November 25, 2011

As we watch our American neighbours celebrate American Thanksgiving, and we as Canadians officially enter into the holiday season, I’m reminded of just how thankful I am to live in such a wonderful city. I also can’t help but take this time to reflect on how we as a REALTOR® community can help others achieve the dream of homeownership.

And so I’m truly honoured to be part of a community of REALTORS® who have volunteered to help make that dream a reality for one local family.

Starting on November 25th then again on December 1st, 2nd, 8th and 9th, our community of Greater Toronto REALTORS® are taking part in the construction of a Habitat for Humanity home that our professional association the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) has sponsored.

Located at 4572 Kingston Road near Morningside Avenue, the home marks the fourth title sponsorship of seven Habitat for Humanity builds to which TREB has contributed in recent years.

We as REALTORS® have the distinct honour of witnessing on a daily basis one of the greatest life changing moments when we witness our clients achieve that homeownership dream.

And so as REALTORS®, we recognize that a home is more than just bricks and mortar: It serves as a retreat from our busy world, a place where friends and family gather, and where memories are made. So I know I speak for all REALTORS® who will be playing a key role in improving the quality of life for another local family, not just through sponsorship but by volunteering to take part in their home’s construction.

In recent years TREB also sponsored Habitat for Humanity homes in Scarborough’s McLevin Woods and Etobicoke’s Lakeshore Village.  The organization, which constructs simple, decent and affordable housing in partnership with low-income families has built more than 225 homes throughout the city, and has set a goal to build 50 new homes each year by 2015.

By offering a helping hand to families in need, Habitat for Humanity is helping to build a better Toronto, which is a priority goal that we as Greater Toronto REALTORS® share.

Each year, Toronto Real Estate Board REALTOR® Members contribute to the overall quality of life in the Greater Toronto Area by supporting shelter-related charities through the REALTORS® Care Foundation. Last year it offered grants totaling more than $178,000 to 35 different organizations throughout the GTA.

So with the holidays upon us, this is a time of year when many people’s thoughts turn to helping those less fortunate. I encourage everyone to contribute their time or their financial resources to the GTA’s many shelter-related related organizations because doing so benefits us all.

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.

A very wise person once told me that “successful people get results and unsuccessful people get excuses”. Since then I have tried to live life with no excuses. It is a constant challenge to keep that promise, and the “age” excuse is the one the keeps boiling to the top; it’s the easiest one to indulge….

No matter where I travel, when the topic of technology/change comes up, I hear “I’m too old to change” and they are usually younger than I am.

Don’t become Blockbuster

The sad reality is, if you don’t welcome change you could become the next Blockbuster Video. 10 years ago they had it all until the small upstart Netflix made the conversion from warehousing to online downloadable movies. Blockbuster watched their market share shrink and their stores close. Is that the business model that you would like to follow? Is that the life model that will guide your future? Are you ready to retire?

Today’s toys are tomorrow’s tools: The iPad launched in April 2010, the modern day cell phone in the early 1980’s, smart phones in 2000, the modern car is just over 100 years old, yet very few homes are without them today.

When change confronts us, lines in the sand are drawn but you would be aghast today if someone told you they did not drive a car, or have a phone number. We adapted and we learned.

Does age force that adaptation to stop or do we just feel overwhelmed and tired? There is no doubt that the amount of change has increased but is slowing it down the answer or is engaging new technology the solution…why not bring back that child’s sense of wonder?

Nobody in today’s working world was born into technology…we have all had to adapt. Each one of us will make our own personal decisions but we now live in a digital world and need to get used to it.

In my 50’s I found myself parenting my parents…the hardest job I undertook and was never trained for…but I did it because there were no options. Did I really believe it when I was promised that life would get easier as I got older? I was set up and fell for it!

What’s the ROI of change?

What was the ROI (return on investment) in looking after our parents and children? We do it because it had to be done…The ROI of change is engagement in the world. Not engaging is like saying you want to stop living, stop moving forward and hide…is that realistic?

Change is the only constant in our lives, no matter what age…embrace it, enjoy it, get used to it, and celebrate it. Stop using age as an excuse…

If you think you don’t like change, I know you will like irrelevance even less…

Reposted from the Trulia Pro Blog September 16, 2011

For those of you who have not YELPED before…Yelp  is a website that is a repository of peer reviews, mashed with GPS . It uses the GPS to find you, allows you to search under numerous categories for whatever service you are looking for and once you start narrowing down your search offers up peer reviews to help you make your decisions.

That night we ended up only a few blocks from the Hotel we were staying at, ate in a very non-descript inexpensive Restaurant and had one of the best meals of the trip. We based our choice on the peer reviews and on leaving could have added our own views on the experience to the Yelp  web site with photos.

Now I am a confirmed Yelper. I have downloaded the Yelp app to my Blackberry and have a profile that you can visit, become my friend or leave a review of my work as a REALTOR. Check it out in your area and write some reviews to help build the content that will make it a more valuable tool as time goes by. Get out there and start YELPING !!

The man with the biggest TV wins….has been the marketing chant for Home Entertainment Systems…but at the same time…

Technology never slows and keeping up is a full time and expensive job.

A year ago I was given an Amazon Kindle  for Xmas and have loved being able to access my own library from the Amazon Bookstore  on a moments notice. Then came the Sony Reader  and other E-books…Recently, Apple announced it’s latest product the IPad .

I believe that the IPad  will be very successful… small screen format is the way of the future and these new tools are tools that provide content through Apps allow the owner to be more mobile…

The point of all this is that we are in the process of mobilizing my websites. The mobile version of www.RichardSilver.com  is already launched with Torontoism.com  and DowntownTorontoNews.com  to follow soon.

If you search www.RichardSilver.com  on your Blackberry  or IPhone  it will automatically recognize that you are using a smartphone  and will show you the small screen format. I would like to give a shout out to the team at MobilizeMe.com who have done such an excellent job with the participation of the webmaster of all three site.

Check out www.RichardSilver.com on your smartphone  and let me know your thoughts… Here is a sample…

“REBAC is the world’s largest organization of real estate professionals focusing on BUYER representation. By providing specialized training and ongoing skill development, REBAC helps its members—and the home buyers who work with them—experience more successful real estate transactions.”

Since last year I have sat on the Advisory Council of REBAC  and in early December 2009 was interviewed for the article attached, both a great honour. Hope you enjoy the read..it will give you a sense of how our business has changed in the past years…to read it easily you may choose the full screen version.

IDX or Internet Data Exchange  has been launched by the Toronto Real Estate Board  this month. This platform allows the participating Brokers to share their listings with other participating Brokers on their web sites. For a consumer it means greater access to one-stop shopping on a Brokerage or Realtor site. 

The Toronto Real Estate Board  says “This is a unique, customizable web interface provided by Toronto Real Estate Board to all Members who belong to participating (opted-in) Brokerages. Clients searching for real estate on their websites will be able to use the TREB IDX interface to perform searches, map listings and view property details.”

I have added it to my sites at www.RichardSilver.com and www.Torontoism.com under the “Search for Homes” tab, so feel free to check it out and let me know your thoughts below.

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.

Any thoughts? Comments below?