A key reason Debelle was chosen to represent the property is his attention to detail. “I really studied the property,” he says. “There’s a list of special features 10 pages long (that) took (many) days to create.”

That kind of meticulous preparation is central to Debelle’s approach, especially with ultra-luxury listings where he needs to speak knowledgeably about every finish, system and feature. “It’s not enough to take someone through a home and say, ‘Great home.’ I have a responsibility to really study it.”

Standing out in a crowded market

Luxury listings in Metro Vancouver are not short on spectacle, but this particular home, dubbed West Vancouver’s “White Mansion,” has a set of features that even seasoned Realtors will rarely encounter.

Guests enter through massive brass doors into a 38-foot-high great room under a custom-designed, hand-built stained-glass dome.

The home also includes a professional-grade private casino with blackjack, roulette and slot machines accessed through a hidden door, and a dedicated Stefano Ricci-designed office and library, which, Debelle notes, is the first of its kind in Canada.

Asked whether special filings were required for the private casino, he says no and clarifies, “It’s really a games room. We’re not running a casino for the public.”

Beyond that, the home is outfitted with a spa featuring dry and steam saunas and a plunge pool, a chef’s kitchen designed for large-scale entertaining and intricate marble finishes throughout — virtually no drywall exists in the house.

Marketing with intention — and budget

Marketing a property of this calibre demands more than the standard suite of photos and MLS exposure. Debelle invests heavily in layered campaigns that include lengthy photo shoots, bespoke floor plans and glossy coffee-table style books that can run over 100 pages because, he feels, “It’s the best way to market, but it’s also important that my client knows I’ve done everything — and more than anyone else.”

Each book he produces is property-tailored, written in detail and translated into Mandarin to reach a global audience. He likens the effort required to “doing a paper at university.”

When it comes to the floor plans, Debelle personally reviews each room to ensure accuracy. 

And he doesn’t stop at a single photo shoot. “I do three to five shoots (that) cost a ton of time (and) money. And I’m there with the photographer, so that we capture the images we need to present (the property).”

The listing is also being promoted across international luxury media, including on multiple magazine covers in September alone.

Still, Debelle avoids splashy Realtor-only parties or open houses. “This is not a place for Realtors to get some free sushi and chat with each other. This is a serious home that deserves serious respect,” he says. Only pre-qualified buyers, accompanied by their agents, are allowed through the door.

The art of the showing

Debelle’s background as a lawyer informs how he conducts showings, which can run three hours or longer. Each and every move is intentional.

“When I do a showing, it’s like being in court. Everything I do, every word I say, every step I take, where I stand, where I look, is all done for a reason. Nothing is arbitrary … I’m thinking all the time,” he explains.

He also builds space into the process, offering prospective buyers time to absorb the home, sit quietly and discuss privately with their Realtor.

“There should always be a time when I’m just a real estate agent representing the seller, (meaning) it’s important for me at some point to suggest that I back away and let (them) walk through on their own, to speak freely among themselves.”

The takeaway for Realtors

While the scale of West Vancouver’s “White Mansion” sets it apart, Debelle insists that his approach doesn’t — and shouldn’t — change with price point.

“The way I do this listing is exactly how I do every other listing, just on a bigger scale. I give the same time and attention to a $1.8 million home as I do to this. Every home is deserving of the same dedication, regardless of price point.”

For Realtors, the takeaway is clear: studying the property in detail, marketing it with thoughtfulness and precision and presenting it with humility and respect can be what sets you apart.

As Debelle puts it, “My biggest objective is they have to like me as a person. I’m very understated, humble and respectful … I’m just a real estate agent (putting) out plastic open house signs on the weekends.”

Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post On the market: The meticulous sales strategy behind Vancouver’s ‘White Mansion’ appeared first on REM.

According to real estate sales and marketing company MLA Canada, only 35 projects launched in the past year — over 40 per cent below the five-year average — and fewer than 400 presale units sold, marking an 85 per cent decline from historical benchmarks.

For Barrett Sprowson, senior vice president, residential at Peterson Real Estate, the numbers match what he’s seeing on the ground.

“I’ve said the market is stagnant (but) that was very diplomatically understated. If I were a little more honest, I’d say it’s kind of anemic and as flat as I’ve ever seen it.”

How we got here

Sprowson describes the current climate as the result of a long buildup of policy and economic shifts.

“It’s the classic case of the frog in the water (slowly) getting boiled. For the longest time, the market bailed us out on many of the regulations, fees and taxes various governments have layered into the equation,” Sprowson notes.

But now, he says the bailout has stopped, and the rise of interest rates has compounded the issue, with, “The typical everyday buyer moving to the sidelines.”

And while buyers hesitate, supply from earlier cycles is now hitting the market.

“We’re starting to see a lot of the delivery and completions of projects that started in that really robust cycle coming out of the pandemic. That’s causing oversupplied inventory in the current market.”

In other words, today’s glut will work its way through, but the resulting slowdown in new project launches means supply shortages — and price spikes — could follow in a few years.

The role of government intervention

One thing Sprowson highlights is the “perfect storm” of fees, taxes and levies layered on new development.

He notes that about 35-40 per cent of a new home’s cost is some type of fee or levy that the end user absorbs. “It’s got to a point where the buyer can’t accommodate the fees and taxes. And on top of that, we charge GST and property transfer tax. It’s tax on top of tax.”

Sprowson feels government intervention to reduce these costs is the biggest thing that could make a difference.

The British Columbia government recently announced changes to how Development Cost Charges (DCCs) are collected, allowing delayed payment schedules. But while Sprowson welcomes the move, he says it doesn’t address the fundamental issue.

“It’s helpful. It’s a good strategy and we’re all appreciative of governments listening … But like my friend Michael Ferreira at Anthem Properties said recently, ‘It’s like they’re nibbling around the edges.’ It’s not moving the bigger levers I think should be looked at.”

Without significant cost relief, he warns, many projects simply won’t start. “We essentially cannot deliver homes at a price that the market can pay or will absorb.”

What this means for Realtors

For Realtors working to move presale inventory, Sprowson says success comes back to the fundamentals.

“Gone are the days when you overprice a home to get a listing and the market takes care of it. Accurate, aggressive pricing will be in your clients’ best interests.”

Beyond pricing, execution matters. Sprowson says the best Realtors he’s worked with have a specific plan for every home, not a blanket approach. And they’re responsive.

“If you’re a listing agent, you’ve got to be on your showings … It’s not rocket science. Give good service, be efficient, be effective. Follow up. Get back to basics.”

What to watch for this fall

Looking ahead to the fall presale market, Sprowson doesn’t expect a dramatic change unless a few big things shift.

For one, the federal government would have to figure out things with the U.S. to remove the uncertainty impacting various market factors.

The second thing would be some kind of interest rate relief, while the third would be a significant move by the different governments on DCCs and other fees, regulations and taxes attached to development.

If even a couple of these things occur, he says, “Then I think things really loosen up … Ever the optimist I am, I believe something will shake loose, hopefully in favor of the buyer and maintaining supply.”

For now, developers like Peterson are staying active with a mix of projects across rental and presale. The company is leasing up its Revolve purpose-built rental in East Vancouver, preparing to complete another nearby project early next year, and breaking ground on a significant West Side community.

As for the broader presale market, Sprowson points to resale data as the leading indicator of recovery. “If the resale market starts pushing up towards the 10-year sales averages, as soon as people start missing out on homes and there’s multiple offers, then we’ll start seeing it.”

Until then, Metro Vancouver’s presale market looks set to remain in a holding pattern, waiting for buyers to return, government to adjust its levers or both.

Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post Presale market stalled: What’s ahead for Metro Vancouver’s new-build housing? appeared first on REM.

In Ottawa, Raymond Chin of Coldwell Banker First Ottawa Realty has watched the interest in micro-units dry up almost entirely.

“The demand is actually very low,” the Realtor says, noting that in June, residential prices increased about nine per cent while the condominium market dropped about seven per cent. “Two-bedroom condominiums, or even a one-bedroom plus den, are much more sought after than just a one-bedroom or these bachelor-types.”

Shifting buyer priorities

Though new units may appear affordable on paper, often ranging from $320,000 to $375,000, Chin notes, he says the buyer pool is limited — mostly comprising first-time buyers or downsizers with limited options, not retirees with a nest egg ready to move south. Investors, meanwhile, remain very conservative and hesitant to dive into these smaller condominiums.

Buyer preferences have evolved significantly since the pandemic reshaped lifestyles and work habits. Chin explains that before COVID, proximity to downtown workplaces and amenities drove demand for compact living, but that dynamic has changed in Ottawa.

“You get from city to city, end to end, in maybe half an hour with no traffic. Commute times are fairly short compared to bigger cities like Toronto … (here), a lot of people take an Uber downtown, to live in a bigger, better, quieter place.”

A supply surge and investor shift

In Calgary, Rob Vanovermeire, broker/owner of Coldwell Banker Mountain Central, is also seeing sluggish movement in the smallest condominium segment, which he notes has historically been and remains a small inventory pool.

“Calgary, percentage-wise, doesn’t have as many micro-units as some of the bigger markets like Vancouver and Toronto. We just haven’t built them.”

He notes the condominium market hit its peak in 2015, followed by a downturn that lasted until 2021. While activity surged again in 2022, largely due to investors from Ontario and British Columbia, many of those buyers were targeting presales, not resale micro-units.

When it comes to micro-condominiums, Vanovermeire says those buyers are typically single professionals or couples, and he hasn’t seen many older than 35 years old.

Regardless of size, Vanovermeire notes Calgary’s resale condominium absorption is down, with roughly 22 per cent of total units selling.

The power of narrative

Vanovermeire’s optimistic that small condominiums still have a market — but only if agents put in the right work and know how to sell the lifestyle that comes with them.

“What’s been really successful for me is video tours,” he recalls. “But not just a quick introduction and let the video play some music as you tour the condominium.”

Instead, Vanovermeire takes a more immersive, personalized approach to help buyers envision life in a small space.

“You have to be willing to treat the camera like it was a buyer and point out the lifestyle, amenities in the building and what’s offered in the area,” he explains, including the things you wouldn’t be doing at home, because, “When you’re looking for micro-condominiums, you have to be the kind of person that likes to be out a lot.”

That means showing — not just telling — what makes the location work for the target buyer, whether it’s nearby bars, restaurants, shops or events. “Get some b-roll of an event and incorporate that (so viewers can) see themselves attending … That’s power.”

But despite being a leader who vocally encourages video, Vanovermeire feels most agents still hesitate to fully embrace the medium.

“I really advocate for getting out of your comfort zone … but to this day, the majority of Realtors don’t embrace video the way that they could,” perhaps due to lack of confidence or concern about their appearance, he adds.

Building for people, not profit

If agents are rethinking how they sell micro-units, some developers are rethinking whether to build them at all.

B.C.-based Realtor Shane Styles is also a partner at Tradecraft Consulting, where he advises developers. He’s seeing a changing market, where, at its smallest end, demand rapidly diverges from what’s still being built.

“All things being equal, people want to live in something as large as they can get. We’re getting downward pressure on price and rent in Vancouver, probably for the first time in forever. Now, you can get a larger place for the same rent as a smaller place was two or three years ago.”

Styles feels it all comes down to supply, demand and market elasticity.

On top of that, he adds, are many people on the sidelines not selling, plus reluctance from banks to lend on (tiny) places, “So you’ve got to get creative with financing. How’s that for irony?”

In Styles’ view, these factors create the perfect storm, making micro-units the least desirable homes to live in, and therefore less likely to resell and rent.

‘If you can’t fix it, feature it’

He saw this firsthand when brought into a condominium project that didn’t reach its presale requirement — twice. 

The original pitch was familiar: compact units, priced for short-term rental buyers and branded for weekend use. But it just wasn’t working.

The developer had created the floor plans a few years back with an architect from the East Coast who was used to larger spaces for lower prices, Styles shared. He recognized that the 750 square foot one-bedroom + den units should today be 550 square feet to sell at an attractive price, arguably with the same utility.

Since the developer had no more capital to change the unit sizes, Styles went with the old adage, “If you can’t fix it, feature it.”

He analyzed the local market and found a huge gap. “No one was building anything for locals,” who, Styles notes, comprised first-time buyers paying $2,600 a month in rent and long-term, single-family home residents with nothing to downsize to.

So, it was a game of “repositioning, reexamining the marketplace and ensuring we orchestrated the product to fit the hole we’d identified,” resulting in the larger units offered at $499,000.

At the end of the day, Styles asserts it’s all about utility, as “The everyday consumer can’t equate price per square foot to the value they’re getting … You can have a $1,000/square foot home and a $650/square foot home and they’ll deliver the same utility.”

Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post Tiny footprints, tougher sales: Can micro-units still find their market? appeared first on REM.

The recently launched Max Engage program rewards agents with points for completing brand-aligned activities, from social media challenges and listing best practices to training tool engagement.

“The tool is designed to help agents invest in their business alongside the brand and reward them for doing so,” says Melissa Clemance, VP of marketing and communications for Re/Max Canada. “Similar to a Marriott Bonvoy or Starbucks rewards program, the more you engage in certain activities, the more points you gain.”

She explains how it comes full circle: Agents perform certain activities, get points for them and, using campaigns within the brand’s portals and tools, spend those points instead of money on things to advance their listings, like one-on-one training, photo shoots, discounts on events and education and soon, marketing services.

A twofold approach

The program’s goal, Clemance says, is business building, with the driver being both engagement and education.

“(It’s about) encouraging the business-building activities we know agents need to be doing and to help continue to champion the professionalism (they) exemplify,” she explains, first and foremost by encouraging them to “get louder” on social, since consumer behavior is leaning more towards it. 

“They’re looking up agents’ profiles … Gen Z especially is going more to TikTok than Google.”

Then, the brand is seeking ways to educate its agents about doing the “right” things across social, as she says not everyone is in the online world.

Clemence explains, “We want to encourage more agents we know are doing business in the markets to put themselves out there more for the consumer — to champion more professionalism across the industry.”

The gamification of real estate

The move uses gamification and perks to retain top talent and boost agent performance, strategies typically relied on by consumer brands that Clemance admits are relatively new territory in the real estate space. To her team’s knowledge, Re/Max is the first franchisor to launch something of this nature.

She believes the psychology behind the program — shown through reward for effort, bragging rights and leaderboards — applies to both consumers and business owners alike.

“Agents are competitive and they love accolades … leaderboards, badges and ‘bragability’ create a culture within Re/Max we want to continue to foster.” 

The flip side

While some agents are intrigued, others remain unconvinced.

Coldwell Banker Canada agent Stephanie Mols questions the effectiveness of loyalty programs in a business built on relationships, training and real-world experience.

While she’s not against engagement tools in principle and recognizes their potential business-building value and access to marketing benefit, Mols questions whether they address the real needs of new or struggling agents.

Essentially, she doesn’t feel they effectively teach agents what they need to know about client care. “I would never consider (them) a priority to be a successful Realtor is really what it comes down to,” she explains.

Mols recalls, more than once, watching colleagues leave for brands offering perks-based programs, only to return months later. “Literally, 90% of them came back,” she says.

For her, meaningful retention and business growth prioritize the people, not a tool, to gain presence, starting with support, not structure.

“When we come out of school, we don’t know how to write an APS. We don’t know how to close a deal. We don’t know anything, really! If I hadn’t had mentorship and support at all times (when) I started out, I would’ve been totally lost,” she admits.

Mols says brokerages need to free up agents’ time so they can do what they’re meant to: buy and sell real estate, without distraction. And doing that, she stresses, requires a lot of education.

“Everything is about support, mentorship and one-on-one training, help whenever you need it. I see with a lot of other brokerages that it’s just not there,” she explains, adding that she gets many calls from agents who have nobody else to turn to.

Mols also sees most digital rewards platforms as too impersonal. “I value non-structured acknowledgement directly from my brokerage,” she says. “We have regular personal contact with our broker of record. We go for lunches. I appreciate that personal support over anything else.”

A tool, not a replacement

Clemance acknowledges the concern but stresses that Max Engage is structured to reward, not replace, core agent development, mentorship and traditional brokerage support.

She says it rewards activities in a way that will eventually become more seamless. In other words, “As agents conduct certain transaction counts or reach certain award levels, they’ll naturally get points rather than taking time out of their day to earn them.”

And, aside from the social media focus, she notes different reasons the tool may pull people in, with things like awards, accolades and training being other motivators to engage. 

With plans to evolve Max Engage into a customizable tool that brokerages can tailor to their offices based on things like local market or team needs, Clemance feels the future of agent engagement is hybrid: digital support systems that reinforce and scale personalized brokerage culture.

“That’s really where the engagement comes from,” she notes, “As different markets, different brokers embrace the tools and technology. That’s where we’ll see the uptick.”

The consensus so far

Early signals show growing interest in the app. Clemance says Re/Max Trailblazers — a select group of agents testing the program — have contributed ideas that shaped the rollout. Future updates will add multilingual support, local brokerage incentives and integration with upcoming tools like marketing-as-a-service.

Differences aside, both Clemance and Mols agree on one point: the best tools are those that actually help agents do better work. Whether that’s lunch with a broker or an app leaderboard, the message is clear: brokerages need to meet agents where they are. And for some, a reward for showing up can’t hurt.

Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post Is engagement the new retention strategy? Re/Max bets on loyalty program to keep agents invested appeared first on REM.

She listed a three-bedroom condominium directly across from Insite, a safe injection site in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, by choosing a strategy of complete transparency.

A view of the mountains—and the safe injection site

Instead of cropping out the street encampments or glossing over gritty realities outside the building, Schlechtleitner did the opposite. Her listing video opened with graffiti, people on the street and blunt narration.

“If you’re looking for a really good deal but in a really gritty area,” she says in the opening shot, “we have a listing on Main and Hastings right across the street from the safe injection site.”

The condominium sold in just nine days. In a market where units in the same building have sat unsold for months, that’s no small feat.

“It was a wild one. Even my social media guys didn’t want to do the video,” thinking they’d get in trouble, Schlechtleitner recalls. But she knew what the situation called for.

The public’s reaction

Schlechtleitner, a managing broker at Stonehaus Realty Rethink Real Estate Group and 21-year industry veteran, feels unfiltered honesty not only works but is demanded in the current market, because consumers are very smart and have all the information they need readily available.

Her instinct proved correct. The listing video quickly gained traction online and drew media attention, but not without controversy. “I wasn’t surprised by the feedback, to be quite honest,” Schlechtleitner says. “Because there’s a lack of understanding in education, in my personal opinion.”

She notes the conversation wasn’t as much with her, about the listing, as much as it was with the public, about social issues.

Although some commenters didn’t see eye-to-eye with her, she says how nice it was to see many standing up for their beliefs and bringing some humanity to the topic. “Although maybe some didn’t see it as that. People just lock their doors and drive by (the area).”

Finding the right buyer

One of the most compelling aspects of the sale was the alignment between the property and its eventual buyer.

“Our buyer (a young couple) wanted to come from contribution on East Hastings, and the buyer’s agent has a history of family members down there. So, all parties involved were very compassionate,” including Schlechtleitner herself, who notes she’s in recovery and does charity work in the area.

A shift in industry and consumer expectations

Transparency in real estate isn’t without its challenges. But Schlechtleitner believes it’s the only sustainable approach in today’s information-rich environment.

“Honesty is the best policy,” she says. “If you harm the public by sugarcoating, misleading or lying, you will end up at the governing body in about two seconds. You will hurt your brand.”

Schlechtleitner recalls a “tainted time” for British Columbia’s industry in 2018, when she was embarrassed to say she was an actual Realtor.

“We were worse than car salesmen, because there was so much lack of transparency. The Real Estate Council of BC closed down, and BC Financial Services Authority started. In the last seven years, the industry’s levelled up,” she observes, thanks to tougher entrance requirements, more robust continuing education and mandatory courses like ethics.

Now, she’s proud to call herself a Realtor again.

Aside from industry expectations, Schlechtleitner also sees a generational shift in consumer expectations, noting that even Millennials are used to being “bamboozled” and that today’s first-time buyers want the full truth.

Still, she recognizes that honesty must be balanced with seller pride and notes there’s always a way to find an angle and your market.

How to handle tough listings

For example, “If my seller’s home isn’t very well-maintained, I would talk to them about presenting it as more of a bring-your-own-ideas or a fixer-upper (property).”

For agents working with stigmatized or difficult listings, Schlechtleitner’s advice is clear: Be creative and be fearless.

She stresses the need to stand out by offering incentives or bonuses, particularly in the buyer’s market that many regions, like Greater Vancouver, are experiencing. In May, the region had over 17,000 properties in inventory, the highest in over a decade, along with a sales slowdown of over 23 per cent from the year before.

But above all, Schlechtleitner says to protect your brand and your ethics.

“Talk to your managing broker because you might get in trouble. Don’t appear racist. Follow social cues of society,” she advises. “Your name can get jaded in this industry very quickly—it’s very small. We know who’s who and who does what. And we know who’s good and who’s not.”

Call out who it isn’t for

Toronto Realtor Julie Rutherford, of Keller Williams Referred Urban Realty, wholeheartedly agrees with Schlechtleitner’s philosophy.

“In a market where over-polished marketing is the norm, I’ve found that truth delivered thoughtfully can be one of the most effective tools we have,” she says.

For a property previously listed with multiple agents, Rutherford explains she relaunched the listing with more transparency to build trust without diminishing the property’s value. Instead of glossing over the home’s rural setting, which could be a disadvantage for many, she re-framed the location as “just 50 minutes from Toronto” to emphasize a quiet setting with accessibility.

“I avoided trying to make it a one-size-fits-all home, focusing the message instead on retirees and downsizers looking for peace without isolation. By being upfront about who the home wasn’t for, I clarified exactly who it was for.”

And so far, it’s paying off. Rutherford has seen a steady stream of showings, strong, positive feedback and inquiries from serious, qualified buyers, not just casual browsers.

Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post Meet the Realtor whose brutal honesty sells hard-to-move listings appeared first on REM.

For Realtors, navigating these discussions successfully is no small feat. Many deals fall apart due to poor negotiation—whether it’s giving up too soon, engaging in unnecessary arguments or relying too heavily on logic when experts say emotions and psychology drive decision-making.

The good news? Negotiation is a skill that can be learned, including the confidence required to improve. It’s all teachable, says Suze Cumming, a real estate negotiation coach and former top-producing Toronto agent.

Preparation is key

Cumming, who says she succeeded in high-pressure transactions as a top-producing Realtor in Toronto for 20 years before training at Adler (a university specializing in psychology), notes that top business schools advocate four hours of preparation for every hour of negotiating.

“Realtors are paid significant amounts of money to professionally negotiate on behalf of clients,” she points out, noting that understanding the stakeholders involved, how they respond and what they value is as important as knowing the financials.

To get that intel, Ann Frost, associate professor at Western University’s Ivey Academy and co-lead of its Collaborative Negotiation program, suggests leveraging your team and brokerage as a resource. “Talk about what you’ve done. Share stories and lessons learned,” she says. “Ask questions and seek advice from those who’ve been there.”

Extracting information and navigating difficult agents

A skilled negotiator must know how to extract helpful details, even when the opposing agent is guarded, Cumming insists. Ethical information-sharing benefits both parties, yet many agents lack the training to differentiate between what can and can’t be shared.

Frost teaches being open and vulnerable to close deals. “We establish connections with people through that. Once I’m open with you, I can put all my cards on the table because I trust you, and you’ll do the same. If I’m holding my cards close, in the end, maybe there’s no deal. No one wins as there’s value we didn’t exploit.”

Cumming asserts Realtors’ jobs include having that conversation with their counterparts. “Encourage them to collaborate (within) the rules,” she advises, adding how “blown away” she is by agents who don’t research the other party online. “That’s a no-brainer.”

Disarming aggression and balancing competition and collaboration

While Cumming champions “deliberate, strong collaborativeness,” where all stakeholders’ needs are met through strategic conversations and deep understanding, the real estate world is full of competitive negotiators who, she cautions, “come at you.”

Her antidote is the “negotiator’s dilemma,” a balance of competitive and collaborative strategies. A skilled negotiator recognizes when to shift gears, by disarming an aggressive counterpart or using strategy to maintain control, she notes.

“There’s a lot of aggression in our world right now…It multiplies,” Cumming observes, noting the skills to diffuse it are crucial to agents’ ability to negotiate today.

For example, knowing to stay on “high alert,” as a shift in tone, evasiveness or an overly charming demeanour can signal a highly aggressive negotiator seeking an edge, she warns. Cumming recommends testing their trustworthiness with a minor, non-damaging information offer. “See what they do with it and if they give you (anything) back. If they don’t and get smug, adjust accordingly.”

If all else fails when emotions run high, Frost advises simply taking a time-out. “Come back later. Otherwise, there won’t be any good outcome.”

Adapting strategy to market conditions, beyond price

Cumming highlights that agent-client conflict can start at the listing stage when property value opinions are shared. “You need to create a relationship with your seller and work toward the same end—listing isn’t enough, especially when properties aren’t selling. It’s about developing and executing a strategy together,” something she says requires a massive amount of connection and trust.

However, negotiations aren’t solely about price. “Once you satisfy (price), most people have other important issues,” like timing on offer duration and closing dates or the conditions added, Cumming explains. She adds that people often bicker over used items with little to no value, like furnishings or appliances. “It’s a bad place for people to lose their ego…It distracts from getting the terms right for the deal.”

Power shifts between buyers and sellers depending on economic conditions, and successful agents assess and adjust. In competitive bidding situations, securing any advantage—like meeting a seller’s non-monetary priorities—can make all the difference, Cumming notes.

“When you don’t have power, you must find out what’s important to the other side and give it to them,” whether it’s showcasing a buyer’s story in a letter, offering low to no financial risk with a large down payment or something simpler.

Frost echoes this notion, citing a time she bought a property from someone who wasn’t concerned about price, “We couldn’t afford it and were about to walk, but he took $100,000 off…He wanted a quick sale—that was important to him, so we traded off on price.”

She notes that sometimes both sides want the same thing—to quickly and easily close the deal—making for an easier negotiation. Taking what both parties want or don’t want off the table early on establishes goodwill and momentum, which Frost says, “helps with progress, likely making it easier to deal with the hard stuff at the end.” After all, she notes, people want to help those they like.

Keeping a crumbling deal alive

If negotiations stall despite best efforts, Cumming advises determining whether a Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA)—or overlap in what the buyer’s willing to pay and what the seller’s willing to take—exists. If there’s room to move, skilled negotiators use techniques to reduce defensiveness, foster open discussion and guide clients toward mutually beneficial outcomes.

Above all, it’s never about pushing them toward a deal or price, which many agents do, Cumming stresses. “This is why they’re not trusted. The fact that the industry and its reward system is commission-centred teaches agents to push, meaning they skip over the real client experience and service, and the complex skills of putting great transactions together.”

Instead, she insists it’s about finding a way to create the right environment for people to make important decisions for themselves.

Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post The psychology of negotiation in today’s real estate market appeared first on REM.

Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post Beyond the big cities: The business of real estate in smaller communities appeared first on REM.

1011 Cordova Street W PH01, Vancouver (Sotheby’s International Realty)

 

 

Realtor Tanis Fritz knows the importance of discretion when working in the luxury real estate market. As the listing agent for one of Canada’s priciest condo listings—a $21-million, 6,480-square-foot penthouse in Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim Residences—she understands what it takes to succeed at this level.

“Having a reputation for discretion at this level is a differentiator,” says Fritz, a Sotheby’s International Realty agent based in Vancouver, B.C.

Position yourself in the right circles and be patient

 

Accessing the luxury market requires strategic marketing, asserts Rochelle Cantor, a Montreal-based top performer with Engel & Völkers. The key is not aggressive self-promotion but a steady, calculated approach with long-term intent.

Cantor, who has over $1.2-billion in career sales and 1,300 sides, says establishing credibility requires immersing yourself in the environments and communities where luxury clientele live and operate and residing where you want to sell—or at least knowing the area inside and out.

Cantor lives in Westmount, an upscale community in Montreal. “I raised my kids there, volunteered at the school and took advantage of every touchpoint (and) learning opportunity I could,” she illustrates.

 

Fake it till you make it and leverage your agency

 

While establishing trust in this space requires authenticity, solid expertise and strong relationships, until they achieve it, many agents stand by the adage, “Fake it ‘till you make it.”

“(It’s) true, but how you fake it in the affluent world is different,” Cantor explains. She doesn’t think it’s necessarily about “looking the part,” as her success in selling some of Quebec’s most expensive properties comes from learning her market and speaking with intelligence.

However, Fritz notes a certain poise can be helpful. “I feel better about things when I have a clean car and a polished appearance … more powerful and in control of the process.” It’s about how she carries herself and having “grace under pressure.”

Cantor advises leveraging your agency’s reputation and tapping into experienced agents’ luxury expertise—for which collaboration is crucial. “It has to be the ‘we’ conversation. Put your own spin on it.”

 

Manage communication and expectations

Tanis Fritz

Fritz emphasizes the importance of giving thoughtful advice and managing expectations. This can be invaluable if a property takes longer than expected to sell or another challenge presents itself. “Being clear, concise and direct is a winning approach in this market,” she stresses.

She suggests establishing clear reporting parameters catered to what’s important to your client. “Do they want a scheduled call every time? A total debrief after each showing (or at set intervals)? Are they data-oriented?”

However, this needs to balance with what the situation calls for. If, say, a client prefers texts to calls, Fritz points out, “There are cases where text won’t cut it, and I’ll certainly speak up for that. You can have your parameters and guardrails flow within a client-centric approach.”

She emphasizes implementing clear processes and not straying far from them. Fritz is adamant about proactivity to ensure clients never wonder what’s being done to sell their homes, so market and marketing updates come at their preferred frequency.

 

Run your business like a publicly traded company

 

To win, Cantor notes it’s about consistently “planting your seeds”—either selling or creating awareness about your market knowledge. She also stresses the importance of running your business like a publicly traded company, something she learned early on from her tech industry experience.

She uses forecasts and pipelines and sets annual financial targets rather than focusing on specific property types or values. Numbers run the same way, whether it’s a $2-million or $12-million property.

Rochelle Cantor

Above all, “I don’t chase after the $10-million plus sellers.. In my market space, less than six brokers sell all houses over $4-million.”

Instead, Cantor, who didn’t actively seek luxury but took an opportunity that propelled her career there, advises understanding your business and setting realistic goals. “You might be a lot happier selling five $1.5 million homes than one $10 million home—that’s a lot of risk.”

 

Nail the listing presentation

 

For listing presentations, Cantor always has a document checklist and a full package ready to tweak based on the property. She asks many questions, understands the competition and researches comparable properties and municipal evaluations.

She won’t talk numbers until she’s seen the property and done her homework, and she doesn’t focus heavily on the agency or hard-selling, as people are in it for the long game. “The question is who (clients) feel more connected to and confident in representing their best interest as honestly as possible…They think of me because over the years I became their trusted advisor.”

That said, your agency can certainly help, especially in the beginning. Fritz didn’t attract ultra-luxury listings until she joined Sotheby’s. For success in this market, she believes an agency needs the right “track record, authority, consistency and reach.”

When you eventually land the listing, Fritz says you need best-in-class visuals, from staging to photos to videography, to support your price and strategy. “Build time to accommodate the weather. Especially in British Columbia, if you’re dealing with a view property, you need beautiful skies to showcase it.” This also means finding professionals who can remain flexible to accommodate that variability, she cautions.

 

Don’t limit yourself

 

Breaking into the upper echelon doesn’t require abandoning mid-tier sales, Fritz, who has a public relations background and was intentional in moving to luxury, recognizes.

She chooses not to limit herself to specific life and financial stages. “I have a lot to offer different clients, and they have a lot to offer me…I hope I can continue to work well in all sectors of the market.”

Cantor firmly believes that the selling mentality of the uber-wealthy is not that different from the mid-tier, with the primary difference being budget and financial concerns. Instead, high-net-worth individuals focus on legacy, exclusivity and investment potential.

Her most important takeaway over the years? “Knowing that we’re all people. Just because somebody has a lot of money doesn’t mean they’re better. You have to believe in that, and you have to believe in yourself.”

 

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Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post Why selling luxury homes is about more than just price tags appeared first on REM.

Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post How Connexus Group uses culture and contribution to build success appeared first on REM.

Emma Caplan-Fisher

Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.

The post Real estate commissions in flux: New business models redefine value appeared first on REM.