The home in Owen Sound will be flipped and sold, with profits going to local charities, source: flippedgreybruce.ca/

You never know when inspiration will strike. Mike Seiler was watching a home renovation show while he and his wife were on holiday when had an idea. With the size of his brokerage, his realtor base and his ties to the community, he wondered: why couldn’t a home be flipped and the proceeds donated to local charities?

Indeed, why not? An energetic, excited Seiler, broker/owner of Century 21 In-Studio Realty Inc. in Owen Sound, Ont., got to work. The realtor, who has about a decade of personal home-flipping experience, spoke to a few colleagues. They loved the idea. Flipping is not new, but involving the community and charities makes this a fresh idea, Seiler says. “I’m notorious for coming up with ideas.”

Building a plan to give back

He created a business plan, putting his vision on paper. In a nutshell, the plan calls for a house to be purchased (done); renovated with the help of contractors using donated supplies and services in return for advertising/publicity; and cash from the sale to be donated to local charities.

The project relies on getting as much for free as possible—someone donating a product and someone giving their services to install it—in order to make as much for the charities as possible, Seiler says.

His goal is to sell the renovated home for “north of $800,000” with a couple of hundred thousand dollars or more going to the charities.

He and some agents in his office came up with the funds and purchased the house for cash (for an undisclosed amount).

Picking the right house 

He says the home is an ideal candidate for flipping. It has a “septic that is sized right, a new roof and it’s on a lot that’s over a half acre with mature trees. It’s on Highway 6, a main artery, but is set back from the road.”

The brick bungalow, built around 1978-‘80s, has been home to the second owners for about the last 40 years and shows pride of ownership, Seiler says. However, the renovation will transform its interior.

Community collaboration

Contractors and suppliers are trading skills/labour/products for advertising that includes being featured in a mini-series on Century 21’s YouTube page, as well as on social media.

Seiler hired two full-time videographers with the hopes that their work will go viral. He says the mini-series will let viewers live vicariously through every contractor and will also include fun time-lapse videos. “If we reach a million viewers, they’re happy and we’re happy.”

Instead of commercials for unrelated products/services, Seiler’s crew will create community spots for those involved with the project to offer them even more value. “We want to shine a light on our contractors and realtors.”

Local planners are on board and a new permit system that makes it easy to pull permits and ensure projects are done the right way will be highlighted, Seiler says. “The show will depict local planners as the superheroes they are.”

The seller is also excited to be involved and will provide some back story about the house in documentary-style interviews, he says. “The (former) homeowner is fuelled up to be part of the project.”

The show goes on 

Filming began in early January, with good buy-in from Seiler’s brokerage.  “We have north of 40 Realtors and the majority are on board,” he says. (Some bowed out because they are camera shy or were unsure about the type of exposure the show would bring.)

Seiler says it’s important that the project be respectful of everyone involved. “We have zero tolerance for naysayers or those who talk trash on social media.”

The eight-episode video series will be “a mash-up of fun,” with content suited to all ages. It will show homeowners, a target audience that will appreciate knowing how they can get the most from the sale of their house, and how Seiler and his team can help.

Adding value beyond the flip

“We’re not buying houses,” he says. Instead, “We can help you execute a project like this and make the most money.” 

The YouTube show will premiere on March 14. Episode 1 will include an introduction to the property. Items that can be recycled/reused (the goal is not to just fill a bin, but to find other uses for unneeded items taken out of the house) will be sold at a garage sale at the property on Friday (May 16) of the Victoria Day weekend.

On Saturday, items donated for staging will be sold during an auction run by Easter Seals, Century 21’s long-time charity of choice. Seiler says this event is expected to bring in $20,000 to $50,000.

“We are hoping that we’ll have a firm sale before the auction is over in case the purchaser wants to bid on certain items. We want a clean cash offer, a 30-60 day close and (the buyer to come) with deposit in hand.”

A community effort to spread the word

The five-month project’s benefiting charities will be announced halfway through the season.

In the meantime, Seiler is encouraging all of his realtors to reach out for publicity about the collaborative project led by the community brokerage. Broker Tim Matthews pitched this story, Seiler says. “Tim is a high performer and a friend.”

For more information about the house, events, sale and tickets, visit the project’s website.

Are agents ready for the new kind of homeowner joining the market? A new report released by Century 21 took a deep dive into the stats behind the newest cohort of potential clients — young Millennials and Gen Z. But before you go looking up new slang, know that these buyers are serious about finding a home that not only has the right amount of space but also puts them in a neighbourhood and larger community that they can become a part of.

The right agents are involved in their communities and show potential buyers how to do the same

“The right agent doesn’t just know the nearest parks and schools, but they know and are involved in their community,” explains Todd Shyiak, executive vice president of CENTURY 21 Canada. “A lot of our C21 Canada brokerages support their local sports teams and hold events to get people out into the community, and it’s a big source of pride for our brand.”An agent who can paint the picture of how a couple of new neighbours can join the fabric of a community could see themselves become the go-to agent for young buyers and get referrals as more of their friends get into the market. All it takes is a solid understanding of what feelings and goals are driving their home needs.

Be a source of reassurance & prove your community connection to attract new clients

As younger buyers are coming into the age range where they’re looking to put down roots and purchase their first home, the Century 21 survey shows that 50 per cent of Gen Z homebuyers reported feeling joy around their move, though only 36 per cent felt hope. “An agent who wants to attract new clients needs to be a source of reassurance,” says Shyiak. “If they can prove their community connection, they’ll find buyers who respond to that local expertise.”

The report shows just how much community is increasingly becoming a higher priority on the list of considerations. The Gen Z cohort is grappling with the rise of loneliness and factoring mental wellness into their homebuying decisions.

Being closer to family & friends: Outrank traditional considerations for moving

According to the Century 21 study, “being closer to family” is the third most given reason for a move, with “being close to friends” ranking as fourth. These reasons outrank traditional considerations such as lower cost of living and job opportunities, demonstrating a shift in thinking in this new class of homebuyer. They don’t just want to find a community — they want to impact it, with one in four young buyers planning to get involved through local politics, school committees and other entrepreneurship.

With these goals in mind, they’re going to be searching for an agent who doesn’t just know the ins and outs of the neighbourhood market, but who can also act as a guide to a community through authentic lived experience.

Authentic community ties for agents

But what do authentic community ties look like for a real estate agent? It could mean participating in local activities or sitting on the boards of local charitable events. 65 per cent of intending homebuyers rate “getting involved in the local community after they move” as “very important,” and an agent who can make suggestions to their clients on how they can do that is demonstrating their value and building a foundation for a referral relationship that’s sure to last years.

Shyiak explains that agents have to be known to their community: “To be trusted, you need to get out, get involved and meet people. That effort gives agents the credibility to guide newcomers and make sure they’re matching the place to the person.”

With the strong sense of community connection that younger buyers are prioritizing, it stands to reason that their ties to the people who helped them find that community would be long-lasting. If an agent takes the time to demonstrate their love and knowledge of their local community, and their hand in shaping it, they’re sure to make a lasting impression on a buyer.

As the needs of Millennial and Gen Z homebuyers evolve over time, forward-thinking agents can set themselves up to reap the rewards of these first impressions and segue them into client relationships that will stand the test of time. But remember — authenticity is key, so don’t just talk the talk, get out into your community and walk in the shoes of the people who call it home.