BC Land Summit - Registration closes this Friday!

Don't forget to register for The 2019 BC Land Summit: Collaborations & Connections taking place at the Westin Bayshore, Vancouver from May 8-10, 2019! 

Registration closes this Friday, May 3 at noon! Don't miss out and register today! 

 

About the 2019 BC Land Summit:

The BC Land Summit is the premier collaborative conference providing interdisciplinary education, professional development, training and networking opportunities for professional practitioners in fields related to land and land-use in British Columbia, and beyond. The BC Land Summit is comprised of five professional organizations; The Appraisal Institute of Canada-BC Association, The BC Society of Landscape Architects, The BC Institute of Agrologists, The Planning Institute of BC and the Real Estate Institute of BC. 

Join us in Vancouver - May 8th-10th, 2019 - for this unique conference, with keynote speakers: Sheila Watt-Cloutier, and Edward Glaeser, as well as featured evening entertainment presenter Mark Critch.

Meet-A-Member 

Whether you have years of experience or are new to the industry, REIBC is your key to career advancement and connection with the real estate industry. Professional members have achieved the RI designation, which provides employers and clients with instant confirmation of advanced levels of education and experience. 

In our newsletters we will be focusing on the new RI's that are joining REIBC, sharing with you their experiences, their communities, and their every day lives.  We welcome these new RI's into our community.

Help us welcome a recently joined RI, Sarah Davy

I began my career in real estate in 2015 after completing my Bachelor of Commerce at UNBC. I started working for BC Assessment as a Property Information Collector on the Industrial, Cost & Income Property Team, and moved up to the Appraiser ranks in early 2016.

After 2.5 years working as an Appraiser and completing my Post Graduate Certificate in Real Property Valuation through UBC Sauder School of Business, I achieved a temporary posting as a Senior Appraiser overseeing the Inventory Sales Team in Northern BC. I have been leading a team of up to 16 employees who focus primarily on property information collection from new permits and inspection requests, and sales reviews. In 2018, my team completed 9,000 sales reviews and almost 7,000 inventory reviews including inspections across northern BC.

I have had an interest in real estate for many years. As a young kid, I loved watching home renovation and real estate shows on TV. I was very interested in the interior design aspect, but also enjoyed the programs that followed the process of home selection, marketing and negotiation. When I began my business degree, I was not specifically focused on real estate, but it was something that crossed my mind in my final year as I was considering becoming a Realtor. I found out about BC Assessment at a career fair right before I wrapped up my degree and I was immediately interested. Since landing a job with the company, I’ve come to appreciate BC Assessment as a great place to work. Right now I am focused on enhancing my leadership abilities and fine tuning my appraisal skills through mentoring and working on my Income Property Guided Case Study (BUSI 499) through UBC, both of which I hope will help advance my career in the future.

In my spare time I enjoy aerial fitness, which I started a year and a half ago, and playing music (guitar and singing). I also love to travel when I can, especially to experience other cultures and foods.

Member news

Sebastian Espinosa, RI 

REIBC Member Sebastian Espinosa, Vice President Industrial & Commercial at Lee & Associates Vancouver was recently named as one of the Top Industrial Leasing Brokers in the 2018 CoStar Power Broker Awards.

Every day, CoStar’s 1,750 researchers find and verify information on commercial real estate sales, leases and listings. At the end of each year, CoStar tallies the commercial real estate sales and lease transactions that closed during the previous year to determine the winners of the CoStar Power Broker Awards in each market. These awards are presented to both the firms and individuals who closed the highest transaction volume in commercial property sales and leases in their respective markets throughout the year.

Congratulations, Sebastian!

REIBC News

It is with a sense of sadness that we announce that Maggie is leaving REIBC.  Maggie’s last day is April 30, 2019.   Maggie has moved on to a new position with the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada and we wish her much success. 

She has been a voice most of our members have heard over the last 6 years as she has worked with those who have applied for professional membership with the Institute. If you have joined in the last 6 years you would have worked with her at some point. During her time here, she has set up processes and checklists for this role and I don’t think I know anyone who is more organized!  We wish you all the best Maggie ! 

REIBC Events

On April 6, REIBC hosted a sold-out walking tour of the Lim Sai Hor (Kow Mock) Association heritage building in Vancouver's historic Chinatown with RI, Orville Lim. Orville Lim was a long time proponent of conserving the history and integrity of this historic building and since 2003 was a key driver who struck and led a committee of volunteers to take the project on. 

We asked Nominee member, Helena Zhu to share her experience of this event....

When I first followed my father into the labyrinth of Vancouver’s Chinatown to acquire Chinese vinegar and dried goods as a child, little did I know that—years later—I would fall in love with all the history and stories behind these understated walls.

As part of a walking tour organized by the Institute, I was invited to hear the story of the Lim Sai Hor Kow Mock Benevolent Association heritage building, which is the oldest of the 13 non-profit society heritage buildings in Chinatown. With each step echoing as I made my way up the narrow, straight stairs, I knew that I was entering another space that housed generations of stories.

Orville Lim was our guide for the day. An RI and a long-time champion for the restoration of arguably the most historic building to Chinese Canadians, Orville began the story with Empress Dowager Cixi, who effectively controlled the last half-century of China’s last dynasty, the Qing. Little did we know that this building was a hub for the first Chinese political organization overseas, aimed to overcome the Empress Dowager’s conservative faction and install modernizing reforms that could counter Western and Japanese imperialism.

The Chinese Empire Reform Association was established by imperial advisor and leading reformer, Kang Youwei, who escaped a death sentence in China ordered by the Empress Dowager. Who would have thought that he would take his refuge on Coal Island, near Sidney on Vancouver Island, and managed to convince the RCMP to send him an escort to protect him from the Empress’s assassins.

At its peak, the Association had branches in over 150 cities, with its headquarters in Victoria, BC. When revolution instead of reform shook the imperial system in 1911, the Association lost its importance. The building had a new life in 1945, when the association for the Lim clan purchased it for its activities, including education and board for its members. The building experienced its most recent facelift under Orville, who has spearheaded a renovation in the last few years that includes restoring its façade to the original design.

Helena Zhu, REIBC Nominee member

Helena built diverse careers in journalism, communications, and international development,  but a passion for community, urban planning, and charming living spaces has drawn her to real estate. She is on top of building standards, market stats, city plans, and international trends, which help her advise Vancouverites on homes that maximize their lifestyle and investment. 

She is trained in Economics and International Relations from her Bachelor's Degree at UBC, but is constantly processing new knowledge on psychology, urban planning, technology, and genetics.

REIBC Charity Golf Tournament

The 26th Annual REIBC Charity Golf Tournament is taking place on Wednesday, June 26th, 2019 and we're excited that we're once again at the Richmond Country Club, located at 9100 Steveston Highway, Richmond.

Register here or check out some great sponsorship opportunities here.

Please contact the office at 1-800-667-2166 or 604-685-3702 ext. 104 if you would like to donate for the live or silent auction! 

All monies raised at the REIBC Charity Golf Tournament go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to give the gift of a wish to kids facing life threatening illness. Click here to read a heartwarming story of Avery, 4, who suffers from cancer.  Avery's wish was to visit LegoLand! 

Upcoming Events

Webinar: ALC Legislation - Changes and Effects
May 30, 2019 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PST
Guest Speaker: Liz Sarioglu, Manager of Land Use Planning, Agricultural Land Commission (ALC)
Register here

Click here to view a list of member recognition events taking place throughout the province in June, 2019.

26th Annual REIBC Charity Golf Tournament
June 26, 2019 
Richmond Country Club
9100 Steveston Highway, Richmond
Register here

Job Postings

TransLink Senior Manager, Real Estate Operations - TransLink