Each Wednesday, Real Estate Magazine shares insights, experiences and advice from top-performing teams and agents across Canada. If you’d like to contribute or nominate a colleague or team, send us an email.

Editor’s note: Rob Golfi answered our questions in September 2025, as part of a feature in a special print edition of REM.

REM: How did you first get into real estate?
RGT: I wanted a business where effort directly translated into results. In real estate, when you make a sale, you get paid in 60 to 90 days. In traditional business, you’re often chasing receivables or waiting months for payment. Real estate gave me control over my own success — the harder I worked, the faster I saw the return.

REM: When did you decide to build a team?
RGT: When I joined Re/Max Escarpment in 1999, there were only two teams in the office. I saw how they leveraged time, resources and talent to grow beyond what one agent could do. That inspired me to start my own team so I could scale, create systems and deliver a better client experience.

REM: What role do you play today?
RGT: I’m the visionary. I set the direction, oversee finance, lead the brand and stay involved in operations to make sure everything runs at the highest level. My job is to ensure the systems, marketing and people all align to achieve our goals.

REM: Give us a snapshot of the team today.
RGT:

• Agents: 65

• Staff: 20 (admin, marketing, client care and support)

• Markets: Hamilton, Halton, Brantford, Niagara

• 2024 production: 872 transactions | $670,502,463 volume

• 2025 YTD: 577 transactions | $423,477,248 volume

• Staff-to-agent ratio: 3:1

The Golfi Team continues to expand, with a presence in multiple southern Ontario boards and a strong internal culture built around accountability and results.

REM: What were your first key hires?
RGT: An administrator, an administrative assistant and an agent. Solid administrative support was the foundation — it freed me to focus on listings, marketing and growth. Adding a second agent immediately expanded our ability to handle more clients and maintain quality service.

REM: What advice would you give a new team leader?
RGT: Don’t be greedy. Give your agents all the leads. If they succeed, the team succeeds — and that momentum fuels growth. Your focus should be on building a machine that supports your agents, not competing with them.

REM: What are your top lead sources?
RGT: Direct mail, PPC (Google and Meta ads) and radio/outdoor advertising. Our marketing budget is divided roughly as follows:

• 35 per cent direct mail

• 30 per cent PPC

• 20 per cent radio/outdoor

• 10 per cent SEO/website

• 5 per cent referrals and community events

We’ve learned that every channel plays a role — PPC delivers volume, direct mail drives listing appointments and radio/outdoor builds the brand.

REM: Which channel would hurt most if cut?
RGT: Radio and outdoor. They’re brand trust builders. Those channels connect us to the community, create top-of-mind awareness and legitimize everything else we do online.

REM: How do you handle new leads?
RGT: Every lead goes into our lead router system and is hand-assigned to the duty agent. Our goal is a response time of under five minutes. For call-in leads, it typically takes three to four touches to set an appointment and six to eight touches to convert to a contract. Online leads can take longer. We used to have inside sales agents (ISAs), but we found a strong agent-led follow-up model works best for us today.

REM: What’s in your tech stack?
RGT:

• CRM: Follow Up Boss

• Website/IDX: Sierra Interactive

• Automation: Follow Up Boss + TextingBetty

• AI: Currently piloting AI agents for calls and appointment booking, with weekly email reports for activity-based coaching

• Finance: SISU, leadership meetings, whiteboards and Excel

• Other tools: ConnectTeam (internal comms), BombBomb (video messaging), Canva (marketing)

REM: How much do you reinvest back into the business?
RGT: About 20 per cent goes into marketing and 25 to 30 per cent into staff. We track cost per lead, cost per appointment and cost per deal — but cost per deal is the key number. That’s the metric that shows real profitability. At our scale, a healthy return on ad spend (ROAS) is about 5:1 — for every dollar spent, we expect five back in closed business.

REM: What kind of agents thrive on your team?
RGT: Full-time, coachable, driven agents who follow proven systems. We reward consistency and persistence — and new agents typically get their first deal within 30 to 90 days.

REM: What do top earners do differently?
RGT: They follow up relentlessly and stay in touch long after closing. Follow-up is everything. The best agents never stop nurturing their database — they build lifetime relationships.

Lightning round with Rob Golfi

Market insight: Luxury listings sell faster than people think. Priced right, many move in 45 days or less.
Tech you’d fight to keep: Follow Up Boss — it’s the backbone of our lead management and client follow-up.

Marketing hill you’ll die on: Billboards. They build credibility and brand recognition like nothing else.
Agents fail because… they’re lazy.
Teams win because… they offer accountability, training and great culture.

The post Team spotlight: Q&A with the Rob Golfi Team appeared first on REM.

They are right. Between running the business, managing agents, dealing with compliance, and staying visible in their market, recruiting usually slips to the bottom of the list. Then production slows, agents leave and the panic sets in.

Most brokerages do not have a recruiting problem. They have a system problem.

The cost of doing it manually

The traditional way of attracting agents worked ten years ago. A few social media posts, referrals and some phone calls. Today, that is not enough. Agents are flooded with offers and “we’re hiring” messages. Everyone is chasing the same people off the same list.

If your process is inconsistent or generic, you get ignored. That means hours spent reaching out with little to show for it. Every hour spent chasing cold leads is an hour not spent leading your current team or growing your business. Over a year, that time loss can easily equal tens of thousands of dollars.

What automation really means

Automation is not a robot doing your job. It is a system that helps you stay in front of hundreds of agents while sounding personal. It makes sure no one slips through the cracks.

Here is what it can look like:

• Each day, the system identifies active agents based on recent sales data.
• Personalized messages go out that sound like you wrote them.
• When someone responds, you get notified to take over the conversation.

That is it. You only step in when it matters. The system handles the outreach, timing and follow-up. It runs quietly in the background, building relationships for you.

Recruiting as a profit center

Many brokers think of recruiting as a cost. The truth is, it should be one of your biggest profit drivers.

Let’s say one producing agent brings in $10,000 to $20,000 annually for the brokerage. If your recruiting system brings in three or four solid agents each year, that is an extra $30,000 to $80,000 in profit. That return compounds over time as each new agent keeps producing.

Once the system is built, the cost stays fixed, but the results multiply. Every new agent adds to your bottom line without adding to your workload.

Data gives you the edge

The best brokerages no longer guess who to approach. They use real sales data to identify who is active, who is slowing down and who might be open to a conversation.

By pulling transaction history, recent listings and office movements, you can target agents with precision. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, you send relevant, timely communication that feels authentic.

When an agent sees personalized data and a note that speaks directly to what they are doing, they pay attention. That is the kind of outreach that starts real conversations.  Its about disrupting their pattern through a multi-channel approach, so you become a household name to the agent.

From reactive to predictable

Most brokerages recruit only when they feel the pain of having too few agents. That reactive cycle creates stress and inconsistency. Automation breaks that pattern.

It turns recruiting into a steady, predictable process. The system keeps running whether you are in meetings, on vacation, or closing deals. It fills your calendar with interested agents so that every conversation starts warm.

The goal is not to remove the human touch. It is to make sure your time is spent only on high-value interactions. You still build relationships and conduct interviews, but you start with people who already want to talk to you.

That is how you grow without burning out.

Why this matters now

Margins are tighter. Competition is fierce. Many brokerages are already using automation in marketing, lead generation and transaction management. Recruiting should be no different.

An agent attraction system that runs daily is not a luxury anymore. It is how modern brokerages survive market cycles and maintain growth.

If you are still doing recruiting off the side of your desk, you are leaving money on the table. The goal is not to work harder. It is to work smarter, using technology to extend your reach and consistency.

Automation gives you freedom. It lets you focus on leadership, retention and profitability while your recruiting engine quietly builds your next wave of producers.

The bottom line

Growth in real estate is not random. It is built on systems. Brokerages that treat recruiting like a repeatable process will always outperform those that rely on luck or timing.

The brokers who win in the next five years will not be the ones shouting the loudest. They will be the ones who built systems that run even when they are not looking. These systems, run consistently, have a compound effect over a quarter.

Automation does not replace relationships. It amplifies them. It keeps your name in front of the right people until they are ready to move.

If you want predictable growth and a stronger bottom line, start by fixing how you recruit. The right system will pay for itself many times over.

Ghaz Syed

Ghaz Syed is the founder of AGENTC, a boutique recruitment firm that helps brokerages and tech-driven companies build teams that scale. He’s been recruiting since 2008 and built his career by challenging the way hiring is traditionally done.

A connector by nature, Ghaz blends data, automation, and human intuition to turn recruiting into a predictable growth system. He’s also a father of three, a believer in structure and faith, and someone who’d rather build legacies than follow trends.

The post How brokerages can use automation to take the pain out of recruitment appeared first on REM.

Each Wednesday, Real Estate Magazine shares insights, experiences and advice from top-performing agents across Canada. If you’d like to contribute or nominate a colleague or team, send us an email.

At just 29 years old, sales representative Jeremie Fontaine has already reached impressive milestones in his seven-year career with EXIT Realty Associates in Dieppe, NB. 

For the fifth consecutive time in his real estate career, Fontaine recently attained EXIT Realty Corp. International’s Top Lister in North America award. Fontaine was also inducted into the company’s Emerald Circle, recognizing his accumulation of 750 deals in his tenure with the brand, as well as the Titanium award for closing over 150 deals in the company’s production year ending June 30, 2025.

With a portfolio of income properties and a renovation company, Fontaine is now expanding his real estate services to Prince Edward Island.

Real Estate Magazine: How did you first get into real estate?

A: I was buying rental properties for myself. If I’m doing it for myself, I may as well receive commission. 

Q: When did you decide to pursue production as a solo agent — and why?

A: Efficiency. Only I can guarantee the exact same level of quality and care throughout my businuess.

Current snapshot

Brokerage: EXIT Realty Associates

Markets served: New-Brunswick/Greater Moncton area

2024 production: 162 Transactions. I don’t measure success in terms of volume. I’d say $40 million with the average sale price in my area.

YTD 2025 production so far: Transactions: 117 so far and 35 pending.

Building a business

Q: What were the first three key systems or investments you made that changed your business?

A:  Social Media, consistency and real-life exposure (for sale signs, etc).

Q: What are your top three sources of leads today?

A: Referrals of previous clients, social media and sign calls.

Q: What is your approximate breakdown of your marketing budget by channel?

A: Mostly run social media ads and post with boosts, not a set allocated budget. It depends on the property and what I feel is needed to get it moving and sold.

Q: What is your typical response time goal?

A: Two hours, however, no email, text or phone call is left unanswered by the end of the day. I won’t go to bed until I’ve touched base with everyone.

Q: Approximate percentage of revenue reinvested into marketing: 

A: Depends on the listing, but I’d say 15 per cent per listing. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

Q: Do you track cost per lead, cost per appointment, cost per deal? Which number matters most?

A: I do not. I focus on clients and relationships, and the rest follows suit.

Q: How long does it typically take from first contact to an accepted offer or signed listing agreement?

A: Depends on location, but I’d say on average three months for this area of the province.

Q: What behaviours do you reward in yourself? What gets cut from your calendar?

A: I genuinely am a social person, so for me this doesn’t feel like work. I do tend to limit work hours to four to six hours on weekends and 10 to 12 on weekdays.

Q: How do you navigate Canadian compliance rules?

A: Yearly training with the New Brunswick Real Estate Association (NBREA) and trying to keep myself updated on new terms.

Q: If a solo agent has $5,000/month to invest, where should it go for the next six to 12 months?

A: Targeted ads. Based on your market/community, either online or mailouts.

Quick hits

Q: Favourite Canadian market insight people don’t believe (but your data proves):

A: When sales of cars and pleasure crafts, such as boats, campers, RVs and other recreational vehicles, are strong, it usually means the housing market is strong. When those sales slow down, it can be a sign that the housing market is softening.

Q: One tech you’d fight to keep:

A: Facebook

Q: One marketing hill you’ll die on:

A: Constant exposure on social media.

Finish this: ‘Agents fail because…’

A: Because they believe that this is handed to them and that it’s easy. The truth is, hard work is showing up and being consistent day after day.

Finish this: ‘Solo agents win because…’

A: They show up, continuously work, even with small actions repeatedly, until they obtain success.

The post Agent spotlight: Q&A with New Brunswick top agent Jeremie Fontaine appeared first on REM.

The following is based on a conversation recorded on The Leads Are Sh*t podcast. Click here to watch the full interview.

When the real estate world crashed in 2007, Ray Ellen was just getting started. Six months in, listings dried up overnight. He remembers driving past empty fields that already had streets and curbs poured, ghost subdivisions that never made it past the blueprint.

Sellers were showing up to closings in tears. Buyers were grinning ear to ear. Title companies started splitting closings so no one had to sit across from each other.

Most agents working today have never lived through that kind of freeze. Ellen has. And the lessons he learned back then are exactly what agents need now.

‘Balance’ on paper still feels like a downturn; price to win early

A balanced market doesn’t feel balanced when you are coming off the highs of 2021.

Ellen breaks pricing into three simple pieces:

• Comparables: Figure out a realistic range, not a dream number.
• Absorption rate: Are sales speeding up or slowing down month to month? If they are slowing, you can’t price like it is still 2022.
• Competitive set: Look at what is active right now. If there are seven similar homes and five likely buyers, do you want to be the one who sells first, or the one who cuts the price in 60 days?

“If there are four buyers for seven homes, my question to the seller is simple,” Ellen says. “Do you want to be in the top two that sell, or the five that chase the market?”

Do the pricing work with sellers, not for them

Instead of showing up with a printed CMA, Ellen builds it live at the kitchen table.

He pulls up comps, adjusts features and lets the seller call out differences. By the end, they land on a number together.

“Almost every seller says, ‘No one has ever done this with me,’” he says. “That is the point. It is their decision, not my opinion.”

It turns pricing into a collaboration instead of a debate, and it sticks.

Think 90-day campaigns, not weekend launches

When homes sold in a week, agents could throw everything out in the first few days and move on. That does not work anymore.

Ellen plans for a 90 to 120-day arc on every listing:

• Weeks 1–2: make the property look and feel like a premium product with photos, video and strong copy.
• Weeks 3–4: widen the audience, rotate creative and reach new eyeballs.
• Weeks 5–8: change up the hooks, refresh visuals and adjust the price only when paired with a new marketing push. 

That is how he has been able to relist expired homes at the same price and get them sold. The issue usually isn’t price. It is momentum.

Win with questions, not speeches

In softer markets, hard sells fall flat. Ellen has learned to replace statements with questions that help clients talk themselves into the right move.

• “What would it mean to be in your next home sooner?” 
• “If prices are higher in three years, would waiting still make sense?” 
• “When you divide the equity you are giving up by ten years in the right home, is that trade-off worth it?”

He laughs and says, “People trust decisions more when they hear them in their own voice.”

Go after the listings no one else wants

A lot of agents say they don’t want inventory right now. Ellen’s response is, “Great. I’ll take it.”

Hard listings are where the real wins live. Fewer competitors, bigger stories, stronger referrals.

Recently, he took an expired listing, priced it the same, marketed it properly, and sold it in days.

“That client is now telling everyone about it,” he says. “Those testimonials are gold.”

Answer the phone – seriously

Ellen tells a story about a couple moving from Germany. They messaged ten agents. He was the only one who replied.

“It wasn’t my brand or my videos that won them. It was that I answered first,” he says.

Responsiveness is the simplest differentiator in real estate, and most still miss it. Second-ring pick-up. Five-minute text response. Same-day appointment offers. That is the baseline.

Build Q4 momentum to own Q1

Ellen’s big focus this year is finishing strong. His team is running contests, chasing every lead and preparing for a Q4 that could outpace spring.

“Every great first quarter I have ever had came from a busy fourth quarter,” he says. “Momentum compounds.”

The takeaway

The agents who make it through slow markets are the ones who can show their work, sustain demand and help families make confident decisions even when things feel uncertain.

That is what Ellen took from 2007, and it is why he is still here to tell the story.

REM Bot

Content by REM Bot has been created with the assistance of AI. Audio and video interviews, conducted by our team with real people, are transcribed and repurposed into text for those who prefer reading. REM Bot articles are reviewed by staff before publication to ensure factual accuracy and maintain editorial standards.

The post What the 2007 financial crisis taught one team leader about weathering future downturns appeared first on REM.

Data from SingleKey shows that around 15 per cent of tenant applications contain falsified documents, a climbing figure as renters struggle with affordability and job insecurity. For Realtors, it’s a business risk that can leave clients and agents facing unpaid rent, legal costs, and property damage that can total tens of thousands of dollars.

Why are rental scams on the rise

Fraudulent documents from fake credit reports, to proof of income, and even fake driver’s licences are common rental scams in Canada, and have become an increasing problem in recent years.

The typical signs of a fraudulent document include:

• Formatting errors from irregular font use to spacing and alignment inconsistencies
• Account summaries not matching account overviews
• Whole numbers after taxes 
• Employer contact info that doesn’t trace to a real company

But now, with AI, these scams are going unnoticed. What used to be a crude Photoshop job has become a sophisticated, fast-moving scam that is easier than ever to execute. Free online templates and AI tools make it easy to generate convincing pay stubs, employment letters and bank statements in seconds. Logos look authentic. Tax deductions appear accurate. Even bank deposits can be simulated with AI tools.

It’s become increasingly difficult for Realtors to spot these fakes with the naked eye, especially when dealing with time-sensitive leases or multiple applications.

An example of a fake paystub. Clues to detect its inauthenticity include fuzzy fonts and an outdated company name for the employer.

The cost of scams for Realtors

Realtors understand the cost of rental scams goes far beyond lost income. It’s months of legal headaches, unpaid rent and the uphill battle of removing a problematic tenant. Once a risky tenant is in, recovering the unit (and the funds) becomes a long, time-consuming and uncertain process.

Beyond income loss, rental scams can be damaging to a Realtor’s reputation. Realtors are market experts, and investors put their trust in Realtors’ judgment when it comes to rental screening. Persistent scams, the toll on mental health, and the headache of the ordeal can cost a Realtor the investor’s trust, and ultimately, their reputation. Realtors need tools that even the playing field and use AI to their advantage. 

AI didn’t create rental scams — it exposed the gap 

AI hasn’t created a new rental scam problem; it’s just exposed an existing one more clearly.

Rental scams persist because Canada’s rental market lacks the standardization and safeguards that protect other major investments. You wouldn’t buy a car or home without insurance; renting should come with its own layer of protection. 

That’s where trust infrastructure comes in. A set of tools and processes that build accountability, increase transparency, and reduce risk for landlords and Realtors alike. And now, it includes AI. 

While AI has made it easier to create fake documents, it’s also being used to detect them, flagging mismatched fonts, suspicious file metadata, irregular pay cycles and other red flags that even experienced agents might miss.

How to put trust infrastructure into practice

AI may have exposed the gaps in rental screening, but it can also help close them. To stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated scams, Realtors must evolve their screening processes, adopt safeguards and leverage AI to build what the industry needs most: trust infrastructure.

This means combining smart tools with consistent, repeatable practices that reduce risk for clients and put trust back into the landlord-tenant relationship.

A few of these practices include: 

• Complete background checks with verified digital channels – Whenever possible, request income verification on platforms connected to Equifax and TransUnion to create a full picture of the potential tenant. 
• AI-powered documentation and income verification – Use AI as the first line of defence, tracking easy-to-hide edits such as mismatched fonts, layout inconsistency and covered information before it reaches you. 
• Pre-screen risk scoring – Leverage AI to support with the initial assessment of tenant documents, from credit scores, pay stubs and existing debts, to empower decision makers to move quicker and weed out high-risk applicants.
• Regular audits of screening outcomes – Technology paired with Realtors’ market expertise creates efficient and knowledgeable systems. Realtors should take the time to review current systems for bias or false positives, to continuously find ways to leverage AI in a way that works best for them.

The bottom line

Fraudulent applications aren’t going away. They’re part of a broader affordability crunch reshaping the rental market and unveiling the cracks in the current process.

Sharp eyes are no longer enough; the rental market needs systems that create accountability and transparency. At SingleKey, we’ve seen these systems in action firsthand: tenants know their information will be verified, and landlords know their income is protected.

When Realtors combine digital verification tools with automated rent collection and rent guarantee, they are not just screening tenants; they are also protecting income and increasing confidence across the board.

Viler Lika

Viler Lika is the founder and CEO of SingleKey, a leading rental risk intelligence platform that helps landlords, property managers, and Realtors verify tenants and protect rental income. Viler holds an MBA and a computer engineering degree, and he has a background in lending and consumer credit risk at Capital One and TD Bank. Viler is now focused on bringing a fairer, data-driven, transparent and more accountable leasing experience to landlords and Realtors to make renting stress-free.

The post AI scams are a growing threat to landlords – here’s how to protect your clients appeared first on REM.

Each Wednesday, Real Estate Magazine shares insights, experiences and advice from top-performing agents across Canada. If you’d like to contribute or nominate a colleague or team, send us an email.

Editor’s note: The following interview was originally published in a REM special edition print magazine released Oct. 7 at the Re/Max Activate conference.

Steven Liambas of Re/Max Noblecorp Real Estate has built a solid luxury business in the Toronto area, based on innovative marketing tactics, personal touchpoints with clients and keeping on the cutting edge of technology and tools. In this interview, he shares the strategies that have helped big level up in the industry. 

Q: How did you first get into real estate?

A: Before real estate, I worked at a sports nutrition company where I built close relationships with NHL athletes. While I loved that experience, my passion was always marketing, architecture and luxury real estate. With my network of professional athletes, my marketing background and the credibility of having a brother who played pro hockey, I carved out a niche in athlete relocation — and quickly found success in luxury real estate.

Q: Why did you choose to be a solo luxury agent?

A: Eight years ago, I saw a gap in how agents built their own brand alongside their brokerage. I spent six months creating a personal brand before launching my career, treating myself as the product. I wanted full creative control, especially in luxury marketing. Over the years, that vision has evolved into a brand known for creativity and distinct property promotion.

Q: What roles do you juggle today?

A: My main focus is marketing and building my brand, especially by leveraging AI to stay ahead. Setting myself apart from other agents is a priority, and I’m constantly introducing new marketing tools and strategies to promote my luxury properties. 

At the same time, I handle all day-to-day real estate duties — showings, listing presentations, negotiations — so my clients always get a personal, hands-on experience.

Q: Give us a snapshot of your business today.

• Brokerage: REMAX Noblecorp Real Estate
• Markets: Toronto, Vaughan, Kleinburg, Woodbridge, King City, Nobleton, Etobicoke
• 2024 Production: 32 transactions | $24.5 million in sales volume
• Business mix: Balanced between buyers and listings
• Support: Solo agent, with brokerage admin support, plus a marketing consultant and media company

Q: What early investments shaped your business?

A: First, I built my personal brand with a designer. Second, I committed to high-quality media and video production for every listing. Third, I embraced technology, especially AI and digital tools, to stay ahead of trends and deliver standout marketing.

Q: What advice would you give a solo agent making their first hire?

A: Focus on creating a strong personal identity first. If branding and marketing aren’t your strengths, outsource them. Freeing up your time to focus on clients is the smartest investment you can make.

Q: What are your top lead sources?

A: Referrals are my number one source of business, and they often come from past clients who introduce me to their family and friends. That foundation has become the biggest driver of my growth. My second source is social media, particularly Instagram, where I showcase both my brand and my listings. Third is networking. I am always building new relationships, no matter where I am, and that consistent effort continues to expand my reach.

About 75 per cent of my marketing budget goes to media production, from high-end video to lifestyle shoots. I’ve even used a replica Batmobile to promote a Batman-inspired home. The rest goes to social ads and bus ads in key markets.

Q: If you had to cut one channel tomorrow, which would hurt the most — and why?

A: If I didn’t have my referral base, it would affect my business tremendously. My entire model is built on providing the best possible client service, which not only achieves their buying or selling goals but also builds long-term trust. That naturally snowballs into referrals, and it is the foundation that sustains everything else I do.

Q: How do you handle new leads?

A: I respond within minutes. Leads go straight into my CRM, followed by a call, Zoom, or meeting. I pre-qualify, set expectations, and create trust immediately. On average, it takes one touch to get an appointment and three to four touches to secure a contract.

Q: Do you use any ISA/assistant support, or do you handle all leads yourself?

A: I personally handle all leads because I believe people are reaching out specifically to work with me. They want my expertise and guidance, not to be passed along to someone else. Keeping it personal builds stronger relationships and ensures my clients always feel taken care of.

Q: What’s in your tech stack?

• CRM: Website backend + Realm + Excel + Mailchimp
• Website/IDX: Custom site with market data, newsletters, buyer/seller guides
• AI: Used daily for brainstorming, marketing, and media
• Other tools: Photoshop for visual assets

Q: How much do you reinvest into the business?

 A: About five to 10 per cent of revenue goes into marketing, which includes advertising, staging, and property promotion, and 10 to 15 per cent into my media company partnership. They help bring my vision to life, from showcasing properties to implementing AI-driven tools that elevate the overall marketing experience.

I don’t track cost per lead the traditional way. ROI for me is measured in service quality and referrals. My healthy ROAS is four to five times.

Q: Who are the best-fit clients for your approach?

A: Luxury-focused buyers and sellers who value creativity, expertise, and a calm, informed process. My motto is simple: “When you know, you know.”

Q: If a solo agent has $5,000/month to invest, where should it go for the next six to 12 months?

A: The first priority should be building a strong personal brand. Invest in creating an identity that sets you apart from other agents. If you do not have the skill set to bring it to life yourself, work with a professional agency or media company that can. Strong branding combined with polished media for your listings is the fastest way to stand out, attract new clients, and build credibility.

Q: What’s the minimum viable follow-up cadence you’d recommend?

A: Consistency is more important than intensity. At a minimum, stay in touch with leads and past clients monthly, whether through a newsletter, market update or personal check-in. The key is to make sure you are always first top of mind when real estate comes up in conversation.

Lightning round

• Market insight: Luxury is stronger than people think — well-presented homes still move in shifting markets.
• Tech you’d fight to keep: AI
• Marketing hill you’ll die on: Presentation is everything.
• Agents fail because… they lack consistency and don’t build a brand.
• Solo agents win because… they create identity, build relationships, and deliver a personalized experience.

The post Agent spotlight: Q&A with luxury leader Steven Liambas appeared first on REM.

That downturn lasted longer than anyone hoped. From 2015 to 2021, Edmonton was a buyer’s market as prices slid thousands of dollars, inventory stacked up, and apartment-style condos got the shortest end of the stick. The market was rough, and there were 40 per cent fewer transactions for any agent; many left the industry or picked up day jobs. I felt the pressure and now I know how pressure makes diamonds.

In the first six months of 2015, I sold 10 houses a month (60 transactions in six months) because I was forced to learn that markets don’t create or remove opportunities; they just shift where the opportunities live. Here are the lessons that stuck with me.

Decode your market

It’s not just a buyer’s market; the impact varies by price point, and it hits people who bought last year differently than those who bought five years ago. Using tools like a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, we saw that owners who bought five years earlier were in a stronger equity position than those who bought the year before. We also saw that condo and townhouse owners were more affected, as they tended to be less established, and luxury was more affected due to fewer qualified move-up buyers at higher ranges. By understanding the spectrum of impact, we could see who was positioned to win.

Visualize the wins

When the market is hot, wins are plentiful and visible — more like checkers. In a down market, the wins take multiple moves — more like chess. Buyers have the advantage in a buyer’s market, and when someone is selling and buying, the buy can outweigh the sell. Every upgrader was likely to save more on the higher-priced purchase than they would lose on the lower-priced sale. At the top end, thinner buyer pools can widen that spread, which is why calm, evidence-based guidance is a differentiator.

It turns out the challenge wasn’t math; it was fear. People were scared of what they’d heard about the market and what friends would think if they sold in a downturn. What they needed most was a knowledgeable guide to help them see that the down market offered opportunities for those with equity.

Selling in a market that doesn’t want to buy

To unlock the win on the purchase, we had to sell the first property. That meant understanding the market appetite and guiding sellers to solve the market for the highest price. Again, it started with analysis.

If the market had one buyer for every three sellers, you couldn’t be second or third — let alone fifth — in a field crowded with inventory. Most competing listings started five per cent over market, then reduced slowly over a two-month period. Any property that sat more than 60 days without a price change was irrelevant to buyers.

Our clients made better decisions out of the gate, set better prices and had better outcomes. Buyers responded more readily to a listing priced to sell on opening weekend, rather than one that inched down over weeks.

We laid out worst-case scenarios up front, set clear goals and helped people with unrealistic expectations see that this market wasn’t for them.

Spoiled for choice

Once the sale property went pending, we moved to the buy — a better position, with its own challenges. Buyers saw options everywhere, looked for big discounts and had plenty of leverage. The market looked full of deals, but they were harder to find. The risks were decision paralysis and overpaying.

Through testing, we found buyers did better with strong reference points before the first showing. We created a blueprint meeting to build a blueprint for success. It showed the true frequency of opportunities that matched what they wanted — replacing the myth that “thousands of listings” meant unlimited choice. It’s not a game of selection; it’s a game of elimination. You eliminate all but the best option.

We also played the long game. When a listing was new and overpriced, we waited through the price adjustments — and a little longer — to let the seller see the market wasn’t responding. Using time well was a key factor in successful negotiations.

It wasn’t rocket science. It was patience, pattern recognition, and a refusal to get distracted by the noise.

The bigger picture

If you can’t see the wins available in your market, it’s hard to be valuable to people in your marketplace. We can’t look at the market like an ocean with giant waves and stay on the beach. We have to adapt. If there’s wind, we sail; if there are waves, we surf — but we accept we’re getting wet either way.

Taylor Hack

Taylor Hack is an international keynote speaker, cohost of The Leads are $hit Podcast, and leader of HACK&CO at RE/MAX River City; the highest-reviewed team in the Greater Edmonton Area on RankMyAgent.com. Most of Taylor’s 20-year industry experience has been in the top 1 per cent of RE/MAX globally, whether his market has been hot or cold. Taylor is a devoted girl dad, Formula One fanatic, and he believes you miss 100 per cent of the dogs you don’t pet.

The post Pressure makes diamonds: Selling through a market downturn appeared first on REM.

Every month, Kate Teves, HR consultant, recruiter and founder of The HR Pro, answers Realtors’ questions about anything and everything related to human resources. Have a question for Kate? Send her an email.

Question: How can I structure bonus clauses in employment contracts to avoid future conflict?

Kate: One of the many things real estate and HR have in common is that they both rely on clarity.

Whether it’s a purchase agreement or a floor plan, details are crucial. Yet when it comes to employment contracts drafted by brokerages, teams or even single agents hiring an admin assistant, bonus structures are too often written with the legal equivalent of invisible ink. 

We have even heard that they have been specifically advised by consultants not to put any tangible definitions around bonuses into contracts. While the vagueness (“It’s just a discretionary bonus, we’ll figure it out later”) may seem harmless, figuring it out later carries the risk of a lawsuit down the road.

What about the courts? They won’t provide much sympathy to brokerages or agents. In Ontario and across Canada, judges treat brokerages the same way they treat banks, tech firms, or investment companies. A vague bonus clause can easily lead to a six-figure liability.

As Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory taught us while reinforcing the dreaded roommate agreement: “Ambiguity in a contract benefits the party that did not draft it.”

A few examples 

Take Chapman v. GPM Investment Management. The executive’s contract tied his bonus to “10 per cent of pretax profit.” Simple? Not at all. 

When the company sold a piece of real estate, it tried to exclude the capital gain from “profit.” The court disagreed, ruling that without crystal-clear exclusions, “profit” meant all profit, including a big land sale. 

Costly lesson: In real estate, where profits often swing on a single deal, fuzzy bonus definitions can make or break a balance sheet.

Or look at Matthews v. Ocean Nutrition and Paquette v. TeraGo Networks, two leading cases on bonuses during termination. Both decisions hammered home the point that, unless a contract clearly says otherwise, employees can claim bonuses they “would have earned” during their reasonable notice period. 

Imagine a brokerage manager terminated in November, only to claim a year’s worth of bonus payouts tied to the next spring’s sales surge. If your clause just says “must be actively employed,” that may not be enough.

Then there’s Boyer v. Callidus, where unclear policies on bonuses and stock options left a company paying nearly $1.8 million. Swap “stock options” for “profit-sharing pools” or “branch manager bonuses” and you can see the parallel: courts will force payouts if the language doesn’t explicitly cut them off.

Spell out bonus clauses like a business contract

Brokerages are unique workplaces. Besides agents, who work on commission splits, brokerages often pay staff, office managers, marketing coordinators, deal secretaries and even senior administrators a salary plus bonuses tied to retention, profitability, recruitment targets or profit sharing. These bonuses can be, and usually are, as informal as “If we hit X deals this quarter, you’ll get $Y.”

But what happens if that employee resigns mid-quarter? Or is it terminated before payouts? Without precise contract wording, Ontario courts will likely side with the employee, awarding the bonus (and possibly tacking on additional damages).

It’s easy to picture – a brokerage promises its office manager a “growth bonus” for every new agent recruited, but doesn’t define whether the bonus is payable immediately or only after the agent survives a retention period. Cue dispute.

Another common scenario: A branch administrator is told they’ll receive a “profit-share” at year-end, but the brokerage never clarifies whether “profit” means before or after head office expenses. Enter the Chapman precedent, and a costly recalculation.

The solution isn’t complicated; it just requires care. Bonus clauses in brokerage contracts should be drafted with the same precision as an Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Spell out:

• What exactly triggers the bonus (specific KPIs, profit definitions, timelines).
• Whether the employee must be employed on the payout date.
• How disputes will be resolved.
• Concrete examples of calculations (e.g., “If office profit is $500,000, bonus pool is $50,000, divided as follows…”).

Yes, it feels tedious. But so does staging a vacant property, and we all know buyers are more likely to pay top dollar for a home that looks complete. Courts are the same: they reward employers who “stage” their contracts properly.

Write it clearly. Put it in the contract. And save the surprises for your client gift baskets, not your bottom line.

Kate Teves

Kate Teves is the founder and COO of the HR Pro, a recruiter and a Human Resources Professional who focuses on the real estate industry by finding incredible people to support solopreneurs, teams and brokerages.  She also helps leaders and managers build HR processes and design a culture and mindset that facilitate business growth and employee development.

The post Ask Kate: How do you keep bonus promises clear and conflict-free? appeared first on REM.

As I’ve reflected on that article and how Realtors and brokers can adapt to the inevitability of a changing value proposition, I’m also struck by an idea that I’ve had a hard time putting into words. 

I’ve long thought about the opportunity for Realtors to adopt the perspective of small business owners, because one, that’s exactly what they are, and two, business owners typically look at the world through a future-based lens. Considering the myriad external forces around them from the perspective of a business owner, rather than that of a salesperson or contractor, would shape the way Realtors react and adapt to the shifting environment. 

Inspiring the small-business owner mindset

So, in considering how to inspire this mindset, I thought I would lean on a personal project that I’ve enjoyed working on over the past year. As the host of my own podcast, I’ve spent well over 50 hours speaking to small business owners about their business journey. Having them share their experiences, struggles, successes, and lessons has been a true pleasure. But it’s also given me a lot of fodder for conversations related to my professional world in the real estate sector. 

Over the course of creating the podcast, I’ve noticed some “red threads” – themes that run throughout the conversations, no matter the size, scale, or type of business. I want to share these nine themes in the hope that they inspire Realtors to consider the changing value proposition from a different perspective.

1) Learning

There is consensus amongst my podcast guests that there is no formal education that can fully prepare you for the realities of business ownership. Owning a business is educational, and learning happens at every turn. There was even one story shared where two business partners agreed that a money-losing situation that resulted in lessons being learned would be tracked as “tuition” in the expense statement (I recommend speaking to your accountant before doing this). 

I think this concept can be appreciated in the real estate sector where no amount of licensing education can quite prepare you for the ins and outs of day-to-day business.

2) Mentorship

This comes up a lot. Sometimes, guests shared the strategy of engaging mentors intentionally, while others could simply identify those who guided them on their journey. This is another topic that comes up in the real estate sector, where formalized mentorship programs are often explored. 

As small business owners, Realtors appreciate the value of a mentor and most can identify who that individual has been for them.

3) Purpose before profit

This is probably my favourite theme and one that likely resonates with most listeners. For many (if not all) of my podcast guests, their primary motivation is the purpose of the business, not the money they make. They are all driven by why they started the business, and the profit comes only if they continue to be motivated by the purpose. 

I would say that Realtors already do this really well – focusing on their clients’ best interests as a priority over the commission cheque.

4) The human element

There is often a conflation of the business and the business owner – by employees, shareholders, consumers, and so on – which leads those around the business owner to forget that they are human. The truth is that business owners are heavily impacted by the difficult decisions they often have to make. 

Decisions are not made in the absence of emotion, and an appreciation of this humanizes the business owners to those around them.

5) Scaling

My guests and I often talk about growing the business. Sometimes the discussion focuses on growth strategies that didn’t work; sometimes it’s fear of growth; sometimes it’s effective scaling, whether planned or not. 

Considering scale rather than simply the pursuit of the next deal, client, or listing will give Realtors a perspective of strategic growth, rather than transactional growth.

6) Growing for growth’s sake 

This ties back to the scaling topic. It was something that I experienced, so I can relate when guests discuss it. 

Business owners need to measure business growth by a healthier bottom line or balance sheet rather than simply by the number of employees, size of the office building, or number of locations.

7) Throwing good money after bad

The idea of knowing when to abandon something that isn’t working – whether an expansion, a new product line, or even just the original business – comes up a lot. It can be difficult when a business doesn’t do what an owner expected, and even more difficult to change course.

Realtors invest in many different aspects of their business and get caught up in not wanting to abandon an initiative because they have already invested and want that investment to pay off. But sometimes it’s a necessary step to make room for the next successful endeavour.

8) Work/life integration

Business owners commit a lot of time to running their business and this often calls into question how they balance everything. In an early episode of the podcast, a guest shared this idea of work/life integration: It’s not about prioritizing the business over other things, such as family; it’s about integrating the business life with everything else. 

This idea has presented itself whenever the discussion of work/life balance comes up, and there may be no better example of it than the life of a Realtor.

9) The power of luck

This one is not discussed outright in any episode (I don’t think), but it is certainly a theme. There are so many instances in any business journey where luck plays a part, whether it is obvious at the time or not. 

I’m sure every one of the roughly 150 thousand Realtors across Canada can point to a happenstance, coincidence, or fluke that contributed to where they are today.

In my conversations with small business owners, I’m continually inspired by their strength, creativity, and adaptability. I see those same qualities in Realtors I meet across the country.

The value proposition is continuing to evolve, and a mindset shift like the one I’m speaking about will empower Realtors to adapt and become better positioned to thrive in the future.

Trevor Koot

As a former managing broker and realtor, Trevor Koot’s nearly two decades in organized real estate gives him hands-on expertise in understanding the profession’s needs. Before stepping in as CEO at the BC Real Estate Association, he served as CEO of Kamloops and District Real Estate Association for four years and Kootenay Association of Realtors for three before successfully merging the two into the Association of Interior Realtors. Trevor’s leadership in the real estate sector began long before his CEO career when he was Chair of the Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission for five years. He played a key role in redrafting provincial real estate regulations during his tenure. Trevor also served two years as Chair of the Governance Committee at the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials.

He holds multiple degrees, from a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a minor in Mathematics through the University of Saskatchewan to a Master of Business Administration degree through Royal Roads University. Trevor is adding to his extensive education through his current pursuit of completing a Master of Laws degree at York University. His daughter, Abby, attends the University of Victoria while he and his wife, Jill, live in Vancouver’s Chinatown.

The post Koot: Thrive through change with a small business mindset appeared first on REM.

Now is your window

It’s not going to be obvious. You won’t suddenly wake up to headlines screaming “It’s back!” You’re not going to feel it until long after it’s already passed. But for the agents who are paying attention – the ones putting in the work right now – opportunity is already forming.

The question is: Will you be ready when it fully arrives? Or will you still be waiting for permission to go?

The writing’s on the wall

I’ve spoken one-on-one with three different economists over the past few weeks: Benjamin Tal, Sherry Cooper, and Jason Mercer. All of them – from different backgrounds, using different data – said a similar thing: we’re roughly 12 months out from a healthier housing cycle. One even suggested it’s coming sooner.

Sure, there are still headwinds – tariffs, the federal government changing our Canadian landscape and making it unrecognizable, plus buyers who are skeptical and sellers who are still emotionally stuck in 2021. But interest rates are slowly creeping down, and consumer confidence will return as that momentum builds.

Which means your moment to start making moves is right now. Not six months from now. Not after the holidays. Now!

Stop waiting. Start doing.

Agents love to tell me they’re waiting.

Waiting for the market to stabilize.
Waiting for their clients to make a move.
Waiting for a sign that now’s the right time.

But success doesn’t come to those who wait. It comes to those who build and work their pipeline now, so that when confidence returns, they’ve already positioned themselves as the trusted expert who never disappeared.

Here’s your checklist of action steps:

Pick up the phone

If you haven’t called your database in the past 30 days, you’re already falling behind. Your past clients, your warm leads, your sphere – they need to hear from you. Not a social media post. Not a random ad. You!

Call to educate, not to sell. Update them on rate changes. Help them understand market conditions. Ask how you can support them.

Don’t overthink what to say. This isn’t about having the perfect script. It’s about being present.

Pro Tip: The more you track the notes from each of your calls and communications with each person on your list, the easier it will be to carry the conversation the next time you see them. That leads to stronger rapport building, which leads to trust, which then sets you up for the opportunity to earn their deal.

If you say you don’t know what to say, I’ll say you don’t want to work hard enough to run your business the way you should be running it. And if that’s the case, get out of the business because you can’t last that way.

Audit your marketing

Marketing isn’t what you do when you’re busy. It’s what you do so you can be busy.

Too many agents are running marketing plans based on hope – sporadic social posts, a few templated emails, maybe a postcard if they remember.

Do you have a campaign running? Do you know your budget? Are you tracking conversions?

If you’re not treating marketing like your main driver for growth, you’re not serious about actually growing.

Every piece of content you put out – from a video to a CMA to a coffee meeting – is either building MindShare or it isn’t. And if it’s not? You’re just wasting time.

Fix your follow-up

This one’s blunt: most agents are garbage at follow-up.

They make a call once. Maybe twice. Then they move on because the client didn’t call them back.

In a recent conversation, someone actually compared Realtors to sharks. Realtors swim around and bump into stuff, asking, “Are you ready to buy/sell yet?”. And when the answer is no, they move on, and then at some point down the road, maybe, they swim back around and ask the same question again. 

But deals don’t happen on the first call, or because of a random sales call. Most buyers or sellers don’t convert until at least the fifth to twelfth touchpoint. Remember that!

You need a system. A real one. With CRM notes. With scheduled check-ins. With value built into every follow-up.

If your process is “hope they call me back,” then your pipeline will always be empty, and you will always be stressing about where your next deal is coming from.

Train your clients

A lot of the frustration in this market isn’t about economics. It’s about expectations.

Buyers think they can afford more than they can. Sellers still want 2022 prices. And agents feel stuck in the middle.

But you’re not stuck – unless you refuse to lead.

Your job is to communicate to educate. To set realistic expectations. To coach your clients through the process, not just show up and say “okay.”

If you don’t train your clients to understand the market, the media will train them for you – and you will continue to find it harder and harder to get those deals done.

Plan for 2026

That’s right. 2026.

What you do right now sets the tone for how you finish your year, and just as importantly how your new year will start off.

The most successful agents aren’t just winging it – they’ve got an engineered plan that helps them see what their next quarter will look like, and what their year ahead looks like. That’s a plan. So –

• What does your brand look like a year from now?
• What will your marketing campaigns be for the spring?
• What are you doing today to ensure income consistency in 2026?

Planning that far out doesn’t mean having every step figured out. It means knowing the destination – so you can reverse engineer your daily behaviour to align with where you want to go.

Don’t just plan a little harder. Think bigger. Think longer. Make time to work on your 2026 business plan now so your pipeline is always full.

Final word: Your market is coming back — but only if you show up first

You don’t need a crystal ball. You just need to pay attention.

Yes, the past 18 months have been hard. Yes, the market’s been sluggish. But all signs are pointing to a shift.

So if you’ve been waiting for the go-ahead, this is it!

This is the time to rebuild your habits.
This is the time to reinforce your marketing.
This is the time to show up for your clients and re-establish trust.

Opportunity is already forming. And the people who’ll win in 2026 are already doing the work today.

Make your calls. Work on your business plan. And build your MindShare because it equals market share.

Don’t wait for the market to come back.

Be the reason it does!

David Greenspan

David Greenspan, CEO and founder of #MindShare101 is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, trainer and coach who helps sales professionals and businesses improve their sales and marketing efforts by bridging the gap between online and offline marketing to achieve a higher ROI on every marketing dollar spent. His direct, raw, and real approach is designed to motivate you and give you the advice you need to know.

David’s goal is to help you build MindShare, creating a top-of-mind intuitive, instinctive reaction so when people think of the product or service you offer, they think of your name first, always putting you in the right place at the right time to take your business to the next level.

The post The housing market is returning — but only for those who are ready appeared first on REM.