New York Times Praises Waterloo Region
I was pleased to read a very interesting article featuring the Kitchener-Waterloo area in the New York Times, written by Ian Austen. His article portrays the Waterloo region as a creative hub of new technology, praising the University of Waterloo and its co-op programs Read more 
The Breithaupt Block- Construction Update
One of the main courtyards is already taking shape. Take a look at the rendering below to see what the finished product will look like.
.... and after. Looks great, doesn't it?
LRT for Dummies
In search of some background information and statistics on the new LRT in Waterloo Region, I stumbled upon this great infographic from SnapBlog (hosted by Snapsort in Waterloo). Although the LRT debate was a hot topic before it was approved by council in June of last year, I’ve been a little bit surprised at the lack of marketing I’ve seen (or not seen) coming from the Region in recent months. Read more
Everyone Gives
I intended to post this a month ago because I think it is such a good idea based on the fact that it is cheap, effective and fun.
You only need to donate five dollars to get involved. The money goes directly to the charity of your choice. You will also discover the degrees of separation between you, the weather man, your grade nine gym teacher and the lead singer of your favourite band.
It’s Not All Tech
Waterloo Region’s industrial sector will give Schneider’s employees somewhere to go.
As a lifelong resident of Kitchener-Waterloo, it came as a real punch in the gut when I heard the news that Maple Leaf Foods had decided to close their Schneider’s plant. Read more
Higher Education in Chicago – The SIOR Program
Every year when I set my goals, I include professional development as a cornerstone to improving the experience and service that I provide for my clients. This year, I chose to pursue the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) designation . I’ve heard great things from colleagues who have earned this accreditation and felt it was the right direction for me. Included in the designation requirements are a minimum level of experience and income, demonstrated ethical standards of practice and educational prerequisites. Read more
The Great Waterloo Region Office Space Race (via the informed tenant’s Blog)
Do you love where you work? Is there something about your office that makes you look forward to coming in on Monday mornings? If so, we want to know about it! The Informed Tenant is holding the “Great Waterloo Reigon Office Space Race” to find out who has the coolest space in Waterloo Region.
Claim your title as “Waterloo Region’s Coolest Office Space” by entering here:
Learning the Ropes – Cold Calling
New to the real estate game? Where do you start?
We’ve started a new series on Colliers Ink featuring some of the newest members of the Colliers Team. “Learning the Ropes” is aimed at those of you who are thinking about getting into commercial real estate and are interested in learning what it’s really all about. In this blog series, our ‘rookies’ as well as our seasoned professionals will offer up their advice and experiences for those of you who are thinking of going the way of “The Donald”. Our first post is courtesy of Chris Thoms who has turned cold calling into a bit of an art.
Starting out as a young professional in real estate sales can feel the same as being thrown into a pool without knowing how to swim. It’s not an easy task to drum up new business when you don’t even know what you’re selling. Fortunately there is a way to learn quickly and get the experience you need to be successful; pick up the phone and call, call, call! Sure, cold calling may at first seem scary, draining, or just downright ugly, but it’s vital for the success of any new realtor, or better yet anyone who wants to succeed in sales. The first cold call I made didn’t really go the way I expected. My voice was shaky, I didn’t know what to say or who to talk to, and the prospect on the other end could tell. Did I gain their business? Of course not! But I did learn from my mistakes and continued to call on prospects, gradually building my confidence, which lead to new business transactions and greater client relationships.
Instead of spending an incredible amount of time going door-to-door or at network meetings trying to prospect and gain new business, make a list of prospects and work the phones. Once you start making calls, be sure to ask the right questions and be ready to listen. The most effective cold calls are when you let the prospect do the talking and you simply listen and lead them through the conversation with periodic questions.
Some sales professionals think cold calling is dead, but there is no more efficient way to introduce yourself to your territory and begin farming (planting seeds) with a short phone conversation. Once you have established some rapport over the phone, you can then make the switch to face-to-face meetings to continue building on those relationships. Ask questions, remain confident, and look for opportunities to add value to the prospect’s knowledge of real estate. But most importantly, just pick up the phone and make the call. In the words of my friend Wayne Gretzky, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.
Author: Chris Thoms
4 really cool things I discovered about Downtown Kitchener.
One thing I really love about my job is that I never really know what I’ll be working on from month to month. As it happens, I’m currently researching a new project (I won’t go into details just yet) and I found myself scanning the Downtown Kitchener Business Directory on the Downtown BIA website. I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about the goings-on of Kitchener’s downtown core, but as it turns out, I’m not.
I thought I’d share some of the shops and organizations that I discovered through the Downtown BIA for those of you who may share my ignorance of some of the great things happening downtown. Now I admit, I haven’t experienced most of these places first hand, but I will!
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1. BarterWorks A fantastic throw-back to the days where a cow could buy you a buggy (maybe??) and a talent for sewing bought you an oil change or whatever other mysterious things happens under the hood of a car. What a great idea! I’ve been trying to make friends with a mechanic for years, looks like now I might not have to ’cause I can knit a mean scarf! |
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<2. White Tiger Vintage Boutique I'm not sure if anyone remembers, but there used to be this great vintage shop in Uptown Waterloo called "Revival". Unlike many so-called "vintage" shops, this place actually edited it's merchandise so you were guaranteed to find the most beautiful, truly authentic vintage finds from clothing to jewellery to menswear etc. In a nutshell, this place reminds me of that place. Gotta check it out. |
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3. The Working Centre The Working Centre isn’t exactly new to me, but I had no idea just how involved in the community they really are. There are a host of really cool programs, resources and activities that appeal to just about anyone and everyone. I spent a good hour checking out all the innovative projects they have on the go. I was particularly impressed with their self-help approach to learning; they’re really focused on giving people the tools and experiences they need to sustain a better quality of life.Some really neat things happening at the Working Centre:
(I also just realize that Barter Works is also run through the Working Centre – is there anything they don’t do?) |
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4. Open Eclectic Creative Collective As a former fine arts student (currently on hiatus), I’m always interested in learning about activity in the arts community in Waterloo Region. I stumbled upon this site and really liked the idea. Although a bit of a mouthful (try saying Open Eclectic Creative Collective fast), Open Eclectic appears to be just what it sounds like; a great mix of artists with varying styles and mediums supporting each other in critiques, art creation and inspiration. They also offer some interesting classes for those who may be interested. |
Get ready to pay more for your parking space – wait, you already are.
Colliers Canada recently released our 2011 Parking Rate Survey and the results were somewhat surprising. Although Kitchener-Waterloo still has one of the lowest hourly, daily and monthly parking rates of all the cities surveyed, the region also has the highest increase in rates from last year’s 2010 report. Kitchener-Waterloo’s average monthly unreserved parking rate rose 9.7% this year, followed by Vancouver at 7.9% with an overall national average of 2.6%.
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