Issue: 2 (Brokers and Agents): March/April 2012
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Commercial by Royal LePage |
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Launching March 27
(Public Relations launch April 3)
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Innovation and service excellence are cornerstones of the Royal LePage brand since 1913. From dividing land for one of Toronto’s first subdivisions in 1940, to coordinating the then largest land assembly for the construction of landmark office towers in 1957, Royal LePage helped pioneer the growth and development of commercial real estate in Canada.
Our commercial practitioners have continued to successfully participate in the commercial sector, as part of our residential business. With the launch of Commercial by Royal LePage we are recognizing that continuing area of practice and offering a complete structure of support and resources to our existing group of dedicated commercial practitioners.
The offering, for practitioners meeting established criteria for commercial practice, includes a suite of services for their marketing, promotional, networking, partnership and professional development needs.
To learn more, ask your broker or contact Kelly McCain at kellymccain@royallepage.ca, or 416.442.5353.
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Commercial by Royal LePage is launching with a suite of tools and resources to support Commercial practitioners.
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Out and About |
Vernon Downtown Realty in Vernon, B.C. marks 35 years |
In a recent newspaper article, Vernon Downtown Realty manager Riley Twyford muses on 35 years in the business. He offers insights on the many ways his business has changed over the years, along with reflections on how things have stayed the same.
Read the story in the Vernon Morning Star.
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GRAEME CORBETT PHOTO/VERNON MORNING STAR
Manager Riley Twyford and associate broker Paulette Webb of Royal LePage Vernon Downtown Realty, in Vernon, B.C. pour over 35 years of news clippings detailing the company’s history.
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Royal LePagers figured prominently at OREA Leadership Conference |
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The OREA 2012 Leadership Conference, held Feb. 28 to March 1 in Toronto, marked the 90th anniversary of OREA, which was founded in 1922 by a handful of real estate pioneers, including Royal LePage founder A.E. LePage. OREA’s mandate then, as it is today, is to bring about standards for the industry and professional development for its members.
This year, in addition to a variety of accredited leadership courses, OREA Leadership Conference attendees benefited from insights from speakers including Stefan Swanepoel, Dr. Chris Bart, Enette Pauze and Dr. Piers Steel.
Royal LePage Canada served as the Industry Sponsor for this year’s event. “It was great to support this conference and reconnect with so many of our own who are serving in leadership roles within the industry,” said Mark Frenette, Royal LePage Manager, Network Development, Ontario & Atlantic.
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MARK FRENETTE PHOTO
Patricia Verge – Royal LePage Team Realty, Ottawa (CREA Past President); Barbara Sukkau – Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre, St. Catharines (OREA Immediate Past President; Pauline Aunger – Royal LePage Pauline Aunger Real Estate, Smiths Falls (Current CREA Director-at-Large and OREA Past President ; Dorothy Mason – Royal LePage Your Community Realty (OREA Past President.) |
Royal LePage Gardiner Realty wins 2011 Business Award from local Chamber of Commerce |
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Oromocto & Area Chamber of Commerce (New Brunswick) recently awarded Royal LePage Gardiner Realty with the 2011 Business Award as a result of the brokerage's outstanding entrepreneurism and community involvement.
Established in 1970, Royal LePage Gardiner Realty services Fredericton, Oromocto and the surrounding areas with two offices and a kiosk.
Through more than 40 years of service, giving back to the community has been a hallmark of the business. The company recently donated $23,000 to charity through the "Giving Back" campaign. In addition, they provide ongoing support to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and local shelter Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation.
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Staff at Royal LePage Gardiner Realty gather recently at an awards banquet where they received the 2011 Business Award from the Oromocto & Area Chamber of Commerce. |
Consider donating blood: Noah’s story |
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Mike Coffin and his daughter Amy Coffin-Bondy, both REALTORS® with Royal LePage Binder in Windsor, have a message for their Royal LePage colleagues: That is, “donate blood.”
The reason for their plea is bright-eyed, energetic 10-month-old Noah Bondy, who is Amy’s son and Mike’s grandson. The tot has an extremely rare medical condition. He is one of only 50 world-wide who have a condition called Factor X Deficiency. As a result, he will have a life-long dependency on blood products.
“We are very thankful for the wide-spread support for Noah,” says Mike Bondy. “Through sharing Noah’s story, my hope is that Royal LePagers across the nation can help our cause by giving blood and encouraging others to do so.”
Mike’s goal is to reach out to Royal LePage offices to ask them to register themselves as “Partners for Life” with the Canadian Blood Services. He adds that only 4 per cent of available eligible people donate blood. Blood shortages account for delays in surgery, cancer treatments and more. “No family should have to wait,” he says.
“Mike and Amy, both with Royal LePage Binder in Windsor, ON, have my full support in their cause to encourage Royal LePagers nationally to donate blood. Noah’s story is one that touched my heart, as I am sure it will touch yours,” says Phil Soper, President and Chief Executive, Royal LePage Canada.
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10-month-old Noah Coffin-Bondy has a rare blood disorder that requires a life-long dependency on blood donations.
Daughter and father team, Amy and Mike Coffin are REALTORS at Royal LePage Binder in Windsor. Noah is Amy's son and Mike's grandson.
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Royal LePage Shelter Foundation | |
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Your donations make a difference |
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Every week, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation receives letters from women’s shelters across the country thanking us, and you, for the contributions we have made to various shelters. Those letters often mention how our support has facilitated renovations, new programs, employment training and job search programs, and helped them meet critical needs for residents in transition, such as food, housing, therapy, childcare and other support.
Thank you to all our supporters. Every day, you help the Shelter Foundation improve the lives of women and children fleeing family violence.
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Tips to put your National Garage Sale for Shelter over the top! |
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Thank you to those offices who have registered to participate in this year’s National Garage Sale for Shelter, taking place nation-wide on May 12. We will soon be posting all the Garage Sale locations on the Royal LePage website. If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for? We’d love to have you!
To sign up for the National Garage Sale for Shelter, click here.
Here are a few ways to increase your garage sale results. Click here, for additional tips.
- Hold a BBQ and ask for sponsorship or food donations Use the customizable sponsorship proposal found here. Don’t have a BBQ? Buy one to use for the day and raffle it off as “once used”.
- If you share a plaza with other businesses, ask them to donate $1 from their sales on May 12 – they shouldn’t mind since you’ll be bringing in extra traffic that day!
- Ask a local company to provide you with storage bins, making it easy for folks to donate items ahead of the sale.
- Sell plants from your garden (i.e. $10 for a large hosta to $1 for small cuttings). Approach your local greenhouse to donate as well. Perfect for Mother’s Day!
- Set up a small bazaar, silent auction, or a draw for newer items.
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Commission Donor Contest:
Last Chance to win a FREE registration for the National Sales Conference! |
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Making a regular contribution to the Shelter Foundation through our Commission Donation program is a convenient and easy way to make a meaningful difference in the lives of women and children fleeing family violence. And while other charities spend part of their donor dollars on administration, one hundred per cent of your donations to the Shelter Foundation goes directly to our cause. Providing $20, $30, $50 or $100 per deal can make a difference. As a donor, we’ll offer you special logos and sign riders that demonstrate your commitment to supporting the community where you live and work.
As a special incentive this year, all existing and NEW Commission Donors who sign up by April 30, 2012 will be eligible to win one of two FREE registrations for the National Sales Conference in Vancouver. Please fill out a Commission Donation pledge form, give it to your administrator and fax a copy to the Shelter Foundation office. You may be a lucky winner but the real winners are the women and children that you will help. Sign up today!
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Morley Forsyth wins $5,000 travel voucher at the 5th Annual Shelter Gala
A new twist to the 5th Annual Shelter Gala, held Nov. 25, 2011, was a raffle prize for a $5000 travel voucher, courtesy of Kensington Tours. The prize, which is good for travel anywhere in the world, resulted in 1183 raffle tickets being sold. Morley Forsyth, a broker at Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. at 55 St. Clair in Toronto, ON, won the prize. He was in attendance and accepted his prize with great enthusiasm. Congratulations Morley and thank you to everyone who supported the Royal LePage Shelter foundation by purchasing raffle tickets.
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Good Works |
An icy dip to raise funds for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation |
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Lynn Drennan, a REALTOR® from Royal LePage Coast & Country Realty in Digby, Nova Scotia, dove into Digby Harbour on Feb. 4. Lynn's motivation? To raise funds for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation in support of Juniper House, a local women's shelter.
Lynn has a goal of raising at least $1,000 through her initiative. She is currently about a quarter of the way to her goal. “Diving into the harbour in winter is similar to the difficult leap many women make to leave abusive relationships,” says Drennan. She understands first-hand the courage it takes to make that “leap” as Drennan, herself, turned to a shelter 12 years ago after leaving an abusive relationship.
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Lynn Drennan dives into Digby Harbour to raise funds for Juniper House.
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Royal LePage Rose Country Realty raises more than $2,500 for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation |
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The Camrose Women's Shelter Society hosted a “Walk a Mile in her Shoes” event on Jan. 28. Twenty-four men, including Arnoud Colombijn, Broker/Owner at Royal LePage Rose Country Realty in Camrose, AB, sported red high heeled shoes for the cause. It took the REALTORS® at Royal LePage Rose Country Realty just ten minutes to raise $2,645 after seeing Arnoud dressed for the occasion in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. In total, close to $24,000 was raised by the event and participants.
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Walk a Mile in her Shoes event was a fundraising success story with the help of Royal LePage Rose Country Realty’s broker Arnoud Colombijn, pictured first row, far left. |
Royal LePage Shelter Foundation names Advance Commission Company of Canada Partner of the Year |
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Advance Commission Company of Canada was named Royal LePage Shelter Foundation Partner of the Year. The award was presented Feb. 9 at the Royal LePage Ontario Awards event, held in Markham, ON.
Advance Commission Company of Canada was honoured for lending their support to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation in a variety of ways. Advance Commission Company of Canada supports and sponsors major Shelter Foundation events including the Royal LePage National Garage Sale for Shelter, the Shelter Golf Invitational and the Shelter Gala. The company also attends Royal LePage conferences, donates auction prizes and supports the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation through silent auctions at their own trade show booths.
“We are extremely grateful to Advance Commission Company of Canada, who donate generously to our auctions and sponsor our events,” says Shanan Spencer-Brown, Executive Director, Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. “They make the work we do possible.”
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Left to right: Shanan Spencer-Brown (Executive Director, Royal LePage Shelter Foundation), Linda Lynch (Advance Commission Company of Canada), Sharon Promm (Events Manager, Royal LePage), Phil Soper (President and Chief Executive, Royal LePage Canada). |
Mark Rashotte of Royal LePage ProAlliance receives Philanthropist of the Year Award |
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The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation 2011 Philanthropist of the Year award was bestowed to Mark Rashotte, Broker/Owner at Royal LePage ProAlliance in Belleville, ON. The award is presented annually to someone who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and support to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.
Mark accepted the award on Feb. 9 at the Royal LePage Ontario Awards event in Markham, ON.
“Mark is a genuine champion for the cause to end violence against women,” said Shanan Spencer-Brown, Executive Director, Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. “He really goes above and beyond.”
In 2011, Mark led his office to host one of the most successful National Garage Sale for Shelter events in the country. He also led a high profile “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event, engaging the Mayor, firefighters, business owners and residents to participate. In addition, Mark stages his own fundraising concerts with his Beatles tribute band, “All You Need Is Love,” and organizes other fundraisers with performers he brings to Belleville. Most importantly, Mark helps to raise the profile of his local shelter, the Three Oaks Foundation, through his generous support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.
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Left to right: Shanan Spencer-Brown (Executive Director, Royal LePage Shelter Foundation), Mark Rashotte (Broker/Owner Royal LePage ProAlliance), Sharon Promm (Events Manager, Royal LePage), Phil Soper (President and Chief Executive of Royal LePage Canada) |
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Your ClientClick website is now mobile! |
All Royal LePage ClientClick agent websites now include a mobile-friendly version at no additional cost!
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| ClientClick Pro subscribers now have a “virtual business card” optimized for mobile devices. Viewers can click your phone number to place a call or click your ‘Email Me’ link to send you an email. |
ClientClick Pro Plus subscribers now have an enhanced mobile experience. Viewers are presented with the following links: My Listings, Office Listings, About Me, Contact Me, and Royal LePage’s mobile site. |
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View this URL on your mobile device to see an example of a ClientClick mobile website: www.MobileAgentSite.com
Don’t have a mobile-friendly website?
Try ClientClick today for FREE with a 60-day trial! Subscriptions start for as little as $169/year.
For more information, visit marketing.rlpnetwork.com/cc or call Royal LePage Customer Care at 1.877.RLP.4545.
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Are you connecting with buyers online? |
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Online leads with GetHomes |
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GetHomes is a subscription-based lead generation program exclusively available to Royal LePage agents. Let us manage your Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaign so you can do what you do best – create relationships and turn leads into new clients.
GetHomes connects you with buyers early as they are beginning their home search. This gives you the opportunity to build trust and demonstrate the value you bring to process as a licensed REALTOR®.
Online leads should be part of your business:
- 35 per cent of buyers first looked online for properties as the first step in their search*.
- 88 per cent of home buyers used the Internet as one of the information sources in their home search*.
- The Internet has edged out all other sources in the search process*.
Each subscription includes 120 unique leads every six months, guaranteed, for $299/month (plus tax)
*Source: 2011 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
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Jenny Spahn
To learn more or inquire about a subscription in your area contact:
Jenny Spahn at (416) 442-5354 or jennifer.spahn@royallepage.ca
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Current openings:
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AB |
BC |
NB |
ON |
QC |
SK |
Grand Prairie
Lethbridge |
Surrey |
Moncton
Saint John |
Cambridge
Thunder Bay |
Gatineau
Laval
Montreal East
Quebec City |
Regina |
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Mobility for Your Listings |
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Consumers are accessing the Internet via their mobile devices in increasing numbers and by 2015, mobile will be the primary source of online activity*. Are you mobile ready?
Bring mobility to your listing marketing at low, or no, cost and learn key tactics to leverage this rapidly developing technology at our spring 2012 REALTOR® Marketing Workshop.
* Source: Morgan Stanley Research
Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Make sense of the mobile landscape and available solutions
- Leverage and utilize QR codes appropriately
- Write attention-grabbing content tailored to mobile
- Utilize current and coming-soon Royal LePage mobile tools
To register:
Check the location schedule for your area:
Alberta
Atlantic Canada
British Columbia
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Complete the registration form and click on the Submit E-mail button. You can also e-mail it to learningservices@royallepage.ca or fax it to Learning Services at 416-510-5856.
Space is limited; register today!
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Social Marketer designation |
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Agent spotlight |
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Social media channels allow real estate professionals to connect with their network in a whole new way. What should realtors do to make the most of this technology? In this space, we shine the spotlight on agents from across the Royal LePage network who have obtained their Social Marketer designation. They, in turn, share their strategies.
If you’ve earned your Social Marketer designation and would like to participate in our monthly spotlight, please email learningservices@royallepage.ca.
This month’s spotlight features Brendan Clemmens, Royal LePage First Contact Realty, Angus, ON.
Brendan took the Social Marketer Designation to project a strong online presence. He found that many prospective clients do their real estate research online and felt the designation would help him stand out from the competition.
Brendan likes to use social media to:
- Connect with long-time friends, past co-workers and other contacts to build his “sphere of influence.”
- Stay top of mind and provide value with a story, joke, or valuable tip each day.
- Add five to 10 Royal LePage REALTORS® each week to follow their online presence and find agents for clients relocating out of province.
Since taking the course, Brendan has changed his focus, saved time and money and yielded great online results. Clients are very receptive to his use of social media and he is able to join his clients' online circles.
To get in touch with Brendan:
https://www.facebook.com/barrierealestate
http://ca.linkedin.com/in/brendanclemmens
https://twitter.com/#!/brendanclemmens
Agents with the Social Marketer Designation are searchable on www.royallepage.ca. Earn your designation today through RLP University and maximize the effectiveness of your social media presence!
To access the Social Marketer designation courses, go to RLP University on the RLP Network.
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“The most important thing to remember is to just have fun. Once you get used to the platforms, you'll likely find, as I did, that social media is the best form of prospecting going!”
- Brendan Clemmens
Royal LePage First Contact Realty, Angus, ON
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Buffini & Company Peak Producers® Program |
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In early February, Buffini and Company partnered with Royal LePage offices in the Ottawa area to deliver a live webcast launching the Peak Producers® program. The webcast featured an introduction from Phil Soper and a presentation by Brian Buffini. 326 offices registered for the live webcast event, making the launch a success.
If you were not able to experience the live event, you can access the recording by clicking the Play Webcast button below.
The recording link is also available on the RLP Network: www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtors > Increase Your Skills > Accelerating Performance.
Peak Producers® Program
Whether you're new to the business or long-time REALTOR®, you'll learn what it takes to overcome peaks and valleys in your income and produce at a consistent, high level. The content in this program is fresh and relevant for today's market and is presented in an entertaining, step-by-step sequence.
Currently, there are 65 Royal LePage offices holding Peak Producers® classes, with 503 students registered.
Agents:
Taking advantage of this training is easy if your Broker is a certified Mentor. Ask your Broker about starting the Buffini & Company Peak Producers ® program today!
Brokers:
Bring this training program to your team as a certified Mentor. Check the Buffini & Company website to find a Peak Producers ® mentor class today!
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Events |
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2012 Royal LePage National Sales Conference |
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Have you booked? Mark your calendar and register today!
Sept. 20-22, 2012
Vancouver, B.C.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver & Hyatt Regency
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In-depth seminars
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The latest real estate tools and services
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Practical tips
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Best practices
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Opportunities to reunite with old friends and make new ones
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Opportunities to build a referral network
For more information and to register today, visit:
http://www.royallepageevents.ca/nsc2012/ or contact Christine Nattrass or Sharon Promm
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What's on your mind? We'd love to hear from you.
If you have questions, comments, suggestions or news tips for the next issue of Leading Edge Online, please contact: communications@royallepage.ca
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