December 2012

No decision yet on CREA tech companyPage 3

The cheapest houses in the U.K.Page 26

A few of our favourite appsPage 8

Issue #282 December 2012

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Judy MarsalesBroker, business woman, politician, musicianPage 16

To join an outstanding organization with outstanding agents, talk to your local RE/MAX Broker Owner or visit

joinremax.ca

he CREA FuturesImplementation Team(FIT) proposal to create

an independent technology orga-nization has been deferred untilMarch 2013.

At CREA’s Special GeneralMeeting in Winnipeg on Oct. 30,“there was a lot of support for (theproposal) in the room but therewere some people who weren’tsatisfied with a couple of theaspects in the proposal,” saysimmediate past president ofCREA and FIT chair Gary Morse.“Some people opposed aspects (ofthe proposal) and others hadquestions, so FIT will do morework and come back with a fullpackage (at the spring AGM)next March.”

The meeting was the firstopportunity for FIT to report backon the work it has been doing onthe Map to the Future planapproved earlier in March.

The most controversial issuedealt with the motion to create ashare capital independent technol-ogy corporation to run Realtor.caand CREA’s technology services.Morse says that a couple of the spe-

REM DECEMBER 2012 3

T

he sale of Prudential realestate offices in the UnitedStates will have no affect

on Canadian Prudential franchiseoffices, which are still owned byBrookfield Residential Real EstateServices. And company presidentand CEO Phil Soper announcedthis week that Lisa da Rocha hasbeen appointed vice-president andgeneral manager of PrudentialCanada Real Estate.

Soper says da Rocha will lead amanagement team to deliver “ahigh standard of service toPrudential Canada affiliates andtheir agents.”

There are currently 48Prudential Real Estate franchise

offices across Canada. During thelast year, Soper says 11 Prudentialoffices have switched to the RoyalLePage network, and while hehopes more will join Royal LePage,he expects some of the currentPrudential offices will continueunder that banner “to the end ofthe decade.”

Most recently, da Rocha wasvice-president, Brookfield RealEstate Services, and was responsiblefor key initiatives including thedevelopment of BrookfieldMortgage Services, the companysays. She has been with Brookfieldfor more than 10 years, including inleadership roles in BrookfieldGlobal Relocation Services,

HomeServe Online LeadGeneration Services and as VPmarketing for Royal LePage.

Brookfield announced thisweek that it has sold its majorityinterest in the Prudential RealEstate and Real Living Real Estatebrands in the United States toHomeServices of America.

“Berkshire Hathaway Home-Services is a new franchise brandbuilt upon the financial strengthand leadership of Brookfield andHomeServices,” said WarrenBuffett, chairman and CEO ofBerkshire Hathaway, in a state-ment. The company says thecombined networks of more than53,000 Prudential Real Estate and

Real Living Real Estate agentsgenerated more than $72 billionin residential real estate sales vol-ume in 2011 and operate acrossmore than 1,700 U.S. locations.

Berkshire Hathaway Home-Services will be led by Earl Lee,CEO; Stephen Phillips, COO;Brian Peterson, chief financial offi-cer; and Aleya Chattopadhyay,chief marketing officer. REM

No decision yet on CREA tech companyBy Tony Palermo

cific concerns were how the com-pany would work and the compa-ny’s potential income-earningopportunities.

Burlington-based sales rep RossKay is one who has several con-cerns with the proposal and ishappy to see the motion deferred.

“I’m glad a sober secondthought can now take place on theprivatization of Realtor.ca,” saysKay. “When you review the finan-cial projections, this was a $15 mil-lion per year expense for CREAmembers to be legally committedto. The financials lacked a totalunderstanding of the online tech-nology sector as it exists today anda total misrepresentation of thecurrent online advertising oppor-tunities.”

Kay also says the financialsincluded no preparation for thepotential of a massive reduction inmembership numbers, as happenedfrom 1990 to 1995, and providedno safe guards to prevent theremaining CREA members frombecoming liable for operationalexpenses.

How the motion to create aseparate technology company was

communicated to the membershipis another concern Kay shares withother Realtors.

“I think, universally, the vastmajority of CREA members didn’tknow this vote was taking place,”says Kay. “CREA did not commu-nicate directly to its members thata vote to make Realtor.ca a privatecompany was taking place. Instead,it was hidden in an agenda andburied in correspondence thatnever told the members what wasbeing voted on.”

But Morse disagrees. He saysthe whole project was communi-cated to the membership, explain-ing that CREA received permis-sion from the majority of the realestate boards and associations earlyin 2012 to communicate directlyto their members.

“We’ve been communicatingdirectly to members once a monthwith an email product calledNews2Me, which is sent to everymember whose board agreed wecould communicate directly totheir members,” says Morse. “Ithink the newsletter is going out toabout 96,000 out of 106,000Realtors, and I don’t think there

was a newsletter this year wherethe Futures project wasn’t men-tioned.”

Morse also says people wereencouraged to go to the Futuressite on RealtorLink to read thebackground information andwatch informational videos.Furthermore, during August andSeptember, Morse says CREA sentout six different emails, one perweek, encouraging the member-ship to watch a short video thataddressed a specific action in theplan and answered related ques-tions.

“We understand people are say-ing, ‘CREA didn’t tell us anything’but it’s not for lack of trying,” says

Morse. “There has never been abigger communication effort on aproject than there has been on thisFutures project.”

Morse also disagrees with thosewho have been saying CREA islooking to privatize Realtor.ca andits technology services, indicatingthat the word privatize is a bit of amisnomer. He says the share capi-tal corporation FIT is proposingwould be independent fromCREA, but still controlled andowned by CREA.

“We’re not talking about mak-ing it private where the companycan go off and do whatever itwants,” says Morse. “There wouldbe very strict operating guidelinesfor the company in terms of whatthey can and can’t do.”

And, he says, it would operatewith a mandate to provide tech-nology business services in the bestinterests of its Realtors.

CREA spokesperson PierreLeduc says that one of the thingsthe Futures project is looking at iscorrecting the perception fromfront-line Realtors that CREA isnot communicating with themeffectively or to the depth theywould expect.

Another motion brought for-ward by FIT and passed at theSpecial General Meeting was thatCREA no longer pursue the pro-posal to make FSBO and non-MLSdata available on Realtor.ca. FITdetermined there were no practicaloptions for making FSBO and non-MLS data available that didn’tinvolve significant risks to theRealtor and MLS trademarks. Theteam also reported that no businesscase was identified that would besufficiently compelling to justifytaking on these risks. REM

Gary Morse Ross Kay

Prudential’s Canadian offices not affected by U.S. dealBrookfield names Lisa da Rocha VP and general manager of Prudential Canada

Lisa da Rocha

T

4 REM DECEMBER 2012

Michel Friedman

Eva Liu

Marty Douglas

Jackie McEachern

Karrie-Ann Sheppard

Vivian Risi

Participants at the Network Blue event held in Niagara Falls recently.

Apex Results Realty officially launched on Oct. 19.

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

Friedman. It offers agents anoption of residuals or fixed-dollarbonuses paid monthly, trainingcourses and a company telephonefor agents’ home offices.

“The office, which will belocated in central Toronto, willfeature free parking, private andsemi-private offices and state-of-the-art computer and telephonesystems,” says Liu.

The owners say their goal is tobecome the largest independentbrokerage in Ontario within fiveyears.

■ ■ ■

Long-time Vancouver Islandbroker and REM columnist MartyDouglas has joined Re/Max OceanPacific Realty as managing brokerfor both of the brokerage’s ComoxValley locations.

Douglas was first licensed inreal estate in B.C. in 1970 and hasled award-winning real estateteams for national franchises andindependent real estate compa-nies, all in the Comox Valley. Hehas served the real estate industryat the Vancouver Island RealEstate Board (VIREB), the BritishColumbia Real Estate Association,

the Real Estate Council of B.C.and the Real Estate Errors andOmissions Insurance Corporation,all as chairperson. In 2010 he wasrecognized as an HonoraryMember of VIREB.

“In today’s marketplace, tech-nology allows the real estate busi-ness to be in the hands of amateurs.It deserves to be in the hands ofprofessionals,” says Douglas.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage YourCommunity Realty has acquiredtwo Prudential Renascent Realtyoffices in Keswick and Sutton,Ont. owned by Jackie McEachern.

McEachern earned her realestate license in 1971 and pur-chased the former Family Trustoffices in Keswick and Sutton afterearning her broker license. She is ahands-on broker who built heroffices to a current sales force of 28sales representatives, says RoyalLePage.

Vivian Risi, broker/owner ofRoyal LePage Your CommunityRealty, began her real estate careerin 1974. She eventually boughtthe company where she beganworking and in 15 years she turned

rokers Michel Friedmanand Eva Liu have formed anew independent real

estate brokerage in Toronto calledOrange Square Realty.

Friedman is a 22-year industryveteran, and has been vice-presi-dent of a large independent bro-kerage, general manager of aninternational franchise, broker ofrecord of his own multi-branchcompany, manager of various realestate offices and a freelance realestate trainer. He takes on the roleof broker of record, recruiter andtrainer at Orange Square Realty.

Liu has been a director offinancing for a large independentbrokerage for the past eight yearsand previously served in the samerole at an international real estatefranchise, as well as various broker-ages. She takes on the roles ofoffice manager and accounting.

The owners say the companywill operate on the principals theybelieve in: “Putting the agents’interests first by giving them maxi-mum support and intensive train-ing for a very reasonable fixed fee.”

“We offer options that are newto our industry, both to agents aswell as the consumer,” says

B

a sales office of 18 people into anetwork of 10 offices and 850Realtors. For 10 consecutive years,Risi’s company has owned the topshare of the markets in their localcommunities, the company says.

■ ■ ■

For the second consecutiveyear, more than 100 Realtors fromsix provinces gathered for theNetwork Blue networking event,organized by two Ontario Realtors.Georgiana Woods, sales rep atColdwell Banker Case Realty inToronto and Nancie Mleczko, bro-ker of Coldwell Banker PinnacleReal Estate in Hamilton, organizedthe event in Niagara Falls andextended it to two days so partici-pants could enjoy a social network-ing day in the Niagara Region,making new friends and buildingtheir referral network.

“These relationships haveenhanced our business opportuni-ties through referrals and sharing ofknowledge,” says Mleczko. “Withtwo guest speakers and a panel offive sales reps or brokers from dif-ferent markets, there was plenty toshare and learn,” she says. Lastyear’s event was held inMississauga.

■ ■ ■

Karrie-Ann Sheppard hasjoined Better Homes and GardensReal Estate Canada as its newdirector of client services.

Sheppard’s duties will include“guiding and directing the imple-mentation of new franchisees intothe BHGREC network and (she)will lead the client services team inthe delivery of resources and oper-ational support, and talent attrac-tion,” the company says in a state-ment.

Sheppard has more than 17years of sales and customer ser-vice experience. She was previ-ously with Richard RobbinsInternational.

■ ■ ■

Recently Apex Results Realtyopened its doors in Burlington,Ont. Bob Van de Vrande, previ-ously broker of record with SuttonGroup Results Realty, says he hasconverted the company “to adaptto the changing real estate businesswith the motto ‘Real Estate isChanging….And So Are We’”.

He says that in the past coupleof years there has been “a moveaway from large corporate franchis-es that charge salespeople highcosts plus recurring fees, towardsmore flexible independent compa-nies.” These companies “with alocal presence allow Realtors tobrand themselves in the market-place,” says Van de Vrande, “Thisenables them to offer a personal-ized service that is directly tied totheir own reputation – rather than

Continued on page 6

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REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled in Canada by The Canadian Real Estate Association(CREA) and identify licensed real estate practitioners who are members of CREA. MLS® and Multiple 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 copyright2012 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.

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Multiple ListingsContinued from page 4

to a company name.”Apex Results Realty offers

salespeople a full-service office,exclusive professional develop-ment and in-house training, hesays. “We consider ourselves thereal estate company for grownups.We are there to support them andto provide the services, office loca-tion and administrative help theyneed to succeed.”

The brokerage has 40 salespeo-ple, and Van de Vrande says he isalready looking at the possibility ofadditional offices in surroundingareas.

■ ■ ■

Century 21 Shackleton Realtyis open for business in Edmonton,offering property management andresidential and commercial realestate investment services. OwnerJohn D. Stobbe says, “I see goodemployment growth in Edmonton,and that will drive the demand forproperties in the area. Since wealready had a successful propertymanagement business it was onlynatural for us to expand into realestate as well.”

Stobbe became involved withreal estate by making small invest-ments in walk-up apartment build-ings. As his industry involvementgrew, he got his real estate licenseand has been doing business in theEdmonton region ever since. Priorto joining Century21, Stobbe’sproperty management businessoversaw over 500 units.

■ ■ ■

Joe Morriello, broker/owner ofPrudential Grange Hall Realty,with two offices in the GreaterToronto Area, has joined theRoyal LePage franchise network.Morriello’s company will nowoperate under the name RoyalLePage Grange Hall Realty.

Morriello obtained his realestate license in 1988 and his bro-ker’s license in 2006. He honed his

trade at HomeLife and Re/Maxbefore opening his Prudentialoffice in 2007.

Morriello specializes in com-mercial, residential and invest-ment properties. The brokerageservices the areas of Vaughan,King, Toronto, Richmond Hill,Markham and Aurora.

■ ■ ■

People’s Choice Realty ofGreenwood, N.S. has joined theAventure Realty Network.Broker/owner Darrell Rozee,together with partners BrianMorse, Pat Cogswell and BillLeDrew, deliver a full suite of realestate services throughout theAnnapolis Valley. Aventure, a net-work of independent brokerages,now has more than 50 membercompanies.

■ ■ ■

Sutton Group - Admiral RealEstate recently opened a secondoffice on Centre Street inThornhill, Ont. A grand openingparty was attended by hundreds ofagents. Broker of record MurrayGoldkind’s office in Toronto hasalmost 300 agents. Sutton GroupRealty director of business develop-ment Richard Brinkley says thenew 9,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-artoffice will provide for continuedgrowth.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Credit ValleyReal Estate has acquired RoyalLePage Innovators Realty ofBrampton, Ont.

Ron Rouse, broker/owner ofRoyal LePage Credit Valley RealEstate, earned his real estatelicense in 1969 and broker’s licensein 1972. He joined Royal LePagein 1998 as a manager of the corpo-rately owned Meadowvale office.In 2003, he launched RoyalLePage Credit Valley Real Estatewhen he acquired the RoyalLePage Real Estate Services’Brampton office.

Now the Royal LePage Credit

Valley sales force totals 170, servingthe Toronto, Brampton, Milton,Georgetown, Caledon, Mississaugaand Orangeville communities.

■ ■ ■

Rav Toor has joined Right AtHome Realty in Toronto. Toor ishost of the Rogers TV show InTune With Real Estate, which isdevoted to answering questionsabout mortgages, property values,legal issues and everything con-sumers need to know about buyingand selling a home.

John D. StobbeJoe Morriello Darrell Rozee

Ron Rouse

Rav Toor

■ ■ ■

Re/Max Select Properties inVancouver recently moved from itslocation in Arbutus ShoppingCentre to the high-visibility cornerof West Boulevard and 39th Streetin the Kerrisdale Neighbourhood.The brokerage completed a $1-million-plus renovation of a formerBlockBuster site, with the finaltouches of a new awning and spe-cial window illustrations on itsexterior windows. The new officefeatures a bright and inviting lay-out with modular offices and high-

tech touches such as a searchablewindow monitor, which allows thepublic to scroll through the cate-gories of listings currently avail-able.

Managing broker AriLahdekorpi says the new office isRe/Max’s Vancouver flagship officedue to the accessible location andinnovative design. After morethan 18 years of operation onVancouver’s West Side, Re/MaxSelect Properties has the highestper agent sales volume for a largeoffice, Lahdekorpi says. REM

At the opening ofSutton Group -Admiral Real Estate’ssecond office, fromleft: Sol Goldkind,sales rep; RichardBrinkley, director ofbusiness develop-ment, Sutton GroupRealty; and MurrayGoldkind, broker ofrecord.

The new offices of Re/Max Select Properties in Vancouver.

Pads and iPhones are rapidlybecoming a staple in salesreps’ lives. On the devices,

you can find an application toassist you with every aspect of yourreal estate career. Most iGadget-using Realtors have an app or twothat they can’t imagine livingwithout.

Michelle Hawco, a sales repwith Re/Max Real Estate Centralin Georgetown, Ont., considersherself a “very heavy user” ofiGadgets. She regularly uses the 6in 1 Real Estate Calculator appli-cation, a QR code reader app,GoodReader, WordPress for blog-ging and a TomTom GPS app,which allows her to carry one lessdevice. Hawco is also a fan of theRealtor.ca app by the CanadianReal Estate Association. It isgeared for consumers but she saysshe finds it extremely useful fortracking down property informa-tion.

Richard Killeen-Payne, a sales

rep with Century 21 Team OneRealty in Dartmouth, N.S., hastwo favourite apps – Prezi andOpen House Manager. Killeen-Payne uses Prezi to create listingpresentations. “I’ve used Prezi ona laptop but when you use it onthe iPad for presentations, it’samazing; a very different, morecreative view than paper orPowerPoint.”

8 REM DECEMBER 2012

i

A few of our favourite appsiGadget apps help streamline business for real estate sales reps By Toby Welch

Open House Manager on theiPad collects the details of buyerscoming to open houses. Killeen-Payne says: “Open House helpsyou keep track of the possible buy-ers and also emails them detailsand thank yous after the openhouse. It’s all about the contacttouches and the follow-up fromthe app is great.”

Evernote is the most popularapp among all the sales reps thatREM contacted for this article.Michael Thorne, a sales rep withRe/Max Little Oak Realty in FortLangley, B.C., says: “There are somany amazing apps that are per-fect for our industry. However, theone that has the biggest impact onmy day-to-day business isEvernote. Having a single placewhere I can find everything, any-time, anyplace and lets me bemobile is irreplaceable... and itallows me to spend more time withmy clients. I’m able to add docu-ments, audio and photos and then

share that with my clients. Anexample would be the MLS detailsof the properties seen that day. Ican add audio notes and photos ofeach home’s pros and cons at anytime during the viewing. Theseare all created in one shareablenote.”

Jean Richer, a salesperson withKeller Williams - Ottawa Realty inOttawa, is also a fan of Evernote.

“It can be used on the iPad,iPhone, Blackberry, Android (Ithink), and it can also be used onyour desktop (PC or Mac). It is aweb-based application but it cando so much. The nice thing aboutthis app is that I can share every-thing with my assistant even whenI am on the road. If you needmore of the features they have,you can upgrade to the paid ver-sion. Most Realtors will neverneed to upgrade although theprice is very affordable.”

For keeping track of openhouse information, Richer swearsby Open Home Pro. “It is a greatway to greet people at open hous-es and get their real contact infor-mation. It is also linked to anonline version where you canupload your listings and they auto-matically show up in your applica-tion. When people visit your openhouse, they register and then theapplication sends them a ‘thankyou for visiting my open house.’ Itis a great conversation piece aswell.”

Diane Richardson, a Realtorwith Re/Max Real Estate(Central) in Calgary, regularlyuses Dropbox, ScannerPro andKeynote but the one app she likesbest is PDF Expert (by Readdle).“PDF Expert lets me do everythingI need with PDF files. CalgaryReal Estate Board contracts are allin editable PDF format. I can cre-ate new contracts and have myclient sign them all within PDFExpert. I can also email a flat-tened copy of any contracts direct-ly from the app. Being able to flat-ten the document is important asit makes it uneditable whenreceived on the other end. PDFExpert also has a decent file orga-nizing function.”

Tim Harris, broker/owner ofTradewinds Realty in Chester,N.S., is a huge fan of technology;he had an app created forTradewinds Realty more than twoyears ago. It has had more than6,000 downloads since then, anaverage of over seven per day.

Harris has more than 200 appson his iPad and finds it tough to

pinpoint which one is hisfavourite. He regularly usesiCamera HDR, which takes twoimages and blends them togetherfor significantly richer colour; heacknowledges that not everyoneappreciates the app, though.Harris uses Cue for a social orga-nizer so he can see at a glancewhat he has going on during hisday. The Facebook app helpsHarris maintain his personal pageas well as the two TradewindsRealty pages. eSign allows forpaperless document signing andDropbox is ideal for photo storageand file exchanges.

Harris speaks highly of RealtyJuggler; the app not only helpswith his contact management buthe likes using it more than theMLS website.

An assortment of other appsreceived a thumbs up from salesreps:

• Tips & Tricks – handy foriGadget newbies as it helps famil-iarize you with what iPads andiPhones can do.

• Documents To Go –Microsoft Office users appreciatethe organization this app provides.

• Google Maps – while GPS

apps abound, this one keeps get-ting kudos.

• Pad Folio – useful for dis-playing and managing PDF docu-ments or photos.

• Dragon Dictation – this appmakes notes from your spokenwords.

• SugarSync – syncs your doc-uments together from multiplecomputers and gadgets.

• Angry Birds – for whenyou’re looking for a game to playto help you unwind after a longday.

Many sales reps find an iPad oriPhone is an indispensable tool tohave in their arsenal; having theright apps makes all the difference.

REM

Michelle Hawco

Jean Richer

Diane Richardson

Michael Thorne

Tim Harris

Evernote is the most popular app among all the

sales reps that REM contacted for this article.

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60 VOX Corporation hasentered into an agreement toacquire luxury real estate firm

Sotheby’s International RealtyCanada, Sotheby’s InternationalRealty Quebec and BlueprintGlobal Marketing.

The company says it will acquireall of the shares of Mt. VentouxHoldings Inc., which owns MaxWright Real Estate Corporation and75.5 per cent of Gestram Real EstateServices Inc., which do business asSotheby’s International RealtyCanada and Sotheby’s InternationalRealty Quebec, under direct fran-chise agreements with RealogyGroup. 360 VOX says it will retainthe relationship with Realogy.

Blueprint Global Marketingmarkets real estate internationally,working with the Sotheby’sInternational Realty network to

assist in the listing and selling ofinternational developments.

The company says, “Pursuant tothe terms of the Share PurchaseAgreement, the sellers will receiveas consideration up to $3,650,000 incash and 54.25 million commonshares of 360 VOX (or approximate-ly 27 per cent of the issued and out-standing common shares of 360VOX prior to giving effect to thetransaction).”

The transaction was subject toclosing conditions, includingapproval by the TSX VentureExchange, satisfaction of regulatoryrequirements and other closing con-ditions, and was expected to close inearly November, the company says.

360 VOX will enter intoemployment and non-competitionagreements with Ross McCredie,the founder, president and CEO for

the group of businesses. He willbecome chief operating officer of360 VOX and is to be appointed tothe board of directors of the com-pany.

360 VOX is a publicly tradedcompany in the business of man-aging and developing internation-al hotel, resort, residential andcommercial real estate projectsthrough its wholly owned sub-sidiaries, 360 VOX AssetManagement Inc., 360 VOXDevelopment Inc., and in Cubathrough its wholly owned sub-sidiary, Wilton Properties Ltd., injoint venture with GrupoHotelero Gran Caribe S.A.

Sotheby’s International RealtyCanada launched in 2005 with sixoffices and currently has morethan 20 offices across the country.

REM

10 REM DECEMBER 2012

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3

360 VOX to acquireSotheby’s Canada

Canada’s smallest condounits planned

urrey, B.C. may soon behome to the country’s small-est condominium units.

Developer Tien Sher’s latestproject, Balance, is a four-storeybuilding with 56 micro suites,with the smallest to be just 290square feet.

“We wanted to build suitesthat renters could afford to pur-chase today,” says Charan Sethi,president of Tien Sher. “Withsuites starting at $109,900, if youcan afford the $6,000 down pay-ment, and you make a salary of$17 per hour, we have a home foryou.”

Sixty per cent of the Balancesuites are 305 square feet or small-er. All micro suites will containfive stainless steel appliances,hardwood floors and a balcony.The largest suite in the complex isa one-bedroom at 653 square feet.

While prices are not finalized,Sethi says the profit margin is“very tight” on the project to keepthe homes affordable. These

homes will be thebest prices in theLower Mainland,the company says.

“With mort-gage-amortizationperiods capped at25 years, coupledwith the high costof developable landin the LowerMainland, microsuites are a sensibleand cost-effectiveoption for singlepeople looking topurchase their first home,” saysPeter Simpson, president andCEO of the Greater VancouverHome Builders’ Association.“This is an idea I expect to seeemulated throughout the regionin the years ahead.”

Surrey City Council must passthe project through three reviewsand Tien Sher says it expects tobegin sales in January. Young pro-fessionals, retail employees and

single parents are among theanticipated buyers.

“No suite comes with a park-ing stall, but they are available forpurchase,” says Sethi. “A 2012parking study we commissionedshowed most purchasers willforego car ownership and its asso-ciated costs in favour of an afford-able home purchase…Who needsa car with such a short walk tomunicipal amenities, shoppingand services?” REM

S

Tien Sher hopes to build Canada’s smallest condounits.

unny, vibrant Los Angeles.It’s a great place to visit butreal estate agents Ryan

Davis and Ben Bacal wantCanadians to know they can livethere too.

“For some reason, people thinkof California as unattainable.Florida has been handed down asthe place to buy a vacation proper-ty or a second home,” says Davis.However that’s a misconceptionthe partners intend to right byshowing Canadian snowbirds thatthey can own a piece of theHollywood dream.

Canadians Davis and Bacal,based in their Sotheby’s SunsetStrip brokerage in WestHollywood, recently opened abranch office on Queen Street Eastin Toronto. Davis travels toCanada one week a month.

Agents who have clients whoare interested in finding out moreabout California real estate areinvited to refer them to Davis andBacal and receive a 25-per-centreferral fee.

“California offers great weath-er, direct flights and you can ski,surf and golf in the same day,”Davis says. “Many people thinkthe market is out of their league,but it offers so many cities thatthere is something to suit anyincome bracket. You may not beable to buy into Beverly Hills orBellaire for the same money as(you would spend in) Florida, butyou can look 15 minutes away inStudio City or the San Fernando


S

Canadians woobuyers to L.A.

Valley.”The partners aim to develop

L.A. as a vacation/second-homehot spot, calling L.A. a refinedFlorida. “There’s more here – the-atre, opera and more cultural activ-ity. We want to expose that oppor-tunity to Canadians. We’reCanadians at heart and wantCanadians to know this is the bestplace to live,” Davis says.

The current economy hasresulted in deals on properties,with prices down 30 to 50 per centin some neighbourhoods. As well,the economic downturn meansthat some unique properties thatwouldn’t be on the market other-wise are being listed because theowners have been forced to sell.

Another bonus is that interestrates in Los Angeles are currentlyat their lowest in history, offeringCanadians about 3.5 per cent on a30-year mortgage.

Calgary-born, Toronto-raisedDavis left Canada three years agoto live in L.A. He got his realestate licence about 18 monthsago. Prior to that, he worked for adecade in the insurance business.

Toronto-born Bacal has livedin L.A. for 16 years and has been areal estate agent for just over adecade. When he was 24 and in hisfirst year in real estate, Bacal soldmore than $17-million in realestate.

Together, the real estate part-ners have sold $92-million in LosAngeles real estate in the last year.– Connie Adair REM

Ryan Davis (left) and Ben Bacal

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Conquering distractionsS A L E S C O A C H

By Bruce Keith

7. Open door policy.Sometimes you need to lock your-self away. Don’t let people get inyour space. What’s urgent for themdoesn’t necessarily have to beurgent for you.

8. Always in touch. Set asidetimes to check phone messagesand emails during your day. It mayseem too structured but it surebeats the alternative.

9. Too much technology. Inthis world of “instant gratification”it’s often best to literally turn offyour cell phone and your comput-er. Stop resisting this idea – it was-n’t even an issue 20 years ago.

10. Too many meetings.Avoid the unnecessary. If it does-n’t get you where you want to gofor your personal and businessgoals, question whether youshould even bother gettinginvolved. Diminish the socialaspect of your day.

Salespeople have a tough jobstaying on task. One of the mainreasons for that dilemma is becauseyou really don’t have anyone look-ing over your shoulder telling youwhat to do. By definition, commis-sioned sales is a very unstructuredprofession. You decide who you’regoing to call on, you decide whenyou’re going to do it and youdecide what you’re going to letinterrupt you in the midst of allthat planning. The key is to stayfocused on your priorities, notsomeone else’s. Sometimes you justneed to step back, take a deepbreath and ask yourself, “What is itI wanted to accomplish today?” Ifwhat you’re doing right now is notserving that purpose, it is a distrac-tion. Eliminate the distractionsand increase your results. They def-initely go hand-in-hand. Noexcuses.

Bruce Keith, the “Results Coach”has over 23 years of experience. He isa sales and marketing coach and sem-inar leader in the real estate business,teaching what to say and how to sayit. His high-energy, high-impact training style is sought after and acclaimed across North America.He says, “Success is possible; thereare no excuses”. www.brucekeithre-sults.com. REM

eadership trainer TimMilburn works with stu-dents to help them move

into life purposefully and effective-ly. He recently published a blogidentifying 10 common distrac-tions that get in the way of produc-tivity and efficiency.

It is a good list. By my defini-tion, a distraction is anything thatgets in the way of what you initial-ly intended to accomplish. I havetaken his top 10 and added somethoughts on how to overcomethese as they apply to the businessof sales. Here are some ideas tohelp you make that journey prof-itable:

1. Unstructured time. For theimportant tasks, “make anappointment” in your day toensure they get done. Set yourselfup for success.

2. Lack of deadlines. Put adeadline on each task. When doyou intend to have it completed?

3. Lack of a plan. Don’t play“whack-a-mole”. Stop reacting toeverything that pops up. Stick todoing what you said you weregoing to do.

4. Doing it all yourself. Getyour ego out of the way and gethelp for the things that others cando. No need to be all things to allpeople.

5. Perfectionism. Rememberthat “progress, not perfection” isthe goal. Keep moving forward.

6. Pinball urgency. Avoidanswering every single telephonecall, email and third-party requestas soon as they arrive. Take controland push back sometimes.

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She can sing, smile and glad-hand with the best of them

– and the thing about Judy Marsales is you’re never aware that she’s selling herself.

She’s not overly smooth or suave, but her warmth and obvious love of people radiate from those bright eyes and that hearty, engaging laugh. Is she selling herself? You bet: through a thriving Hamilton real estate business, through sing-a-long nights she hosts, through a four-year stint in provincial politics and as a long-time community booster.

But her causes, callings and pastimes are bona fide. She L-O-V-Es them in capital letters. That they happen to put her in the public eye is part of the fun. She’s the real deal, or as one friend describes her talk-to-anyone-and-everyone nature, “She’s just Judy from the block.”

A dynamo in Hamilton real estate since the early 1980s, Marsales entered the industry when men ruled the market. In fact, when she went for her interview at Lounsbury Realty they told her she was too young and the wrong gender. “But I talked them into it,” says Marsales. “That was my first sales job – talking them into it.” Within a few years, she was hitting marks as one of the top sales reps in Hamilton.

“I loved real estate from the minute I walked into it,” says Marsales, who is now in her late 50s. “I was like a duck to water with it. I love the people aspect. I could work as hard or as long as I wanted and my remuneration would follow that. It was almost as if I was being rewarded for my hard work finally.”

She managed to build a

healthy clientele and by 1988 decided it was time to strike out on her own. Marsales would eventually become the first woman president of the Metropolitan Hamilton Real Estate Board and hold leadership positions within various business and community organizations. Today, 52 salespeople work out of Marsales’ three offices in Ancaster, Westdale and on Locke Street.

A former part-time adult education teacher for the Hamilton school board, Marsales taught business courses such as typing, resume writing and bookkeeping before having two daughters in the 1970s. But something about real estate kept pulling her in. Marsales opened her first office on Westdale with the help of Linda Bryant, “an amazing organizer” and within a week the office grew to 10 staffers. In 1995, she opened her second office and her third in 2007.

“As much as I appreciate the exposure, I want the world to know how much I value the people I work with,” Marsales says. “I’m not an island. The secret of my success is the people I work with, without a doubt. I may have the passion and the energy but they have talent and they’re good, good people. We have the same view in terms of integrity, hard work and determination.”

The grandmother of three kids under five has been an outspoken champion for the city of Hamilton as the president of the Hamilton and District Chamber of Commerce in 1996 and as past president of the Business Executives Organization, and has served on a long list of community boards and associations. Once a

month, Marsales hosts her own radio show, Sold on Hamilton, which highlights some of the city’s community supporters, musicians and innovations.

A native of Winnipeg, her passion for Hamilton led her to Queen’s Park, where the card-carrying Liberal decided to put her “time where her mouth is.” In 2003, she became an MPP representing the former riding of Hamilton West.

“My chief focus was to have Hamilton recognized as a potential economic engine of this province and I think some of my hard work is coming to fruition now,” says Marsales. “I hope I contributed to some small degree to opening up a new view of Hamilton.”

Despite her love of public life, Marsales opted not to seek re-election in 2007 because her involvement had come at a high cost both professionally and personally, the details of which Marsales prefers not to disclose.

A lifelong musical activist – with a penchant for rock and classical opera – Marsales has

been hosting interactive sing-a-longs in clubs and bars and at fundraisers in and around Hamilton for 20 years. These Wednesday night sing-a-longs at the Coach & Lantern in Ancaster now include Grant Avenue studio owner Bob Doidge, who plays bass. Mike McCurlie is normally on guitar although this night multiple Canadian Country Music Award winner Wendall Ferguson is filling in, former Powerhouse member Vince Rinaldo is on keyboards and CHCH weatherman Steve Ruddick plays drums. The group is known as Judy and the Noteworthies.

Marsales admits that growing up in a house with little money limited her musical aspirations, but in typical form she managed to rise to the challenge regardless.

“At an early age I decided I had to figure this out so I went to the library and got a book on pianos and I made myself a paper piano. And then I would sneak into the YMCA and they had a piano in the basement and no one ever kicked me out and

I used to practice my fingering from my book on the piano.”

The pub is generally packed during the sing-a-longs. Marsales always opens the show by singing, appropriately, Cabaret. The music runs the gamut and it’s clear the audience of mainly baby boomers and seniors is charged as they beat the dollar-store tambourines they’ve been loaned for the evening. One vocalist, a long-haired rocker-looking dude, gets up and kills with his rendition of These Boots Are Made for Walking. Hamilton broadcaster Mark Hebscher starts off the night with a lively rendition of Elvis Presley’s Little Sister. When Marsales gets up to sing When I Saw Her Standing There, the crowd erupts and people jump to their feet to dance wherever they can find some space.

“I try to make it non-threaten-ing,” Marsales says a few days later. “Singing at a mic is one of the most unnerving experiences you can have. My tagline is, it’s a party you don’t have to clean up from.” REM

‘She’s just Judy from the block’Judy Marsales runs three independent real estate offices, hosts weekly sing-alongs, has her own radio program and is a former provincial member of parliament. But a friend says, “She’s just Judy from the block.” By Kelly Putter

Judy & the Noteworthies – from left behind Judy Marsales: Bob Doidge, Mike McCurlie, Steve Ruddick, Vince Rinaldo.


ust this week, my colleaguesand I were mulling over thediscussions on LinkedIn

regarding a mandatory ethicscourse here in Ontario for all reg-istrants. I was pondering what mycomment would be when the fol-lowing appeared my desk cour-tesy of a long-time friend,Alberto Pintos. It truly hit homeon the subject of ethics and lifelessons.

Bob Proctor is a world travel-er and a professional motivation-al speaker. Bob and I go back to1972, when he settled inBelleville, my hometown, alongwith his then-partner, JohnKanary. I became a fan of hisseminars. One day in the fall of1989 I took one of his coursesand I handed him the followingexcerpt from the Writings of Rabbiin 12th Century Spain, for him touse in one of his broadcasts.

My hope is that you will passthis on to your registrants,clients, family and friends.

“My son, ability is of no availwithout inclination. Exert yourselfwhile young.

Devote yourself to science andreligion, accustom yourself to socialliving.

Take good care of your health,do not be your own destroyer.

Let not prospect of great gainblind you to risk your life. Be notlike a bird that sees the grain and notthe net. Respect your family by pro-viding decent clothes according to

Do we needmandatoryethics courses?AS I SEE IT FROM MY DESK

By Stan Albert

J

your means.My son, show kindness to all

human beings. Tend those who aresick and heal the poor gratuitously.

All I ask of you is to attain ahigher degree of status, to behave ina friendly spirit towards all; to gaina good name; to deserve praise forall your dealings with your fellowman; to revere God and follow hiscommandments.

Honour your wife to yourutmost capacity.

Devote yourself to your chil-dren; be tender to them; be notindifferent to any ailment in them oryourself.

Arrange your library in fairorder, so as not to weary yourself inyour search for the book you need.Never refuse to lend books to any-one who can be trusted to returnthem.

Honour your teachers andattach yourself to your friends.Treat them with respect in all placesand in all circumstances.”

This is not the first article I’vecommented on regarding thegrowing lack of ethics in our pro-fession. Frankly, I doubt whetherOntario’s education facilitator,OREA, will be able to mandatethis necessary part of our educa-tion requirements.

I know that fellow managersand registrants alike would wel-come such a course.

However, having said that, Iwonder what good it would do.Especially in light of the awe-some lack of true results from thecurrent Real Estate Council ofOntario’s mandatory UpdateCourse.

The practice of being ethicalis not just an occurrence that youcan easily ignore and throw itaway. One must practice it everyday in every way.

Stan Albert, broker/manager,ABR, ASA at Re/Max Premier inVaughan, Ont. can be reached forconsultation at [email protected] is now celebrating 40 years asan active real estate professional.

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n my role as a managingbroker, it is not unusual tohear complaints from

agents about other agents acting“unethically”. On occasion I haveto deal with members of the publicexpressing concerns about one ofour associates acting in a mannerthat was considered unethical intheir eyes.

These allegations tend to stemfrom the complainant imputingmotives on the actions of theagent. They interpret what theyhave experienced as unethicalwhen the results of a transactionor negotiation do not conform to


IBy Ari Lahdekorpi

THE GUEST COLUMN Understanding what sets us aparttheir expectations nor provide fortheir well-being. The insinuationis that the agent manipulated cir-cumstances into their own inter-est, rather than the interest of theclient or customer. What comesinto play is the subjective natureof our understanding of the ethicalboundaries of our business.

Ethical behaviour is describedin the dictionary as follows:

eth·ics 1. (used with a singularor plural verb) a system of moralprinciples: the ethics of a culture.2. the rules of conduct recognizedin respect to a particular class ofhuman actions or a particulargroup, culture, etc.: medicalethics; Christian ethics. 3. moralprinciples, as of an individual: Hisethics forbade betrayal of a confi-dence. 4. (usually used with a sin-gular verb ) that branch of philos-ophy dealing with values relatingto human conduct, with respect tothe rightness and wrongness ofcertain actions and to the good-ness and badness of the motives

and ends of such actions. Ethics are, in a nutshell, the

often unwritten but internalizedrules of conduct that allow for thewell-being of others. While manymaintain that it is the religiousimprint of our current or past affil-iations of faith that give us a moralcompass, there is a growing under-standing that we all have aninnate sense of fairness and com-munal responsibility. This inbornawareness of what is fair has evenbeen demonstrated in studies withprimates that associate in groups.

We all have slightly differentpoints of reference when it comesto acting fairly. Although the“golden rule” is a universal axiom,we are also influenced in what ourethical boundaries are through ourupbringing, (including where weare in birth order comparative toour siblings), our cultural back-ground and our religious influ-ences. Due to these variants inone’s personal experience, it isimportant to set an objective

guideline to overcome the elasticnature of moral and ethicalboundaries. The statement thatthere is “honour among thieves”suggests that even within groupsthat might be seen as lacking inmoral fibre, a certain ethical stan-dard is upheld.

One might be tempted torespond to an accusation of uneth-ical behaviour with a question ofwhich standard is being referred to!

CREA developed a code ofethics in 1913 for the real estateindustry to ensure a standard ofconduct. It created 28 guidingprincipals to help to determinewhen someone is acting unethi-cally. This code has a higher stan-dard than the existing legalrequirements in many cases. Thelocal real estate boards have takenthese guiding principles andapplied them to their professionalstandards doctrines. Boards alsoappoint professional standardscommittees to police the actionsof agents based on the rules of con-

duct built around the code ofethics.

CREA describes the code thisway: “CREA’s REALTOR® Codehas been the measure of profes-sionalism in organized real estatefor over 40 years. A REALTOR’s®ethical obligations are based onmoral integrity, competent serviceto clients and customers, and dedi-cation to the interest and welfareof the public. The REALTOR®Code, by setting high standards ofprofessional conduct for REAL-TORS®, helps to protectCanadians’ rights and interests. Italso creates a level of trust betweenREALTORS® and their clients.”

There have been instanceswhere a member of the public con-tacts me with a complaint, and itbecomes evident that the desig-nated agent they were dealingwith did not instill a level of trustin their relationship with theirclient. As a result, as soon as some-thing did not go as planned, theagent was seen as acting outside ofthe standards and values of theclient. Even if nothing was donewrong in a technical sense, theclient is left with a bad tasteregarding their dealings with theagent.

When someone complainsabout unethical behaviour to me, Istep back and picture the scenariofrom every angle possible. In mostcases, after getting the details, itbecomes clear that the agent wasnot acting unethically but rather,outside circumstances conspired tocreate that impression to someonewho didn’t have the full details. Asthe saying goes, “There are alwaysat least two sides to every story”.

It is a rare occasion that I havefound a Realtor acting intention-ally against the well-being of oth-ers. It is for those occasions thatthe Code of Ethics becomes avaluable tool in organized realestate.

Understanding the 28 articlesin the CREA Code of Ethics isinvaluable toward building a solidreputation as a Realtor. It is theethical standard that sets us apart.

Ari Lahdekorpi is managing bro-ker at Re/Max Select Properties inVancouver. REM

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tatistics Canada recentlychanged the way it calcu-lates key economic data to

bring its methods into line with agreed-upon internationalaccounting standards. As a result,the debt-to-income ratio for theaverage Canadian household shotup 11 per cent, literally overnight,to 163 per cent (a record high).

This has inspired lots of fore-boding talk about how our “soar-ing” household debt-to-incomelevels are now higher than U.S.debt-to-income ratios were at thepeak of their housing bubble. Thatmay be technically true, but it isalso totally misleading.

That’s because the standardmethod for calculating this ratio

Why we won’t crash like the USA

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uses after-tax income, which isn’ta fair comparison becauseCanadian personal income taxescover health care costs andAmerican personal income taxesdon’t. (To put this difference inperspective, according to my ini-tial research the averageAmerican spends anywhere from10 per cent to 20 per cent of theirafter-tax income on health-carerelated costs.)

While it has become fashion-able to predict that Canada isheaded for a U.S.-style housingcrash, most economists still thinkthat is unlikely and they use plen-ty of data to support their position.

To be clear, I readily agree thatour household debt levels are toohigh and that’s why I have consis-tently supported the federal gov-ernment’s attempts to reign in bor-rowing by changing the lendingpolicies and regulations used byCMHC and OSFI. But that’s a farcry from believing that our debtlevels are about to cause our hous-es to start spontaneously combust-ing. (Did I just give Maclean’s an

idea for their next apocalypticmagazine cover … or have theyused that one already?)

Before you start loading up oncanned soup and fire extinguish-ers, consider this sampling ofrecent comments from the expertsI read:

• A report by BMO econo-mists in January 2012 first pointedout the flaw in using after-taxincome to compare Canadian andU.S. debt-to-income ratio levels.Instead, they argued that using adebt-to-gross income ratio wouldprovide a better apples-to-applescomparison. Using this revisedmethodology, BMO economist SalGuatieri reported recently thatCanada’s debt-to-gross incomeratio (121 per cent) is still wellbelow both the current (146 percent) and peak (166 per cent)U.S. levels. That presents a verydifferent comparison from thepopular one being bandied aboutin much of the mainstream media.

• David Rosenberg, a well-known Canadian economist,wrote recently that our ratio of

housing starts to the civilian pop-ulation is “not far off the averageof the last 10 years, whereas as inthe U.S. back in the 2006-07peak, that ratio was 25 per centabove the long-run norm.” Inother words, Canada has not seenthe kind of short-term spike inspeculative real-estate investing/borrowing that we saw in the U.S.during the latter stages of theirhousing bubble.

• Benjamin Tal, an economistwith CIBC, recently noted in avideo interview with Rob Carrickthat overall Canadian householddebt is now rising at its slowestpace in 10 years, while consumerdebt levels are actually falling forthe first time in 20 years.

• In a separate report, Talnotes that the crash in U.S. houseprices was far more extreme incities with above-average levels ofsub-prime lending, where pricescorrected by an average of 40 percent. This is more than double theaverage decline seen in U.S. citieswith below-average levels of sub-prime loans.

“Eradicate subprime from theU.S. housing market and, insteadof the most severe house pricemeltdown since the GreatDepression, you get a soft land-ing.” By comparison, Canadiansubprime loans account for aboutseven per cent of our total mort-gage debt outstanding while U.S.subprime loans peaked at a littleunder 25 per cent of their totalmortgage debt outstanding beforetheir housing crash.

The bottom line: I am con-cerned about how ultra-low inter-est rates have pushed our house-hold debt levels to record highs.But I reject the implication thatwe have driven over the debt cliffto financial ruin and are now infree fall just waiting to hit theground.

David Larock is an independentmortgage planner and industry insiderspecializing in helping clients pur-chase, refinance or renew their mort-gages. His posts appear weekly on hisblog, www.integratedmortgageplan-ners.com/blog. REM

S

ith the U.K. economyin the middle of a wors-ening double-dip reces-

sion, the housing market across thepond is in free-fall. British estateagents must be more imaginativein their desperation to sell.

At the bottom end of the mar-ket, this is producing someincredible bargains for home-hunters – albeit in run-down,crime-ridden areas – with agentsfalling over themselves to adver-tise “Britain’s cheapest house”and many houses selling for con-siderably less than a Londongarage would attract.

In Stoke, Staffordshire, forexample, you could buy a house onBond Street for just £1. It’s likely tobe run-down, if not derelict, andbeing sold for a nominal fee in abid to reinvigorate the area.

With thousands of emptybuildings in the city, living stan-dards are at rock bottom and crimerates are up – and a £30-millionscheme funded by the Stoke-on-Trent Council and the govern-ment hopes to get things moving.The only catch is that the ownermust renovate the house and livethere five years before it can besold.

Stoke-on-Trent councillorJanine Bridges, cabinet member forhousing, neighbourhoods andcommunity safety, says: “This is adaring and innovative schemewhich we are developing to bringempty properties back into use andimprove the living standards ofhomes within Stoke-on-Trent. Weare keen to make Stoke a greatplace to live, work and visit.

“The scheme means that thecouncil will sell empty propertiesacquired with a Housing MarketRenewal Grant for a nominal feeand provide new homeownerswith a loan of up to £30,000 toimplement a series of improve-ment works that the council deemsnecessary to bring the propertyback to a decent home standard.”

If things in Stoke are bad, thesituation is not much better inmany other U.K. property blackspots.

On Teesside, NortheastEngland, homes are on sale for lessthan £1,000.

A house to be auctioned in


W

The cheapest houses in the U.K.Estate agents are falling over themselves to advertise ‘Britain’s cheapest house’ By Nigel Burnham

Middlesbrough shortly couldbecome Britain’s cheapest everwith a starting price of just £750.Number 12 Limetrees Close in thePort Clarence district of the townis a three-bedroom semi-detachedhome with a lounge, entrance hall,family bathroom and a front andrear garden. Although situated in atroubled area, it is being describedby agents as an “ideal investment”.

Number 42, on the same street,also a three-bedroom property, isbeing sold with a starting price of£1,000. With no reserve on either,the estate agents will entertain theidea of a “buy one get one free”offer.

Agent Richard Watson says:“We are looking for a quick sale atauction on these two three-bedroom properties. Weare still in talks with theauctioneer and the ownerabout making them a joblot, buy one get one free,but at the moment we arehoping that when they goup for sale bidders willbring the owner a decentprice.

“Number 12 is needinga bit of work so the pricereflects that, but the otherhouse could take a tenantalmost straight away.”

Britain’s largest proper-ty website, www.right-move.co.uk , which lists 90per cent of the nation’shouses for sale, is con-vinced this must be thecheapest house in the U.K.

Earlier this year, anoth-er worn-out end-of-terracehouse claiming to beBritain’s cheapest homewent on the market in theformer mining village ofFerryhill, Co Durham.

The two-bedroom ter-race, needing a “desperate”makeover, attracted onlyone bid of £501 online buteventually sold for £8,250by traditional auction in acrowded hotel lounge inSedgefield, the constituen-cy of the former PrimeMinister Tony Blair.

Jamie Cook, director ofiam-sold, which managedthe sale, says: “We have

sold this property for the lowestamount I can remember. It couldbe a lovely family home for a first-time buyer, but it needs a lot ofwork and the price reflected that.

“As far as I am aware it is thecheapest house in Britain. We hadpredicted that it would sell forbetween £6,000 and £12,000. Soin the end it went for around whatwe thought it would.

“The vendor is very happy withthe sale. The house was a bargainand attracted a lot of bids. A widerange of people attended frommany different walks of life. Therewere young first-time buyers as wellas property owners planning fortheir next home.”

In Wales, yet another houseadvertised as “the cheapest in theU.K.” – a terraced house inTonypandy with a guide price of£4,000 – sold at auction for£16,500 in August.

One local estate agent estimat-ed the buyers would need to spendaround £20,000 to bring it up todate, but said that the house,which is currently unmortgage-able, could eventually be worthbetween £55,000 and £75,000.

The traditional “two-up, two-down” property has two receptionrooms, a kitchen, two bedroomsupstairs, a forecourt and anenclosed rear garden.

Auctioneer Paul Fosh said it

was the cheapest house he had soldfor many years but thought it couldbe a shrewd investment.

“The property, dubbed thecheapest house in the U.K., creat-ed a huge amount of interestthroughout the country,” he says.“Many thousands of pounds willneed to be invested in the renova-tion of the property but the newowner could still stand to make aprofit if he subsequently decides tosell, having bought at such a keenprice.”

To put all this in perspective, incentral London, the top price forgarages (for parking cars ratherthan repairing them) has nowreached £300,000. REM

The house in Stoke was being sold for just £1.

Number 12 Limetrees Close in Middlesbrough was to have a starting bidof £1,000.

This house in Tonypandy, Wales, had a guide priceof £4,000.

This house in Ferryhill attracted only one bid, for£501.

he Real Estate Council ofAlberta (RECA)announced the selection

of Bill Buterman as chair of coun-cil and Kevin Clark as chair-elect.

Buterman is a founding partnerof Axcess Capital Advisors and amortgage broker with AxcessCapital Partners in Calgary. Hehas been a member of the councilsince November 2009. He repre-sents industry professionals whoare not members of the AlbertaReal Estate Association.Buterman has been directlyinvolved in Alberta’s real estateindustry since 1980, and is a pastlecturer and course developer infinance, real estate finance andcredit at the several universities.

Clark is a real estate associate


T with Re/Max House of Real Estatein Calgary. He has been a memberof council since November 2009and serves as an appointee of theAlberta Real Estate Association,representing industry professionalstrading in residential real estate.

■ ■ ■

For several years, The Barrie &District Association of Realtorshas been supporting Big BrothersBig Sisters of Barrie and District asthe title sponsor of the Showcaseof Homes Tour. Many Realtorsvolunteer in the homes on thetour day. The self-guided tour orig-inated in 1991 and is a popularcommunity event. This year itshowcased eight homes, featuringa wide variety of home styles from

century homes to newly builthouses. Over 400 visitors attendedthe tour this year, raising $22,000.

“The Barrie & DistrictAssociation of Realtors has helpedus provide caring adult mentors tohundreds of children ages 6-18 inour community, for over 21 years,”says Marianne Arbour of the BigBrothers Big Sisters of Barrie &District. “Many of the Realtorsparticipate every March in ourBowl for Kids Sake Campaign.Over 100 came out to bowl in theRealtor’s Challenge and helpedraise approximately $10,000 atthis event for our organization.”

■ ■ ■

Thanks to a $60,000 endow-ment created jointly by theVancouver Island Real EstateBoard (VIREB) and the RealEstate Foundation of B.C., threeNorth Island College students willfind it a little easier going this year.Nicholas Lade, Candace Pisto andLane Pearson were all recipients of$860 bursaries, created from theendowment established in 2011 aspart of VIREB’s 60th Anniversarycelebrations.

An identical endowment hasalso been established atVancouver Island University. Thethree students are using their fundsto continue their education and towork toward their degrees. The

endowment was created to fundbursaries on an ongoing basis foroutstanding students enrolled inbusiness administration, construc-tion-related trades or apprentice-ship programs. REM

VIREB directorCorey Zaal (right)and Darrell Paysen,manager of memberservices, presentendowments tolocal students atNorth IslandCollege’s Courtenaycampus.

The Invidiata TeamAt a ceremony during the

17th Annual Luxury Real EstateFall Conference, The InvidiataTeam at Re/Max Aboutowne

Realty in Oakville, Ont. won theaward for Best Print Marketing2012. The conference was orga-nized by the Who’s Who InLuxury Real Estate at a confer-

ence that brought togetherglobal luxury Realtors to dis-cuss current real estatetrends.

The fall conference wasattended by approximately200 Who’s Who In LuxuryReal Estate members, as wellas 40 members of The Boardof Regents, “a network of theworld’s most elite luxury realestate brokers,” says the teamin a news release.

Christopher Invidiatabegan his real estate careerin 1985. His specialization inluxury real estate made histeam No. 1 for Re/Max in

Canada for 10 years since 2001and again in 2011.

Thomas NealThomas Neal of Royal LePage

Estate Realty in Toronto has beennamed Beach Citizen of the Year.A committee of past Citizens ofthe Year and representativesbelonging to Community Centre55, the Toronto Beaches LionsClub and the Beach Metro Newsmade the selection.

A Beach resident for 26 years,Neal has been active in the com-munity as a sponsor of the GlenStewart Ravine ice skating rinkand sponsor and coach of theVictoria Village Hockey Leagueand the Beaches Lacrosse League.He has held board positions atCommunity Centre 55 and Friendsof Maple Cottage, and is a found-ing member of Balmy BeachResidents’ Association. REM

Bill Buterman

The Lethbridge and District Association ofRealtors (LDAR) annual golf tournament inAugust raised $14,500 for Crimestoppers. Fromleft: Karl Kloepper of Southern AlbertaCrimestoppers; John Bekkering, president ofLDAR; Jason Shriner, LDAR director; CathyMaxwell, LDAR EO; and Stan Mills, LDAR direc-tor. To date, $264,144 has been raised by LDAR.

Thomas Neal

John Brian Losh, publisher, Who’sWho in Luxury Real Estate (left) pre-sents Shae and Christopher Invidiatawith the Best Print Marketing 2012award for The Invidiata Team,Re/Max Aboutowne Realty.

EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT

Lisa da Rocha Vice President & General Manager

Prudential Canada Real Estate

I am delighted to announce Lisa da Rocha as the new leader of our PrudentialCanada Real Estate business. In this role, Lisa will have overall responsibility fordelivering a high standard of service to the Prudential Canada team from coast tocoast.

Most recently, as Vice President, Brookfield Real Estate Services, Lisa was responsible for the development of Brookfield Mortgage Services and for ConsumerResearch. She brings to her new role more than a decade of management experience within the company, including leadership roles in Brookfield GlobalRelocation Services, HomeServe Technologies, and as VP Marketing for RoyalLePage.

Lisa da Rocha can be reached at [email protected].

Phil SoperPresident & CEO Brookfield Real Estate Services

REM DECEMBER 2012 29

Toronto development willhouse Athlete’s Village

Toronto leads in high-rise construction

oronto is North America’s new high-rise boomtown.Nowhere else in North America are more high-rises andskyscrapers under construction, according to the latest fig-

ures from Emporis, a buildings database based in Germany. It saysthat Toronto currently has 147 such construction sites, more thantwice as many as New York City, the centre of high-rise architec-ture in North America.

No other major city in the U.S. or Canada comes even close toToronto’s – or even New York City’s – high-rise construction activ-ity. Third place in the ranking is occupied by Vancouver, with 21high-rises under construction; Montreal follows close behind withjust one site fewer. Boston, Ottawa and Richmond (B.C.), thethree cities in joint eighth place, have only 12 high-rises eachbeing built.

Toronto’s construction industry has seen a continuous upwardtrend over recent years. October 2012 saw 15 more high-rise build-ing sites in Toronto than in November 2011. In New York City inthe same period, construction of high-rises decreased by just undera fifth, from 86 in September 2011 to 72 in October 2012.

Despite the current construction boom, Toronto will be unableto compete with New York City in terms of the total number ofcompleted high-rises – even over the course of decades to come.There are currently 6,009 completed high-rises in New York;Toronto, by contrast, has 2,501, more than 3,500 fewer. HongKong, with 7,829, is the city with the most high-rises and sky-scrapers in the world.

Emporis defines high-rises as multi-storey buildings of at least35 meters, or of 12 to 39 storeys if the height is not known. Thoseat least 100 meters tall, or 40 storeys and more, are classed as sky-scrapers. REM

The busiest place in Torontothese days is a construc-tion site on the east side of

downtown, on lands that werelargely ignored or used to storeheavy equipment for years. Nowit’s being developed into the futurehome of The Canary District,which will include 805 marketcondominiums, 28 townhomesand 12 loft units; top-tier retailspace; 253 units of affordablehousing with a broad range ofhousing types, including two-storey maisonettes and one- andtwo-storey apartments; GeorgeBrown College’s first student resi-dence; and a YMCA complexhousing a pool, gym, fitness centreand community facilities.

Before all that is complete, itwill first be used temporarily as theAthletes’ Village for the Toronto2015 Pan/Parapan AmericanGames. During the games, theAthletes’ Village will host approx-imately 10,000 athletes and offi-cials from 41 countries.

Recently REM took part in amedia tour to see how construc-tion is progressing. Officials saythat with the mild conditions lastwinter and favourable weather thissummer, considerable constructionprogress has been made and theproject is ahead of schedule. Itincludes road infrastructure work,redeveloping Cherry Street and

Old Eastern Avenue. The YMCAand George Brown College build-ings are the furthest along in theirconstruction and are on track fortopping off in spring 2013. Thefirst market building, now on sale,is scheduled to have a crane erect-ed onsite in December and anoth-er in January. Construction on thesecond market condominiumbuilding is also underway.

The project is being developedby Dundee Kilmer Developmentsand built by EllisDon Ledcor. Toensure esthetic diversity, teamsfrom four architecture firms –architectsAlliance, KPMB, DaoustLestage and MacLennanJaunkalns Miller – were commis-sioned.

The new neighbourhood occu-pies 35 acres of land adjacent tothe new 18-acre Don River Park.

The Canary District namecomes from the CanaryRestaurant, which was on the cor-ner of Front Street East andCherry Street from the mid-1960sto 2007. The building itself datesback to 1859 and took on severalforms over the years, starting asthe Palace Street School. It latertook on a new life as the CherryStreet Hotel, before eventuallybecoming the Canary Restaurant.The building is being preservedbut its end-use has not yet beendetermined.

Planning for the area’s redevel-opment began in 2001. REM

A rendering of the neighbourhood park view. (Dundee KilmerIntegrated Design Team)

T


ood grief, where did 2012go? I bet you forgot it’sonly a couple of days until

we discover whether the Mayanswere right about the end of days. Ifso, there will be a lot of angry 2013calendar buyers, Jehovah’sWitnesses or for that matter, anygroup sitting around expecting therapture. But just in case, MerryChristmas. And Happy New Year.

I don’t know how I feel aboutthe year 2013. Even the sound of“2013,” the way it sort of catchesbetween tongue and teeth in oneof those alveolar/dental sounddescriptions I learned about inAnthropology 200. It doesn’t havethe comfort of “12” or the maturityof “14” – very important in a singlemalt scotch so who’s to say it’s notcritical in how we feel about thenew year or our assessment of theyear past?

I do know 2012 was a relent-less tease in my real estate mar-ket, improving only marginallyon 2011, and yet, like a risinghemline, leading us on with hintsof greater things to come. Part ofthe problem was the endless pars-ing of the data by our real estateeconomists, creating semi-goodnews headlines out of old cloth inorder to earn their bread and but-ter, while we in the trenchesobserved that we continued to bein a pattern of below-averagesales numbers. What good are ris-ing prices if the number of salesremains below the 25-year aver-age?

Another issue: distractionsfrom the daily grind. Consider theU.S. presidential election, thequarterly fixing of the Bank ofCanada interest rate, provincialelections or threat thereof, and inB.C., the numbing argument overthe PST versus the HST, conclud-ing with the electorally correct buteconomically wrong decision of

Surviving in aslower market

METES & BOUNDS

By Marty Douglas

G

the referendum, proof yet againthat benign dictatorships havetheir virtues.

And yet, some people hadvery good years. (By the way, ifyour market is Toronto orVancouver and you are wonder-ing why all the talk about a “slowmarket”, stop reading, save thiscolumn and read it next year.October would be about right.)Where was I? Oh yes, some peo-ple had very good years. The phi-losophy of the ant – “Think win-ter all summer. Think summer allwinter.” The top earners in com-panies didn’t change, maybe a re-shuffle of the ranking order, nordid their unit sales – they just hadto kiss more frogs, make morecalls – and they did.

You know what that means.Well, some of you do. I’ve beenwatching this sequence for 42years and with time off for goodbehaviour, I expect to be paroledabout 2020. The hurt locker isgoing to be at the bottom end ofthe performance curve. For anindustry with an average age upthere with Heinz’s varieties, wecan’t afford to lose those weakstragglers at the tail end of theherd at the same time as more ofthe elders seek retirement.

The biggest threat to orga-nized real estate and its under-pin-ning budgets is declining mem-bership. (The departure fromCREA of several real estateboards in Quebec probably hadmore to do with parsimony thanlack of value for membership.)And when the membership num-bers fall, real estate board directorswith budgets based on fixed-feedues tend to spread the debtamong the survivors before theylook for cost-cutting measures.The survivors are top earnerswho, resenting the subsidy of thelower producer, suddenly comeout in droves to special meetingsand all hell breaks loose.

We can’t stop retirement. Wemust concentrate on the newermember and those with fewer thansay, five years in the trenches. So –how to help the weakest?

First, stop the B.S. The marketisn’t slower because Ottawachanged the mortgage rules. Thelower producer probably didn’thave a buyer, let alone one withmarginal financial qualifications.And the other thing the low pro-ducer didn’t have was a listing.Re/Max icon Dave Liniger oncesaid of the latest technology:“Eighty per cent of the people inthis business don’t need technolo-gy, they need a customer!” Mostpolice work in solving crimesinvolves canvassing neighbour-hoods and knocking on doors.Coincidence? I think not.

Top producers know you can’tsell from an empty shelf. They alsoknow things like list/sell ratios andif the sell side declines, then theonly way to meet the monthly nutis to have more – pop quiz – list-ings!

Here’s all you need to know tosurvive the slower market – “List!List! List! Or you’ll be missed!Missed! Missed!” I don’t care howyou do it – drip marketing, doorknocking, cold calling, farming,opens, floor duty – just do some-thing that gets you out to meet thecustomer, belly to belly. Here’sanother motivator – timid sales-people have skinny kids.

My resolve for 2013 is to workmore with people who want to suc-ceed the old-fashioned way, byearning success. One of my oldfriends in real estate, BarryWatchorn said, “We spend toomuch time in this business as man-agers herding turkeys up and downthe runways, hoping they will fly.”

No more turkeys.

Contact Marty Douglas by emailat [email protected] .Follow or connect with Marty onTwitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Heis a managing broker for Re/MaxOcean Pacific Realty in Comox andCourtenay, B.C. He is a past chair ofthe Real Estate Errors and OmissionsInsurance Corporation of B.C., theReal Estate Council of B.C., theB.C. Real Estate Association and theVancouver Island Real Estate Board.

REM

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

George Heos, Senior Vice President,

Network Development is pleased to

announce that Joe Morriello, broker/owner

of Prudential Grange Hall Realty has

joined the Royal LePage franchise

network. Joe’s company will now

operate under the name Royal LePage

Grange Hall Realty, effective November 1.

Joe has a wealth of real estate

experience, having obtained his real

estate license in 1988 and his broker’s

license in 2006. He honed his trade at

Homelife and Re/Max before opening his

Prudential office in 2007.

Joe specializes in commercial, residential

and investment properties. He looks

forward to growing his business with the

Royal LePage Brand name behind him,

one that he feels carries significant

weight within the industry.

Joe’s two offices service the areas of

Vaughan, King, Toronto, Richmond Hill,

Markham and Aurora.

Joe and his team can be reached at:

Please join us in congratulating Joe and

his team, and wishing everyone at

Royal LePage Grange Hall Realty

continued success.

For more information on the

Royal LePage franchise program,

please call: (416) 510-5827 or


Royal LePage Grange Hall RealtyToronto, Ontario

†

Joe Morriello

10933 Jane Street

Vaughan, ON

L6A 1S1

Phone (905) 303-4633

Fax (905) [email protected]

304-1415 Bathurst Street

Toronto, ON

M5R 3H8

Phone (416) 588-2200

Fax (416) [email protected]

George Heos, Senior Vice President, Network

Development is pleased to announce that

Royal LePage Your Community Realty has

acquired Prudential Renascent Realty in

Keswick and Sutton Ontario. The two Prudential

Renascent Realty offices, owned by Jackie

McEachern, have now joined the Royal LePage

Your Community Realty family, effective

Oct. 22, 2012.

Jackie McEachern earned her REALTOR®

license in 1971 and purchased the former Family

Trust offices in Keswick and Sutton after earning

her broker license. Jackie is a hands-on broker

who built her offices to a current sales force of

28 sales representatives.

Vivian Risi, broker/owner of Royal LePage Your

Community Realty began her real estate career

in 1974. She eventually bought the company

where she began and, in just 15 years, Vivian

has turned a sales office of 18 people into a

network of 10 offices and 850 REALTORS®

under the brand Royal LePage Your Community

Realty. For ten consecutive years, Vivian’s

company has owned top share of market in their

local communities. In 2009, Vivian was the

recipient of the Royal LePage Shelter

Foundation’s Philanthropist of the Year Award.

Most recently, the Richmond Hill Chamber of

Commerce awarded her with the prestigious

Mayor’s Award for Business Excellence. The

Vaughan Chamber of Commerce also honoured

Vivian with the Philanthropic Business Person of

the Year Award.

The new Royal LePage Your Community offices

are located at:

Please join us in congratulating Jackie and

Vivian and their newly-expanded sales force and

wishing the entire Royal LePage Your Community

Realty team continued success.

For information on the Royal LePage franchise

program, please call: (416) 510-5827 or email:

[email protected]

Royal LePage Your Community RealtyKeswick and Sutton, Ontario

Vivian Risi

JackieMcEachern

†Royal LePage is a trademark used under license.

†

461 The Queensway South

Keswick, OntarioL4P 2C9

Phone: (905) 476-4337

Fax: (905) 535-3091

165 High Street

Sutton, OntarioL0E 1R0

Phone: (905) 722-3211

Fax: (905) 722-9846

roperly assessing a commer-cial investment property’svalue is a complex and

lengthy activity.Due to the time-consuming

nature of the process, the tempta-tion is to simply apply the prevail-ing cap rate in the market to thepotential net operating income.The problem with this basic calcu-lation is that it undermines a fewfundamental assumptions in theYield Approach to Value.

First, the approach implicitlyassumes that the income is sustain-able in perpetuity, meaning that thecurrent level of income will remainas it is for the foreseeable future.This assumption is based on thesound mathematical principle that

all of the future income is ultimate-ly discounted to a present value. Ifthe property has expected vacancyforthcoming, it is reasonable toexpect that the income will beunstable. While one might arguethat a property can be leased atmarket rates, the simplified yieldcalculation does not inherentlyinclude the loss of revenue throughthe down time or the costs involvedin securing a new tenancy (such astenant improvements, induce-ments, commissions).

This leads into the second issue,which is neglecting to recognize anallowance for any potential creditloss or vacancy. Aside from a build-ing leased entirely to Triple A ten-ants, virtually every building willhave an expense of this nature byway of a current lease expiring orthrough the unpredictability ofshort-term tenants in general. It isreasonable to suggest that even aTriple A tenant may be prone todefault. The net operating incomeshould account for this expensebefore it is ultimately capitalized

into an expression of value.The third mistake occurs when

the net operating income is not atrue reflection of what income isactually remaining after all propertyexpenses have been paid. A consid-erable amount of confusion lies inthis area as the terminology oftenhas different meanings for differentinvestors. Leases might be referredto as single net, double net, triplenet, net net, fully net, absolute netand even modified net.

Regardless of what it is called, itis imperative the income that isultimately capitalized is completelynet of all expenses in addition to avacancy and credit loss allowance.

The last consideration is toensure the subject property is beingcompared to other similar proper-ties. If the prevailing cap rates for aparticular asset class show a hypo-thetical range between 6.5 per centand 8.5 per cent, more thoroughanalysis will be required to deter-mine what rate should be applied tothe subject property. Using an arbi-trary number of $250,000 in net

operating income, the range justdiscussed would produce a roundedestimate of value between$2,940,000 and $3,846,000. Usinga low cap rate, which may beintended to represent regionalshopping centres, and applying it toa small community retail plaza willconsiderably distort an estimatedproperty value.

There are limitations to theapproach as it does not take intoaccount financing or tax considera-tions. Accordingly, many investorsmight endeavour to construct moredetailed calculations, either by wayof a Normalized Net OperatingIncome or through DiscountedCash Flow Analysis. However, thatis not to discount the value of theYield Approach. The term “caprate” is fairly ubiquitous in commer-cial real estate and is often discussedby investors, appraisers, bankersand agents. Calculating the valuevia a cap rate is typically the start-ing point for virtually everyinvestor, and this extends toinclude the largest institutional

pension funds and REITS.Although incorporating cap rates isa very valuable tool, it does run therisk of being misleading and unreli-able if it is done incorrectly.

The selected cap rate needs tobe commensurate with similarproperties, the income that is capi-talized should be clear of all expens-es and net of a vacancy and creditloss allowance, and the incomeshould have stability into thefuture. It is pertinent to emphasizethat the Yield Approach to Value isonly capable of computing a reli-able indication of value if all ofthese factors are accounted for.

Chad Griffiths has completed morethan 200 commercial transactions,ranging from 1,000 sq. ft. to 80,000sq. ft. He holds the CCIM designa-tion, awarded to brokers who havecompleted an advanced curriculumand demonstrated a high level of com-mercial real estate experience. He is anassociate broker at NAI CommercialReal Estate in Edmonton. (780) 436-7410. REM


By J.F. Ratthé

By Chad Griffiths

know a lot of real estate agentsjust starting out in the businesshave this burning question

when they finally get their license:Where and how do I get my firstclient? The stress of studying andpassing the exam is gone but now anew type of stress creeps in andtrust me, you are not the only onefeeling this way.

In this post, I’ve outlined threestrategies that I used to get my firstfew clients.

1) Start a blog about yourniche market before you have yourlicense. I started mine months

How to get your first clientsprior to receiving my license. I wasstill living in Quebec (I now liveand work in Winnipeg). I wroteabout several different condo build-ings in my niche market. Took pic-tures, did videos and learned every-thing there was to know aboutthem. I also interviewed architects,business owners and local residentsvia email and provided informationabout the neighbourhood. Theresult: I got my first sale on the dayI got my license and it was fromsomeone who had been reading myblog and found the informationextremely helpful. Today my web-site and blog provide me with sev-eral solid leads every month.

2) Host other agent openhouses. A lot of the busy agents inyour office will probably have twoor more open houses set up for thesame day. Some just prefer to go tothe lake on the weekend. Myadvice: Send an email to all theagents in your office, letting them

know that you would be happy tohost one of their open houses. Twobenefits to doing that are:

• You get to create a relation-ship with one of the successfulagents in the office. If you do agood job, they will give you morebusiness.

• You will have the opportuni-ty to get your own clients at theactual open house. Several buyerswill not have any representationwhen coming by, which means youcan ask them specifically whatthey are looking for and advisethem that you’d be happy to workwith them to find their next home(that is if they decide not to buythe one you are hosting the openhouse in). You will more than like-ly have to provide a share of yourcommission to the listing agentyou were doing the open house for,but I prefer a part of somethingthan 100 per cent of nothing.

3) This one is simply common

sense but is also something thatmany agents just don’t do rightaway or are not willing to do forfear of alienating their friends andfamily. But the best way to get theword out when starting out in thebusiness is by telling your friendsand family that you are now a realestate agent. Send them your busi-ness card. Call them and ask if theyknow someone who might beinterested in selling or buying ahome. Don’t be afraid to ask. Ifthey are really your friends, theywon’t mind. And keep remindingthem on a regular basis. You needto stay top of mind all the time.

Bonus: One of the most impor-tant things that I’ve learned sincebecoming a real estate agent is thatcreating long-term relationships isa sure way to have a long successfulcareer. One of the best resourcesfor acquiring new clients is byworking with rentals. Dependingon your market, if you are able to

help out prospects looking to rentfor a year or two, you will have theopportunity to earn some extraincome every month and establisha long-term relationship based ontrust with them. They might notbe able to buy right now because ofdifferent reasons (bad credit, nodown payment) but if you helpthem find a great rental and assistthem in re-establishing their creditor save for a down payment, theywill definitely want to deal withyou when they are ready to buyand will more than likely refer youto friends and family.

J.F. Ratthé has been in sales andmarketing for over 12 years. Hefound his passion a few years ago anddecided to focus his real estate businessin downtown Winnipeg. He has sincebecome one of the busiest Realtors inhis niche market and is now helpingnew real estate agents becoming suc-cessful. www.jfratthe.com. REM

Understanding income property valuesMore than just a ‘cap’ rate

I

P

ocal residents in B.C. incor-porated a society in antici-pation of buying land from

the CPR. The land was subdividedinto six lots, one of which was tobe kept by the society as a park.

When the plaintiffs showed aninterest in the property, the presi-dent and founder of the society


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LEGAL ISSUES

By Donald H. Lapowich

Watch what you say“advised” the plaintiffs that all lotswould have a right to “commonmoorage”. The plaintiffs wentahead and purchased a lot.

Later, the society “opposedmoorage” and any dock being con-structed. The court held that theplaintiffs “relied” on the society’srepresentations and it was the basisfor their purchase. It was unjust forthe society to now rely on allegedlegal rights, and the plaintiffs weregranted an easement. (Sykes v.Rosebery Parklands DevelopmentSociety, 2011)

■ ■ ■

Attacking the regulator: Alawyer brought an action againstthe Barreau du Québec, which con-trols the conduct of professional

lawyers in Quebec. He complainedthat his Notice of Disbarment waspublished, notwithstanding that hehad appealed. He claimed compen-satory damages and exemplarydamages.

The trial court dismissed thelawyer’s action, reasoning that thepublication had been an error butwas made in good faith by thecouncil while performing its duties.Once the council learned of theerror, it was immediately corrected.

The trial court also found thatthe lawyer could show no causalconnection to any damages, whichhad not been proven.

The lawyer appealed the trialjudgment but defaulted in proceed-ing, and an abandonment of theappeal was issued. The QuebecCourt of Appeal dismissed amotion to extend the time for theappeal. The Court of Appeal rea-soned that there was “no reasonablechance of success.” The lawyerthen moved to file an Applicationfor Leave to Appeal to the SupremeCourt of Canada. That appeal wasalso dismissed. (Goldman c. Barreaudu Québec, 2011)

■ ■ ■

Two at fault: The plaintiff pur-chased the defendant’s mobilehome in 2008. The purchaser(plaintiff) then discovered the ten-

ancy of the vendor was month tomonth, and there were rumoursthat the park was to be redevel-oped. The vendor did not disclosethis.

In 2009, the purchaser receivednotice to vacate tenancy in oneyear, and the purchaser relocated.

The court held that the pur-chaser was entitled to damages forlack of disclosure (concealment offacts).

However, the purchaser’s losseswere cut in half for contributorynegligence in not taking reasonablecare to determine whether the ten-ancy would span a period of years.

■ ■ ■

Resulting trust: The plaintiffand defendant had a warm andfriendly relationship for severalyears. When the defendant saidshe was not happy with her rentalaccommodation, the plaintiff indi-cated they would buy an apart-ment “as an investment” in whichthe defendant could live. Theplaintiff and defendant discovereda suitable condominium. Becausethe defendant was the only onewho satisfied the age requirement(bylaws) the title was placed in thedefendant’s name.

The plaintiff provided thefunds required to purchase thecondominium. The defendant paid

the rent of $650 per month. When a dispute arose, a court

found this was a “true resultingtrust” and that the plaintiff wasentitled to a declaration that theywere the sole legal and beneficialowners of the property.

However, the defendant wasentitled to continue occupationuntil she chose to vacate or untilthe end of her life.

■ ■ ■

Restraint of trade: In aQuebec Court decision, a book-store leased a spot in a shoppingcentre with a clause inserted in thelease that the owner of centrewould not lease any space to anytenant whose principal use wouldbe the sale of books.

When the shopping centreowner began to negotiate for rentalspace to a competitor, the book-store sought an injunction to pro-hibit any such further lease.

The Court of Appeal upheldthe trial judge, who ordered theowner of the centre not to leasespace to the competitor. It ruledthe trial judge could decide if thelease clause for exclusive rental wasclear or ambiguous.

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

CMLS FinancialCMLS Financial has appointed

Jill Porter as director of residentialunderwriting for its newly formedresidential mortgage business.Reporting directly to Kevin Fettig,vice-president of residential risk,Porter has spent her professionalcareer in various senior credit ori-ented roles with two of the largestresidential lenders in Canada.Porter also sits on the CanadianAssociation of AccreditedMortgage Professionals ProfessionalStandards Committee.

Verico CanadaVerico Canada has struck an

alliance with Brian Tracy’sFocalPoint to launch VericoScalable Success – an educationprogram to help originators re-focus on growth and strategy fortheir business, the company says.

The webinar series was cus-tom-built for the Verico networkand is part of the ScalableSuccess program, which aims tohelp Verico originators build abusiness with prime clients, cre-ate an interested engaged data-

base and develop social mediachannels.

The company also announcedthat Verico Premiere MortgageCentre’s Scott Bentley recentlydanced the Argentine Tango toraise more than $40,000 for chil-dren with learning disabilities inHalifax.

Dancing for Our Stars, a ball-room dancing competition,raised over $465,000 forBridgeway Academy. Nearly 800people attended the dinner gala,which featured eight Halifaxlocal celebrity dancers. For hisfancy footsteps, Bentley wasawarded with the Judges ChoiceAward for best dancer.

“Having to overcome a hear-ing impairment myself hasallowed me to appreciate theextra care that many require inthe learning environment,” saysBentley. REM

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Why not check it out?

www.peakrealestate.com

Taxes squeeze urbancentres

Downtown Vancouver,Toronto and Montreal continue toshare the dubious reputation forhaving Canada’s highest commer-cial-to-residential tax ratios, all inexcess of 4:1, according to a 2012survey of property tax rates ofmajor urban centres produced bythe Altus Group for the RealProperty Association of Canada(REALpac). The report found thegap narrowed slightly for the fifthconsecutive year, moving in amore favourable direction for thebusiness environment inVancouver and Toronto.

Montreal is heading in theopposite direction, the report says.Its downtown commercial taxeswill likely vault past Toronto’s bynext year and are rapidlyapproaching Vancouver’s high lev-els, it says.

“Even though the surveyuncovered some improvementthis year, with the exception ofMontreal, we remain deeply con-cerned about the damaging impactthat inequitable commercial-resi-dential taxes have on city growthand its ability to attract business

Industrial,Commercial& Investment

Industrial,Commercial& Investment

and jobs,” says Paul Morse, CEOof REALpac.

“Our urban centres are vitallyimportant and at the moment areexpanding due to tenant demandand relatively low interest rates.High realty taxes are a barrier tobusiness growth and in the longrun put a choke hold on invest-ment in downtown office, hotel,apartment and retail propertydevelopment,” says Morse.

REALpac has long contendedthat a commercial-to-residentialratio of about 2:1 would supporthealthy growth, and could beachieved through gradual reduc-tions in the commercial rate.

In other findings, the annualsurvey showed that even thoughWinnipeg and Edmonton raisedtheir ratio slightly, they still main-tained the lowest ranking amongmunicipalities surveyed. Calgaryand Ottawa made significantimprovements to their ratios,while Halifax, falling closer to theaverage, published subtle reduc-tions to its ratio as well.

On an absolute tax basis,Calgary, Vancouver, Edmontonand Winnipeg have the lowestestimated property taxes per$1,000 of commercial assessment,

while Toronto, Ottawa, Montrealand Halifax have the highest. Onthe residential assessment side,Vancouver, Calgary, Edmontonand Toronto have the lowest prop-erty taxes per $1,000 of residentialassessment, while Winnipeg,Ottawa, Montreal and Halifaxhave the highest.

REALpac says that while mostcities in Canada have moved todecrease commercial tax rates inthe last 10 years, residential taxrates have declined at an evenfaster rate.

Royal LePageCommercial grows 50 per cent

Royal LePage Commercial saysthat since its launch in April, ithas grown by 50 per cent.

Barbara Gibson, manager,Royal LePage FoothillsCommercial in Calgary, says,“There was a lot of excitementaround the launch since there was-n’t a national brand dedicated tomeeting the needs of the under$20-million market. Since April,Royal LePage has attracted a num-ber of internal agents and externalrecruits from competitor real estatefirms.” The firm now has morethan 240 sales reps across Canada.

“Our commercial agents arespread out across the country fromurban areas to smaller marketswhere larger commercial broker-ages don’t have a presence.Commercial agents have theopportunity to network with oneanother including Royal LePage’sresidential brokers and agents,

who regularly receive leads fromclients interested in selling or pur-chasing commercial properties,”says Peter Hoffman, broker andowner, Royal LePage TrilandRealty in London, Ont. “Ouragents can also work with localcommercial representatives else-where to find properties for buyersinterested in purchasing commer-cial real estate in other provinces.”

Scott Speirs joinsJones Lang LaSalle inMontreal

Jones Lang LaSalle has hiredScott Speirs, a 12-year real estateveteran with extensive invest-ment and brokerage experience, asvice-president in the firm’sNational Investment practice inMontreal. Speirs will providestrategic planning, deal executionand negotiation expertise to thefirm’s Canadian and internationalinvestors.

Based in Paris from 2008-2012,Speirs managed more than $1 bil-lion in real estate on behalf ofsome of the world’s largest realestate investors, the company says.

Speirs joins Jones Lang LaSallefrom Standard Life Investments,where he was a European PortfolioManager responsible for a diversi-fied, $400-million commercial realestate portfolio of office, retail,industrial/logistics and hotelassets. From 2008-2011, he was aportfolio manager for LaSalleInvestment Management.

Prior to this, Speirs played amajor role in building the industri-al/investment team in Jones LangLaSalle’s Montreal office, thecompany says.

RGD CommercialRealty Advisors joinsNAI Commercial

RGD Commercial RealtyAdvisors is merging its real estatebrokerage with NAI Commercialin Vancouver. RGD Commercialis a boutique leasing specialistowned by Rob DesBrisay, provid-ing advice and transaction solu-tions to landlords, as well as com-plete tenant representation.

“This is a great opportunity formy team to provide our clientswith a deeper and broader serviceoffering that only a global platformcan provide,” says DesBrisay. “Itcomes down to enhancing thevalue proposition for our clients.The melding of both companies’service package will achieve thisgoal.”

Also making the move to NAIcommercial from RGDCommercial are Andrew Astles,leasing and sales representative;Deborah Astles, real estate consul-tant; and Irene Yung, executiveassistant.

After the merger NAICommercial will have about 50professionals serving the commer-cial real estate needs of clientsthroughout British Columbia.

REM

Scott Speirs Rob DesBrisay Andrew Astles

Deborah Astles Irene Yung

HOME DELIVERY

Since 1989, REM has been offered free to every real estate board and association in Canada to distribute to their members. That’s not about to change, but as we approach a quarter century of publishing we recognize that many aspects of the industry have.

Responding to environmental concerns, REM is now “green” – printed on paper certified by FSC, an international system for forests and forest products supported by WWF Canada, Greenpeace and the David Suzuki Foundation.

Many real estate professionals now work out of their home offices. We’d like to give those who prefer to receive delivery at home the option of receiving REM directly. Home delivery of REM is now available for $19.89 (including tax) per year. We ask only that you cover the cost of postage. We’ll take care of the rest.

Get REM at home! Call 416-425-3504 Ext. 4 or contact [email protected] and start receiving REM Home Delivery.

xpansive northernproperty with severaliconic features now

available – first time on market!Exclusive listing, sure to appeal

to your most discerning buyers.This large and (frankly, well-beyond) secluded property isoffered for the first time to clientsseeking acute privacy, nightly frontrow seat views of the AuroraBorealis and an endless supply ofice cubes.

Beyond the main home(description to follow), this proper-ty boasts perhaps the only activereindeer enclosure in the area.While the stables are roomy andwell-lit, I must be honest here –you will never, ever grow hay inthis climate. Please factor in thecost of importing feed. To benoted, with many resident reindeerincluded, you may want to consid-er trading substantial piles of...fer-tilizer...to easily offset the cost ofbringing in your feed.

Full disclosure: one reindeer inparticular exhibits signs of extremenasal brightness, likely due to theextremely low temperatures year-round. Disposition seemingly unaf-fected, constantly wanting to leadsleighs.


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North Pole feature sheetThings have gone to elf

By Dan St. Yves

In addition to the well-main-tained reindeer environment,there is a substantial factory on theproperty as well. While traditional-ly this multi-level building hasbeen used for toy manufacturing, itcould easily be converted to ware-housing for upcoming new Applemerchandise, stockpiling leftover2012 Mayan calendars or evenfilming James Bond movies. Trustme, no one will complain about afew explosions, if faulty manufac-turing equipment and history isany indicator.

Adjacent to the factory isattached multi-family housing, suit-able for a family of about 2,000.Included: 2,000 size small beds,2,000 size small kitchens and 20shared washrooms – go ahead, fig-ure out the math on that one!Gingerbread walls and frosted rooftiles have just been covered in mod-ern stucco and frost-repellent woodshingles. The subsequent insulationfactor has greatly quieted the night-ly collective chattering of the teeth.On truly chilling evenings, itsounded like a convention ofbeavers hopped up on Red Bull, try-ing to consume the EnchantedForest. With loose dentures...

Finally, the jewel of the proper-ty – the opulent 5,000-sq.-ft. man-sion inhabited by just two elderlyindividuals, and even at that, foronly about two weeks out of theentire year. Equipped with every

modern amenity, many manufac-tured in the aforementioned facto-ry, located just outside the lockedgate to the residence. Heli-paddoubles as landing strip for flyingsleigh – don’t ask.

This desirable property MUSTBE SOLD and every reasonableoffer will be considered. Open totrades, specifically to tropical cli-mates, presuming that camels orplus-sized lizards do not make thekind of mess that well-fed reindeerdo.

Supplementary notes: • Some title issues to be

resolved and preference will begiven to closing dates prior to mid-December. No worries, the client istotally the registered owner of saidproperty.

• No showings allowedbetween Dec. 17 and Dec. 26! Orwhen “Ho Ho Ho” can be heardcoming from the factory.

• Velvet red suits trimmedwith fur will be donated to LadyGaga, prior to possession day.

Please respond in confidence toour solicitor, D. Elf at your earliestconvenience.

Humour columnist and authorDan St. Yves was licensed with RoyalLePage Kelowna for 11 years. Checkout his website at www.nonsenseand-stuff.com, or contact him [email protected]. REM

ecently the Real EstateCouncil of Ontario(RECO) commissioned a

survey to explore the financial sac-rifices that Ontarians make whensaving towards the purchase of ahome. It found that nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of respondentshave at one point saved for a home.

Among Ontarians aged 18-35,38 per cent are currently savingtowards the purchase of a home. Incomparison, eight per cent of thoseaged 35-54 and only four per centof those aged 55+ are saving.

The survey also found that

Ontarians are willing to cut backon indulgences to make homeownership a reality.

Non-essential spending likeentertainment (70 per cent), vaca-tions (69 per cent) and electronics(51 per cent) are most likely to seecut backs when saving towards ahome purchase.

Ontarians aged 35-54 are morelikely to cut back on vacationspending (76 per cent) thanyounger Ontarians aged 18-34 (53per cent).

Women trim their clothingbudget more than men when sav-

ing for a home. Fifty-five per centof women cut back on clothingspending compared to 43 per centof men.

Men are more likely thanwomen to say that they did notmake any reductions in spendingwhen saving for a home. Twenty-two per cent of men did not cutback on spending, compared to 14per cent of women.

Many of the written responsesin the ‘other’ option centredaround cutting back on food, din-ing out and a combination of allthe options. REM

Survey shows how people save for a home

R


Exit unveilsTechnically Real Estatetutorials

The official launch of ExitRealty’s Total Office ResourceCenter (TORC) was celebrated atthe company’s 14th AnnualConvention at the GaylordOpryland Resort & ConventionCenter in Nashville recently.TORC is an office intranet com-prising a core suite of applicationsand tools that will “systemize,streamline and synergize” ExitRealty associates, the companysays. In addition, it’s a transactionmanagement system that seamless-ly integrates with MEMO, Exit’sproprietary back-office software,creating an interactive conduit foroffices and agents.

The company has also inte-grated its Technically Real Estatevideo technology tutorials withTORC. Technically Real Estate,developed and implemented ayear ago as a stand-alone realestate and technology trainingand coaching system by JeffLobb, Exit Realty’s vice-presi-dent of technology and innova-tion, is one of the first of its kindin the real estate industry, thecompany says. Lobb takes theuser through the setup and exe-cution of social media strategies,mobile/tablets and apps, leadgeneration tools, digital market-ing strategies and more.

“One of the biggest chal-lenges in real estate and technol-ogy is execution. Technologychanges every day and agentsneed to know the how-to partbut until now there hasn’t been aresource where they could learnthe technology in a way thatwould benefit their business.Technically Real Estate fills thishuge void,” says Lobb. “Exit isknown for its outstanding train-ing and technology and marryingthe two together in TORC at noadditional cost to our agentsgives them something they can’tget anywhere else.”

Real EstateTechnologyReal EstateTechnology

Training for digital,paperless and socialmedia

The Sociable Agent is a newresource for digital, paperless andsocial media training for realestate sales reps. The companysays it is the first web-based train-ing program of its kind inCanada.

The company co-founders areMelanie Piché and BrendanPowell, real estate agents inToronto operating as The BRELTeam (www.getwhatyouwant.ca).

Piché says: “We started usingthe web and mobile technologyearly in our careers. Social media,blogging, online advertising and apaperless office philosophy haveall helped us become successful in

our real estate business. But werealized there is a huge traininggap. Realtors who really want toincrease the value they bring toclients have nowhere to turn toget basic skills and implementa-tion strategies specific to ourindustry.”

Powell says: “At first, we werea bit nervous about giving up allour trade secrets, but in the end,when real estate agents and bro-kerages get better, our wholeindustry gets better. And that’s awin for us, and for buyers and sell-ers across the country.”

Using video tutorials, blogposts, webinars and e-books, TheSociable Agent allows agents tolearn at their own pace, whenand how they want, the companysays. Training is offered in goingpaperless, using Facebook to getresults and building an online realestate brand. A daily blog for sub-scribers helps agents know whatproven tactics to focus on andhow to implement them. Supportis provided through virtual train-ing, coaching, tools and a privateFacebook group.

For information: www.theso-ciableagent.com

Free RBC web portalfor real estate professionals

RBC has developed RBCInside Access, an online portaldedicated to real estate profes-sionals .

RBC says the free website isthe first of its kind among finan-cial institutions, featuring exclu-sive benefits for real estate profes-sionals who sign up.

“Our tools and resources pro-filed on RBC Inside Access – andoften, sales leads – help our realestate professionals raise theirprofile, compete effectively andbuild their business. For example,last year we identified more than50,000 clients who were lookingto buy a home and were notactively working with a realestate professional,” says MikeLinehan, national head, RBCRoyal Bank mortgage specialistsales force.

The site showcases co-brand-ed marketing materials for financ-ing sheets, rate sheets or directmail advertisements. Membershave access to market informa-tion, including articles on regula-tory changes, industry and con-sumer behaviour studies and eco-

nomic and market research fromRBC economists.

For information: www.rbcin-sideaccess.com.

Lone Wolf invests inCityBlast

Lone Wolf Real EstateTechnologies has invested inToronto-based CityBlast, billed as“the world’s first and largest socialmedia listing service”. Lone Wolfsays its investment in CityBlastprovides value pricing for CityBlastservices to the Lone Wolf clientbase of over 9,000 offices through-out North America, reaching morethan 250,000 agents.

“CityBlast solves the challengemany agents face today, beingstretched on time to make theefforts required for an effectiveinbound marketing strategy. LoneWolf supports CityBlast as it helpsagents engage clients from acrossdifferent platforms,” says Lorne C.Wallace, CEO of Lone Wolf.

“We look forward to sharingour social media real estate toolsvia (Lone Wolf’s) already stellarplatforms,” says Shaun Nilsson, co-founder and CEO of CityBlast.

REM

he 7th AnnualMississauga Youth (MY)Games, held recently in

Mississauga, Ont., provided anopportunity for young leaders tocompete in a free youth sportstournament. Four Royal LePageReal Estate Services offices inMississauga served as the present-ing sponsors. The event, which isfunded by the Ontario TrilliumFoundation and local sponsors, sawarea youth compete for gold ineight competitive sports and at thesame time discover the value ofteamwork, leadership and confi-dence building.

This year also served as a pilotfor the addition of the Culture Day,where young people and seniorshad an opportunity to participatein workshops relating to the arts.


TGood WorksGood Works

Seymour, a sales rep with SuttonGroup - Medallion Realty.Seemore and more than a dozenfriends grilled and served salmon,hotdogs and hamburgers to cus-tomers from 11 am to 7 pm.

In 2010, the event raised$3,500 for the B.C. Children’sHospital and in 2011 it raised$3,005 for the Canadian CancerSociety.

■ ■ ■

Re/Max of Lloydminster inLloydminster, Alta. signed anagreement with the HandivanSociety, a non-profit transporta-tion service for people with mobil-ity challenges, in which the bro-kerage will donate funds during thenext two years in exchange foradvertising on the society’s newbus.

“We need to do advertising,but at the same time we felt weneeded to put the money where itwould help someone as well,” saysRe/Max of Lloydminsterbroker/owner Connie Kempton.“It’s a joint Re/Max venture.Everyone in the office is contribut-ing each month.” Since the begin-ning of 2011, Handivan has made

more than 13,000 trips to helppeople in the community.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Burloak held its3rd Annual Charity HalloweenChili Bowl recently to raise moneyfor the Royal LePage ShelterFoundation and two local shelters,Halton Women’s Place and TheCarpenter Hospice in Burlington.Almost 125 sales reps, administra-tive employees and communitypartners attended the event tobowl, enjoy a chili dinner and par-ticipate in the Halloween costumecontest. In nine years, RoyalLePage Burloak has raised over$196,000 in support of HaltonWomen’s Place and the CarpenterHospice. This year’s event raised$2,000.

■ ■ ■

When 21-year-old DanielMcCarthy returned from playinghockey with friends, he had a soreknee. Doctors originally told himhe had pulled a tendon and that itwould heal. After weeks of pain, hehad an x-ray, which revealed anine-cm tumour in his kneeextending into his thigh bone. The

diagnosis was osteosarcoma. Duringthe past several months, Daniel hasundergone chemotherapy andsurgery to replace his knee andremove a portion of his thigh bone.

Although he has lost more than50 pounds and most of his hair, hismother, Charmaine McCarthy, asales rep Sutton Group - SeafairRealty in Richmond, B.C.,describes him as an extremelyupbeat person. He has dealt wellwith the physical and emotionalchallenges but the cost of the med-ications, some of which are $800per prescription, is a serious finan-cial strain.

Recently the team at SuttonGroup - Seafair Realty dedicated itsannual golf tournament to Daniel.The event raised over $7,300 andattracted many sponsors andapproximately 50 golfers, swellingto 120 for the dinner/fundraiser.

Charmaine says Daniel’s prog-nosis is good. “The treatments aregoing well. He was at the top of hisgame physically before the cancerand he’s handling the chemothera-py as well as possible. The cure ratefor osteosarcoma is about 80 percent.”

Royal LePage broker AnastasiaTolias led The Art of Handwritingsegment, which was a huge successwith participants looking to enjoythe program on a more frequentbasis.

■ ■ ■

The 3rd Annual SeemoreResults Charity Salmon BBQ inSurrey, B.C. raised $5,130 for theVeronika Children LeukemiaFoundation, which provides assis-tance to children with leukemiawho desperately need bone mar-row transplants. The foundationwas originally created to assist chil-dren from the former USSR whosefamilies cannot afford live-savingmedical treatments such as thoseavailable in Canada.

The event was hosted by Glen

David Kittner, a youth fitnessinstructor and advocate, leads200 young people in stretchesbefore the games begin at MYGames. The event was spon-sored by four Royal LePageoffices in Mississauga.

Glen Seemore and friends raised $5,130 for the VeronikaChildren Leukemia Foundation.

Royal LePage Burloak sales reps Cynthia Pennett andBill Tompkins wear some terrifying costumes at theHalloween Chili Bowl.

Pictured at the Sutton Group - Seafair Realty golftournament, dedicated this year to DanielMcCarthy, from left: Realtors Daniel John, SusanGreen, Sharon Reimer and Trisha Murphy, and sup-plier Peter Palmer.

Sharon Good with members of theFort Langley Canoe Club.

Howard Drukarsh

Posing in a Station 34 fire truckare Royal LePage PerformanceRealty agents (from left) EricManherz, Nick Fundytus andGloria Bae.

Jill Sutherland


■ ■ ■

Sharon Good of Royal LePageNorthstar Realty in Surrey, B.C.took on a personal challengerecently to raise funds for the char-ity. A lifelong paddler, Good orga-nized a group from the Fort LangleyCanoe Club to paddle twovoyageur canoes, relay style.Thirty-one paddlers participated,with four paddling the entire dayalongside Good. The group pad-dled for 5.5 hours and covered 32km, and raised $3,000 to be donat-ed to the Ishtar Transition HousingSociety in Langley and to OptionsServices to Community Society(Evergreen Transition House andVirginia Sam Transition House) inSurrey.

■ ■ ■

Howard Drukarsh, vice-presi-dent and founder of Right AtHome Realty, has been nominatedto sit on the Chairman’s AdvisoryCommittee for Habitat forHumanity Toronto. Right AtHome Realty has been a sponsorand contributor to Habitat forHumanity since 2005 and hasraised more than $100,000 indonations for these programs. This

money contributed to a home thatwas recently built in the west endof the city. In 2002, Habitat forHumanity Toronto formed anAdvisory Council with representa-tives from the financial, real estateand arts communities.

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage South CountryReal Estate, a long-time supporterof the Royal LePage ShelterFoundation, held its 14th AnnualRoyal Gala and Silent Auctionrecently, raising $43,000. The bro-kerage has raised close to $450,000at this annual fundraiser, with 100per cent of the proceeds supportingthe YWCA Harbour House, alocal women’s shelter.

■ ■ ■

The second annual Kids areSuper Gala, held recently inOttawa and hosted by Gloria Baefrom Royal LePage PerformanceRealty’s Pretoria office, raised$7,000 for two local shelters. TheHalloween themed event featureda visit from a local fire truck, craftand cupcake decorating stations,make your own witches brew andduelling with Star Wars villains.

Donations collected at the eventin support of the Royal LePageShelter Foundation will be dividedbetween Lanark County IntervalHouse and Maison d’amitie.

■ ■ ■

Although the battle withleukemia has claimed much of hishair and energy, six-year-oldCollin was ecstatic to see severalRealtors and staff from Sutton -Harrison Realty in Brandon,Man. arrive at his door one morn-ing to decorate for Halloween.The visit on Oct. 13 was a sur-prise for the boy and his little sis-ter, Emily, who delighted in thespooky decorations and sweettreats. Sales rep TammyWaterfield came up with the ideaafter meeting the boy’s father andspeaking with her brokers, Kitand Sue Harrison.

“Our office moved to a newlocation this year, which involvedchanges to our phone lines, IT, etc.One of the people involved inmaking it happen had to take timeoff when his son was diagnosedwith leukemia…I asked if we coulddo something special just for thisfamily…Decorating the boy’s

home for Halloween seemed ideal.What could be more fun for achild?”

■ ■ ■

Royal LePage Niagara RealEstate Centre recently participat-ed in the 7th annual Gillian’sPlace Walk a Mile in Her Shoesevent at The Pen Centre in St.Catharines. The Royal Pumpsraised $11,655 this year, whichcontributed to the grand total ofover $81,000 at the event. “We’vebeen participating for a few yearsnow and our guys always step upand raise funds needed to helpprotect abused women and children in Niagara,” says bro-ker/manager Ryan Johnstone.

■ ■ ■

Sales rep Jill Sutherland ofRe/Max Nova in Halifax recentlytook part in the Canadian DeathRace in Grand Cache, Alta, whereelite racers brave extreme adversi-ty. Set in the heart of the CanadianRockies, the Canadian DeathRace is one of the world’s mostchallenging adventure races.According to the race’s officialwebsite, “The 125-km course

begins and ends on a 4,200-footplateau, passes over three moun-tain summits and includes 17,000feet of elevation change, as well asa major river crossing at the spec-tacular Hell’s Gate canyon, wherethe Smoky and Sulphur rivers con-verge.” The race is 25 hours of gru-elling intensity.

Sutherland is founder and past-president of the Make-A-WishFoundation, Atlantic Provinces.She plans to institute a permanentfundraising component to hercompetitive running events, tosupport vital health-based causesin her local community.

“Everyone has their own rea-son for running – their own moti-vations,” says Sutherland. “Theability to make a difference in thelives of others will certainly raisethe stakes.”

■ ■ ■

Lorraine O’Quinn is sheddingfor shelter. After hearing one bat-tered woman’s story at the RoyalLePage National Conference inVancouver, the sales rep withRoyal LePage ProAlliance Realtyin Trenton, Ont. says she wasdetermined to do something extrafor the Royal LePage ShelterFoundation, which supports ThreeOaks Shelter in her local commu-nity.

“To help promote participa-tion, I have committed to a much healthier, fitness-orientatedlifestyle and plan on shedding 30pounds by Jan. 31, 2013. Hencethe name for my conquest;Shedding for Shelter. I hope toraise $10,000 by my target date,which will go towards SecondStage Housing.”

For information, visit herFacebook page link “Shedding-For-Shelter-The O’Quinn Team”or www.theoquinnteam.com.

■ ■ ■

Recently representatives ofRoyal LePage Real EstateServices’ Bloor West Village,Kingsway and South Etobicokebranches in Toronto and theRoyal LePage ShelterFoundation presented donationsto The Redwood and Women’sHabitat, two local women’s shel-ters. The proceeds were raised atthe Royal LePage GTA golf tour-nament. Each shelter received adonation of $5,000 in support oftheir efforts to help women andchildren escape family violence.

REM

Sales reps from Royal LePage Niagara Real Estateparticipate in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event.

At the 14th Annual Royal Gala and Silent Auctionin Lethbridge, Alta, from left: Brent Oleksy, bro-ker/owner, Royal LePage South Country RealEstate Services; Shanan Spencer-Brown, RoyalLePage Shelter Foundation; and Leslie Hatfield,agent and gala chair for the brokerage.

Lorraine O’Quinn (left) and herassistant Tracey Roberts are “shed-ding for shelter”.

From left: Gus Monteleone, manager, Royal LePageReal Estate Services; Michelle Martin, administrator,Royal LePage; Nira Elgueta and Emma Lewzey fromThe Redwood; Shanan Spencer-Brown, RoyalLePage Shelter Foundation; and Al Orlando, manag-er, Royal LePage Real Estate Services.

From left: MichaelClark with his childrenCollin and Emily; bro-kers Sue and KitHarrison; Danielle andTammy Waterfield;Jennifer and JadePenman; AubreyAndrey; and PatMcKenzie and grand-son.

ealtors seek autonomy,mastery and purpose.According to Dan Pink’s

bestselling book Drive, people atwork increase performance whenthey have autonomy and theopportunity to achieve mastery intheir work. That is why we spendhours of our lives mastering musicand take up hobbies, and why westrive to hone and get recognizedfor our professional achievements.So how does Dan Pink’s workapply to real estate? SatisfiedRealtors, those with autonomy,striving for mastery (getting betterat stuff) and driven by purpose,may also attract more clients.

I believe the role of designa-tions in the real estate industry is to


R

ECOHOME NEWS

By Chris Chopik

Why you need a ‘green’ designationprovide Realtors with a vehicle forachieving mastery. The designa-tions we choose offer us a path topurpose, and we enhance our per-sonal brand in two ways. First, wecan tell others about our creden-tials to differentiate our valueproposition. Second, and moreimportantly, the passion we feelwhen we achieve mastery is palpa-ble when we speak to our clients.Passion for energy efficiency andquality of life for homeowners hasdriven my real estate business and Ithink the time is ripe for the main-streaming of this once niche mar-ketplace.

The green housing market-place has emerged and some ofyour clients are passionate about it.Your clients are insulating theirhomes, they are buying high-effi-ciency furnaces and some areinstalling solar panels or geo-ther-mal heating systems. According tothe TD Canada Trust GreenHome Poll 2011, 29 per cent ofOntarians have done a green homereno, 32 per cent would like to anddon’t know where to start and 72per cent of Canadians say they arewilling to pay more for environ-

mentally friendly features. Green isthe new normal and your opportu-nity to differentiate your brandwith green is now. The time to geta green designation and achievegreater mastery and purpose inyour business is now. Even if youdon’t have a specific interest in theenvironment or energy efficiency,your mastery of the real estate busi-ness will increasingly be entwinedwith your integrated value proposi-tion around green.

A Canadian version of theNAR Green Designation is beingtaught for the first time in Torontoat the Evergreen Brickworks onDec. 4. It has been offered previ-ously by the Calgary Real EstateBoard (www.greenresourcecoun-cil.org).

The first to market a green des-ignation in North America wasecoBroker (www.ecobroker.com).This 10-year-old designation is acomprehensive (if American cen-tric) designation that is respectedfor its academic rigour. ecoBrokerboasts members in Canada,Mexico, South America andEurope. Both ecoBroker and theNAR Green designation are avail-

able online and in person. Eachoffers the potential of 18 hours ofcontinuing education coursesbased on confirmation of under-standing and attendance. The in-class ecoBroker designation classesare currently only held in theUnited States.

The made-in-Canada NationalAssociation of Green Agents andBrokers (NAGAB) designation(www.nagab.org) is one I have notpersonally sought, but it boasts sig-nificant membership numbers andrequires the successful completionof just eight CE courses.

Toronto Realtor Bill Johnston,who has taken both the ecoBrokerand NAR training, says, “Mostdesignations are unrecognizable bythe general public. The benefit ofthe NAR Green designation isthat anyone can instantly see whatit’s all about. Beyond the addedcredibility that a recognizable des-ignation can bring, the addedknowledge that is acquired in theprocess of gaining the designationis valuable.”

I believe the energy-efficienthousing market has movedthrough the early-adopter phase.

Taking the time to grow yourknowledge in this area may pro-vide your brand with a lift in theminds of consumers. For me, thepassion that I bring to my workstems from the autonomy, masteryand purpose that being a bona fidegreen professional gives me. Thispassion is reflected in my brandimage and leads customers tochoose to work with me. I thinkyou will find that as you increaseyour energy and environmental lit-eracy, you will discover market-place resonance with your decisionto add a green designation to yourlist of professional accomplish-ments.

Chris Chopik is a sales rep withBosley Real Estate in Toronto, aninstructor of Green Real EstateCourses, a member of the TREBGreen Committee, president of theBoard of LEAF (www.yourleaf.org),co-chair of the Ontario SustainableEnergy Association ConservationCommittee (www.ontario-sea.org),volunteer with the NRCan Energy Rating Secretariat and pro-gram manager at www.knowyouren-ergyscore.ca. REM

s I write this, superstormSandy has just blasted thenortheastern U.S. and parts

of Canada, leaving death and large-scale destruction in its wake. Whilethe storm’s memory doesn’t lendfeelings of warmth for the holidayseason, it certainly shows us how anact of nature can abruptly halt lifeas we know it.

If any good comes from such acatastrophe, it’s that it reminds us ofwhat’s really important: family,friends, sustainable food, clean

water. As we enter the season ofgiving, it’s these basics of life thatshould be upheld and honoured.Appreciating family and friends orthe air we breathe shouldn’t inflicthavoc on our world or our wallets.Why not consider a streamlined,minimalist approach to the holidaysinstead of the usual fanfare?

Whether you’re celebratingChanukkah or Christmas thisDecember, draw on Sandy as areminder of how the stuff we accu-mulate and define ourselves by dis-appears in a flash. How important,really, is that collection of mid-cen-tury modern ceramics? How muchroom, time, money and energy doescollecting take?

Perhaps we’d be better off if werethought our approach to buying.When purchasing gifts, do we buythings that will last? Do we consid-er well-designed, timeless items thatare worth repairing as opposed tofaddish, here-today, gone-tomorrowthings that end up in the trash? It’s

frightening to think of the toll thistakes on our environment. Thinkabout the energy it takes to makeand distribute all this disposablestuff. We need to give more priorityto well-made products that aredurable and worth repairing.

While it’s important to examineour approach to the holidays andconsumerism, there are times whenyour heart really wants to give.Perhaps an old client has recom-mended you to a new one. Ormaybe you really appreciate theclockwork delivery service of yourneighbourhood newspaper girl. Yes,there are times when only a presentwill do.

Try to green up your gift buyingthis season. Make sure you readlabels, look for organic or fair-tradecertification, ask where the itemcame from and where it was made.If no source is given, it’s probablybest to pass on it.

While a home-made sock pup-pet may not appeal to the 16-year-

old on your list, there are green giftoptions that teens and adult recipi-ents will enjoy.

Environmental, wildlife andconservation organizations offermemberships that, in someinstances, allow entry to naturereserves, so this is a great idea forthe bird lover or wildlife enthusiaston your list. Memberships may alsocome with a magazine subscriptionpacked with environmental info.

There are numerous websiteswhere you can buy great green gifts. Try www.etsy.com for handmade, vintage items or visitwww.wwf.org and click on theWWF store for unique, animal-themed gift ideas. At www.planet-friendly.net/gifts.html you’ll getgood recommendations for eco-friendly gifts that you can purchaseonline and in person.

Consider making a donation inthe gift receiver’s name to a causethat’s near and dear to their heart.

Your time is a profound gift.

Offer to baby sit, pet sit or house sit.Draw up a certificate that promisessomething to which you can lendyour expertise. Help someone cre-ate a pot of soup, plan a garden orassist with financial planning.

As you rejoice with family andfriends this holiday season, be grate-ful for the company of people youcare about. That message is simpleand sparing, I know. Remember, it’soften less that is so much more.Merry Christmas and HappyChanukkah!

The National Association ofGreen Agents and Brokers(NAGAB) provide a Greenbrokerand Greenagent certification programto Realtors across Canada. To getmore information or to sign up for acourse, visit www.nagab.org. EldenFreeman M.E.S., AGS, broker is thefounder and executive director of thenon-profit organization. 1-877-524-9494 Email [email protected].

REM

GREEN REAL ESTATE

By Elden Freeman

The gift of slow consumption

A

Peter BurtonREALTOR®

IN Calgary & Area

403-660-3622 Cell403-250-5803 [email protected]

Realty Executives Apex105 - 1212 31 AVE N.E.Calgary, AB T2E 7S8

Referral fees paid on buyers andsellers in Calgary and area. I'm in RealEstate and would Love Your Business!

Liz Spooner-YoungSales Representative

IN Greater Sudbury

705-691-3208 Cell800-601-8601 Toll [email protected]

RE/MAX Crown Realty1349 LaSalle Blvd., Suite 208

Sudbury, ON P3A 1Z2Independently owned & operated

Dedicated to Exceptional Service inthe Greater Sudbury area! For all yourclients needs in buying or selling ahome, please contact me!

Tracie TattrieSales Representative

IN Kingston, ON

613-384-1200 Office613-484-0225 [email protected]

Royal LePage ProAlliance640 Catarqui Woods Drive

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Helping the public make informedBuying & Selling decisions in Kingston& the surrounding area. Professionalservice & great customer care fromstart to finish and years to come.

Mamie LambertReal Estate Agent

IN Calgary & Area

403-463-3223 [email protected]

CIR Realty144, 1935 - 32 Avenue NE

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I’ll help you buy or sell your home andprovide up-to-date MLS listing &market information for Calgary &surrounding communities. Customhome searches to suit your needs!

Maya Garg A.S.A ®, A.S.P ®Broker

IN Mississauga


Royal LePage Kingsbury Realty30 Eglinton Avenue WestMississauga, ON L5R 3E7

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418 - 2 North Service Road EastOakville, ON L6H 5R2Independently owned & operated

23 yrs. Selling Oakville & Burlington.RE/MAX Hall of Fame member. PastPresident, OMDREB. REALTORS® CareFoundation Ontario: B.O.D. Professional,progressive and pro-active.

John L. GoodwinBroker of Record

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Independently owned & operated

Extensive experience working withFortune 500 companies atmanagement level. I’m an agent withthe knowledge, qualities and abilitiesto protect my clients’ best interests.

Keith MacLeanREALTOR®

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RE/MAX Charlottetown268 Grafton Street

Stratford, PE C1E 1L7 Independently owned & operated

Happily selling PEI real estate. Allreferrals appreciated and cared for.

Anthony SmrkeBroker Of Record

IN Ontario


Milestone Silver Realty Ltd.2410 Bay Estates Road

Sheguiandah, ON P0P 1W0

We specialize in warehousinglicenses in Ontario for those notwishing to be part of mainstreamreal estate.

Ken GlauserBroker

IN Saskatoon


www.HomesInSaskatoon.com

RE/MAX Saskatoon200 - 227 Primrose DriveSaskatoon, SK S7K 5E4Independently Owned and Operated.

I have been helping Buyers, Sellersand Investors in Saskatoon and Areafor 18 years. I Care How 'FOR SALE'Becomes 'SOLD'.

Ross GligicBroker of Record, President

IN Oakville-Burlington-Milton

905-630-5475 Cell905-825-2378 [email protected]

Best Real Estate Inc.Suite 221, 2000 Appleby Line, Unit G3

Burlington, ON L7L 7H7

Brokerage Since 2002.

Progressive boutique brokerageserving West Toronto suburbs withhands-on technologically advanced,professional team of full-time agents,promptly paying 30% referral fee.

Ron PigeauBroker / Manager

IN North Bay & Area


Re/Max Legend Real Estate Inc.73 Lakeshore Drive,

North Bay, ON P1A 2A5Independently Owned and Operated.

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For complete listings, visit www.remonline.comTo add a listing to this calendar, email [email protected]

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

Toronto IslandAirportsailboats, charter fishing boatsand ferry boats that took riders tothe island to enjoy a day in thepark away from the city, separat-ed by the Toronto Harbour.Everybody in the area got alongvery well.

Then in 1999, theGovernment of Canada set upthe Toronto Port Authority(TPA) to take charge of theactivities of the TorontoHarbour. That initiative couldhave been good for everyone;however, this move ended upbeing catastrophic because thegovernment went the extra stepof wanting money out of it all. Itdeemed that this organizationwas to be self-sufficient – it hadto make its own money and infact they wanted it to turn a prof-it. This was awkward because theTPA had no real products or ser-vices to sell.

But they did have the ideathat they could make money byencouraging businesses to comedown and use the port lands thatthey controlled for a fee. Therewere some failures like a ferry thatcrossed Lake Ontario to theUnited States, but there were alsosome successes like turning the“sleepy island airport” into amajor international airport. Theairport idea took off, no punintended, at the expense of thecommunity, which endured allmanner of trouble with extra traf-fic and abuse by airport relatednoise, pollution and congestion.

As the Island Airport grew inhuge proportion, plans wereunderway to build a bridge con-necting the mainland with theairport. In 2003 the issue of thebridge to the island was a majorelement of the election forToronto mayor. In some ways itwas representative of a referen-dum on the bridge itself. Thewinner, David Miller, cancelledbridge construction and subse-quently the Government ofCanada paid an out-of-court set-tlement to the companiesinvolved in the island airport of$35 million. The settlementapparently stated that therewould be no fixed link to theisland.

Some are arguing today thatthe tunnel violates the agree-ment because it is a fixed link.

I declare my bias on this mat-ter because I live down here but Ihave come to know my neigh-bours and I can tell you that theyare not shrill or falsely indignant.They have been lied to andtricked many times by theauthorities. Even the majorexpansion of the airport wasannounced in a news release lateon Christmas Eve to avoid mediascrutiny.

The people who live in theimmediate vicinity are for themost part poor people. They arenew immigrants in metro hous-ing who are often afraid to ques-tion authority. Most propertiesare co-operative housing units

CREB Forecast Conference & TradeshowWednesday, Jan. 16Telus Convention Centre, CalgaryDawn van der Helm – [email protected]

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Fraser Valley Real Estate BoardConference & Trade ShowJan. 30 – Feb. 1Coast Hotel & Convention Centre,Langley, B.C.Trade show sold out

30th Annual Re/Max of Western CanadaConference, Hosted by Re/Max ofWestern CanadaFeb. 7 - 9Telus Convention Centre, CalgaryKelsey Woodliffe - [email protected]

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Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington Realtor ConnectionsConference & Trade ShowWednesday, March 27Hamilton Convention Centre, HamiltonSheila Sferrazza - 905-529-8101 Ext. 234

and many are subsidized by thegovernment for those who aredisabled or the working poor.There are hundreds of childrendown here and two schools rightbeside the airport. These are notthe sort of people who are quickto call lawyers; they don’t havethe money to do anything likethat. Many of them don’t havethe time, let alone the bus fare to

get to meetings and city hall todiscuss their own fate.

Watching the TPA step onthese people and their childrenwhile claiming that they areworking closely with the commu-nity is tragic.

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

REM

here’s been a lot of bally-hoo and hoopla down atthe bottom of my street.

It’s all about the airport acrossthe water from me on the tip ofthe Toronto Island. They aregoing to build a tunnel under-neath the water to join the IslandAirport with the mainland andthe people who are building it areoutright giddy with the prospectof having this connection totheir airport and the amount ofmoney it is going to generate forthem.

As far as the folks in my com-munity are concerned, most ofthem are fuming over the wholeidea because it is going to makethings even more crowded forthose who live here and theirkids who go to school and play inthe residential area that isbecoming more dangerous forthem every day.

The airport has been downhere for over 60 years. It hadbeen described as a “sleepy littlecommunity airport.” It was usedby hobbyists and a few privateairplane owners who charteredflights now and again. Fordecades it was a quaint part ofthe community along with the

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