Blog posts created to help clients sell Calgary properties with confidence and obtain the highest offer in the quickest time!

Narrowing down a large list into 5 items can be difficult, but I wanted to really magnify the main mistakes I've witnessed over my two decades of selling and marketing real estate. Here are my top 5, along with a detailed description:   1] They hire the wrong professional.  We can feel obligated to use an Agent that we know, a relative or a referral from a friend. Albeit, I love referrals from past clients, I always try to jump on a phone call or zoom with that potential new customer to explain what I can do for them, my experience and set expectations. I don't take anything for granted and always still try to earn the opportunity for new business. If you are looking for a real estate professional with a particular set of skills, a specialty…

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Oh decluttering - the task that almost always gets pushed aside year by year. 

We're humans, we are creatures of habit and we accumulate stuff. 

Well there comes a time to have to get rid of that stuff - especially the items that have been sitting, unused, for several years. 

Here is a quick 6 step process on getting started, making progress and seeing results in only a matter of months:

1    Commit to five minutes of decluttering everyday. No more and no less. 
It will help you build momentum. 

2    Fill a bag to donate. Get a trash bag and fill it as fast as you can with donation items. If you need, go to multiple rooms in order to fill the bag. 

3    Keep track of what you don’t wear and then donate it. Face your hangers the wrong way and…

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Marketing can be simple, it can be complex or it can be fun.

We generally choose fun - but above all, memorable. When you are trying to capture a property, it's important to think 'who might be the target buyer for this space?' and work from there. Additionally, if you are marketing via video, it's equally important to provide a piece that captivates, keeps retention, has staying power and is of course, shareable. 

Any time that we are hired for a higher end listing, the creative juices start to flow and the internal gears get going! 

With this sub-penthouse condo at Arriva, there was an opportunity to do something special. I mean this unit has access to a private elevator that opens up right into the space - how cool is that?! No tag along…

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Now you might be asking yourself - what is virtual staging?

And fair enough, virtual [or digital] staging has been around for a while BUT it's only really been impressive or impactful for say the last 5 years. Before that a lot of the images looked a little rough. Think 'cut, copy + paste' on the good old paint program on your computer. You looked, you chuckled, but you appreciated the person's effort to 'fill' the space with some personality. Nowadays though, when done right, virtual staging can deceive the eye to really make you look twice - is this real furniture in the space? Or digitally enhanced pieces?

But virtual staging is the art of photographing an empty property and then digitally inserting faux furniture precisely into the space. The…

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How to start the process of downsizing your home:
Baby boomers, beloved seniors - this one's for you! I know this is a topic or task that most like to avoid, put off and procrastinate. I'm here to help make it easier on you with some tips on tackling the [likely] copious amounts of 'stuff' you accumulated over the years. 
  • Start small. I'd suggest 5-10 minutes a day to create momentum. Once you build it in as a routine and start to see results, it will encourage you to keep going. 
  • Hire a professional. Yes, there are individuals out there that specialize in downsizing. Utilize their talents and experience and know that their job is to assist you in this big life transition. 
  • Ask for help from your family. Regardless if they show it…

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In 1985, Prince serenaded us with his hit 'Raspberry Beret' - a song so catchy that I still have troubles turning the radio dial when it comes on. Fast forward nearly 40 years [wow] and Benjamin Moore is calling their 'Raspberry Blush' the colour of the year for 2023. Apparently it's a vivacious shade of coral tinged with pink and enlivens the senses with an electric optimism. I love a great, descriptive marketing line. 

It's important to remember that unique, bold or designer colour choices can be subjective. I wouldn't exactly race out of the house to go pick up a couple of cans and start slapping them on the walls right now to ensure your home sells quickly in the coming months. The majority of the shades even listed in the 'Colour Trends for…

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A few months back I posted the DO NOT's of buying Real Estate, so I figured it's time to aid and come to the rescue of those selling! Selling a home can be a stressful time. Let's ease that tension and get you going on the right path by knowing the wrongs. Here are a few tips on what not to do, when selling real estate:

- Don't make it hard for buyers to access your property. Clean, shovel snow, and are you saying no to a lot of showings?

- Don't make a hard sell on your very own property. When a prospective buyer has an appointment, leave! Don't make an awkward situation for them.

- Don't think the 'waiting until Spring' moto is always best. Do you really want all that competition? Consider times when inventory levels are down.

- Don't…

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Yes, we’ve all heard of the various ‘Keep Calm’ commercialization slogans over the past 10 years. And are we getting tired of them? Perhaps, but this is one mantra I used this summer during one of the busiest events in the world in hopes to gain some promotion and have a little fun at the same time. I’ll give you three guesses on what that busy Calgary event was, and two don’t count … Stampede, yes, of course!

Being in sales and devoted to creative marketing, I figured what better occasion to have some fun with it than the good ole Calgary Stampede? I mean, the tally at the gate to the grounds was over one million with a day to go during the 10 day city wide celebration. The motto was this: Keep Calm and Buy Condos, i.e. select a specialist such as…

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What an interesting comparison, I thought so too! Let’s go through some of the humorous parallels on selling your home and dating…

The first viewing // The first date

The property is live, looks good and you anxiously await the first call from your Realtor that you have someone interested in a private viewing. You get the call, the butterflies commence, and you think “ok, is everything clean, is everything put away that needs to be, does everything look and smell good?!” Check! Let’s vacate and hope they like what they see!

You’re single, confident and on the market. You meet someone, they show interest and you exchange numbers. You get the call, the butterflies begin, and you think “ok what should I wear, does everything look good with the…

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Condos in Calgary are getting more functional, fashionable and modern. People’s lives are becoming more minimalistic. However, construction costs and price of homes tend to rise with time. So what does this mean? Small, boutique style condos are becoming popular due to their affordability.

Upcoming Calgary condo developments seem to be introducing smaller floor plans to appeal to individuals looking to enter the market sooner. Here are a few examples of condo designers making the most of out of a small situation:

STEPS [Bridgeland] units start at 344 sqft [nope, not a misprint]

Drake [Connaught] units start at 398 sqft

6th And Tenth [Connaught] units start at 449 sqft

Mark on 10th [Connaught] units start at 452 sqft

To answer your…

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