Super Home Near New Hospital
Just listed: Family home in south Woodstock is terrific for your upscale lifestyle. 250 Ferguson Drive (MLS 67-860; Asking: 369,500).
Ideal location for custom-built family-size 2-storey with 4 (3+1) bedrooms. Deroo Bros construction with spacious main-floor family room with gas fireplace (oak mantel) open to the large eat-in kitchen with an abundance of oak cabinetry. Unique 2nd floor layout with a den/loft area which could be closed in for 5th bedroom. Master bedroom with large ensuite featuring corner jetted tub and adjoining walk-in closet.
More than 3200 sq ft living space thanks to fully finished lower level with recroom which is 37' long creating and therefore ideal for entertaining -- pool table or media room.
Wrap-around front porch and interlocking brick greets you to this terrific 12-year-old home. Welcoming foyer with hardwood flooring. More than 2300 sq ft on main 2 floors. Extremely clean and modern. . . . you would never guess it's 12 years old.
South Woodstock Location
Conveniently near new hospital, Southside Park and pool, community complex, Cedar Creek golf, 2 high schools, box mall shopping and numerous restaurants, and 401/403. Pool table negotiable. Call Mark Schadenberg, sales rep, today to view at (519) 537-1553.
Friday, 19 August 2011
Monday, 15 August 2011
Entire Waterloo neighbourhood for sale
The City of Waterloo is known for Research In Motion (RIM) and two well-respected universities, but since it's not a gigantic metro area, one might be surprised that an entire neighbourhood would be for sale with the idea of changing use to geared-to-student housing or at least multi-family residential or townhouses.
You should read this story from the K-W (Waterloo Region) Record:
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You should read this story from the K-W (Waterloo Region) Record:
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Homes in student neighbourhood fail to sell
WATERLOO — An auction has failed to sell 39 homes in a troubled student neighbourhood near the Wilfrid Laurier University campus.
Owners hoped to persuade a developer to buy all the homes for a campus-friendly, mixed-use redevelopment.
Last week, the deadline passed on a call for tenders to seven developers who had expressed interest in the two full city blocks.
“Nobody bid on them,” organizer Paul Ellingham said. “We didn’t get a lowball bid, for peanuts.”
Ellingham believes developers are unwilling to buy the homes in the Northdale neighbourhood until the area is rezoned to allow redevelopment.
“Without the zoning in place, it’s simply too big a risk” for developers to take, Ellingham told The Record Sunday night. “If it was in place, they would be dying for it.”
On Monday, he asked Waterloo council to rezone the properties but was told that this can’t be done as quickly as he wants. Rezoning is a lengthy, costly process that requires consultations and multiple studies before council makes a decision.
“We have to pursue it,” Ellingham said in an interview.
When Ellingham approached the city’s planning department last week, he was told a zone change application could cost more than $20,000 per property. “That’s not feasible,” he said on Sunday.
The homes are in blocks bounded by Hickory, Hazel, Hemlock and Balsam streets. Owners want to sell them because most properties are rented to students, families are no longer moving into the area, and they see complications in a new city bylaw that regulates landlords.
“The group just cannot fathom why anybody thinks this should be single-family residential,” Ellingham said Sunday. “Northdale, as a family place, is dead.”
Council has launched a study to reconsider land uses in the neighbourhood, but no action is expected until next year. “Our ducks aren’t completely in a row,” Coun. Mark Whaley said.
Whaley said he sympathizes with homeowners, but council can’t meet a demand to immediately rezone the neighbourhood.
“It’s improper,” he said. “It’s trying to put a gun to the head of this council.”
jouthit@therecord.com
With files from Brent Davis
Owners hoped to persuade a developer to buy all the homes for a campus-friendly, mixed-use redevelopment.
Last week, the deadline passed on a call for tenders to seven developers who had expressed interest in the two full city blocks.
“Nobody bid on them,” organizer Paul Ellingham said. “We didn’t get a lowball bid, for peanuts.”
Ellingham believes developers are unwilling to buy the homes in the Northdale neighbourhood until the area is rezoned to allow redevelopment.
“Without the zoning in place, it’s simply too big a risk” for developers to take, Ellingham told The Record Sunday night. “If it was in place, they would be dying for it.”
On Monday, he asked Waterloo council to rezone the properties but was told that this can’t be done as quickly as he wants. Rezoning is a lengthy, costly process that requires consultations and multiple studies before council makes a decision.
“We have to pursue it,” Ellingham said in an interview.
When Ellingham approached the city’s planning department last week, he was told a zone change application could cost more than $20,000 per property. “That’s not feasible,” he said on Sunday.
The homes are in blocks bounded by Hickory, Hazel, Hemlock and Balsam streets. Owners want to sell them because most properties are rented to students, families are no longer moving into the area, and they see complications in a new city bylaw that regulates landlords.
“The group just cannot fathom why anybody thinks this should be single-family residential,” Ellingham said Sunday. “Northdale, as a family place, is dead.”
Council has launched a study to reconsider land uses in the neighbourhood, but no action is expected until next year. “Our ducks aren’t completely in a row,” Coun. Mark Whaley said.
Whaley said he sympathizes with homeowners, but council can’t meet a demand to immediately rezone the neighbourhood.
“It’s improper,” he said. “It’s trying to put a gun to the head of this council.”
jouthit@therecord.com
With files from Brent Davis
Friday, 5 August 2011
London - St Thomas sales numbers improve
Great news for the London - St Thomas real estate board (LSTAR) as sales in July of 2011 were very healthy compared to 2010 in July. Keep in mind, that as soon as the HST came into effect in 2010, sales numbers dropped everywhere, including the Woodstock - Ingersoll board area. The HST increased the costs of buying a home, especially when home inspections and lawyer fees were factored in.
Just like the Woodstock market, in LSTAR, 2010 was off to a reasonably quick start and then slowed considerably.
Our real estate board in Woodstock - Ingersoll (Tillsonburg is not part of our selling area), there were fewer than 100 sales in July. I always say that any month with less than 120 sales is slow.
Here's the story from the London Free Press:
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Condos lead housing recoveryBy HANK DANISZEWSKI, The London Free Press
Last Updated: August 4, 2011 8:22pm
LONDON -- Condo sales led the way last month as recovery in the London area real estate market continued.
The London St. Thomas Association of Realtors said 796 homes sold in July, up 5.2% compared to July 2010. The total included 155 condo sales, up 24% from last year, and 587 detached homes, almost even with July 2010.
The July increase follows a 12% boost in sales in June, the first time this year monthly sales exceeded the 2010 totals. Year-to-date sales for 2011 are still down 6.8%, but LSTAR president Jack Lane said, "By the end of the year I think we will be back on track."
The number of homes listed for sale is up 10% this year. Lane said that is a sign of a more "balanced" market.
"A lot of agents and client feel like it’s a slower market, but it’s simply because there is more to choose from. The inventory is larger, but he ones that priced right and show well sell quickly."
The average sale price for a detached home in July was $234,571, down 4.8% from June, while the average price for a condo was $171,806, down 9.5%.
hank.daniszewski@sunmedia.ca
Just like the Woodstock market, in LSTAR, 2010 was off to a reasonably quick start and then slowed considerably.
Our real estate board in Woodstock - Ingersoll (Tillsonburg is not part of our selling area), there were fewer than 100 sales in July. I always say that any month with less than 120 sales is slow.
Here's the story from the London Free Press:
()()()()()()()
Condos lead housing recoveryBy HANK DANISZEWSKI, The London Free Press
Last Updated: August 4, 2011 8:22pm
LONDON -- Condo sales led the way last month as recovery in the London area real estate market continued.
The London St. Thomas Association of Realtors said 796 homes sold in July, up 5.2% compared to July 2010. The total included 155 condo sales, up 24% from last year, and 587 detached homes, almost even with July 2010.
The July increase follows a 12% boost in sales in June, the first time this year monthly sales exceeded the 2010 totals. Year-to-date sales for 2011 are still down 6.8%, but LSTAR president Jack Lane said, "By the end of the year I think we will be back on track."
The number of homes listed for sale is up 10% this year. Lane said that is a sign of a more "balanced" market.
"A lot of agents and client feel like it’s a slower market, but it’s simply because there is more to choose from. The inventory is larger, but he ones that priced right and show well sell quickly."
The average sale price for a detached home in July was $234,571, down 4.8% from June, while the average price for a condo was $171,806, down 9.5%.
hank.daniszewski@sunmedia.ca
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
My story from REM newspaper
REM is a Canadian newspaper distributed to real estate agents and brokers from coast to coast. Usually there are 3 or 4 profile stories about agents in a monthly issue. I was one of the August features.
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WOODSTOCK, Ont -- All full-time real estate agents feel their career can be an arena three-ring circus juggling act, but for Mark Schadenberg of Royal LePage Triland Realty the juggle for time really does take place in an arena.
Schadenberg is currently in the playoffs with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League as the Rogers TV broadcaster conducts intermission interviews and hosts the pre-game and post-games of the broadcasts of all Knights home games.
"At the end of the day, I'm certainly a full-time Realtor, but I've also worked very hard over the years in the media as a hobby," says Schadenberg, who is the longest-serving continuous sales representative for Royal LePage in Woodstock, which is a community of just under 40,000 in southern Ontario.
Schadenberg notes that his first profession was the media, working in the radio industry for five years -- both on air and selling advertising. In 1992, he then switched gears to seven years in newspaper as sports writer/editor of the daily Woodstock Sentinel-Review newspaper. By accumulating a lot of contacts, real estate just seemed like a natural transition
"The one part of real estate that I find to be extremely enjoyable is that it provides for some flexibility in hours," says Schadenberg. "I joke with friends, saying I work seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., but certainly not all those hours."
If broadcasting and real estate occupy two of the three rings at a circus, Schadenberg says the third ring is obvious: wife Nicole, and children Maeghan and Spencer.
"With the London Knights playing at home almost every Friday night through the fall and winter, it's quite a sacrifice for me to be away from family, but it's certainly an additional sacrifice and a lot of love from my wife to manage two young children when I'm away for my hobby."
Schadenberg says that Rogers TV is first and foremost community-access television, so the compensation isn't the main reason for his favourite past-time.
"Like all Canadians, I love the game of hockey, and in particular junior hockey. I've had to climb the ladder like all broadcasters. I spent five or six years doing play-by-play for Junior C hockey in Woodstock and those games for Rogers were produced often with a crew of six people in total."
Schadenberg has been on the Knights broadcast team (play-by-play is Greg Sloan, while Rick Doyle is colour analyst) for five seasons. In his first year, current NHLers Patrick Kane, Sam Gagner and Sergei Kostitsyn were all Knights. Since then, that list has grown to include Steve Mason, Nazem Kadri and John Carlson donning Knights jerseys before earning jobs in the big leagues. Also, London is owned and coached by former NHL players Dale and Mark Hunter.
Last September, London's John Labatt Centre hosted a four-team NHL prospects tournament, and at that event Schadenberg did a live TV interview with Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke.
Among his many other broadcast credits are six years commentating/interviewing at the Ontario men's curling championships, plus Western Mustangs football, London Majors baseball and Delaware Speedway racing.
"To this day I'm still not sure what the function of a carburettor is, but as play-by-play my role would be to know the drivers, car makes and models, and focusing on the events on the track and pits with the obvious importance of knowing at all times which cars were leading and on the lead lap."
As for real estate, Schadenberg says he likes to concentrate on re-sale homes -- both buyers and sellers.
He adds that the Woodstock market has been an anomaly when compared to others in southern Ontario and outside of the influences of Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe area. In 2005, it was announced that Toyota would be building a full-size manufacturing facility in Woodstock to produce the RAV4 sports utility vehicle and employ well over 2000.
"While many markets were stagnant, Woodstock and Oxford County did witness a huge increase in interest and sales then. Six years later when I look back and present my comprehensive CMA to prospect listing clients, depicting charts of the sales numbers for 2005 and 2006 it's still staggering to realize our recent market trends when compared to the past three years."
Attractive interest rates will continue to assist in finding more buyers, while the aging demographics will continue to produce home sellers, he says.
"It's a lot like junior hockey. This past season the Knights became an average club in the standings after contending for the most part for the past eight years. In real estate, you hope it's always a consistent good market, but you also must get used to the ebbs and flows just like the cycles of a junior hockey team," says Schadenberg. "I hope I have many more good years in both real estate and broadcasting."
Schadenberg adds that his marketing efforts include social media, including markroyallepage on Twitter, along with www.markroyallepage.blogspot.com
Schadenberg is currently in the playoffs with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League as the Rogers TV broadcaster conducts intermission interviews and hosts the pre-game and post-games of the broadcasts of all Knights home games.
"At the end of the day, I'm certainly a full-time Realtor, but I've also worked very hard over the years in the media as a hobby," says Schadenberg, who is the longest-serving continuous sales representative for Royal LePage in Woodstock, which is a community of just under 40,000 in southern Ontario.
Schadenberg notes that his first profession was the media, working in the radio industry for five years -- both on air and selling advertising. In 1992, he then switched gears to seven years in newspaper as sports writer/editor of the daily Woodstock Sentinel-Review newspaper. By accumulating a lot of contacts, real estate just seemed like a natural transition
"The one part of real estate that I find to be extremely enjoyable is that it provides for some flexibility in hours," says Schadenberg. "I joke with friends, saying I work seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., but certainly not all those hours."
If broadcasting and real estate occupy two of the three rings at a circus, Schadenberg says the third ring is obvious: wife Nicole, and children Maeghan and Spencer.
"With the London Knights playing at home almost every Friday night through the fall and winter, it's quite a sacrifice for me to be away from family, but it's certainly an additional sacrifice and a lot of love from my wife to manage two young children when I'm away for my hobby."
Schadenberg says that Rogers TV is first and foremost community-access television, so the compensation isn't the main reason for his favourite past-time.
"Like all Canadians, I love the game of hockey, and in particular junior hockey. I've had to climb the ladder like all broadcasters. I spent five or six years doing play-by-play for Junior C hockey in Woodstock and those games for Rogers were produced often with a crew of six people in total."
Schadenberg has been on the Knights broadcast team (play-by-play is Greg Sloan, while Rick Doyle is colour analyst) for five seasons. In his first year, current NHLers Patrick Kane, Sam Gagner and Sergei Kostitsyn were all Knights. Since then, that list has grown to include Steve Mason, Nazem Kadri and John Carlson donning Knights jerseys before earning jobs in the big leagues. Also, London is owned and coached by former NHL players Dale and Mark Hunter.
Last September, London's John Labatt Centre hosted a four-team NHL prospects tournament, and at that event Schadenberg did a live TV interview with Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke.
Among his many other broadcast credits are six years commentating/interviewing at the Ontario men's curling championships, plus Western Mustangs football, London Majors baseball and Delaware Speedway racing.
"To this day I'm still not sure what the function of a carburettor is, but as play-by-play my role would be to know the drivers, car makes and models, and focusing on the events on the track and pits with the obvious importance of knowing at all times which cars were leading and on the lead lap."
As for real estate, Schadenberg says he likes to concentrate on re-sale homes -- both buyers and sellers.
He adds that the Woodstock market has been an anomaly when compared to others in southern Ontario and outside of the influences of Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe area. In 2005, it was announced that Toyota would be building a full-size manufacturing facility in Woodstock to produce the RAV4 sports utility vehicle and employ well over 2000.
"While many markets were stagnant, Woodstock and Oxford County did witness a huge increase in interest and sales then. Six years later when I look back and present my comprehensive CMA to prospect listing clients, depicting charts of the sales numbers for 2005 and 2006 it's still staggering to realize our recent market trends when compared to the past three years."
Attractive interest rates will continue to assist in finding more buyers, while the aging demographics will continue to produce home sellers, he says.
"It's a lot like junior hockey. This past season the Knights became an average club in the standings after contending for the most part for the past eight years. In real estate, you hope it's always a consistent good market, but you also must get used to the ebbs and flows just like the cycles of a junior hockey team," says Schadenberg. "I hope I have many more good years in both real estate and broadcasting."
Schadenberg adds that his marketing efforts include social media, including markroyallepage on Twitter, along with www.markroyallepage.blogspot.com
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Tennis Anyone? 2-Storey Condominium
If you watch a lot of real estate shows on reality TV, you know that sometimes all a property needs is some updates to gain value -- quick improvements by the next owner to add their personality.
I'm conducting an open house on Sunday, July 31, 2-4 at a 2-storey condominium that has a lot of value in its $269,900 asking price. At 617 Lansdowne Avenue (MLS 66-717), this complex is now just over 20 years old.
Tennis & Pool
The complex itself has many selling features with an inground pool, tennis court, lots of green space in its horseshoe (or crescent) design and its proximity to the walking/cycling trails that run along Pittock Lake in Woodstock.
This 3-bedroom (actually 3+1) condo, includes a master bedroom with over-sized 5pc ensuite and a gas fireplace, plus 2 more good sized bedrooms. The style of the home includes a unique coved ceiling in master bedroom, as well as a balcony.
With a modern oak spacious eat-in kitchen (2-car garage entry is to kitchen which is always convenient for grocery shopping), the list of inclusions is extensive: dishwasher, fridge and stove, microwave, washer and dryer, intercom, alarm system and central vac.
The combination living-dining room is 25' x 17' and includes hardwood floors and another gas fireplace.
If you know the Woodstock market, you would expect this unit to have an unfinished basement at this price, but instead there is a 26' x 17' recroom, along with a 4th bedroom, and a 3rd bathroom. Not that everyone is a golfer, but the recroom is highlighted by a putting green.
The condo fee is $350 monthly, but keep in mind the common elements include an inground pool and tennis.
I'm A Full-Time Realtor
The unit is listed by Bob Pozza at my office, but I'm doing the open house to promote not only this listing, but also myself. Remember, I advertise myself as a full-time Realtor, so I must keep busy -- even on a long weekend.
If you want to view this 2-storey condo before the open house, you may contact me anytime at (519) 537-1553 or email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Mark Schadenberg, sales representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty
www.wesellwoodstock. com, www.marksells.ca
I'm conducting an open house on Sunday, July 31, 2-4 at a 2-storey condominium that has a lot of value in its $269,900 asking price. At 617 Lansdowne Avenue (MLS 66-717), this complex is now just over 20 years old.
Tennis & Pool
The complex itself has many selling features with an inground pool, tennis court, lots of green space in its horseshoe (or crescent) design and its proximity to the walking/cycling trails that run along Pittock Lake in Woodstock.
This 3-bedroom (actually 3+1) condo, includes a master bedroom with over-sized 5pc ensuite and a gas fireplace, plus 2 more good sized bedrooms. The style of the home includes a unique coved ceiling in master bedroom, as well as a balcony.
With a modern oak spacious eat-in kitchen (2-car garage entry is to kitchen which is always convenient for grocery shopping), the list of inclusions is extensive: dishwasher, fridge and stove, microwave, washer and dryer, intercom, alarm system and central vac.
The combination living-dining room is 25' x 17' and includes hardwood floors and another gas fireplace.
If you know the Woodstock market, you would expect this unit to have an unfinished basement at this price, but instead there is a 26' x 17' recroom, along with a 4th bedroom, and a 3rd bathroom. Not that everyone is a golfer, but the recroom is highlighted by a putting green.
The condo fee is $350 monthly, but keep in mind the common elements include an inground pool and tennis.
I'm A Full-Time Realtor
The unit is listed by Bob Pozza at my office, but I'm doing the open house to promote not only this listing, but also myself. Remember, I advertise myself as a full-time Realtor, so I must keep busy -- even on a long weekend.
If you want to view this 2-storey condo before the open house, you may contact me anytime at (519) 537-1553 or email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Mark Schadenberg, sales representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty
www.wesellwoodstock. com, www.marksells.ca
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Serenity & Scenery
Forest & The Trees
Many people who live on a small city lot, will tell me that having a large treed backyard would be priceless.
New subdivisions in Woodstock are featuring lots with frontage of under 40 feet.
Here is a house that fits the bill for a family who want to live near Woodstock, but still live in the wilderness.
Found on the 11th Line between Highway2 and south of Oxford Rd 17 is a 1.5-storey home with 3 bedrooms and many updates.
However, leading the list of amenities for 515160 11th Line (67-594; Asking: $254,900) is its 1/2-acre lot (78' x 279') that is treed in front for privacy and treed in the backyard as well. It truly is a forest in the city limits -- just a 3-minute drive to Dundas Street in Woodstock. To top it off, the lot is fully fenced, which is ideal for a young family or anyone with a dog that loves to roam.
The brick home was built in the early 1950s, but in 1990 a main-floor family room was added with a wood fireplace. (The owners plan on leaving about 3 chords of firewood with the house). At the time of this addition, the current owners redesigned the kitchen and installed oak cabinets, countertop stove and built-in oven. The owners plan on also including the fridge, washer and dryer.
With an abundance of windows, this family room truly is a room with a view. Off the family room is patio doors to a raised deck and hot tub.
The home's additional updates include newer high efficiency furnace and central air, newer 200-amp breaker box, new roof in 2005, and all new vinyl windows in 2000.
Another top selling feature is the living-dining combo, which is 24' x 12' and includes a gas fireplace and impeccable hardwood flooring.
The main bathroom is on the main floor.
Both upper bedrooms are spacious and there is also a bathroom on second floor.
The lower recroom is great for children or an entertainment/media room space.
There is also a detached garage.
If you want to view this home, call me anytime.
The next open house is Sunday, July 24, 2-4 p.m. Be sure to drop by and fall in love with this 'find in a forest.' It truly is serenity and scenery
Mark Schadenberg, sale rep
Royal LePage Triland Realty
www.marksells.ca
mschadenberg@rogers.com
(519) 537-1553
Office: 539-2070
Many people who live on a small city lot, will tell me that having a large treed backyard would be priceless.
New subdivisions in Woodstock are featuring lots with frontage of under 40 feet.
Here is a house that fits the bill for a family who want to live near Woodstock, but still live in the wilderness.
Found on the 11th Line between Highway2 and south of Oxford Rd 17 is a 1.5-storey home with 3 bedrooms and many updates.
However, leading the list of amenities for 515160 11th Line (67-594; Asking: $254,900) is its 1/2-acre lot (78' x 279') that is treed in front for privacy and treed in the backyard as well. It truly is a forest in the city limits -- just a 3-minute drive to Dundas Street in Woodstock. To top it off, the lot is fully fenced, which is ideal for a young family or anyone with a dog that loves to roam.
The brick home was built in the early 1950s, but in 1990 a main-floor family room was added with a wood fireplace. (The owners plan on leaving about 3 chords of firewood with the house). At the time of this addition, the current owners redesigned the kitchen and installed oak cabinets, countertop stove and built-in oven. The owners plan on also including the fridge, washer and dryer.
With an abundance of windows, this family room truly is a room with a view. Off the family room is patio doors to a raised deck and hot tub.
The home's additional updates include newer high efficiency furnace and central air, newer 200-amp breaker box, new roof in 2005, and all new vinyl windows in 2000.
Another top selling feature is the living-dining combo, which is 24' x 12' and includes a gas fireplace and impeccable hardwood flooring.
The main bathroom is on the main floor.
Both upper bedrooms are spacious and there is also a bathroom on second floor.
The lower recroom is great for children or an entertainment/media room space.
There is also a detached garage.
If you want to view this home, call me anytime.
The next open house is Sunday, July 24, 2-4 p.m. Be sure to drop by and fall in love with this 'find in a forest.' It truly is serenity and scenery
Mark Schadenberg, sale rep
Royal LePage Triland Realty
www.marksells.ca
mschadenberg@rogers.com
(519) 537-1553
Office: 539-2070
Friday, 15 July 2011
The Triland Group of Seven
A positive discussion about real estate topics with only Royal LePage Triland reps invited.
Sound like a good idea?
Sure it is, so we did it.
Organized by Melanie Pearce (Twitter: Real8rmel) of the London office, on Thursday I drove down the 401 to join an oval-table (table was not round) conversation with six fellow Triland Realtors.
Call it a brain storming session or a think tank, it was not really networking (except for me) as the others attending were all London-based Realtors.
All agents have the same industry concerns and the same trepidations about new ideas. In fact, a forum like this becomes essential as a Realtor can admit they made a misstep in a marketing plan or an offer that went wrong. We all learn by sitting in a discussion group. Having people to bounce ideas off is the mark of a good thinker because you can quickly acknowledge that you don't know everything and that there are 7 sides to every story.
Our group decided that we should meet 10 or more times each year, and plan a loose agenda for each gathering.
This first meeting was a potpourri of topics. We formulated that while it's certainly good for colleagues to meet on a regular basis to discuss the industry, it goes beyond this and really proves there really is so many facets to the industry.
For example, I would never think of creating my own letterhead as I use the Triland parchment designed for Woodstock. However, as all marketing is about consistency, letterhead is part of that package -- just like a business card. I became convinced that ordering and distributing a box of note pads (With all my contact info on it, and of course a Royal LePage logo) -- better yet with a fridge magnet on the back -- is not olde fashioned, but still tried-and-true.
All advertising continues to be about creating top-of-mind awareness. When someone thinks fast food burger, I would guess that McDonald's still leads the way. When a consumer thinks real estate, I want them to think Royal LePage. When the name Royal LePage prominently jumps to the forefront, Mark Schadenberg is the name to know and trust.
Banter on July 14th surrounded many more topics: how often and how to contact your sphere of influence (friends, and past and hopeful future clients), popularity of open houses, timing of conditions in an offer, obtaining price reductions on listings, tracking activity (internet page views) on listings, alternate or outside web advertising (i.e Kijiji or virtual reality tour web sites), distribution of newsletters, and approaching 'private for sale' listings.
If you learn something, you've accomplished something. I learned a lot from this group and look forward to meeting again in August.
Sound like a good idea?
Sure it is, so we did it.
Organized by Melanie Pearce (Twitter: Real8rmel) of the London office, on Thursday I drove down the 401 to join an oval-table (table was not round) conversation with six fellow Triland Realtors.
Call it a brain storming session or a think tank, it was not really networking (except for me) as the others attending were all London-based Realtors.
All agents have the same industry concerns and the same trepidations about new ideas. In fact, a forum like this becomes essential as a Realtor can admit they made a misstep in a marketing plan or an offer that went wrong. We all learn by sitting in a discussion group. Having people to bounce ideas off is the mark of a good thinker because you can quickly acknowledge that you don't know everything and that there are 7 sides to every story.
Our group decided that we should meet 10 or more times each year, and plan a loose agenda for each gathering.
This first meeting was a potpourri of topics. We formulated that while it's certainly good for colleagues to meet on a regular basis to discuss the industry, it goes beyond this and really proves there really is so many facets to the industry.
For example, I would never think of creating my own letterhead as I use the Triland parchment designed for Woodstock. However, as all marketing is about consistency, letterhead is part of that package -- just like a business card. I became convinced that ordering and distributing a box of note pads (With all my contact info on it, and of course a Royal LePage logo) -- better yet with a fridge magnet on the back -- is not olde fashioned, but still tried-and-true.
All advertising continues to be about creating top-of-mind awareness. When someone thinks fast food burger, I would guess that McDonald's still leads the way. When a consumer thinks real estate, I want them to think Royal LePage. When the name Royal LePage prominently jumps to the forefront, Mark Schadenberg is the name to know and trust.
Banter on July 14th surrounded many more topics: how often and how to contact your sphere of influence (friends, and past and hopeful future clients), popularity of open houses, timing of conditions in an offer, obtaining price reductions on listings, tracking activity (internet page views) on listings, alternate or outside web advertising (i.e Kijiji or virtual reality tour web sites), distribution of newsletters, and approaching 'private for sale' listings.
If you learn something, you've accomplished something. I learned a lot from this group and look forward to meeting again in August.
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