There is the odd day when doing something you absolutely love takes you back to the office at 11:30pm.  A late-day closing where a client forgot to bring the draft on time, a last minute subject-removal, an international phone-call with clients from Europe or Asia, or very simply something that you forgot to take care of before tomorrow and tomorrow is simply too late.Times like this require not only a great office environment, some snacks, but often some great background music.  Tonight, this is what I'm listening to, it's inspiring, energetic and will get you out of the office before midnight (i hope!): http://dirtyradio.org/7802/dirtymix-016-marshall-watson An atmospheric drum and bass mix from Marshall Watson… sequenced and mixed in Ableton Live.   Forgotten Skies 062012 Marshall Wa... 08/21/2012

Every time I spend time out of the office I sense that I am missing out on something.  I've come to equate the summer heat with working from the beach, or working from the caffe's outside of the office, and of course the occasional working from home.  But, as I have come to find, working from home is akin to getting a whole new plate of distractions that may, in the end, not be as conducive to productivity. As a result, I've made a list of things to think about to help you decide if working from home is a good idea. 1. Visit the office for at least part of the work-day, you'll notice that you might not leave.2. Dress accordingly, act as though you are still working at the “real” office. 3. Take note that more tools from work make it back home and this can be clutter.4. Everyone at "the ... 08/21/2012

I've been thinking about loyalty lately, and here are some thoughts from my clients who've shared why they choose to work with the people they work with.     First, have a look at this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player    Watch a movement happen, start to finish, in under 3 minutes, and dissect some lessons:    A leader needs the guts to stand alone and look ridiculous. But what he's doing is so simple, it's almost instructional. This is key. You must be easy to follow!  Now comes the first follower with a crucial role: he publicly shows everyone how to follow. The 2nd follower is a turning point: it's proof the first has done well. Now it's not a lone nut, and it's not two nuts.  Three is a crowd and a crowd is news.     A movement must be... 08/20/2012

I need the genius of my AR crew!  Should I post-cart of letter direct mail?  Any other alternatives? What do I mean?  Well, this article is a question for my favorite communities on Active Rain.  This is not a blog or a post of some useful contact but rather a request for it.  I kindly as all of you to share with me how I can improve on the following: Background: I have been sending out direct-mail letters to my favorite buildings in my area of choice for the lats few months.  I've been getting approximately a 3% response rate which I am definitely not complaining about.  Format: My letters include a brief letter indicating I offer ridiculous value for the building owners in terms of my being the top agent in the building, possessing all the building information, hosting a website for t... 08/19/2012

I'm going to attend this workshop in a few days and wanted to share some useful information with all of you. Perhaps some of you would like to join me?    Communicate with Style: DiSC Basics   When: Wednesday, August 22nd or Thursday, September 20th, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Where: Alliance for the Arts, 100 – 938 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada   Have you ever wondered why you do what you do? Or why you click naturally with some people and not with others?  This 3 hour workshop introduces the DiSC profile of four behavioural styles to help you understand your personal style. Raising your awareness of your natural preferences will empower you to connect with your innate talent and abilities and use them to connect more powerfully with other people.   Benefits of this workshop: Understand th... 08/18/2012

I have been working with more and more pet-owners who are looking to make wise and convenient Real Estate investments for their family.  I didn't want to look ignorant so I started doing some digging for the best parks to walk their do, among other research.  So, as step one of my research project, here is what I've found out so far:Vancouver's well behaved canine population can take part in special off-leash privileges during specific times at selected Vancouver Parks.Please check the parks listed below for off-leash times. The designated off-leash times and parks (or areas within parks) are not exclusively for dogs but are to be shared with all park users. Owners are responsible for the actions of their dogs, including picking up and disposing of their waste. Park Address Off-Leash Ho... 08/17/2012

There is always controversy and confusion about "Green" buildings, so I wanted to share a little bit iof info that could illuminate the topic. It is evident that green homes use less natural resources, create less waste and provide superior living environments for occupants. Energy and water bills are lower, maintenance costs are less and high-quality building materials generate greater value.  As a result, people who live in green homes save money, enjoy a healthy living space and make a significant environmental contribution.  Today, buyers are aware of the economic, environmental and health benefits of sustainable housing. Recent studies have proven that environmentally certified homes sell for more and stay on the market for less time than comparable homes (1). With release of the ... 08/13/2012

A new resource I've put together to add serious value for my cleints is a website for every "condo" building in East Vancouver.  Check it out at: BCCondos.net/City-East-Vancouver "All Condos in East Van by TeamYVR!".  The total of these sites is nearing 1000 now, and it's becoming a great lead generator.  I find that all money, whether it comes from in- or out-side of the Country, tends to move either West or East.  I find that when existing and prospective clients can reach me for builidngs information.  When it comes to be reachable and accessible to my clients, not to mention SEO, there is no comparison to have REAL CONTENT about the future buildings they will live in. 08/13/2012

Section 3 of this writing tutorial is called: "How to write strong cover by emphasizing the BEST Benefits of your offer".  One of the most repeated rules of compelling copy is to stress benefits, not features. In other words, identify the underlying benefit that each feature of a product or service provides to the prospect, because that’s what will prompt the purchase. This is one rule that always applies, except when it doesn’t, then you're in trouble. Common sense suggests that you apply his patented “forehead slap” test to see if your copy truly contains a benefit to the reader. In other words, have you ever woken up from a deep sleep, slapped yourself in the forehead, and exclaimed “Man… I need to balance my blood sugar levels naturally!” I think not. So getting someone to pull out ... 08/10/2012

What Steps does a Vancouver Home Stager follow to stage a Property for Sale? What exactly does a Vancouver Real Estate Home Stager do, from start to finish, to stage a property for sale?  Often I’m hired to stage a property with very little notice.  The client either goes through a REALTOR® and is not involved in the staging details, or they are unaware of what we as Stagers do in the background and only really see the end result on staging day.  As if by magic, the client’s home is transformed into a beautiful show room.  However, behind the scene, many hours of thought and labour have led up to the final end result.  Here is a list of what a home stager does for each and every staging job. Initial Contact -       Either receive a phone call from a REALTOR® or a client that they wish t... 08/09/2012

Now that I've shared So… how do we then structure our content to be persuasive? Good content structure is never written in stone, but persuasive copy will do certain things and contain certain elements time and time again. Whether you’re writing a sales page, long blog post or promotional ebook, the flow will determine effectiveness. Here are some guidelines: First of all, focus on the reader – make an important promise early on (with your headline and opening paragraphs) that tells the reader what’s in it for her. Never allow readers to question why they are bothering to pay attention. Each separate part of your narrative should have a main idea (something compelling) and a main purpose (to rile up the reader, to counter an opposing view, etc) that supports your bigger point and promis... 08/08/2012

Now that I've spend serious money researching addresses, owner names, their postal codes, and all that jazz... I'm not intent on sending useless letters to expensive addresses.So, I armed myself with some tidbits about strong copy-writing and I'm sharing this with the rest of my community on AR.   First, Your headline is the first, and perhaps only, impression you make on a prospective reader. Without a compelling promise that turns a browser into a reader, the rest of your words may as well not even exist. So, from a copywriting and content marketing standpoint, writing great headlines is a critical skill. Here are some interesting statistics: On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. This is the secret to the power of your title, ... 08/08/2012

I am actually posting a positive article for a change.  This one's about REMAX, and an increased agent base in their offices as a result of increased housing sales.  With an improving housing market, real estate agents are returning to the industry.  This is very unique compared to other Brokerages in the industry.  REMAX offices they’re being very selective about where they’ll have the best chance of success. While other national real estate franchises are still experiencing agent losses, RE/MAX has seen an increase of over 1,300 agents year to date – the first such increase since 2010. “RE/MAX has always attracted top-performing agents, and that’s especially true after everything we’ve been through in recent years,” said Margaret Kelly, RE/MAX CEO. “Because of the many innovations we’... 08/08/2012

Three Quebec boards ready to leave CREA I'm involved in marketing 1600 lots in the Lachute area of Quebec, which is a great english speaking town just north-east of Montreal.  I have just published an article about Quebec's present lead in the total count of new development upstars in the Country.  I see this location as a significant player in Canada's real estate situation because it's a healthy part of Canada's economy.  That said, it seems that Quebec’s sovereignty movement appears to be picking up – at least on the real estate front – with Quebec’s Federation of Real Estate Boards (QFREB) saying it is ready to leave the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) at the end of the year.  In late July, the QFREB told brokers in an email that it would be ending its 18-year membership in... 08/08/2012

Dear Active Rain, thanks so much for your friendship over the last 2 years!I've got something to ask you, do you wnat to build an alliance internationally so REALTORS can really help each other?If so, then this is something you should know:  - I've just received my I.R.E.S. Designation in Vancouver, BC, Canada last Luly and I noticed that some of you have a IRES designation as well.  I'm presently building a larger network so that your listings can be featured in my city (for an international exposure), and mine can be featured by you.  Presently I have approximately 20 listings which might be of interest to you.   Look forward to chatting some more with you with respect to co-listing each other's properties, if you are interested in speaking further?  Indeed we have nothing to lose!  C... 08/06/2012

...Continued from my previous article, below are more useful factoids from the last Landcor report:1. Average incomes in BC are lower than Ontario or Alberta, where prices are cheaper!2. A good 71% of Alberta oil companies are Foreign owned, with China Owning 16%.3. We continue to ensue with the Condo developments, which are on the rise.4. Condo sales prices are flattening out, but not Houses - rippes vs. recessions.Average incomes in BC are lower than Ontario or Alberta, where prices are cheaper: Living west of the Rockies (and envying oil-soaked Alberta) isn’t cheap either, especially in ‘world-class’ regions such as the Lower Mainland where housing isn’t cheap and neither is anything else. Conversely, perversely, the average Lotuslander annual (2010) total income of $46,379 lags smug... 08/06/2012

Here are some good statistical facts about the first Quarter of Canadian Real Estate:  1. Single Family Dwelling Status:2. Who is leading the pack in the Canadian Condo Boom3. Are Canadians still taking advantage of the Great Interest Rates?4. How indebted are Canadians compared to other countries? Not very.5. What is another difference between US and Canadian fundamentals?6. We are less Indebted in 2012 than we were in 1990's.7. Investment money from Asia is Cash - and Cash is good. 8. HK buyers blame mainlanders while mainlanders blame HK. 9. How overvalued is HK versus Vancouver?  In Metro Van, SFD is the perched Pollyanna; protected, still spunky but gee, why is the tree shaking? On the quarterly basis, single-family detached shows a slight gain, less than one percent with the y-o-y... 08/06/2012

  I was recently reading about not-for-profit real estate undertakings in order to understanding how real estate challenges and opportunities affect the not-for-profit and social purpose sectors Have you ever thought about social effects of your real estate transaction? Here's what I found that you might find very interesting.  The Real Estate Institute of British Columbia (REIBC), in collaboration with the Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative (SPRE), is pleased to announce an innovative project to understand the real estate challenges and opportunities facing the not-for-profit and social purpose sector.  So often we as REALTORS of residential and commercial properties do not consider how development and social planning affects not-for-profits and other NGOs.  As a critical tool to... 08/06/2012

Why Use A Realtor? In today’s day an age of the computer, information is a mouse click away. A day doesn’t go by when you’re not inundated with these ‘Do-it Yourself” sites. So if you’re looking to purchase a home in Vancouver, why use a realtor? Why not just do it yourself? I’m not going to say “you must use a realtor”, but you may be surprised to read the following exerts from an interview I did with a top Vancouver realtor. Mark: Welcome, thanks for joining me today Realtor: my pleasure Mark, glad to be here. Mark: We conducted a survey regarding the top 10 questions, buyers have for realtors and the #1 question was If I’m a buyer, how much does it cost to use a realtor? And why do I need one anyway? Realtor: Mark, one of the benefits of having your own realtor as a buyer, our servic... 08/05/2012

Each profession has its own specific jargon. So does the real estate. I guess many readers already know every real-ated word, but thousands of newbies come to our business every month, often thrown into the environment not knowing what the old sharks are talking about. Jay Banks of Vancouver Homes prepared nice article about the real estate jargon. If you do not understand the words your colleagues are using and are too proud to ask, maybe you should read it! 07/28/2012