Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
CREA
I attended a CREA meeting this afternoon in regards to the case against Realtors by the Competition Bureau. There has been so much press and we have yet to hear some truth in the press. Gary Mar was quoted in the newspaper that if the rules would change it could save something like $15000 per transaction--the average transaction is under $7000--how is this even possible? He doesn't have a clue, yet they publish his comments. He didn't know what the changes were, yet he was published with a ridiculous comment like that. Just get them rich realtors! Our CREA president was asking our permission to change our rules to attempt to appease the Competition Bureau.
What the general public doesn't realize is that the Competition Bureau is starting with realtors. WHY? Because public perception is we don't do anything to earn huge dollars. We put up a sign. There are several misconceptions: first, the average realtor makes something like $20,000 a year--there are very very few that make over $200,000 a year. As for what we do as realtors--it never ends. We just don't broadcast & boast exactly WHAT we do every day. In the way of buying or selling, you have a choice: you DON'T have to use a realtor to buy or sell. You have a choice already--and there are many other business model choices you can use to buy or sell. As well, just like a mechanic works on your car, your mortgage at the bank, the hotel you stay in: you can negotiate everything. Not just costs, but what you get done on your car, the rate/service at the bank, the room you get at the hotel, the services your realtor provides, etc.
We own http://www.realtor.ca/ & we are the victims of our own success: we have spent multi millions to create this awesome tool for marketing homes in Canada. Now the Competition Bureau says we should open it up to the public. We own it, we developed it, we monitor it, we audit it, we track it--if you developed you business model as such & then the government came in & said the public should have it, hand it over--I think you would not be too impressed either.
If you are part of any organized profession--why would the public be forbidden from accessing your information? I believe it to be possible that everyone who is in an organized profession could be targeted by the Competition Bureau. Who is next?
Why do you not have to publish all your engineering firm client, rates, etc for the public to be able to see all your information so they can make an informed decision of who to use? Or use your information to create their own business? Someone had a great analogy: I am going to rent a hotel room, though I am going to pay less as I am bringing my own sleeping bag, I don't want maid service & I'll clean my own room when I leave & the hotel HAS to accept this as I am a member of the public and this is what I want.
I work night, day, weekend & on my holidays FOR MY CLIENTS. I do expect to be paid at the end of the day, too. We review & discuss marketing plans & options & come up with payment accordingly. I was at a house the other day--the owner will list high & we know it will probably be a 6 month to 1 year listing. This needs a strong plan & contract if -- I EVER get paid.
There are times the government really has too much time & money on its hands to create this 3 YEAR project--the only future I can see is that other professional organizations will be targeted next.
I trust this will resolve with our new rule changes & we continue to do what we do best: offer you the real estate service you know & expect from your professional Realtor. By the way--if you felt you didn't get good service from your realtor: tell them! Don't know what your realtor does, ask them! I communicate weekly, though sometimes that is not enough--set up what works for you.
A great Realtor is a great asset--
Sigh....I feel better after getting that down!
Must go to bed as I have to met with a homestager in the morning & review marketing in the afternoon. And start those taxes soon.....
What the general public doesn't realize is that the Competition Bureau is starting with realtors. WHY? Because public perception is we don't do anything to earn huge dollars. We put up a sign. There are several misconceptions: first, the average realtor makes something like $20,000 a year--there are very very few that make over $200,000 a year. As for what we do as realtors--it never ends. We just don't broadcast & boast exactly WHAT we do every day. In the way of buying or selling, you have a choice: you DON'T have to use a realtor to buy or sell. You have a choice already--and there are many other business model choices you can use to buy or sell. As well, just like a mechanic works on your car, your mortgage at the bank, the hotel you stay in: you can negotiate everything. Not just costs, but what you get done on your car, the rate/service at the bank, the room you get at the hotel, the services your realtor provides, etc.
We own http://www.realtor.ca/ & we are the victims of our own success: we have spent multi millions to create this awesome tool for marketing homes in Canada. Now the Competition Bureau says we should open it up to the public. We own it, we developed it, we monitor it, we audit it, we track it--if you developed you business model as such & then the government came in & said the public should have it, hand it over--I think you would not be too impressed either.
If you are part of any organized profession--why would the public be forbidden from accessing your information? I believe it to be possible that everyone who is in an organized profession could be targeted by the Competition Bureau. Who is next?
Why do you not have to publish all your engineering firm client, rates, etc for the public to be able to see all your information so they can make an informed decision of who to use? Or use your information to create their own business? Someone had a great analogy: I am going to rent a hotel room, though I am going to pay less as I am bringing my own sleeping bag, I don't want maid service & I'll clean my own room when I leave & the hotel HAS to accept this as I am a member of the public and this is what I want.
I work night, day, weekend & on my holidays FOR MY CLIENTS. I do expect to be paid at the end of the day, too. We review & discuss marketing plans & options & come up with payment accordingly. I was at a house the other day--the owner will list high & we know it will probably be a 6 month to 1 year listing. This needs a strong plan & contract if -- I EVER get paid.
There are times the government really has too much time & money on its hands to create this 3 YEAR project--the only future I can see is that other professional organizations will be targeted next.
I trust this will resolve with our new rule changes & we continue to do what we do best: offer you the real estate service you know & expect from your professional Realtor. By the way--if you felt you didn't get good service from your realtor: tell them! Don't know what your realtor does, ask them! I communicate weekly, though sometimes that is not enough--set up what works for you.
A great Realtor is a great asset--
Sigh....I feel better after getting that down!
Must go to bed as I have to met with a homestager in the morning & review marketing in the afternoon. And start those taxes soon.....
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Property on Pender Island
I have a client looking to buy a property here in Calgary. She has owned land on Pender Island in BC for a long time. She only gets there every few years and has decided to sell it. Its about 1/2 acre. Its spring or summer there year round.
Don & I had camped on Salt Springs Island years ago and we had taken the ferry over. It had also stopped at Pender Island. It looked like a smaller version of Salt Spring. Salt Spring land is expensive.
If anyone is looking for a vacation spot, please check it out & call Dave (the listing agent). He knows more about it than I do and lives there to tell you good things about living on Pender Island.
http://http//www.realtor.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=9135406
You can also check out the isalnd details on the link below:
http://www.penderisland.info/
Don & I had camped on Salt Springs Island years ago and we had taken the ferry over. It had also stopped at Pender Island. It looked like a smaller version of Salt Spring. Salt Spring land is expensive.
If anyone is looking for a vacation spot, please check it out & call Dave (the listing agent). He knows more about it than I do and lives there to tell you good things about living on Pender Island.
http://http//www.realtor.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=9135406
You can also check out the isalnd details on the link below:
http://www.penderisland.info/
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