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.

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.

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.

Talk about one-stop shopping. Eleven Realtors from different brokerages recently came together to hold an agent open house that featured all seven of the suites for sale in a luxury boutique condominium in Toronto’s South Rosedale neighbourhood.

No. 7 Dale, designed by architect Hariri Pontarini and with interiors by Alessandro Munge, is a collection of multi-million-dollar suites. Each is more like a custom home, with its own mechanical room that allows owners to customize features such as heating, water filtration and security systems for their own suites. Other highlights include Dada kitchens and custom closets by Molteni & C, says broker Alison Fiorini of Harvey Kalles Real Estate. 

The building is divided into east and west wings. The brick front “reads like a Rosedale home, but the back is glass with ravine views,” she says.

Fiorini considers the open house event a success with about 50 agents and a few potential buyers attending. 

“It’s rare to be able to walk through something that’s built,” she says, as condos are usually sold pre-construction. 

Condos are a different beast in Rosedale, which is made up mostly of single-family residential. 

How it came together

The living space and marble fireplace of suit 207 of 7 Dale Avenue, listed for $8,495,000.

Fiorini and the other agents co-ordinated the event by email, excitedly sharing what each was planning for their individual suite and coming up with an organized plan for the day.

A greeter in the lobby gave out pamphlets and directed visiting agents to the suites listed for sale. The tour also gave agents a chance to view the amenities, which include a gym, a spa, a private trainer room and a lobby with designer furniture and a grand fireplace.

Broker Cailey Heaps of Royal LePage Heaps Estrin Real Estate says, “We’re always open to collaborating with colleagues from different firms to achieve the best results for our clients.”

She says the event was a perfect example of the impact that can come from working together. 

“The outcome was exactly what we hoped for, bringing a large group of prominent Toronto agents together to experience the project firsthand,” she says.

Heaps is co-listing the property with Megan Till-Landry.

Banding together to spark interest

The event was all about creating buzz and making it easy for other agents to tour all of the suites in one day.

Broker Janice Fox of Hazelton Real Estate says the response from a collaborative open house with multiple properties is easily 10-fold that of an independent single open house.

“Agents who wouldn’t have come otherwise were quite excited to make an entire building tour and could suddenly understand the features and benefits of the property as a whole and the diversity of options,” Fox says. “Part of the challenge in the current market is getting attention focused on your listing, and this went a long way in helping all of the listing agents.”

Fox says the developer of the property engaged Hazelton Real Estate to oversee sales of the entire project. “To date, we are almost two-thirds sold.”

Having a joint agent open house in a building isn’t easy, says broker Paul Maranger of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, who is co-listing with Christian Vermast and Fran Bennett.

“For security reasons, most buildings don’t permit open houses (whether public or agent), so the ability to ‘multi-task’ and visit the current supply was a luxury beyond belief for Realtors.”

‘A real success’

Realtor Gillian Oxley of Royal LePage Real Estate Services says the open house was a “fantastic opportunity” to showcase the suite’s craftsmanship and livability to Toronto’s top agents.

“It created meaningful conversations, collaboration and cross-promotion opportunities between agents representing similar luxury buyers,” she says. “These events strengthen professional relationships and ultimately benefit clients by increasing exposure and generating qualified interest in exceptional properties like this one.”

“The event was a real success,” says Realtor Jimmy Molloy of Chestnut Park Real Estate. “The idea of a group open house adds weight and momentum to encourage agents to see the product in person. 

He says real estate cannot be truly experienced on a screen. 

“You have to be in the space to understand the nuances of light, the volume and how you interact with it. The group open house is a creative way to encourage more agents to actually feel and experience the product,” says Molloy, who is co-listing with Lindsay Van Wert.

Realtor James Warren of Chestnut Park Real Estate says, “The agents were quite thrilled and happy with the fine bespoke finishings, high ceilings, the floor-to-ceiling windows and the views of the private terraces and gardens. The agents were happy we opened seven apartments at once so they could view the different floor plans.” 

Warren’s unit is co-listed with Alex Obradovich.

Early results

Fiorini had a second showing the day after the open house.

One agent told her during the open house that after seeing it in person, they had a client who might be interested.

Connie Adair

Connie Adair is a contributing writer for REM.

The post Different brokerages, same goal: Inside a collaborative open house 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.

“I didn’t know the pay structure, I didn’t know the day-to-day, I didn’t know anything,” she says. “I wasn’t one of those people who got into real estate thinking it was easy money. I just… didn’t know.”

Her first deal came quickly, a Kensington Market investment property owned by her mother, but it wasn’t a handout.

“They treated me like any other agent,” she says. “I had to know the answers, handle the tenants, manage PPE showings in peak COVID. And then my first actual deal came off a sign call on that property.”

That early start was followed by a long, quiet stretch. Six months passed before she closed another transaction.

Cold calls, clause manuals and a team

To fill the gap, Ettinger pulled up her LinkedIn and cold-messaged every single connection. She ran Facebook ads and called the leads herself. Without support at her first brokerage, she learned the paperwork by reading through the clause manual and piecing offers together line by line.

It was exhausting and not especially fruitful. “I was 20. None of my friends were buying or selling. I didn’t have anyone feeding me business.”

The answer, at the time, was joining a team. “I wanted business, but I also needed mentorship,” she says. 

For nearly a year, she learned from watching listing appointments and buyer consultations. It gave her experience she wouldn’t have had otherwise, but eventually the numbers didn’t make sense. Her own business was starting to grow, and she found herself giving away half of what she earned.

By late 2021, she was ready to move on.

Three TikToks a day

Around that same time, Ettinger’s fiancé pushed her to try TikTok. “I thought it was silly. I didn’t want to dance on camera. But he kept telling me it was important, so I started posting.”

For nearly a year, she posted three videos a day. “It was very basic at first; down payments, land transfer tax, what Humber courses cost. I tried everything to see what would stick.”

It worked. Within six months, she was getting clients from social media.

“Viral videos don’t convert. They boost engagement, sure, but business comes from value. Every piece of content I put out has to teach something…something you didn’t know before.”

Live videos were especially effective. “I’d go live for an hour almost every day. Most of the comments weren’t useful, but every so often, someone would ask about buying in a specific neighbourhood. I’d talk to them, screenshot their username, and follow up afterwards. That’s how I started to really convert business.”

The viral snowfort

Her most widely shared video, a mock listing for a snowfort during Toronto’s overheated 2022 market, reached nearly two million views on TikTok and was picked up by outlets like BlogTO.

“It didn’t bring me clients,” she says plainly. “But it catapulted my engagement for future videos and expanded my reach. The people who hire me come from the stories, the value, the proof that I’ll fight for them.”

‘I’m not a creator’

One line Ettinger repeats often is that she doesn’t see herself as a content creator.

“Where some Realtors get mixed up is that they go from being Realtors to being content creators. I’m not that. I’m a Realtor. I create content to get clients. If the apps went away tomorrow, I’d still be a Realtor. I’d just adapt.”

That mindset has shaped her approach. She treats her TikTok and Instagram accounts as ways to meet people, but pushes them toward her website, where contact forms feed into her CRM. She writes a weekly newsletter that mixes market updates with anecdotes from her life.

“By the time people reach out, they’ve already decided they want to work with me,” she says. Her conversion rate is much higher than most agents report – in her words, “substantially higher, probably like 75 per cent.”

Systems and consistency

By 2023, the challenge wasn’t getting attention – it was keeping up. “I was busy with clients and didn’t have time to film. My pipeline dried out.”

Her solution was hiring a content manager to edit, post, and help her batch-produce clips from a podcast she records in her home studio. About three-quarters of her current content comes from those podcast clips; the rest are real-time updates and short advice videos.

It’s a system designed to keep her business steady, even when she’s busy.

Looking ahead

Now five years into the business, Ettinger says she still enjoys creating content but only because it connects her with clients.

“I’ve always been open with sharing parts of my life. People feel like they know me before they meet me, and that makes it easier to work together.”

The consistency shows. Nearly half of her clients today come directly from her online presence. The rest come through referrals and her growing sphere.

She has no plans to stop posting, but she makes it clear she’d still be fine if the platforms disappeared tomorrow.

Andrew Fogliato

Andrew Fogliato – The G is silent –  is the owner of Real Estate Magazine and Just Sell Homes. He mostly talks about marketing but sometimes ventures into other topics in the real estate world. Sometimes he also writes bios in the 3rd person.

The post Realtor first, creator second: Anya Ettinger talks winning business online 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.

Known for their powerhouse presence in Kelowna, B.C. and beyond, sisters Tamara and Shannon Stone have built one of Canada’s top-producing teams. With over $210M in 2024 sales volume and nearly $240M year-to-date in 2025, the Stone Sisters are redefining what team leadership looks like in Canadian real estate.

REM: How did you first get into real estate?

Tamara: Our parents were in the business, so we grew up learning how to negotiate. I was drawn to the freedom and the fact that there’s no cap on earnings.

Shannon: Tamara asked me for years to join her, but I pursued a business degree and worked in marketing first. Ironically, when she stopped asking, I finally decided to join. We planned to train together for six months — and never stopped.

Q: When did you decide to build a team — and why?

Tamara: I sold real estate for 10 years before Shannon joined me. With her marketing acumen, we quickly scaled, but soon we were dropping balls. We hired an admin after her first year and then our first licensed agent in 2010.

Shannon: From the beginning, I wanted us to run real estate like a business, not just as agents. Building a team was always the vision.

Q: What roles do each of you play today?

Tamara: I coach our agents and focus on skill development. I also still attend CMA presentations with our agents.

Shannon: I lead marketing and operations while also co-leading recruiting and vision. We both coach and train through weekly meetings and one-on-ones.

Q: Give us a snapshot of your business today.

• Agents: 12 (including Tamara and Shannon)
• Staff: Five (three in-office: office manager, listing coordinator, marketing assistant; two virtual staff for showings, feedback, and reports)
• Markets served in B.C.: Kelowna, Peachland, Big White, Lake Country, West Kelowna
• 2024 production: 222 sales | $210,828,222 GSV
• 2025 YTD: 187 firm sales | $240,199,600 GSV
• Staff-to-agent ratio: One staff member for every three agents

Q: What were your first key hires that changed the business?

Tamara: Hiring a rockstar office manager, then a marketing director — Shannon had the ideas, but we needed someone to implement. Adding listing coordinators was also a game-changer.

Shannon: Our first admin and two agents were critical. Later, hiring virtual staff for phones and showings, and a listing coordinator, streamlined operations dramatically.

Q: What advice would you give a team leader making their first hire?

Tamara: Make sure you have enough business to support — agents join teams for leads.

Shannon: Hire slow, fire fast if needed. Identify the tasks you shouldn’t be doing and delegate. Create systems so new hires can take 80 per cent of the work while you focus on the 20 per cent that requires your touch.

Q: What are your top lead sources?

Tamara: Agent referrals, past client referrals, and leads from listings.

Shannon: Repeat and referral, brand awareness (mail-outs, bus benches), and social media. Our marketing budget is about 40 per cent past client, 25 per cent referral, 25 per cent marketing, and 10 per cent miscellaneous.

Q: How are leads routed and followed up?

Shannon: Leads go into our CRM and are assigned by our director of leads (round-robin for generics, best-fit for others). If it’s a referral or listing, Tamara or I handle the first call. Leads then move into drip campaigns based on category. After the transaction closes, we personally follow up and thank clients.

Q: What’s in your tech stack?

• Website: StoneSisters.com
• Automation: No dialer/text automation
• AI: Website bot for instant replies
• Finance: Excel + Hubdoc
• Other tools: ChatGPT

Q: How do you invest back into the business?

• Marketing: 6.2 per cent of revenue
• Staff/operations: 8.1 per cent of revenue
• Profit goal: Maintain 40 per cent profit, 30 per cent COGS, 30 per cent expenses

Q: What kind of agents thrive on your team?

Shannon: Hungry, smart, and a team player. New agents usually get their first deal in two to three months. Follow-up and exceptional customer service are rewarded. No follow-up? No leads.

Q: Advice for smaller teams?

Shannon: Your next hire depends on your bottleneck. If you don’t have lots of leads, an ISA doesn’t make sense — start with a transaction coordinator. Invest in social media ads and client engagement.

Lightning Round

• Favourite Canadian market truth: Referrals and repeat clients always outperform ads in ROI.
• One tech you’d fight to keep: Our CRM
• One marketing hill you’ll die on: Be in front of people.
• Agents fail because… they hide behind screens instead of connecting.
• Teams win because… of efficiency, processes, and marketing reach.

The post Agent spotlight: Q&A with Kelowna’s Stone Sisters 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.