Abbotsford, BC

Brenda Evans and Michele Cartwright are our Infinity Team! I recently did a post welcoming Michele......and Now Brenda has joined Active Rain as well! What an amazing duo! These two make an amazing team - one most would only aspire to! Productive, positive and inspirational go-getters!

Areas of expertise? Well...Brenda loves people! She loves building great relationships through selling real estate.........She has a love of helping people meet their needs and reach their highest potential and dreams. It took her a long time (in her words) to find this exciting adventure of real estate....and she's here for the long haul!

"It's about being positive and making the journey of home buying full of good memories. It's about being trust-worthy, knowledgeable and walking in integrity. It's about listening...listening...and hearing what your buyer/seller is saying. "

Come check out Brenda's first Post........

Palm trees anyone?

Please Give her a hi and hello and your 'as always' warm welcome! :-)

The Keller William Difference - Different by Design!

At Keller Williams Realty, we like to think we stand out from other real estate firms in many ways, but these areas in particular define Keller Williams Realty as an industry innovator and leader: Culture, Education, Profit Share and Technology.

We are a company built and shaped by talented, driven real estate professionals who know the value of having a great career, accomplished colleagues, work-life balance and a reputation for being the best in the business.

We focus on helping associates realize their fullest potential. You will find opportunities for growth, support for achieving your objectives and a true sense of family and belonging.

Your success is our goal.... Make today the day you begin the next fulfilling chapter in your life and career.

Mission: To build careers worth having, businesses worth owning and lives worth living! :-)

If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling property in Chilliwack or the Fraser Valley Area of B.C. - or if you're considering a career in Real Estate or would like more information about Keller Williams please give Liz a call!

Liz Moras, Managing Broker and Team Leader for Keller Williams Valley Realty, Serving Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley and the Fraser Valley.

Call Liz at 604-799-0459 or e-mail at lizmoras@shaw.ca. Be sure to check out Liz's website www.lizmoras.com and blog at http://lizmoras.activerain.com.

It was not so long ago when even having a website was a big deal. And now that so many of use have one. It's more a question of 'Now what are you gonna do with it?' What sets your site apart from the rest.

While throwing some ideas back and forth today with a colleague, I thought about what I was doing to create BUYER TRAFFIC! In a shifting market, I have to say ~ Love the Buyer! And the Seller too of course, but with fewer pickings, I'm thinking GET IN THE PATH OF THE BUYER!

That isn't an original thought I assure you, it's been said before... for sure.... but what may be somewhat original, at least I'd like to think it is (even just a little?? humour me...) That is taking your site and creating a page to feature your listings (or all the listings, if you don't have any yet) from that area / subdivision / apartment building / trailer park / waterfront that you love so much.

So you're a MARKET EXPERT, right? Well, an expert in what, where? Think about it, create a page on your site, and change it up a bit... it doesn't have to be all cookie cutter & matchy matchy.

Let's take it one step further and say for instance BUY A DOMAIN NAME, shoot buy seven. Point them all to their corresponding specific page on your site for direct and instant gratification of what the Buyer is looking for.

You'll be a star and the expert you so know you are.

For example my home page is crisp and clean and I would like to think that this 'look' flows through the majority of my website http://www.katievannes.com

However I listed a 19 house development. And even though they have their own, expensive and professionally done website http://www.highlands-homes.ca- I created a page on my site to look in keeping with the developers colours and style... combining my branding and theirs, and fed my addiction of purchasing domain names. I purchased www.pinesrealtor.ca and www.highlandsrealtor.ca and pointed both domain names to the page I created named pinesathighlands.html http://www.katievannes.com/pinesathighlands.html

Similar but different enough.

Let's take it a step further. What if you have an area you'd like to farm... whether you currently have listings, you can add buttons on the page that are linked to specific search criteria. For example, a search criteria of being For Sale on X,Y,Z Streets.


I can refer to my Auguston page. I live in Auguston... so I just had to purchase http://www.augustonrealtor.ca , http://www.augustonrealtor.com , and http://www.augustonrealty.ca and you guessed it... pointed them all to the page I created on my website called auguston.html http://www.katievannes.com/auguston.html

There are detached homes and townhouses in Auguston, and if there is one for sale, no matter the listing brokerage it is pulled when a buyer clicks on one of my tabs or buttons, because I've assigned a custom search to the image.

Think about it... Feedback & Questions welcome :)

I was delighted to find the image below in my inbox this afternoon! What fun we are going to have in Orlando, Florida at Family Reunion from the 21-25th of February 2009!

Having won a trip to KW Family Reunion I am super excited to attend what I've heard is an absolutely empowering and truly inspirational event. And to think that by attending we could put what we've learned to great use and thus ACHIEVE OUR GOALS for 2009.

To think we are on the 7th of January and I'm still in Happy New Year mode... Maybe it will fade as I pack my Christmas decorations away tonight... Can't help but still feel exhilarated, the possibility of looking at the checklist below in December 2009 and seeing many of the items listed as divided and conquered! WOW that would be POWERFUL!

Click Here to register for KW Family Reunion.

With the ringing in of the New Year, I'm sure many of you are questioning, as am I ~ Why do I do what I do? Why do I sell Real Estate? And with the recent passing of my father in law, I find myself reflecting on my own father's passing only three years ago, and thus thinking about my Big Why. The Big Why that has unfolded and revealed itself to me over the past three years. The reason I get up every morning and face each day with the utmost optimism and enthusiasm. And the reason, that without my involvement with a company such as Keller Williams, I'm not sure would have been as clear to me.

Years ago when my father and mentor died in my arms suddenly, I couldn't necessarily put a finger on what I was filled with, it was something that was so overwhelming for me I couldn't speak it.

BUT... I can tell you what it wasn't.

It wasn't the need to satisfy my every whim, the need to get more stuff and fill the house & garage with toys & trinkets... they're so nice and new and shiny... and great to have, but they aren't the reason WHY ~ Surely not.

My father's passing was in November 2005 and my father in law passed away this New Year's day, and while goal planning we were asked to make a dream book. The coach suggested we cut out pictures of what we wanted, and paste them to our dream poster! The thought of spending even a moment of my day... when I could hug my child... or call a potential client even... to connect with someone. But to spend it cutting out a picture of a car or a boat... ugh. There's got to be more...

As more days were placed between my father's funeral and my present day... I begin to realise that the overwhelming feeling I was FILLED with was the deepest desire to leave a LEGACY, a legacy for my family, for my friends, hopefully for my colleagues and for individuals I've met even for just a moment.

We don't need a dream poster filled with cars and boats, cruises and spa retreats. By all means if you have a beautiful poster such as this... keep it, but when you get all of that, you will still want something more. That can not be as good as it gets. If there was a picture of a person truly filled with joy, it most likely is a person who has given something dear to them.

I know my father would be proud and truly joyous, as he has given so very much. I think as an adult to learn from your parent in life and in business, is such an amazing blessing. I have no choice but to do the same.

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well travelled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...