More than 750 Coldwell Banker Canada brokers, managers and sales reps gathered recently in Richmond Hill, Ont. at a 2008 kick-off sales rally. The event featured real estate speaker/trainer Floyd Wickman, who was named one of the most influential people in real estate by the National Association of Realtor’s magazine. He captivated the audience for [...]

Effective January 1, 2009, real estate licensees in B.C. will be able to form personal real estate corporations, a change the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) has asked for since 2003.   “We’re very pleased with the government’s decision,” says BCREA president Andrew Peck. “This amendment gives Realtors the same tax advantages already enjoyed [...]

Victoria-based independent DFH Real Estate has positioned itself for future expansion by welcoming three new local partners. Peter Gaby, Mike Nugent and Kevin Sing, all long-standing Realtors with DFH, have joined the ownership group.   “DFH has grown significantly in the past few years and it was time to structure the firm to expand even [...]

Resale home sales finished 2007 at about 520,000 units, a 7.6 per cent increase over 2006, says Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC). In 2008 the level of MLS sales is expected to fall by 3.9 per cent to 499,650 units, while 2009 will see an additional decrease to 488,300. Growth in the average MLS [...]

Interview by Kathy Bevan   This year one of Canada’s largest real estate organizations celebrates its 95th anniversary.  From its beginnings as the one-office business of Toronto entrepreneur A.E. LePage, to its position within Brookfield Real Estate Services, Royal LePage now has 15,000 Realtors across the country – 1,200 working out of corporately owned offices [...]

Three national associations whose members are central to the investment, management, purchase and sale of real property are calling on the federal government to change capital gains tax policy in the 2008 federal budget to encourage reinvestment.   The policy change proposed by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations [...]

Blue Cat Realty of Oshawa, Ont. has opened two additional offices in Bowmanville and Millbrook.  Now with more than 30 sales reps, Blue Cat Realty sees a bright future with more expansion planned, says broker of record Thomas Sheehan. He says the company philosophy is that “sales representatives are doing all the work and therefore [...]

By Kathy Bevan   One of the Canadian real estate industry’s best-known leaders is retiring. Bernie Vogt is stepping down as head of Prudential Real Estate’s operations in Canada at the end of February.    Vogt has worked in real estate since 1974, when he first began selling homes for Harvey Keith in Kitchener, Ont.  [...]

A few weeks ago I was at the Tim Hortons drive-through in beautiful Stratford, Ont. As is typical at Timmy’s there was a line-up of a few cars as I waited for my turn.   When I got to the window to get my order, the young lady at the drive-through counter told me to [...]

Robb Atkinson, broker/owner of Royal LePage Royal City Realty, has expanded to Rockwood, Ont. Atkinson has added three sales representatives who were formerly with a local Re/Max brokerages.  Royal LePage Royal City Realty now has 130 sales reps working out of the company’s existing two Guelph offices, as well as Fergus, Elora, and now Rockwood.