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engage. enhance. educate.
COMPETIT IVE
11 OFFICES from
BURLINGTON to NIAGARA
FE
B 2
018
COVER STORY
RE/MAX ESCARPMENT & RE/MAX NIAGARAJOIN FORCESBy now you have likely heard that RE/MAX Escarpment and RE/MAX Niagara are combining forces to do just what the RE/MAX name was designed to demonstrate - MAXIMIZE your opportunity, and help you do more for your clients.
The strength of our now 11 offices will enable us to continue to invest in the latest technology (paperless transaction management, content rich neighbourhood websites, and robust agent websites etc.), and offer you more ways to help you grow your business.
With our current services expanded into the RE/MAX Niagara offices, you can rest assured the systems and technology that are an integral part of
RE/MAX Escarpment will be available in the Niagara region for your convenience, and the benefit of your clients.
We will continue to invest in the two brands, and market them both, however we are committed to creating one strong and competitive team operating from Burlington to Fort Erie!
Thank you for your leadership and commitment to RE/MAX. We know that the year ahead will be one of our best!
Stay tuned for exciting new initiatives we have planned as part of this exciting new partnership in the months to come.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
FEBRUARY 2018
mon tues wed thurs fri
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OFFICE MEETINGS:BURLINGTON NORTH/ DOWNTOWN @ 10:30BURLINGTON SOUTH@ 1:30
DOCUSIGN: A MUSTHAVE TOOLWINTERBERRY10:00-12:00
ACTIVATE YOUR REALINTROWINTERBERRY9:30-12:30
SELLING VACANT LANDANCASTER10:00-12:00
OFFICE MEETING:ANCASTER/DUNDURN10:30
KATIE LANCE#GETSOCIALSMARTRBG9:00 - 1:00SEE PAGE 4 FOR DETAILS
OPEN HOUSES ONSTEROIDSWINTERBERRY10:00-12:00
NEXONE (FALTOUR)TRADE RECORDTRAININGBURLINGTON SOUTH10:00-11:30
MOVING BEYOND GOOD: OVERCOMING FEARS & LIMITSWINTERBERRY10:00-12:00
CONRAD SPEAKING AT RE/MAX BROKER RETREAT IN TURKEY
ALL OFFICES & APPOINTMENTCENTRE ARE CLOSED
RE/MAX R4 CONVENTION IN LAS VEGAS
TECHNOLOGY TRAINING
MARKETINGTOOLS
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTCONTINUING EDUCATION LEGEND:
To register for any of these sessions, contact the Winterberry Office:905-573-1188 / x 2400 / [email protected]
at EscarpmentDOCUSIGN: A MUST HAVE TOOLwith Joey Zurini10:00 - 12:00, Winterberry OfficeREGISTER BY MON. FEB. 5
Come for a quick hands-on session to learn how to send, sign, and approve documents from wherever life takes you! From Getting Started, to learning to connect Docusign with Webforms, and how to begin the signing process using the dozens of pre-made, easy-to-use templates. Keep your transactions secure and delight clients with an amazing customer experience! LAPTOP/DEVICE IS OPTIONAL FOR THIS SESSION
FEB7
ACTIVATE YOUR REALINTRO with Virginia Paul9:30 - 12:30, Winterberry OfficeREGISTER BY FRI. FEB. 9
This hands-on session is designed to help you understand why you should have a REALINTRO website, and help you populate content with the ultimate goal of getting it ACTIVE so that you can capture leads from REALINTRO and REALHOODS. Before you Register: You must already have a REALINTRO account set up and the basic contact info input. Contact Virginia Paul, [email protected] to set up an account. Several days before the class, you will receive a list of what you need to prepare in advance, so that we can help you to input articles, videos, testimonials and stats and put this great tool to work for you! LAPTOP/DEVICE IS MANDATORY FOR THIS SESSION
FEB13
SELLING VACANT LAND with Mike Cusano10:00 - 12:00, Ancaster OfficeREGISTER BY MON. FEB. 12
This session will serve as a refresher when selling/buying vacant land. Discussions will include: Will the Greenbelt/NET impact the buyers’ intended use?, Environmental Reports, Property Rights (What every buyer should know), Brownfield/City of Hamilton’s Erase Program, Sample Offer Schedules & Clauses.
FEB15
OPEN HOUSES ON STEROIDSwith Conrad Zurini10:00 - 12:00, Winterberry OfficeREGISTER BY TUES. FEB. 20
Open houses are a great way to generate not only buyer leads but listing leads. Find out how to create an open house experience which will make your seller sing your praises while you fill your pipeline with new clients.
FEB23
NEXONE (FALTOUR) TRADE RECORD TRAINING with Pat Kozak10:00 - 11:30, Burlington South OfficeREGISTER BY FRI. FEB. 23
Learn how simple it is to complete your trades in Faltour. Sit with Pat for 1 1/2 hours and she will take all of the mystery out of it and provide you with a paper reference book that will walk you through it step by step.
FEB27
MOVING BEYOND GOOD: OVERCOMING FEARS & LIMITS with David Yunker10:00 - 12:00, Winterberry OfficeREGISTER BY MON. FEB. 26
Designed to unleash the power & potential inside each of us, and use it to
it’s maximum potential. If you are new to our business, or are a seasoned
agent who is caught in an, “I want to do more but can’t seem to do it”
paradigm, then join David to help you cut through the barriers that may be
holding you back from success. Making changes for good reasons opens
doors for us to move forward. The worst fear we can have is being static
and not reaching our goals. If your success is important to you, this course
is for you! You’ll thank yourself later.
FEB28
ANCASTER
Soup Fest!����
Friday, March 2, 201812pm - 3pm | $20 for 5 Samples
V O T E F O R YO U R FAV O U R I T E
COME & ENJOY HOMEMADE SOUP MADE BY ANCASTER AGENTS in Support of McMaster Children’s Hospital
12pm - 3pm | $20 for 5 Samples109 Portia Drive, Ancaster, Ontario, L9G 0E8
To register for any of these sessions, contact the
Winterberry Office:905-573-1188 / x 2400 / [email protected]
PROUDLY PRESENTS
SESSION #1 9:30 - 11:00am#GetSocialSmart: How to Hone Your Social Media StrategyTired of spinning your wheels when it comes to social media? This is Katie Lance’s signature presentation which focuses on how to intentionally use social media to build better relationships with your clients (past, present and future), how to cut through the noise of social media, how to manage the time suck that social media can be, how to maximize Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and emerging platforms like Snapchat and live video, how to use a content grid to jump-start your strategy, best practices of Facebook advertising and how to turn likes into leads.
SESSION #2: 11:15 - 12:45pmHow to Tell Your Story OnlineHave you ever wondered how to craft a smart online strategy? In this class, Katie Lance teaches you how to create your online story by teaching you how to create a comprehensive content marketing plan including: how to create your pillar pieces of content such as blog or video content, how to repurpose each piece of content effectively over social media platforms, how to maximize and grow your email list, how social media advertising and Facebook can support your online story, how to create a 12-month content plan quickly and easily and how emerging platforms like Instagram and Snapchat can play a role.
WHO IS KATIE LANCE? Katie has been in the marketing and branding world for more than 15 years, but fell in love with social media in the last 7. She is a consultant, speaker, and writer (check out her book, “#GETSOCIALSMART” - ask Conrad about it!). As the chief strategist and social media director for Inman News in her ‘past life’, she was responsible for increasing their social media footprint from 7,000 to more than 250,000! Katie made a conscious decision not to ‘be all things to all people’ and focus on what fires her up - SOCIAL MEDIA!
FREE TO RE/MAX ESCA
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rsvp by Friday, February 16
[email protected], subject line: Katie Lance
VALUE - Your Primary ToolYou have heard your Management Team use the word VALUE often. Sometimes many times each day. Why is this 5 letter word so important? What does it really mean? How can you use it to create relationships and develop trust between you and others? Can it really expand your database? Can it be a vehicle for your financial growth in this business called real estate?
It is critical that you understand the answers to these questions, and more importantly, to implement this VALUE into our daily activities. We often do not see the Value that we offer to others. It can materialize in various forms – verbally, physically, through actions, the services we provide, our performance, and more.
The relevance of our Value must be communicated to others. Our Clients, in many instances, are not aware of what it is we do on their behalf. This leads them to ask for commission adjustments. They see what we do but, like an iceberg, most of what we do is below the water and cannot be seen. There are roughly
65 action steps that we take to sell a house. Do we make sure that our seller clients are aware of these? In most cases the answer is NO. In order to fix that, we must let them know all of the activities that we perform on their behalf. If we do not, they think we are doing nothing to sell their home and we therefore have no Value in their eyes.
Our Value can be communicated in other ways, for example, by providing insight instead of just information to people. When we stop focusing on a transaction and start becoming a trusted advisor, we bring Value. Further, when we specialize in a specific area or “niche” market, and truly master it, we bring even more Value. We must become the knowledgeable resource for others, and thus become a valuable asset to them. We become their “Concierge” of information and knowledge.
The general public’s perception is that they know more than we do, and they do not need our services, etc. It is our job to change their
perception and communicate our Value to them with absolute clarity. It is our responsibility. If they truly see and believe in our Value, they will be less likely to demand, for example, a lower commission rate. When they do not see our Value, they will only pay an amount that they feel is proper.
If we do not communicate our Value, then price becomes the major issue.
Never underestimate the Value that you bring to people…..but first recognize it and leverage it when speaking with people.
Cheers,
David
David Yunker - Broker, Manager, Career Coach | [email protected] | 905.297.4118
DidYou Know: Residential New Build Agreements typically include an “HST” clause which states that the Purchase Price includes the net amount of the HST BUT NOT the Rebate portion of the HST. The clause also states that if the residential unit will be occupied by the original buyer as
their Principal residence then the Builder will take an assignment of the Rebate amount from the buyer on Closing and the Buyer will not be required to pay the Rebate amount to the Builder. Finally, the clause also states that if the Builder has any reason to believe that the original Buyer will not occupy the unit as their primary residence then the Builder can decline an assignment of the Rebate and insist that the Rebate amount be paid in cash on Closing in addition to the Purchase Price. Recently CRA has taken the position that if the ultimate Buyer is different from the original Buyer identified in the Agreement they will automatically deny the Rebate to the Builder. As a result, many Builders have now taken the position that if the original Buyer asks that their name be replaced on Closing with the name of someone else (even a family member) then, in addition to treating this as an Assignment of the Agreement, requiring Consent and payment of additional fees, the Builder will automatically add the Rebate amount to the Purchase Price to be paid on Closing. The Buyer will have to scramble to find this additional cash for Closing and would then have to make their own application to CRA for a refund of the Rebate portion which may or may not be successful depending on the circumstances… it’s the law!
Hamilton Mountain: 1595 Upper James StreetHamilton, ON L9B 0H7Tel: 905 667 2990Fax: 905 667 2991
Stoney Creek: 860 Queenston RoadStoney Creek, ON L8G 4A8Tel: 905 963 7312Fax: 905 963 7328
North Burlington: 2180 Itabashi Way, #4ABurlington, ON L7M 5A5Tel: 905 319 0369Fax: 905 319 8390
NEW! Ancaster:109 Portia DriveAncaster, ON L9G 0E8Tel: 289 204 2078Fax: 289 204 2086
Hamilton Downtown: 154 Main Street EastHamilton, ON L8N 1G9Tel: 905 681 6998Fax: 905 635 6886
www.escarpmentlaw.com escarpmentlaw
ALDO BERLINGIERI Law Professional Corporation | [email protected]
DOUGLAS J. DEPAULO Professional Corporation | [email protected]
ALANNA C. STEPHEN Law Professional Corporation | [email protected]
AMEY HANNA B.A.(Hons), J.D. | [email protected]
NORELLE L. DI GREGORIO B.A.(Hons), LL.B. | [email protected]
The
WHAT IS LUXURY?1. Luxury is - So much more than location, location, location. Traditionally we thought of Luxury properties being in certain areas or postal/zip codes but that is changing. High net worth clients are expanding their scope and willing to pay high prices where ever they find the lifestyle, and amenities that are important to them.
2. Luxury is – Convenience. As Millennials grow up and the Baby Boomers downsize, many large cities and urban areas are witnessing a resurgence. This is having a significant impact on the growth of urban areas with older affluent buyers. These areas are convenient and loaded with amenities that the suburbs don’t have. Many are opting for generous sized condos and town-homes within walking distance of offices, shopping, and great dining.
3. Luxury is – Age-Agnostic. Over the past 3 years we have seen more multi-generational travel. The growth in this type of tourism has meant some prestigious real estate is being purchased in resort destinations. We see increased demand for luxury homes with spaces that can accommodate generational diversity and entertaining requirements. Wealthy buyers are focused on spaces for grandchildren, and adult children are focused on guesthouses for elderly parents. A wide variety of amenities and entertainment for the entire family are becoming a priority with affluent home buyers.
4. Luxury is – Ultimate Privacy. For the very busy client, or one who is active on social media, and with smartphone technology, there has become an increasing desire for tuning out and privacy. A characteristic of today’s high end luxury is ultimate privacy. Long gated driveways, security systems, vegetation, and media-proof hideaways are replacing the ostentatiousness of the wealthy from just a few years ago.
5. Luxury is – Conscious living. Owning a home that doesn’t leave a negative footprint on the community is very important, and a home with a positive effect is even better. The demand for more sustainable and healthy environments has placed more emphasis on sourcing materials and has fueled the conscious living movement.
6. Luxury is - Collectible. Today’s wealthy and savvy investor loves to acquire and collect things of great value such as high value art work, sport teams and trophy residences. Many investors love to work with architects and designers to create ultra-luxury residences and properties. One of a kind trophy homes are becoming the latest “must have” for the world’s most affluent.
7. Luxury is – Turn Key. Buyers are willing to pay a large premium for the convenience of the “just bring a tooth brush” type of property outfitted with top of the line accoutrements. Many buyers are
insistent on immaculate condition and have little appetite for refurbishing a property or a project. Move in straight away is the way to go for these buyers.
8. Luxury is – Blank Canvas. At the other end of the scale is the buyer who has a desire for newness and willing to build their own trophy home. Buying the “trophy” property with the older home on it and tearing it down to start from scratch.
9. Luxury is – Understated. Today luxury is not the brash display of wealth that we saw years ago. Today, luxury is scaled back, quality over quantity, with understated elegance. Luxury buyers tend to be discreet, and less ostentatious. There is a trend to architecture that blends into the topography as opposed to in your face. The quality of the amenities and the lifestyle offering are more important today than the size of the house. We are witnessing a continuing shift from ostentatious displays of one’s wealth to a more restrained expression of tasteful, and thoughtful understated luxury.
What does Luxury look like to you? Is your favourite type of Luxury here in this list?
Regards,Lynn
Lynn Hoffmann - Broker, Manager | [email protected] | 416.953.1149
Did You Know? One of the messiest and most costly homeowner repairs is fixing a burst frozen pipe. Water from a burst pipe can cause damage to carpeting, short out electrical appliances and ruin furniture. Luckily, there are several products on the market that offer some security against these nightmares.
PREVENTING FROZEN PIPESSpray Foam – Foam is sprayed into the wall to fill cavities around pipes when the temperature cools.• Foam insulates walls and blocks airflow.• Make sure you also caulk exterior joints on the outside wall near pipes.
Heat Tape – The tape plugs into a grounded outlet and is then spiral wrapped around pipes. • Tapes have built-in thermostats that automatically call for power when the
temperature drops near freezing.• When the temperature rises, the power cuts off.
In-pipe Heating Elements – Devices are placed in water and sewer pipes and conduct heat directly into the pipe as needed.
Valve Units – Products are screwed onto taps (usually outside) and prohibit water from going through when temperatures are too low.
• The valve sensor detects low and high temperatures.
• When the low temperature is detected, the sensor opens a micro-valve to produce heat.
• As the temperature rises, the valve closes.
Safety FirstWater expands as it freezes and puts significant pressure on the metal or plastic pipes that hold it. Pipes that are exposed to extreme cold can burst when water expands; these include outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines and water supply pipes in basements, attics and garages.
Contact your inthesquare representative at Dalton Timmis with any questions:
Mark Hedley905.335.7454 [email protected]
LUXURY IN REVIEW
BRIAN HOGBENMortgage Broker #M12000040
QUEENSTONCRAIG HOGBENMortgage Broker #M12001140
ANCASTER & DUNDURNPRESTON SCHMIDTMortgage Agent #M08003906
O: 905-304-3303
UPPER JAMES DOUG GIRVANMortgage Agent #M17000231
BURLINGTON NORTHCHELSEA BEDARDMortgage Agent #M17000537
mission35mortgages.com | Office: 905-574-5255
WINTERBERRYJOSEPH GIANOLLAMortgage Agent #7001509
Give us a call or stop by Our Office (Your Office)!
ST. CATHARINESKRISTEN DIASMortgage Agent #18000046
#12844
Don’t get caught unprotected! Make sure you always start with a Plan B in mind!
If you are not using a mortgage broker, with all the rule changes you may be stuck doing extension after extension, and spending twice as much time on the same house, instead of moving on to the next one!
The Stress Test has left lots of people short when it comes to financing, we still have options that the banks do not. DO NOT LEAVE THE FINANCING TO CHANCE. Call a Mission 35 Agent today.
How do you know it’s February? The parking lot at my gym has parking close to the door and our office parking lots get fuller. Lets face it, January is one of those months in our business which breeds procrastination. We as REALTOR®s make the market. We beat the bushes and things happen. Why does real estate have to be this roller coaster business cycle?
Lets look at a typical REALTOR® business cycle. January 2nd rolls around, and we are still in holiday mode. By the second week of January we are blaming the weather, saying that it’s so cold that no one could possibly want to view homes in this weather. Then January 20th comes, and many of us get our credit card bills from the crazy Christmas spending frenzy. We panic and start doing the things that bring us business: making calls doing CMA’s etc.
We start seeing the fruits of our labour and sales start coming in. This period of time is technically known as the spring market. Commission cheques start coming in May and June, and we decide that we worked so hard, we deserve the summer off. September rolls around and we start to panic because we have little or no sales from the summer. Once again we put the petal to the metal and create more sales. December rolls around and we tell ourselves that no one wants to buy a home so close to Christmas, and we go into holiday mode all over again.
What’s interesting about this REALTOR® synopsis is that once in a while, consumer sentiment throws a monkey wrench in my theory. 2017 saw a crazy first quarter and then the second quarter tapered off. In other words consumers stopped buying in April and May, ‘the spring market’. Or is the question, did REALTOR®s lose confidence? So many REALTOR®s worked through the summer to make up for the drop in sales. As we sowed the seeds of a market in transition, the market began to rebound with a decent October and a record breaking November and December.
How do we turn this roller coaster business cycle into a Ferris Wheel where the passenger cars are full of prospects at different points in their buying or selling process?
It is simple. Systematize your business and create an environment where your marketing is almost running on auto pilot. Create your annual marketing plan which lays out when, where and what type of content you are creating and distributing. Make sure you have calls to action tied to a piece of contact either leading to your main hub about you (ie. Realintro) or to a landing page which engages your customers and provides various information nuggets which they will find beneficial, and will aid them in their buying and selling journey, which can take up to 26 months online.
And don’t forget your goals, I know you all hate making goals, so stop making goals that don’t mean anything. How about a goal of receiving referrals from 25% of your SOI, or past clients or having the greatest market share in your geo-farm area, or ranking in the top 100, or top 50, or top 10 in our board.
And lastly, differentiate yourself by reviewing what your competition is and isn’t doing. Ask yourself, “What makes me unique”, and what are 7 reasons that a client should make you their REALTOR®.
Lets keep going to the gym this year. Don’t make it about having that beach body for the summer but year round. A little effort on a regular basis is much easier. As far as your business goes, stop basing your business strategy on ‘the market’. Remember, you make the market. Build on your success a little everyday. People don’t just buy and sell in the spring!
Conrad Zurini - Broker of Record, Manager | [email protected] | 905.719.3033
THE BUSINESS CYCLE OF REAL ESTATE
Real Life: RBC Partners with Bryan & Sarah Baeumler to Help Make Real Somedays Happen
TM
Jennifer Grindatto905-462-4862
BURLINGTON N, S & Downtown
ANCASTERJennifer Adair289.887.0291
UPPER JAMES & Queenston
Katie Morrison905.515.1173
WINTERBERRY
Amy DiRenzo289-527-4188
WINTERBERRY
Elbron Barzegar647-466-5889
DUNDURN
John Wilkinson905.379.2820
Carmine Iarossi647-746-4988
BURLINGTON N, S & Downtown
RBC Home Someday Contest
What’s your “home” someday?
Tell us your story and if you can
convince the Beaumlers
why you should win
(use photos and video to make your
entry even more compelling!),
you could win
$25,000 towards your home Someday —
plus a personal consultation
with Bryan & Sarah!
Visit https://discover.rbcroyalbank.com/real-life-rbc-partners-bryan-sarah- baeumler-help-make-real-somedays-happen for more details and entry!
Contact your inthesquare RBC representative for details.
I never tire of Quatrefoil in Dundas, so when Lori picked it as our lunch spot, I was all over it. We both had amazing salads in the quiet environment of this special place.
Lori has an intensity which is subtle, I remember doing a million dollar sale with her several years ago. We had what felt like a very innocuous conversation on the front porch of this high end home. Lori actually convinced me that her client’s less than perfect offer was perfect for the sellers. And she was right!
What’s Lori’s Motto?“Don’t candy coat things”. Lori, as I’ve experienced, is straight to the point and you always know where you stand. That’s why she is so successful and that’s why her clients work with her. Lori isn’t afraid to tell them, “this isn’t the house for you...don’t settle.”
Advice to new agents entering the business• ”You say no to no one! People want you to
lease their home for 6 months, you do it. No matter how small the piece of business may be now, it could turn into something major down the road.”
• She never forgot advice she received from John Mota early in her career about timing in our business. “You shoot when the rabbit runs by”.
• “Be habitually grateful...gratitude is the mainstay of your successful business.”
• “Don’t burn bridges and always remember to take the high road”
Behind every successful woman...Howie is her rock. He does it all and supports Lori both personally and professionally, which is a pretty demanding on its own, but not for Howie. He also runs his own pest control business.
What’s the RE/MAX Brand mean to you?“Powerful, recognized, but more importantly consumers look at RE/MAX agents as go getters who are responsible for their own business decisions, and who invest in their business every day.”
How did it all start for Lori?Lori always had not just a passion, but an addiction for real estate, and got into the business as an assistant for Shawn Murray who picked Lori for this ‘The Lunch’ interview. After working for Shawn she went to work for Rob Golfi and got her license when working with him. She remembers how positive Rob was when she announced her intentions of getting her license. She did both duties with Rob and her sales career really took off and the rest is herstory.
What is Lori looking forward to in 2018?“Proving the media wrong about the real estate market.”
What tools do you use to help you with your business?The SIM statistical reports and our RE/MAX Escarpment weekly showing report. “It’s about presenting your clients with the numbers, and interpreting what it means for them. The numbers don’t lie. They tell a story.”
On going away and making sure your clients are well taken care of.Lori has been so fortunate to find her business clone in Patty Bevan. They have known each other for centuries...just kidding Patty (since they were 4 years old). They both have that same passion for their business and a strong work ethic. So when either of them are away their clients are treated to the same high level experience they would normally receive. They have a great system to compensate each other paying for showings, doing offers, doing amendments and paying referrals down the road when there is a sale. “That’s how you can be away and know for sure that your clients will be well taken care of.”
If you found 10 dollars in an old pair of jeans what would you do with it?“Turn it into change and continue doing what I always do - put it in parking meters when I leave the parking spot so people find a little surprise”. It may be small but it makes people feel good.
LORI BOLTON
