Press

“I want to introduce you to David Smith, a realtor for Royal LePage in Canada… David not only has one of the most interesting and genuinely most fascinating personal stories I’ve heard, but is also doing some of the best work I’ve seen in a long time from a realtor…” – Matthew Shadbolt, New York Times/Inman News.

Spilling The Tea – Episode 1 – Someone Is Watching You

Over the last few weeks I’ve enjoyed participating in the first season of ‘Spilling The Tea’, a real estate podcast with two of Royal LePage Wolstencroft’s agents, Kristy Masaro & Shelagh Machek. 

It’s a super fun podcast concept, with two interviewers, an ‘expert’ (in this case, yours truly), and a member of the public, having a story-packed discussion on a variety of topics.  

Below you’ll find the links to the first episode, ‘Someone Is Watching You’, about home surveillance and how it intersects the real estate journey. Tune in to hear about me running away from a dog, and why we do our best to insist our clients not talk too openly in a home! 

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Keep an eye out for more episodes in the future, there are some really informative moments, and plenty of funny ones too. Let us know what you think! 

‘The Sweater Score’ For Real Estate Changes in 2023 – YVR ReMo Show Podcast

As we led last month’s newsletter with, 2023 sees a lot of changes to the real estate landscape. We got lots of positive feedback on how we broke down each of the changes with an ‘impact score,’ some changes scoring quite differently than how many had expected. 

For those of you that prefer an audio or video format though, I recorded the below with Alex McFadyen from Thrive Mortgage Co. on their Podcast, ‘the YVR ReMo Show’. 

Checkout your preferred format below to be ahead of the crowd for 2023 and to find out what Alex dubbed ‘The Sweater Score’ for each change:

Apple Podcast / Spotify Podcast / YouTube Video

Vancouver Sun/CKNW Feature

I was recently asked by The Vancouver Sun to contribute to their article on the recent trends in the Fraser Valley, particularly in Abbotsford. You may have heard a follow-up interview on CKNW Radio. The snippet below was what The Vancouver Sun took from our interview and provides some interesting insight into the detached market not just in Abbotsford but across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley:

“David Smith from Royal LePage Wolstencroft in Langley said that in the last seven days, for the five detached home sales in Abbotsford registered with the MLS listing service, there was a $205,100 difference between the median list price of $899,900 and the median sale price of $1,105,000.

“This is being generated by multiple offers. Some are getting 20 offers,” he said.”

Read the full article here.

Simple Money Magazine Article – Three Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying My First Home

I’m honoured to have been asked to write the below article for Simple Money Magazine. Read the beginning here and jump over to their website if you’d like to read the rest after subscribing.

Three Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying My First Home

Don’t rely on a spur-of-the-moment impulse when it comes to one of your biggest financial decisions. Because although you might get lucky—you also might not.

Home is where our stories are written. It’s where babies are brought home from the hospital and where family comes to stay over the holidays. It’s where neighbors become lifelong friends.

It’s also where we argue about the bills, where we find unexpected expenses, and where our relationships can be most tested. Home is a unique place.

Continue reading

Real Estate Video Influencer Award

It’s always an honour to receive awards, and this one is no exception. I heard last week that I was a winner of a ‘real estate video influencer award’, from over 1,300 candidates from across North America.

I was only one of two Canadians in the top ten in the ‘Home Tour + Listing Video’ category, and the fact that it was this category we were awarded in meant a lot to me because it’s the category that most directly benefits our clients.

Thank you to those of you that have trusted me with the marketing of your homes, you personally know the power of these videos; and a special thanks to Jeremy Pue of White Cloud Productions for producing our video content – I couldn’t have done it without you.

If you’d like to see the full award guide, it’s attached below:

click here for blog

KSVY Sonoma – Hollywood & West Napa Radio Interview

It was a pleasure to chat with Cat Smith from @SocialWithCat on her show about David Smith Homes, in particular about using video to connect our community. Find out more about Cat here: http://www.getsocialwithcat.com/

Click the video to listen to the full interview:

Transcript below:

1. Were you camera shy before starting The Local?

Not really, I’ve come to terms I’m a 4/10 on appearance on a good day, so really there’s very little vanity involved. There are two buttons on my phone, the big red one, which I hit once, yell at the camera for a minute, and then hit again, and then the post button. That’s it. Simple.

2. What was the subject of the last video you shot on your cell phone?

My kid’s lemonade stand! I don’t show their faces, so it was a little bit of a challenge, but a good number of my followers came out to support them.

3. Nutshell the story of how “The Local” began?

Right when I began my real estate business I wanted to build it around advocating for others instead of myself, the best way to do that was video, so I found a partner and we made videos!

4. While you didn’t start “The Local” as a direct driver of business, how has it been successful to your real estate career?

You know, I don’t think I can point to a single deal that came directly from The Local, but I can point to a lot of people that realized I was different because of it and use me because I’m different.

5. Realtors are notorious for not showing more than the real estate side of themselves. Why is advocating important, especially in your own community?

At the macro level, because I’m not just trying to show myself off, period. I was to show other people off!

6. When you talk about the subjects in your videos, you say you are “celebrating” them. Why is it important to celebrate others?

Because they’re worth celebrating. Each one of us who runs our own business or non-profit knows how lonely it can be. It can mean the world for someone to come alongside, recognize what you’re doing, and publicly celebrate it.

7. You also mentioned in an interview this means even “publicly celebrating another local realtor for their advocacy.” Will that negatively impact our business?

Yes, it might do. But really, I don’t care. If someone is inspired by someone else, why shouldn’t they use them instead of me? I love celebrating other realtors too for the great things they do.

8. How does video build trust?

It’s hard to fake it on video without everyone seeing right through you. If you’re trying to be someone else, it’s not sustainable.

9. “The Local” is a pretty involved show. But you do things like “One Minute Market Story.” It doesn’t need to be grand to tell a story, right?

Absolutely not. I think a combination of high production value pieces can be supplemented super effectively with low production value content, they have different purposes.

10. You also use video as a driver to live events. Ex.: Home Buying & Beers. Do you think video helped boost your event?

I know for sure they do, the majority of people at those events found out about them on Facebook or Instagram, primarily from organic shares and boosted posts targeting their demographic.

11. What does your quote, “People over property” mean?

It just means I care about people a lot more than I do about houses. Honestly, real estate is a just an avenue for me to care for people. That’s where I find the satisfaction in this business.

12. “If you build it, they will come.” We can just load our video on the web and people will find it right? What kind of promotion to you do when releasing a new video?

It depends on the content, but the most potential seems to still be Facebook. A huge portion of consumers are still there, and their demographic targeting is unparalleled.

13. Stealing this from Inman: “If an agent should stop doing one thing today, what would it be?”

Thinking about themselves so much.

Cat Smith – Hollywood & West Napa FM91.3 Interview

I discovered David Smith at Inman Connect 2017. I was so inspired by the presentation he gave, The Advocate Agent. I will embed that video below if you’d like to see it.

Now, this hashtag chat will be a little different… David’s not on Twitter! But, I didn’t want to not recognize an agent killing it with social media simply because he doesn’t use a specific platform. To accommodate, David will be on my radio show, Hollywood & West Napa on KSVY Sonoma, July 31 at 10 a.m. Pacific (CA). This is where I’ll get my answers and the tweeting will come from my on Thursday the 2! If you’d like to tune it, it is streamable from KSVY on their website or via the phone app. Click here for Android, here for iOS.

We will chat all about his use of web video and filmmaking to introduce his friends and clients to community forming people South of the Fraser. He will share his tips and advice with us this August 2 during #ChatSocialGraces! I hope you’ll join us! Continue reading