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
Photo Update – The Breithaupt Block
Some great photos from Larry Williamson capturing the on-going work at the Block. If you’re following the progress of the project, you won’t want to miss these photos or the great article in the Globe and Mail today featuring David Gibson, founder of Perimeter Development.
To view the Globe & Mail article, click here.
To view our Flickr album, click here.
Mounds of dust pile up as the crew uncovers the natural beauty of the original douglas fir post and beams.
What a Difference a Little Sandblasting Makes
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%.
Read more
More great photos of the Breithaupt Block
I know there’s been a lot of content on the Breithaupt Block lately, but with things in full swing, it’s hard not to be excited. Photos from Alexander Marshall just came in and they’re great. We’re hoping to track the progress of the project visually, so stay tuned for more. Read more
The Block Party
Perimeter Development recently threw a party celebrating the construction start of the Breithaupt Block development. It was a great day with an eclectic mix of guests from the City of Kitchener, Region of Waterloo as well as local tenants in the area, bloggers and photographers.
The Evolution of an Office Building
The Breithaupt Block Begins Construction
This Thursday the Breithaupt Block officially celebrates the beginning of construction on the massive site located at the corner of Breithaupt and King Street in Kitchener. You may have noticed the huge banners going up on the building late last year and wondered what’s next for the King & Victoria hot spot currently made popular by several nearby development projects.
Welcome to Colliers Ink.
Welcome to Colliers Ink.
Being part of the real estate industry in Waterloo Region means a lot to our team. It’s an exciting, constantly shifting landscape where small start-ups become top employers, developers turn eyesores into city landmarks and businesses rise and fall in a matter of a few short months. It’s no coincidence that most real estate brokers are highly competitive, ambitious people- our clients are often very much the same. In a world where knowledge is passed through thousands of hands thousands of times every second, tuning in to the world around you is imperative to success.
At Colliers International Waterloo Region, our team places a high value on gaining and sharing uncommon knowledge. It’s what makes us better at what we do, and what we do for our clients. Colliers Ink is the next step in that process. We’re hoping this blog accomplishes a couple of things:
- We want to have honest and open conversations about the things that are shaping our business, our families and our urban landscape
- We want to share our expertise with you in a way that works for you
- We want to learn from you- what keeps you up at night?
- We want to have fun
Hopefully you’ll enjoy the posts you read here and share your thoughts with us as well. Let the blogging begin!
