Episode 75: What’s Impacting Canadian Housing Markets with CREA’s Senior Economist Shaun Cathcart

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The housing market is always changing, but today’s frequent shifts are by forces beyond real estate. Oil prices, inflation and broader economic uncertainty are impacting Canadian housing markets and buyer sentiment in real time, with real-world effects for buyers, sellers and communities across the country. In response to these everchanging conditions, CREA adjusted its 2026-2027 forecast earlier this year.

On this episode of REAL TIME, CREA’s Senior Economist Shaun Cathcart joins host Shaun Majumder to discuss what’s been happening in Canadian housing markets over the last year, what we’re seeing right now, and what could be coming down the pike.

Episode 74: The Working REALTOR®: Building Long-Term Community in a Short-Term Stay

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REALTORS® are deeply connected to the communities they serve, which makes them especially valuable in helping others feel at home in a new community. Their deep local knowledge can help meet the needs of buyers with unique circumstances such as, professional athletes, military relocations, or those looking for short-term properties.

In this episode, Dame Linda Pinizzotto, Jesse Robertson, and Ali Worsfold share how they support niche clienteles with intricate considerations ranging from privacy, to timing, to international exchange rates. Learn how these REALTORS® navigate challenges, build trust, and help their clients feel at home, even if it’s just for a short while. 

Episode 72: Making the Real Estate Journey More Accessible with Jeffrey Kerr

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Whether facing mobility, visual, or auditory barriers, many clients require accommodations to make the real estate journey more accessible. This is something every REALTOR® can help with—it doesn’t have to be up to just a few who specialize in accessibility.

Jeffrey Kerr, a REALTOR® and author of Barrier Free Real Estate: Achieving Freedom at Home has spent more than 20 years advocating for more accessibility in real estate and helping clients with disabilities navigate the process. Jeffrey joins this episode of the REAL TIME podcast to look at common accessibility setbacks in real estate and how all REALTORS® can help their clients overcome these barriers.

Episode 61: Exploring Sustainable Building and a Greener Real Estate Industry – Mark Holland

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The demand for greener homes and communities is growing in Canada, but there are still a lot of questions about how we can embrace sustainability in real estate at the personal, professional, and industrial levels. 

Mark Holland, principal at Westplan Consulting Group and a professor at Vancouver Island University, shares insights on how REALTORS® can become leaders in real estate’s green future, the impacts of climate change within our communities, sustainable home building practices, and sustainable innovations on the horizon. 

Want to learn more? CREA’S Canadian Certified Green Representative (CCGR) certification is now available for REALTORS®.

Episode 56: Money on Your Mind: Boost Your Financial Confidence – Melissa Leong

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When was the last time you talked in depth about your money? Research shows talking about finances can build financial confidence, and lead to better financial outcomes. But you need to know where to start.

On this episode of the REAL TIME podcast we’re joined by Melissa Leong, best-selling author and resident money expert on the daytime talk show,The Social, to dive deeper into the connection between money and happiness, how we use emotion over logic when it comes to financial decision making, some of the most common mistakes made by self-employed individuals, and how being more financially aware can help REALTORS® in their businesses.

Episode 54: The Working REALTOR®: Embracing Mentorship in Real Estate

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There are countless ways to succeed in real estate and no two individuals take the exact same route—so, how then does a real estate professional confidently make their next move? There’s so much to learn from other REALTORS® and those who have been in the industry for a long period of time, or have taken a unique path to success.

Mentorship doesn’t just benefit the mentees—mentors also have a lot to gain—like leadership skills, a helping create a more vibrant industry, improved communication skills, insight from different perspectives, a broader network, and boosted confidence. For mentees, the guidance and knowledge transfer is invaluable, networking opportunities can help grow your business, and learning the ins and outs of the industry from someone who’s been through it already can help boost your confidence, too.

Nicole Christy, CEO at the Ottawa Real Estate Board, and Rachel Gagnon, REALTOR® and Top 35 Under 35 with Royal Lepage, join the latest episode of the REAL TIME podcast to talk about their experience with mentorship and how it’s helped their careers.

Episode 53: Unpacking the Draft Business Case for REALTOR.ca

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Exploration into turning REALTOR.ca into a for-profit subsidiary of CREA has included the most comprehensive due-diligence process undertaken in CREA history.. It’s about keeping REALTORS® at the forefront, looking at how this invaluable tool could be better leveraged to serve members, and addressing changing consumer needs. The proposed path forward is outlined in REALTOR.ca Forward: the draft business case for REALTOR.ca as a taxable entity.

Understandably, the discussion has sparked curiosity from members.

On this episode of REAL TIME, Janice Myers, CREA CEO, and James Mabey, CREA Chair, answer common questions regarding the draft business case and what the transformation could mean for REALTORS®.

Episode 49: The Working REALTOR®: Lessons Learned in Real Estate

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Everyone’s been put to the test in their career. On this episode of REAL TIME, we invite two members of the REALTOR® community, Anu Joshi-Mehendale and Dusko Sremac, to reflect on their top lessons learned in real estate as they approach a decade of experience in their respective practices.

Get advice to help you minimize mistakes, set yourself up for success, and stay motivated in your own practice – new or established.

Episode 48: Leading and Living With Purpose – Zahra Al-Harazi

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A survivor of two civil wars, Zahra Al-Harazi immigrated to Canada in 1996 with her three children and no higher education. Today, she’s one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs.

On this episode of REAL TIME, Zahra unpacks the turning point in her story, when she defined her sense of purpose, and how it continues to guide her and her businesses. She also shares strategies for defining your own purpose, and how to harmonize your personal and professional values, so you can stay focused, motivated, and fulfilled.

Discover Ikigai, the Japanese concept Zahra swears by for inspiring your sense of purpose: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai

Learn more about the Enneagram personality types: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enneagram_of_Personality

Episode 46: Colours, Trends, and Influences: A Palette of Possibilities – Leatrice Eiseman

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Colour affects us physically and mentally. In business, it’s a silent salesperson, a powerful way to send a message.

To start the year, we invited one of the world’s leading colour consultants to help us explore colour trends and the malleable nature of colour itself – how we perceive it, what we can do with it, and how REALTORS® can wield it to instill confidence in their clients.

Leatrice (Lee) Eiseman is Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute™ and Director of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Technology. For more than 20 years, she’s been responsible for choosing the Pantone® Color of the Year, which has vastly influenced the worlds of fashion, interior design, product development, and beyond.

Visit LeatriceEiseman.com to explore Lee’s books on colour and online training courses.