Blog - A day in the life of a realtor

Long weekend at home

Long Weekend Fun at Home!

Even if we’re staying home, there’s still plenty to do!

 

Whether you decide to work on some spring cleaning, work on the garden, bake, order in, host a virtual dinner party or cocktail hour, campout in the backyard, go for a hike or even join a virtual event - this Long Weekend will be one to remember! Here are some ideas!

 

🏕Plan a family picnic in the backyard

It’s easy to bring some sandwiches and a blanket outside for an instant family picnic.

 

🦉Bring the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre at home with these activities!

From making a Bird mask, to making bannock, to exploring your yard, check out some local ideas from the Wye Marsh

https://www.wyemarsh.com/at-home-activities

 

🥂How to host a virtual dinner party!

1- Choose your platform (Skype, Zoom, Facetime, Google Hangout, Messenger)

2- Decorate: Make it special!

3- Cook and grab a drink!

4- Party: Choose an activity (teach them how to make a cocktail, plant herbs, bake, etc), play online games, have a chat, watch a movie.

https://www.delish.com/entertaining/a31745625/how-to-host-a-virtual-dinner-party/

 

🦁 Virtual Campout At The Toronto Zoo (Free Event)

Kick off the May long weekend with a FREE virtual ‘campout’ at the Toronto Zoo!

Saturday, May 16

Camping Outdoors with our Wild Neighbours

Meet some incredible Ontario species for our “backyard” themed camp out.

7:45 pm to 8:45 pm EST

 

Sunday, May 17 

African Safari Night

Meet some amazing species from the African Savanna.

7:45 pm to 8:45 pm EST

Join on the Toronto Zoo’s YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3cs4Hwv 

 

🎨 Virtually Junior May 16-18 2020

Harbourfront Centre’s international children’s festival heads into its second year, bringing leading contemporary artists together to animate young minds. We are thrilled to introduce Virtually JUNIOR, our online edition of JUNIOR, Toronto’s international children’s festival, launching during the Victoria Day long weekend from Saturday, May 16 to Monday, May 18. Get ready for some fun! 

https://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/junior/

 

🍞Bake some Bread: Best bread recipes! 

No wonder we trust Canadian Living for the best recipes…. They test out every recipe until perfect. If you find some yeast, be sure to check out these recipes: https://www.canadianliving.com/food/mediagallery/our-best-fresh-baked-bread-recipes

 

👉Don’t miss the Georgian Bay Live Show tonight at 8:30pm! BIZ TALK with Nahthanha Woods from Make Mess Art Studio

Join me for a great show with Nathanaha Woods from Make A Mess Art Studio. She’ll be showing me how to do some art while we talk about how a local business is coping during this time. https://www.facebook.com/events/567099523941679/

 

For other fun ideas at home, make sure you check out my website:  https://www.georgianbaylive.ca/things-to-do

 

Have a great Long Weekend!

Cheers,

William Myles

Sales Representative, Royal LePage In Touch Realty Inc., Midland, Ontario

705-209-2520

william.myles@royallepage.ca

 

 

 

 

 

Mother's Day ideas during lockdown

Mother’s Day Ideas during Lockdown

Have fun with these simple ideas to make mom feel special

Mother’s Day Ideas during Lockdown

"We are born of love; love is our mother.” - Rumi

 

It’s no wonder we celebrate Mother’s Day in the spring - this time of year, we see our landscape being reborn, come alive with spring flowers and new growth.  One of the earliest Mother’s Day celebrations was in Ancient Greece. The Greek would have spring celebrations in honour of Rhea, the goddess of fertility, motherhood and generation. 

 

I’ve put together some ideas to celebrate the mothers in our lives, even during lockdown. This pandemic can be hard on some people, having families being apart, not being able to come together and celebrate over brunch and hugs. But there are ways to show mom some love.

 

1- Support local with food and flowers! 🥠 🌸

 

Usually, Mother’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year in restaurants and flower shops, so ordering some tasty food and flowers from businesses that remain open for delivery and take out are a great way to support local while making the mothers in your life smile. 

Local talented Florists: 

💐Splash Events & floral Design (https://www.facebook.com/SplashEventsInc/)

💐Eastern-Hemlock-Florals Midland (https://www.facebook.com/easternhemlockfloralsmidland/)

💐Fresh by Leanne (https://www.facebook.com/freshbyleanne/)

💐Arbour Flower Shoppe (https://www.facebook.com/arboursflowershoppe/)

 

🍝 For a list of where to eat, check out https://www.georgianbaylive.ca/living-here/where-to-eat

 

2- Let her sleep in and surprise her with breakfast in bed 😴

 

It’s nice to sleep in when you have young children and it’s a special treat to have your kids make you a fancy breakfast! 

 

3- Bake a cake! 🍰

 

As most of us have started to bake franticly, why not bake a cake with the kids! We love a simple chocolate cake, but skies the limit! Get your kids involved by choosing the recipe and then prepare for some mess! Here’s a family favourite from Canadian Living: The Ultimate Chocolate Layer Cake.

 

4- Make a simple craft for mom ✂️

 

You’ll find all kinds of craft ideas on Pinterest, but to narrow some down, here are a few ideas here.

 

5- Paint your window with flowers and heart-felt messages for mom ❤️🌈 

 

It always feels good to send out positive vibes to the world, so take out your washable paints and get decorating windows with heartfelt messages for your mom. If se decides to come by at a distance, she’ll be surprised!

 

6- Surprise her with a DYI spa day at home 💆‍♀️

Take out her favourite candles, diffuser, slice up some cucumbers, make tea and put on some calming music and you have a recipe for a spa day at home! 

 

6- Organize a video chat with your mom 💻

 

Using any video conferencing software like Zoom, Messenger, FaceTime, WhatsApp, you can connect with mom over coffee or even brunch at a distance.

 

7- Organize a talent show 🎬 🎤

 

Get the costumes out and start being creative by putting together a talent show or even a play for mom! Make sure you film it so you can send it over to your family afterwards too. 

 

6- Get out the photo albums or setup a slideshow! 📽

 

Snuggle together around some lovely family photos and go through them together. Even if you don’t have physical album, take out your phone and connect it with your Smart TV to go through your photos as a family. You’ll be reminded of all the fun and laughs you all shared! 

 

Whatever you decide to do, the most important is to show some love and thought.

Happy Mother’s Day! 

 

 

MothersDay
public art by Camille Myles

Living a creative life! Why I chose a community bursting with culture

By William Myles, Monday February 17th 2020

This weekend was a very special one for our family. My wife, Camille Myles, unveiled her public art sculpture in the heart of Penetanguishene’s main street. Her piece titled “The land of the white rolling sands” is an homage to Penetanguishene’s indigenous history and our shared present. It’s a huge mirrored sphere on an inclined based held by a stylized canoe paddle. It was such a thrill to be able to stand by her side with our children alongside local elected officials, First Nations, Metis and our friends to celebrate an investment in public art. Actually, public art is so important. It’s accessible to everyone; it provides a bridge between the past, present and near future; it is a mirror image of its community. It ignites conversation and brings people together.

 

In one of the speeches, a local Mayor was talking about how our county attracts more than 9 million visitors a year and is the 4th largest tourism destination in Ontario. A healthy tourism scene usually means a healthy community where people want to come and visit and experience it for themselves. That we can be proud of. In fact, no wonder it’s such an incredible place to visit, you can find festivals, events, concerts, theatre, art, beaches, and delicious food all year round! And small businesses are the backbone of this success (one of the reasons why you’ll see them featured prominently on my socials!).

 

I was thinking I could share with you why our family chose to relocate here and stay… one of those reasons is the art and culture scene that just makes this community in the Heart of Georgian Bay a vibrant and exciting place to be. As you probably know now, I do enjoy being a part of our community theatre group, Huronia Players, housed in the beautifully designed Midland Cultural Centre. This facility is a local gem for our community and THE place to be! They have great family-oriented programming, art openings, comedy nights, motivational speakers and the list goes on! As I’ve been doing this community play “Teas and Strumpets” by Brendan Main, I’ve noticed how our community supports local arts and it’s amazing to see! It takes time and energy for all those involved and does disrupt your life… but it’s totally worth it! 

 

There’s such great talent here and it seems easy to nurture and get inspired in Georgian Bay. Rich in history, First Nations gathered and lived here for over 7,000 years and it was a hub for cultural exchange. That tradition continues to this day. 

 

While visiting homes with clients, I’ve noticed so many properties with art studios, musical instruments, small business offices, right in their home. It’s amazing that we can live and nurture our creative passions and know that our community invests in culture.   

 

Our family is a creative one and we like to get out there and get involved. I’m so happy we’ve found a home in North Simcoe and we hope to share that passion for our community through our involvement and support. Actually, this last week I was honoured to have sponsored two community events - Tiny Township’s Winter Carnival and Georgian Bay General Hospital’s staff breakfast. I find these events most fulfilling. Seeing so many happy faces is always inspiring! 

 

Get inspired from the place around you, find your passion and pursue your creative dreams in Georgian Bay…

 

Cheers, William

Eyes wide open: Vision 20/20

Visualizing your goals does work!

February 6th, 2020
As I look back to the first month of the year, it has been quite a ride already. January was amazing - full of new insights, new encounters, new ways to see the world. I’ve been the busiest I’ve ever been, but it’s manageable through awesome systems I’ve put in place. As some of you may have noticed, I’ve shifted my sights not towards my own navel, but I’ve had my eyes wide open to the community all around me.

 

I’ve been feeling so positive about the way things are going lately because I’ve made changes to myself and my mindset. Working hand-in-hand with my wife on some pretty cool things for our business, I can see the changes all around me. All this is possible because we’ve made a vision for ourselves and we’re actively working on it. Together, we’re stronger. 

 

I’ll share a little story with you. Ten years ago, when we were just dating, we had gone to a motivational weekend together and they spoke about defining your vision on a visual board by cutting out images and quotes out of magazines and off the internet - anything that you see you want to achieve for yourself in the future. So, one night, we worked on just that. That exercise actually helped us be on the same page about key parts of our future, like marriage, kids, investments, travel, lifestyle, etc. 

 

One image really stuck with me though, and I’ll tell you why.  

 

I always dreamt of Hawaii so I googled it to stick that image on my vision board. It was a random beautiful landscape of the coast but I felt it was the perfect place, an almost impossible destination that seemed just too beautiful to be true. A couple of years later, my wife and I went on our honeymoon to our dream destination: Kauai Island of Hawaii. On one of our last days there, we decided to go on an adventure and hike up to one of the highest elevations of the island. When we arrived at the lookout we were in awe! It was the exact location of the image on my vision board that I’ve been staring at for the past couple of years! A huge sense of accomplishment ran through me. We made it, achieved our goal. On that summit, we were flying!

 

Fast track to this month and it was time to redo our vision boards. We came together with friends and we started to think what our future will be in 5 years. We took a few weeks and even hosted a Facebook LIVE event (you can go and check it out!), but we got it done. The power of a vision and working as a team can move mountains. It amazing what you can accomplish. But we know it won’t be easy, without sacrifice and failures along the way. We’re ready.

 

No one can do it by themselves, no one knows it all (and if they say they do, watch out!). We’re constantly learning and improving. We can do this by investing in new ways of doing things even when it seems risky and getting coaching/mentorship. Sometimes, we just need to leap…

 

These past few months have even been more rewarding as I coach and mentor a future realtor and team member. We can learn from eachother, put systems in place for growth to really achieve the results we want for ourselves and our community. Putting together the right mindset is key.

 

We set out a vision for ourselves and the power of that vision can manifest itself so quickly, if you just look at the bigger picture. When you get stuck on the small details or things that didn’t go quite right, you can easily get distracted.

 

Go on, cut some magazines, google images and get the glue stick!

 

blog; Georgian Bay living; William Myles

The moment everything changed…

Sorry, not sorry about the graphic image, but moments like these are real.

January 23, 2020
Rewind to seven years ago, when my wife came to me and said: “hey, want to move to Midland?” I proceded to answer her : “where?” We were living in Gatineau , QC at the time and no kids (yet!) so we were mobile and adventurous! My wife had just aced her interview with Parks Canada and we decided to make the big move, without even knowing what to expect. We needed a change. To tell you the truth, we had been trying to get pregnant for about two years without success and my job wasn’t as fulling as it once was. I was a HVAC technician, a real estate investor and a building superintendent while living in Ottawa - all those jobs leading me to where I am now. So, getting back to the story, like many, we were seeking peace, tranquility from city life and to enjoy each other more. Moving to a smaller community seemed like the perfect answer, and it was! 
 
We had found a great realtor that we really liked and was touring around the area with him. That week we saw a dramatic 36 houses! We still felt unprepared about the area we were moving to: what were things to do here, what beaches could we access, activities in the winter, festivals, etc. As I had to rethink what I was going to do to earn a living, I thought of real estate as it’s been a passion of mine for quite some time but it was hard to make that decision to quit a salary job. A regular pay check is hard to refuse! When touring the area, I had even asked my realtor what he thought if I became a realtor in the area. He cautiously discouraged the idea as the market is saturated with over 500 sales reps all trying to make it work and most come from here…
 
So, I did the reasonable thing and took a salaried sales job at a local printing company. Was I happy? Not really. Fulfilled? Heck no. Fast forward to a few months later, my wife and I held our beautiful baby girl in our arms for the first time. It was magical. That moment could have lingered for the end of time and I would have been perfectly happy. 
 
But then, something happened. I was struck by a car coming home from my 9-5 job and everything changed.
 
Now, meet the moment in my life where I woke up.
 
I took it was a sign to change, to take a leap of faith and enrol in real estate college. With my wife’s support, I quit my job, right then and there. I studied. I worked at it and got my licence. Looking back, it was a difficult period to try to make everything work.
 
Then I found mentors, coaches and a Broker that guided me through this new journey. I’m always a proponent of continuous learning and seeing improvement. You can’t do it alone. No one knows it all. Period. 
 
Everyone goes through hard times, black holes where you think nothing will be bright again. But it does. My story is not a horrible tragedy, as my family and I have our health and our lives, it’s just a moment that awakened me. My heart goes out to those who face challenges (big or small), get knocked down and get right back up. Inspiring. Life may be cruel but it’s so incredibly beautiful as well. 
 
Actually, I come from a very modest background where we only had what we needed, nothing more. Some also say I started at a disadvantage because I’m not from Georgian Bay (I’m from the northern community of Kenora!). But I see this as an advantage… I can see things with a fresh perspective and I’ve got the willingness to discover and try new things, without biases. They often say that tourists can see what locals may not…
 
Fast forward to now. I have 3 beautiful and funny kids that I’m grateful for (but keep us busy everyday!) and a fulfilling (and thriving!) real estate career. I even won a few awards along the way… I’m grateful for all of it. 
 
Stay safe my friends.

 

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Doing business with friends: A perfect mix or a molotov cocktail?

Wednesday November 13th, 2019

By William Myles, Sales representative with Royal Lepage

 

 

To start, this blog post is not a rant about how a friend of mine decided to work with another realtor. Nope. It’s about nurturing relationships with clients to the point of developing long-lasting friendships. That’s how I do business and in a small town, many businesses operate by guiding values like loyalty, trust and belonging.  

 

We had friends and family over last weekend and a question kept coming up: How do you manage when your friend decides to work with someone else? I think any small business owner can relate to finding out your friend decided to use or buy from another business without even giving you a chance. Whether you have a window cleaning business, selling cleaning products through direct marketing or have a local retail store, how people you know shop, use and talk about your services, makes a difference, especially in a small town. Here are a few things I’ve been thinking about when doing business with friends. 

 

I’m a big proponent of loyalty. True story. Just last week, clients I was showing a house to let me know they were good friends with another realtor but were unsure if they had the time to help them. They had been going to view houses on their own for two years without talking to this realtor because they didn’t want to waste their time. They really wanted to work with me and liked my style, my honesty. They hesitated with their realtor friend because they didn’t want their business to get in the way of their friendship. Even though they were ready to make an offer and I was more than happy to help them, I actually suggested they speak to their friend first. The next day, I heard from their realtor friend and they were happy to help out. I asked myself what if I had a friend doing the same, what would I want from the realtor helping them? It was the ethical and loyal thing to do. 

 

Find where you belong. Everyone wants to feel meaningful connections, to feel part of a group, make friends that are there for you, like your company and are straight with you. That’s why shopping groups on social media have become so popular and loyalty point programs, for instance. Even direct marketing businesses offer a great way to host parties with your friends while shopping for products. In real estate, it’s no different. You become loyal when you feel you belong with other like-minded people.

 

Trust attracts success. It’s not a secret. Friends need to feel secure, trusting you with one of the biggest transactions of their life. They want to know that they are working with someone that is passionate for what they do. Showing off that passion you are about your business in everything you do attracts positivity builds your reputation. Trust is about integrity, ethical choices and putting a client’s interests and motivations first.

 

A small business is a whole-life thing. I work by referral and create relationships with my clients that last, continuously following up with them, even though our main transaction may be over. The truth is, they may know someone that would be happy with the same level of service I offer down the road. Like a plant, every relationship needs continuous nurturing, grow and evolves.

 

I read an interesting article not too long ago in a real estate magazine (can’t find the article now!) about how if you work in this way, sometimes, you become too friendly with your clients and they decide they shouldn’t do business with you because they wouldn’t want to make things awkward between you. How do you know you’ve past that point with your friend? You just be upfront with it. What I do when I meet someone and we’re developing a nice relationship, I ask if they currently have a realtor they trust. Then, you know upfront where you stand. As the relationship evolves, you might want to revisit this question so everyone is on the same page. 

 

Return the favour. As a business owner, your friends and family ARE your powerlist - your biggest fans and best supporters. So nurture them and treat them as gold. Then watch your powerlist grow. To do that, practice what you preach and help your friends and family with their own businesses. Be real with them. Make a point of reviewing them online (positively, of course!).

 

I saw a post on Facebook the other day “How to support your friend’s small business without spending any money”. I thought it was genius and shared it right away. Then, I vowed I would make it a goal to continuously show some love on a regular basis by reviewing my friend’s professional pages. We all work so hard and it feels like you’re stopping for a second to give your friend a great big hug and say: “I appreciate you! Great job!”. Good karma attracts good karma. 

 

Until next time. Thanks for taking the time to read some of my thoughts ;)

 

Cheers,

William 

P.S. Go on, write a review or follow me on my socials! Search for William Myles Real Estate and you’ll find me!

 

Work-life balance…. An uncomfortable ideal

A blog post by William Myles

On Sunday night, November 3rd, 2019

Ok, I know what you’re thinking, another blog post about how to juggle everything like an expert and find time for everything in your life. Well, as most know already deep down, work-life balance is impossible and that might feel uncomfortable. 

 

As a business owner, I know that what I put into my business is what I get out of it. That’s the bottom-line. Success comes from persistence, presence and paying attention. That means that if we want to build a successful business, it’s all consuming. Especially with social media, our personal and professional lines get blurry, we might not know ourselves how to shut off, stop and recharge. When I do stop, I tend to close my eyes, breath and smile (yes, smiling does help to quickly change my mood).

 

If you’re like me, you’re always thinking of your next move, how to be unique, witty, on brand. It’s Sunday night and I realized that I had a day with my family planned and even some work around the house (like closing the pool!!), but was called out to meet with clients to guide them through a counteroffer for a house they really loved. I took the time to be present with them, explain possibilities, offer advice on next steps and writing up what they decided. Then, met with two sets of clients about their homes and by the time I was done, it was past my kids bedtimes. Came home both energized and exhausted from an unpredictable day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for being busy as most realtors are not (72% of Toronto realtors sold between 0 to 6 houses a year*). At the same time, I do think of the little moments I’m missing with my family like around the dinner table, playing hide and seek or storytime. I must admit, if I do want to make sure I’m present for my little ones, I have to schedule it in my day and tell others that I have a previous appointment scheduled. So, to find balance I make a point to schedule it. That may seem too planned, but it helps. 

 

Most days, I do feel uncomfortable yet positive and ready for my next move. Why is that? It’s because I’m striving for overall success. I say overall because I no longer see failures or deals that fall apart like overwhelmingly negative things - they are part of long-term success. When I started in real estate as a sales representative over 4 years ago, it used to cause me so much anxiety and stress when I had a deal fall apart. When I look back now, I know that I have to empathize with my clients in their unique situation as well as think about how to resolve a situation to move forward. That’s hard to do when you’re stressed out. So, as Rachel Hollis has been preaching recently “feel comfortable with being uncomfortable”. 

 

There’s always a next move, something more to do, a lead to follow, but finding time to think, breath and be realistic with your present time on this earth in all you can do. So, take my advice (or not!), just choose to be uncomfortable a little and be present for the ones you want to be present for in that moment (whether it’s a friend, client or family member).

Stop, breathe, smile :)
Cheers,
William

Follow me on IG https://www.instagram.com/william_myles_real_estate/  
and FB https://www.facebook.com/WilliamMylesrealestate/ 

* Based on Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) sales statistics from November 2015 to November 2016