November 21, 2011

I am often asked by friends, family and other REALTORS® how my “holiday” was. Anyone who has been would never ask that question as from sunup until way past sundown, there is so much to learn, see and discuss with others, that coming home is the holiday. It usually takes a few weeks to sift through the information and get a grip on what the issues were and where the learning focused.

There is a lot that I could share with you but since I am often asked what decisions should be made around iProducts, Android and BlackBerry tools, I sat in on a few sessions to get some clarity.

Here are my thoughts.

Yes, there are probably 200 devices out there that you can buy but it is all about the apps and at this point the big time winner seems to be Apple.

This is not to cut out other devices but the reality is that most of the apps being produced by the technicians are for the iPad or the iPhone first; they usually then follow up with Android, Windows and BlackBerry applications depending on demand. If you choose a non-Apple product, you should do so with this in mind.

All of that being said: I do have an iPad and I love mobile computing. Here is a short list of some of the apps available for you as a mobile REALTOR® using an iPad.

REALTOR® Specific: REALTOR®.ca, FaceTime, Dropbox (put it on all your devices), Pages, PDF Expert, TweetDeck, Touchbase, Opera Mini (to view our present platform of TMLS), Skype, Prezi Viewer, Evernote, LightTrac, HootSuite (Syndicates your Social Media), 360, OpenHomePro, Docusign and Docusign Ink. My American friends would also have Trulia, Houzz and Zillow.

Lifestyle Specific: Calendar, Contacts, Messages and Reminders, and for iPad2 users: the Camera (though it is not great), Kindle (for readers), Accuweather, IMDB (for movie buffs), Yelp and Star3map.

I am happy to hear from you with any suggestions for other applications. Please bear in mind that these are the applications that I use, and some of them are new to me as well, since the 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Conference.

For REALTORS: You may be aware that tax guidelines allow us to attend two conferences per year. They offer a great opportunity to learn a lot and build a strong referral network amongst the 20,000 attendees from all over the world. I look forward to seeing you at the next international conference and in the meantime, be sure to save May 2 and 3 on your calendar for the Toronto Real Estate Board’s annual REALTOR® QUEST conference – you’ll want to bring plenty of business cards for networking, as this event attracts more than 7,000 REALTORS® from throughout Ontario.

September 2, 2011 –

One example of the diversity within our professional community is a group of REALTORS® who also happen to be motorcycle enthusiasts. Each year they get together for a ride in support of the REALTORS Care Foundation, which assists shelter-related charities throughout Ontario. This year’s ride, which took place from July 13th to 15th, marked the culmination of an important milestone as riders completed a multi-year goal to visit each of the 42 real estate boards in Ontario. Their objective was to raise funds and awareness of the Foundation’s charitable endeavours, and increased participation in this year’s event showed that their efforts are working. Thirty-five riders took part this year, in a journey that took them throughout Central and Eastern regions of Ontario.

The ride kicked off at the Toronto Real Estate Board with stops at the Durham Association of REALTORS®, the Northumberland Hills Association of REALTORS®, and the Kawartha Lakes Real Estate Association before wrapping up the day’s travels at the Peterborough and Kawarthas Association of REALTORS®. On day two, participants made stops at the Bancroft, Quinte, and Rideau-St. Lawrence Real Estate Boards, remaining in Brockville overnight. 

Day three included a visit to the Cornwall and District Real Estate Board before reaching the final destination, the Ottawa Real Estate Board. While media and local politicians greeted riders at various stops throughout the journey, a particularly notable reception took place during the final leg of the trip.

The riders’ arrival in the nation’s capital coincided with 90th anniversary celebrations at the Ottawa Real Estate Board, with representatives on hand from the Ontario and Canadian Real Estate Associations. As anniversary presentations wrapped up, everyone in attendance heard the rumbling of motorcycles and rushed outside to greet riders. During the last week of July a special visit was paid to the Thunder Bay Real Estate Board, to reach the goal of visiting every real estate board in the province.

As always, TREB’s CEO Don Richardson took part in helping raise awareness. I asked Don to share this year’s experience with us, and here is what he had to say…

“The ride was great! It was very heartening to see even more riders this year. A real sense of community involvement by each Board we visited. The last Board we stopped at was Ottawa. This was perfect, as Ottawa was celebrating their 90th Anniversary with speeches and presentations, apparently the timing was perfect, because just as the last speech ended, those at the celebration heard the bikes rumbling outside as we arrived, and all rushed outside to welcome us. It was heartening to see the support for the Foundation and the increase in awareness. It was perfect throughout. Perfect weather, great energy, excellent planning while raising awareness for a worthy cause.”

Although the total numbers have not yet been calculated, it is anticipated that this year’s ride will have raised more than $50,000 for the Foundation, which will bring the total raised since the event’s inception to more than $220,000. Given that the Foundation operates solely on the basis of voluntary donations, these funds are vital to its success. Thanks to efforts like the ride, the Foundation, now in its 44th year, has an impressive track record. Last year alone, TREB provided REALTORS Care Foundation grants to 35 different shelter-related charities throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

While plans will soon be underway for the 2012 Ride, it’s not too late to sponsor one of the dedicated individuals who took part in this year’s event. Since the Ontario Real Estate Association pays for The REALTORS Care Foundation’s administrative costs, every dollar donated directly benefits shelter-related charities throughout the province.  For more information visit www.realtorscareontario.ca

One of the main reasons we chose Holland America is that two of the three of us are addicted to the Internet and the Ship advertises the best of technology, Internet in your room, and technology classes in the use of the “Window Live” platform.

The first day out I checked out the Computer Lab and was impressed with the class and on-site instructor. Like a good Social Media addict, I tweeted that I had a great class provided by an excellent instructor on our Holland America ship. Within a minute whoever tracks the Twitter in the HAL offices had tweeted back to me that he/she was glad that I had enjoyed the course…I was impressed…a large Corporation was reaching out to engage the consumer…

The next day after a frustrating few hours in the Internet Bar, the room Internet not working as promised, and the charges being excessive for less than dial up connectivity, not aided by the fact that a harassed and surly attendant was getting complaints from all over, I tweeted directly to the HAL birdie that although we were having a great time, the Internet was less than stellar on-board.

One minute later, the answer came back….”Thanks for letting us know…I will pass it on”. Days went by…..I tried once more, same answer exactly…”I will pass it on”.  Never hear back and when I was asked for comments at the end of the trip, I again made the exact same complaint….

Fast forward to today: I have never heard back from Holland America. Almost weekly they mail me offers of new and exciting locations to visit. Each one visits the shredder….let them spend money. I will never travel with them again and I have told this storey at least 50 times….that cannot be a good business decision for Holland America…

If you take the time and money to try and engage the consumer, then you have to listen to the bad as well as the good and do something to correct or assuage the clients sentiments…Is it that hard for corporations to get it? It is all about commitment!

Take a flight on an Asian Airline, visit a Taj or Oberoi Hotel in India….service is a commitment and given with gusto.

What are your stories?

casa de los arcos

Let me begin by saying that I totally understand the lure of “all inclusive” vacations and have taken them numerous times when my mental ability was at an all time low and deciding where to go for dinner was a major decision…

That said, if I have the time and even passable energy, I am always happier and more fulfilled when I can experience a total change in culture and weather.

I have travelled in the Far East, India, Africa, South America, Central America, the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia and even Antarctica. I have tried everything in terms of types of travel: Cruises, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and from the highest end to the lowest….camping on the 4 day Trek to Machu Picchu , nearly did me in….

However, at the end of the day my favourite holidays have been in Puerto Vallarta Mexico . We always stay above the old town, usually at Casa de Los Arcos.  It is a villa owned by my friend Susan Wiseman and has commanding views of Banderas Bay .

Our days are simple starting with a walk down the hill through the cobblestone streets to the Malecon /Boardwalk. We explore different areas in our 1 hour  walk and usually end up at Fredy’s Tucan , Cafe’ San Angel  or the Memo’s Pancake House  for breakfast. The “people watching” whether it is the Gringos  or the locals is better than a Broadway Show and you never know what you will see.

Lunch is usually picked up at Pollo Feliz  (the Happy Chicken) though I don’t know what he would be happy about since they are barbecued splayed in the Portugese tradition….we refer to it as road kill chicken but the taste is amazing…

Afternoons are spent reading, blogging swimming, whale watching from the hillside and of course, napping…a Siesta is a must.

Evenings are an easy walk down to the Zona Romantica  where we can go to El Brujo  for the Shrimp Fajitas and bubbling Cilantro Cheese, La Piazzetta  for their great Pizzas and Pastas…Archie’s Wok  for Asian cuisine and El Repollo Rojo  (the Red Cabbage) know for it’s signature Chiles en Nogado…

The days go by and get all jumbled but there is a lot to see and do with great streets to walk, markets to shop, books to read…

If you have not tried this kind of holiday, I would encourage it. I know too many people who travel and expect the American experience when they land. Experiencing other cultures, food and music makes us appreciate the world more and that is what good travel is all about.

Here is my caveat: unlike Canada, where you are responsible till death or bankruptcy do you part….with your mortgage…that is not the case in Florida; walk away, stop paying the mortgage….your utilities, your Condominiums fees…no problem. In Canada, the Mortgagee would be responsible to pay the mortgage and the taxes and chase after the owner for costs until they are made whole, debts are paid or there is a bankruptcy.

That is not the case in parts of the United States. Now what happens to the Condominium that you happily bought for half the previous value…and now is part of a Condominium Corporation that may or may not go bankrupt.

When we sell you a Condominium in Ontario you have a right to review the Status documents with your lawyer. They include the projection of costs and the money reserved to pay for those costs. Condominiums are not just the units but your share of the Common areas and common elements. Most buyers spend one tenth or one twentieth of the time reviewing the documents of the Corporation. They are very important and mostly based on the building being fully occupied by owners or tenants paying monthly shared expenses.

Imagine buying in a building where half of the owners had or were walking away…and that is not all…

I also know some Canadian buyers who bought with the intention to rent between their visits and found out, after closing, that short-term rentals were not allowed in the Condominium Documents….they have owned it for years and to the best of my knowledge, have never stayed in their unit…

If you get caught up in this “Florida Condo” buying jungle, please make sure that you do your due diligence. If you fall in love with the space and the building make sure you have the Condominium documents and financials gone over with a fine-tooth comb…and get good third-party advice.

It will be worth the cost involved.

Rob Hahn  and Bill Lublin  in the same room is a recipe for discussion…they love to take polar opposite opinions and battle it out…sort of like watching a Tennis Match….with no one winning.

Then Dale Chumbley  piped in with a great story…as usual.

The scoop is yes, it is harder to get the eyeballs of the masses but like the weather, Real Estate is local and sharing information about a local issue is always really well received.

Don’t miss these great leaning opportunities when they happen in your area. Your thoughts?

Toronto becomes more livable, casual and an absolute treat. I feel sorry for some of my friends who have drive the 2-3 hours to cottage country and spend the weekend working on the property and entertaining friends. Not that I don’t enjoy the wonderful Ontario countryside but sometimes it is just a treat to move around this City unimpeded and do some exploring. Just being able to live a few days without the congestion that we have come to expect is almost as good as a Dufflet Chocolate Cake….well…

I guess the big question is…What does that say about how we live the other 330 days of the year???

Your thoughts and comments?

So I have been home a week and trying to make sense of all the information that I gleaned in the four hectic days of meetings in New York City. Instead of the usual “Blow by Blow” and who said what, I will just give you some of my impressions:

First and foremost, the four days were all about Social Media . Like it or not, just the way we used to say that Realtors with Technology will replace Realtors without it, now, Realtors and Brokers who have a Social Media presence will replace those who do not. As one of the speakers said, being a “Geek” is the norm and fashionable. Grandma’s are on Facebook , tweeting  and showing off their new IPhone !

Two years ago, consumers “got” Social Media and some of the Realtors joined in the conversation. Now Brokers, Brands and Associations are scrambling to reign in the herd and jump on the bandwagon. Guidelines  are imperative and education is needed. There will be a race to keep up the demand for more Education and tools.

Corporations are monitoring Web 2.0 . Twitter comments are being seen and reviewed in the Head Office. Customer’s Social Media Clout (Klout.com ) is being measured to gave the level of service provided. Someone with heavy clout is being upgraded in the hopes that they will “Twitter” their great customer service experience.

Traditional Media is in its death throws. Print Classified is dead. Newspaper advertising has become almost strictly Brand based. “The Digital Handshake”  by Paul Chaney . Consumer habits have and are changing faster than we are…

There is lots of new Technology on its way; WordPress  is getting strong momentum and amazing plug-ins and applications for small screen technology are becoming numerous. It is no longer enough to provide the data to the Realtor or their client; it must be formatted in an easy to use, fast and “cool” format.

Lastly, the US market is starting to move and the Real Estate Industry is much more positive there this year. Americans in general however are so focused on their own market and are so positive that they are the best, they don’t realize that there is a lot to learn from the Canadians or International Markets. They keep on referring to International attendees as being from “over the pond”. It’s too bad as they would learn from some of the Canadian experiences: Regulation is not all bad, Interest Deductibility creates entrepreneurs but a nation of debtors…Not-for-profit MLS owned by the Associations…

Inman Connect  and REBarCamps  are more valuable learning experiences and have more leading edge content than the NAR Conferences. Not that a National Association of REALTORS Conference  is not a great educational experience but it more about what is going on today rather than helping us be proactive for the future.

Over the next weeks as complaints on-board grew and my Internet bill reached over $600.00, I again posted my thoughts and was told by the responder that they would “pass it on”. What does “pass it on” mean?

My suggestions to Holland America are:

1. Don’t monitor the “spheres” unless you are prepared to deal with the good and the bad. It doesn’t ring true and Social Media expects transparency.
2. Provide the best Internet service you can at non-usurious prices. Your clients want to communicate with their families telling them what a good time they are having and sending them the photos they have taken on the way. What would be better advertising for Holland America?  Word of mouth trumps corporate TV ads these days.
3. Even though the demographic of “Cruisers” is tilted toward retirees, look at the growth potential in those who are still working and need good access to the Internet.
4. “Value” cruises are no longer a value if you have more and more add-ons. Think of the market share that “Free Internet” would add.
5. When surveying your customers on the services you provide, make sure you include all services. In the four page survey, Internet was not mentioned at all, nor was there free form space for other comments.
6. Make sure that the person running the Internet Service on-board has “people skills”. However, that being said, the poor guy was dealing with complaints every minute, in a no-win situation.
7. Closed circuit television presentations featuring the benefits of your On-Board Online Services, should be an honest representation of what you can deliver. Better to under-promise and over-perform.

Those are my suggestions for Holland America . Please note that it was a great Cruise in all other respects and the ship was filled with hardworking people. We hit some great destinations.  We’ll see in the future if “I’ll pass it on” has any currency. So far, no word.

If you are considering some travel and Internet, here are some tips from the New York Times.

Here are the photos of our trip to Antarctica, a 20 day cruise on HollandAmerica from Chile to Brazil.

Click on View Photo to see High Resolution photos of the journey.

Dec 21          Valparaiso, Chile
Dec 22          At sea
Dec 23          Puerto Montt, Chile
Dec 24          At sea
Dec 25          At sea, Strait of Magellan, 570 km long, 2 km large
Dec 26          Punta Arenas. Chile’s southernmost city
Dec 27          Ushuaia, Argentina, 55 degrees latitude south, southernmost city in the world
Dec 28          Cape Horn, most southern point of the continent, 424 m height
Dec 29-30               Antarctica, 99% ice covered
Dec 31          Elephant Island, where Shackleton’s expedition were stranded for 135 days in 1915
Jan 1                   At sea, where the sun shines about 20 hours a day, about 1 Celsius
Jan 2                   Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, 500 km east of Argentina
Jan 3-4                 At sea
Jan 5                   Buenos Aires (Paris of the South), Argentina, established in 1536              
Jan 6                   Montevideo, Uruguay, port was close due to strong winds
Jan 7-8         At sea
Jan 9-10                Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1565