Archive for May, 2009

Here is a dirty little secret about the real estate industry. To be successful, agents have not 1 but 2 jobs. One job is to HELP PEOPLE BUY/SELL REAL ESTATE. This is the obvious one. What most people don’t realize is that this is really an agent’s second job. Our first and more difficult job is TO SELL OURSELVES. Think about it this way - if I can’t sell myself than I will never have any clients and no clients = no pay check. I love what I do but I can’t afford to work for free. While I am happy to provide people with information, the expectation is that by doing so you may one day turn into a client. My job is then and only then to provide you with services you require to buy or sell your home (job #2).

So why am I telling you all this? I think if I’m being honest, I would urge you to distinguish between a realtor’s two jobs. Ask yourself if having a realtor with glossy magazine ads, dozens of listings, and a fancy website helps sell YOUR HOME or helps sell THEM. Make no mistake about it, I’m not at all suggesting that realtors with big ad budgets aren’t effective at what they do but I don’t think that this alone makes for an effective realtor. Finding prospective clients is hard work and the giant advertising budgets used by many realtors helps them sell themselves to you. I used to work for a global consumer goods company. My job was to manage a cross functional team of people in launching new products into the marketplace. You could say that I know a thing or two about effective sales and marketing. What I learned from the experience is that successful businesses understand that no one function can work independently of another. In order to be successful all aspects of their business need to come together and be executed with brilliance.

When you are looking for a realtor I think you need to look for someone who demonstrates that they understand all aspects of the home buying and selling process and aren’t just effective at producing impressive ad campaigns. A glossy magazine spread is not going to sell your home alone but a home that is staged properly, priced fairly and promoted effectively will sell. When you pay a realtor for their services, you should be paying them for their knowledge, not just their ad budget. Effective advertising is after all only one component of a successful real estate transaction.

With all this said, this is my non-glossy, un-savvy list of criteria I would look for in an agent. Note that many of these items are of the non-advertising type…

- Understands the area where I am buying/selling and the types of properties I am looking at (townhomes, luxury properties, new home sales, etc)

- Is willing to dedicate the necessary time and service I require to buy/sell. Someone who will accommodate my schedule and need for information and someone who demonstrates patience throughout the sales process

- Will conduct in depth market analysis to understand the value of the property or properties I am looking to buy/sell AND is able and willing to explain their logic to me in depth if desired

- Is able to answer my questions and perhaps most importantly find the answers to the questions he/she does is not able to immediately answer

- Someone who respects my privacy and does not disclose information to other agents and potential buyers/sellers unless agreed to

- Someone who is a smart negotiator and explains their negotiating logic to me prior to entering any deals. A person who is able to guide me fully throughout the process but does not push me into making a decision

- Can provide me with recommendations for related experts such as mortgage consultants, lawyers, house inspectors, insurance agents, etc but does not push any one specifically on me

- Someone that I like to work with. If I am going to be spending so much time with my realtor, I want someone I actually like being around

My philosophy is pretty simple. I try to provide the kind of service to my clients that I would want to receive. My approach may not be for everyone and that is okay. I encourage all home sellers and buyers to find the person that most closely fits their needs. There are lots of great realtors out there that really do want to look out for your best interests; all it takes is a bit of research to find them. All the best to you in your home buying and selling endeavours! If you would like further information on the Oakville area or my services, please contact me at 905.338.9000 or email me at lindsay@remaxaboutowne.com

Regards,

If you have driven through Southeast Oakville at all in the past year, you have probably noticed the “SOS - Save our Schools” signs scattered across residents’ front lawns. While the slogan has a clever ring to it, the issue of Southeast Oakville public schools is a serious one for the Halton School Board and local residents alike. At the heart of the debate is the impact that proposed school closures and boundary changes will have on local students.

The Halton District School Board has been listening to residents’ concerns and recently released a multi-page letter to educate impacted homeowners, solicit feedback and ultimately bring progress to the school system. Clearly this is an issue affecting all existing residents as well as home buyers thinking of moving to the area. In an effort to clarify the situation to potential buyers, I have summarized the proposed changes below.

The expected school boundary changes affect all 7 existing public elementary schools in Southeast Oakville as well as 1 new public school which is planned to be opened in September 2010. Existing schools include Chisholm, New Central, Brantwood, Linbrook, Maple Grove, New Central, and E.J. James. The new school is proposed to be called Clearview public school.

From the school board’s perspective, changes are required to accomplish the following:

1. Enhance Services and facilities offered to students in the area
2. Respond to Changes in the Community to be consistent with current and projected student needs
3. Seek Broad Public Input prior to making any final decisions with regards to Ward 3 schools.

Many options have been proposed but there are 6 that have been shortlisted with the hopes that one will become final. In each option below, the schools not named are being slated for closure.

Option A1

Clearview – English & French – JK-8

New Central – English and French – JK-8

Maple Grove – English – JK-8

Option A2

Clearview – English & French – JK-8

Linbrook – English & French – JK-8

Maple Grove – English – JK-8

Option B1

Clearview – English – JK-8

EJ James – English – JK-8

Maple Grove – French – 1-8

Option B2

Clearview – English – JK-8

Maple Grove – English – JK-8

EJ James – French 1-8

Option C1

Clearview – English and French – JK-8

Maple Grove – English – JK-8

New Central – English – JK-8

EJ James – French 1-8

Option C2

Clearview – English and French – JK-8

Maple Grove – English – JK-8

Linbrook – English – JK-8

EJ James – French – 1-8

Note that these are the 6 options currently under review. The final decision could be one of these options or a variation thereof. If you are looking to buy in Southeast Oakville and planning to send your children to public school it is important to understand that the options mentioned above are currently undergoing what the board describes as a “consultation process”. Over the next couple months, the board has asked local residents to complete a survey indicating their preferred schooling option. They are also conducting a series of focus groups to collect input from the public. The board is saying that a decision will be made by June 2009 and implemented September 2010.

As someone who grew up in the area and attended 3 of the schools currently under review I have a few thoughts on the matter. The first is that all of these schools represent excellent education choices. Picking between Maple Grove versus Chisholm versus Linbrook is like picking between three different 5 star resorts. It’s a difficult decision to make especially when your personal preference likely hinges on how the changes affect your child personally. I applaud the communication underway between the school board and local residents, however hard it may be. It shows that Oakville is a caring community that is willing to get involved to ensure that the decisions affecting it are for the greatest good. Ultimately, I believe that the proposed changes represent a huge opportunity to improve the already great quality of education in the area. Fewer schools reduces complexity within the school system and ultimately frees up resources that when re-distributed effectively, can be used to improve the quality of education for local school children.

For further information on changes affecting Southeast Oakville public schools, please visit the Halton district school board at www.hdsb.ca and click on the link titled “Ward 3 Community Consultation”. To speak further about this or other issues concerning the community, please send me an email at lindsay@remaxaboutowne.com or call me at 905.338.9000. I am always happy to talk about issues affecting Oakville homeowners.

Regards,