REVEL Realty, an independent real estate brokerage with headquarters based in Niagara Falls, Ontario, is excited to announce that REVEL will find a presence and a new location in Collingwood, Ont. and surrounding areas.

Building upon recent expansion exploits in Kingston, Toronto West, North Bay and Durham, REVEL in Collingwood will officially welcome Mike and Jen Scholte, leaders of the prestigious Scholte Team, to host the finale of 12 REVEL expansion offices in 2024. This exceeds the goal of 10 new offices to commemorate REVEL’s 10-year anniversary in business.

Mike and Jen are respected industry leaders with a synonymous REVELutionary vision for success and growth. They will continue to expand their influence and impact in Collingwood and surrounding areas under the REVEL brand, inevitably increasing market share in what has become one of Ontario’s more unique real estate marketplaces.

“We have always championed the power of collaboration and contribution in real estate,” explains Jen Scholte. “With a deep commitment to personal growth, continuous learning, mentorship and coaching, we have consistently strived for excellence in our careers.

As seasoned leaders in real estate sales and governance, we recognize the unmatched value that a strong, supportive team brings to the profession. Joining REVEL Realty Inc. aligns perfectly with our vision for fostering growth and success, and we are thrilled to embark on this new chapter, inviting others to join us on this exciting journey of professional and personal achievement.”

What’s most likely REVEL’s final expansion move in 2024 marks another major milestone for REVEL’S 10th anniversary in business. REVEL in Collingwood testifies to REVEL’s unyielding and relentless desire to REVELutionize real estate with like-minded leaders in the industry looking to take a major step forward in their real estate career paths.

REVEL in Collingwood places another orange dot in the northern quadrant of Ontario, symbolizing an unparalleled growth spurt for a brand creating tidal waves in the real estate industry. In 2024 alone, REVEL expanded to Timmins, Waterloo, Campbellville, Espanola, St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake (McGarr Realty Alliance), Kingston, Toronto West, North Bay, Durham and most recently Etobicoke. Adding an all-star cast in the Scholte Team is sparking another current of electricity to galvanize REVEL’s magnetic network. Positioned with confidence and energy for 2025, REVEL is poised to transform into a generational brand.

“We are excited for the Scholte Team and blessed to have them join our brand. Mike and Jen are incredible agents and wonderful people. To have them lead our brand into Collingwood is nothing short of an honour,” explains Ryan Serravalle, founder of REVEL.

“We share the same vision and passion for real estate and the clients we serve in our communities,” adds Nicki Serravalle, founder of REVEL. “At REVEL, we open our doors to work with the best professionals with the expectation that we can help each other rise to another level of confidence and performance.”

From its inaugural launch in 2014, founders of REVEL, Ryan and Nicki Serravalle, have built an alluring brand that has inspired a demographic of real estate professionals to conduct business in a REVELutionary manner.

Attracting some of the highest-selling teams in the nation while developing a contingent of industry-leading agents through its innovative REVEL Ed and REVEL Mentorship programs, REVEL has established itself as a credible and promising option for reputable real estate agents, brokers and prominent teams seeking to take the next step in their career paths: leadership in, ownership of or partnership with a REVEL office.

Quebec-based real estate portal, Homz.io, recently announced its rebrand aimed to help new homebuyers and renters across Canada. Formerly known as GuideHabitation.ca, the portal has been around since 2004 and is now growing, starting with British Columbia.

The team has been expanding its presence in B.C. for over a year, offering the technology and business model as a SaaS platform to third parties, like communication firms and specialized websites.

The portal

The portal attracts over 100,000 monthly visits from home seekers comparing real estate projects—from pre-sale condominiums to move-in-ready homes, to new rental units. The company notes the traffic is partly due to its focus on user needs over a purely advertising-driven approach.

“Our strength is in making new real estate searches easier and providing new homebuyers with comprehensive, factual and fairly objective information,” said Founder Denis Sauvé in a press release.

A 20-year journey

Sauvé reflected on the company’s two-decade journey: “20 years on the web feels like 100 in other industries. Yahoo was still a giant when we launched, and social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube didn’t even exist.”

When it first launched in 2004, the website had what Sauvé described as a “fast-food menu design.” However, it was ahead in search engine optimization, which laid the foundation for the site’s growth into a hub for new real estate projects.

Since then, the company says most of Quebec’s builders and promoters have showcased their houses and condominium projects to potential customers.

Future plans with AI

Moving forward, the company’s co-founders face the expanding impact of artificial intelligence. “Search habits are constantly evolving. People are turning to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, ChatGPT and countless other apps for any information … AI is just getting started. Who knows what the next few years will bring?” Sauvé pointed out.

So, Homz.io is integrating generative AI along with other new technologies into its proprietary codebase. The platform remains committed to its user-centred philosophy.

“Being here after 20 years is an achievement in itself. And the future looks exciting,” Maurizio Furnò, associate, expressed. “We are happy as a small business, and we aim to continue our journey controlling our growth path.”

Niagara Falls/Durham, Ont.- Revel Realty, an independent real estate brokerage with headquarters based in Niagara Falls, Ont., is excited to announce that the powerhouse broker trio of Doug Gordon, Walid Dorani and Gino Spagnuolo will lead REVEL’s expansion into Durham.

Building upon recent expansion in Toronto West, REVEL Durham will begin to triangulate the Greater Toronto Area with the REVEL brand, while establishing a prominent presence in areas north and east of the metropolis.

Having already staked a claim on this marketplace with a homegrown reputation of hard work and ethical business practices, Doug, Walid and Gino will form a unique leadership team with the intent of growing REVEL’s market share in a thriving and developing region of Ontario.

“I joined Revel because they stand apart from the status quo, driven by great leadership with a progressive vision that aligns with my goals,” explains Doug Gordon. “I want to be a part of and help grow an inspiring brand. Under the Revel brand, I hope to help foster a dynamic, professional environment where true collaboration and innovation thrive in order to provide exceptional value for our real estate clients,” he explains.

“The breaking away from conventional practices resonates with my own approach to real estate,” adds Gino Spagnuolo. “With forward-thinking leadership and a brand vision that focuses on elevating the industry, I’m excited to contribute to this culture of innovation, growth, and success.”

Such an expansion move marks a major milestone for REVEL’S 10th anniversary in business. With a goal in 2024 to grow by ten offices to commemorate ten years in business, REVEL Durham will be the official tenth office, realizing the fulfillment of this prognostication, and validation for a brand that continues its exponential growth.

In 2024 alone Revel expanded to Timmins, Waterloo, Campbellville, Espanola, St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake(McGarr Realty Alliance), Kingston, Toronto West and most recently, North Bay. To include three, reputable and renowned brokers in REVEL’s stable of leaders will do well to extend and bolster REVEL’s far-reaching network, as well as add to the growing list of expansion offices, which will most likely exceed expectations with a few more slated to be announced before the end of the calendar year.

REVEL regards this trio of talent as a major expansion advantage for a brand that truly values the people who have earned promotional opportunities through impressive work ethics and adoption of the business principles REVEL insists upon for each of its 33 offices in Ontario.

“We are honoured to welcome Doug, Walid, Gino and their team into our REVEL family. Our ambitions and visions for real estate are like-minded, as well as our passions to offer elite service to our clients and colleagues,” explains REVEL co-founder, Ryan Serravalle. “To acquire three incredible leaders, who will drive REVEL Durham, is a first for us, and one that we are extremely excited about.”

REVEL is confident that its focus on education, coaching, training, mentorship, and creative marketing, not to mention its top ten branding influence in the province of Ontario, will continue to create opportunities for agents, affiliations, and client networks throughout the province and beyond.

“We are overwhelmed with enthusiasm when we attract agents, brokers and teams that share our core principles of business,” adds Nicki Serravalle, co-founder of REVEL. “At REVEL, we work to create confidence in our agents so that they aspire to leadership positions. Doug, Walid and Gino already have a headstart in this regard.”

From its inaugural launch in 2014, the founders of REVEL, Ryan and Nicki Serravalle, have built an alluring brand, which has inspired a demographic of real estate professionals to conduct business in a REVELutionary manner.

Attracting some of the highest-selling teams in the nation, while developing a contingent of industry-leading agents through its innovative REVEL Ed and REVEL Mentorship programs, REVEL has established itself as a credible and promising option for reputable real estate agents, brokers and prominent teams, who are seeking to take the next step in their career paths—leadership, ownership of, or partnership with, a REVEL office.

This month, Realty One Group announced it became an official national Canadian brand, with the recent acquisition of franchising rights for Western Canada. It merged its Eastern and Western Canada presence as Realty One Group Canada.

Realty One Group describes itself as “a modern, dynamic, purpose-driven lifestyle brand that is redefining the industry.”

Canadian growth

The expansion marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey. In response to significant demand, it first expanded into Eastern Canada in 2022. In 2023, it opened four more Canadian offices, with more coming soon.

The “UNBrokerage” concept

The company says, “Our innovative UNBrokerage concept, coupled with cutting-edge technology solutions and unparalleled support for our agents and franchise owners, sets us apart as the fastest-growing real estate brand globally … The UNBrokerage concept has ignited a revolution in the real estate landscape, spreading like wildfire and capturing the imagination of real estate professionals across the nation.”

Technology solutions and proprietary platforms

Realty One Group has invested in infrastructure to serve and support franchise owners. It describes this as “a comprehensive end-to-end technology solution designed to empower agents and owners, leveraging AI integrations and advanced analytics for enhanced efficiency.”

The company offers proprietary platforms as a “Business in a Box” — or suite of tools and resources tailored for a constantly changing market landscape.

A “network of offices that will not just embrace the UNBrokerage philosophy but will elevate it to new heights”

“Our journey in Canada has been extraordinary, and we are thrilled to share the UNBrokerage magic with even more ambitious real estate professionals and communities,” says Vicki Schmidt, CEO of Realty One Group Canada.

Harrison Milborne, president of Realty One Group Canada, adds, “As we continue on this exciting journey across Canada, we are poised to create a network of offices that will not just embrace the UNBrokerage philosophy but will elevate it to new heights.”

In the first month of 2024, which has officially introduced REVEL’s commemorative 10th year in business, REVEL has passed the 25th office benchmark in Ontario with style and substance.

Having always entertained expansion interest with prudence and scrutiny, REVEL is proud to say that its brand influence has grown organically into cities and townships craving a REVELution in real estate culture. Most recently, REVEL welcomed new offices in Waterloo and Espanola/Manitoulin to launch 2024 with an absolute bang. Coincidentally, and not necessarily by chance, Northern Ontario has been an area that continues to entertain interest in REVEL’s positive brand influence and real estate culture, and REVEL couldn’t be more inspired by the results.

To date, REVEL has now expanded to Sudbury, Timmins, Espanola/Manitoulin, Georgian Bay, Muskoka and Barrie, nearly triangulating the north with a mission statement driven to provide elite client service, creative marketing acumen and more reasons to revel, or “celebrate” a real estate lifestyle.

“When exceptional real estate agents with remarkable sales track records and more importantly, team-first mentalities, approach you with interest, you definitely listen,” explains Ryan Serravalle, founder of REVEL REALTY INC.

“We value real estate agents and brokers who are ambitious, energetic and open to challenging the status quo,” advises Nicki Serravalle, founder of REVEL REALTY INC. “To realize that our brand influence is attracting the eye of talented individuals in northern locations set apart by distance from our REVEL headquarters in Niagara Falls, says a lot about what we have to offer, universally, to the industry.”

Expanding north with a contingent of leaders who have embraced REVEL’s brand values has created both tangible and intangible benefits. First and foremost, REVEL has always prided itself on being a people-first brand, interested and invested in the development of its agents, whether through its experiential REVEL ED program or through the creative advantages offered to its agents via REVEL STYLE MAGAZINE — a full-length real estate lifestyle magazine published annually to document the “celebratory” energy behind the REVEL brand.

Considered and respected by many as one of the most welcoming, friendly and team-oriented real estate work cultures in the industry, REVEL insists on maintaining its personable and social character by staging one-of-a-kind magazine launch parties, elegant charity balls and monthly social gatherings to induce business and strengthen the art of networking.

To find acceptance of these cultural ideals and values in northern cities has validated the message REVEL continues to impart to cooperating professionals in the industry, that the REVEL brand can help create sustainable business, no matter where it lands.

“Northern Ontario has definitely embraced REVEL with open arms, and we are proud to serve the cities and townships that have entrusted their business to our care,” summarizes Ryan.

“As we continue to listen to interest from neighboring cities in Northern Ontario, we are impressed with the work ethic and engagement of agents and brokers who are looking to take the next step and become leaders of offices,” explains Nicki. “As we introduce new initiatives, programs and alternative streams of income to our infrastructure, in this tenth year in business, we are motivated to work harder to improve an infrastructure that is growing alongside our expansion efforts.”

With new announcements on the horizon, the months ahead will introduce incentive-based initiatives that will only serve to reward the faith agents and leaders have invested in a young, but growing brand.

Pineapple Financial, a publicly traded Canadian mortgage brokerage based in Toronto, opened a new office in the Vancouver area last month. This follows the company’s expansion into Western Canada, with other offices recently opened in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

After four months of remodelling the office to align it with Pineapple’s brand and ensure it catered to broker requirements, the new Coquitlam, B.C. office opened on December 1. It acts as Pineapple’s hub for Western Canada operations and strategic initiatives.

Better serving realtor partners, clients and the community

Christa Mitchell, Pineapple’s chief strategy officer, says, “The team is excited to make a substantial impact in the local real estate industry by introducing cutting-edge innovative solutions and exceptional support designed to enhance the experience for our mortgage brokers and their valued realtor partners and clients.

As a people-first brokerage, we also look forward to inspiring positive change by infusing our culture of collaboration, education and support within the mortgage and real estate industry … We are also looking forward to taking an active role in the community through social, charitable and volunteer programs and by creating new and promising career opportunities for many.”

In the long term, the team’s goals include solidifying themselves as the leading provider in the real estate sector, Mitchell explains. “To achieve this, we are committed to driving technological advancements that revolutionize industry practices and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, where we actively contribute to shaping the future of the real estate industry.”

The team should be well set up for this, as Pineapple operates with a tech focus and integrated broker and agent network.

Growth opportunities

The company says that, over the year, the new office is expected to generate $300 million in new mortgage origination, a projected 10 per cent increase in gross revenue.

“This expansion solidifies our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional mortgage solutions to Canadians, contributing to the economic landscape by creating job opportunities and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships,” Mitchell says.

As well, Shubha Dasgupta, CEO of Pineapple, notes that the expansion has added 50 new mortgage professionals to the company’s Western Canada network.

Dasgupta believes the expansion is key to the company’s expansion strategy: “Not only does this new office reinforce our commitment to nationwide growth, innovation and unparalleled service excellence, but it also will play a crucial role in introducing our cutting-edge AI-driven technology solutions to local brokerages and clients and drive significant revenue growth in British Columbia.”

Mitchell notes that the Coquitlam team is already witnessing a transformative shift in the real estate industry. “We anticipate that 2024 will be a dynamic and promising year for us. We are thrilled to be part of this exciting journey and to contribute to the success of everyone involved,” she explains.

Wahi says its system benefits both consumers and realtors. It utilizes real-time market data and agent-level insights, including historical property sale prices, to assist individuals in making informed real estate decisions.

One of Wahi’s central offerings is its AI-powered realtor recommendation system, designed to connect real estate agents with “highly qualified and relevant leads.” The system matches buyers and sellers with agents interested in their specific areas of expertise.

“We found the traditional approach to real estate left us lacking control. We wanted to empower consumers to get so in the know and to feel like, with the app, they had a real estate co-pilot in the palm of their hands,” says Benjy Katchen, CEO and founder of Wahi 

Katchen also noted the relevance of Wahi’s tools in Nova Scotia, where a growing number of young professionals and families are choosing to settle.