House prices have remained a “bedrock of value” for Canadians over the past year, despite a steady flood of gloomy media headlines about the slowing Canadian economy, the volatility of the world’s stock markets, and the United States’ housing crash and credit crisis, according to a national survey by Century 21 Canada brokers.   The [...]

Scott Veitch of Creston, B.C, former president of the Kootenay Real Estate Board, has been elected 2008-2009 president of the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA).
“My job, along with BCREA, is to help B.C.’s 18,000 Realtors deal with the economic and environmental issues that represent opportunities and challenges for the B.C. real estate profession,” says [...]

Manoj (Bob) Chaman helps people find peace through music and real estate.   An accomplished composer and performer, the Realtor with ReMax Rouge River Realty Ltd. in Markham, Ont., performs around North America, blending a passion for poetry and music in his ghazal songs.   “Ghazals are love songs,” Chaman says. “They have a mass [...]

Nancy Hare, franchisee of Exit Realty New View, has purchased the license rights for the areas of Miramichi, Bathurst and Campbellton in New Brunswick.   “When 2007 rolled around, I was feeling the need for change, for something bigger,” says Hare. “As fate would have it, I received a call from Ed Martens, (Exit’s senior [...]

The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a proposed settlement with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) that requires NAR to allow Internet-based residential real estate brokers to compete with traditional brokers. The DOJ says the settlement will “enhance competition in the real estate brokerage industry, resulting in more choice, better service, and lower commission rates [...]

There are a number of do-it-yourself projects that are sure to increase a home’s resale value, says the Royal LePage Renovations and Returns Survey.   “Amid today’s competitive real estate market, renovations offer a relatively affordable means to boost the value of a home,” says Lisa da Rocha, vice-president, marketing and sales, Royal LePage Real [...]

More than 7,000 sales reps and brokers took part in the Toronto Real Estate Board’s (TREB) annual Realtor Quest conference recently. Now in its fourth year, Realtor Quest has grown to become the most significant event of the year for TREB members, featuring opportunities for learning, networking and fun. Non-TREB members are also invited to [...]

An alert Realtor aided by close communication between the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) and police outfits in two provinces recently led to the arrests of two alleged con artists.   On April 2 the Commercial Crimes division at the Calgary Police Service contacted REBGV about two suspected con artists operating in Metro [...]

As the real estate industry continued to defy the traditional cycle, posting record and near record gains in markets across the province, Re/Max marked the accomplishments of 2007 at its 28th Annual Awards Gala, honouring Ontario’s top-producing Re/Max Realtors.   More than 1,600 Re/Max agents, guests and industry professionals attended the event. Re/Max recognized those [...]

While higher housing values and tight inventory levels have hampered home-buying activity so far this year, longer amortization periods and alternative housing types have offset the impact on most major markets across the country, says a recent report by Re/Max.   Despite a higher degree of frustration in the marketplace than in previous years, the [...]