(Kelowna, BC) – RE/MAX has been awarded Most Trusted Residential REALTOR® as voted on by readers of Reader’s Digest magazine.  The survey conducted for the annual awards revealed that the majority of Canadians trust RE/MAX for all their residential real estate needs, ranking RE/MAX associates five-times more ‘trusted’ than the second most trusted brand.

“Our associates should be proud and honoured to receive the confidence of Canadian consumers as the Most Trusted Residential REALTOR®,” says Elton Ash, Regional Executive Vice President for RE/MAX of Western Canada.  “It’s an inspiring merit that the best trained and most experienced agents have received for providing valuable assistance to so many families.”

Ash believes that this distinction awarded to Canadian RE/MAX associates is due in part to two notable attributes.  The first being “Premier Community Citizenship” – a quality that RE/MAX associates share by being ever-mindful of the impact they make locally as they are involved with their communities through volunteering, fund-raising and more.

The second is that RE/MAX associates carry more professional designations than any other REALTOR® in Canada.  RE/MAX agents are invested in additional education in specialized areas such as Senior’s representation, commercial brokerage and luxury homes.

RE/MAX is Canada’s leading real estate organization with over 17,500 sales associates situated throughout its more than 680 independently-owned and operated offices across the country.  The RE/MAX franchise network, now in its 37th year, is a global real estate system operating in more than 70 countries.  Over 6,500 independently-owned offices engage over 115,000 member sales associates who lead the industry in professional designations, experience and production while providing real estate services in residential, commercial, referral, and asset management.  For more information, visit: www.remax.ca.

“New Home Sales Surge” MSNBC article indicates strong spring sales have been happening in the US…(and, they feature a RE/MAX sign in the article, pretty good advertising, don’t you think?)

I saw this one coming when a client visiting Pheonix told me on the phone just this week how terrible the r.e. market in the US has become!  “Everyone (get this) everyone is saying how bad it is!”

When the royal EVERYONE is saying how bad it is, that is a good sign.  When EVERYONE says how good it is, that is a bad sign…Remember the taxi driver advising you to buy TECH STOCKS?  Remember EVERYONE wanting to buy real estate?  When EVERYONE says that real estate really, really sucks…u better be a buyer if at all possible!

The groundbreaking marketing efforts included a DAWN TO DUSK CELEBRATE SUMMERLAND SUCCESS EVENT that invited the entire Real Estate Board, the Summerland Chamber of Commerce, local dignitaries, Agur Lake Camp Society fundraiser (including new life memberships sold). Numerous local businesses contributed prizes and giveaways for the live on line blog, facebook and youtube VIDEO UPDATES that culminated with a LIVE on location SUNFM openhouse media event.

This innovative, community based effort was entirely new to the town, and garnered interest from well beyond the limits of our small town. Internet marketing involved a comprehensive and creative social networking strategy including FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, YOUROKLIFE.COM, SUMMERLANDINFO.COM and FANPAGE!

The onsite strategy featured INNOVATIVE consumer self guided open house tours. These efforts along with Highway signage, high impact advertising along with flyers, posters and newsletter updates have brought unprecedented consumer interest, resulting in many interested parties from throughout the Lower Mainland, Interior, Northern BC and Alberta, coming to tour this wonderful Summerland project. In fact, on line internet interest has come from all across Western Canada, once again proving that if a quality product is built, in a special location, in a great little town…they will come!

Once again, Congratulations to Rikhi Development/Top Five Group, thank you for the opportunity to be of service, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

It truly does such a dis service when that company publishes statistics just to make some headlines for themselves!

Those stats are so very, very misleading, aren’t they!  The “talking heads” that run that media department indicate in their “housing report” that prices may have risen too far…well, that is just not applicable to the realities of the South Okanagan market…we still operate here in a REAL estate market, not a statistical wonderland…

There have been 63 new Summerland mls listings this month, contrasted with only 19 sales!!!

Folks, that is more than THREE new listings for every one sale!!!

So, when you “hear all about it”…just remember, those statistics can be manipulated and distorted…for example, if a 26 year old woman gives birth, the AVERAGE age in the room becomes 13 years old…As always, for REAL input, REAL experience, and honest advice, let me know, I am happy to help if I can…

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/housing-market-overheating-royal-lepage/article1527304/

http://www.cnbc.com/id/36119485