Real Estate Blog

How Great Realtors Guide Buyers and Sellers Back to Reality (Without Losing the Relationship) Ontario Real Estate Coaching | Canada-Wide Insight for Realtors Late January is always a revealing time in real estate. The optimism of a new year is still there, but it’s now colliding with reality. Buyers are…

A Realtor’s Guide to Helping Buyers Move Forward with Confidence in Today’s Market If you have been in real estate long enough, and most of us have, you have heard some version of this sentence hundreds of times. “We are just going to wait and see what happens.” It sounds…

If you’re heading into the new year feeling a little worn down and not overly optimistic you’re not alone. It’s been a challenging year in real estate. Fewer transactions, longer decision cycles, more price sensitivity, and a lot of emotional energy spent just keeping deals together. Even experienced, capable agents…

Beating Apathy in a Slow Real Estate Market: A Reset for REALTORS® If you’ve felt unmotivated, discouraged, or uninterested in your usual real estate activities this year, you’re not alone. The 2025 market has been unusually heavy, slower transactions, cautious buyers, pricing uncertainty, and fewer “easy wins.” Across the industry,…

According to The Lighter Side of Real Estate, the average person knows 417 REALTORS®. Let that sink in. So how do you become the one they actually call? That’s the question I’ve spent more than two decades answering as both a top-producing agent and a business coach. The short answer…

By Wayne Throop, Real Estate Broker and Business Coach Being organized is one of the best ways to use your time efficiently and increase your productivity. Every REALTOR has the same number of hours in a week, yet some achieve financial freedom while others struggle. The difference lies in how…

By Wayne Throop | Real Estate Broker, Business Coach, Author of The Reality of Real Estate   💡 Introduction If there’s one truth I’ve learned after more than two decades in this business, it’s this: real estate is not a solo sport. Yes, you’re technically self-employed. Yes, your name is…

Success in real estate sales doesn’t just happen by accident. It takes skills, practice, and the willingness to grow. – Wayne Throop When I first got into real estate, I believed success meant memorizing contracts, knowing every MLS® rule, and being able to answer any client question on the spot.…

In real estate, you wear a lot of hats. On any given day you might be leading a listing presentation, preparing a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), showing homes, negotiating offers, answering endless emails, or posting on social media. You’re also expected to be part accountant, marketer, web designer, social media…

“If you can imagine what you would like to do in your mind and feel it in your heart, you can achieve anything you desire.” — Wayne Throop There’s No Such Thing as the Perfect REALTOR® Here’s the truth: the “perfect REALTOR®” doesn’t exist. Not on HGTV. Not in your brokerage…

If you’ve been in real estate for any length of time, you already know the obvious challenges: interest rates, inventory, competition, clients who “just want to wait and see.” But here’s the truth: the biggest challenge in today’s real estate market isn’t the market at all. It’s what most agents…

“Success in the Real Estate industry requires a full-time commitment!”— Wayne Throop, The Reality of Real Estate Why Part-Time Doesn’t Cut It After more than twenty years in this business, I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty: real estate is not a part-time career. Can you ease into…

“More than 80% of new real estate agents don’t make it past three years. Of those who quit, probably more than half of them should have never started in the first place.”— Wayne Throop, The Reality of Real Estate The Allure of Real Estate On the outside, real estate looks…

If you’ve ever promised yourself to “do more marketing,” “get organized,” or “hit bigger numbers this year,” you already know vague goals deliver vague results. SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—turn good intentions into clear instructions your brain (and calendar) can actually follow. Think of them as GPS for…

Think open houses are outdated? Think again. In a digital age packed with online listings and virtual tours, the good old-fashioned open house remains one of the best lead generation tools in your real estate toolkit — if you do it right. Not only do open houses showcase a property…

In a world obsessed with productivity hacks, apps, colour-coded calendars, and endless to-do lists, sometimes the simplest ideas still win. Enter: The Ivy Lee Method — a no-nonsense, six-step system from 1918 that might just help you finally get your day under control. Yes, it’s over a hundred years old.…

In today’s real estate market, it’s no secret that many agents are facing tough conditions. But even in challenging times, there are always opportunities to grow and thrive. The key is to stay persistent, keep learning, and remain adaptable. Here are a few tips to help you stay the course:…

June Housing Market Posts Annual Gain Despite Summer SlowdownA total of 1,602 homes were sold through the MLS® System of the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) in June 2025. This marks an 11.34% decrease from the previous month, but a more modest 10.6% increase compared to June 2024 and sits…

Ottawa Market Remains Steady as Delayed Spring Spurs Buyer ConfidenceThe number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) totaled 1,807 units in May 2025. This represented a 33.1% increase from the previous month, but a more modest 14.9% increase from May 2024 and…

Momentum Builds in Ottawa\'s Housing Market Amid Greater UncertaintyThe number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) totaled 1,306 units in April 2025. This represented an 18.4% increase from March 2025, but an 11.2% decline from April 2024. Home sales were 17.6% below…

Ottawa Housing Market Shows Stability as Spring Momentum BuildsThe number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) totaled 1,103 units in March 2025. This represented a 6.2% decline from March 2024. Home sales were 24% below the five-year average and 19.3% below the…

Preparing for a Home Inspection: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know in 2025 A home inspection is a crucial step in any real estate transaction, providing buyers and sellers with a comprehensive understanding of a property\'s condition. With evolving market conditions in 2025, ensuring a smooth inspection process is more…

Ottawa\'s Market Warms Up with More Listings and Cautious BuyersThe number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) totaled 617 units in January 2025. This was a 4.2% decrease from January 2024. Home sales were 13% below the five-year average and 9.6% below…

Ottawa\'s MLS® December Market Closes Year with OptimismThe number of homes sold through the MLS(r) System of the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) totaled 613 units in December 2024. This was a 7.9%increase from December 2023. Home sales were 6.8% below the five-year average and 2.7% below the 10-year average…

Ottawa\'s MLS® Market Making HeadwayThe number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) totaled 1,059 units in November 2024 - a slight dip down from the 1,179 units sold the month previous. Home sales were 3.1% below the five-year average and 0.5% below…

Consumer Confidence Cautiously on the Rise in Ottawa Resale MarketThe number of homes sold through the MLS® System of the Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) totaled 613 units in December 2024. This was a 7.9%increase from December 2023. Home sales were 6.8% below the five-year average and 2.7% below the…

OSFI to Drop Mortgage Stress Test for Uninsured Borrowers Who Switch Lenders at RenewalYet another change is in the pipeline for Canadian mortgage holders in 2024. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) revealed last month that it will eliminate the mortgage stress test for uninsured borrowers who…

Overnight Lending Rate Falls to 4.25% as Bank of Canada Makes Third Consecutive CutCanada\'s central bank has made a third cut to its overnight lending rate this year, lowering borrowing costs for existing and aspiring homebuyers yet again. In its scheduled September 2024 announcement, the Bank of Canada dropped the…

30-Year Amortizations on Insured Mortgages for New Build Homes Now Available for First-Time BuyersFirst-time buyers of new construction homes in Canada will now be able to access longer mortgage amortization periods. As of August I st, 2024, lenders will be allowed to offer 30-year amortizations for insured mortgages to first-time…