RealNet is a customized service offered to TREB members. This service enhances the abilities of members to search both commercial real estate and new residential developments in the GTA. All TREB members may use RealNet. RealNet New Homes database contains: 1. Monthly updates of property transactions and price information throughout the GTA (Halton, Peel, York, Durham, and Toronto). This information is available for Low Rise developments (detached, link, semis, and townhouses) and High Rise developments (stacked townhouses, apartments, and lofts) that have over 15 units available for sale. 2. Information on new home projects includes: Builder name Development name Site phone number Cooperation status for the project Units available for sale Location Specific details on the unit type or lot size Photo gallery including amenities and construction status Floor plans and floor plates 3. Special incentives offered by developers 4. Emailed alerts notifying you of new developments 5. Monthly Statistical Market Reports, created for TREB members, which are available by the third week of each month 6. A CIA (Condo Investment Advisor) Report
7. RealCondoInvestor 8. Quarterly multimedia briefings 9. Monthly emailed newsletters. Accessing RealNet To access RealNet you must first log into TorontoMLS: 1. From the Home Page, click Search Properties. Search Properties 2. In TorontoMLS, click the RealNet button. A pop-up window appears and takes you to RealNet. 2
. RealNet OR In New Stratus, click RealNet under the Links menu on the Left Side Panel. Left Side Panel Links RealNet NOTE: If you have any pop-up suppressing software on your computer, you will have to disable it in order to access RealNet, which opens in a pop-up window. Alternately, press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard while clicking the RealNet button. 3. The first time you enter the site, you are asked to enter your first name, last name, and an email address. You may use any email 3
address of your choice. You will not be able to proceed until you read the terms for using RealNet. Click the link for Terms and Conditions. Read the terms and click I Agree. Terms and Conditions NOTE: You will not have to log in again unless you enter RealNet from another computer or delete the browser s cookies. 4. After accepting the terms of use, you are back at the login page. Place a check mark beside I agree. Click Start to enter the site. 4
Place check mark here Start You have successfully accessed the Real Net Homepage which is divided into two main categories: RealNet Commercial and RealNet New Homes. 5
RealNet homepage RealNet New Homes There are five ways to search for New Home activity in RealNet: a criteria-based search using information such as MLS district, type, price, number of bedrooms, etc. a search by builder name a search by development name a search using an inventory number a search using saved criteria. The following sections provide information on conducting these searches, viewing the search results, and viewing individual project 6
details. We will also investigate how to obtain market statistical data from RealNet. RealNet New Homes Property Search On the RealNet home page, in the Search group, click New Homes to access the New Homes Search page. New Homes The RealNet New Homes search screen allows you to perform general searches of new construction projects that are not fully sold or occupied. Property Search Product Type Municipality/ District Price New Homes Search 7
To perform a Property Search of the New Homes database: 1. Click the radio button beside Property Search, if necessary. This is the default setting, so it will likely be selected. 2. You must select at least one of the following three fields: Click the drop-down beside Product Type and select a type of property. You can choose from All High Rise or All Low Rise; or a combination of Attached, Link, Semi Detached or of Townhouse, Stacked Townhouse, Apartment, or Loft. You cannot search both high rise and low rise units in one search. OR Click the drop-down beside Municipality / District to select a location based on TREB s districts. Multiple selections can be made. OR Select a minimum, maximum (or both) price using the Price fields. You also have the option of selecting number of bedrooms. For high rise projects, you may select Construction Status and Occupancy date, in addition. 3. Click Search RealNet to submit your search criteria. You have learned to work with the Property Search. To learn how to work with the results of the search, go to page 12. To learn how to work with the Builder Search, go to the next section. RealNet New Homes Builder Search The RealNet New Homes Builder Search allows you to search for the projects of a particular builder. 8
Builder Search RealNet New Homes Search Page To conduct a Builder Search: 1. Click the radio button to the left of Builder Search. 2. Click into the Builder field and begin typing the builder s name. An auto-complete feature will trigger a drop-down as soon as you have typed the first few characters of the builder s name. 3. Select the appropriate builder s name in the drop-down list. 4. Click Search RealNet. You have learned to work with the Builder Search. To learn how to work with the results of the search, go to page 12. To learn how to work with the Development Search, go to the next section. RealNet New Homes Development Search The RealNet New Homes Development Search allows you to search a development s name to see the various project types within a particular development. 9
Development Search RealNet New Homes Search Page To conduct a Development Search: 1. Click the radio button beside Development Search. 2. Click into the Development field and begin typing the development s name. An auto-complete feature will trigger a dropdown as soon as you have typed the first few characters of the development s name. 3. Select the correct development from the list. 4. Click Search RealNet. You have learned to work with the Development Search. To learn how to work with the results of the search, go to page 12. To learn how to work with the Inventory Search, go to the next section. RealNet New Homes Inventory Search The RealNet New Homes Inventory Search allows you to search a development s inventory number. If a client was emailed a project and wanted to find out more about it, they could give you its inventory 10
number. This would make searching for a particular development far easier. Inventory Search RealNet New Homes Search Page To conduct an Inventory Search: 1. Click the radio button beside Inventory Search. 2. Click into the Inventory Number field and type the development s inventory number. 3. Click Search RealNet. You have learned to work with the Inventory Search. To learn how to work with the results of the search, go to page 12. To learn how to work with the Saved Search, go to the next section. RealNet New Homes Saved Search The RealNet New Homes Saved Search allows you to search using a previous search for which you have saved the criteria. 11
Saved Search RealNet New Homes Search Page To conduct an Saved Search: 1. Click the radio button beside Saved Search. 2. Click the Select a Saved Search down arrow to view a list of your saved searches. 3. Click on the name of the saved search you wish to use. 4. Click Search RealNet. To learn how to save a search, see Saving a Search on page 19. You have learned to search RealNet for new home information. We will explore the results of the searches in the next section. RealNet New Homes Search Results Your search results appear in a table sorted by Co-op Status (whether the builder pays commission to co-operating REALTORS ). Up to 200 results will display. 12
Sort Arrows Co-op Status Search Results From the search results page, you are able to: Sort the results by any one of the columns by clicking the upward or downward pointing arrow beside that column name. Access a record by clicking on the Co-op Status of the desired record Save your search criteria. Modify your criteria. Start a new search. Viewing Project Details from Search Results Clicking on the Co-op Status of a record in the search results brings you to the RealNet New Homes Project Details page for that record. The details that appear will vary depending on the property type searched. 13
Next Record Search Criteria Print Record New Home Statistical Perspective report for Toronto W05 Project Details, New Homes Search for Detached Property If the Builder Name and/or Development Name are hyperlinks, they open to their respective websites. The Price is that of the displayed unit without any upgrades. The Model Description (for example, brick/stone) is only for the front facade of the unit, not the sides or rear. The Lot Type is usually either Traditional (95 feet deep or more), or Wide/Shallow (less than 95 feet deep). There may be special incentives listed under the Commission rate. To the right of the record is a New Home Statistical Perspective report. This provides a comparison between the record you are viewing and similar new homes in the same MLS district. It can tell you if the current model is of a very common type and how its price compares to similar properties nearby. View other records from the search results by clicking on Next Record or Previous Record. To print the report, click Print Record. 14
There are some significant differences in the data for High Rise product types. Search Criteria Project Details, New Homes Search for Condominium Price is a range as in Unit Size Maintenance fee is the estimated cost per square foot to be assigned to future unit owners Construction Status can be either Pre-Construction, Under Construction, or Standing Inventory Remaining Inventory means the number of released units that remain available for sale for this type of unit 15
Parking and Storage details appear in this report (including any additional fees for additional parking or storage if applicable) Deposit Structure. TIP: For a complete list of definitions used in RealNet New Homes reports, see Glossary: New Homes on page 32. Definitions are provided for the fields which appear within the search parameters and project view results pages. Additional definitions are provided that apply only to the Low Rise category of Product Types (Detached, Link, Semi-Detached, and Townhouse) and that apply only to the High Rise category (Stacked Townhouse, Apartment, and Loft). Enhanced imagery for high rise developments Additional features have been added to the high rise category for New Homes. There are now multiple photos for the development showing the project and its amenities. View thumbnails Number of photos To view the photos, hover the mouse over the main picture to display navigation arrows. Click the arrow to cycle through the pictures. 16
Below the Project Details, you will find a section with Property photos. These include Construction Status, Floor Plans, and Floor Plates. In each case, where there are multiple photos, click the thumbnail below the main photo to see the enlarged image. Construction Status Floor Plan Floor Plate Multiple photos display construction status Construction Status 17
Selected floor plan Available floor plans for 2- bedroom units Floor Plans Multiple floor plates show location of units and amenities Floor Plate of lobby You have viewed the results of a New Homes search in RealNet. In the next section you will learn how to save a search. 18
Saving a Search If you find that you search the same project over and over again, why not save it. Searches are easily saved from the results list. To save a search: 1. Submit a search for the desired New Homes development. 2. At the search results page, click Save Search. Save Search 3. In the dialogue box that appears, type a descriptive name for the search. 4. Click Save, and then click Close. Creating an Alert in RealNet To use your saved search, see RealNet New Homes Saved Search on page 11. Alerts can be created to inform you about new releases in RealNet, newly announced projects that have yet to be released for sale, or special builder incentives. 19
To create an Alert: 1. From the RealNet homepage, under Stay Informed, click Alerts. Alerts RealNet homepage 2. Click the radio button beside the appropriate type of alert (New Openings, Coming Soon Projects, or Special Builder Incentives). Other than the name of the Alert, no other fields are mandatory. My Client s Email send this alert to my client My Alert Name Save My Alert 3. Optional fields include: Product Type Municipality / District Price Bedroom(s) 20
Construction Status (for high rise only) Occupancy By (for high rise only) Builder Development. 4. If you want to send a copy of the alert to your client, click to place a check mark beside send this alert to my client, then type their email address in the field above the check box. 5. Click into the My Alert Name field and type a name. 6. Click Save My Alert. NOTE: You can also create an alert from the Search Results screen. At the top of the results, click Create Alert. The criteria will be based the same as the search criteria. The Save Alert dialogue box opens as illustrated below. Fill in the appropriate information and then click Save. The alert will be sent to you (and your client, if you chose that option) via email from RealNet Support. To confirm or edit the email address to which the alert will be sent, click edit settings above Your Current Alert Profile. To learn how to edit or delete a saved search or alert, go to the next section. 21
Editing/Deleting Saved Searches/Alerts To make any changes to saved searches and/or alerts, you need to access your Alert Profile. To access your Alert Profile: 1. At the top of any screen in RealNet New Homes, click Saved Alerts/Searches. 2. Your profile page appears with 3 tabs: Email Alerts, New Homes Searches, and Commercial Searches. Click on the appropriate tab to view the alerts and/or searches that you have saved. Saved Alerts/Searches Email Alerts New Homes Searches Edit Delete 3. Click the Edit link to the right of the Search/Alert you wish to modify and save. OR Click the Delete link to the right of the Search/Alert you wish to delete. You have learned to edit or delete an alert or search. To learn how to set up a monthly newsletter, go to the next section. 22
Setting Up My Monthly Newsletter Monthly newsletters can be sent to your inbox containing information on New Developments and Coming Soon Projects. In addition you will see a Top Tip on how to use RealNet and a statistical report. To set up a newsletter: 1. From the RealNet homepage, click Saved Alerts/Searches to access your Alert Profile page. 2. At the bottom of the page, click to place a check mark beside the type of newsletter (commercial, residential, or both) you wish to receive. Viewing Reports 3. Click Save My Newsletters. A newsletter will be sent to you via email from RealNet Support every month. To confirm or edit the email address to which the newsletter will be sent, click edit settings above Alert Profile. You have learned to set up a monthly newsletter. To learn how to view a monthly statistical report, go to the next section. RealNet s homepage contains a link to the Market Update Centre which contains monthly statistical reports for New Homes and a quarterly report for Commercial sales. The New Homes report is 23
released after the third week of the month for the preceding month. There are also quarterly multimedia reports for both new homes and commercial and RealNet s newest report, the CIA Report. Viewing the Statistical Report 1. From RealNet s homepage, click the link for Reports to enter the Market Update Centre. monthly report under Statistical Reports. The report opens in a separate window. New Home Market Statistics Market Update Centre TIP: The reports are archived. To see past reports, click Previous Statistical Reports. A comparative overview of sales for both low rise and high rise properties is one of the pages in the report. It shows historical sales volumes back five years and the change in price back one month and for the same month in the previous year. 24
Viewing the Multimedia Briefing You will also see several reports comparing relative sales volumes plotted over the entire GTA. This demonstrates which regions are most active for either high rise developments, or low rise developments. The last of the sections contains property sales volumes, remaining inventories and prices which are then broken down for each MLS district. Since these reports are PDF documents, they can easily be printed by you or saved as a file on your computer for later use. You have learned to obtain the monthly statistical report. To learn how to view a quarterly, multimedia video briefing, go to the next section. The quarterly New Home Market Briefing is a Flash video that takes from 10 to 30 minutes to play depending on whether you are viewing the first to third quarter briefings or the longer, fourth quarter, year-end briefing. It provides an overall analysis of trends, a discussion of sales and remaining inventory, commissions and the price index. TIP: The briefings are archived. To see past briefings, click Previous Market Briefings. To view the briefing: 1. From the RealNet homepage, click Reports to enter the Market Update Centre. 2. Under Multimedia Briefings, click View the video here. A pop-up window appears. New Home Multimedia Briefing Market Update Centre 3. Click Play Screencast in the pop-up window. The video begins to play. 25
Viewing the CIA Reports TIP: The video includes sound. Make sure that your speakers are turned on. The video will play from beginning to end without any interaction from you. You may pause, rewind, or stop the video at any time using the controls at the bottom of the screen. You may also jump to a different section of the video by clicking the appropriate link to the left of the video. 4. To close the video, click close at the top-right of the pop-up video window. You have learned to view the Multimedia Briefing. To learn how to view the CIA Reports, go to the next section. The most recent addition to RealNet's reports is the CIA or Condo Investment Advisor. It is designed for clients who are considering purchasing a condominium for investment purposes. 1. From the RealNet homepage, click Reports to enter the Market Update Centre. 2. Under New Homes, click View here in the CIA Reports section. CIA Reports The first page of the report shows asking prices for Apartments verses Low Rise properties across the GTA, by region, back several years. Are condos a stable investment in relation to other housing types in the region? Are there undesirable fluctuations or declining values? You can see that data on this chart. 26
Page 1 of the CIA The second page of the report focuses on Toronto, where most of the condominium investments are found. It compares different condominiums (1, 2 bedroom, with or without dens, and studio) units against one another, in the various areas of the city, by price per square foot. Again, this can be used to determine stable, valuable investment opportunities in a given area. Page 2 of the CIA TIP: If you are finished searching, you should log off by clicking Logout at the top right of any screen in RealNet. 27
RealCondoInvestor The RealCondoInvestor website, accessed through your RealNet login session, provides detailed analyses of all high rise developments in the GTA. This quality information powers better investment decisions. Condo Market Analyzer Condo Portfolio Tracker Select type of analysis RealInsider Insights Condo Market Analyzer From the home page of RealCondoInvestor, you can access its three tools: the Condo Market Analyzer, RealInsider Insights, and the Condo Portfolio Tracker. This tool will help your investors decide: Should I invest? (View price performance vs. TSX Index.) Where should I invest? (View one submarket vs. another, or one development vs. another.) What should I invest in? (View one unit type vs. another) 28
The example below illustrates the price per square foot in the Downtown Core versus the TSX Index over a 2-year period. To conduct an analysis: 1. Select the type of analysis (see previous illustration). 2. Click Analyze Now. 3. Set your parameters using the search panel as seen below. Search parameters Submit 4. Click Submit to view the resulting graph. 5. To change your search parameters, click Clear and enter new criteria. Below the graph, you will find information on specific projects in the same submarket. 29
RealInsider Insights In the Learn section of the landing page for RealCondoInvestor, click Learn More to access RealInsider Insights. Here, you will find professionally prepared market briefings which provide information on the price index, new openings, inventory and more. These reports are updated on a monthly basis. Simply click on a thumbnail to view the report and corresponding graph. The following graph compares the average price per square foot in the submarkets of Toronto. Below the graph is the analysis. 30
Condo Portfolio Tracker The third tool found in RealCondoInvestor is the Condo Portfolio Tracker. REALTORS can sponsor their clients to access this tool to enter their own investments and track them. He or she can simply enter the unit type and development for each property they own. Then your client will receive monthly emails detailing the current pricing for each of their investments. As a REALTOR, you can use this tool as often as you wish. You can sponsor two clients for free. Additional clients may be sponsored at a price. Contact RealNet for more information. Below is a sample of the type of information received. Click to start Sample information 31
Glossary: New Homes For All Product Types Term Builder Name Builder Web Site Co-operate Co-operation Details Development Name First Occupancy Location Municipality Number of Bedrooms Price List as of Date Region Sales By Site Phone Number Site Web Site RealNet Definitions Name of the project builder as per marketing materials obtained from sales office. Internet web site of the builder company. Status of builder-to-broker cooperation for a subject site as provided to RealNet Canada by the builder and/or sales agent. Description of payable amounts by the builder, and date it was provided to RealNet Canada. Name of the subject project as per marketing materials obtained from sales office. The estimated month in which the first occupancies will occur for a subject product offering and/or project as indicated in the marketing material or by the builder/sales agent. The closest major intersection to the site. The formal jurisdiction or recognizable market area in which the subject record is located. The total number of enclosed rooms designated as bedrooms indicated in the marketing material. A bedroom must be enclosed by standard finished walls with a door and should contain at least a standard closet. The date on which the price list was obtained from the sales office, or confirmed with the builder or sales agent. The formal Regional jurisdiction in which the subject record is located. The company responsible for the sales and marketing of the new homes in the subject record. The phone number of the site sales office, or builder head office or broker head office. Internet web site of the subject site or project. 32
For Low Rise Product (Detached, Semi- Detached, Townhouse) Term RealNet Definition Elevation Home Type Inventory Number Lot Size Lot Type Model Description Model Name Price Product Type Size (s.f.) Tenure A unique combination of model name, model description, home type, size, and price. The builder s classification of the home as indicated in the marketing material or by the builder/sales agent. RealNet determines home type based on the number of stories above grade. A unique number assigned to each record in the database. The width of the lot frontage in feet as indicated on the project site plan and/or price list. Indicates the configuration of a lot as either traditional (95 ft deep or more), wide shallow (less than 95 ft deep), or rear lane. Describes the material(s) used on the front facade of the subject model elevation as indicated in the marketing material. The name of a subject home model as indicated in he marketing material. The builder s base selling price for a model elevation excluding optional, alternative, and/or upgraded plans, as indicated by the marketing material or builder/sales agent. Some prices may reflect inventory units where RealNet uses the lowest price only. Indicates the construction form of a product offering as wither detached, semi-detached, townhouse, or link. The total base square footage of a model elevation excluding optional, alternative, and/or upgraded plans, as indicated by the marketing material or builder/sales agent. Some sizes may reflect inventory units where RealNet uses the lowest size only. Indicates the form of ownership as either condominium or freehold. 33
For High Rise Product (Stacked Townhouse, Apartment, Loft) Term RealNet Definition Construction Status Deposit Structure Maintenance Fees Number of Stories Parking Details Product Type Remaining Inventory Storage Details Total Units Released Unit Price Range Unit Size Range Unit Type The stage of physical development in the construction of a project indicated as either pre-construction, under construction, or standing inventory. Describes the deposit amounts and terms upon purchase of units as indicated in the marketing material. The estimated cost per square foot to be assigned to future unit owners for the future operation and maintenance of the project as indicated in the marketing material or by the builder/sales agent. The number of above-grade floors in a project building. Indicates whether units include a parking space, and the price of the parking space (if not included in the purchase price). Indicates the construction form of a project as either apartment, loft, or stacked. The number of released units that remain available for sale. Indicates price for additional storage. The total number of released units in a project building. The price range for a unit type as indicated in the marketing material or by the builder or sales agent. The size range for a unit type as indicated in the marketing material or by the builder or sales agent. Indicates the type of unit in a project as either 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom plus den, 2 bedroom, 2 bedroom plus den, 3 bedroom and up, penthouse, or other. 34