How Will Trump’s Tariff Threats Affect the Calgary Real Estate Market?
I try not to get political—honest! But it’s hard to avoid the elephant in the room, especially when he’s Trumpeting so obnoxiously. 🐘 If the incoming president decides to ignore the USMCA agreement (the free trade agreement that replaced NAFTA)—the one he previously insisted was the best trade agreement ever negotiated and which is crucial […]
Our Atrocious Real Estate Licensing System
Did you know you can take a six-week course and become a REALTOR®? I guess that’s why there are over 7,000 of us licensed by the Calgary Real Estate Board. Honestly, at the end of six weeks, these new agents are bewildered by the sheer volume of how much they don’t know. Most of them […]
The Stuff They Don’t Teach in Real Estate School
I’ve long advocated for better training in the real estate profession. And I’m not just whistling Dixie. I felt so strongly about this I developed an online training platform (AgentSkills.com) for agents to improve their ”real world” skills. My course is for serious, dedicated agents who genuinely want to deliver better results to their clients. […]
The 3 Buyer Types and Why Sellers Need to ‘Price it Right’ from the Start
When I list a property, I always explain to my sellers that every potential buyer fits into one of these three categories: 1. Bargain Hunters will wait until your property has been on the market for a while; then they’ll start lobbing lowballs. Bargain Hunters are the last type of buyer any seller would ever […]
The Salesy Slickster
A genuine person/agent is firmly grounded and quietly confident in themselves. They tend to be good listeners because they’re present in the moment. They’re not trying to figure out someone else’s agenda or worrying about their own. Genuine people are self-aware of both their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, rather than blaming others for their mistakes, […]
The Web Portal
Most people know that any REALTOR® can set you up on an auto-notification system for new listings. But did you know that this same system can automatically notify you about sales (including the price), conditional sales, price adjustments, or practically any other criteria you can dream up? I can set this up for you right […]
The Small-Box Real Estate Team
I’m classified as an “individual” agent as opposed to a team leader. This is a technical classification since, in reality, I’ve assembled an incredible group of dedicated individuals, all working together to deliver exceptional results. These include Angela, one of the most talented stagers and photographers in the business, and Erin and Jamie, who are […]
The Only Thing That Matters in Real Estate Marketing
Have you noticed how some “celebrity” agents are always bragging about how much money they spend on “marketing?” Oh, they spend a pile! But those agents could spend literally millions on radio and TV ads, billboards, bus benches, and social media ads, and here’s the total net benefit to you as a seller: Zilch. I’m […]
The Three Critical Ingredients that Make a Great Agent
Here are the three things (in my opinion) that make up a genuinely great Real Estate agent: Integrity – “I care.” Great agents tend to lose a lot of sleep worrying about their clients. This is because they have high integrity! But don’t worry! High-integrity agents get more and more sleep as they accumulate more […]
Precarious Times
I’ve stated previously that the current hot market will likely continue through the spring months, barring some catastrophic global event. Like the Russians invading Ukraine, for example. We’re still only a few days into this horrible tragedy, so it’s difficult to predict what will happen over the next several days and weeks It’s UNCERTAINTY itself that is the […]