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Home Ann-Marie Clements Luxury Homes REALTOR® M.S. Ed., Saint John, NB

Ann-Marie Clements Luxury Homes REALTOR® M.S. Ed., Saint John, NB

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Going For the BRONZE!

01-01-10
Ann-Marie Clements Luxury Homes REALTOR® M.S. Ed., Saint John, NB

Thinking of a “new” New Year’s resolution! How’s your speaking ability? Does it need improvement? Would you like to learn new skills for public speaking? Need more leadership skills? Then let me tell you my story to help you decide if you would like to give yourself a boost!

Two years ago, when I first became a REALTOR, I had a secret that I knew would hold me back! I was a smart educator with a Masters degree, with a “hidden disability” for holding myself back! I was “extremely shy” since childhood, due to a young childhood illness! I always learned quickly by visual & kinesthetic means. In other words, I learned by reading and doing.

Shy people tend to be online socially! I’m connected on every social media I can find and probably more online than any of my Realtor co-workers in the Saint John, NB area. Shy people tend to avoid groups of people and usually try not to attend any activities that involve massive amounts of people where they are forced to communicate verbally. Social media is there savor and are very computer savy.

Knowing I had to come out of this dilemma I searched my options to see if I could learn the social skills to come out of “my shell”. I learned that there was a weekly program called “Toastmasters” where I could learn the skills to work on speeches, face-to-face social skills and leadership skills.

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization that began in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California. They currently have 250,000 members in more than 12,500 clubs in 106 countries and are still growing. There is a nominal fee to join Toastmasters International, but you automatically sign up for their monthly magazine on improving your speeches and leadership skills.

I joined 1-1/2 years ago and went to the Saint John Monday weekly meetings. This group is very sympathetic with any of their members and they all have various reasons for attending the group. Our group has had members that have been their over 10 years and brand new members. Our group has the following weekly positions to be done: Sergeant-At-Arms, Chairman, Invocator, Toastmaster, Table Topics, Timer, Ah Counter/Grammarian, Quiz Master, General Evaluator, Joke Teller & 2-5 Speakers, 2-5 Evaluators for each speaker. Some weeks we could have 1-2 positions to do, which helps us multi-task meetings.

My first manual to work on was the “Competent Communication” which is a practical guide to becoming a better speaker. You have to finish 10 speeches at your speed of choice to receive a recognition diploma that is also sent to your employer’s broker. The 10 speeches you have to complete are: The Ice Breaker, Organize Your Speech, Get to the Point, How to Say It, Your Body Speaks, Vocal Variety, Research Your Topic, Get Comfortable with Visual Aids, Persuade With Power and Inspire Your Audience. Usually the Ice Breaker is the first speech you give to introduce yourself. The other speeches can be given in any order. After you give a speech the manual has a section that can be filled out by the evaluator on the good and improvements that can be worked on. Evaluators usually change for every speech you give. They are two times that you will get a “standing ovation” in the group; the 1st speech and the last speech you give within each manual.

On December 1st, 2009, I received my “Competent Communicator” recognition diploma for finishing my 10 speeches.

Yesterday, I received my new Toastmasters package to work on my Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB) manual. I have to finish three manuals with 5 projects in each manual, with a total of 15 speeches before I receive my Bronze recognition. There are also 15 manual choices; The Entertaining Speaker, Speaking to Inform, Public Relations, The Discussion Leader, Specialty Speeches, Speeches by Management, The Professional Speaker, Technical Presentations, Persuasive Speaking, Communicating on Television, Storytelling, Interpretive Reading, Interpersonal Communication, Special Occasion Speeches and Humorously Speaking. I have chosen: Persuasive Speaking, Storytelling and Humorous Speaking.

I can tell you that most of my shyness has been eliminated and that I now have the confidence to speak to anyone that I come across. This confidence was also reinforced due to all of the areas I've lived in across the world! After this training, I learned my strengthens & weaknesses and look forward to the future.

Recently I was given the title of VP of Public Relations for the Saint John Toastmaster's group and I'm going to love the challenge of this job. I will be getting former training in the next week, from Toastmasters International on what the job consists of and plan to be the best VP this club has ever had.

If you are one of those shy individuals that need that extra “kick in the pants” to be more successful, here is more information for you to get started:

Toastmasters International

P.O. Box 9052

Mission Viego, CA 92690-9052

(949) 858-8255 – phone

(949) 858-1207 - fax

www.Toastmasters.org

Our local information for the Saint John area is:

Saint John Club (# 1479, District # 45) Established: 03/01/1954

Trinity Church (rear entrance on Charlotte)

115 Charlotte St, Saint John, NB

(506) 693-2019

e-mail: contact@saintjohn.freetoasthost.org

Website: http://saintjohn.freetoasthost.org/index.html

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Christmas, BAH HUM BUG, It's HALLOWEEN!!!

10-31-09
Ann-Marie Clements Luxury Homes REALTOR® M.S. Ed., Saint John, NB

So we are celebrating the bountiful harvest!!!

Each year, for the last 2 years, I have been chosen to be the Mascot for our Royal LePage Atlantic Kiosk. The Kiosk is located at the local mall here in Saint John, New Brunswick, and is located in the center aisle of the mall. At our Kiosk we have photos of existing homes for sales on moveable display cases that potential buyers and sellers love to go and flip them over. We also have a computer with a countertop so potential buyers or sellers can sit and discuss any details with the Realtor. Each year, very young kids and their parents come in around 5:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. and do their "Trick or Treating" from store vendor to store vendor... It's especially a busy place when the weather is probamatic; today being windy and rain showers.

This is a GREAT time and an effective marketing strategy for getting business cards out to potential sellers and buyer!!!

Last year I played Maleficent the "beautiful" witch from the Sleep Beauty story. This year I played "The Grinch" with a few modifications. My Grinch costume consisted of lime green tights with two pairs of socks; one with strips and the small ones with bells and finished off with elf slippers. (Had to stay comfortable!) The rest of the costume had the official Santa look with "The Grinch" written across the front, with lime green winter gloves and the official "Grinch" mask. Since the mask was warm to wear, when I had it off, I still looked like one of Santa's elves, so I could play two roles in one.

Going back to handing out business cards, this is the way I do it. I get two pieces of "Good candy" and one business card that I put in each Halloween bag. This way I feel like the possibility of getting future clients are higher, since most of the parents will check the candy, they will hopefully pull out the business card and give the candy to their kids, if they don't eat it themselves. LOL Getting the candy bags ready is time consuming, but I believe well worth it.

When I was ready to hand out the candy, it was FUN to see all of the kids & adult costumes and interact with the parents & their kids. The parents and their kids usually start out from one end and work the whole mall through. I usually stay on one side to give all the kids their treats. Today, I gave out 370 BAGS OF CANDY...

I highly recommend this to other Realtors, since it's wonderful to interact with the community on different levels, especially the "humane" and compassionate side of us. All Realtors should have fun with this day, it's a Great time to let loose and make connections with the community and at work.... especially if you've had a Halloween Barbecue at your office the day before!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN....

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2009 Canada Home Sales 3rd Quarter Looks GOOD! says CREA

10-15-09
Ann-Marie Clements Luxury Homes REALTOR® M.S. Ed., Saint John, NB

Canada's national resale housing activity climbed to the highest level of any third quarter on record. MLS systems of Canadian real estate boards totalled 135,182 units in the third quarter of 2009, according to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). This is the highest level of activity on record for the period from July to September. The number of transactions was up 18 per cent from the third quarter of last year, representing the biggest year-over-year increase since early 2002. Climbing to $327,736, the national MLS® residential average price rose 11 per cent from the same quarter last year.

This information can be found on the CREA Stats website, dated today, October 15th, 2009.

http://creastats.crea.ca/natl/

Do you believe the trend will continue up?

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203 King St. East; Saint John NB E2L-1H2 - CANADA

09-03-09
Ann-Marie Clements Luxury Homes REALTOR® M.S. Ed., Saint John, NB

Own a Piece of History, With this Brick 1883 Victorian Italianate Style Home In Uptown Saint John!

4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. Year Built: 1883, Sq. Ft. 2500 $249,000 CDN

Live in this designed builder's home, that William N. Dewitt built for himself in 1883. in the early 1900's real estate Broker William Earl Anderson obtained the home. this fabulous architecturally designed victorian solid brick home, Italianate style with 2500sqft, walking distance for a professional family in the heart of uptown saint john. park the car and walk to irving corp offices and uptown jobs, schools, theatre, entertainment & fine city restaurants. enjoy living is a spacious victorian home with high ceilings, crown moldings, and beautiful stained glass window. other architectural elements include: irregular shaped roof-line cornice, corbel bands, sandstone sills & lintels, pressed brick, rectangular vertical sliding windows, two hexagonal bay windows, decorative entablature over the entrance with a star in the centre, large vertical transom windows above the door and a pair of wooden doors with glass panels. improvements; new private back deck w/garden, all new windows, skylights, ceramic tile & countertops, cement flooring in basement, security w/alarm system and wood stove. this price won't last!

Click HERE for more Details

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When I See ~ 30,000 AR Members Online, This Must Be Happening....

12-17-08
Ann-Marie Clements Luxury Homes REALTOR® M.S. Ed., Saint John, NB

Hello all AR members currently online, I believe we have something in common, "The Weather"... I haven't seen that many AR members online at one time, except when the weather is either too hot or too cold with ice, snow, etc.

We currently have snow warning drifts and really bad road conditions here in Saint John, New Brunswick, CANADA. The snow began this morning around 8:00 a.m. Atlantic Time Zone, therefore, it's been snowing continuously for 8 hours (4:00 p.m. ATZ) We live in the granite filled rolling hills of beautiful Grand Bay-Westfield, NB.

The good thing about all this snow, is that my family has been fiing into our home for most of the day. My high school senior daughter, Caitlin was sent home at 12:00 p.m. My 3rd yr Business major older daughter, Jenny, was supposed to have her last final exam at University of New Brunswick - Saint John this evening, this was cancelled until tomorrow evening same time, 7:00 p.m. Most of the time, these girls are either in school or working at their part-time jobs at the local mall or movie theatre.

Myself, my Broker let us out at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon and my spouse has also been released from his job at 3:00 p.m., but currently awaiting for his arrive.

Why am I waiting for my spouse's arrival?? Well, we live on a 45 degree access hill, plus a 45 degree curved driveway. He is the only one that knows how to move the snow blower down the 45 degree curved driveway (without dropping it, like the 3 women in this home have managed to do). LOL The good news, is both my daughters went outside with a snow shovel to clear a small path for myself and him and a 10 ft distance below our driveway and on the street side to park both cars, which at the moment can't come up the driveway.

Just picture us today, both driving VW Turbo Bugs (Beetles below), so clearing most of the snow, will help us get up the driveway, after we drive down the street and come back to pickup momentum going downhill to get up the driveway. LOL

ENJOY this wonderful weather, that tends to keep families together and have fun making SNOW ANGELS, SNOW FORTS and the best part SNOWBALL FIGHTS! If you live in the warmer climates, come visit us in the Northern Hemisphere...

;>)

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