Categories for Strategic Real Estate Advisory

Understanding Buyer Representation Models in Ontario

How Real Estate Buyers Are Represented — And Why Fee Structure Matters More Than Ever Most real estate Buyers in Ontario are familiar with the traditional idea that “the Seller pays the commission.” What many Buyers don’t fully understand is that there are actually several different buyer representation models used ...

Continue Reading

Commercial Lease Audits and Occupancy Cost Savings: What Tenants Should Know

For many commercial tenants, occupancy costs represent one of the largest ongoing operating expenses associated with leasing retail, office, industrial, and mixed-use space. While base rent is often negotiated carefully at the beginning of a lease term, additional occupancy costs—including common area maintenance (CAM), taxes, operating expenses, utilities, management fees, ...

Continue Reading

The Buyer Representation Agreement

The search for your dream home is an exciting, albeit frenzied, endeavor. It is filled with endless possibilities; do you want to live in the city or suburbs? Will you live in a condominium, townhouse or a detached home? This is essentially the fun part of home buying before you ...

Continue Reading

How Capital Gain Works

Have you made capital gain? That’s great news, because this influx of cash from selling your assets will improve your financial health. However, these benefits may be taxed. Here, I answer seven common questions. 1. What is capital gain? Capital gain represents the profit you make when you sell, entrust, ...

Continue Reading

Why Conditional Clauses Matter in Ontario Real Estate

Conditional clauses are one of the most important risk-management tools available in Ontario real estate transactions. However, in competitive markets, buyers and sellers sometimes focus heavily on: price, closing date, or offer timing while underestimating the importance of carefully structured conditions and due diligence protections. Conditional clauses are not simply ...

Continue Reading

Obligations of All Ontario Registrants (REALTORS®)

Real estate is a highly regulated business in Ontario. These regulations protect consumers, establish standards and provide for a method of delivering consistent, predictable and professional services. It also provides a means to discipline those that do not uphold those standards. Real estate professionals standards include regulatory (TRESA), fiduciary (legal) ...

Continue Reading

How to Choose One Business Over Another

What makes one business better than another when you are buying a business?  Some of the considerations are obvious. Others are not.  As you explore the business landscape, keep in view these 12 markers for choosing a business. 1. Location Is the location of the business convenient?  Is it close to your ...

Continue Reading

Buying or Selling in Another Province

While certain industries are regulated federally, property laws are a provincial responsibility. Many of the provinces have similarities in their property laws, but even those are not exactly the same. What happens when a buyer or seller resides in one province and the home being bought or sold is in ...

Continue Reading

Pre-Emptive or “Bully” Offers

My salesperson showed us two property listings and, in both instances, we wanted to submit an offer. But the properties were sold before the posted offer date. How can this happen? In a seller’s real estate market, you can expect to find that more than one buyer is interested in ...

Continue Reading

What Sellers Need to Know Before Accepting a Bully Offer in Ontario

In competitive Ontario real estate markets, sellers may occasionally receive what is commonly referred to as a “bully offer” or “pre-emptive offer.” These offers are typically submitted: before the scheduled offer presentation date, and are often designed to pressure the seller into accepting early before competing buyers have an opportunity ...

Continue Reading