speaker-0: Welcome to closing time with Jeff West. I am a real estate agent in London, St. Thomas, and Elgin County, and now with Right at Home Realty. Our brokerage was recently purchased and today is the first day. Well not today. This is going to be airing on Tuesday, so it will be a week at Right at Home Realty. Today my guest is Robin Tiller. She is the 2026 chair of L Star, the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors. And she's also the owner and broker of record of Caldwell Banker Star Real Estate Brokerage. Welcome, Robin. No problem. We're just gonna kinda start to get to know you a little bit if you wanna talk about your journey into real estate and what what inspired you to become a real estate agent.
speaker-1: Steph. Thanks for having me on. Okay, well, real estate is actually my second career. I began my life as a science laboratory top technologist from Fanshaw College and then I have a Bachelor of Science from Louis University. For fifteen years I worked in the manufacturing field in chemistry and quality control, and I enjoyed the science and it was challenging and rewarding, but I really needed something else. I realized I wanted a career where I could build relationships and sort of help people make decisions and have more of a d direct impact in everyday life. So real estate gave me that opportunity. So in twenty twenty one I became a registering. And for honestly for a little bit, I kind of I struggled, kept both jobs. And then one day I kind of asked the universe for a sign. I'm like, what am I doing with my life? And I decided I would go a little did a little bit of good retail therapy. The first store I walked into was in Roots and being extremely off brand, I actually saw this t shirt. And it was like right on the front back. And I thought if that's not a sign to make a change and to commit myself to this, then nothing is. So it says quit your day job.
speaker-0: Love you bought the shirt.
speaker-1: Are you ⁓ how can I not buy this shirt?
speaker-0: Yes, absolutely.
speaker-1: So I started as a career change, became a profession that I could never fully ma imagined. ⁓ today I own, as you mentioned, the Cobalt Maker Star Real Estate. We have offices in Grand Bend, Strathroy, and St. Thomas. And I continue to work as a realtor with my own sales. I work directly with clients and I teach future realtors as well. I work with the ⁓ Humber Real Estate Education Program. And I found that each role is different, but they all come back to helping people succeed. And looking back, I'm really incredibly grateful for the path that I chose. And if you'd asked me twenty years ago what a realtor did, I would have said they helped people buy and sell homes. But I would never imagine the leadership, the teaching, the mentoring, and the community part of this.
speaker-0: Yeah, that's amazing. I I'm not sure if you know Robin, but it I'm this is a second career for me as well. Yeah. I was a teacher for twenty two years. ⁓ awesome. And yeah, and I love the thing I love most about real estate is relationships. And that's the same thing I loved about teaching, where people are asking me now if I'm I miss teaching. I don't. I miss the kids. Right. Like I I miss the kids because that was my strength in building those relationships and now it's just moved on to adults and and helping them and building those strong relationships that a lot of them are now lifelong.
speaker-1: Hmm. Excellent. Well that's nice. And and I mean, as you said, they're lifelong and you can ⁓ you you can glean from that and use your transferable skills into your real estate career. It it all it all meshes.
speaker-0: Yeah, absolutely. What led you to to get involved in leadership with L Star?
speaker-1: So apparently I'm a habit of looking for just one more thing to get involved in. So it started with a committee at at L Star. I just I joined the professional standards because I thought I'll just volunteer for one committee and you know, up my game a little bit. And then somehow that led to more committees. I went on to discipline and which led to arbitration, which led to audit and risk management, followed by governance and eventually finance and executive. So I'm kind of a serial
speaker-0: ⁓ I feel yeah.
speaker-1: volunteer. Each role kind of gave me a better understanding of our association and how it operates and how good governance supports our members. And it just it grew and every committee has taught me something different and helped me prepare me for the privilege of serving as chair for the
speaker-0: Yeah. That's awesome. And what is what is serving as chair mean to you personally, professional?
speaker-1: Okay, well it's been actually been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. ⁓ personally, it's given me a chance the opportunity to give back to profession that has given me a lot. I had no idea ⁓ what it actually involved personally as in personal growth. It's been a privilege to work alongside so many dedicated volunteers and see how much time they actually put into it. The directors and staff and I continue to learn every day from people. ⁓ I've had the opportunity to really spend quality time one on one with other realtors and find out what works for their business and what doesn't work for their business and understand the rules and the roles that realtors play in the community. So it's been very interesting that way. Professionally it strengthened my belief in that leadership is all about service. It's about listening, ⁓ building consensus and supporting good decisions. As a realtor and a broker of record, it's certainly up my game. I stay connected to real world challenges that our members face and it helps me guide us with the work that we do at Alstar. As well.
speaker-0: Nice. That's a good leading question 'cause a lot of viewers might not know exactly what L Star is and what their role is as far as supporting real estate. Do you wanna talk a little bit about that?
speaker-1: Yeah, okay. So as you mentioned, LSTAR exists to support realtors, but the impact reaches much further than what people actually understand. When realtors are informed, ethical, and well equipped, they serve their commun their their consumers and the community's benefit as well. ⁓ for viewers who don't know, LSTAR is the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors. They repres we represent more than twenty two hundred real estate professionals across London, St. Thomas, and the surrounding areas. In fact, we go all the way up from slightly past Elmer and Strathroyd down to Grand Bend and beyond. So we are a very large association with a lot of members. So a lot of members bring a lot of value to their communities. Lstar is the trusted source of local housing and information, market information. They provide data to those realtors. It helps consumers, it helps municipalities, it helps businesses and the media understand exactly what's happening in our communities. A significant part of the work that we do is also advocacy. So we work with elected officials and stakeholders to discuss housing in market conditions. We talk about the policies that are in place and how they're affecting the people who live here. We make suggestions. They they come to us with questions and ask for answers as far as what are the trends and what are what do people actually want from and what do they need in the area. Collaborate with other realtor organizations across Ontario and Canada and we share ideas and bring back. some of those best practices to our own region. So we we talk to other realtors in in say, I mean British Columbia, Alberta, the PI, all those. They all come together at the Canadian Real Estate Association events and we talk about, you know, what is actually going on in your market, ⁓ and what has helped you, what programs are you are you working, what programs do you need. And we bring them back here and and to help the London, Ontario region as well. Ultimately, LSTAR supports realtor supports realtors and the communities as well that we call home.
speaker-0: Yeah, we do a lot of charities too. Like they give they give back a l L Star gives back a lot to the communities as well.
speaker-1: ILSTR does give back a lot to the communities, yeah.
speaker-0: They do. Yeah, it was one thing I learned at the AGM. I didn't realize how much we give back, which is fantastic. Do do you have any goals or priorities during your term as chair?
speaker-1: So for twenty twenty-six, there's three main priorities that have been carried forward from previous boards. The first was the sale of our current building at 342 Commissioners Road. It's now firm sale, ⁓ with closing set for 2027. So now the focus has shifted to identifying and securing our next location. So we want to make sure that we have something that works for our membership, but it's also like fiscally responsible and practical for our membership as well. My second goal was we successfully completed CEO succession. with the retirement of Bill Matter and the appointment of Dina McNeil. You would have met her at the AGM as well. Yeah, she's awesome. She's now leading the organization and doing an excellent job settling into her new role, which we ⁓ super appreciate Dina's commitment to our organization. And Mike Well let's go ahead. My third one is strengthening member value. We are improving communications. We are supporting realtors technology as t technology evolves and we're exploring long term opportunities for growth, whether through collaborations, shared services with other boards
speaker-0: Sorry.
speaker-1: or increasing membership because again, the more members we have, the stronger we are as an association.
speaker-0: Yes, for sure, absolutely. Now questions I get asked all the time. How can you describe the market right now and what do you think it's going to look like? We have a crystal ball, but it's you know, certainly everybody everybody wants to ask the professionals what their thoughts are. I have some thoughts, but I'm wondering what yours are.
speaker-1: Okay, I get I I get asked on a monthly basis as our stats come out. We also send our members weekly stats. And of course our clients and customers are always looking. I don't have a crystal ball, but I do have a crystal glass. But anyway, we're working right now ⁓ we are actually just moved into a balanced market. Okay. So the current market across London St. Thomas and the surrounding communities can best be described be described as a balanced market with some buyer advantages depending on the price point and property type. So again, we were in a buyer's market. We've just hit that balance. Okay. So looking at the last L Star composite numbers, we are seeing 264 new listings, 95 sales, 222 to 222. active listings and an average list price or sorry, average a days on market of about 49 days and an average sale price of six hundred and thirty-five. So these reflect a market with more inventory, but more choice for buyers compared to the peak conditions that we experienced a few years ago. So the market shifted now we've been up and we've been down and now we're just coming back to that balanced market. And the balanced market generally means that supply and demand are evenly matched. ⁓ with a sales to new listing ratio in the forty to sixty percent range and roughly four to six months of inventory. So we're just we're just in there. The buyers are active, but they're more cautious and they're very focused on affordability, monthly payments, and value. So sellers who price appropriately, prepare their homes well and understand today's markets are seeing success. Overall we're in that in a normalized market where strategy, accurate data and professional guidance matter more than ever.
speaker-0: ⁓ I couldn't agree more. I'm finding here, locally in this area where I primarily sell. I'm finding if your house is priced and show priced well and shows well, they will sell. Regardless of the price of the property. Obviously those prices, those homes that are below five hundred thousand are moving. A lot quicker, especially the first time home buyers that are trying to jump into the market at this point. But even those properties that are over a million dollars and properties that are eight hundred thousand dollars, if you've priced them properly, they will still sell. I I think unfortunately there's a lot of sellers out there that still have the mentality that, you know, we're in COVID times and I've had to have a lot of really difficult conversations this year with people that bought during COVID that want to sell. Mm-hmm. That's been it's been very, very difficult. I met this one lovely couple and they bought during COVID for six hundred and eighty thousand and I had to tell them that their house is now worth five seventy five and they put they only put five percent down on their purchase, so they have no equity to move.
speaker-1: That's always hard. Yeah. We're not in the market that's driven by urgency right now. No. We're in a market driven by preparation. So buyers have more choice. And unfortunately there are buyers that are or are sellers that are going to have a bit of a difficulty and are gonna receive th some information that they really don't want to hear. So it's
speaker-0: It is it is difficult and you know, fortunately for those people that are moving, especially people what I'm finding, people that are moving and they want to upgrade their home, it's a great time to do it because they don't necessarily see it as ⁓ I'm taking a loss because they're making up that money on their purchase. 'Cause Yeah. That's right. It's it's a wash, which is fine, but those people that are, you know, kinda have their heads underwater, it's there's some difficult conversations for sure.
speaker-1: If you're buying and selling, you're evening. Yeah. And that's where you want to talk to that knowledgeable realtor and get those stats and and make sure that you understand exactly what your direction is and what your options are and and who to ask for professional advice as well, because a professional realtor will guide you in the right direction for the information that you need for your situation.
speaker-0: Yes, for sure. And some people are like, ⁓ should I sell now or should I wait? For the battery plant. That's what we hear a lot in Saint Thomas. We've got the battery plant coming. Should we hold off? And looking at the the market trends right now, Saint Thomas is one of the only areas where the values have actually gone up a little bit over the time and that's because people are starting to come here for the battery plant already. But ⁓ it's it is difficult because we don't have crystal balls, so we use our best professional knowledge and make sure that Clients know you have to have the house ready. It has don't rush it to market. Make sure that it's staged properly, it looks great, and it's ready to go.
speaker-1: And the St. Thomas, you really we always joke at that El Star that it's London in St. Thomas Association of Realtors. So you guys put the star in Elstar. ⁓ St. Thomas has done great job of positioning itself for future growth. And you can see it in their real estate market. They really are holding Ontario up. They are doing a very good job. And I know that you've had other guests. You've had the mayor of St. Thomas, Joe Preston. on there and you had the Chamber of Commerce on on your on your podcast and kudos because they really have done a great job of Thomas.
speaker-0: Yeah, they're sure they sure have. I think we're gonna miss ⁓ Mayor Joe in his last term, so we'll see who's gonna step up to the plate. It'll be interesting. Now, do you think that affordability is still the biggest challenge or are there other concerns emerging?
speaker-1: Yes, I am gonna say that affordability is still key. ⁓ but there are a few other little things that are important to our buyers and sellers. It's not just affordability, okay? ⁓ they want to think about monthly carrying costs, not just home prices, because ⁓ the ongoing costs continue to impact the purchasing decisions, economic uncertainty. Consumer confidence are also influencing buyer behavior. Buyers have more inventory and greater negotiating power than they've had in the last several years. And you can see that they are making thoughtful decisions. They're not, they're not in a hurry. There's no huge motivation for them. Well-priced homes are still selling, so preparation by your sellers remains key to making sure your home is sold.
speaker-0: Yeah, ab absolutely. And I I find now, especially when we have most of the local realtors that are that are in St. Thomas that I work with on a regular basis, when when offers come in from those cli from those agents, they're relatively fairly close to list price because they know that I have a really good understanding of the local markets. And same when they list a property, I'm aware of that they know the local markets and they're pricing properties accordingly. But when we're getting some out of area agents that come in We're seeing offers on the first day it's listed come in at seventy thousand dollars below our list price and it's you no. Like there's there may be some flexibility, but on the first day, yeah, that's that's a hard no. So it yeah, it it it's definitely about making sure that you price the property properly because there are still some agents that are afraid to say no to their seller client and they'll list at their price point and then it it might be two hundred thousand dollars overpriced.
speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. You want that and that's where that local knowledge comes in. L Star is very adamant about educating our realtors and letting them know about their local markets, making sure that they are underst they understand what the numbers actually mean. So that's where using your local realtor really is a benefit for the consumer because they're aware of it and they are they're aware of the trends, they're aware of what is is a reasonable price, what is not a reasonable price. They know the area, they know what's coming up, they know what's gonna happen in the backyard in in you know, in a year what what is actually being tabled or they should know. So using that ro local knowledge is very beneficial to the to the buyers and sellers.
speaker-0: Yeah, for sure. For sure it is. So one of the things you mentioned earlier was technology and ta how technology is rapidly changing our industry. How do you see AI and new renovations impacting realtors over the next few years?
speaker-1: Okay, so AI is obvious obviously the topic of the day. It's very important. And you can see that it's already impacted the market. If you think it hasn't, you're you're mistaken. Okay. ⁓ AI can streamline and min work and improve productivity. ⁓ it gives a better analysis of market trends and consumer insights. It you know, it collects all this information and it's and it spits out answers that are are beyond the the average realtor. So it's a great tool. Okay. It has faster creation of marketing and content and property materials. It gives realtors more time to focus on client relationships. However, human expertise remains essential for pricing, negotiation, and navigating complex transactions. Because AI can give you the number, but it doesn't always know the reasons behind the numbers. It's because there's more to sales than just strictly numbers. Sometimes there's decisions that go in behind the sales. Sometimes maybe it's a house that that didn't go for what you thought it went for. ⁓ maybe it went to a friend or neighbor because buyers don't have to or sellers don't have to e accept the highest price. They can accept any contract with terms that are suitable to them. So maybe c a quick close is that that's what they needed. So they accepted it and it adjusts in price. You know, there there's all there's more to it than just the numbers. It's that human factor that that analyzes the data, knows what's coming up. With privacy and security data ⁓ and responsible use of AI, it's becoming increasingly important to understand what goes on behind those numbers. And ongoing education is helping realtors adapt the new technology while maintaining high professional standards. I think that the realtor is is always going to be the center of the transaction because again, we do more than just open doors. We help people navigate the feelings and and you know it and it is. It it it's
speaker-0: It's a motion.
speaker-1: It's the number. It is emotional. It's it's between it it's relations relationshipable between not just you and your client, but you and your client, sometimes you and your client's family, you and your client's situations. The realtor is is kind of that central hub that kind of makes this complex thing more understandable and helps you understand exactly what your priorities are. ⁓ AI is not gonna replace realtors, but realtors who embrace AI are gonna be better equipped to serve their clients and technology can make us more efficient. But trust, local expertise and sound advice remain the foundation of what realtors actually do.
speaker-0: Do for sure. And I know that we met at the ⁓ AGM and the trade show because my business partner and I, Gavin, have started Talk to the Home, which is an AI assistant on every single property. And what's happened already is we are getting numerous leads. We know of in the last seven days, two properties have already sold using Talk to the Home. Mm-hmm. So our broker of record had a property in London that had been up on the market since the beginning of the year. For over a million dollars with no activity. And she put talk to the home up, and all of a sudden she started getting calls and messages, and it sold.
speaker-1: Awesome. That's that's awesome. I I have heard great things about about Talk to the Home. ⁓ I mean it's you're just emerging and but again, it's still it's AI, but it's directing it the questions back to the actual realtor to to put the transaction together.
speaker-0: For sure. For sure. It's literally an assistant that is going to give us as real estate agents more time to be client focused. And not answering the phone a hundred times a day saying, This is how big the shop is or this is what school district it's in. People can just call the number or or text the number for millennials that don't always like to talk to on the phone. They can text it and ask. And the nice thing is it's in thirty languages, which I'm not able to answer if someone calls me in a different language. I'm not able to answer those questions. But talk to the home can do that. And then then their realtor can reach out to me if they're interested in a property. We negotiate a fair offer. And that's that's we're going to be realtors are going to continue to be needed for those relationship building to deal with the emotional aspects, to deal with other family members, probate, estate sales, all those things that come up a hundred percent. But I think it is important. as realtors with Elstar and and you gu do a great job with education, providing education on these different topics like AI. Uhhuh. Yeah, for sure.
speaker-1: Yeah, real realtors I that's just another tool in the realtors toolbox. You know, it it
speaker-0: Absolutely. And I know one of your board members, Yvonne Steers, currently got her listing up on Sunset Drive in Saint Thomas with Talk to the Home. So what are some common misconceptions that the public has about realtors and organized real estate?
speaker-1: Okay, so I'm gonna say the the average consumer maybe thinks that all realtors do is open and close doors. ⁓ they do much more than list properties and show homes. They provide local market expertise, they talk about pricing strategy, skilled negotiators, they con they have ⁓ contract guidance and transaction management, they have risk management and problem solving skills and ⁓ I'm not so sure that the that the that the public totally understands all that goes on in behind the scenes. Okay. So a good realtor is gonna make your s your your your transaction go seamlessly. Okay. As seamlessly as they as they possibly can. And their job is to educate you, not make decisions for you. So they are educating you in the decisions that you need to make and the consequences of each one. But at the end of the day you as a consumer are actually making the decisions. But the realtor is guiding you through this process. They're holding your hand, making sure that it goes well well for you. And I the the analogy that I love the most is that a realtor is like and it is like a duck on the pond. So the duck is floating along and it looks nice and majestic and everything seems seamless. But in behind what you don't see is their little feet are paddling like this. There's a thousand little things going on in the background that you actually don't see, but they make it look good. Because they have the expertise and they've done this before and and they have systems that guide them through to make sure that you only see the happy little duck on the pond. ⁓ and I also think as far as organized real estate, they probably don't quite understand the depth of what we do. All Star is committed to professional development. We are committed to make sure the realtor that serves you understands exactly what they're doing and is up on the trends that are happening in the marketplace. They is a code of ethics. ⁓ and p and professional standards and we are making sure we have systems in place and committees in place that deal with c consumer complaints that are within our jurisdiction. We advocate for housing and for property ownership. We talk to MPs and MPPs about what's going on, what we see in our region. We pay for atticus polls on the communities that we serve so that MPs and MVPs and realtors understand what the public is actually thinking in a in a in a large sense. We paid Nick Nanos for surveys and how happy are you in your community? What services do you feel are needed in your community? Do you feel safe in your community? How do you feel about your job? So we we gather data and we interpret it and we explain it. to the public, our members, and our MPs. So we kind of help the ⁓ transition go smoother and help the communities get what we need. We guide through technology and market data that improves service to commute consumers as well. The goal of LSTAR is to build consumer confidence and support a fair, transparent marketplace. The good realtor makes the transaction look effortless. They do everything in their power to prepare the consumer for that seamless experience. And Alfstar does everything we can do to prepare the realtor to give that experience. Okay. We provide guidance, expertise, and advocacy that helps clients make those informed decisions every step of the way and builds better, safer, stronger communities.
speaker-0: Yeah, and I certainly know my friends and family have a very good understanding of what life is like for a realtor. Like like especially somebody that's active. I twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and six there's no such thing as a holiday where you don't work. That's been my experience, right? You're away on vacation and someone's booking showings, an offer comes in, you have to change your dinner plans that night because you have to be home. Like things it's it's part of the job and And you know, the the realtors that are effective and work all the time. Yeah. Yep. I try and tell my clients I have a ten minute response time from except from ten PM until six AM where I turn my phone off. But then I'm sure you're aware, you wake up in the morning and boom, you have fifteen messages that you have to respond to at six o'clock in the morning. Absolutely. Yeah.
speaker-1: They do actually. The vacation is just a chance to check my emails from a different location.
speaker-0: That's right. Might be able to see it do it sitting on a beach this time sitting at an office. I mean it is still nice to get away. You're not out running around showing houses after houses after houses or doing open houses or doing those things, but there's never there's no such thing as a vacation where you don't answer your phone. Yeah, it's I I love it though. Like that's the thing. I love it.
speaker-1: Exactly. Honestly, yes. I mean, like I said, ⁓ quit your day job.
speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ I did. Yeah. Yeah. I got really lucky actually 'cause I took a leave of absence for two years w and tried to do both. Yep. And the one year I sold twenty six properties while I was teaching full time. And I'm like, I don't think the taxpayers are gonna like this next year because I had six active listings and I'm like, I need to take a leave of absence and then covet struck and I'm like, Well, there you go, I'm quitting my day job. That was enough. So yeah, yeah.
speaker-1: Great.
speaker-0: What excites you the most about the future of real estate?
speaker-1: gonna say it's it's the honestly it's the technology and AI improving efficiency and client service. There are a million things I want to do, ⁓ but I'm busy doing paperwork. I want to automate more. I want to use those tools that are available to me to broaden my reach. And that excites me a lot. I'm excited for better market data, which is gonna lead to more informed decisions. I'm excited for continuing focus on professionalism and consumer trust, which is what RICO, our real estate council is working on. I'm excited for opportunities to address housing supply and affordability. ⁓ I can see initiatives coming down the pike. I mean, obviously in St. Thomas, you have done a lot to address housing supply and homelessness. And and it shows. I mean, the numbers are there to support the initiatives that are in place and the money that's been spent and the money. And they're they're starting to justify the money that they've saved through finding. solutions for this type of thing. So that that that excites me to make sure that that people have a place that they can go, that they feel safe and supported. The growth in London and St. Thomas and the surrounding communities has been fabulous to watch. I like the fact that I see realtors can contributing to healthy, vibrant communities through their housing expertise because some of these initiatives that we've taken, I mean, when the HST was taken off of New Builds Only, Realtors lobbied to have it off all new builds. ⁓ we've changed policy ⁓ throughout the years. ⁓ the Canadian Real Estate Association is actually the biggest and oldest lobby group in Canada. We meet once a or twice a year in Ottawa and we meet with our MPs as a group. So there's maybe 400 realtors that converge on Ottawa and they have about I think I think the last one was about 200 MP meetings. And just to, you know, solidify the fact that there are needs and we're boots on the ground. We understand what's going on and we actually don't just come up to them with problems. We come to them with solutions too. So we get asks, which asks are the we all go, we all have the same ask of of our local politicians of things that will help the communities grow and be prepared for for for the challenges that they're that they're struggling with. At the end of the day, real estate's about people and communities and opportunities. The markets are gonna change, technology is gonna evolve. ⁓ but helping people to make informed decisions about where they live and build their future is always gonna be at the heart of what realtors do. So that's that's what excites me about future real estate, continuing the work and building on the work that's been done. Yeah.
speaker-0: What what have you found this is kind of a side topic here, 'cause you mentioned the HST rebates. I've got Rob Flack on in a couple of weeks, which I'm really looking forward to having that conversation. 'Cause I'm I'm finding it here in our local market. ⁓ people that ⁓ own a property that is less than five years old that want to move have really no chance. They're they're competing with the new builds that are not currently charging the HST and everybody's choosing to I've even got clients who are wanting to build a house. And they wanna sell their five year old house to build, but they can't do it because people don't wanna buy their new built 'cause it's only five years old.
speaker-1: Yes. That's a great question.
speaker-0: I know. I'm really looking forward to the conversation with with Rob because especially I don't it's supposed to be a one year initiative and it'll be interesting. What happens to the builders when they take it off? When they ⁓ when they put the HST back on?
speaker-1: Yes. I and we lobbied the Ontario Real Estate Association lobbying to have it extended. That's so positive that's gonna happen. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's I've been told it hasn't been it won't be it won't be happening. But again, I'm a realtor, not a politician, and though you change down the line. So we have been told that it is a one year initiative and to make the most of it.
speaker-0: Okay. Well that'll be it'll be interesting to see. Yeah. Yeah how th how that goes on. ⁓ is there any challenges that the industry should be prepared for? I know. Always
speaker-1: We always have challenges. Technical. Yeah. Okay. So basically we want to keep our eye on housing supply. We want to be supporting the development of a wider range of housing options. We've all heard about the missing middle. We want to make sure that people who do get into that beginner home maybe have a middle home to go to before they transition to the to their to their favorite home. Okay. So we want to keep affordability within range. We want to make sure that there is movement within through the marketplace. It's not just at the bottom and then at the very, very top.
speaker-0: Yeah. ⁓
speaker-1: We need solutions for families. Because you put one or two in a in a building for a little while and then you then you end up with three. And you but you just can't you're a little crowded, but you just can't ⁓ take that leap. So we we're looking for that affordability. We're w wanna help address barriers to home buyers and homeowners, especially those first time buyers. Like we're working on it, but it's still it's a big ask. Technology and AI again Embracing innovation while protecting privacy, accuracy, and professional standards is very important because AI right now is a bit of the wild west, but that privacy thing is a big issue and it's becoming a big bigger issue as more information is gathered. ⁓ we want to make sure that consumer expectations are managed. We need to meet demand for faster communication. Of course, transparency is always premium and ⁓ digital services are important. So we want to make sure the consumers actually have what they need when they need it. And the expertise and knowledge that goes with getting those numbers. We're preparing for economic uncertainty. We're helping clients navigate challenges such as interest rates and market conditions. We're worried about, again, as you mentioned, how does government policy affect people who aren't part of the benefit? That is a that is a huge challenge for the industry. And as you said, what what are these people gonna do next? What are their options? Because maybe they have to move for a job. Maybe they have no choice but to relocate. It you know, there's all different kinds of human factors that get affected when ⁓ political policy changes. And we want to make sure that there's public confidence. We want to reinforce enforce the value of ethics, accountability, and professional representation. We need the public to be absolutely confident that they are working with a professional realtor, but they're working with a knowledgeable realtor. The brokerage that they're working with respects the rules of the business and understands the roles of each keep people who are involved in the in the business. The biggest challenge isn't change itself. It's making sure that we adapt in a way that keeps consumers at the center. And as we continue to embrace innovation and maintain that high professional standards, ⁓ that's gonna that's what's gonna keep our industry well positioned for future growth.
speaker-0: Yeah. And I'm really glad that you mentioned affordability in there, Robin, because I feel like as a realtor, I think sometimes the general public blames us for the price of houses. And it you know, I hear this pretty regularly, especially sometimes, you know, the people that like to chat on social media. Will comment like, Thank you for causing homelessness on Dundask. Well, it's the market that dictates the value of the properties and I have five kids under the age of twenty two that need to buy a home one day. Mm-hmm. So affordability is still important to me as a realtor. Absolutely. Yeah, like I wanna make sure that our kids can afford a house one day on their own. And I think most realtors have concerns about affordability. The people who, you know, especially when you're looking at sellers that have these lofty expectations, they don't care about affordability at that time unless they're buying their home. Then they about the affordability part of it. So yeah, but I am glad that you mentioned that, Robin, as a challenge 'cause I believe that that is one of the big a big challenge for sure.
speaker-1: Yeah. So an interesting thing that was mentioned to me the other day was the concept of balanced market. One of our leaders said to me, I don't even know what a balanced market is. I've never heard of it. Realtors, they want they're always talking about sellers market and a buyer's market, but there's no balance market. I've never heard I said, Well, that's because it's not sexy. The media doesn't talk about a balanced market. A balanced market is where everybody is happy. It's not about price so much. It's more about choice and options and making sure that the Flow is not frenzied and not slow. It is making sure the flow is even across the board of moving houses. And the media doesn't seem to it doesn't get media attention because it's not exciting. Exciting is you got 10 offers on a house, it went for $100,000 more than it was it was offered for. That's what the media wants because they want headlines. But this balanced market, which is kind of the goal, because that's where the fair market value actually happens, that's kind of a goal.
speaker-0: For sure.
speaker-1: And we're like I said, we're just getting there, which is kind of exciting as a realtor. I mean it's it's a balance, it's fair, you can sleep as a realtor, you can sleep at night. ⁓ your your sellers are happy, your buyers have made good decisions. It's it it's a nice place to be in.
speaker-0: Yeah, home inspections are back. You don't have to worry that there's something wrong with the property that your buyer purchased and
speaker-1: Exactly. Financing is still in there so you can and you know you haven't put your you know, you know that you've done your job as your realtor, you've given your your your clients options, they've had a chance to pick the options that work the very best for their situation.
speaker-0: For sure. What what's one lesson you've learned in your career that's stayed with you?
speaker-1: I'm gonna say that, well, definitely relationships. Relationships matter more than individual transactions. It's very real estate is a relationship-based business. ⁓ listening is one of the most valuable tools that a realtor can develop. Honesty and to transparency, you're gonna build that long-term trust. Every market that we're in teaches realtors something new. Adaptability and lifelong learning are essential for a realtor. And reputation is built one client experience. at a time. There is no situation that I can think of where it would be more important for me to go outside of my comfort zone than lose my real real estate license. It is very important to make sure that my reputation is always intact. It's the one thing that that that guides me through my career. The market's going to change, but the fundamentals don't. So listen well, communicate honestly and do the right thing for the people that you serve.
speaker-0: Yeah, I agree a thousand percent. Costa has always been very good with I mean, if you ever meet that man for the first time, you're getting a hug. Because it's always about relationships, right? With him. And that's the one thing he's taught me and and Mary's taught me is that it's about building relationships. And I think that is so important. I mean, I've won the chairman award nine out of the last ten years at my brokerage, but At the end of the day, the most important award I've ever won is the rank my agent award from my clients' reviews. ⁓ nice. Like that that's something that, you know, I take pride in that my clients say that they had a great experience. And, you know, that's why I try and give them a ten minute response time because that's my job. So yeah, I I completely agree with you. I think relationships is so important. Who's been the biggest influence on your leadership style?
speaker-1: So I'm gonna say that the people that influence my leadership style most are the people who lead with integrity, humility, and genuine focus on others. It I I'm gonna say it hasn't been one single person who shaped my approach, but rather it's the lessons I've learned by observing those that have come before me. Both the qualities that I admire and examples of leadership that I've learned from. ⁓ my experience locally ⁓ and at the Ontario level was the Ontario Real Association and nationally through the Cayenne Real Estate Association. association. I've seen the impact that strong leadership can have and Costa is absolutely one hundred percent one of those people. So are several others. I've I mean I've watched in leadership. I've learned that leadership is about listening and building consensus. You need to stay accountable and bring people together towards that common goal. So I'm gonna say it's the people for me that have worked their way through organized real estate and and and they've done it one transaction at a time and one communication at a time and day by day by showing up and being consistent and being someone that you can admire. And I Picked for me to him. A bit.
speaker-0: Nice. And what do you like to do in your free time outside of real estate if you have any free time?
speaker-1: Okay, so what I usually do, ⁓ I like spending time outdoors. I like to be have time with my family and friends, of course. ⁓ I enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, biking, walking, ⁓ hiking. I've recently started to play pickleball, which is gonna be c topical. It's also it's also a lot of fun and good exercise. ⁓ I like enjoying and exploring the communities around me. ⁓ one of the things I've appreciated about our region is how many great trails and outdoor spaces that we have. And there's so many groomed walking trails in our area that people probably don't even know about, but they're in our backyard. And for me, because they work a lot, I look for those those two to three hour experiences that aren't too far from home. I've still got my phone. I I can go back home if I absolutely one hundred percent need to. ⁓ and I also like to go to local community events, see what's out there. You know, go to those small communities. If they've got something going on for the day or the weekend, I'd like to go out and enjoy what the volunteers have put together because they put a lot of effort into it and it's quality entertainment. You it's just kind of relaxing little day, day to get out and get out and again answer my phone from a different location. It's it's
speaker-0: Yeah, fantastic. Yeah. What's one piece of advice you'd like to leave with buyers, sellers and realtors?
speaker-1: I'm gonna say, and this is the advice that I've kind of I've always applied to myself as well: luck favors to prepare. So for buyers, that means getting your finances in order, ⁓ getting pre-approved, understand your wants and your needs, identify your deal breakers and clearly communicate those with your realtors so they can provide the best guidance possible. For sellers, it means choose your realtor carefully. Even if you have someone in mind, take the time to interview and understand what each professional offers. A good guideline to that is usually interview three realtors. Find out what they have to offer. Price your home strategically, prepare your home properly, and that's going to help make the process as smooth as possible and lead to better results. For realtors, my advice would be stay hungry, humble, and honest. Work hard for every client. And remember that the person in front of you is more than that transaction. They're making one of the biggest decisions of their life. The value that that we provide is the trust, the expertise, and the guidance that can truly make a difference in that person's life. The best cut. outcome in real estate, they rarely happen by accident. They happen when people are prepared, informed, and working with the right professional.
speaker-0: Yeah, fantastic. Fantastic. What does success look like at the end of your term as L Star Chair?
speaker-1: So my goal as the L SR chair is to keep LSR's priorities moving forward while making sure that we remain strong, relevant, and focused on delivering value to our members. That's that's always the work that we do. ⁓ real estate has a funny way of making sure that no two days look the same. ⁓ but our focus remains on supporting realtors and strengthening the communities that we serve. A big part of how we how we serve is continue to communicate. And engage with members. ⁓ we elsewhere doesn't expect to have all the answers, but realtors are pretty good at giving feedback and opinions, so we're never short on feedback. ⁓ we welcome conversations because they help make the organization stronger and better. ⁓ for me personally, success isn't really measured by the decisions that we make, but how the people that we worked with feel through the process. The people may not remember every meeting or every discussion. ⁓ or be detailed, but they're gonna remember how they felt heard, respected, and supported at the end of the year. So at the end of my term, I hope the members look back and feel that we listened, we moved forward together, we worked our way through initiatives and we left Elstar a little stronger than what we found it. So leadership's not about or leadership is about stewardess, stewardship and building on what came before us and setting the next group up for success. So we work our way through this.
speaker-0: Fantastic. So at the end of at the end of all of my podcasts, I always feature a small business of the week, local small business, and I'm so glad you mentioned pickleball. So the courthouse in St. Thomas is a facility that's fourteen thousand square feet on Dennis Road. It has numerous pickleball indoor pickleball courts, year-round facility. ⁓ the owners Danny and Danny and Jamie, they wanted to kind of create a social space ⁓ for people to go play. And yeah, you can enjoy a drink after it's fully licensed. So you can sit around and and chat with people. They're they're actually starting on July eighth, a four week lesson series for people that are just starting out. So if anybody's interested, they can go to courthouse pickleball.ca to check the place out. They've got some great videos and things like that. And I've I've was very fortunate a few months ago. I was pl I played pickleball Monday through Friday. That was my free time when I had it, about an hour and a half where I didn't really have to check my phone. I usually did between games, but and I had a bit of an accident, Robin.
speaker-1: What if you do so?
speaker-0: You know, pickleball pickleball, i you're not just playing with, you know, Sophia and Dorothy in their nineties. There's some very, very good athletes in it. And some of the divisions are quite competitive. And I the ball happened to be going over my head and I jumped up to smash it and I fell back and was knocked unconscious on the concrete. Yeah, they had to call an ambulance and it was quite a ⁓ quite a thing. But Nancy and the staff there were fabulous. Like They took such great care of me and and now I actually sponsor court three. So stick to spot. So I wanted to give a shout out to them this morning and anybody that's thinking about trying to get into pickleball, i they have every single level, beginners to intermediate experts. You can pick a sm you can book a separate court if you've got four or five people to go out and play.
speaker-1: Wednesday, so I needed to
speaker-0: But they if you're playing by yourself, every day they have groups that you can just join and go in and play and take turns and great exercise and a great social game. Just I will never jump up to Smashable again. Lesson learned. Well, thank Robin. I know you're very busy, so I really, really appreciate your time today. And hopefully y you've taught some people some things about L Star and what they do, what their role is, what your role is, and about the real estate market in general and our job and our goals as realtors.
speaker-1: Lesson learned. That's okay.
speaker-0: So I really appreciate your time today. Thank you so much. Yeah, so I end every every ⁓ podcast the same way. Let's get closing.
speaker-1: Thanks for having me, San Jeff. I appreciate it. Love it. Lots of swords. I love it.
speaker-0: Thanks so much, Robin. ⁓ Thank you. Okay.
speaker-1: Steph. Thanks for having me on. Okay, well, real estate is actually my second career. I began my life as a science laboratory top technologist from Fanshaw College and then I have a Bachelor of Science from Louis University. For fifteen years I worked in the manufacturing field in chemistry and quality control, and I enjoyed the science and it was challenging and rewarding, but I really needed something else. I realized I wanted a career where I could build relationships and sort of help people make decisions and have more of a d direct impact in everyday life. So real estate gave me that opportunity. So in twenty twenty one I became a registering. And for honestly for a little bit, I kind of I struggled, kept both jobs. And then one day I kind of asked the universe for a sign. I'm like, what am I doing with my life? And I decided I would go a little did a little bit of good retail therapy. The first store I walked into was in Roots and being extremely off brand, I actually saw this t shirt. And it was like right on the front back. And I thought if that's not a sign to make a change and to commit myself to this, then nothing is. So it says quit your day job.
speaker-0: Love you bought the shirt.
speaker-1: Are you ⁓ how can I not buy this shirt?
speaker-0: Yes, absolutely.
speaker-1: So I started as a career change, became a profession that I could never fully ma imagined. ⁓ today I own, as you mentioned, the Cobalt Maker Star Real Estate. We have offices in Grand Bend, Strathroy, and St. Thomas. And I continue to work as a realtor with my own sales. I work directly with clients and I teach future realtors as well. I work with the ⁓ Humber Real Estate Education Program. And I found that each role is different, but they all come back to helping people succeed. And looking back, I'm really incredibly grateful for the path that I chose. And if you'd asked me twenty years ago what a realtor did, I would have said they helped people buy and sell homes. But I would never imagine the leadership, the teaching, the mentoring, and the community part of this.
speaker-0: Yeah, that's amazing. I I'm not sure if you know Robin, but it I'm this is a second career for me as well. Yeah. I was a teacher for twenty two years. ⁓ awesome. And yeah, and I love the thing I love most about real estate is relationships. And that's the same thing I loved about teaching, where people are asking me now if I'm I miss teaching. I don't. I miss the kids. Right. Like I I miss the kids because that was my strength in building those relationships and now it's just moved on to adults and and helping them and building those strong relationships that a lot of them are now lifelong.
speaker-1: Hmm. Excellent. Well that's nice. And and I mean, as you said, they're lifelong and you can ⁓ you you can glean from that and use your transferable skills into your real estate career. It it all it all meshes.
speaker-0: Yeah, absolutely. What led you to to get involved in leadership with L Star?
speaker-1: So apparently I'm a habit of looking for just one more thing to get involved in. So it started with a committee at at L Star. I just I joined the professional standards because I thought I'll just volunteer for one committee and you know, up my game a little bit. And then somehow that led to more committees. I went on to discipline and which led to arbitration, which led to audit and risk management, followed by governance and eventually finance and executive. So I'm kind of a serial
speaker-0: ⁓ I feel yeah.
speaker-1: volunteer. Each role kind of gave me a better understanding of our association and how it operates and how good governance supports our members. And it just it grew and every committee has taught me something different and helped me prepare me for the privilege of serving as chair for the
speaker-0: Yeah. That's awesome. And what is what is serving as chair mean to you personally, professional?
speaker-1: Okay, well it's been actually been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. ⁓ personally, it's given me a chance the opportunity to give back to profession that has given me a lot. I had no idea ⁓ what it actually involved personally as in personal growth. It's been a privilege to work alongside so many dedicated volunteers and see how much time they actually put into it. The directors and staff and I continue to learn every day from people. ⁓ I've had the opportunity to really spend quality time one on one with other realtors and find out what works for their business and what doesn't work for their business and understand the rules and the roles that realtors play in the community. So it's been very interesting that way. Professionally it strengthened my belief in that leadership is all about service. It's about listening, ⁓ building consensus and supporting good decisions. As a realtor and a broker of record, it's certainly up my game. I stay connected to real world challenges that our members face and it helps me guide us with the work that we do at Alstar. As well.
speaker-0: Nice. That's a good leading question 'cause a lot of viewers might not know exactly what L Star is and what their role is as far as supporting real estate. Do you wanna talk a little bit about that?
speaker-1: Yeah, okay. So as you mentioned, LSTAR exists to support realtors, but the impact reaches much further than what people actually understand. When realtors are informed, ethical, and well equipped, they serve their commun their their consumers and the community's benefit as well. ⁓ for viewers who don't know, LSTAR is the London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors. They repres we represent more than twenty two hundred real estate professionals across London, St. Thomas, and the surrounding areas. In fact, we go all the way up from slightly past Elmer and Strathroyd down to Grand Bend and beyond. So we are a very large association with a lot of members. So a lot of members bring a lot of value to their communities. Lstar is the trusted source of local housing and information, market information. They provide data to those realtors. It helps consumers, it helps municipalities, it helps businesses and the media understand exactly what's happening in our communities. A significant part of the work that we do is also advocacy. So we work with elected officials and stakeholders to discuss housing in market conditions. We talk about the policies that are in place and how they're affecting the people who live here. We make suggestions. They they come to us with questions and ask for answers as far as what are the trends and what are what do people actually want from and what do they need in the area. Collaborate with other realtor organizations across Ontario and Canada and we share ideas and bring back. some of those best practices to our own region. So we we talk to other realtors in in say, I mean British Columbia, Alberta, the PI, all those. They all come together at the Canadian Real Estate Association events and we talk about, you know, what is actually going on in your market, ⁓ and what has helped you, what programs are you are you working, what programs do you need. And we bring them back here and and to help the London, Ontario region as well. Ultimately, LSTAR supports realtor supports realtors and the communities as well that we call home.
speaker-0: Yeah, we do a lot of charities too. Like they give they give back a l L Star gives back a lot to the communities as well.
speaker-1: ILSTR does give back a lot to the communities, yeah.
speaker-0: They do. Yeah, it was one thing I learned at the AGM. I didn't realize how much we give back, which is fantastic. Do do you have any goals or priorities during your term as chair?
speaker-1: So for twenty twenty-six, there's three main priorities that have been carried forward from previous boards. The first was the sale of our current building at 342 Commissioners Road. It's now firm sale, ⁓ with closing set for 2027. So now the focus has shifted to identifying and securing our next location. So we want to make sure that we have something that works for our membership, but it's also like fiscally responsible and practical for our membership as well. My second goal was we successfully completed CEO succession. with the retirement of Bill Matter and the appointment of Dina McNeil. You would have met her at the AGM as well. Yeah, she's awesome. She's now leading the organization and doing an excellent job settling into her new role, which we ⁓ super appreciate Dina's commitment to our organization. And Mike Well let's go ahead. My third one is strengthening member value. We are improving communications. We are supporting realtors technology as t technology evolves and we're exploring long term opportunities for growth, whether through collaborations, shared services with other boards
speaker-0: Sorry.
speaker-1: or increasing membership because again, the more members we have, the stronger we are as an association.
speaker-0: Yes, for sure, absolutely. Now questions I get asked all the time. How can you describe the market right now and what do you think it's going to look like? We have a crystal ball, but it's you know, certainly everybody everybody wants to ask the professionals what their thoughts are. I have some thoughts, but I'm wondering what yours are.
speaker-1: Okay, I get I I get asked on a monthly basis as our stats come out. We also send our members weekly stats. And of course our clients and customers are always looking. I don't have a crystal ball, but I do have a crystal glass. But anyway, we're working right now ⁓ we are actually just moved into a balanced market. Okay. So the current market across London St. Thomas and the surrounding communities can best be described be described as a balanced market with some buyer advantages depending on the price point and property type. So again, we were in a buyer's market. We've just hit that balance. Okay. So looking at the last L Star composite numbers, we are seeing 264 new listings, 95 sales, 222 to 222. active listings and an average list price or sorry, average a days on market of about 49 days and an average sale price of six hundred and thirty-five. So these reflect a market with more inventory, but more choice for buyers compared to the peak conditions that we experienced a few years ago. So the market shifted now we've been up and we've been down and now we're just coming back to that balanced market. And the balanced market generally means that supply and demand are evenly matched. ⁓ with a sales to new listing ratio in the forty to sixty percent range and roughly four to six months of inventory. So we're just we're just in there. The buyers are active, but they're more cautious and they're very focused on affordability, monthly payments, and value. So sellers who price appropriately, prepare their homes well and understand today's markets are seeing success. Overall we're in that in a normalized market where strategy, accurate data and professional guidance matter more than ever.
speaker-0: ⁓ I couldn't agree more. I'm finding here, locally in this area where I primarily sell. I'm finding if your house is priced and show priced well and shows well, they will sell. Regardless of the price of the property. Obviously those prices, those homes that are below five hundred thousand are moving. A lot quicker, especially the first time home buyers that are trying to jump into the market at this point. But even those properties that are over a million dollars and properties that are eight hundred thousand dollars, if you've priced them properly, they will still sell. I I think unfortunately there's a lot of sellers out there that still have the mentality that, you know, we're in COVID times and I've had to have a lot of really difficult conversations this year with people that bought during COVID that want to sell. Mm-hmm. That's been it's been very, very difficult. I met this one lovely couple and they bought during COVID for six hundred and eighty thousand and I had to tell them that their house is now worth five seventy five and they put they only put five percent down on their purchase, so they have no equity to move.
speaker-1: That's always hard. Yeah. We're not in the market that's driven by urgency right now. No. We're in a market driven by preparation. So buyers have more choice. And unfortunately there are buyers that are or are sellers that are going to have a bit of a difficulty and are gonna receive th some information that they really don't want to hear. So it's
speaker-0: It is it is difficult and you know, fortunately for those people that are moving, especially people what I'm finding, people that are moving and they want to upgrade their home, it's a great time to do it because they don't necessarily see it as ⁓ I'm taking a loss because they're making up that money on their purchase. 'Cause Yeah. That's right. It's it's a wash, which is fine, but those people that are, you know, kinda have their heads underwater, it's there's some difficult conversations for sure.
speaker-1: If you're buying and selling, you're evening. Yeah. And that's where you want to talk to that knowledgeable realtor and get those stats and and make sure that you understand exactly what your direction is and what your options are and and who to ask for professional advice as well, because a professional realtor will guide you in the right direction for the information that you need for your situation.
speaker-0: Yes, for sure. And some people are like, ⁓ should I sell now or should I wait? For the battery plant. That's what we hear a lot in Saint Thomas. We've got the battery plant coming. Should we hold off? And looking at the the market trends right now, Saint Thomas is one of the only areas where the values have actually gone up a little bit over the time and that's because people are starting to come here for the battery plant already. But ⁓ it's it is difficult because we don't have crystal balls, so we use our best professional knowledge and make sure that Clients know you have to have the house ready. It has don't rush it to market. Make sure that it's staged properly, it looks great, and it's ready to go.
speaker-1: And the St. Thomas, you really we always joke at that El Star that it's London in St. Thomas Association of Realtors. So you guys put the star in Elstar. ⁓ St. Thomas has done great job of positioning itself for future growth. And you can see it in their real estate market. They really are holding Ontario up. They are doing a very good job. And I know that you've had other guests. You've had the mayor of St. Thomas, Joe Preston. on there and you had the Chamber of Commerce on on your on your podcast and kudos because they really have done a great job of Thomas.
speaker-0: Yeah, they're sure they sure have. I think we're gonna miss ⁓ Mayor Joe in his last term, so we'll see who's gonna step up to the plate. It'll be interesting. Now, do you think that affordability is still the biggest challenge or are there other concerns emerging?
speaker-1: Yes, I am gonna say that affordability is still key. ⁓ but there are a few other little things that are important to our buyers and sellers. It's not just affordability, okay? ⁓ they want to think about monthly carrying costs, not just home prices, because ⁓ the ongoing costs continue to impact the purchasing decisions, economic uncertainty. Consumer confidence are also influencing buyer behavior. Buyers have more inventory and greater negotiating power than they've had in the last several years. And you can see that they are making thoughtful decisions. They're not, they're not in a hurry. There's no huge motivation for them. Well-priced homes are still selling, so preparation by your sellers remains key to making sure your home is sold.
speaker-0: Yeah, ab absolutely. And I I find now, especially when we have most of the local realtors that are that are in St. Thomas that I work with on a regular basis, when when offers come in from those cli from those agents, they're relatively fairly close to list price because they know that I have a really good understanding of the local markets. And same when they list a property, I'm aware of that they know the local markets and they're pricing properties accordingly. But when we're getting some out of area agents that come in We're seeing offers on the first day it's listed come in at seventy thousand dollars below our list price and it's you no. Like there's there may be some flexibility, but on the first day, yeah, that's that's a hard no. So it yeah, it it it's definitely about making sure that you price the property properly because there are still some agents that are afraid to say no to their seller client and they'll list at their price point and then it it might be two hundred thousand dollars overpriced.
speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. You want that and that's where that local knowledge comes in. L Star is very adamant about educating our realtors and letting them know about their local markets, making sure that they are underst they understand what the numbers actually mean. So that's where using your local realtor really is a benefit for the consumer because they're aware of it and they are they're aware of the trends, they're aware of what is is a reasonable price, what is not a reasonable price. They know the area, they know what's coming up, they know what's gonna happen in the backyard in in you know, in a year what what is actually being tabled or they should know. So using that ro local knowledge is very beneficial to the to the buyers and sellers.
speaker-0: Yeah, for sure. For sure it is. So one of the things you mentioned earlier was technology and ta how technology is rapidly changing our industry. How do you see AI and new renovations impacting realtors over the next few years?
speaker-1: Okay, so AI is obvious obviously the topic of the day. It's very important. And you can see that it's already impacted the market. If you think it hasn't, you're you're mistaken. Okay. ⁓ AI can streamline and min work and improve productivity. ⁓ it gives a better analysis of market trends and consumer insights. It you know, it collects all this information and it's and it spits out answers that are are beyond the the average realtor. So it's a great tool. Okay. It has faster creation of marketing and content and property materials. It gives realtors more time to focus on client relationships. However, human expertise remains essential for pricing, negotiation, and navigating complex transactions. Because AI can give you the number, but it doesn't always know the reasons behind the numbers. It's because there's more to sales than just strictly numbers. Sometimes there's decisions that go in behind the sales. Sometimes maybe it's a house that that didn't go for what you thought it went for. ⁓ maybe it went to a friend or neighbor because buyers don't have to or sellers don't have to e accept the highest price. They can accept any contract with terms that are suitable to them. So maybe c a quick close is that that's what they needed. So they accepted it and it adjusts in price. You know, there there's all there's more to it than just the numbers. It's that human factor that that analyzes the data, knows what's coming up. With privacy and security data ⁓ and responsible use of AI, it's becoming increasingly important to understand what goes on behind those numbers. And ongoing education is helping realtors adapt the new technology while maintaining high professional standards. I think that the realtor is is always going to be the center of the transaction because again, we do more than just open doors. We help people navigate the feelings and and you know it and it is. It it it's
speaker-0: It's a motion.
speaker-1: It's the number. It is emotional. It's it's between it it's relations relationshipable between not just you and your client, but you and your client, sometimes you and your client's family, you and your client's situations. The realtor is is kind of that central hub that kind of makes this complex thing more understandable and helps you understand exactly what your priorities are. ⁓ AI is not gonna replace realtors, but realtors who embrace AI are gonna be better equipped to serve their clients and technology can make us more efficient. But trust, local expertise and sound advice remain the foundation of what realtors actually do.
speaker-0: Do for sure. And I know that we met at the ⁓ AGM and the trade show because my business partner and I, Gavin, have started Talk to the Home, which is an AI assistant on every single property. And what's happened already is we are getting numerous leads. We know of in the last seven days, two properties have already sold using Talk to the Home. Mm-hmm. So our broker of record had a property in London that had been up on the market since the beginning of the year. For over a million dollars with no activity. And she put talk to the home up, and all of a sudden she started getting calls and messages, and it sold.
speaker-1: Awesome. That's that's awesome. I I have heard great things about about Talk to the Home. ⁓ I mean it's you're just emerging and but again, it's still it's AI, but it's directing it the questions back to the actual realtor to to put the transaction together.
speaker-0: For sure. For sure. It's literally an assistant that is going to give us as real estate agents more time to be client focused. And not answering the phone a hundred times a day saying, This is how big the shop is or this is what school district it's in. People can just call the number or or text the number for millennials that don't always like to talk to on the phone. They can text it and ask. And the nice thing is it's in thirty languages, which I'm not able to answer if someone calls me in a different language. I'm not able to answer those questions. But talk to the home can do that. And then then their realtor can reach out to me if they're interested in a property. We negotiate a fair offer. And that's that's we're going to be realtors are going to continue to be needed for those relationship building to deal with the emotional aspects, to deal with other family members, probate, estate sales, all those things that come up a hundred percent. But I think it is important. as realtors with Elstar and and you gu do a great job with education, providing education on these different topics like AI. Uhhuh. Yeah, for sure.
speaker-1: Yeah, real realtors I that's just another tool in the realtors toolbox. You know, it it
speaker-0: Absolutely. And I know one of your board members, Yvonne Steers, currently got her listing up on Sunset Drive in Saint Thomas with Talk to the Home. So what are some common misconceptions that the public has about realtors and organized real estate?
speaker-1: Okay, so I'm gonna say the the average consumer maybe thinks that all realtors do is open and close doors. ⁓ they do much more than list properties and show homes. They provide local market expertise, they talk about pricing strategy, skilled negotiators, they con they have ⁓ contract guidance and transaction management, they have risk management and problem solving skills and ⁓ I'm not so sure that the that the that the public totally understands all that goes on in behind the scenes. Okay. So a good realtor is gonna make your s your your your transaction go seamlessly. Okay. As seamlessly as they as they possibly can. And their job is to educate you, not make decisions for you. So they are educating you in the decisions that you need to make and the consequences of each one. But at the end of the day you as a consumer are actually making the decisions. But the realtor is guiding you through this process. They're holding your hand, making sure that it goes well well for you. And I the the analogy that I love the most is that a realtor is like and it is like a duck on the pond. So the duck is floating along and it looks nice and majestic and everything seems seamless. But in behind what you don't see is their little feet are paddling like this. There's a thousand little things going on in the background that you actually don't see, but they make it look good. Because they have the expertise and they've done this before and and they have systems that guide them through to make sure that you only see the happy little duck on the pond. ⁓ and I also think as far as organized real estate, they probably don't quite understand the depth of what we do. All Star is committed to professional development. We are committed to make sure the realtor that serves you understands exactly what they're doing and is up on the trends that are happening in the marketplace. They is a code of ethics. ⁓ and p and professional standards and we are making sure we have systems in place and committees in place that deal with c consumer complaints that are within our jurisdiction. We advocate for housing and for property ownership. We talk to MPs and MPPs about what's going on, what we see in our region. We pay for atticus polls on the communities that we serve so that MPs and MVPs and realtors understand what the public is actually thinking in a in a in a large sense. We paid Nick Nanos for surveys and how happy are you in your community? What services do you feel are needed in your community? Do you feel safe in your community? How do you feel about your job? So we we gather data and we interpret it and we explain it. to the public, our members, and our MPs. So we kind of help the ⁓ transition go smoother and help the communities get what we need. We guide through technology and market data that improves service to commute consumers as well. The goal of LSTAR is to build consumer confidence and support a fair, transparent marketplace. The good realtor makes the transaction look effortless. They do everything in their power to prepare the consumer for that seamless experience. And Alfstar does everything we can do to prepare the realtor to give that experience. Okay. We provide guidance, expertise, and advocacy that helps clients make those informed decisions every step of the way and builds better, safer, stronger communities.
speaker-0: Yeah, and I certainly know my friends and family have a very good understanding of what life is like for a realtor. Like like especially somebody that's active. I twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and six there's no such thing as a holiday where you don't work. That's been my experience, right? You're away on vacation and someone's booking showings, an offer comes in, you have to change your dinner plans that night because you have to be home. Like things it's it's part of the job and And you know, the the realtors that are effective and work all the time. Yeah. Yep. I try and tell my clients I have a ten minute response time from except from ten PM until six AM where I turn my phone off. But then I'm sure you're aware, you wake up in the morning and boom, you have fifteen messages that you have to respond to at six o'clock in the morning. Absolutely. Yeah.
speaker-1: They do actually. The vacation is just a chance to check my emails from a different location.
speaker-0: That's right. Might be able to see it do it sitting on a beach this time sitting at an office. I mean it is still nice to get away. You're not out running around showing houses after houses after houses or doing open houses or doing those things, but there's never there's no such thing as a vacation where you don't answer your phone. Yeah, it's I I love it though. Like that's the thing. I love it.
speaker-1: Exactly. Honestly, yes. I mean, like I said, ⁓ quit your day job.
speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ I did. Yeah. Yeah. I got really lucky actually 'cause I took a leave of absence for two years w and tried to do both. Yep. And the one year I sold twenty six properties while I was teaching full time. And I'm like, I don't think the taxpayers are gonna like this next year because I had six active listings and I'm like, I need to take a leave of absence and then covet struck and I'm like, Well, there you go, I'm quitting my day job. That was enough. So yeah, yeah.
speaker-1: Great.
speaker-0: What excites you the most about the future of real estate?
speaker-1: gonna say it's it's the honestly it's the technology and AI improving efficiency and client service. There are a million things I want to do, ⁓ but I'm busy doing paperwork. I want to automate more. I want to use those tools that are available to me to broaden my reach. And that excites me a lot. I'm excited for better market data, which is gonna lead to more informed decisions. I'm excited for continuing focus on professionalism and consumer trust, which is what RICO, our real estate council is working on. I'm excited for opportunities to address housing supply and affordability. ⁓ I can see initiatives coming down the pike. I mean, obviously in St. Thomas, you have done a lot to address housing supply and homelessness. And and it shows. I mean, the numbers are there to support the initiatives that are in place and the money that's been spent and the money. And they're they're starting to justify the money that they've saved through finding. solutions for this type of thing. So that that that excites me to make sure that that people have a place that they can go, that they feel safe and supported. The growth in London and St. Thomas and the surrounding communities has been fabulous to watch. I like the fact that I see realtors can contributing to healthy, vibrant communities through their housing expertise because some of these initiatives that we've taken, I mean, when the HST was taken off of New Builds Only, Realtors lobbied to have it off all new builds. ⁓ we've changed policy ⁓ throughout the years. ⁓ the Canadian Real Estate Association is actually the biggest and oldest lobby group in Canada. We meet once a or twice a year in Ottawa and we meet with our MPs as a group. So there's maybe 400 realtors that converge on Ottawa and they have about I think I think the last one was about 200 MP meetings. And just to, you know, solidify the fact that there are needs and we're boots on the ground. We understand what's going on and we actually don't just come up to them with problems. We come to them with solutions too. So we get asks, which asks are the we all go, we all have the same ask of of our local politicians of things that will help the communities grow and be prepared for for for the challenges that they're that they're struggling with. At the end of the day, real estate's about people and communities and opportunities. The markets are gonna change, technology is gonna evolve. ⁓ but helping people to make informed decisions about where they live and build their future is always gonna be at the heart of what realtors do. So that's that's what excites me about future real estate, continuing the work and building on the work that's been done. Yeah.
speaker-0: What what have you found this is kind of a side topic here, 'cause you mentioned the HST rebates. I've got Rob Flack on in a couple of weeks, which I'm really looking forward to having that conversation. 'Cause I'm I'm finding it here in our local market. ⁓ people that ⁓ own a property that is less than five years old that want to move have really no chance. They're they're competing with the new builds that are not currently charging the HST and everybody's choosing to I've even got clients who are wanting to build a house. And they wanna sell their five year old house to build, but they can't do it because people don't wanna buy their new built 'cause it's only five years old.
speaker-1: Yes. That's a great question.
speaker-0: I know. I'm really looking forward to the conversation with with Rob because especially I don't it's supposed to be a one year initiative and it'll be interesting. What happens to the builders when they take it off? When they ⁓ when they put the HST back on?
speaker-1: Yes. I and we lobbied the Ontario Real Estate Association lobbying to have it extended. That's so positive that's gonna happen. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's I've been told it hasn't been it won't be it won't be happening. But again, I'm a realtor, not a politician, and though you change down the line. So we have been told that it is a one year initiative and to make the most of it.
speaker-0: Okay. Well that'll be it'll be interesting to see. Yeah. Yeah how th how that goes on. ⁓ is there any challenges that the industry should be prepared for? I know. Always
speaker-1: We always have challenges. Technical. Yeah. Okay. So basically we want to keep our eye on housing supply. We want to be supporting the development of a wider range of housing options. We've all heard about the missing middle. We want to make sure that people who do get into that beginner home maybe have a middle home to go to before they transition to the to their to their favorite home. Okay. So we want to keep affordability within range. We want to make sure that there is movement within through the marketplace. It's not just at the bottom and then at the very, very top.
speaker-0: Yeah. ⁓
speaker-1: We need solutions for families. Because you put one or two in a in a building for a little while and then you then you end up with three. And you but you just can't you're a little crowded, but you just can't ⁓ take that leap. So we we're looking for that affordability. We're w wanna help address barriers to home buyers and homeowners, especially those first time buyers. Like we're working on it, but it's still it's a big ask. Technology and AI again Embracing innovation while protecting privacy, accuracy, and professional standards is very important because AI right now is a bit of the wild west, but that privacy thing is a big issue and it's becoming a big bigger issue as more information is gathered. ⁓ we want to make sure that consumer expectations are managed. We need to meet demand for faster communication. Of course, transparency is always premium and ⁓ digital services are important. So we want to make sure the consumers actually have what they need when they need it. And the expertise and knowledge that goes with getting those numbers. We're preparing for economic uncertainty. We're helping clients navigate challenges such as interest rates and market conditions. We're worried about, again, as you mentioned, how does government policy affect people who aren't part of the benefit? That is a that is a huge challenge for the industry. And as you said, what what are these people gonna do next? What are their options? Because maybe they have to move for a job. Maybe they have no choice but to relocate. It you know, there's all different kinds of human factors that get affected when ⁓ political policy changes. And we want to make sure that there's public confidence. We want to reinforce enforce the value of ethics, accountability, and professional representation. We need the public to be absolutely confident that they are working with a professional realtor, but they're working with a knowledgeable realtor. The brokerage that they're working with respects the rules of the business and understands the roles of each keep people who are involved in the in the business. The biggest challenge isn't change itself. It's making sure that we adapt in a way that keeps consumers at the center. And as we continue to embrace innovation and maintain that high professional standards, ⁓ that's gonna that's what's gonna keep our industry well positioned for future growth.
speaker-0: Yeah. And I'm really glad that you mentioned affordability in there, Robin, because I feel like as a realtor, I think sometimes the general public blames us for the price of houses. And it you know, I hear this pretty regularly, especially sometimes, you know, the people that like to chat on social media. Will comment like, Thank you for causing homelessness on Dundask. Well, it's the market that dictates the value of the properties and I have five kids under the age of twenty two that need to buy a home one day. Mm-hmm. So affordability is still important to me as a realtor. Absolutely. Yeah, like I wanna make sure that our kids can afford a house one day on their own. And I think most realtors have concerns about affordability. The people who, you know, especially when you're looking at sellers that have these lofty expectations, they don't care about affordability at that time unless they're buying their home. Then they about the affordability part of it. So yeah, but I am glad that you mentioned that, Robin, as a challenge 'cause I believe that that is one of the big a big challenge for sure.
speaker-1: Yeah. So an interesting thing that was mentioned to me the other day was the concept of balanced market. One of our leaders said to me, I don't even know what a balanced market is. I've never heard of it. Realtors, they want they're always talking about sellers market and a buyer's market, but there's no balance market. I've never heard I said, Well, that's because it's not sexy. The media doesn't talk about a balanced market. A balanced market is where everybody is happy. It's not about price so much. It's more about choice and options and making sure that the Flow is not frenzied and not slow. It is making sure the flow is even across the board of moving houses. And the media doesn't seem to it doesn't get media attention because it's not exciting. Exciting is you got 10 offers on a house, it went for $100,000 more than it was it was offered for. That's what the media wants because they want headlines. But this balanced market, which is kind of the goal, because that's where the fair market value actually happens, that's kind of a goal.
speaker-0: For sure.
speaker-1: And we're like I said, we're just getting there, which is kind of exciting as a realtor. I mean it's it's a balance, it's fair, you can sleep as a realtor, you can sleep at night. ⁓ your your sellers are happy, your buyers have made good decisions. It's it it's a nice place to be in.
speaker-0: Yeah, home inspections are back. You don't have to worry that there's something wrong with the property that your buyer purchased and
speaker-1: Exactly. Financing is still in there so you can and you know you haven't put your you know, you know that you've done your job as your realtor, you've given your your your clients options, they've had a chance to pick the options that work the very best for their situation.
speaker-0: For sure. What what's one lesson you've learned in your career that's stayed with you?
speaker-1: I'm gonna say that, well, definitely relationships. Relationships matter more than individual transactions. It's very real estate is a relationship-based business. ⁓ listening is one of the most valuable tools that a realtor can develop. Honesty and to transparency, you're gonna build that long-term trust. Every market that we're in teaches realtors something new. Adaptability and lifelong learning are essential for a realtor. And reputation is built one client experience. at a time. There is no situation that I can think of where it would be more important for me to go outside of my comfort zone than lose my real real estate license. It is very important to make sure that my reputation is always intact. It's the one thing that that that guides me through my career. The market's going to change, but the fundamentals don't. So listen well, communicate honestly and do the right thing for the people that you serve.
speaker-0: Yeah, I agree a thousand percent. Costa has always been very good with I mean, if you ever meet that man for the first time, you're getting a hug. Because it's always about relationships, right? With him. And that's the one thing he's taught me and and Mary's taught me is that it's about building relationships. And I think that is so important. I mean, I've won the chairman award nine out of the last ten years at my brokerage, but At the end of the day, the most important award I've ever won is the rank my agent award from my clients' reviews. ⁓ nice. Like that that's something that, you know, I take pride in that my clients say that they had a great experience. And, you know, that's why I try and give them a ten minute response time because that's my job. So yeah, I I completely agree with you. I think relationships is so important. Who's been the biggest influence on your leadership style?
speaker-1: So I'm gonna say that the people that influence my leadership style most are the people who lead with integrity, humility, and genuine focus on others. It I I'm gonna say it hasn't been one single person who shaped my approach, but rather it's the lessons I've learned by observing those that have come before me. Both the qualities that I admire and examples of leadership that I've learned from. ⁓ my experience locally ⁓ and at the Ontario level was the Ontario Real Association and nationally through the Cayenne Real Estate Association. association. I've seen the impact that strong leadership can have and Costa is absolutely one hundred percent one of those people. So are several others. I've I mean I've watched in leadership. I've learned that leadership is about listening and building consensus. You need to stay accountable and bring people together towards that common goal. So I'm gonna say it's the people for me that have worked their way through organized real estate and and and they've done it one transaction at a time and one communication at a time and day by day by showing up and being consistent and being someone that you can admire. And I Picked for me to him. A bit.
speaker-0: Nice. And what do you like to do in your free time outside of real estate if you have any free time?
speaker-1: Okay, so what I usually do, ⁓ I like spending time outdoors. I like to be have time with my family and friends, of course. ⁓ I enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, biking, walking, ⁓ hiking. I've recently started to play pickleball, which is gonna be c topical. It's also it's also a lot of fun and good exercise. ⁓ I like enjoying and exploring the communities around me. ⁓ one of the things I've appreciated about our region is how many great trails and outdoor spaces that we have. And there's so many groomed walking trails in our area that people probably don't even know about, but they're in our backyard. And for me, because they work a lot, I look for those those two to three hour experiences that aren't too far from home. I've still got my phone. I I can go back home if I absolutely one hundred percent need to. ⁓ and I also like to go to local community events, see what's out there. You know, go to those small communities. If they've got something going on for the day or the weekend, I'd like to go out and enjoy what the volunteers have put together because they put a lot of effort into it and it's quality entertainment. You it's just kind of relaxing little day, day to get out and get out and again answer my phone from a different location. It's it's
speaker-0: Yeah, fantastic. Yeah. What's one piece of advice you'd like to leave with buyers, sellers and realtors?
speaker-1: I'm gonna say, and this is the advice that I've kind of I've always applied to myself as well: luck favors to prepare. So for buyers, that means getting your finances in order, ⁓ getting pre-approved, understand your wants and your needs, identify your deal breakers and clearly communicate those with your realtors so they can provide the best guidance possible. For sellers, it means choose your realtor carefully. Even if you have someone in mind, take the time to interview and understand what each professional offers. A good guideline to that is usually interview three realtors. Find out what they have to offer. Price your home strategically, prepare your home properly, and that's going to help make the process as smooth as possible and lead to better results. For realtors, my advice would be stay hungry, humble, and honest. Work hard for every client. And remember that the person in front of you is more than that transaction. They're making one of the biggest decisions of their life. The value that that we provide is the trust, the expertise, and the guidance that can truly make a difference in that person's life. The best cut. outcome in real estate, they rarely happen by accident. They happen when people are prepared, informed, and working with the right professional.
speaker-0: Yeah, fantastic. Fantastic. What does success look like at the end of your term as L Star Chair?
speaker-1: So my goal as the L SR chair is to keep LSR's priorities moving forward while making sure that we remain strong, relevant, and focused on delivering value to our members. That's that's always the work that we do. ⁓ real estate has a funny way of making sure that no two days look the same. ⁓ but our focus remains on supporting realtors and strengthening the communities that we serve. A big part of how we how we serve is continue to communicate. And engage with members. ⁓ we elsewhere doesn't expect to have all the answers, but realtors are pretty good at giving feedback and opinions, so we're never short on feedback. ⁓ we welcome conversations because they help make the organization stronger and better. ⁓ for me personally, success isn't really measured by the decisions that we make, but how the people that we worked with feel through the process. The people may not remember every meeting or every discussion. ⁓ or be detailed, but they're gonna remember how they felt heard, respected, and supported at the end of the year. So at the end of my term, I hope the members look back and feel that we listened, we moved forward together, we worked our way through initiatives and we left Elstar a little stronger than what we found it. So leadership's not about or leadership is about stewardess, stewardship and building on what came before us and setting the next group up for success. So we work our way through this.
speaker-0: Fantastic. So at the end of at the end of all of my podcasts, I always feature a small business of the week, local small business, and I'm so glad you mentioned pickleball. So the courthouse in St. Thomas is a facility that's fourteen thousand square feet on Dennis Road. It has numerous pickleball indoor pickleball courts, year-round facility. ⁓ the owners Danny and Danny and Jamie, they wanted to kind of create a social space ⁓ for people to go play. And yeah, you can enjoy a drink after it's fully licensed. So you can sit around and and chat with people. They're they're actually starting on July eighth, a four week lesson series for people that are just starting out. So if anybody's interested, they can go to courthouse pickleball.ca to check the place out. They've got some great videos and things like that. And I've I've was very fortunate a few months ago. I was pl I played pickleball Monday through Friday. That was my free time when I had it, about an hour and a half where I didn't really have to check my phone. I usually did between games, but and I had a bit of an accident, Robin.
speaker-1: What if you do so?
speaker-0: You know, pickleball pickleball, i you're not just playing with, you know, Sophia and Dorothy in their nineties. There's some very, very good athletes in it. And some of the divisions are quite competitive. And I the ball happened to be going over my head and I jumped up to smash it and I fell back and was knocked unconscious on the concrete. Yeah, they had to call an ambulance and it was quite a ⁓ quite a thing. But Nancy and the staff there were fabulous. Like They took such great care of me and and now I actually sponsor court three. So stick to spot. So I wanted to give a shout out to them this morning and anybody that's thinking about trying to get into pickleball, i they have every single level, beginners to intermediate experts. You can pick a sm you can book a separate court if you've got four or five people to go out and play.
speaker-1: Wednesday, so I needed to
speaker-0: But they if you're playing by yourself, every day they have groups that you can just join and go in and play and take turns and great exercise and a great social game. Just I will never jump up to Smashable again. Lesson learned. Well, thank Robin. I know you're very busy, so I really, really appreciate your time today. And hopefully y you've taught some people some things about L Star and what they do, what their role is, what your role is, and about the real estate market in general and our job and our goals as realtors.
speaker-1: Lesson learned. That's okay.
speaker-0: So I really appreciate your time today. Thank you so much. Yeah, so I end every every ⁓ podcast the same way. Let's get closing.
speaker-1: Thanks for having me, San Jeff. I appreciate it. Love it. Lots of swords. I love it.
speaker-0: Thanks so much, Robin. ⁓ Thank you. Okay.
