practice:

Article 2. “A REALTOR®shall fully disclose in writing to,and is advised to seek writtenacknowledgment from, his or herClients and those Customers whoare not represented by otherRegistrants regarding the role andnature of the service the REAL-

It’s all about agency Buyer agents, get your agreement in writing

T

TOR® will be providing. This dis-closure shall be made at the earli-est possible opportunity and in anyevent prior to the REALTOR®providing professional serviceswhich go beyond providing infor-mation as a result of incidentalcontact by a consumer.”

Article 5.7. “REALTOR®sshould make reasonable efforts toensure that Service Agreementswith Buyers are signed, and arerequired to do so in jurisdictionsthat mandate written agree-ments.”

I want to emphasize this part soI’m going to repeat it over andover:

• It must be done before a cus-tomer becomes a client as timingis critical in order to avoid breach-ing your duty of full disclosure andto avoid conflict of interest.

• It must be explained in writ-ing.

• It should be signed by all par-ties.

I deeply wish I could say itMUST be signed by all parties, butwhile the rules don’t say that, theydo say that it has to be “in writing”and “should” be signed.

That means your managerand/or the board should be able tocome to you and see copies of thewritten agreements you have with

all your clients – buyers and sellersboth.

Sellers are easy. You’d show methe Listing Contract. What wouldyou show me for your buyerclients? The Working With aREALTOR® brochure? I’m notsure that’s good enough. Show mewhere you talked about themoney! If I dropped by youroffice, could you show me whereyou have your service plan andexpectation for remunerationspelled out with your buyer clientin writing? Could I go to one ofyour buyer clients and find it intheir documents?

The reason I am focusing onbuyer agents is because, historical-ly, the way we have always dealtwith sellers supports the regula-tions. When we take a listing wecover all the details that need tobe covered: time period, price,commission and services to be per-formed because they’re in theListing Contract and we all useListing Contracts. We don’t eventhink about it.

When it comes to buyers, thehistorical way we have dealt withthem is in conflict with the regula-tions. What you may not realize isthat, today, you have the exactsame duties and responsibilities toa buyer client as you do a seller

client. Agency law changed in1994 but too many of us still usethe same old methods and forms.We have forms now that addressbuyer agency relationships but themajority of us don’t use thembecause we don’t understandthem, we’re not familiar withthem and we don’t have to.

I’d like to point out here thatethics are generally acknowledgedto be a higher standard than fol-lowing the letter of the law.Properly explaining our agencyrelationships and our expectationsfor remuneration in writing, hav-ing it signed and with all partiesreceiving copies will go a long waytowards ensuring clarity, buildingyour clients’ confidence in yourabilities and showing your com-mitment to their best interests bydemonstrating your professional-ism. It is literally the foundationyou lay that everything else you dowill build upon. It should be rocksolid.

Business models reflect societyand thrive. Society evolves.Business models must also evolve.

The fact that there are somany different business models inour industry today underscores theimportance of having our agree-ments in writing. It’s confusing outthere and it’s our responsibility to

bring clarity and consistency tohow we work.

The Working With a REAL-TOR® brochure, a great place tostart your agency conversation,lists one of your fiduciary duties as“undivided loyalty”. That’s awk-ward! Do you, or anyone youknow of, work with only one cus-tomer at a time?

Permission to act for multipleclients is just one of the com-pelling reasons to use the correctforms for our written agreements.Among other things, the ListingContract, the Exclusive BuyerAgency Contract, the BuyerAgency Acknowledgement Formand the various Fee Agreementsall contain clauses that modify theexplicit duties agency law imposes.We absolutely need the clauses inthose forms to modify our fiducia-ry duties in order to allow us towork the way we do.

Paul Cowhig is the professionalstandards coordinator for theOkanagan Mainline Real EstateBoard in Kelowna. He was licensedas a salesperson 1980 and earned hisbrokers license in 2013. He served onthe Board of Directors at the FraserValley Real Estate Board from 1996to 2002 and was president ofFVREB in 2001. REM

16 REM JANUARY 2016

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NEW TEMPLATE DESIGNS

here are two categories oftasks we must deal withevery day…those we like

to do and those we don’t like to do.Often we put off the ones we

don’t like to do. This could be“fear-based hesitation” or just sim-ple avoidance. Either way, it showsup as procrastination. This createsa roadblock and internal stress.

Why not reverse the order ofthe things you put off? Why not dothem first thing and get them outof the way? Don’t you think itwould make your life a lot easier?

Today’s task: pick one thingyou consistently put off (asking forreferrals, calling for sale by owners,cleaning up that mess on your

Grab procrastination by the throatS A L E S C O A C H

By Bruce Keith

desk, getting phone numbers readythe night before, calling that sellerwho needs a price reduction, con-fronting that buyer who keeps low-balling offers, starting your leadgeneration on time).

Do yourself a favour and getthat “I usually do it last” item outof the way first thing. You’ll feel somuch better and all the stress willbe gone. Do it now. No excuses.

■ ■ ■

Discovering your keystonehabit: Experts tell us that 95 percent of what we do is habitual. Agreat percent of what we do is sub-conscious. Activities like the waywe brush our teeth, turning rightwhen we drive, how we answer thephone, how we start work in themorning, the way we show hous-es… everything! Each of us doesthings the same way every time.

When you recognize that ahigh percentage of your ongoingactivities are habitual there is avery pleasant discovery at the endof this rainbow. You can forgetabout self-discipline and willpow-

er… they can easily be overcomejust by developing good habits.

It all starts with your keystonehabit. Why? Because your key-stone habit is the one that drivesall your “follow on” habits.Visualize dominoes falling in a rowand you’ll see what I mean.

Here’s how to identify yourkeystone habit. The next time youcan say “I had a great day today!”pay attention to everything thattook place. Now back up all theway to when things started out (itcould include what you did thenight before to get prepared).

At the beginning of the cycleyou will find your keystone habit.It’s the one thing that kickedeverything off in sequence.

Now you have it…Eureka! It’snot complicated, it just takes someintrospection.

Successful people have simplydeveloped more good habits thanunsuccessful people. Once youidentify your keystone habit,everything else falls into place verynicely. Your routine becomes auto-matic and you will go through the

day with your activities happeningas planned. Keep it simple...helpthose dominoes fall in your favour.No excuses.

■ ■ ■

Do you know where you are going? Author/speaker RitaDavenport is well recognized forsaying that “The world steps asidefor the person that knows wherethey’re going,”

It’s well recognized that 90 percent of the population is guilty ofjust going through the motions dayafter day. This lack of directionresults in an average performanceand an average lifestyle. Notacceptable!

If you want to be part of the 10per cent – the overachievers, here’sa simple two-part formula to makethat transition.

1. Where are you going on apersonal level? Start with twovery specific targets for each of a)My Health b) My Family c) MyFinancial Future.

2. Where are you going withyour business? Establish some very

specific targets for the next coupleof months for:

• Listing appointments• Listings taken• Listings sold• Buyer sales• Closings/commissions earnedNow post these targets on the

wall in your office. Make themhighly visible!

Critical point: Have anotherlook at Rita Davenport’s quote.“Knowing where you’re going”includes the requirement to con-stantly track your results. Makesure you are constantly measuringyour progress for both your per-sonal and business targets. Knowwhere you are today as part ofyour quest for success. No excuses.

Bruce Keith is a leading Real Estate Coach/Author/Speaker(http://www.brucekeithresults.com).Like Bruce Keith Results on Facebook(https://www.facebook.com/brucekei-thresults.com) or connect with Bruceon Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucekeith1) REM

T

122.5%MORE

YTD Media Impressions*

than our closest competitor With over 1 billion media impressions, Royal LePage reaches 122.5% more Canadians

than our closest competitor.*

As the most sought after expert opinion on what matters in Canadian real estate, we are the single most-quoted real

estate company — And, that opens more doors for you.

Join Canada’s real estate company.

IS WHAT WE DOReaching more Canadians

*Based on data from 2015, year-to-date. Measured across print and online media. This is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, including a solicitation of any sales representatives or broker that is currently under contract. All offices are independently owned and operated, except those marked as “Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage”, “Royal LePage West Real Estate Services” and “Royal LePage Sussex”. Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2016 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.

Learn more at royallepage.ca/joinus

122.5%MORE

YTD Media Impressions*

than our closest competitor With over 1 billion media impressions, Royal LePage reaches 122.5% more Canadians

than our closest competitor.*

As the most sought after expert opinion on what matters in Canadian real estate, we are the single most-quoted real

estate company — And, that opens more doors for you.

Join Canada’s real estate company.

IS WHAT WE DOReaching more Canadians

*Based on data from 2015, year-to-date. Measured across print and online media. This is not intended as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, including a solicitation of any sales representatives or broker that is currently under contract. All offices are independently owned and operated, except those marked as “Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage”, “Royal LePage West Real Estate Services” and “Royal LePage Sussex”. Any copying, reproduction, distribution or other use of these materials is prohibited. ©2016 Brookfield Real Estate Services Manager Limited. All rights reserved.

Learn more at royallepage.ca/joinus

20 REM JANUARY 2016

“Never fail to know that if you aredoing all the talking, you are boringsomebody.”

— Helen Gurley Brownn this segment of my series oneffective communication, Ioffer this slightly abridged

excerpt from my book, The HappyAgent. Here, I address the Art ofListening, arguably the more vitalhalf of effective communication.

When you think about it, poorlistening renders speaking superflu-ous. In today’s hyper world ofinstantaneous digital communica-tion, you might even say listening isbecoming a lost art.

Anyway, it’s something peopletake for granted. You’ve got ears, so

The lost art of listening to clients

By Ross Wilson

it’s automatic. Right? Nope. Youmight think you’re listening tosomeone, but may be hearing yourinner voice, remaining alert onlyenough to recognize the momentto respond. By failing to pay sincereattention, thus misinterpreting aspeaker’s message, reactive andemotionally inappropriate respons-es are definitely within the realm ofpossibility. And whether a personalor business situation, a price couldbe paid for such inattentiveness.

Have you ever met someonewho had what is commonlyreferred to as the gift of gab? Theymay have been told they’d make agreat salesperson. Why? Becausethe stereotypical perception of asalesperson is one who can blatheron and on and talk anyone intodoing anything.

In reality, this definition could-n’t be further from the truth.There’s little doubt, though, thatsome salespeople fit this descrip-tion. I’ve never met anyone whoenjoys being coerced to buy some-

thing by an aggressive, high-pres-sure yakker spewing verbal diar-rhoea. To escape the barrage, I sup-pose a pathetic prospect might sur-render.

However, just like a teachercan’t teach someone who refuses tolearn, a salesman can’t normallysell to someone who doesn’t wantto buy. If they don’t run away, thevictim may sign the contract, laterregret succumbing to the pressureand exercise their right to rescind.The buyer cool-off period for newcondominium and vacation time-share purchases exists for good rea-son. Also, if a high-pressure agentcloses a hapless buyer, they should-n’t count on that buyer ever refer-ring anyone or returning for futureservice.

“We have two ears and one mouthso that we can listen twice as much aswe speak.” — Epictetus

Given the chance, a client willdeliver their hot buttons to you onhow to sell them. The trick? Listencarefully. A gabber can miss impor-

tant, sometimes subtle closing sig-nals. While awaiting cues, they talkright past the clues. My theory isthat they may be so fearfully inse-cure and desperately in need of asale, they’d rather not hear whatthey believe their client might sayif given the chance to speak.Therefore, they yammer away inthe hope of offering so many goodreasons to sign that the over-whelmed prospect finally surren-ders.

How can you successfully sat-isfy a client’s wants and needswithout knowing what thoseneeds are? Sometimes, they don’teven have a clear picture of whatthey want. If you don’t know whatmakes them tick, what motivatesthem, how can you serve effec-tively? Thoughtful, consideratelistening by a trustworthy agentfacilitates a clear response to aclient’s questions and the gentleorchestration of a more pleasantsale – without the trusting buyereven realizing they were sold. To

enjoy a fruitful career, build atrusting client base by starting inthe present listening moment,one client at a time.

In the next column, I’ll delveinto the three basic types of listen-ers – Wanderers, Catchers andEngagers.

“Trust is the glue of life. It’s themost essential ingredient in effectivecommunication. It’s the foundationalprinciple that holds all relationships.”

— Stephen Covey

Ross Wilson, broker with iProRealty, has enjoyed a rewarding four-decade career encompassing a highlyproductive referral sales practice andextensive experience as a brokerageowner, manager, trainer and mentor.His new book, The Happy Agent –Finding Harmony with a ThrivingRealty Career and an EnrichedPersonal Life is available where printand e-books are sold, including theTREB, BREB, RAHB andOMDREB stores. Visit Realty-Voice.com. REM

I

very year, potential homebuyers flock to realtor.ca inan attempt to land their

dream home with turn-key expecta-tions. Focused on the home’s loca-tion, the decor of the kitchen andlot size, buyers can easily becomedistracted with the layout of thehome and not think about what liesbeneath the ground. This is anoth-er area buyers need to focus theirattention on when seriously consid-ering the purchase of a home.

At Roto-Rooter Plumbing &Drain Service, we frequentlyreceive service requests from newhomeowners who have recentlyexperienced unexpected basementflooding. They express their shockand ask, “How this could happen?After all, we had an inspector gothrough the home before we pur-chased it.”

The reality is that camerainspection of the main sanitarysewer is not included in your typicalhome inspection. It should be. Talkto any home insurance adjustor

today and they will tell you that themajority of insurance claims arerelated to water and sewage back-ups.

The average home’s plumbingsystem represents approximatelyfive to 10 per cent of the overallvalue. If you purchase a home inToronto for $800,000, the cost toretrofit your entire plumbing systemcould be upwards of $80,000. Thelast thing you need after placing adown payment and taking on amortgage is to deal with an unex-pected plumbing problem that maycost several thousand dollars torepair. And that cost does notinclude the cosmetic restoration tothe basement or the front yard land-scaping, which is often a greaterexpense than the repair itself.

All of Roto-Rooter’s camerasare equipped with RF locators,which our technicians can use topinpoint where exactly in the pipethe obstruction is located. This inturn will provide the necessaryinformation to either perform a spot

repair or replace the main sewerline. Video recordings are alsoavailable upon request should thisinformation need to be relayed to athird party (the seller).

There are a number of indica-tors that buyers should be aware ofthat would warrant a camerainspection:

1) If the home is 30 years orolder, chances are the main sewerline is clay. Clay will deterioratewith age caused by erosion. Thepipe will become brittle and tree

roots will breach the pipe eitherthrough the fittings or, if weakenough, right through the pipeitself.

2) If there are mature trees onthe front lawn of the buyer’s proper-ty, or on the neighbouring proper-ties, the probability that tree rootsare an issue increases. Even rootsfrom a tree that has been cut downcan continue to grow undergroundand find their way into the mainsewer line.

3) If the home has not beenlived in for manyyears, the status ofthe main drainremains a mystery. Acamera inspectionwill answer any ques-tions you haveregarding the stateand condition of thesewer system. Thisgives buyers peace ofmind and, moreimportantly, infor-mation on how they

should value the home. Do not be afraid to ask the sell-

er if they have experienced a back-up in the past. If it happenedonce, it can happen again andsometimes a backup will not occurunless there is heavy usage or rain-fall. Buyers rarely visit the homethey are buying in poor weatherand sellers may not be obligated todisclose information pertaining tothe plumbing in their home. Withthe smart investment of a camerainspection, the buyer can foregothe surprise of an expensiveplumbing nightmare.

David Collini is with Roto-Rooter,which was established in 1935 and isthe largest provider of plumbing anddrain cleaning in North America. Foryour nearest Roto-Rooter Plumbingand Drain Service, call 1-800-GET-ROTO. Visit www.RotoRooter.comto schedule a service call. For usefulhomeowner tips visit theRotoRooterTV channel on YouTube.

REM

At the root of it all By David Collini

It’s not part of most home inspections but it can cost buyers thousands of dollars in repairs

E

A technician uses a camera to pinpoint wherethe obstruction in the pipe is located.

Leading RE: ‘The brand behind the brand’Leading Real Estate Companies of the World is an invitation-only co-operative of high-performing independent brokerages with 525 worldwide members – 15 of which are Canadian By Neil Sharma

22 REM JANUARY 2016

Independent brokers often elect to join franchises in a bid to

keep business surging, but joining co-operatives of high-performing realty brokerages may also prove bountiful.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, a Chicago-based realty network with global reach that launched in 1997, has begun establishing a Canadian nexus of brokerages.

It is an invitation-only network that subsists on annual membership fees, measured by market size, and small commissions from intra-network referrals. It has 525 worldwide members – 15 of which are Canadian – with about 120,000 sales agents under its umbrella.

Pam O’Connor, president and CEO of the network, says co-operatives are attractive to brokers because they usually give more than they take and they celebrate autonomy.

“The beauty of having your own brand is it’s always yours and you always control it,” she says. “We offer all of the services a franchise would – education, technology, marketing – but the main difference is we’re not a franchise. We’re the brand behind the brand.”

Brokerages plugged into the network showcase their listings around the world, producing lead generation as a result, and because the network is comprised of high-performing brokerages, many ameliorate their bottom lines beyond what they would in a franchise.

“We do about 35,000 broker-to-broker transactions,” says O’Connor, adding Leading RE averages nearly one every four minutes with a 45 per cent conversion rate, of which the company takes a small cut. Leading RE also operates RELO Direct, an employee relocation

service for corporations such as Coca-Cola and the United States Department of Defense, and it, too, is a prolific source of lead generation.

Leading RE also runs Luxury Portfolio International, dealing exclusively in tony properties in what O’Connor calls the company’s third biggest referral generator.

The network also offers educational and professional development, technology and systems sharing and marketing support.

It is an invitation-only network. O’Connor says Leading RE is constantly solicited by brokers looking to join, and she’s rebuffed many because they often don’t meet the network’s high threshold.

“‘I’m local and I’m global’ is what we’re telling our agents to repeat,” says O’Connor. “The global part connects them to worldwide companies. We want business to be in the top tier of the real estate market. We don’t take everybody who wants to write a cheque; we look for quality companies. We try to be pretty selective and we have standards.

“We will drop companies if they’re underperforming, but we coach and talk to them first to help them along the way. If we get to a point where they’re not pulling their weight – because we’re a co-operative in which members help each other with referrals – we might have to.”

Leading RE’s members are strewn about 55 countries, so the company holds many conferences and meetings during the year,

including its preeminent annual conference, which will be held in Miami this February and is expected to draw around 3,000 members. Whether they’re brokers or sales agents, managers or department heads, they can network, sharpen their skills, or learn how to incorporate social media into their business strategies.

While O’Connor doesn’t want to belittle franchises, she says their one-size-fits-all ethos is not conducive to diverse markets. What might work in Ottawa or

Vancouver might not work in Carnduff, Sask.

“Because it’s a big-box brand, you could have a company in one market that isn’t very good that might pull down the brand,” she says. “If you get a McDonald’s franchise, everything is the same in terms of consistency, but real estate is a different kind of business. If you’re tied to something that isn’t as good in one market, that might taint you even though you’re elsewhere. A lot of brokers like the idea of being in control of their destiny. They don’t have to worry about new management that doesn’t do things the way they were done before, or new ownership.”

Calgary-based CIR Realty, established in 1983, joined Leading RE eight years ago, representing southern Alberta for the collective. Like many of its Leading RE cohorts around the world, CIR – with 615 sales agents spread across four offices within city limits and another 10 in the surrounding area – boasts the highest sales volume in its market.

CIR has managed to shift to yet another gear, though. With Leading RE buoying the brokerage, CIR’s finances and credibility are soaring.

“For a long time, CIR operated without being part of Leading RE and we were operating a little like an island without a network, which extends your reach beyond the area where you work,” says Ron Stader, co-owner and broker of CIR Realty.

“I’m able to attract real estate agents to my company now that I wasn’t able to attract before I became a member. A lot of Realtors care about how large a footprint the organization they’re joining has. I have a larger footprint than I had before and it’s helped in recruiting agents, and in retention, as well. Those are two really, really big factors in the success of CIR.”

The brokerage received 150 referrals last year, closed 100 and put over 200 into the system. Stader says that, because Leading RE rigorously vets potential members, conversion rates tend to be exceptionally high.

“Referrals are a two-way street,” says Stader, who is also the chairman of Leading RE’s Global Advisory Board. “When we were finally able to join Leading RE, that was a really big piece of our missing puzzle. What

you end up with is companies that are very professional and take business very seriously. That leads to very qualified ways of handling business opportunities through the system. We’re not just taking out, we’re putting in. It’s a win-win all around.”

Leading RE studies its stock of brokerages’ practices and shares successful formulas throughout the network. As Stader says, “It’s an incubation process where you’re getting the best ideas all the time.”

CIR has grown to become a sizeable company, so its membership fees are on the higher end, but Stader calls the tradeoff laughable because the dues pale in comparison to the auxiliary business Leading RE membership has brought.

“I think we have 100 more Realtors in our company thanks to our membership,” he says. “If you add up how much business 100 Realtors do in a year, that’s a lot of business. Then there’s the business we get because of referrals, so the big picture is we’re a much more attractive company to brand new and existing Realtors because of our membership. We get the benefits that franchises would provide, but we get the benefits of our own independence.” REM

Ron Stader Pam O’Connor

“The beauty of having your own brand is it’s always yours and you always control it ...”

Making you look great everywhere.

Trademarks are owned or controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA (REALTOR®) and/or the quality of services they provide (MLS®).

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D E S K T O P T A B L E T

A N D R O I D i P H O N E A P P L E W A T C H

n app that providesinformation throughvideos about a property,

its neighbourhood, the listingagent and the realty company isbringing new life to print publi-cations and other print formats.

It can also provide real estateprofessionals with data onprospective buyers, says DebbieMcGrath, marketing director ofToronto-based Chestnut ParkReal Estate, which has embracedthe technology known as aug-mented reality (AR).

She says that in the “verycongested” real estate market incities like Toronto, AR can givesales reps and brokers “a realcompetitive edge.”

Chestnut Park, an affiliate ofChristie’s International Real

24 REM JANUARY 2016

A

Real EstateTechnologyReal EstateTechnology

App brings print publications to life By Don Procter

Estate, is using an AR appcalled Layar, brought to it byCommersive Solutions. JasonElmaleh, president of theToronto-based company, saysLayar is activated by simplyhovering a camera on a smart-phone (iOS, Android orBlackBerry10 Device) or tabletover an “enabled image” inprint format.

“Trigger images (which couldbe a photo of a property or evena headshot of the listing agent)can provide layers of informationto the reader” about ChestnutPark, or its properties for sale atthe Shangri-La Toronto luxurycondo, or a listing agent, saysMcGrath.

“The most amazing part ofAR is bridging the gap between

real life and virtual life,” saysElmaleh. “Now users can seemore than what is conveyed inprint.”

Chestnut Park recently intro-duced the app through print edi-tions of its property listing maga-zine, Invest in Style. While it wastoo early to measure the impactof the app at press time, McGrathsays if 30 to 35 per cent of thereaders use the app, it will be asuccess.

She says the app, which col-lects data on the user on a week-ly or monthly basis, providesagents with stats of engagements,where the listing was viewed, forhow long and who viewed it.“Suddenly that connection withthe consumer becomes so muchsmoother and more efficient.”

She says, “The cost benefitbecomes very clear because youcan use it on a number of differ-ent (print format) platforms.”

Another plus is that Layarclarifies the impact of the ad forsalespeople. “We know immedi-ately whether anyone has inter-

acted with it, unlike direct mailin which you hope someone isgoing to call you.”

Elmaleh sees “huge potential”for the app in the real estateindustry. “The beautiful thingabout AR is that it can be tai-lored to anything. Real estate isan excellent venue with limitlesspossibilities – making a homebuying and selling experienceinteractive, seamless and moreinformative.”

He adds that because the appoffers “immediate information”prospective buyers don’t have tospend time doing researchonline. “The more educated thebuyer is, the better it is for thebuyer and the seller.”

The app will also prove usefulfor sales of yet-to-be-built pro-jects, such as a condo develop-ment in the Toronto neighbour-hood of Leaside at whichChestnut Park is selling units. “Itshows you a video of renderings –what’s to come,” says McGrath.The video also gives consumers aflavour for the neighbourhood,including everything from near-by retail to main transportationroutes.

While Layar is easy to set upand free for users, the cost toagents is comparable to the priceof the design of a basic website,Elmaleh says, noting that thefinal tab is determined by theamount of content and featuresan agent wants.

Augmented reality has beenaround for many years. It has

been popular in Europe for manytypes of marketing. IKEA’s cata-logue, for example, employs ARtechnology, providing users witha number of features, including atype of virtual reality experienceto determine how a piece of fur-niture might best fit into theirhome’s layout.

“You can take a scan from thecatalogue and hold your iPod upin your room and move the furni-ture around with your finger to fitin your room, and change thecolours,” says McGrath, addingthat IKEA has recently intro-duced AR technology to its cata-logue in Toronto.

Elmaleh says his companyhad been following AR for yearsand after much research foundthat Layar was a global leader.“Key bugs have been fixed and itallows for a smoother user experi-ence.”

While some brokers andagents might approach the newapp with a wary eye, thinking itmight be a gimmick rather thansomething that will improvetheir business, McGrath says itcould prove a valuable tool in theright hands. “When you think ofour market of buyers, we have theluxury condo group but we alsohave a ton of millennials and weall know that they are digitallyfocused so it is a very easy adop-tion for that group.

“I think the next generationwill grow up knowing that printhas become more dynamic thanwhat is flat on the page,” sheadds.

Elmaleh says as camera tech-nology and operating softwareadvance, AR technology will beable to offer even more featuresfor the user. “I see interactive 3Dmodels of homes popping out ofthe page, allowing for a potentialhomebuyer to click to view vari-ous rooms of the house or con-dos.”

While that technology is herealready, he says it is unreliablebecause of the limitations ofsmart devices. “I see a brightfuture for AR, especially as peo-ple become more accustomed tothe technology.” REM

The app is activated by simply hovering a camera on a smartphone or tabletover an “enabled image” in print format.

Debbie McGrath

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT

POSITIONSAs one of Canada’s largest and fastest growing RE/MAX

brokerages with 13 offices and over 600 salespeople

we are interested in meeting talented and dedicated

individuals that feel they can meet the challenges

of brokerage management.

We are accepting applications for Office Managers, Assistant

Managers, Manager Trainees, Recruiters and Coach/Trainers.

If you would like to discuss your career potential

and the exciting opportunities we offer please forward

your resumé to me for a confidential interview.

Bob StephensGeneral Manager/Broker

RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc.

www.remaxcentre.ca [email protected]

REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT

POSITIONS

INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

CENTREREAL ESTATE

BROKERAGE

CNI

REM JANUARY 2016 25

Insurance company’s dutyto defendLEGAL ISSUES

By Donald H. Lapowich

bring its own claim for misappro-priation of corporate monies at itsown expense and with its owncounsel.

(Mount Vernon Fire InsuranceCompany v. Visionaid Inc.)Full case summary: http://tinyurl.com/p6hpgfh

Restrictive covenant unen-forceable: In a B.C. case, a restric-tive covenant was registeredagainst strata lots in a resort hotel,providing that no lot could berented to the public except inaccordance with a rental poolmanagement agreement. In otherwords, the resort’s rental managerwould rent out the units.

The defendant, who ownedone of the lots, began renting pri-vately. An action was brought foran injunction against the defen-dant.

The Court of Appeal in BritishColumbia held that restrictivecovenants must be “clear” and oneprohibiting rental of units to thepublic stated it must be done inaccordance with an agreementbetween the owner of the unit andthe rental manager. The courtfound that the agreement was notattached or incorporated intocovenants for the lots and theagreement did not exist when thecovenant was created. There wasno certainty as to the terms of theagreement and there was no deter-mination by which units could beidentified to be rented. Therefore,this agreement was simply anagreement to agree, which is unen-forceable.

The court noted that the rentalmanager under the covenant couldhave unilaterally changed theterms on which units could berented and therefore there was lackof certainty. (585582 B.C. Ltd. v.Anderson, 2015 BCCA 26) Fullcase summary at canlii.org.

Donald Lapowich, Q.C. is apartner at the law firm of Koskie,Minsky in Toronto, where he prac-tices civil litigation, with a particularemphasis on real estate litigation andmediation, acting for builders, realestate agents and lawyers. REM

ften lawyers, architects,engineers, accountants,real estate agents and

brokers or other professionals aresued for professional malpracticeand want to assert a counterclaimagainst the claimant for unpaidfees.

In an American professionalliability case, the insurance com-pany agreed to defend theinsured corporation against alawsuit alleging discriminationby reason of age. The insured cor-poration also demanded that theinsurance company proceed witha counterclaim against the for-mer employee for misappropria-tion of company funds. Theinsurance company refused topay for any such counterclaim orto have its defence counsel pur-sue that counterclaim.

The American court foundthat the insurance company’s dutyto defend the corporation did notinclude an obligation to proceedwith a counterclaim. The insur-ance policy only required that theinsurance company defend E&Oclaims made against the insuredfirm.

The court rejected the insuredcorporation’s argument that theclaim against it and the counter-claim were inextricably inter-twined. The court found it was notnecessary to defend the age dis-crimination claim by necessarilybringing the counterclaim. Inother words, even if the employeemisappropriated corporate monies,he still may have been discriminat-ed against by reason of age. Itwould be up to the corporation to

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Announcement

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552

to arrange your confi dential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

Congratulations Kevin & Jacalyn on your new RE/MAX Offi ces!

We are excited to announce RE/MAX INTEGRA’s newest owners, Kevin andJacalyn Grimes!

Kevin and Jacalyn acquired RE/MAX Affi liates Realty Ltd. as well as RE/MAXConnections from Geoff McGowan and John Gray, respectively. In addition to these two acquisitions, Kevin and Jacalyn will be merging their existing Century 21 Your Choice offi ce with their offi ce in Smiths Falls, and all offi ces will operate as RE/MAX Affi liates Realty Ltd. They now have four offi cesand over 95 agents!

We thank Geoff and John for their commitment, dedication and for their continued affi liations with RE/MAX moving forward.

When asked what attracted this dynamic duo to the RE/MAX brand, Kevin & Jacalyn said the following: “RE/MAX doeseverything well. They literally have no weaknesses”. Congratulations Kevin & Jacalynon your achievements to date,and welcome to theRE/MAX family!

Kevin GrimesBroker/OwnerJacalyn GrimesBroker/Manager

Affi liates Realty Ltd.59 Beckwith Street North, Smiths Falls, ON

Announcement

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552

to arrange your confi dential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

It is our pleasure to announce RE/MAX INTEGRA’s newest Broker/Owner, Joseph Schirripa! Joseph is the new owner of RE/MAX Hartland Realty Inc. in Mississauga, Ontario.

After converting his Coldwell Banker offi ce, he and his 15 agents will now operate under RE/MAX Hartland Realty Inc., serving the Greater Toronto Area. With 38 years of real estate experience, Joseph says it was RE/MAX’s strong reputation and visibility in the global real estate market, as well as comprehensive education and training programs that RE/MAX provides its agents that drove him to join RE/MAX.

Please join us in welcoming Joseph and his team to our network.

RE/MAX Hartland Realty Inc. Opens its Doors !

Joseph SchirripaBroker/Owner

Hartland Realty Inc.2800 Skymark Avenue, Units 5 & 6, Mississauga, ON

Re/Max Integra honours brokers and managers

Each year, Re/Max Integrabroker/owners and managers gettogether for two days of network-ing and learning. At the meetingin Toronto, broker/owners andmanagers throughout the regionwere recognized for theirachievements throughout thepast year. This year’s awards win-ners were:

Manager of the Year:Ontario - David Yunker, Re/MaxEscarpment Realty, Hamilton.Atlantic - Stephen Winters,Re/Max Realty Specialists, St.John’s, Nfld.

Broker/Owner of the Year:Ontario - Mike Zuccato, Re/MaxRealty Services, Brampton.Atlantic - Carol Anstey, Re/MaxRealty Professionals, Deer Lake,Nfld.

Rookie Brokers/Owners ofthe Year: Eli Skaff, Mark Evans,Tarek El Attar and Jarrod Davis,Re/Max Core Realty, Ottawa.

Best Office Design: Re/MaxLegend Real Estate, North Bay;

Re/Max Edge Realty, Toronto;Re/Max Core Realty, Ottawa;Re/Max Infinity Realty,Richmond Hill; Re/MaxEscarpment Realty, Hamilton;Re/Max Professionals,Etobicoke; Re/Max AboutowneRealty, Oakville; Re/MaxAbsolute Realty, Nepean;Re/Max A-B Realty, Stratford;Re/Max Centre City Realty,London; Re/Max West Realty,Toronto.

Jim Burton receivesHumanitarian Award

Jim Burton, sales rep/ownerat Re/Max Infinity Realty inConception Bay South, Nfld.,has been selected as the recipi-ent of the 2015 HumanitarianAward from the Canadian RedCross, Newfoundland andLabrador.

Burton is a commercial pilotwith 15,000 flight hours andchairs the national board ofHope Air, an organization thatarranges free flights forCanadians in financial need whomust travel for health care. Sincehe joined the board in 2011,

there’s been a 10-fold increase insuch flights for residents of hishome province, due largely to hispassionate promotion of HopeAir’s work.

Burton is a current or pastchair or member of boards ofdirectors for the Newfoundland& Labrador Brain IndustryAssociation, St. John’s RealEstate Board, Canadian HomeBuilders’ Association, JanewayChildren’s Hospital Foundation,Salvation Army Advisory Boardand the Canadian Breast CancerFoundation.

Chamber ofCommerce honoursRoyal LePageCountry Realty

Royal LePage County Realtyin Athabasca, Alta. was recentlyawarded the 2015 CommunitySpirit Award from theAthabasca and Area DistrictChamber of Commerce in recog-nition of its contributions to thecommunity.

“A few years ago, all of theRealtors in our office made acommitment to donate $50 perend to our donation fund,” saysassociate broker TamaraYurchak. “Throughout the year,we donate to local communitygroups and organizations who areconducting projects in our com-munity. We focus on communi-ty and youth. Since we startedthe program, we have donatedover $33,000 to our community.”

REM

At the Re/Max Integra bro-ker/manager awards, fromleft: Gurinder Sandhu,Re/Max Integra EVP; MikeZuccato, Broker/Owner ofthe Year award recipient;Pamela Alexander, CEO; andWalter J. Schneider, presidentand co-founder.

The sales reps at Royal LePage CountyRealty were recently honoured by theAthabasca and Area District Chamber ofCommerce.

Jim Burton

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REM Ad Dec.indd 1 2015-12-08 4:52 PM

ith the population ofreal estate franchiseowners averaging over

55 years of age, it’s not surprisingthat a large number are increasing-ly concerned about cost effectiveretirement saving and successionplanning. A relatively new retire-ment savings option that’s ideallysuited to real estate brokers hasemerged, but many people in thereal estate industry don’t knowabout it.

The Personal Pension Plan(PPP) is a registered pension planthat is tailored for professionalslooking for a better way to savefor retirement. It is approved bythe Canada Revenue Agency(CRA) and designed to make set-ting up a pension plan for a singleperson easy and inexpensive. ThePPP is essentially an enhancedIndividual Pension Plan (IPP)structured as a worry-free solutionthat solves many of the problemsassociated with conventionalIPPs. For real estate professionals,it offers a more appealing alterna-tive to RRSPs.

Unlike the more commonlyknown IPPs, the PPP is a combi-nation pension plan – in fact, it’sthe only combination individualpension plan available inCanada. It is specificallydesigned to help real estate pro-fessionals navigate the variouseconomic cycles associated withrunning their business. It accom-plishes this by providing a choiceeach year. In any given year thelevel of contributions canchange as your financial situa-tion dictates. This ensures thatcontributors can maximize theirretirement savings, while mini-mizing corporate taxes, at everystage of their lives.

The PPP allows plan membersto choose how to accrue retire-ment savings and avoid the largefinancial costs associated withmandatory defined benefit con-tributions. Clients can choose tofund their pension using a defined

28 REM JANUARY 2016

By Jennifer Black

W

Announcement

Congratulations Jason Yu Team!

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552

to arrange your confidential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

Johnson Yu Broker /Owner (Left) Jason Yu Broker/Owner (Centre) Janet Yu Broker /Owner (Right)

RE/MAX Partners Realty Inc.550 Hwy 7 E, Unit 103 Richmond Hill , ON

Please join us in congratulating Jason, Johnson & Janet Yu on their new RE/MAX office! With over 15 years in the Real Estate Industry and over 10 years with RE/MAX, their decision to open a brokerage and take their team to the next level was the natural evolution of their careers.

Knowing RE/MAX is the most globally recognized brand that helps its sales associates promote and attract business through varied specialized tools, and RE/MAX’s recent investment into the Chinese community were a few of Jason’s reasons to decide to open RE/MAX Realty Partners Inc.

Congratulations and we look forward to a successful 2016!

Announcement

Please join us in congratulating RE/MAX Broker/Owner Jim Burton for receiving the 2015 Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Red Cross, Newfoundland and Labrador! This honour comes at a price of hard work, dedication and recognizing the opportunity to be a valuable member of your community. Jim, a respected entrepreneur in the industry, sits on a number of boards of directors, is philanthropic in every way possible, and has been with RE/MAX for nearly two decades! Congratulations Jim on this honour, and thank you for all that you do!

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552

to arrange your confi dential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

Jim BurtonBroker/Owner

Infi nity Realty Inc.54 Conception Bay HighwayCBS, NL

RE/MAX Broker/Owner Jim Burton Honoured

Combination pension planunique in CanadaA relatively new retirement savingsoption that’s ideally suited to real estatebrokers has emerged, but many people inthe industry don’t know about it.contribution option that allevi-ates the financial burden associ-ated with funding an expensivedefined benefit pension during adepressed economic cycle.Another benefit is the PPP,which is an indexed product,outperforms the conventionalIPP in terms of tax deductions atany age, while the conventionalIPP is designed only to benefitplan members who are over 40-years-old.

Here are just a few of the solu-tions the PPP offers to real estateprofessionals (brokers and agentswho operate under a “mini-broker”program):

• Higher contribution levelsthan RRSPs – The PPP relies onthe same federal and provincialpension legislation that governsconventional IPPs. However, sincethe plan’s structure relies on pen-sion rules rather than RRSP rules,there is an ability to increase retire-ment savings by approximately $1million above and beyond theRRSP maximums.

• New corporate tax deduc-tions – The PPP generates newand additional tax deductions/sav-ings that are not available toRRSPs: buying back past service,terminal funding, special paymentsand investment management fees.

• Robust creditor protection– Pension laws ensure all pensionplan assets are trade-creditor pro-tected. RRSP assets often do notreceive the same protection.

• HST refund – Pension planadministrators can claim the 33per cent HST refund that is notavailable to RRSP savers.

• Fiduciary oversight – ThePPP’s pension provider, IntegrisPension Management Corp., islegally obligated to act in planmembers’ best interests.Practically, the provider negotiatesservice provider fee reductions,

transfers group discounts to planmembers and caps fees, amongother things.

• Plan administration andcompliance – Integris ensuresmember plans comply withprovincial and federal legisla-tion and completes and files allnecessary documentation. ThePPP model allows the client’scorporation to delegate planadministration and complianceresponsibilities to Integris,thereby offering a simplifiedturnkey solution.

The new CRA-approved PPPis designed exclusively for busi-ness owners and incorporatedprofessionals. It’s a powerful andflexible way to save for yourretirement using a choice of threedifferent sub-accounts that letyou choose how to save yourmoney in any given year.

Whether you’re a franchiseelooking for a company plan foryour management team, a familybusiness owner wanting to set upa plan for your ownership group,or an incorporated professional,the PPP offers you the assuranceand protection for your hard-earned money and assets to savefor your retirement.

Isn’t it time real estate profes-sionals got a chance to plan forretirement in style?

Jennifer Black is a CertifiedFinancial Planner and president ofDedicated Financial Solutions. Shehas been ranked as one of Canada’sTop Ten Advisor teams and was rec-ognized by the Mississauga Board ofTrade as Small Business of the Year in2014. Jennifer is available for speak-ing engagements to real estate fran-chisees and business owners. To learnmore about the Personal PensionPlan, and to receive a complimentaryretirement savings illustration, visitwww.createwealthnow.ca REM

REM JANUARY 2016 29

Announcement

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552

to arrange your confi dential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

Please join us in welcoming back Lisa Fayle and her team to RE/MAX Rouge River Realty Ltd.! Lisa is currently ranked in the Top 1% of Sales Associates for units sold in 2015 YTD, with over $60 million in volume sales registered on the Toronto Real Estate Board. This move has created a signifi cant shift in the RE/MAX market share in the Durham Region, as Lisa has been recognized the #1 Sales Representative for Keller Williams Canada in the Durham Region for 2014, and #1 for Keller Williams Canada in Whitby, Ontario for 2015 year-to-date. Congratulations Lisa on this decision! We are excited to have you and your team return to RE/MAX Rouge River Realty Ltd., and look forward to a very successful 2016 and beyond.

Rouge River Realty Ltd.3000 Garden St. N. Ste 100 & 101Whitby, ON

Welcome Lisa Fayle Team!

Announcement

It is with great excitement that we announce RE/MAX INTEGRA’s newest owner, Roger LeBlanc. Roger is the new owner of RE/MAX Avante in Moncton, New Brunswick.

He recently converted his Royal LePage Équipe Roger LeBlanc team offi ce and will now operate under RE/MAX Avante alongside his 15 agents, servicing the Greater Moncton Area.

Please welcome Roger and his team to the RE/MAX network; we wish you all the best!

Welcome RE/MAX Avante!

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552

to arrange your confi dential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

Roger LeBlancBroker/Owner

Avante225 Lutz St. Moncton, NB

Saint John, N.B.; and NicoleLeBlanc, sales rep with ExitRealty Associates in Moncton –each won a gold watch as one ofthe consolation prizes as finalistsin the draw for $75,000. Theblack tie gala wrapped up a fullweek of convention speakers andevents. “The Chairman’s Ball is afine dining, dance-until-you-dropevening,” says Joyce Paron, presi-dent of the Canadian Division forExit Realty Corp. International.“The cash prize sizzle during theevening is the only time that wecan get people off of the dancefloor! It’s no surprise the conven-tion was sold out and that a recordnumber of registration ticketswere sold for next year’s event,which will be held at the presti-gious Atlantis Paradise IslandResort in The Bahamas.”

■ ■ ■

Chiyoko Kakino is the newvice president of marketing atCentury 21 Canada.

Her marketing career includesdriving the renewal and expansionof two well-regarded Canadianrestaurant franchises. She startedwith Vancouver-based White SpotLimited, where she was a key part

of the team that successfullylaunched the restaurant’s quick ser-vice concept Triple O’s in majorvenues including Rogers Arena,Chevron and BC Ferries. Kakinomost recently led over four years ofsteady growth for Dermal LaserCentres.

“Chiyoko brings national expe-rience in brand management, mar-ket research, new product develop-ment, earned media, PR and adver-tising,” says Martin Charlwood,vice chairman and CEO, Century21 Canada. “Franchisees arealready welcoming the experienceshe brings to the organization andwere excited to learn about therobust marketing initiatives sheand her team introduced into thefield as presented at our nationalconference in Charlottetown lastmonth. The leadership team wel-comes her expertise to our big pic-ture strategies.”

■ ■ ■

Bancroft Real Estate.com hasjoined the Aventure RealtyNetwork. Broker/owner TimFulford has more than 26 years ofreal estate experience.

“This strong local brand willstrengthen the reach and referralcapacity of Aventure members,”says network founder Bernie Vogt.“Together with a team of outstand-

ing Realtors, Tim delivers a fullsuite of real estate services as well asoperating a well-developed cottagerental division. “

Aventure and its 55 memberbrokerages serve 1,200 marketsacross Canada though 2,200 salesreps.

■ ■ ■

The Century 21 PeterboroughLakers, sponsored by Century 21United Realty, had one of theirbest seasons and won the 2015Major Series LacrosseChampionship (MSL) this year.They represented Canada East atthe national Mann Cup, losing theseries in six games to the VictoriaShamrocks.

“We’re blown away by the tal-ent and achievements of thePeterborough Lakers this year. Welldone team, you’ve represented thewhole community and made us allproud,” says Carl Oake, owner ofCentury 21 United Realty. “Theyreally embody what being ‘smarter,bolder, and faster’ can achieve,which is our Century 21 servicemotto.”

Peterborough Lakers’ playerShawn Evans had an outstandingyear and was named “arguably thebest lacrosse player in the worldtoday” by Mike Davies of thePeterborough Examiner. REM

Multiple ListingsContinued from page 6

Remember the spiders when blogging

I would like to congratulatecolumnist Kim Rempel on herlofty ambitions (Writing a blog thatpeople are dying to read, DecemberREM).

There are a couple of thingsshe forgot to mention, more onthe mechanical side of things.Blogging is very important, espe-cially if you’re not the kind of realestate agent who does most of hisor her business while out golfing.Yes, Realtors need to blog. Itranks up there with sending outflyers, cold calling and benchadvertising. It’s a big bad world

out there and everyone is busythinking of new ways to generateleads. The old days of office free-bies are long gone.

Some web guy once tried toexplain to me while I was havinga spicy original chicken sandwichat Burger King (with Coke) thatthere are spiders out there on theweb that go out at night aroundmidnight. They search for newcontent and then upload it tointo its proper channels. If youblog, for example, about “Girlsintermediate soccer in Vaughan”you might want to throw in somewords like “Vaughan playoffresults” or “Limited parking aproblem at Vaughan PublicParks” or even something like

“Nike Soccer Balls”.My point is that what you

write about on the Internet willget analyzed and sorted by theselittle spiders in ways that are dif-ficult to comprehend.

Check out this blog that I posted about a rental com-plex in London Ontario:http://www.yourcondoworld.com/blog/

Hopefully with this style ofwriting people will some dayfind me.

Peter DaoustBroker

Re/Max Advantage RealtyLondon, Ont. REM

Letters to the Editor

30 REM JANUARY 2016

Good WorksGood Worksanaimo, B.C. sales repKen Welte volunteers atthe Air Cadet squadron

in Nanaimo offering weeklyinstruction on airframes, naviga-tion, engines, air law, meteorologyand airmanship. He also takes stu-dents flying for free in his Cessna172 so that they can gain practicalexperience.

“I encourage students to takeadvantage of every opportunitythrough Air Cadets,” says Welte,who is with Sutton Group – WestCoast Realty. “I teach the cadetsthe academics towards earning ascholarship so they can receivetheir pilot’s license for free…As

well, we focus on current eventslocally, nationally and internation-ally, making these young men andwomen fantastic ambassadors forCanada.”

Welte, who has been volun-teering for more than 20 years, saysmany of the students he has taughtover the years are currently flyingfor both large and small aviationcompanies, as well as serving in themilitary as pilots, non-pilot officersand non-commissioned members.“I teach them that no goal is toohigh to obtain. After all, ChrisHadfield started out in AirCadets.”

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Burloak RealEstate Services in Burlington, Ont.held its 6th Annual CharityHalloween Chili Bowl to raisemoney for Halton Women’s Placeand The Carpenter Hospice.

“The participation, supportand costumes keep getting betteryear after year,” says JoAnnJusdanis, president andbroker/owner. “Our committee, ledby Brenda Macdonald, did a fan-tastic job organizing the event.Funds raised at our AnnualHalloween Chili Bowl are donatedto The Royal LePage ShelterFoundation in support of our localwomen’s shelter.”

About 130 people attended theevent to bowl, which includedRoyal LePage Burloak sales reps,administrative employees andcommunity sponsors. Over thepast 13 years, the brokerage hasraised more than $250,000 in sup-port of Halton Women’s Place andthe Carpenter Hospice.

■ ■ ■

The Surrey, B.C. Food Bank

feeds 15,000 people per month and41 per cent of them are childrenand babies. The team at Sutton -Premier Realty regularly helps outon the front lines at the food bank.Every two months, a group of 10salespeople commit to a four-hourshift.

“I usually have more volunteersthan I need,” says Ron Clauzel,who has been organizing the pro-ject for his office. “SometimesRealtors will bring one of theirchildren with them as part of theschool volunteering program. Wealways find it very rewarding andall of us, including the kids, have alot of fun doing it.”

The team holds food drivesand, each Christmas, they sponsorfamilies and provide baskets offood and gifts.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage PerformanceRealty in Orleans, Ont. was theGrand Champion Winner for bestfloat that embodied the Christmasspirit at the local Santa Clausparade. Sales rep Diane Rennie

and her husband Paul organizedthe float build, which was themedSanta’s Workshop.

While Santa is the main attrac-tion of the parade, the focus of theannual event is to raise money andcollect toys for the SalvationArmy. Loads of toys along withthousands of dollars have been col-lected over the years, helping tomake Christmas a little more joy-ous for financially challenged fam-ilies in the community.

■ ■ ■

The 18th Annual Royal GalaLive and Silent Auction, hosted byRoyal LePage South Country RealEstate Services in Lethbridge,Alta. was another resounding suc-cess. Just over $58,000 was raisedvia the auction of hundreds ofitems at this popular communityevent. Proceeds were directed tolocal shelter YWCA HarbourHouse in support of women andchildren fleeing domestic violence.

■ ■ ■

N

Continued on page 31

Ken Welte with his Cesna 172.

The “Waldo’s LuckyStrikers” from RoyalLePage Burloak RealEstate Services were,from left, administrativeemployees Tammy Ford,Maria Albanese, KatieYeomans and Carrie-Anne White.

A team of “pink ladies” from Royal LePageMeadowtowne Realty, from left: Susan Lougheed, bro-ker; Carrie Dodds and Jacquie Sullivan, sales reps; TracyWeatherall and Ashley Dwyer, agent services adminis-trators; and Tammy Scott, sales rep.

Anh Son and Ron Clauzel of Sutton –Premier Realty at the Surrey Food Bank.

Keller Williams Complete Realtyrecently raised $20,965 to sup-port a Habitat for Humanitybuild. Front row, from left:Carrie Scarfe, Sandy MacKay,Shayle Rothman, Mark Loeffler,Sean Ferris from Habitat forHumanity, Fab Giuliani andLyndsay Scott from the Womenin Law Build team and Jeff

Varcoe from Cornerstone Select Properties. Top row: SandraTweedie, Nicole Vandervelde and Janna Frederick.

Members of the Royal LePageSouth Country Real EstateServices Royal Gala committeeand colleagues present event pro-ceeds to YWCA HarbourHouse.

Royal LePage Performance in Orleans, Ont. won theprize for best float in the local Santa Claus parade.

RoyalLePageNorthstarRealty salesrep BarbaraAnnKisiloskicrosses thefinish line atthe 2015New YorkCityMarathon.

Pictured with playhouse winner JanicePilipow (centre) are Royal LePage PremierRealty’s Murray Arnold, Larry Hanowskiand Gaylene Skinner.

REM JANUARY 2016 31

www.slavensrealestate.com/careers416.483.4337

Accelerate your careerI love working at Slavens because my colleagues are genuine, hardworking people who are approachable and always willing to help. The support staff are resourceful, creative and can quickly turn my ideas into successful marketing pieces.

Slavens & Associates fosters growth rather than competition amongst the agents. It is a great place to work and I would never consider another brokerage.

Eileen Lasswell, Salesperson2015 Triple Diamond Award Winner2014 Diamond Award Winner2014 Rookie of the Year

Announcement

If you are interested in ownership opportunities with RE/MAX, the largest most productive real estate brand, contact Christopher Alexander at 1-416-786-5552

to arrange your confi dential meeting, or visit remaxintegra.com.

Welcome Marco & Rob, to RE/MAX Finest Realty Inc.Join us as we welcome Marco DiPietrantonio and Rob Colangeli to the RE/MAX network! As the newest additions to RE/MAX Finest Realty Inc., Marco and Rob offer almost 20 years of Real Estate experience.

They were attracted to the RE/MAX brand because it is internationally recognized, offers its brokers and agents tremendous support in every aspect of growing and maintaining your business, and offers exceptional training programs.

Please give Marco and Rob a warm welcome, and we look forward to helping you grow in 2016!

Marco DiPietrantonio (L)Sales RepresentativeRob Colangeli (R)Sales Representative

Finest Realty Inc.101 William Henderson DrAmherstview, ON

Keller Williams CompleteRealty recently held its secondannual charity golf tournament insupport of the Women in LawBuild team and Habitat forHumanity. The golf committee,numerous sponsors and volunteersraised $20,965 for the cause.

Habitat for Humanity FamilyServices selected the Arezina fam-ily for the Women In Law to sup-port. Currently they live in a two-bedroom apartment with a smallbalcony. There are six children inthe family, two of whom requirewheelchairs. The home that isbeing built will meet their accessi-bility needs.

The build started October2014 and was set for completionin December.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Northstar Realtysales rep Barbara Ann Kisiloski ofSurrey, B.C. recently completed

the New York City Marathon, run-ning in support of the RoyalLePage Shelter Foundation. It wasKisiloski’s third “Marathon forShelter”. She ran 42 km throughthe five boroughs of New YorkCity and raised $1,500, which wasdonated to Sources-CommunityResource Centres in White Rock,B.C. to help local women and chil-dren safely escape violence.

■ ■ ■

After a terrible act of domesticviolence occurred in a neighbour-ing community, staff and sales repsfrom Royal LePage Premier Realtyin Yorkton, Sask. took action insupport of their local women’s shel-ter, Shelwin House.

“The idea of constructing andraffling a playhouse was born,” saysRoyal LePage Premier Realty bro-ker/owner Warren Vandenameele.“I’m thankful to everyone from ouroffice and community who sup-ported this initiative. We’re veryproud to have raised $3,190, whichwill help Shelwin House serve

local women and children who areseeking safety.”

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage ShelterFoundation supporters raised$27,000 in support of domesticviolence prevention at the 7thAnnual Shelter Soiree in Toronto.Guests from across the provinceand as far away as British Columbiagathered to “Shake, Rattle & Bowlfor Shelter” at the 1950s-themedbowling event hosted by the RoyalLePage Shelter Foundation.

Dressed as “pink ladies andgreasers”, guests sipped vintagecocktails, danced to throw-backmusic and posed with MarilynMonroe and Elvis Presley imper-sonators. The evening featured acasually competitive tournament,with Royal LePage Triland Realtyin London, Ont. taking home thetop team prize. Alexa Payne ofRoyal LePage Connect Realty inPickering and Jeff Nethercott ofRoyal LePage Landco Realty inLondon won the women’s andmen’s champion titles. REM

ecently I once again ven-tured to downtownToronto to attend the

Re/Max Broker/Owner FallConference. This time I took acab downtown. No parking wor-ries, no traffic to fight. I just satback, relaxed and read the Globe &Mail. Forty-five minutes later Iemerged into the hustle and chaosin front of the IntercontinentalHotel.

Arriving a little ahead of the8:30 am start, I had some time tosee a few old friends and get caughtup on current business, our familiesand other good stuff. This is one ofthe things I most enjoy aboutattending conferences and semi-nars.

There was an excellent line-up

Make the mostof conferences

AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

of guest speakers and the close-outspeaker was Brian Buffini, who wasnot only insightful but also sharedsome startling and mind-stimulat-ing thoughts from several industrysurveys. Laptops and iPads got alot of action as attendees madenotes to be shared later at meetingswith other managers, owners andsales staff.

One of the surveys Mr. Buffinishared with us showed that manyof our agents are now working fromhome rather than from the realestate office. Many have foundthat they no longer need mortarand bricks to conduct a successfulbusiness, prompted in part by theadvent of authorized electronic sig-natures.

The millennials, the younger,current generation (and youngerthan I by several decades) areextremely techno-savvy and excit-ed and eager to experience thegreat advantages that new technol-ogy affords them.

If we owners, managers or salesagents believe we can use the sameold methods of doing business as

we have been doing for years, werun the risk of falling behind thetimes. Yes, there will always be aniche for door knocking, cold call-ing and direct mail, but we mustalways be willing and able to stayahead of the curve as well andembrace new technology as neverbefore.

I think the whole key in goingto seminars or conferences, inaddition to meeting and renewingold acquaintances, is to take awayfour to five ideas that you can actu-ally use and to pass these ideas toagents. When you do this, theresult will be an improved bottomline.

Make your investment of timeand money worthwhile.Conferences are more than partiesand fun nights.

Stan Albert, ABR, ASA is a con-sultant with Re/Max Premier inVaughan, Ont. He can be reached forconsultation at [email protected] is now celebrating his 45th yearas an active real estate professional.

REM

R

Good WorksContinued from page 30

ntario’s provincial gov-ernment has decided itwill not extend the

power to charge a Municipal LandTransfer Tax to municipalities out-side of Toronto, where it alreadyexists.

“This is a huge win forOntario’s homeowners and thosewho dream of one day owning ahome. It reaffirms that theMunicipal Land Transfer Tax is abad revenue tool, not just outsideToronto but in it as well,” says

32 REM JANUARY 2016

O Patricia Verge, president of theOntario Real Estate Association(OREA).

OREA led a five-week cam-paign called Don’t Tax My Dreamthat saw Realtors and 32,000members of the public voice theiropposition to the spread of the taxprovince wide.

■ ■ ■

The Canadian Association ofAccredited Mortgage Professionalswas rebranded as Mortgage

Professionals Canada at the associ-ation’s annual meeting inNovember.

“We heard loud and clear frommembers that our name wasn’t agood fit,” Samir Asusa, senior vicepresident, CFO and interim CEOof the organization told CanadianMortgage Trends. “Changing ourbrand accomplishes at least threekey things: 1) MortgageProfessionals Canada better alignsand represents our entire member-ship. 2) It provides us with a brandthat consumers can easily under-stand and associate with the brokerchannel. 3) Internally, the newname reminds us that we workeach day for the benefit of ourmembers – not for an entity such asan association or institute.”

■ ■ ■

The Alberta Real EstateAssociation (AREA) says it is“taking steps…to look at the issue

of residential property measure-ment.”

The move came after anEdmonton Journal article reportedon fines levied on real estate sales-people by the Real Estate Councilof Alberta for misrepresenting thesize of condominiums in real estatelistings.

“The issue of residential prop-erty measurements, including con-dominium, is complex,” says IanBurns, AREA’s CEO. “As the arti-cle notes, even a registered size fora property is not standardizedacross the industry. Registered sizessometimes include non-livingareas like balconies and parkingstalls, and in other instances donot.”

AREA says that currently inAlberta, there is no province wideregulation or standard of measure-ment. Local real estate boardsenforce individual sets of rules withregard to measurements posted on

their MLS systems and hold mem-bers accountable for errors.

Burns says steps are being takento clarify the measurement rulesacross the province.

“AREA will be working withlocal boards to look at the existingrules and agree on the implemen-tation and enforcement of aprovincial standard of measure-ment for residential properties,including condominiums, for thebenefit of all consumers.”

■ ■ ■

At the entrance of theCanadian Museum for HumanRights in Winnipeg, there is aRealtor welcome recognizing thecommunity’s $2 million contribu-tion to the national centre forhuman rights education.

“Realtors’ commitment to theCanadian Museum for HumanRights has been a remarkable indi-cation of the generosity of the real

The new logo for MortgageProfessionals Canada.

Realtors contributed $2 million tothe Canadian Museum for HumanRights in Winnipeg.

The 10th Jam with a Past President event at Lee’sPalace in Toronto raised more than $8,000 for theOntario Realtors Care Foundation recently. It fea-tured performances by Royal LePage president PhilSoper, Toronto Real Estate Board EO JohnDiMichele and president Mark McLean and OntarioReal Estate Association past president Barb Sukkau.The event is organized annually by Brian Walker,broker of record at NRS Select.

Marjorie Biggins waspresident of SGBAR in1980.

Kim Alvarez

Kevin Woolham, president ofSGBAR, with MarjorieBiggins.

Charlotte Zawada Norman Langlois

Regina Realtors have con-tributed $113,000 over thelast decade to the NorthCentral Family Centre’sYouth EmpowermentProgram.

VIREB and Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln collaborated on an event toraise money for Nanaimo’s Haven Society. (Photo courtesy ofNanaimo Daily News)

REM JANUARY 2016 33

Technology and others.WECAR is second oldest real

estate association in Canada.

■ ■ ■

The Association of ReginaRealtors (ARR) has donated$15,000 to the North CentralFamily Centre’s YouthEmpowerment Program. That’shalf the record proceeds raised atthis year’s ARR Annual GolfTournament plus an additional$5,000 from the association itself,bringing the total Regina Realtorshave contributed to the NCFCover the past decade to almost$113,000.

This year’s donation will pur-chase books and supplies for thecentre’s classes on literacy, jewelry,art, anti-bullying and girls’ self-

esteem. Past support has includedconstruction of a courtyard at thecentre, tutoring, reading andhomework help, supplies to helpyouth assist elders and houseboundresidents with yard care and pro-viding the paint for a colourfulmural that young people created inmemory of the NCFC’s otherfounder, Ivan Amichand, whopassed away in 2013.

Along with assisting the NorthCentral Family Centre, ARR hasdonated $10,000 – the other halfof this year’s golf tournament pro-ceeds – to help the Albert ParkCommunity Association fund anew walking path and otherenhancements at Realtors Park.This follows the ARR’s $7,585donation to the project last year.

REM

estate industry. It didn’t come fromany one single person or corpora-tion but rather through a grass-roots approach to reach out to over100,000 national members of orga-nized real estate,” says DianeBoyle, CEO with Friends of theCanadian Museum for HumanRights.

“Realtors across Canada partic-ipated in an extraordinary effort tosupport the establishment of thisjewel in the heart of the conti-nent,” says Harry DeLeeuw, whoworked alongside other leadersthroughout the capital campaign.

In the museum’s most recentvisitor survey, 97 per cent ofrespondents were satisfied orextremely satisfied with the visitorexperience. And, more than sevenout of every 10 visitors said theywill talk with family and friendsabout what they learned atCMHR.

■ ■ ■

Members of The Oakville,Milton and District Real EstateBoard (OMDREB) held theirannual Election/ChristmasLuncheon on #GivingTuesdayrecently. It was at this time lastyear that 2015 president JeffMahannah announced that he hadchosen the Nanny Angel Network(NAN) as his President’s Charity.NAN is the only organization of itskind in Canada to provide free in-home childcare support for moth-ers who have been diagnosed withcancer, for those requiring pallia-tive care and for families requiringadditional relief during thebereavement period.

In the last 12 months membersof OMDREB threw their supportbehind the charity and on#GivingTuesday, they presentedAudrey Guth, founder of NANwith a $40,000 contribution.Incoming president CharlotteForget has also chosen NAN as hercharity of choice for 2016.

■ ■ ■

Kim Alvarez, a salespersonwith Royal LePage Burloak RealEstate Services, has been inductedas president of the RealtorsAssociation of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB). She suc-ceeds Donna Bacher and will leadthe 2,900-member association in2016.

Alvarez has been a member ofthe association since 2009. Shewas first elected to the RAHBBoard of Directors in 2013.

Joining her on the 2016 Board

of Directors are Lou Piriano (presi-dent elect), Jack Loft, (vice presi-dent), Donna Bacher (immediatepast president), Ann Forbes Arndt,Nik Bucalo, Kathy Della-Nebbia,Paul Martindale, Gary Herron,Peter Holgate, Andrew Robertsonand Bob Van de Vrande.

■ ■ ■

The Realtors Association ofEdmonton has appointed threerepresentatives to the Alberta RealEstate Association’s (AREA)Board of Directors. Two sittingdirectors will be returning for atwo-year term – Charlie Ponde ofRealty Executive North Star andLarry Westergaard of Re/Max RealEstate. They will be joined byDoug Singleton of Royal LePageNoralta Real Estate, who will alsosit for a two-year term.

“We were thrilled to havemany qualified applicants for thepositions. This type of engagementby our members demonstrates thededication Realtors have to thebetterment of their industry,” saysGeneva Tetreault, chair of theRealtors Association of Edmonton.“These directors have clearlydemonstrated an understanding ofindustry issues and leadership qual-ities that will serve our associationwell at the provincial level.”

■ ■ ■

Marjorie Biggins, a member ofthe Southern Georgian BayAssociation of Realtors for over 45years, retired recently. She was afounding member of what wasthen called the Collingwood &District Real Estate Board in 1970.She went on to serve the member-ship in many volunteer rolesincluding secretary-treasurer,director and vice president. In1980 she was elected president.

In recognition of her dedica-tion and commitment to the asso-ciation, Biggins was awardedHonorary Member designation in2013. Recently at the association’sgeneral membership meeting,members and staff paid tribute toher and extended their best wishesas she begins the next phase of herlife.

■ ■ ■

The Kitchener-WaterlooAssociation of Realtors (KWAR)has elected Charlotte Zawada, asalesperson with Re/Max TwinCity in Kitchener, to serve as pres-ident.

Zawada has been a Realtormember of KWAR since 2004 and

director on the board since 2012. Joining Zawada as officers of

the association are Mark Wolle ofRoyal LePage Wolle Realty as pastpresident, James Craig of CBRELimited as first vice president,Tony Schmidt of Howie SchmidtRealty as second vice presidentand EO Bill Duce.

New to the board of directorsthis year are Ginger Whitney ofWhitney & Company Realty andDavid McIntyre of McIntyre RealEstate Services. Returning as direc-tors are Jane Gardner of RoyalLePage Wolle Realty, Eric Klimstraof Royal LePage Grand ValleyRealty, Colleen Koehler ofRe/Max Twin City Realty andBrian Santos of Peak Realty.

■ ■ ■

Recently the Vancouver IslandReal Estate Board (VIREB) andSteve Marshall Ford Lincoln pre-sented $10,000 to Nanaimo’sHaven Society. The money wasraised at a Driven to Give test-drive event in Nanaimo.

Recognizing that charitableorganizations and educationalinstitutions are frequently unableto reach their full potential due tolack of funding, Lincoln MotorCompany developed the Driven toGive program. Each test drivetaken on event day earns $50 forthe chosen charity, to a maximumof $10,000. Steve Marshallapproached VIREB in the springwith a proposal to collaborate onDriven to Give.

VIREB has a long, establishedrelationship with Haven Society,having supported the organizationfor many years with an annualstaff-initiated Christmas donationcomprising a year’s worth of week-ly contributions for Jeans Day.Driven to Give provided anenhanced opportunity to help raisefunds and promote awareness.

■ ■ ■

The Windsor-Essex CountyAssociation of Realtors(WECAR), representing over 850active members, has electedNorman Langlois as 2016 presi-dent. He is a salesperson withRegency Realty in LaSalle, Ont.

In a news release, the associa-tion says Langlois feels “passionate-ly about strict adherence to ourgoverning documents, as well asthe advancement of the real estateindustry”. He has chaired and/orvolunteered on several associationcommittees, including Discipline,MLS/Standard Forms, PAC,

ouse sellers namedNigel, Mike or Louisesell their homes faster

than anyone else, says research byBritish online real estate firmHouse Network.

In the U.K., Nigels require 12per cent fewer viewings than thesecond fastest name in the rank-ings, Mike, and 34 per cent lessthan the average of 15. The com-pany says vendors named Louise,the third fastest name for sellers,are taking down the for sale signin 25 per cent fewer viewings thanthe national average.

At the other end of the spec-trum, sellers named Jason takethe longest to sell at nearly dou-ble the average number of view-ings per sale of a Nigel, and need31 per cent more than theBritish average to complete.Ben, Nicholas, Colin and Darrenround out the top five slowestselling names.

House Network says it com-piled the report using data from8,883 house sales in the U.K.

There appears to be no genderbias at the quickest end of themarket, with an equal split of maleand female names in the list of thetop 10 fastest selling monikers.However, men dominate the 10slowest selling names as Kate,Lucy and Amanda are the onlywomen’s names to feature thislow.

The report also shows that the

most common vendor namesoverall are David, Paul, Andrewand Mark. The same names fea-ture prominently as the most pop-ular on the buying side of the deal.The most common is David again.Sarah and Emma are the top buy-ing female names.

“It’s hard to put a finger onwhy Nigels are the quickest sell-ers; maybe it’s subliminal, maybebuyers just like the sound of thename Nigel, who knows,” saysMark Readings, House NetworkCEO.

“The frequency of buyers andvendors called David has a moreclear cut explanation with thisname being a permanent fixturein the top five most popular babynames from 1950-1990, simplymeaning there are just moreDavids of house buying and sell-ing age.”

Meanwhile, in the UnitedStates, Realtor.com pitted malestreet names – such as theJacksons, Grants and Coopers –against female street names – thePearls, Elizabeths and Roses – todetermine which street namecould hold more value.

It found that there are moreproperties on male streets thanfemale-named streets. However,properties on female streets werefound to be more valuable.

Streets with human nameshave less expensive propertiescompared to all streets. REM

If your name is Nigel, your house is sold

H

34 REM JANUARY 2016

ere is something that’scritical for you to do forthe year ahead: plan on

attending the most importanttrade shows in the real estateindustry. By planning to attend Ido not mean give it some thoughtand if you have the time andmoney you should attend. I mean,find the time and find the moneyand go.

All trade shows are impor-tant, especially one that is heldin your locality. However thereare three this year and a fourthnext year that are the mostimportant to attend. In chrono-logical order they are:

Realtor Quest – Toronto, May4 and 5. This is the biggest show inthe Canadian real estate industry.There are important things to seein the east and the west but hereyou will see them all. Everythingand anything that can impactwhat you do positively will be here.You should not miss this show.

As you walk the aisles – andthere are many aisles – you will seethe very latest in products, services,devices and technology. Each oneof these booths may have the exactelement or tool that can turn yourbusiness around or bring it to thestratosphere. Of course you willhave seen all of these products andservices first in REM’s pages buthere is a chance to see them upfront. Watch as they are demon-strated and ask any questions you

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By Heino Molls

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may have about their operationand effectiveness. At no other timewill you see such an array of thingsthat are tailored to people workingin the world of Canadian realestate sales. Realtor Quest is a“must attend” event that you can-not miss.

Atlantic Connection –Charlottetown, July 26-29. If youare reading this in Moncton, you’relucky because you live in the beau-tiful province of New Brunswick.You also have the added good for-tune of being able to drive acrossthe spectacular ConfederationBridge to Charlottetown in themiddle of summer to attend theAtlantic Connection.

If you don’t live in Monctonthen plan your journey to getthere. Once again you will haveseen the many products and ser-vices that will be demonstratedhere in the pages of REM first,however there will be some thatmay be especially focused to theunique locale and character of theMaritime experience. It is impossi-ble not to become a better sales-person or broker by attending thisshow. It is guaranteed you will be abetter person coming away.

NAR Conference and TradeShow – Orlando, Florida, Nov. 4-7. With more than 400 exhibitsand the expectation of over 20,000visitors, this is the biggest show inNorth America. It is for AmericanRealtors but as I heard it said at aconference in New York, realestate is real estate. This business isregulated in Canada by eachprovince. Same deal in the USA.It is not regulated nationally butstate by state.

At the end of the day regardlessof what province or state you are in,you are still either a real estate bro-ker or sales rep or a mortgage bro-ker. Real estate is still real estateand if you cannot benefit fromreviewing 400 booths of all mannerof things ready to bring your busi-ness to a new level, then you maynot be in the right business. Youhave to get down there to see it!

Banff Western Connection –Jan. 2017. I would certainly expectthat those who made the journeyfrom Canada’s western provincesto Realtor Quest and the AtlanticConnection will be ready to hostthe many visitors who should becoming to Banff in Jan. 2017.There is opportunity here to ski insome of Canada’s most beautifulsettings but it is not necessary to bea skier or even an outdoor person.Simply look out your hotel win-dow and the view you see will bebreathtaking and spiritual. Therecan be no better setting to see thelatest in technology, services andall manner of business elements –all focused to help you come togreater heights in real estate sales.How could you not come here?

As always, to review thedates, times, costs and all otherpertinent information aboutthese shows, check with REM,the official media sponsor forRealtor Quest and the AltlanticConnection. Every issue of REMas well as REM’s website,www.remonline.com, has infor-mation about trade show loca-tions and dates.

Heino Molls is publisher of REM.Email [email protected] REM

Fraser Valley Real Estate BoardGame Changer Conference andTrade ShowFeb. 3 - 5, 2016Coast Hotel & ConventionCentre, Langley, B.C.www.fvreb.bc.ca/conference.php

Toronto Real Estate Board’sRealtor QuestMay 4 - 5, 2016Toronto Congress CentreTorontowww.realtorquest.ca

Atlantic ConnectionJuly 26 - 29, 2016Delta Prince Edward & P.E.I.Convention CentreCharlottetownwww.atlanticconnection.ca/

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

To add a listing to this calendar, email [email protected] humbleadvice for 2016

MARKETPLACE

Trade Shows & Conferences

JAN LUISTERMANS1.519.709.0702

Realty 1 Strategic Real Estate Services Ltd.

YOUR LONDON ONTARIO CONNECTION40% for referral

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