Fall is here! This is a great time of the year to look over the busy Summer months and see what you’ve learned. There is always a new lesson in every day - we just have to see it. There are also new lessons every week! Check out our training schedule on the last page and mark down the classes you are taking now. We’ll see you there!

As always, have a great month and we’ll see you next time!

October 2011 Issue 6, Volume 1

Brian’s Corner ContentsPage 2 Moose Jaw Hanna

Page 3 Medicine Hat Weyburn Lloydminster

Page 4 Training, Tech Corner and Sharpen the Saw

The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand returned to Canada on Oct. 4 with the signing of a long-term master franchising agreement. The new master franchisor, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada, will be led by Rob Vanden Broek and Nelson Goulart, who will be responsible for the franchising, operations and marketing of the brand in Canada.

The brokerage, owned by Vanden Broek, has become the brand’s first Canadian brokerage affiliate. With two offices and 90 agents serving the greater Toronto market, the firm now will do business as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Signature Service.

The company says it is a full service residential real estate franchisor, providing its franchisees and agents with technology systems, lead generation, marketing tools, training and talent attraction platforms to help them grow and manage their businesses and cultivate long-term client relationships.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate was originally launched in 1978 and did business in the U.S. and Canada for 20 years. It was then sold by parent company Meredith Corporation and most of its franchises in Canada became members of the GMAC real estate network. The new Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate was launched in the U.S. in 2008 by franchising giant Realogy. It has expanded to 23 states, with more than 200 offices and 7,000 sales reps.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada is the first expansion of the brand outside of the United States, a decision that is part of a long-term global growth plan for the brand, the company says.

“Canada was the natural first step for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate as we looked at global expansion,” says Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. “It has a robust housing market with a sophisticated customer base. The Better Homes and Gardens brand will serve as a key differentiator in this thriving market as it does in the U.S. Rob and Nelson are the ideal leaders to grow this iconic brand in Canada.”

Vanden Broek, president of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada, says, “No other real estate company can offer

the benefits provided by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, a brand whose namesake has personified a passion for the home since 1924. We are confident that this innovative brand and its branding, technology, training and service resources

will be appealing to Canadian brokers and agents, while providing an exceptional experience for homebuyers and sellers.”

Goulart, vice-president of network services for the Canadian master franchisor, says, “We believe real estate is not just about the transaction, it’s about building long-term relationships. Today’s informed consumer is empowered with more information than ever before. They are not just looking for a home; they are also looking for a community to complement their lifestyle. Agents and brokers need to deliver a more personalized, sophisticated level of service to deliver on that expectation. Our goal at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Canada is to provide our network with all of the tools necessary to exceed those expectations. In doing so, we are also empowering our brokers and agents to differentiate themselves from their competition and to be their most successful.”

CanadaBetter Homes and Gardens Real Estate returns to Canada

Yvonne Thomas

The thought of picking up the phone and calling a stranger to sell my services was terrifying! Once I forced myself to dial the number for a FSBO, I learned that these “strangers” actually seemed interested in what I had to say! I felt that I was able to convince them that not all Realtors® work the same way, and there were advantages in hiring me. Did I actually get a listing from these FSBO’s? No, not yet. But I certainly got a lot of practice making those calls and explaining what I have to offer. Another assignment was to door knock 5 homes which wasn’t difficult at all, in fact it was enjoyable. I chose a Saturday morning and was out and about on a quiet crescent either ringing doorbells, or chatting with people in their front yards. I opened with an introduction, and then explained that I knew a family who was looking to move into the area. They were more than happy to tell me who just moved in, and who would never be moving! I was able to tell them about myself, and hopefully they can share that with their family and friends! The WOW impact training has given me the opportunity to be more creative, more aggressive, and just put myself out there! ~Doreen

When I was originally asked to participate in WOW Impact training, there was no hesitation. As a new associate I knew I needed to put myself in the best position to succeed in my industry. WOW Impact training was the best way to accomplish that goal. I signed the agreement and started right away with the first assignment. “Hand out an information package on you to 20 people,” seemed easy enough, until I realized I had no information about myself as a real estate professional. Once I got started it got easier. That is until I was asked to speak to home builders and other business professionals in our industry. It was difficult for me to explain what I would bring to the table

that nobody else could. Stepping out of my comfort zone allowed me to be more confident in the items I was comfortable completing and in the end I developed many new professional relationships with the people of Moose Jaw. I obtained my first listing from WOW impact training and many leads. I was grateful to have the opportunity to go through this course and succeed. ~Carmen

On Thursday October 6th SSRE Moose Jaw hosted the first ever Real Estate Ladies Night! A great time was had by over 20 ladies in attendance! The night was set up with 4 presentations stationed throughout the SSRE Office. We kicked off with a presentation on the legal aspect of buying and selling real estate from lawyer Jeff Galbraith of Chow McLeod, the ladies of SSRE then took their turns answering a few of the most frequently asked questions about real estate. Our third presenter, Kurtis Langton of Cornell Design and Landscaping captured everyones interest as he talked about creating great Curb Appeal! And finally our own Director of Operations, Yvonne Thomas, entertained the crowd in her presentation about real estate as a career. The night finished off with a variety of prizes from local businesses and a final draw for a $100 Gift Card to the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa. A huge thank you goes out to all who attended this great event, as well as to our presenters and all prize donors! A great time was had by all and we look forward to hosting again next year!

On Friday, September 30, 2011, the Signature Service Real Estate family welcomed our 12th Office location, Hanna. The office will be added to the portfolio of the Taber & Coaldale Offices, under the management of Heleen Jacobsen. “The Hanna office will be a fantastic addition to our great team of REALTORS® and we are excited about adding the Brooks Board to our listing portfolio as well.” says an excited Heleen.

Realtors® Barry Lowe, Stan Logan, and Mark Kemaldean bring many years of experience and enthusiasm to the team. Please join us in welcoming them on board!

Moose JawReal Estate Ladies Night

HannaSSRE now 12 Offices Strong!

October 2011 Issue 6, Volume 1Page 2

Moose JawWOW Made and Impact

Doreen Heinbigner& Carmen Looyenga

Michelle Leonard Yvonne Thomas

Barry Lowe Stan Logan Mark Kemaldean Nathan Bosch

September 30, 2011 was a milestone day for Signature Service Medicine Hat noting the retirement of Shirley Fisher.

Shirley started her career in real estate with Better Homes and Gardens Club “100” (predecessor to SSRE in Medicine Hat) in 1997. From the very beginning and throughout these 14 years, Shirley has worked closely with her office mate, Gord Deibert. During Shirley’s first year her husband Ted was heard saying that she was going to “make the $1,000,000 club this year, in expenses.” Gord was kind enough to grace us with some information about Shirley and her career as well as what her retirement looks like:

Shirley grew up in Winnipeg but her figure skating took her away from her family when she was a teenager to Edmonton, AB. It was as a figure skater that she came to Medicine Hat and met Ted. They have been married for 39 years and have two sons Brent (Kristie) and Scott (Tammy). She and Ted have been blessed with 3 grandsons and, just a few weeks ago, a granddaughter.

In retirement Shirley will be spending a lot of her time with her grandchildren. She will be free to spend more time at their second home in Big Fork, MT, and she and Ted will continue to travel and vacation at their time-shares in Mexico. One time when discussing her and Ted’s vacation dreams with her friends, Shirley commented that she would love to find someplace that they hadn’t gone before. Her good friend replied; “I know where you should go - the kitchen.” They love to spend time with their many close friends and enjoy their golf holidays immensely.

October 2011 Issue 6, Volume 1Page 3

Medicine HatHappy Retirement leaves Sad Faces in Medicine Hat

Lloydminster‘Leaf’ing You with some Words of Wisdom

WeyburnDouglas Heights Subdivision and the Salt Lake Loonie

Terry Thom

Locky CummineTammy Cherlet

Summer has bid “adieu” in an always awe inspiring way! Take a moment the next time you are out showing properties to take in the splendour of the fall colours. ~The autumn leaves are a lot like raising kids. First they turn on you, and then they fly away. And next thing you know, you look out the window and they’re back!

~Autumn is a season for big decisions -- like whether or not it’s too late to start spring cleaning.

~I got tired of looking at all those leaves in my yard, so I got up off the couch and went into action. I closed the curtains.

~When running errands where one stop involves going to a bank and one involves dropping off a firearm, drop off the firearm first.

~If you’re prone to impulse purchases, stick to shoes, not tattoos.

With Weyburn city lots at a premium and difficult to come by these days, Realtors® Melanie Loreth and Pamela Maas have scored big! It took nearly two years of negotiations, but the new Douglas Heights subdivision exclusive listing was awarded to Melanie and

Pamela in August. Douglas Heights has been designed to maximize the natural views of the countryside and the beautiful park and river below, a rarity in southern Saskatchewan. Being the newest real estate office, and one of the smallest in the city, we consider this a significant accomplishment for Melanie, Pamela and Signature Service Real Estate. Way to go, ladies!

Realtor® Melanie Loreth, on behalf of Signature Service Real Estate, was proud to sponsor a book launch on September 11, 2011. “The Salt Lake Loonie” is a book compiled of interesting sports stories by Brett Matlock and Jesse Matlock. The special event was held at the Slow Food and Sports Bar in Regina and was well attended by sports fans who could chat with the authors, enjoy drinks and snacks and of course, purchase “The Salt Lake Loonie.” Melanie was proud to be a part of this exclusive event.

Google offers a number of services including web based Document storage and editing. You can store almost any file type, with the ability to edit text documents, spreadsheets and presentations right in your web browser.

Online, free word processing with Google documentsCreate and share documents on the web and access them from any computer or smart phone. The familiar desktop feel makes collaborative editing easy.

Online, free spreadsheets from GoogleCreate and share spreadsheets online. Google spreadsheets makes it easy to track budgets, run financial calculations, track data and more. Free, embeddable presentations from GoogleCreate and share presentations on the web. Add text, images, video and more directly to your presentation slides. Online drawings in Google DocsWork together to create drawings and diagrams in Google Docs and insert them into your documents, spreadsheets, presentations and web pages. Easy to create, HTML forms from GoogleCollect information by creating a form in Google Docs. All the great features you expect from a form creation tool with none of the upgrade costs. It’s free.

Want to learn more about this powerful and free resource? Jonathan Feist will be teaching a course on Google Docs October 14!

Sign up here: http://bit.ly/ssregoogle

WebinarTraining Schedule

October 2011 Issue 6, Volume 1Page 4

Oct 13 2:30pm Sell the Sizzle, not the Steak

Oct 14 2:00pm Introduction to Google

Oct 19 1:30pm SSRE Website Intro Part 2

Oct 20 2:30 Social Media Tools and Tips

Oct 21 1:30pm WYSIWYG - Wysi...What!?!

Oct 26 1:30pm SSRE Website Intro Part 3

Oct 27 2:30pm QR Codes

Nov 3 2:30pm Facebook 101

Nov 10 2:30pm Intro to Social Media - Part 1

Nov 15 2:30pm Intro to Social Media - Part 2

Nov 16 1:30pm SSRE Website Intro Part 1

Nov 17 2:30pm Intro to Social Media - Part 3

Nov 23 1:30pm SSRE Website Intro Part 2

Nov 24 2:30pm Marketing Materials 101

Nov 25 1:30pm WYSIWYG - Wysi...What!?!

Nov 30 1:30pm SSRE Website Intro Part 3

Watch for the signup forms each week in your IQ messages.

Google DocsCloud Computing Made Easy

HARPENING the SASThe Zen of Social Media Marketing

By Shama Hyder KabaniOne of Business Week’s 25 under 25 Entrepreneurs for

2009 and founder of The Marketing Zen Group

It’s the last social media marketing book you’ll ever need to buy, because it’s the first living, constantly updated book. Login to receive access to the exclusive online version with live updates!