Stay Out of Real Estate Jail
By Barbara Bell-Olsen
iUniverse
$20 plus shipping
B.C.-based Barbara Bell Olsen says she is “is fiercely proud to be a real estate agent who has never worked a day in her life since entering into the real estate profession more than 34 years ago.”
Bell Olsen says she knows how hard real estate agents work, “but you must have a paper trail in place to be able to prove what you discussed, reviewed and suggested to your clients.”
She says there are far too many discipline cases against real estate agents, “and most of them are absolutely unnecessary if an agent just took a little more care and had a plan of action.” By following her guidelines to put procedures in place, and “once you own all the documents, checklists and statements, you will be the creator of the most notable and respected contracts,” she says. It will remove any apprehensions about writing up a contract of purchase and sale and ultimately help you make more money, she promises.
Available at: www.barbarabellolsen.com
Make More Money, Find More Clients, Close Deals Faster
By Claude Boiron
Wiley
$49.95
Subtitled The Canadian Real Estate Agent’s Essential Business Guide, Claude Boiron’s book aims to teach real estate agents how to “practice real estate salesmanship properly, ethically, morally and to everyone’s mutual benefit.”
Boiron, a Toronto real estate broker, walks agents through all aspects of the real estate profession, from getting started as a newbie to real-life stories about real estate deals, contributed by local sales reps.
It includes a chapter about potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Available at chapters.indigo.ca and amazon.ca
Buy or Run: I’m a Real Home Inspector, Not a TV Celebrity
By Bruce McClure
The Inspector’s International Press
$30
Former sales rep and home inspector Bruce McClure’s controversial book takes aim at “celebrity” home inspectors who get a lot of publicity, but his real target is real estate professionals.
“If you ask any group of home inspectors in North America about who controls their industry, the answer will be an overwhelming, ‘The Realtors,’” he writes. “Until the home inspection industry is taken out of the control and direct influence of the real estate community and becomes a truly independent transaction between the home inspector and his or her client, the industry will remain flawed. Inspectors will continue the fight for respect, simply because Realtors dramatically outnumber us and are the first line of contact and have the most influence over our potential clients.”
McClure outlines a number of situations where real estate agents have tried to cover up or lie about issues with homes they have listed. But it’s not all agent-bashing as he praises those Realtors who “get it” and put their clients first.
His book is a blunt inside look at the issues and problems with the home inspection industry in Canada.
Available at chapters.indigo.ca and amazon.ca
Prefabulous World: Energy-efficient and Sustainable Homes Around the Globe
By Sheri Koones
Abrams
$40
A foreward by actor Robert Redford says: “Sheri Koone’s books have inspired professionals and homeowners to consider using prefabrication methods that reduce waste, inherently conserve energy and limit the need for fossil fuel….I hope these examples will inspire you as they have me.”
It doesn’t sound like a coffee-table book, but it is because it’s illustrated with dramatic photos of homes all over the world. Canada is represented by homes in White Rock, B.C., Naramata, B.C., Toronto and Morris Island, Ont. They all feature the latest in sustainable home designs and technologies.
Available at chapters.indigo.ca and amazon.ca
