When you sat down to write this article, you must have thought, although the idea is great, how many Realtors out there would have the nerve to charge for the information? As you said, lawyers do and so do appraisers who use our information to compile their appraisal. The final figures are not out yet, [...]

Yes, Realtors can make a difference and have their voices heard. Mike Grenby, a columnist and independent personal financial advisor, writes a column for our weekly Sunday paper in Regina. In a recent article he talked about buying a home and stated, “The agents – they work for the seller, not for you. It’s ‘buyer [...]

I received a great deal of support for my letter (REM, April 2004) and overwhelmingly the responders felt that no one is representing the interests of the working/selling Realtors. We are faced with every special interest group pushing us to include them in offers and protect them via our insurance. A partial list includes lawyers, [...]

By Heino Molls – I wonder if it is time for real estate agents to consider charging a fee for listing and sales presentations. Do you think that’s crazy?
It may seem like a radical concept, but give it some thought. Twenty-five years ago a real estate agent was primarily thought of as a sales [...]

Last October the Agency Task Force of the Canadian Regulators Group presented some proposed changes to various aspects of agency. One of them was the introduction of the concept of Designated Agent. This was suggested as a solution to some of the pitfalls and perceived legal, ethical and practical problems with Disclosed Limited Dual Agency, [...]

As Realtors we have been through a lot of change in the last 15 years, and I believe we will continue to evolve our profession in terms of professional services offered, including CREA’s proposed Code of Ethics & Standards of Business Practice. Notwithstanding the ever litigious-society we are a part of, and the courts’ interpretation [...]

By Marty Douglas – Funny how Christmas teaches lessons not evident at other times of the year. A man and his mother had just arrived in the Comox Valley to take possession of his new home. Then they took a wrong turn and fate dealt an unkind slap.
They came into our office seeking directions [...]

By Barry Lebow – The difference between an employee and a self-employed real estate agent is self-discipline. One of the most desirable aspects of being in real estate sales is that few of us have a traditional boss. We may be in business within a company, but we are truly in business for ourselves. The [...]

Some Canadian real estate notables took time to go motorcycling in the Everglades following the National Association of Realtors conference in Orlando, Fla. From left: Phil Soper, president of Royal LePage; Pierre Beauchamp, chief executive officer, CREA; Samir Bachir, CREA president; Don Richardson, executive officer of the Toronto Real Estate Board; and Richard Wood, past-president, [...]

Coldwell Banker All Points-Festival City Realty in Stratford, Ont., which has six branch offices throughout Perth and Huron counties, recently bought a building on Stratford’s main street. The building was completely renovated for the firm’s 17 sales reps. The second floor of the building has 13 office suites that are rented out to small business [...]