Brankovsky, who’s with Royal LePage, believes that open houses are still worthwhile (“all you need is one buyer”). But she’s finding that there’s often less traffic through them in her area than in previous years. After all, when sales are down, open house activity tends to fall off as well, although it can depend on the neighbourhood.

“There’s nothing worse than sitting there for four hours with no one coming through. I think at the moment it’s less about the market and more about the economy. The cost of living is holding people back.” 

Different stories across the country

Post-pandemic-related changes must be considered as well. With homebuyers now having increased access to tools such as virtual tours, a lot of legwork can be done online, making a decline in open house activity seemingly inevitable.

But while this seems to be the case in certain pricy major centres, particularly Toronto and Vancouver, it’s a different story elsewhere, with some higher-performing markets seeing activity galore.

The latest data shows that “stark regional variations” have characterized the fall housing market, observes Ryan McLaughlin, an economist with Wahi, a Canadian digital real estate platform. According to RPS-Wahi’s latest house price index report, home prices continue to slide in the country’s most expensive cities. 

“But in select locales with better affordability conditions, gains are beginning to accelerate,” says McLaughlin. You could probably conclude that in these latter areas, it would make sense that there’s more open house action, he notes. 

Although the national numbers overall are suggestive of a market on pause, “that’s certainly not the case in cities in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, as well as certain parts of the Prairies, which may be heating up more,” McLaughlin explains.

While this latest fall data show Toronto and Vancouver housing prices dropping by at least four per cent from last year, quite a few cities with greater affordability have been experiencing stable performance and significant price growth. McLaughlin lists Winnipeg, Quebec City, Montreal and Regina among these, and to a lesser extent Calgary, Edmonton and Halifax.  

Canada’s easternmost city is ‘on fire’

 RPS-Wahi also has data not publicly included in its price index showing that year-over-year, home prices in St. John’s, N.L., have grown a whopping 12 per cent. 

Says Jim Burton, owner of ReMax Infinity in St. John’s: “Things are on fire here. It’s crazy busy. I’ve never seen a market like this. In a market currently not experiencing the best in some Canadian centres, be aware that other parts of the country are robust. And Newfoundland is one of them.”

This is a welcome change for the local real estate community. “We’re a hardened crew, used to going out and nesting in the gale, surviving hard times,” says Burton. 

Today, inventory in St. John’s is down, and sales are up. Multiple offers and homes selling over-asking have become common, which is unusual for the province. 

“We’re seeing a lot of capital coming in,” observes Burton. “There’s an abundance of buyers and few sellers. A lot of people are attending open houses. They’re pumped.” 

Making a case for open houses

Far from feeling that open houses are an outdated tool, Burton continues to find them a cost-efficient way of marketing, promotion and lead generation – not to mention an industry standard which tends to be expected by clients.

But not to worry, in a competitive sellers’ market like St. John’s, there’s no need for agents to knock themselves out getting overly creative with their open houses, in his opinion.

“Do your homework and be prepared,” he advises. Advertise well in advance. Take care of any necessary painting and repairs. “Put some buns in the oven and create a warm atmosphere.”

Setting the mood

Then again, kicking it up a notch can’t hurt. 

At the open houses hosted by Calgary agent Renata Reid, senior vice-president of sales at Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, there may be live music, catered refreshments and games. Once, an Aston Martin was on display in all its glory. Buyers can’t get that experience – the aromas, the ambiance – online, she observes.

“It creates an atmosphere that makes people feel welcomed and want to linger. I take open houses to the next level.”

It’s hard to say what, if anything, would bring open house activity fully back to pre-pandemic levels Canada-wide. With Christmas less than two months away, it won’t be long before the seasonal slowdown hits. Many agents don’t do open houses on holiday weekends, focusing instead on family. But there are plenty of people visiting from out of town during holidays with time on their hands, who may be looking to move closer to relatives, Reid points out.

“Take a break if you need it. But it can be a great time for an open house.”

 Vancouver-based eXp Realty agent Tom Ikonomou agrees. 

“If people are trudging through the snow to an open house during a holiday, then you know they’re serious about buying.”

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post Open house trends defining Canada’s uneven real estate market appeared first on REM.

Bundling up in layers is de rigueur for adults and kiddos alike. “If you look good, you’re probably cold,” quips Kim Knutson, who’s been president of the Northwest Territories Association of Realtors (NWTAR) for the past four years. 

Knutson is pleased to report that recently, the NWTAR succeeded in its push to be upgraded to membership in the Canadian Real Estate Association as a territorial association. This carries more voting clout than its previous designation as a local association member. 

“Now we get two votes at the annual general meeting,” says Knutson. 

 While that doesn’t sound like much, it’s double what it was.

Here’s the thing. The real estate association for the NWT has under 25 members across less than a handful of brokerages, according to Knutson. Among the latter is the Re/Max office she opened in the capital city of Yellowknife several years ago. 

Population, prices, and housing market challenges

The reality is that all three of Canada’s northern territories have extremely low population density. The NWT, home to about 46,000 people (half of them in Yellowknife), lags behind the Yukon but ahead of Nunavut in terms of numbers. NWT is not in danger of overcrowding any time soon, except in its homeless shelters, which are reported to be in dire need of long-term solutions. 

Averaging around $540,000, home prices in the NWT are high, as is the cost of living. (Knutson recalls her alarm at receiving a $700 heating bill her first month in Yellowknife).  Inventory is low, often coming up against issues including land rights claims and restrictive government policies. But the housing market overall is doing well and is currently reasonably balanced, in Knutson’s observation.   

“There’s a lot of opportunity, like an old frontier town. There’s a young, active community. It’s a great place to raise kids.” 

Unique homes and remote realities

The homes themselves can be unique and full of character, she adds. “There’s a lot of modular/trailer housing; a lot of military coming and going; a lot of young people trying out the North; a lot of new Canadians. We don’t have cookie-cutter neighbourhoods.”

There are plenty of far-flung settlements, and among the challenges facing agents is selling homes in remote communities they’ve never seen, Knutson explains.        

In her role as NWTAR president, occasional conflict is unavoidable. Late 2023 was particularly newsworthy for the pint-sized association in this regard. It got slapped with a Competition Bureau ruling and entered into a consent agreement to resolve concerns around anti-competitive membership practices stemming from denying membership to licensed agents who wished to compete remotely in the NWT.

Explains Knutson: “We had a mandate that agents had to live in Yellowknife to sell real estate here. We rectified that quickly. We’d thought we were protecting the integrity of our industry.”  

Collaborating with Alberta

In helping the association move forward from this setback and modernize practices, Knutson believes that one of her best decisions was reaching out to the much larger neighbouring Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) for assistance and collaboration. 

“They’re now our executive officer. We have access to their vast library of courses and education, and are updating bylaws and adapting their forms.” She expects there will be member pushback but she’s undeterred.  

“Our forms are from the 1990s. We really need to up our game.”

Limited by size, NWTAR previously struggled with managing bylaws, professional development, ethics complaints, impartial disciplinary processes, strategic planning and the like. Now it mirrors Alberta’s processes, explains Knutson.

“We’ve accomplished so much.”

She considers herself a progressive leader and is grateful for the helping hand of the Alberta association’s Kate Bailey, who now provides NWTAR’s executive officer services. “She’s the wind beneath my wings.”

Responds Bailey: “Kim has led with clarity and professionalism.”

Personal journey and resilience

Initially from Vancouver, Knutson has lived in Yellowknife for almost 30 years. A grandmother of two, she has no plans to leave. In her early days there, though, she was overwhelmed with homesickness. She began to appreciate NWT more (“such a lovely sense of community, such magical bright blue skies”) once she began a federal government job in IT support. 

She’s worked in real estate for the past decade (“I was 50 when I started”), doing her best to hold steady through both personal hardship and turbulent times.

In a move that could have been disastrous, she launched her Re/Max office in Yellowknife two weeks before the pandemic hit. (“If I’d known what was coming, I’m not sure I’d have gone ahead. I was running on adrenaline.”) She waited, using the downtime to get her systems in place. 

Several months later, her husband died suddenly from a burst aneurysm. “Due to lockdown, I couldn’t even go on the Medevac with him.” 

This horrendous experience woke her up to the realization that “all these things can be lurking under the hood.” From this sprang her philosophy about the importance of a life/work balance, which she’s managed to carry forward with her.

“Real estate can drag you through the wringer. I don’t have a sales quota for my agents. We’re not here to take over the world.”

Her advice to women in the business: “Stop being afraid to be in leadership roles. We don’t give ourselves enough credit for the knowledge we have.”

And for one and all, she has this tip. “Get your hardest tasks done early in the day so they don’t get ahead of you.”

As for her final observation on the Northwest Territories, it’s this:

 “I’m pretty sure we’re all vitamin D-deprived.” 

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post Breaking barriers in the North: Knutson’s push for progress appeared first on REM.

“Now I’m the grandmother,” says Donovan, who recently turned 60 and confesses to having “five towers of notebooks” in lieu of a digital planner. Being a top dog, she also readily admits that she’s “never sold a stick of real estate” in her life.   

Don’t let any of that mislead you. A veteran in an industry where women still tend to be underrepresented in top-level management, she’s a force for progress in a province where the number of Realtors has doubled in the past five years.

“Real estate leadership is evolving,” she says. “There was still a glass ceiling when I started. I’m seeing that crumble, which is wonderful.”   

Coming home to her roots

A proud Islander – land of red sand beaches, Anne of Green Gables, lighthouses and signature potatoes – Donovan has been with the P.E.I. association for almost 15 years, overseeing strategic direction and managing operations.

She was born and raised on the island, the smallest and most rural of Canadian provinces, left to become a paralegal at age 19, and went on to spend a couple of decades in Ontario working in real estate association management, most notably as assistant director of board and member services for the Ontario Real Estate Association. While her colleagues headed to law firms, she was keen to dive into real estate professional standards and the like. 

“I left P.E.I. and never thought I’d come back,” she recalls. “But life happens and priorities change.” She had some tough knocks, including a marriage breakdown. She called her mother and said, “I think I’ll come home.” 

A ‘fearless, strong leader’

Within weeks of being back in P.E.I., she’d landed the job with PEIREA, headquartered in Charlottetown. 

Tim Jackson, current president of the association, says that watching Donovan work a room is something to behold. “She truly shines in the broader organized real estate world. In a room of 400-plus people, she’s instantly recognized, greeted with open arms, warm smiles, and heartfelt hugs. The connections she’s cultivated across the country speak volumes.”

Adds Nicole Foster, Donovan’s executive assistant, “as a woman in this industry, having a fearless and strong leader like Peggy to look up to is priceless.”

Donovan accepts acclamation without false modesty. “I feel respected and that I bring value to the table,” she acknowledges. “I’m at a point in my life where I am who I am, and I know my stuff. And if I don’t, I’ll ask. I’m comfortable in my own skin.”

She urges the younger demographic now entering the industry not to be afraid to speak out and ask for what they want. “It starts a conversation. There’s no such thing as a dumb question.” 

Moving the industry forward

The real estate community in the Cradle of Confederation isn’t large. “Everybody knows everybody,” says Donovan. “That’s a double-edged sword. Members may balk at following the processes in place,” which leads to some challenging days for her at the office. 

To complicate matters, the industry in P.E.I. is not well-regulated, in her view. “Change needs to happen.”  

Along with advocacy, raising the bar regarding protection for consumers and the real estate profession are key initiatives. Others include upgrading pre-licensing education (“We want to implement more practical information”) and modernizing the Real Estate Trading Act. It’s been decades since the act was majorly overhauled, according to Donovan. “It’s outdated to say the least, still references salesman.”    

The province, with its relaxed pace, small-town charm (despite high population density), and comparatively reasonable cost of living, had never experienced soaring prices and multiple offers until COVID hit, presenting another challenge. 

“We learned to navigate it by adopting processes from other provincial real estate associations who’d experienced it,” explains Donovan. “We don’t need to re-create the wheel.”

Ironically, during that time, with a growing membership, PEIREA itself needed to sell its office building and upsize. 

“And we got multiple offers,” says Donovan, with a laugh.    

Today, in contrast to the national trend, the real estate market in P.E.I. is thriving, with inventory and home prices increasing. It’s a hot and balanced market, driven by immigration, low vacancy rates, relatively affordable housing compared to other parts of Canada, and the lure of a quieter and scenic lifestyle. 

“But there’s an interesting problem,” cautions Donovan, “in that we’ve maybe become more successful than we anticipated.”

While many experts worry that demand continues to outstrip supply, Donovan now sees affordability as a bigger issue. “I don’t know how young people get into the market,” she says. “The cost of living surprises people when they move here. They expect it to be lower.” 

With the average house price in P.E.I. creeping above $400,000, locals increasingly are finding the market out of reach, she observes. “Our wages don’t match the rest of Canada’s.”

P.E.I. indeed lags behind most other provinces in this regard. The underperforming labour market is blamed on such factors as the disproportionately high percentage of residents aged 65 and older, a low employment rate, and labour shortages.

With the population swelling, the province’s infrastructure is also an issue. “It’s hard for it to catch up,” says Donovan. “Housing, medical services – it all takes time. There’s a dire need for doctors,” and a cap on study permits for international students. 

The P.E.I. lifestyle outweighs the issues, in her opinion. 

“But it’s not all seafood and surf.” 

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post P.E.I. powerhouse Peggy Donovan steering big change in Canada’s smallest province appeared first on REM.

A global business hub, this once tranquil desert region on the Persian Gulf is now among the hottest markets on the planet – in more ways than one, seeing as summer temperatures have been known to climb to a searing 50 degrees Celsius. 

Even the bus stops are air-conditioned. 

A ‘land of opportunity’

The UAE’s real estate sector is booming, buoyed by business-friendly policies; a surge in demand for luxury properties by high net-worth buyers; an exploding population; attractive rental yields potentially upwards of seven per cent; impressive infrastructure (including Burj Khalifa, the world’s highest skyscraper); a high standard of living and low crime rate; and a diversified economy that’s greatly reduced dependence on oil revenue. 

“It’s the new land of opportunity,” asserts Ontario-based Engel & Völkers broker/advisor Peter Kolisnyk, who frequently helps international clients source investment properties there. “The UAE welcomes your money.”  

Let’s not overlook the biggest perk – there’s no income tax there. 

No taxes on capital gains or rent. 

And no property tax.   

“The younger demographic sees the opportunity to make a fresh start and keep 100 per cent of their income. It’s not nearly as onerous as it is here as an immigrant to re-qualify in your career. In my opinion, some of the best and brightest are now going to places like Dubai,” says Kolisnyk. “It’s incredible to see such a large demographic of young people in the shopping malls, on the beach, and in stores and restaurants.”

Influx of outsiders

The vast majority of the UAE’s 11-million population “are transplants,” Kolisnyk explains. 

“There are so many immigrants from all over the world. It’s very cosmopolitan.”

Dubai, followed by oil-rich Abu Dhabi, are the primary UAE luxury markets when it comes to attracting ex-pats, professionals, and investors. Dubai is considered to be the most liberal of the seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi somewhat more traditional and slower paced. (Expect zero tolerance in either where recreational drugs are concerned, including marijuana. The high life comes with some cultural adjustments.)

Recently, demand has stretched to neighbouring emerging communities like Ras Al Khaimah, where Wynn Resorts will open an enormous hotel complex on the Arabian Gulf in 2027, along with the first casino in the country – quite a feat, given that Islamic law prohibits locals from gambling.

The $5-billion resort on a man-made archipelago, poised to become an investment hotspot, will seemingly embrace the notion that the UAE is the Vegas of the Middle East. It will include 24 restaurants, 12 pools, a host of designer boutiques, and a private marina.    

Doing business in Dubai

Not surprisingly, it isn’t cheap to live in the UAE. Even the police force drives Ferraris. The property market, though, is still competitively priced by global standards. Prices are rising, of course. And the top end is decidedly on its own soaring trajectory. 

“It can go ridiculously high. There are some $30+ million condos,” says Khaled Nasser, Re/Max region owner for the UAE.

Agents can do extremely well in this dynamic market. “A portion of them make a killing,” Nasser confirms.

Builders may offer incentivizing commissions of five to eight per cent, but competition is fierce and there are “a lot of struggling agents who don’t know how to market themselves,” along with brokers who view their salespeople more as employees than independent contractors, from Nasser’s perspective. 

A common commission for residential resale in Dubai is two per cent, and sellers generally don’t sign exclusive contracts. The brokerage’s cut is usually 50 per cent. With rental transactions, the commission tends to be five per cent of the annual rent.

On the horizon

While the UAE has an increasingly active resale market, the industry is highly focused on “a massive pipeline of new inventory” – urban condos, apartments, new waterfront homes, townhouses, luxury villas, commercial developments – with buyers financing via builder/developer payment plans rather than a traditional mortgage process, according to Nasser.                  

There’s a clear and transparent regulatory framework. Contracts are standardized and transactions are easily handled electronically, no ‘wet’ signatures required. Realtors (called brokers there) are trained and licensed. There’s no unified MLS though, no consolidated national association for real estate professionals, and limited collaboration between salespeople from different brokerages, Nasser has found. 

The UAE is cracking down aggressively on money laundering, he points out. This and cybercrime remain ongoing concerns. 

Although the UAE doesn’t offer traditional permanent residency status, its Golden Visa long-term residency program, popular with investors, potentially opens a path to extended residency. Foreigners buying property can do so only in designated freehold areas, which include many of Dubai’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, among them Emirates Hills and Palm Jumeirah.

Robert Villalobos, who heads up Engel & Völkers’ Dubai brokerage, notes that “given Dubai’s highly international population, our advisors regularly work with clients from all over the world. This means cultural awareness, multilingual communication, and understanding foreign processes are especially valuable.” He affirms that the city offers significant earning potential “for those who are driven and committed.” 

With its “lifestyle appeal, world-class amenities, safety and security, leading schools, healthcare, and a central global location,” Dubai continues to see “consistent transaction volume across both end user and investor segments,” Villalobos verifies.

When you land in Dubai, you’re stepping into the busiest airport in the world. It’s hard to grasp that 55 years ago, this city of gold was just a small fishing village with the vast Arabian desert rippling out around it.    

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post UAE property market sizzles as investors turn to Dubai appeared first on REM.

While other sectors threaten to flat-line under the burden of President Donald Trump’s trade wars and the overall market slowdown, home sales in the uppermost tier – generally categorized as those above $10+ million – are experiencing a surprising uptick in some larger cities. 

Data is limited, as in this elite category there’s only a smattering of transactions even at the best of times. And it’s not unusual for some of these to be off-market, with moneyed sellers prioritizing privacy. But statistics currently show that there’s more activity this year than in the previous two in this high-flying market slice. 

Effi Barak, president of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, confirms that “even amid the uncertainty,” select segments of the top-tier bracket remain resilient, outperforming the broader marketplace and standing out as “outliers of greater stability” in an otherwise darkening landscape. 

Real estate as a safe haven

Why is the ultra-luxury market currently popping up as one of the country’s rare real estate strongholds?  Bottom line, experts believe that Canada’s richest buyers – that privileged one per cent – increasingly view the housing market as the safest haven for their wealth. They appear to be using real estate as a flight to safety, strategically shifting capital to luxury housing, with perceived stability over stocks and other investments in uncertain economic times. 

The topmost sector has strong long-term value potential, underscoring the strength of this elite consumer group in the face of turmoil, observes Barak. “Ultra-high-net-worth homebuyers are demonstrating strategic adaptability and financial resilience.” 

Tangible assets in times of uncertainty

Toronto’s ultra-luxury single-family-home market is among the country’s isolated pockets of resilience, poised to heat up, Barak predicts. Sotheby’s 2025 first quarter report on the top-tier luxury market noted that Calgary and Montreal’s ultra luxury markets are also showing continued resilience.

Other premium brokerages report similar findings. Engel & Völkers CFO Andrew Dinsmore believes that sustained demand from well-capitalized buyers, particularly for bespoke homes in enclaves of wealth like Forest Hill and Rosedale in Toronto where inventory is limited, indicates a growing preference for tangible assets like real estate, which are viewed as more secure – a way to “diversify, park capital, preserve wealth, and ride out stock market turbulence.”

Rest assured that a local multimillionaire like Drake isn’t missing sleep worrying about losing any equity in his $100-million mansion in the city’s posh Bridle Path neighbourhood.  

The unique profile of the ultra-rich buyer

Dinsmore explains that the purchase decisions and needs of the extremely wealthy are leagues away from the norm. Driven by an investment-focused mindset, “they’re not just looking for a roof over their heads.” They’re thinking long-term and likely have multiple properties and an international portfolio – perhaps homes in Toronto and Vancouver, a cottage in Muskoka, a villa in Italy.

“Ultra-rich buyers are more global. They have that flexibility,” continues Dinsmore. “And they’re not hit as hard by interest rates. They’re not going to the local bank to get a mortgage.” 

Having greater resources and more avenues to finance purchases, including paying in cash or pulling equity from other properties or investments, they can remain largely insulated from economic headwinds.

While not a liquid asset, property offers less volatility along with greater long-term security and value, which the financial markets currently lack, Dinsmore points out.   

Jason DeLuca, broker/advisor with Engel & Völkers’ Toronto Central office, is more direct.

“With stocks you can wake up next morning and a quarter of your wealth is gone. That doesn’t happen with real estate…It offers a level of confidence. It’s tangible, will be there for generations, and can be passed to your children.”

The fact that a primary residence is tax-free is also a huge benefit, of course.

From lifestyle to strategy

The condo market hasn’t traditionally been a focus for the uppermost tier in Canada. But DeLuca thinks that’s changing, with ultra-luxury condo developments aimed at the top of the market being developed in trendy Toronto neighbourhoods like Yorkville, despite the city’s killer condo slump.

Whatever the type, there’s a limited supply of premium properties in the prime-luxury sector, “no subdivisions of $10+ million homes being built,” DeLuca asserts. The rich understand that dynamic, and are buying these homes faster than usual, in his estimation. 

He’s witnessed multi-million-dollar deals where the client had an entire investment/risk management team involved. 

“There were bankers, lawyers, planners, and more,” says DeLuca. ”It was part of the client’s wealth strategy. We couldn’t formalize until everything was checked by the team.”

Luxury real estate has evolved from being a prestigious discretionary lifestyle purchase to a key element of wealth preservation, he’s found. He believes that this select market branch is set to really take flight. It’s a sector that’s traditionally shown remarkable stability, so perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s increasingly active.

“You’d think that with the market rippling, the ultra-rich would be sitting on the sidelines like most others,” reflects DeLuca. “But they aren’t. They’re different. This is bigger than market jitters. We’re standing at the threshold.”

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post Why smart money is flowing into Canada’s luxury market appeared first on REM.

“COVID changed everything,” asserts Katelyn Fulton, who, along with her sisters Paige and Carly, helps run the family business, Century 21’s Percy Fulton brokerage in Toronto. “We found the power of video showings and virtual business. It worked out so well that we adapted our business. We came up with a specialized home-selling system for introverts.”         

High-pressure techniques can backfire with introverted clients

Tongue-in-cheek, Fulton refers to this fledgling niche market as home selling for homebodies. “This shift has allowed us to serve clients in a way that feels more aligned, more respectful of their comfort levels and ours, and honestly, more modern,” says Fulton. The real estate biz, irrefutably dog-eat-dog, is highly aggressive, she observes. Sales trainers tend to hammer home the importance of being super assertive. But clients aren’t one-size-fits-all. Not everyone likes the direct approach. 

The reality is that high-pressure techniques can backfire with introverted clients, who generally prefer less intrusive interactions. 

When Fulton hears coaches advising agents to cold call, door knock or bring clients to the brokerage, her reaction tends to be “What!? Why?” 

She admits there’s a place for such tactics. “Not all my clients are introverts. Sometimes I have to put my extrovert hat on.” But she personally finds the hard sell to be old school. In her experience, even a practice as common as having an agent come to the house for a listing appointment can give introverts nightmares. 

Typically, introverted sellers “want to see us once and never again,” if at all, says Fulton, laughing. She’s seen mouths drop open in shock when she’s expressed this to a roomful of agents. But she’s on board with the introverts, which is why they’re her ideal target clients.   

“Introverts hate the phone and in-person meetings, especially without warning,” she maintains. “They need breathing room. They aren’t fans of surprises or drama. They don’t like small talk. They don’t like to make quick or pressured decisions.”

Emphasis on respecting personal space

It’s not unusual for her team never to meet an introverted seller in person if that’s the client’s wish. “But just because they don’t see us a lot doesn’t mean they’re not getting full service. We’re still getting everything done, just from a distance.”

Prioritizing listening and relationship building are every bit as important with introverts as with other clients, but emphasis on respecting personal space must be unswerving. Fulton advises agents working with introverts to “be a resource rather than a salesperson. This builds trust and shows respect for their autonomy.”  

Agents need to adapt to the client’s style, she continues. “Extroverted agents can work with introverted clients if they understand them. Ask clients how they prefer to communicate. If they prefer text or email, it may be a sign that they’re introverted.” 

She hopes that the introversion training she’s now providing at conferences and online will help challenge traditional marketing to become more nuanced and inclusive. There’s a need for Canadian coaches who specialize in introverted clients, says Fulton. At the moment, she isn’t aware of any at all.   

Best practices when working with introverted clients

Her suggestions on best practices when working with introverts include:

• The big one is to focus on written communication and limit in-person and telephone contact. Communicate by text, email or online message platforms. If you need to phone, schedule the call rather than making it out of the blue. Don’t bombard these clients with needless communication. 
•  Provide clear, detailed information, checklists and videos, and allow ample time for reflection.
• Embrace technology—use digital paperwork and e-signatures, online home evaluation tools for sellers, online offer submissions, video showing tours for buyers and virtual consultations with stagers. 
• Schedule private showings for introverted buyers rather than having them endure busy open houses. 
• Don’t pop by unannounced with a closing gift for sellers. Use Amazon or send flowers. The same goes for lockboxes—send them by Amazon or courier.
• Make sure that everyone on the team—stagers, photographers, and so on—understands that the client may not want to see them or speak with them directly. 

Greater Vancouver Re/Max agent Tim Hill finds that providing as much information as possible is especially important. Decision-making can be a painstaking process for introverts.

“Take the time to walk them through everything step-by-step,” advises Hill. “Slow and steady wins the race with this type of client.”

Keep in mind that introverted buyers may be looking for homes with calm and exceptionally private environments, although that’s by no means always the case.

Whether you’re an extrovert or introvert yourself, Hill is of the same opinion as Fulton, i.e., that as a Realtor your job is to recognize who you’re working with and tailor your services to their communication style accordingly.

Some agents aren’t able or willing to do this, Hill concedes. 

They could miss out, as introverts increasingly flip the script and challenge the industry to become more thoughtful and adaptable.

As American Realtor/writer Bryant Beltran has noted online, in this dynamic shift the industry has to ask itself how it can “strike a balance between the vibrant energy of extroverted marketing and the quiet needs of introverted buyers.”

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post The rise of the introverted client—and the Realtors who get them appeared first on REM.

Cathy Polan, the new president of the Ontario Real Estate Association, confesses to being “nervous, anxious, and excited all at the same time” about her role.

As head of the organization, she joins a growing number of women in top leadership positions within the industry. “Over the last four years, three of OREA’s presidents have been women,” Polan notes.

“This is more than a moment—it’s a movement.”

The Belleville-based Realtor, who’s a sales rep with Royal Heritage Realty, was announced as OREA’s 2025 president following the association’s annual general meeting on March 27. She replaces outgoing president Rick Kedzior. Polan is now representing the province’s nearly 100,000 Realtors, with the aim of ensuring that they have the necessary resources, supports, and regulatory framework, with strong leadership at their back to help strengthen the real estate sector and advocate for greater housing supply and affordability.

Polan highlights OREA’s solid relationship with Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

“During such a pivotal time, it’s more important than ever that we work together to keep the dream of home ownership alive for the next generation,” she states, stressing that it will take the engagement of all levels of government to do so.

Tackling supply, affordability and CEO succession

No easy feat, of course. She admits that Ontario’s housing affordability crisis and supply issues won’t be resolved during her presidency.

“It’s not a quick fix.”

OREA is pushing for factory-built modular housing as a potential option to help relieve the province’s supply crunch. The future depends on innovative solutions, the organization asserts.

Polan faces a host of other challenges as well. “It’s been very busy.”

She feels fortunate that her husband, Bruce, also a Realtor, can fill in for her at the brokerage when necessary. “He’s my calm to the storm.”

At OREA, her undertakings include helping to find a new permanent CEO for the association (“hopefully in the next couple of months”), following Tim Hudak’s resignation last summer. Trying to ensure that housing issues don’t get sidelined now that the Ontario premier has no choice but to be laser-focused on the U.S. tariffs crisis is another pressing matter.

There’s also Toronto’s infamous condo glut. “We’re hoping it’s just a bump in the market,” observes Polan. Landlord/tenant reforms are needed as well.

Controversial issues and longstanding challenges

Other business on Polan’s radar includes the longstanding and outdated ‘auctioneer loophole,’ wherein auctioneers are permitted to sell real estate without a formal license.

And let’s not forget the Ontario Realtor Wellness Program (ORWP), the controversial mandatory health-benefit package for members introduced by OREA early last year that ruffled a lot of feathers. “The ORWP isn’t going away,” maintains Polan. “The program is working for the most part, but there are still some people not happy with it. We continue to work to improve it. We have data now which will help with that.”

It’s clear that being president of OREA is no cakewalk, and that Polan and the OREA board aren’t going to be able to make everyone happy.

“We know that,” she says.

With 16 years in the business behind her as well as an extensive background in organized real estate, which formerly included sitting on various key OREA committees and serving as president of the local real estate association, Polan is an industry veteran and seems prepared for the challenge.

Says her friend Lisa Comerford, chief public affairs officer for the Central Lakes Association of Realtors (Polan’s local association): “Cathy has shown time and again an incredible level of commitment to this industry and its advancement, whether it was a popular position or not.”

A viral TikTok moment and new strategic direction

That said, one place Polan has been spectacularly popular is TikTok, where she recently got a mind-boggling 6.5 million views.

How on earth, you ask?

It turns out that Polan—staunch OREA president and grandmother of six—is a Belieber.

She read the news that Justin Bieber is currently struggling with impostor syndrome. “I saw an article that said he felt unworthy” of his success, she explains. It nearly brought her to tears.

So she got up from a nap and posted a TikTok video of support, which she hoped would reach the singer, telling him that it’s human nature to have those feelings at times and that they don’t mean that he’s a fraud.

“You are worthy, Justin,” she said. “Not because of perfection but because of the beautiful, real person you are.”

Comments poured in from all over the world. And although Polan didn’t hear back from Bieber personally, she got a message from someone saying they were close to him and that he was grateful for her post. “I hope that’s true,” remarks Polan.

Not one to bypass an opportunity that fell into her lap, she’s now looking into leveraging some of those millions of TikTok responses into leads.

Fired up to make her own stamp on the industry, Polan met with member boards and asked for their views—“the good, the bad, and the ugly.” She and the OREA team will now start to form a strategic plan.

“If we don’t do anything, that was wasted time,” says Polan. “And I don’t like wasting anyone’s time.”

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post Cathy Polan steps up as OREA president with eyes on reform and innovation appeared first on REM.

This was brought home Friday during the outcry around the unwelcome visit to Greenland by a group of American delegates, among them Vice President JD Vance and the second lady. Having already hit back at Trump earlier asserting that Greenlanders “do not wish to be Americans,” the island’s prime minister, Mute Egede, stated that he found Trump’s decision to send representatives on Mar. 28 “highly aggressive.”

The American group initially had a full itinerary which included attending the national dogsled race. However, evidently, due to scheduling and protest concerns, this was scaled back to a visit to the U.S. military base.

While there, Vance slammed Greenland’s current governance and stated, “We think we’re going to be able to cut a deal, Donald Trump style, to ensure the security of this territory.”

Greenland’s strategic value and resource wealth

It’s no secret that it’s not just national security interests fuelling Trump’s Greenland agenda. Like other superpowers including China and Russia, he also has his eyes on the island territory’s mineral resources, lying untapped under its vast, thawing ice sheet three times the size of Alberta. Not to be overlooked either are the prospective international shipping channels emerging from deep freeze due to global warming.

Climate change could be making Greenland—and Canada—hot commodities.

According to Greenland real estate broker Miki Lynge, located in the capital city of Nuuk, where one-third of the population resides, “there’s never been so many foreign media here.” In his observation, the current situation has made some people “a little hesitant” to buy.

“The real estate market is relatively new here,” Lynge notes. With rental housing previously largely provided by the public sector, “it’s only about two or three generations that have had their own house or apartment.”

Understanding Greenland’s unique property market

You can’t own land there, but you can own the house sitting on it, explains Anna Jensine Arntzen, a Scandinavian PhD student studying urban planning in Greenland. “You have to apply to the government for site allocation.”

On the plus side, with no land rights, there’s no property tax.

While geographically part of North America, Greenland is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. ‘It’s complicated’ would be an apt way to describe their relationship. Greenland’s economy is heavily reliant on fisheries and aid from Denmark. Greenlanders—a blending of traditional Inuit and Danish—have a powerful national identity and have been pushing toward gradual full independence. A staunch pro-independence political party favouring greater cooperation with the U.S. was shut out of a new government coalition agreement on the day of the American delegation’s arrival.

Fascinating facts about Greenland

A few mind-blowing facts about this Arctic island overhung with dazzling curtains of Northern Lights:

It’s the largest island in the world. (Australia is four times bigger but is classified as a continent.)

Only 20 per cent of Greenland is inhabited. With a mere 57,000 people, scattered almost exclusively along its fiord-riddled southwest coast, the entire population could fit into a large sports stadium.

Keeping the sled dog population pristine is considered so essential that having a pet dog is illegal in much of Greenland. More people own boats than cars. The terrain is so rugged that there’s no road network connecting different communities. If you own a car, you’re only driving it in your own town. All roads stop on the outskirts.

Greenland is socially progressive. Education and healthcare are free. LGBTQ rights are among the most extensive anywhere. It has the highest suicide rate in the world, as well as a high rate of alcoholism. In winter, it’s dark 24/7.

Trump’s previous attempts and market implications

Back to Trump—this isn’t the first time he’s made a play for Greenland. His initial attempt in 2019 during his first term in office was equally poorly received. Nevertheless, he told journalists that it would be a great real estate deal that would secure his place in history.

The spotlight thrown on Greenland back then gave its property market a boost. Despite all the attention, there hasn’t been a market uptick this time around. New laws restricting foreign ownership implemented this past February due to geopolitical concerns may be to blame.

Experts observe that Greenland is shifting towards sustainability, embracing green technologies, and positioning itself as a pioneer in eco-friendly real estate.

Real estate challenges and opportunities in Nuuk

Nevertheless even in Nuuk—with its street art, multi-storey housing blocks, and brightly-painted wooden houses nestled into a mountainside—there are less than a handful of real estate agencies (none of them North American brands), observes Carina Serano, an agent with the Netbolig Brokerage there.

“We’re quite busy, and growing,” she says. “I think the biggest issue facing the market is that the government is closing off purchases for foreigners.”

Many Greenlanders tend to move every few years, continues Serano. Being so remote, the cost of living in Greenland is high, and some would say it is astronomical. The standard of living is reasonable but depopulation is on the rise. The U.S. has reportedly made comments about infrastructure there falling into disrepair.

Housing prices are dependent on location, with homes and apartments in bigger centres like Nuuk, Sisimiut and Ilulissat potentially being comparable or even more pricey than in Canada, due to factors such as high import costs and limited infrastructure. Housing in small settlements, though, can be much more affordable.

Navigating a unique real estate landscape

In Greenland’s real estate industry, “regulations are few,” according to Serano. “So as much as we can, we like to follow Denmark.” Real estate training in Greenland is available, but she got her education and license in Denmark, follows Danish systems regarding transactions where possible, and belongs to the pertinent Danish associations. Advertising is largely done online—via websites and social media.

There are some “big holes” though, she notes. No MLS database. No digitized documents. Financing can be challenging for those who don’t live in the smattering of larger towns, and property registrations in far-flung settlements are occasionally not up to date.

On the plus side, there are minimal taxes and few competitors, Serano asserts. “It’s quite comfortable.” She is paid a decent commission by sellers, also receives a salary, and maintains that she earns an amount annually that puts her in a top income bracket.

Now it looks as if the world’s biggest island will be a key player in the battle gearing up over control of the Arctic. One thing seems clear—neither Greenland nor Canada wants any part of being the 51st state.

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post The Industry Abroad: Trump’s Arctic ambitions put spotlight on Greenland’s complex real estate industry appeared first on REM.

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post “Pressure is a privilege”: Chris Guerette on leading with purpose appeared first on REM.

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post The Industry Abroad: Decoding China’s real estate market appeared first on REM.