Get Your Post-Holiday Home Under Control

The holidays are behind you and your house is a wreck. Sound familiar? Don’t sweat it. Check out these easy organizational hacks. You’ll have your home whipped into shape in no time!

MAGAZINE HOLDER AS KITCHEN ORGANIZER

Your wraps and foils will stand at attention!

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BREAD TAG YOUR LABELS FOR YOUR PLUGS

Now you can quickly identify which plug is for what and where it goes!

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COLOUR-CODED KEYS

Paint each of your keys with a different colour nail polish. You’ll always grab the right one!

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HANG YOUR SPRAY BOTTLES

Just add a small rod under the sink and instantly create more space.

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ICE CUBES TRAY ORGANIZER

Perfect for jewelry or hardware or all those little junk drawer treasures.

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PLASTIC BAG DISPENSER

Turn a disinfectant wipes container into a plastic bag dispenser. Cute enough to leave out on the counter.

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TOILET TISSUE CORD ORGANIZER

Corral those messy extension cords the easy way. And just for fun, decorate them with colourful tape or markers!

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MAGNETIC STRIP ORGANIZER

Apply a magnetic strip to the inside of your medicine cabinet door. You’ll never search for bobby pins, nail files, or tweezers again!

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CHEESE GRATER EARRING STAND

Paint a cheese grater in a fun colour and hang your favourite earrings on it. Talk about an eye-catching conversation starter!

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SUITCASE SIDE TABLE

Make a memorable nightstand or side table by stacking vintage suitcases. Top with a rustic mirror!

Getting control of your house after the holidays doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Try these fun-to-do shortcuts. You’ll say goodbye to the chaos and hello to the new year!

Guide to Social Media in 2019

Social media is an outlet that lets you expand your sphere of influence and carry on a conversation, just as you would in person.

THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU CAN:

• Create and promote a personal profile that celebrates your successes and defines your niche.
• Give virtual tours.
• Connect with past, current and potential clients.
• Update your audience about market changes and new homes on the market.
• Advertise listings and open houses.
• Provide information that promotes your reputation as a trusted resource.
• Create dialogue with clients.
• Reach clients and prospects wherever they are, through a computer at work, a tablet at home or virtually anywhere else through a mobile device.

PERSONAL VS. PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

It’s standard practice to have dual-purpose profiles on most networking sites, enabling you to share business news and aspects of your personal life in the same place. It’s important to maintain a balance in your content. Users don’t want to see just a constant stream of listings, nor do they want to be barraged by pictures of your kids.

SOCIAL NETWORKING: 11 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1. IDENTIFY YOURSELF. Let people know you’re with RE/MAX when responding to work-related social media posts.
2. SHOW YOUR PERSONALITY. You’re not a robot. Your personality can be a powerful tool for building relationships – but not if you bury it in business-speak. Be conversational and professional.
3. ENGAGE WITH PURPOSE. Go beyond simply hitting the Facebook “Like” button in response to someone’s post – at LEAST give them a reaction such as “Love” or “Wow.” Take advantage of the opportunity to share your knowledge and establish yourself as a real estate expert. Add a fact, or point out an interesting related article.
4. DISCUSS IDEAS, NOT PEOPLE. Feel free to constructively argue over ideas, but not personalities. And never question anyone’s motives online.
5. THINK BEFORE POSTING. In a heated discussion on social media, it can be helpful to take a few breaths and consider your comment before hitting “Post.” It’s incredibly easy to type something you might regret.
6. KNOW YOUR STUFF — AND SHOW IT. When making claims, always refer to your sources using hyperlinks when you can. Always give proper attribution.
7. DEAL WITH MISTAKES. We all make them. Admit it when you do, and do what you can to correct them.
8. KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS “ON THE RECORD.” Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in person in front of other people. Never use profanity or demeaning language. Once your comments are out there, they can always be used against you in the court of public opinion – a comment can easily be screenshotted and reused against you, even if you delete it.
9. LISTEN AS MUCH AS YOU SHARE. Social media is not a soapbox. That wouldn’t be very social. Keep it a two-way conversation.
10. IF YOU RESPOND TO A PROBLEM, OWN IT. If you become the point of contact for the media, a client or colleague, stay with the issue until it is resolved.
11. ASK FOR HELP. A social media encounter have you flustered? Reach out to socialmedia@remax.com. We’re happy to help.

There’s much more to social media. To learn more about various social platforms and how to use them, download the RE/MAX Social Media Best Practices Guide.

The Disruptors Are Knocking. Here’s Why the Real Estate Industry Needs to Open Up!

Technology has disrupted virtually every service industry, from banking and retail, to taxis and travel. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t used Uber, Amazon or Airbnb in the past week – if not in the last 24 hours. So, what’s the difference between these trailblazers and others offering similar services? Quite simply, their customer experience strategy is all about being convenient, user-friendly and easy-access.

Change is also bubbling beneath the surface of Canada’s real estate industry, and big data is the catalyst. With the arrival of Zillow and Purplebricks in Canada, and most recently, the public release of sold data, you can be sure that our industry will look different one year from now.

Change is often accompanied by fear, and in this case, the fear is that publicly available sold data will spell the end of the real estate industry as we know it. Instead of fighting the inevitable, I encourage agents and brokers to see this as an opportunity.

Let’s get real – people who are active in the housing market already know what the house down the street sold for. The fact is, sold data has always been available at public land registry offices and from agents directly. Now, it will also be accessible through password-protected web-based brokerages. With this information in hand, consumers will be better equipped to do their own research – and I’m a firm believer that a well-informed consumer is the best kind.

Realtor.ca is already Canada’s most-comprehensive real estate listings site. When coupled with sold data, it will be a powerhouse. Similarly, the websites that offer more information will get more traffic and generate more leads. The real estate businesses that don’t give consumers what they want (recall: convenient, user-friendly and easy-access), will fall off the radar.

So, if real estate agents are no longer the gatekeepers of sold data, what’s their value proposition?

KNOW YOUR VALUE

Sold data has been publicly accessible to consumers in the U.S. for more than a decade, and FSBOs represent a small fraction of sales – just eight per cent, according to this 2016 National Association of Realtors study. The study also found that the typical FSBO home sold for $190,000, versus $249,000 for agent-assisted home sales. How’s that for customer value? Other FSBO challenges – and agent benefits – include:

• Setting the right price

• Selling within the planned

• Understanding and performing paperwork

• Preparing/fixing up home for sale

• Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale

In real estate, customer service and consumer experience is everything. Members of this industry who perform sub-par work are only serving to tip the consumer’s scale in favour of alternative services to buy or sell a home.

The key takeaway: it’s time to up your game.

This column was written by Christopher Alexander, Executive Vice President and Regional Director, RE/MAX INTEGRA Ontario-Atlantic Canada Region

I hope that you are able to take time this season to spend with family, friends, as well as take time for yourself. If there’s anything I can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to call.   

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing real estate agents is how to approach the next generation of homebuyers, and their uncertainty toward the housing market.

So, what does Generation Z think about home ownership? A recent RE/MAX survey found that nearly 51% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 in the Greater Vancouver Area would like to own a home in the next few years. Meanwhile, Torontonians are more inclined to continue renting or living with their parents.

Generation Z is expected to outnumber Millennials within a year and as such, this generation will have a significant impact on the housing market over the next 20 years. With the mounting cost of home ownership in Ontario and British Columbia it is no surprise that 38% of respondents expressed no desire to own a home, while 46% would like to buy in the next few years.

However, the survey also found that 67% of 18- to 24-year-olds in Ontario and British Columbia feel stressed when thinking about buying a home. In the Greater Toronto Area and Greater Vancouver Area this is higher, at 75% and 71%, respectively.

About half of the survey respondents agree that they have limited knowledge of the housing market, but are interested in learning more. This was especially apparent in each of the province’s hottest housing markets, with 57% in the Greater Vancouver Area (GVA) and 51% in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) feeling undereducated.

“Gen-Zers are interested in learning more, and a greater effort needs to be made to educate them about the benefits and potential risks of home ownership,” says Elton Ash, Regional Executive Vice President, RE/MAX of Western Canada. “As Gen Z looks ahead, it’s important that they have a trusted team and good resources to turn to, to alleviate stress and empower them in the process to becoming first-time homebuyers in the future. While the survey showed interesting trends across two of the hottest markets, the Gen-Zers we speak to are eager to become informed and excited about the future of home ownership.”

“While the prospects of home ownership may seem daunting, that doesn’t mean that Generation Z should give up hope,” says Christopher Alexander, Executive Vice President and Regional Director, RE/MAX INTEGRA Ontario-Atlantic Region. “It will be more important than ever for financial institutions and real estate professionals to educate this generation and reach them through the platforms they frequent, such as social media and online.”

Despite the anxiety felt by many Gen-Zers toward the prospect of home ownership, more education and help from the right team of professionals could dispel the fears and assist them in making a sound investment. It is expected that this generation will have a big impact on the Canadian real estate market in the next 2 decades. Gen-Zers and other young homebuyers are adapting to current market conditions by looking outside of city centres to find affordable properties. Government must also play a role in ensuring that these suburban communities are well-connected to urban centres, via developments in public transit and infrastructure.

The winter holidays will be here in a matter of weeks – are you ready? If you still have a lot of holiday shopping to do, here are some great tips for making your life a little easier and more affordable this season.

Use Money-Saving Technology

There are many apps and websites that make holiday shopping more affordable. One is RetailMeNot, which has both an app and a website. It lists deals and promo codes at top retailers, both online and in-store, and can save you big bucks on holiday gifts. It also has cash-back offers for certain retailers. Another great site to try is Ebates, which has cash-back offers at thousands of retailers, giving you savings in the form of rebates. Sometimes they also offer exclusive discounts.

Find Your Local Markets

If you want to skip the crowded malls and support local small businesses instead, look for the local winter holiday markets in your city. While these may be harder to find in smaller towns, most big cities have holiday markets where numerous artisans sell handmade gifts. You’ll be supporting small local businesses while purchasing unique gifts for your loved ones.

Consider Donations Instead of Gifts

Is your house already packed to the brim with stuff? Or is money really tight this year? One way to reduce clutter and expenses — and make a positive impact in the world — is to get your family to skip traditional holiday shopping and instead each make a donation to a cause you care about. When your family gathers, go around in a circle and share what cause you chose to donate to and why it’s meaningful to you. If you can’t bear to part with gift-giving, you could make a rule that each person can give one gift for each family member, but the rest of the gift money goes toward a good cause.

If you’re thinking about shopping for home sometime soon, please reach out at any time — I’d love to help you. Get in touch

The holiday season is all about giving – even when you’re trying to receive a great offer on your home. Give a good impression, by taking the time, tastefully decorate for festive showings and make home hunters feel right at home. This year, leave the reindeer display in the box and try these tasteful yet festive decor tips to make prospective buyers feel right at home.  

LIGHT IT UP

First, make sure the outdoor lights are functioning — winter days are short, so lighting the walkway and front door evening viewings is a must. Second, when it comes to festive light displays, keep it simple. String white lights to highlight an architectural feature or a splendid spruce in the front yard, and stash that reindeer display in the garage.

FESTIVE FRONT DOOR

Since the front door is typically the first thing potential buyers will see, make it count. Give that dull front door a quick makeover by hanging a tasteful wreath or swag. Placing a seasonal arrangement in the entryway or on a hall table also makes it feel like prospective buyers are coming home for the holidays, rather than coming to someone else’s home for an open house.

HOLIDAY FLAIR

Although year-round home staging promotes a less-is-more philosophy, when the holidays roll around, ramping up your ornament game. But don’t go overboard. A bowl of fragrant pinecones, some strategically placed sprigs of holly, or a bowl of shiny glass baubles should do the trick. Steer clear of overtly religious displays as it might put off some people. Remember: this is about them, not you.

PRETTY PALETTE

Eclectic collections of ornaments may hold great sentimental value, but they may clash with a home’s decor. Consider the overall colour palette and find complementary ornaments. If the walls are white, suggest your clients consider a faux white tree, or if the room is decorated in darker tones, gold or green holiday accents.

WARM UP

Stepping out of the biting cold and into a warm and cozy home is one of the few pleasures of wintertime. Enhance the corporeal experience of your potential buyers by making sure the thermostat is cranked up a couple of extra degrees. If there is a fireplace, ensure it is lit for showings and staged photos.

SEASONAL FRAGRANCE

Thanks to human physiology, the quickest way to access memories is through the sensation of smell. Make sure potential buyers get a good whiff when they walk through the door. Simmering apple cider or baking a batch of ginger cookies are good standbys, but take it a step further and sparingly spritz a winter-scented home fragrance throughout and breathe deeply.