agent

Maximizing Leads with Targeted Google Advertising

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 17:04:38 GMT

As a real estate agent, you know how competitive the market is. Advertising on Google gives you a powerful way to stand out and connect directly with serious buyers and sellers who are searching for properties and agents right now. Let’s explore why Google Ads should be a key part of your marketing strategy.

Reach Buyers Exactly When They’re Searching

Google Ads lets you target prospects actively looking for real estate services in your area. Instead of broad, unfocused marketing, you can place your listings and agent services in front of people ready to take action. With precise controls over location, keywords, and demographics, your ad budget goes towards generating leads that matter.

Get Instant Visibility with Paid Search

Unlike relying solely on organic search rankings, which can take months to build, Google Ads delivers immediate exposure. Whether you’re promoting a new listing, an upcoming open house, or your personal brand, your ad appears at the top of search results right away: helping you beat the competition in fast-paced markets.

Measure and Optimize Your Results

One of the biggest advantages of Google Ads is the detailed reporting it offers. You can see exactly how many people saw your ad, clicked through, and contacted you. This data lets you refine your campaigns over time, improving performance and making sure every dollar you spend drives results.

Expand Your Reach Across Multiple Platforms

Your Google Ads don’t just show up on search results. They can also appear on YouTube, Gmail, and partner websites across large portions of the internet, giving you multiple touchpoints to engage potential clients. This consistent exposure helps build your reputation and keeps you top of mind when clients are ready to buy or sell.

Customize Your Ads to Fit Your Market

Google Ads gives you flexibility to create text, image, and video ads. Showcase your listings with high-quality visuals and clear calls to action that speak directly to different buyer groups, from first-time homebuyers to luxury buyers. Tailoring your message increases engagement and improves lead quality.

Stay Competitive in a Mobile-Driven Market

With more buyers using mobile devices to search for homes, Google Ads ensures you reach your audience wherever they are. This mobile-friendly approach keeps you competitive and accessible in today’s real estate landscape.

Ready to Launch Your Google Ad Campaign?

Now is the time to grow your business with focused, high-performing Google advertising. With expert support available through CBN, the process is simple and cost-effective. Coldwell Banker Neumann is an official Google Partner . This means we are authorized to manage, create, and adjust ad campaigns directly on your behalf. There are no additional costs for campaign setup, management, or oversight. The entire budget you choose is used to place your ads in front of motivated buyers and sellers. You decide how much to spend, and we take care of everything from strategy to execution.

ITSO Extension & System Transition: What You Need to Know

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:25:52 GMT

The transition from ITSO to PropTx continues, and an important update has been announced regarding system access and timelines.

Here’s what you need to know:

Key Updates

REALM & Matrix Trial Extended Until February 28, 2025
Agents now have an additional 28 days to choose between these systems.
ITSO Access Extended Until February 28, 2025
Due to ongoing data transfer challenges, an extension has been secured to ensure system stability and minimize disruptions.

Transition Progress & Enhancements

The transition to PropTx is well underway, with 19 out of 23 ITSO boards having fully migrated. Ongoing improvements include:

Enhanced search functionalities (e.g., waterfront fields, square footage, and MPAC integration)
Continued auditing to address missing data and discrepancies
Ongoing technical support to resolve outstanding issues

Next Steps

A full timeline of scheduled system updates from PropTx will be shared in the coming days. We’ll share further updates and tech tips as they become available to help navigate this process smoothly.

Revisions to OREA Standard Forms 2025

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 17:01:09 GMT

As the new 2025 OREA Standard Forms are now in effect, it's important for all our agents to stay informed about the recent revisions. Below is a summary of the key updates that have been implemented, which will impact how transactions are managed moving forward.

FORM 271:

Page 3, Mid Part: The bold statement above the Listing Brokerage’s signature line has been revised from ‘THE LISTING BROKERAGE AGREES TO MARKET THE PROPERTY ON BEHALF OF THE SELLER AND REPRESENT THE SELLER IN AN...’ to ‘THE LISTING BROKERAGE AND THE DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BROKERAGE AGREE TO MARKET THE PROPERTY ON BEHALF OF THE SELLER AND THE DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BROKERAGE SHALL REPRESENT THE SELLER IN AN...’
Part 4, Schedule A: The wording in Schedule A has been revised to: "...services by the Brokerage and the provision of services, confidentiality, and representation by the Designated Representative of the Brokerage,..."

FORM 371:

Similar revisions have been made to the language used in Form 371 to align with the updates made in Form 271.

FORM 320:

Page 1 and Page 2: All references to 'Listing Brokerage' have been changed to 'Seller Brokerage' or 'Landlord Brokerage,' as applicable, throughout the form.
Page 1, Top Part: In paragraph 3, the term 'representatives' has been revised to 'representative(s),' and 'brokerages' has been revised to 'Brokerages.'
Page 1, Mid Part: In section 4.a)1), the word 'interest' has been revised to 'interests.'

Next Steps & Resources

To view a full list of all changes made to the forms and clauses, please click here to access the full document.

Additionally, OREA will be hosting Part 2 of their webinar series on January 13th to provide further details on these updates. If you missed Part 1, you can find the recording available here .

We encourage all of our agents to familiarize themselves with these revisions to ensure smooth and compliant transactions in 2025 and beyond. Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Stay informed, stay ahead!

Canadian Commercial Real Estate Market Continues to See Slow Growth

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 16:14:07 GMT

Each quarter, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) publishes a summary of key economic indicators for commercial real estate in Canada. Housing starts, non-residential building permits, gross domestic product (GDP) and the labour market are routinely monitored by CREA’s economic team as predictors for the commercial real estate market. For residential market information, visit CREA Stats .

Looking at commercial real estate data for the first quarter of 2024, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is seeing a decline in the number of non-residential building permits issued, slower housing starts, and an easing labour market, all evidence of a potential slowdown in new construction projects across the country.

Notably, the value of non-residential building permits issued was down almost 5% compared to the first quarter of 2023.

Despite being lower than a few years ago when interest rates were low, housing starts were up compared to this time last year. There are many challenges facing the housing sector, such as: higher interest rates, material and labour costs, and high land values.

The labour market continues to show signs of easing. There are more people in Canada entering the labour force than those getting a job and wage growth is not expected to keep up with the change in the cost of living most Canadians have experienced over the last few years.

For the commercial real estate market, 2024 remains uncertain as the Canadian economy will have to cope with uncertainty around future interest rate cuts , a slowing labour market, affordability concerns, and a slowing economy.

Here’s a deeper dive into some of the data CREA is monitoring on the commercial side of real estate.

Housing Starts

Source: CMHC

While down from record levels seen when interest rates were more accommodative, Canadian housing starts rose by about 8% in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 , and were about 12% higher compared to the first quarter in 2023.

The federal government’s 2024 budget released in April 2024 featured major housing policy announcements , which are supposed to help incentivize close to 3.9 million new homes being built by 2031. Some of the incentives include $8.5 billion for new housing over the next five years, a freeze on development cost charges (DCC) for certain municipalities with populations greater than 300,000, a $15 billion top up for the Apartment Construction Loan Program, and the removal of GST on new purpose-built rentals.

The federal government has also promised to review their federal lands portfolio to potentially open some federal land for sale and long-term leases for development as well as looking into converting old Canada Post buildings into housing.

A report by the Conference Board of Canada , produced in conjunction with CREA, the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), and British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA), highlighted Canada needs to fill 12,000 skilled labour vacancies per year in the residential construction industry over the next decade to meet our country’s housing needs, and non-traditional sources of construction labour will play a crucial role in filling those vacancies.

Non-Residential Building Permits

Source: Statistics Canada

Approximately $12.97 billion in non-residential building permits were issued from January to March 2024. This was down almost 5% from the same three-month period a year ago, but up close to 7% from the three months prior, with gains led by the commercial component in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.

The number of approved non-residential permits also decreased on a quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year basis, with the industrial and institutional/governmental components seeing most of the pullback.

On a quarter-over-quarter basis, construction intentions remained strong in British Columbia and Prince Edward Island but were notably weaker across the rest of the country.

On a year-over-year basis, there were higher construction intentions for the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2023 across most of the country except in Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Long regulatory hurdles and skilled labour shortages continue to make it challenging to bring non-residential buildings on to the market in Canada. Rising construction costs have also impacted the financial feasibility of new projects, with Statistics Canada reporting non-residential construction costs have increased by about 44% since 2017 .

Labour Market Dynamics

Source: Statistics Canada

The national unemployment rate in Canada came in at 6.1% in April 2024 with the economy adding 90,000 jobs in the month. This increase was largely driven by part-time employment, which may not provide the same level of income or stability as full-time positions.

The national employment rate, which measures the number of people who are employed as a percentage of the working-age population, held steady at 61.4% in April following six consecutive months of declines.

Near record-levels of population growth in Canada continue to influence the labour market, and growth in the national working-age population is outpacing the growth in employment. This indicates that, while more people are entering the workforce, not all of them are finding employment, nudging the unemployment rate higher and the employment rate lower.

According to the Bank of Canada’s first-quarter 2024 Business Outlook Survey , the labour market continues to ease but wage growth is still higher than average. Easing labour conditions are reflective of both weaker demand for new workers and a greater supply of available workers in the labour market. Wage adjustments are still expected to remain higher than average, mainly due to adjustments for the high cost of living.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth

Source: Statistics Canada

In its April 2024 Monetary Policy Report , the Bank noted inflation continues to slow as monetary policy works to reduce inflationary pressures. They also mentioned while Canada’s economy showed no growth in the second half of 2023, GDP is estimated to rebound in 2024, with the Canadian economy forecasted to grow by 1.5% in 2024 compared to 1.1% last year, before increasing by another 2.2% in 2025.

While GDP growth has been flat since the spring of 2023, real GDP per capita has been stagnating since early 2020, as increases in real output have not kept up with population growth. Real GDP per capita is expected to continue to trend lower in the near future. Senior leadership at the Bank of Canada h ave described this as a national emergency .

Overall, Consumer Price Index (CPI) slowed to 2.7% in April 2024. This was the fourth straight month of easing inflation and of inflation running within the Bank’s 1% to 3% target range. Mortgage interest costs and rent remain the largest contributors to high inflation, with mortgage interest costs rising 24.5% and rents increasing 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. When excluding the shelter component from overall inflation, CPI comes in at just under 1.2%.

The next CREA commercial snapshot will be available later this summer and cover economic activity for Q2 2024.

Source: https://www.creacafe.ca/canadian-commercial-real-estate-market-continues-to-see-slow-growth/

Home Sales Still Quiet in May; Interest Rate Drop Could Impact June Housing Data

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:32:28 GMT

By now, most of you know Canada’s interest rates recently dropped for the first time in more than four years, so how has the housing market reacted?

Well, it may be too early to fully tell, but some signs are hard to ignore that activity is about to pick up.

First, the May data from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA):

Canadian home sales are down 0.6% in May compared to April.
Newly listed homes were up 0.5% in May compared to April.
Prices are generally sliding sideways across most of the country (the MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) dipped 0.2% in May compared to April).

Housing data is flat; why is that?

CREA Senior Economist Shaun Cathcart called it a “sleepy month for housing activity in Canada, maybe one of the least interesting in the past couple of years.”

But that’s not likely to last. The May housing data may as well be “ancient history,” Cathcart notes, as it does not include real estate activity following the Bank of Canada’s rate cut decrease announcement on June 5 .

Cathcart said June will likely tell a different story as Canadians begin to regain confidence interest rates are stable or on the decline again—a signal many would-be buyers were patiently waiting for to have happen.

So, some buyers will be coming off the sidelines in June and within the next few months, while others will continue to wait for more cuts.

Just, a word of caution from Cathcart:

“Whatever the timing (of rate cuts may be), the point is we are not going back to 2021 interest rates. Based on current expectations, we’re not even going halfway back.”

New listings trending higher

If there are going to be more buyers, there had better be some more listings to help keep the market balanced. That seems to be happening as there are currently 175,000 properties listed for sale on all Canadian MLS® Systems—up 24.8% from a year earlier.

Looking month-over-month, May’s rate of growth for new listings was just 0.5% compared to April, keeping things still well below historical averages. With sales down slightly and new listings up ever so slightly in May, the national sales-to-new listings ratio eased to 52.6% compared to 53.3% in April. The long-term average for the national sales-to-new listings ratio is 55%. A sales-to-new listings ratio between 45% and 65% is generally consistent with balanced housing market conditions.

“That first rate cut is expected to bring some pent-up demand back into the market, and those buyers will find there are more homes to choose from right now than at any other point in almost five years,” said CREA Chair James Mabey, a REALTOR® and salesperson based in the Edmonton area .

Prices are down compared to 2023

Shifting focus to pricing, the actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average sale price was $699,117 in May 2024, down 4% from the same time last year.

Looking at trends and prices seem to be sliding sideways across Canada, with areas such as Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon seeing rising trends.

The Bank of Canada holds a key

Cathcart said no one really knows how the entire interest rate easing cycle will play out and that attention should be paid to how the U.S. economy is faring. If Canada strays from the U.S. too much, that could cause a rise in inflation again.

“Now most recently, the U.S. had some very encouraging inflation data, meaning maybe they cut sooner, meaning less of a divergence issue,” he said, adding the odds are currently favouring another interest rate cut happening in July.

Cathcart said the Bank of Canada is also monitoring how many of the five-year fixed mortgages that were locked in at sub 2% rates will be coming up for renewal as early as summer 2025.

Source: https://www.creacafe.ca/home-sales-still-quiet-in-may-interest-rate-drop-could-impact-june-housing-data/

Bank of Canada Cuts Policy Rate for First Time Since March 2020

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:23:49 GMT

The Bank of Canada decided to reduce its target for the overnight lending rate from 5% to 4.75% . The move was widely expected by financial markets and marked the Bank’s first rate reduction since the onset of the pandemic four years ago, bringing rates down to where they stood exactly one year ago.

In a scheduled announcement on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the Bank noted Canada’s economy picked up in the first quarter of 2024 but still came in weaker than anticipated. While growth in consumer spending, business investment, and the housing market remained solid, the Bank once again made note of the fact that employment has been rising at a slower pace than working-age population growth.

The Bank continues to focus on elevated shelter costs as a significant contributor to inflation. However, it also noted that both headline and core measures of inflation are showing signs of downward momentum and are close to historical averages.

With inflation now back in the Bank’s preferred range of 1-3% and increased confidence that inflation continues to move toward its 2% target, the Bank stated, “monetary policy no longer needs to be as restrictive” in its decision to lower the policy rate by 25 basis points.

The Bank of Canada will make its next scheduled interest rate announcement on July 24, 2024, as well as publish its full outlook for the economy and inflation in its next Monetary Policy Report .

Source: https://www.creacafe.ca/bank-of-canada-cuts-policy-rate-for-first-time-since-march-2020/

agent

Maximizing Leads with Targeted Google Advertising

Reach Buyers Exactly When They’re Searching

Get Instant Visibility with Paid Search

Measure and Optimize Your Results

Expand Your Reach Across Multiple Platforms

Customize Your Ads to Fit Your Market

Stay Competitive in a Mobile-Driven Market

Ready to Launch Your Google Ad Campaign?

ITSO Extension & System Transition: What You Need to Know

The transition from ITSO to PropTx continues, and an important update has been announced regarding system access and timelines. Here’s what you need to know: ﻿

Key Updates

Transition Progress & Enhancements

Next Steps

Revisions to OREA Standard Forms 2025

Canadian Commercial Real Estate Market Continues to See Slow Growth

Housing Starts

﻿

Non-Residential Building Permits

﻿ Labour Market Dynamics

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth

Home Sales Still Quiet in May; Interest Rate Drop Could Impact June Housing Data

Housing data is flat; why is that?

Just, a word of caution from Cathcart:

New listings trending higher

Prices are down compared to 2023

The Bank of Canada holds a key

Bank of Canada Cuts Policy Rate for First Time Since March 2020

The transition from ITSO to PropTx continues, and an important update has been announced regarding system access and timelines.

Here’s what you need to know:

Labour Market Dynamics