EDMONTON, AB, Feb. 8, 2024 /CNW/ – Brandon Scott, the founder, and Broker of Record for Benchmark Mortgages Inc., is set to explore the next adventure in his professional path after a remarkable journey which began in 2012. While passing the leadership baton to his business partner, Brandon isn’t leaving the industry behind. Instead, he’s expanding his horizons, ready to introduce an innovative, integrated venture that merges the realms of real estate and mortgages.
Brandon Scott, embracing new opportunities with AI technology in real estate and mortgages. (CNW Group/Brandon Scott)
Under Brandon’s guidance, Benchmark Mortgages evolved from a solo venture into a robust team which included expansion efforts to establishing a presence in Kelowna, BC further underscoring the firm’s commitment to growth. There’s also the team’s impressive collection of over 500 five-star Google reviews, and original video series ‘Be My Neighbour’, ‘The B.S. Report’, and ‘Asking for a Friend.’ Brandon’s promise of unparalleled service also earned him provincial and national recognition as a sought-after voice in mainstream media outlets such as the Globe and Mail, the Edmonton Journal, Sun Media, Shaw TV, and City TV. All these efforts combined played a crucial role in capturing opportunities to connect with new clients, especially those who had not previously considered the advantages of working with licensed mortgage brokers.
A Continued Commitment to Existing Clientele
Brandon wants to assure all clients, and industry partners that his dedication to delivering exceptional mortgage services is as strong as ever. He remains deeply committed to helping clients navigate through their mortgage needs with the same level of expertise and attention that has characterized his career to date.
Embarking on a New Venture
The Property Smart Advisory Group Inc., was born to seamlessly blend the realms of real estate and financial services, making them more intuitive, efficient, and accessible. It aims to integrate smart AI-driven resources in a platform that integrates real-time market data, personalized mortgage advice, and streamlined property tools.
“Our mission is to transform the client experience from end to end, addressing common pain points using technology that anticipates needs and simplifies processes,” said Brandon Scott. “If the last few years of the roller-coaster interest rate environment have taught us anything, it’s that hard-working Canadians deserve access to accurate and reliable information in order to make better decisions regarding their property and their mortgage.”
As the Property Smart team gears up for the official launch, which will be done in phases, they welcome collaboration and invite the public, industry peers, and developers who share the vision of a more connected and client-centered real estate world to join them on this journey. Together, paving the way for a future where every transaction is empowered by innovation and every client decision is supported by data-driven insights. For more information, please visit www.propertysmart.ca.
SOURCE Brandon Scott
For further information: For media inquiries, please contact: Brandon Scott, Managing Partner, Property Smart Advisory Group Inc., [email protected], www.propertysmart.ca
TORONTO – One expert predicts Ottawa‘s changes to mortgage rules will help spur demand among potential homebuyers but says policies aimed at driving new supply are needed to address the “core issues” facing the market.
The federal government’s changes, set to come into force mid-December, include a higher price cap for insured mortgages to allow more people to qualify for a mortgage with less than a 20 per cent down payment.
The government will also expand its 30-year mortgage amortization to include first-time homebuyers buying any type of home, as well as anybody buying a newly built home.
CIBC Capital Markets deputy chief economist Benjamin Tal calls it a “significant” move likely to accelerate the recovery of the housing market, a process already underway as interest rates have begun to fall.
However, he says in a note that policymakers should aim to “prevent that from becoming too much of a good thing” through policies geared toward the supply side.
Tal says the main issue is the lack of supply available to respond to Canada’s rapidly increasing population, particularly in major cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17,2024.
OTTAWA – The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of homes sold in August fell compared with a year ago as the market remained largely stuck in a holding pattern despite borrowing costs beginning to come down.
The association says the number of homes sold in August fell 2.1 per cent compared with the same month last year.
On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, national home sales edged up 1.3 per cent from July.
CREA senior economist Shaun Cathcart says that with forecasts of lower interest rates throughout the rest of this year and into 2025, “it makes sense that prospective buyers might continue to hold off for improved affordability, especially since prices are still well behaved in most of the country.”
The national average sale price for August amounted to $649,100, a 0.1 per cent increase compared with a year earlier.
The number of newly listed properties was up 1.1 per cent month-over-month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
MONTREAL – Two Quebec real estate brokers are facing fines and years-long suspensions for submitting bogus offers on homes to drive up prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christine Girouard has been suspended for 14 years and her business partner, Jonathan Dauphinais-Fortin, has been suspended for nine years after Quebec’s authority of real estate brokerage found they used fake bids to get buyers to raise their offers.
Girouard is a well-known broker who previously starred on a Quebec reality show that follows top real estate agents in the province.
She is facing a fine of $50,000, while Dauphinais-Fortin has been fined $10,000.
The two brokers were suspended in May 2023 after La Presse published an article about their practices.
One buyer ended up paying $40,000 more than his initial offer in 2022 after Girouard and Dauphinais-Fortin concocted a second bid on the house he wanted to buy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
