The commission paid on a real estate transaction is usually a percentage of the purchase price. Traditionally, commission is paid by the Seller to the Listing Broker. Any co-operating agents involved in the transaction are paid through the Listing Broker. Each Broker then “splits” the commission with the agent according to their contract.

From time to time, and mostly from people who don’t know us, we get an email or a phone call where the commission question comes up front and centre:

“Can you tell me what your commission rate is?”

It is obvious that this consumer has decided that commission is the most important issue. It’s not that we have not dealt with the question before, but it seems that the consumer’s assumption is clear that “all Realtors provide the exact service but for different fees”. That assumption is very wrong.

Each agent develops a style with services that they include when selling property. This is the first question a consumer should ask:

“What services will be included in the commission that I will be paying?” 

Before the discussion begins please realize that the listing agent, who collects the commission from the Seller, usually offers half of that commission to the Buyer’s agent. That agent needs to be out in the marketplace daily, viewing listings, guiding and presenting successful offers for their clients. Please note that no commission gets paid to either until the property closes. Not many business models exist where all the work has to be completed before any money changes hands.

We cannot speak for what other Realtors provide but we suggest a service fee of 5 percent, half going to the Co-operating Broker. And here are the services that Torontoism includes for our half of the commission:

Staging

• We are big believers in staging, so we offer all our clients a written staging consultation with a home stager at our expense.

FLOOR PLANS

• Floor plans allow a prospective buyer to imagine their furniture in the property so we pay for the property to be measured. Some Buyers can only justify asking price in relationship to square footage.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

• Professionally taken property photos are hugely important in today’s marketplace so all of our listings are professionally photographed at our expense, featured with Virtual Tours and HD Video on our YouTube Channel.
• We will use Drone photography/video and professional voiceover for videos for the listings that we feel require them.
• Your property will be on TorontoMLS and on REALTOR.ca but they will also have virtual tours and at least 20 professional photos as well as professional floor plans attached to the listing for both Realtors and the consumer to view.

COLOUR BROCHURES AND FEATURE SHEETS

• At Torontoism, we also include colour brochures and feature sheets.

CATERED OPEN HOUSES 

• We are known for providing Agent Open Houses with food served at our expense. It encourages the Realtors to spend more time, look around, feel comfortable and engage with each other.

EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NEW LISTINGS

• Announcements of new listing and their Open Houses are broadcast on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and sent out via email.

See examples of our Facebook posts here and here. 

PRINTED OPEN HOUSE INVITATION CARDS TO SURROUNDING 2000 HOMES

• We have often been surprised at the power of “neighbour marketing” so we send out Just Listed and Open House invitation cards to the surrounding 2000 homes at our expense.

ONLINE EXPOSURE

• We long ago realized the importance of the Internet, so not only are properties placed on the TorontoMLS system, they are on REALTOR.ca, shared on the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Internet Data Exchange or IDX, they also appear on our site Torontoism.com, as well as our Company sites sothebysrealty.ca and sothebysrealty.com. They will also appear on big websites such as nytimes.com, wsj.com, jamesedition.com, juwai.com and more. These sites are optimized professionally to be on the front pages of the Search Engines in the top 30 categories of search terms for Toronto Real Estate.
• Our listings are featured in the e-galleries of all our 640 Sotheby’s International Realty offices around the world.
• Our sellers get a password protected VIP account where they can check on the status of their listing anytime and anywhere.

PRINT ADS

• We do advertise in the Globe and Mail on Fridays, but we find that a banner ad sending interested parties to the web is the best way to go. Very few contacts have ever come from print ads today. 90 percent of buyers are now searching on the Internet.

GREAT TEAM OF SPECIALISTS TAKING CARE OF YOU DURING THE PROCESS 

• We are always available and we have a great group of back-up staff and marketing specialists who handle extraneous appointments, database and follows up with showings and updates on your property.
• Over the years, property marketing has become much more complicated and a consuming time commitment leaving us frustrated when trying to search for Buyers at the same time. That’s why we are a team at Torontoism. Our salespersons have been excellent in helping our Buyers find the best available in today’s marketplace because they focus on that task.
• We have a 50 step workflow process of getting a property ready to list to successfully sold.
• We use the latest technologies such as Docusign, which allows you to sign documents online, to make the whole process as easy and efficient for our clients as possible.
• We happily work with other agents in facilitating offers on your property to get you the best price possible in today’s market.

OPEN HOUSES FOR THE PUBLIC ON EVERY POSSIBLE WEEKEND 

• Recognizing that today’s buyers have changed the way they shop, we suggest Open Houses for the public on every possible weekend.

We are a full-service brokerage who take the stress and time out of selling a property for busy professionals, who would rather spend their valuable time elsewhere. Our goal is to achieve the highest sale price possible, which at the end of the day will make the “how much commission do you charge” question moot.

This list should provide some clarity about how we handle our business model, but remember that each of us bring a different set of services to the table and those services may be offered to the consumer for different commission rates. Our suggestion when shopping for a Realtor would be to ask them to list the services that they provide when listing a property.

When you know what is involved, then it is up to you to decide whether the value is there to commit to that Realtor. If not, you have over 100,000 other options in Canada and over 1,000,000 in the United States.

A few hours north of the congestion and pollution of the country’s largest city lies an oasis of solitude. A place where people can breathe fresh pine-tinted air, cannonball into crystal-clear water, or just sit around a fire under the stars.

Ontario’s cottage country has been an escape for city-dwellers for generations. Every summer a wave of people brave the much maligned “cottage country traffic” in order to escape for a few precious days. It’s a time-honoured tradition and, as such, demand for cottage properties is always high.

Shawn Woof is a sales agent for Sotheby’s Realty specializing in cottage properties. He says the cottage market has always been a hot one in Ontario.

I would say in the last two seasons the market has been stronger but there’s always a desire for a cottage property. I think it’s a dream that a lot of Canadians, and people all over the world for that matter, aspire to.

Woof operates out of Port Carling, in the Muskoka region but has also acted for buyers and sellers in the Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton and Georgian Bay areas.

Location, location, location

Whatever draws people to purchase a cottage, Woof says their homebase will usually impact where they end up buying. East of Yonge in Pickering or Oshawa? They’ll probably end up in the Kawartha region. Those who live West of Yonge–in Oakville, Burlington or even as far away as London–will typically head up the 400 to Muskoka and Haliburton.

The typical buying pattern consist of considering the driving range as the decisive factor. Woof says, Torontonians usually go for the 2-2,5 hour trip, but also notes that the further they go the better deal they receive.

Things To Consider

One of the first things that people need to understand, according to Woof, is that every cottage property is unique. Shoreline, topography, and lot size combine to make each space special.

There’s no such thing as a cookie-cutter-type property. Even properties that are right beside each other can have significant differences.

With that in mind, it’s important for people to know what they need, what they want, and what they’re willing to compromise on. Woof provides a short list of some things to keep in mind:

• Exposure To The Sun – Does the building face North, South, East or West? According to Woof, Southwest and West exposures are the most desirable since they face the sun set.
• Access – Can the property be accessed year-round or is the road only accessible seasonally? Is the road municipally or privately owned or maybe the cottage is only accessible by water?
• Shoreline – Is it sandy and good for wading near the shore, or a steep drop off and good for cannonballing off the dock?
• Typography – Is the property level or is it a steep walk to the water? Woof suggests it might be more difficult to conquer steep surface and stairs for older people. Also, “a level piece of land” is safer for kids who like to run around and play outside.
• The building – How many bedrooms does it have? How many bathrooms? What shape is it in? Is it usable year round?
• Services – Is water taken in from the lake or a well? Is it drinkable? What’s the condition of the septic system?

The Process

The process for buying a cottage usually starts on sites like realtor.ca or sothebysrealty.ca, according to Woof. Potential buyers begin looking for properties and try to match their vision with what they find online. This can differ from buying a home in the city, where reaching out to a realtor will often be peoples’ first step.

After looking around online, buyers will contact a realtor like Woof who will start showing them some options. This takes more time than it would if you were buying in the city. People need to commit a whole day to driving up to cottage country and checking out different options.

When they finally commit to coming up and looking at properties, quite often things are different than what they have perceived on line. Until I actually get people in front of me at particular properties, because of the uniqueness of each property, I can’t fully ascertain what [the buyers’] likes and dislikes are.That’s why it’s impossible to buy a cottage without taking time to look at the individual properties.

While it can be time consuming, Woof says it’s worth it.

It can sometimes take two or three visits. It could take more or less, but the process absolutely requires visiting a number of properties and making sure that we understand exactly what property’s going to best fit their overall needs.

The Land of the Lakes

Since part of Woof’s job requires showing people around a vast swath of territory he and other realtors like him need to have a large knowledge base.

Imagine how many lakes there are in Ontario. So not only do you need to be really familiar with the property and how to look at it and the building and what goes into it, you also need to be familiar with the lake, the area, the amenities that are around, and how people are going to enjoy their lifestyle at the property once they purchase it.

Woof may not know exactly what kind of fish are in each lake, but he can sure find out. That’s part of what Woof calls “after-sale-service.” He says buyers should have someone they can reach out to with any questions even after they’ve closed on the property and he’s happy to be that person.

The Popular Choices

While each property contains its own unique charms, there are certain types of properties that Woof has noticed are more popular. Any site that’s been updated will demand a premium. Properties that require less work will be snatched up more quickly.

I do find a lot of people who don’t mind doing small cosmetic things, but they don’t want to undertake a large project so far from home.

The property, the lakefront, and the level of access all demand a higher premium. But Woof says many times if the building isn’t appealing the buyer will discount the whole lot. “I have [also] seen clients that absolutely fall in love with the building that might be on a lot that isn’t perfect,” he says.

A Good Investment

For anyone with the knowledge and the gumption though, a fixer-upper can be as good an investment as any other type of property.

I think in some cases there’s opportunity to create value for yourself because if you’re into a cottage that needs a little repair and you’re handy … you can certainly put some elbow grease into it, improve the property and create some value for yourself.

As prices continue to skyrocket in the country’s urban centres, millennials who have been pushed out of the market are looking for other opportunities to invest. That has many young potential homebuyers salivating over cottage country’s cheaper priced and less competitive options.

“I have heard stories about that where millennials will forego the idea of buying a home in the city, they’ll rent and get into a cottage situation,” says Woof. Surveys have demonstrated that millennials are helping to drive business in cottage country, and the proliferation of user-driven vacation rental websites like Airbnb is making it easier for people to undercut some of the buying costs.

Compromise

Buying a recreational property is a great opportunity for many reasons. Whether you’re just looking for a weekend escape, a way to invest outside of the city’s high-priced real estate markets, or hoping to live out the Canadian dream, buying a cottage can yield a lot of rewards.

But whoever is buying and for whichever reason, Woof says they’re going to need to make compromises. What they originally planned for in a property might not be what they find available. “If you’re rating your cottage on a scale of one-to-ten and you find an eight, you’ve done pretty well,” he says.

Finding your own oasis of solitude will take work and patience, but don’t forget to also breathe in the fresh air.

I was looking at basically coming up with a way to integrate some ideas, kind of trying to capture people’s experiences and their emotional connection to the spaces that are important to them.

This was photographer Jeremy Korn’s explanation for his online project Hogtown Stories, a year-long series of pictorial profiles featuring Toronto residents. Started in the spring of 2015, and completed this July, Hogtown Stories comprises around fifty individual profiles –many of which were published by the Globe and Mail. Here are Korn’s answers to my questions about the story behind Hogtown Stories.

Why did you start Hogtown Stories?

My first subject was somebody that I went to high school with. She was a photographer and was giving me advice on how to be a photographer, so she said ‘Oh, you need to get a website’. So I actually started a website, and the website was originally not this concept; it was just sort of like a not-very-large portfolio of work. And I realized that I wanted a theme, and I wanted to do something – not just a website that was like a portfolio with a non-existent portfolio.

Why did you choose to call this project ‘Hogtown’ Stories?

I called it Hogtown stories because I like ‘hogtown’ nickname for Toronto – it reflects the history of the city more than the other nicknames. And hogtown stories felt like it had a good ring to it.

How did you find people to profile in the beginning?

Some of them were friends, some of them were just people I knew.. like Daniel Rotsztain [creator of the adult colouring book All The Libraries]. He was a great one because he had done a project that I am inspired by. And then, through that, I just kept asking people for their suggestions… I profiled Amy Rosen who did that Toronto Cooks book, like, three years ago. And she was really really nice, and the publisher she had for that book… I reached out to them, and they were really nice, and really generous with their time, and had all these ideas for what would make a good profile, and then they started recommending people, and I profiled a few.

Most people have many stories in their lives. How did you decide which story – or which approach to the story – to use?

First, I kind of knew what the story was, going into it. The more meaningful it was, and the more someone was excited about it, then the better the story. But when it came to the Globe, there was back-and-forth with an editor that I was working with, and so he wanted to approve it. So I would pitch it, and he would almost every time say yes.

While photographs play a big part of each profile, there is also a text story told by the subject. How did you put those together?

I got a lot of tape – a lot of recording, and then I condensed it into a story. I actually had everybody verbally consent to me changing around the specific wording into a story. So it wasn’t like a newspaper article, the way you would have quotes. It was, let’s say, almost fictional dialogue coming from a real story.

I was always looking for the human side of the story. And there were a lot of stories where there really was like, a strong, emotional, human connection, and a real, just, genuine story about a person’s struggles, and how they got through those struggles.

You took hundreds of photos for each profile, but only used a few. How did you decide which ones to include?

I would take the photos that had the most genuine expression, and also the ones that illustrated the location, and kind of put it together. I’d get ten to fifteen, or ten to twenty. Sometimes it was five, really, I didn’t always get good photos. It was just a matter of really engaging with people, and making sure that the photos I was choosing were those real, true moments that you capture. And then other photos that would capture something about the place.

Eventually, people were contacting you, asking you to profile them. Why do you think they wanted to participate?

I did get a strong sense that people were just genuinely interested in the project. They just wanted to be involved. There wasn’t an obvious benefit to anybody. There wasn’t, like, ‘Oh, I want exposure so I’m gonna [participate]’. They were just ‘Oh, I get to be creative and talk about, like, these things that are important tome.’ Everyone wants to talk about the things that they love.

Now that Hogtown Stories is over, are you doing anything else with photography?

Yes I am. I’m building right now a fashion-photography portfolio. I’m trying to get more into that. I’m spending a lot more time on each photo, so I’m doing a lot more planning, I’m involving make-up artists and stylists, and models, and trying to work with agencies, and build up a portfolio in that way.

Do you think Hogtown Stories was good practice for fashion work?

It was. It was a really important learning experience for photography, and I’d actually taken a course at Ryerson in photography while I was doing the project, so that was a really great way to apply what I was learning in the class, and that really was helpful.

Were there any particularly memorable interviews or photo-shoots involved in Hogtown Stories?

There were some really cool ones… one of the people I profiled was one of the new ballet dancers at the National Ballet, and they were so nice; they were generous and they let me see backstage and everything. That was really cool. And they were prepping for the Nutcracker, which was really cool. But they were all interesting.

There was another cool one that I met, another guy… He’s contacted me and he was like “Yeah, I work in the British government, whatever. I work at the consulate.’ And during the interview I was like ‘So what do you do there?’ and he’s like ‘I’m the Consul General of this region. I’m the British Consul General.’ He was so nice.

Another thing that was kind of funny was the artist, Hooley McLaughlin, that contacted me more recently; his thing was that he was an artist in this area around, like, Markham Street – Honest Ed’s. And at the very end of the interview I found out that he’s one of the vice-presidents of the Science Centre. I was like ‘Wow. That is a very different thing from what I was just interviewing you about.’ You kind of learn about people. People have different identities and different things that they do. I do too.

You were involved in one of the mayoral campaigns back in 2010. Have you always been connected to Toronto?

I did grow up in Toronto, and I lived in Montreal for four years, but I grew up in Toronto, and I went to Cedervale, and I went to Arlington, and I went to Vaughn Road, and I went to McGill. And then I came back here. Then I worked on a campaign, then I went to U of T for urban planning.

Why Urban Planning?

I think the best way to answer is: I was just really interested in what was going on in the city at that time -2009, 2010 – and I’d just returned from Montreal, and I had been reading about all of these amazing project that were going on [in Toronto]; you know, interesting waterfront development, and interesting things happening at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, which is what I ended up writing my thesis on. And I was like ‘Wow, there’s this whole field where people are able to shape the environments that people live in, and it has an impact’.

Title photo taken by Aly Bird and edited by Jeremy Korn.

Somebody always has to take the blame. But the lack of self-reflection causes needless panic among Canadians and the really disappointing fact is that it comes from the one body that should keep an eye on such events and keep them in check – the Canadian Government.

This careless behaviour resulted in the introduction of a tax on foreign buyers of real estate in Vancouver, British Columbia, and negative attitudes.

You can read about who the foreign buyers are here on our blog, but basically we usually talk about mainland Chinese citizens who are getting away from the Communist regime that forbids them from purchasing real estate, build an equity, and, well, the rights we take often take for granted. Anyway, in the newest study carried out by Urbanation there is evidence of foreign ownership being only a small fraction of the new condo market in Toronto.

Domestic investors outnumber foreign buyers 10-to-1! Moreover, only 5 per cent of units sold in the buildings developed between July and September were bought by foreign buyers. On the other hand, Canadians who do not even plan to live in the units they bought made up 52 per cent of the sales. The rest of the units now belong to locals who plan on living in the buildings.

It is human nature to look for a scapegoat, as the BC government has done, while the real culprit is the lack of product in cities that are growing fast in a country that has been less agrarian and more citified, and will continue being like that in the future. The government’s policy has discouraged purpose-built rental product causing Condominiums to fill that gap to serve the publics needs, foreign or Canada born.

The study by Urbanation can be found here.

ML00ML

On a sunny, not-quite-cool day in late August, I sat down in a bright airy office decorated with tiny model buildings and talked for almost an hour with a man who has made a career out of faithfully taking that backward fall and daring those dark alleys. Siamak Hariri – a founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects–arrived in Toronto by a somewhat circuitous route.

The son of Persian Baha’is (his father was partner in a big construction company back in Iran), he was conceived in Brazil, born in Germany, and spent a portion of his childhood in Geneva before his father saw an ad from the Canadian government and moved the family to Toronto. Although initially drawn to medicine, the young Hariri decided to try architecture almost on a whim, studying first at Waterloo, and later on, at Yale.

Now, decades later, he is not only a respected architect, but also a member of the ROM’s Institute of Contemporary Culture, the Waterfront Design Review Panel, and the Toronto Art Council. He has also served stints as a architectural critic and competition juror, and has taught at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design.

With all of this experience to draw upon, what do you see as the essential basis for your art?

I think that the more I’m in this game, the more I realize it’s a game about emotions. It’s built form, which is – let’s call it measurable and tangible – but it results in something that is immeasurable and intangible.

When did you first realize architecture is all about emotions?

It was during my university years, when one day I saw a security guard running his hand over part of the Yale Art Gallery. I remember that moment vividly, it changed my whole outlook because I saw that he was moved. You could see it in his emotion, you could see it in the way that he responded. You could see that this is just something that is part of the human condition; that we have this capacity, that we all have this –let’s call it a soul – and it can be moved.

Jackman Law Faculty of Law

What is it that you hope to achieve with your work?

What interests me in architecture is how it lifts the human spirit. What else can we do other than try to create a truly robust, enduring beauty in our work? Beauty is so ineffable. Beauty is like love. You can’t talk about it really, but on the other hand, you feel it. And you feel it in the work. And you know when you’ve touched it – and whatever it is, it’s mysterious, but it grabs you, you know?

In 2015 you were hired to expand and renovate Casey House, the venerable Toronto AIDS hospital. So how do you apply this emotion-based approach to a project like this?

First you start by talking and listening. You need to feel part of a community when you come in. You need to feel that there are people around you who are understanding of your situation and who you can talk to, and you can pour your heart out and be able to become connected. Because many of the people were either living under very difficult circumstances, or had to keep their condition private.

Certain people were very proud of the fact that Casey House was going to be there on Jarvis Street – like other institutions – and so this was like a coming of age for Casey House; a really important moment for this institution that had fought so hard to get to this point. And so it needed to be both expressive of its time, but at the same time respect deeply this idea of privacy. So those things really generated the form. On one hand it’s heroic as it comes up and over the house, but on the other hand it has this sliver courtyard which creates a sense of community, intimacy, and privacy.

Casey House

Obviously, there are going to be a lot of fairly uninspired buildings in just about any big city. Having said that, what do you think of Toronto, from an architectural standpoint?

I think that Toronto is a real example today of the process which starts at the bottom and works its way up. And it’s going to take us time, but I think it’s the real thing. Even if you talk about sidewalks. Even if you talk about trees, which have been one of my pet peeves for many many years. It’s starting to feel like we’re heading in the right direction. People are getting serious about understanding how to plant a tree properly. And the whole idea of putting in the proper infrastructure, and investing. Well, think about it; this is the making of a city. It is when you think about something, you’re not thinking about it just for you, you’re thinking about it for generations later.

Could you give us some examples of Toronto built spaces that you like?

Hart House, Sugar Beach, Village of Yorkville Park, and Massey College. U of T’s recent buildings are all looking interesting. I think the school of architecture is looking fantastic. In general I’m very positive and optimistic and hopeful.. I think that we’re on our way.

Bahá’í Temple of South America photograph by Justin Ford

You have worked on countless projects, such as Casey House, U of T’s new Jackman Law building, but also some exotic projects, like the Bahá’í Temple in Santiago, Chile, which took 13 years to plan and build and won 10 architectural awards even before it was finished. What was the inspiration for this luminous, nine-sided sacred space in the Andes?

Truth be told, I think that we were going after a feeling. There is this wonderful quote in the Baha’i writings that says ‘If you reach out in prayer, and if your prayer is answered, you become embodied in light. In His light. His light becomes part of your being. And I was thinking ‘how does that translate into architecture?’ And so there was the idea that you have this fully enveloped space that has two layers – both of which capture light, embody light, hold light. Don’t let the light necessarily come through, but just become somehow alive as the light hits them. That was something that fascinated us.

[fvplayer src=”https://vimeo.com/62427087″ width=”625″ align=”left” splash=”https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/433238158_1920x1080.jpg?r=pad” caption=”Bahá’í Temple of South America”]

When did you know the project was successful?

My father-in-law, who is one of the toughest critics I have, he’s a very, very prominent painter and he was a professor of art, and you know, doesn’t give out chocolate chips easily. He withheld commenting on the temple for all the years that I was working on it, saying ‘I can’t talk about it. I have to go see it.’ Which is a fair thing. Anyway, it was amazing. He stepped in and he burst into tears. And the tears were flowing. Flowing. And that is what I’m talking about. It is an emotional response.

Could you describe what the process of working on a new design is like for you?

The process is like falling backwards. You know, psychologists, they say ‘you have to fall backwards into the hands of someone you trust.’ The artistic process is, very much like that. And it’s very scary. That’s why a lot of people won’t do it. Because you have to trust the process, and it can cost you a lot of money, it can cost you a lot of time, it can lead you to very dark alleys.

JN00ML

September is a busy month for universities and colleges in Ontario. They open their doors for both Canadian as well as international students as part of their regular intake. This applies especially to the universities accepting a large number of students from overseas. This is also because September is a great month weather wise compared to experiencing not so friendly winters of Canada. The Fall season is the busiest of all; followed by Winter (January) and then Summer (May) has rare intakes.

Scores of foreign students choose to study in Canada especially in Ontario as well as British Columbia because of their internationally renowned education, better job opportunities, and high standard of living. What ever the reason, the number of overseas students has been increasing by leaps and bounds in major cities of both these provinces.

According to the Council of Ontario Universities, over the last 10 years the number of international students has grown by 96 per cent. The number of international students attending the Ontario universities in 2014-15 was 48,608. There are 215 countries representing Ontario’s international student body and China tops the list for the largest number of overseas students in Ontario universities followed by Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, South Korea and India. Another fact to notice is that during the year 2010 the international students added $6.9 billion to the Canadian economy.

There are a large number of factors foreign students take into consideration when selecting a university, but these three dominate:

• The course of their choice and its demand in Canada as majority of international students apply for permanent residence.
• The course fee is equally important while easy availability of jobs while pursuing studies, nominal accommodation cost, etc. are also calculated.
• How vibrant is the city or educational institute that includes nightlife, attractions, sports, cultural festivals, events, etc.

These norms are very important for providing a complete international experience to potential students though this issue might not be in the priority list of the parents of the students who are in most cases funding their education.

The requirement for international students to be accepted in Canadian universities differs according to their countries of origin. However the prerequisites are that applicants are selected on the basis of their previous academic achievement and/or demonstrated experience:

• There is an application form with a non-refundable fee that has to be filled and submitted with the applicant’s qualifications and transcripts.
• If prospective students are from non-English speaking countries than they have to show proof of proficiency in English. These students have to give International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam and 6.5 is the minimum score accepted by most of the universities.
• In addition to this every university would also require letters of recommendation from previous professors or lecturers and if you have previous experience then you are required to submit a résumé.
• Sometimes students are required to submit an essay explaining why they want to study in Canada, and what makes them a good candidate for doing so.

Fees

Foreign students may have to pay an International Credential Evaluation fee to validate their qualifications. When accepted, students can apply for a visa or study permit, and later are also eligible for applying for scholarships and other funding opportunities. Many countries have educational organizations mostly funded by universities who assist international students in applying for admissions and submitting their documents.

• International Credential Evaluation Fee
• Scholarships

Work permission 

An international student is allowed to work on campus if they are enrolled full time in the university or college. But as of June 2014, full time international students without work permit were allowed to work off campus too. However this permission came with some rules and regulations like they can work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions but during winter and summer holidays or spring break they could work full time.

Most of the international students after finishing their universities or colleges studies apply for work permit. However it is important to know that the length of the work permit can never be longer than length of their studies. But if the study period is for two years or more than the students are granted three years of work permit. Students need to apply within 90 days of receiving written confirmation that have successfully completed their academic program.

• international students are allowed to work on and off campus, up to 20 hrs/week during school year and full time during holidays
• international students can apply for a work permit after finishing their studies
  • the length of the work permit can’t be longer than the period of studies (if the study period is for two years or more, the students are granted a three-year work permit

York University

Fees:

• Undergraduate tuition fees: $12,780 – $13,571
• Graduate tuition fees: $7,516 – $13,178
• Residence housing: $5,356 to $7,958 (+ $80 residence fee)

The price is equal for both domestic and international students. In addition to this, The Village is an affordable residential area adjacent to York University’s Keele Campus where a large number of York University students live.

(Source: Statistics Canada; Fees for general programs in arts and humanities, 2015-16).

York University was founded in 1959 in Toronto and has two city campuses – Keele and Glendon. The second largest university in Ontario and third largest in Canada, the university is home to more than 52000 students out of which 11,802 are international students from 178 countries.

The educational institute is known for its top-ranking Schulich School of Business, internationally renowned Osgoode Hall Law School and the new Lassonde School of Engineering. The university boasts of Canada’s largest liberal arts program and is the only University that has Space Engineering and undergraduate Global Health programs in the country.

University of Toronto

FEES:

• Undergraduate tuition fees: $27,240 – $35,280
• Graduate tuition fees:$19,550 – $28,260
• Residential housing: $12,258- $15,467.95

(Source: Statistics Canada; Fees for general programs in arts and humanities, 2015-16).

One of the most well known and influential university with three campuses in Greater Toronto Area, University of Toronto has been highly popular among international students. They are inclined to invest in the university renowned for its strength in all academic as well as sports disciplines. Established in 1827, the university currently caters to 15,931 international students both graduates as well undergraduates in varied disciplines.  The foreign students are from 165 countries and the top five countries are China, India, United States, South Korea and Hong Kong.

Regarding the accommodation, all the three campuses have varied style of residential units. The St. George campus residents live in one of the seven colleges, in Chestnut Residence, or in student family housing. In Mississauga campus there are more than 1,500 students living in residence halls, townhouses or apartments. The Scarborough residents live less than a distance of a two-minute walk from academic buildings, which are townhouses and apartment suites.

Ryerson University

FEES:

• Undergraduate tuition fees: $19,721 – $20,509
• Graduate tuition fees: $18,352 – $25,636
• Residential housing: single room $10,958.33 – $11,679.86 (8 months), single room $14,031.33 – $14,752.86 (11 months)

(Source: Statistics Canada; Fees for general programs in arts and humanities, 2015-16).

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, Ryerson University has become one of most popular universities for international students in Ontario. The University caters to more than 38,000 culturally diverse student population from 146 countries. Offering more than 100 undergraduate, Masters and PhD programs, the Ryerson’s The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education’ provides 1,400 courses and 80 certificate programs. This gives the university distinction of running the largest number of programs offered by any university in Canada.

Housing:

The university has on campus residences for students that include $400 application fees with accommodation available for 11 as well as eight months, the latter supposed to be more common: single room $10,958.33 – $11,679.86 (8 months), single room $14,031.33 – $14,752.86 (11 months)

Carleton University

Fees:

• Undergraduate tuition fees: $20,012 – $22,976
• Graduate tuition fees: $13,060 – $14,042
• Residential housing: $10,544 – $12,869 (including meals)

(Source: Statistics Canada; Fees for general programs in arts and humanities, 2015-16).

Located in Ottawa, the capital of Ontario, Carleton University is a vibrant, research focused educational institute. Over the past 10 years, the international students number at the University has increased by 43 per cent from more than 120 countries. For the overseas students who dread Canadian winters, there is a sense of relief as the institute has five kilometers of underground tunnels conveniently linked to the university’s buildings. The university also offers a wide variety of both undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering, business, high technology, industrial design public affairs, architecture, math and science, journalism, arts and social sciences.

Housing:

The residential fee including meals varies from $10,544 to $12,869.

University of Waterloo

[fvplayer src=”https://youtu.be/DGpvOKwuk3U” align=”left” caption=”University of Waterloo” splash=”https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DGpvOKwuk3U/hqdefault.jpg”]

Fees:

• Undergraduate tuition fees: $20,860 – $22,156
• Graduate tuition fees: $12,392 – $12,516
• Residential housing: $2,214 – $3,701

(Source: Statistics Canada; Fees for general programs in arts and humanities, 2015-16).

Well known for its advance research and teaching in science and engineering, mathematics and computer science, health, environment, arts and social sciences, the University of Waterloo is located in Canada’s technology hub. Each year, Waterloo welcomes nearly 5,000 students from more than 120 countries. In 2016, Maclean magazine ranked the University of Waterloo number one, adjudging the most innovative educational institute among Canadian universities.

Housing:

There is on campus accommodation available, which requires a $500 non-refundable fee and the residential cost varies from $2,214 to $3,701.

University of Windsor

Fees:

• Undergraduate tuition fees: $17,700 – $19,000
• Graduate tuition fees: $19,650 – $19,695
• Residential housing: $5,788 – $7,500

(Source: Statistics Canada; Fees for general programs in arts and humanities, 2015-16)

With 17 per cent of students’ body from nearly 100 countries and with average of 1006 overseas enrolment, University of Windsor is widely popular among international students.

The university’s recently completed Centre for Engineering Innovation is home to cutting-edge laboratories and facilities to students and researchers exploring areas such as environmental sustainability, alternative energy, nanostructures, efficient manufacturing systems and lightweight materials.

Housing: 

The university has on campus accommodation and the residential fee varies from $5,788 to $7,500.

Personal experience story by our team member Vanessa Li

Vanessa Li, Client Care Assistant, Specialist in Asia at Sotheby’s International Realty Canada hails from China. She was an international student first enrolling at Carleton studying economics and later in Seneca. She chose Carleton because it is known for its discipline in engineering. However she moved to economics after two years in order to graduate faster:

There are a large number of international students in Carleton but not many from China. That in a way worked in my favor. One of my reasons to study in Canada was to enhance my English speaking skills. This would not have been possible if there were many Chinese students.

Li states compared to other Chinese students, her language skills as well as understanding of Canadian culture were better than many:

This is because in China, I had studied in international school where the medium of communication was English and we mingled with fellow students from different countries including Canada. In addition, my parents are fluent in English and they infused in me immense confidence to move abroad out of the country and study.

Li feels that international education is a great way to understand a country’s culture and we should truly immerse ourselves in major social affairs and happenings in the nation:

As a foreign student you learn about the city’s way of life from scratch and one should be open  to different experiences in order to broaden one’s horizon. This way you are gaining much more than a degree. You achieve ultimate international exposure and knowledge as studying in a foreign land provides you an opportunity to  share your experiences with fellow international students and vice versa. This helps provide you a wider platform to learn more and become worldly-wise.

A university right for you may not be ideal for the next person. In order to select correct educational institute, students should also research if the university they have selected is known for the program they would like to specialize. In addition to this, financing the university fee is not for everyone therefore perspective international students should be also open to the option of studying in colleges. In Ontario, colleges like Seneca, Humber, Centennial, Algonquin, etc. attract a large number of international students.