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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 3, 20 22 | 18 Whether you are just starting out asa real estate agent or have years ofexperience under your belt, you may be trying to decide whether it's better to work solo or join a team. Working as an independent real estate agent, you have control - over your schedule, your branding, your business strategy and your commissions. However, this also means you are truly on your own when it comes to gener- ating leads, establishing credibility and doing all the administrative work. T.K. Butler, Broker at Frank Leo & Associ- ates, RE/MAX West Realty Inc. in Toronto, says the advantages of working with the right team outweigh the freedoms of work- ing alone: "You're working for one common goal that's bigger than you, and it's reward- ing." Having run his own team for six years before joining the Frank Leo team, Butler has a unique perspective on both sides and offers the following pluses of teamwork: You'll be backed bY a team of experts In a team model, real estate professionals with different strengths and expertise work to help each other succeed. Typically, tasks involving generating leads, following up, and offering all the services clients need to get their properties sold are delegated in a sup- port system that is "effortless" for the agents. "Everybody understands that our goal is to be the number 1 team, and we have to work together," says Butler. For example, in recent years agents have had to increase their online presence and market themselves through digital tools in addition to traditional means in order to compete. This can be daunting for solo agents who don't have advanced marketing skills, or the time or money to devote to it. But on the right real estate team, you'll have marketing professionals working for you who know how to reach your ideal audience and help you stand out across different forms of media. According to Butler, Frank Leo has more than 30 years' experience in promoting his business and invests an enormous amount of resources into marketing clients' proper- ties. You can focus on Your passion When you have a team of experts behind the scenes making sure everything else goes well, you're able to focus on connecting with clients - which is likely why you chose to be- come a real estate agent in the first place. After joining the Frank Leo team,Butler says, "I'm still doing all the same things that I used to do as far as taking care of people, helping them buy and sell, helping them reach their goals - all the fun stuff of real estate." You'll have Your expenses taken care of When you join the right team, you won't have to reach into your own pockets for certain ex- penses such as brokerage fees, advertising, support staff, office supplies or other shared resources. The Frank Leo team is special, says Butler, because all agents' expenses are taken care of. Team members get an "infinite return," because they don't have to find the money upfront for costs. You can be successful while achieving work- life balance Solo work requires a significant time com- mitment. Often, independent agents realize that while they've been chasing success, they haven't been able to enjoy the rewards from all their hard work. "The secret that a lot of real estate agents are not aware of, and that they really don't get the benefit from, is enjoying life at the same time," says Butler. Because he has a team taking care of the small details, he is able to spend quality time with his family and also has more time for other activities outside of work. whY join the frank leo & associates team? "Taking care of people" is the team's motto. This sentiment applies not only to their cli- ents but also to fellow team members. Frank Leo fosters a work culture where agents are not in competition with each other, and are therefore free to support one another. "You're in an environment where you'remak- ing an unlimited amount of income; you're in an environment at the highest level of training and support that there is; and you're around like-minded people who all want to help you succeed," says Butler. "Frank takes care of finding the buyers and sellers. Frank takes care of marketing the properties. Frank takes care of everything. Ninety per cent of the stuff I had to do as a team lead, Frank is taking care of - and footing the bill." Frank Leo & Associates is looking to expand their reach across Ontario. Contact them to learn more - and to find out how you can join the team. Visit getleo.com. Is It better to joIn a real estate team, or go It alone? SPONSORED C o n tr ib u te d This content was funded and approved by the advertiser Do you know which board your money is going towards? The Halton Catholic Dis- trict School Board (HCDSB) is inviting members of the community to check or -- possibly -- change their di- rection of school support in time for the upcoming mu- nicipal and school board elections set for October. By default, property tax- es support the English Pub- lic Board in in a municipal- ity. However, that can be changed. Only residents who pro- vide tax support to a partic- ular board are able to vote in that board's trustee elec- tions. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for collecting the information of residents in Ontario to create a list of eligible vot- ers for school board elec- tions and to direct funds. Eligible residents can visit www.voterlookup.ca to confirm that they are on the list to vote in the school board elections, and to de- termine which school board elections they are eli- gible to vote in. To change the direction of support, residents need to fill out and submit a Ap- plication for Direction of School Support form, which can be found on the HCDSB's website. The 2022 Municipal and School Board elections are set for Oct. 24. WHAT SCHOOL BOARD DO YOU SUPPORT? ROLAND CILLIERS rcilliers@metroland.com The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides is looking for foster families. Foster families prepare puppies for formal training in one of the seven pro- grams offered and must live within a maximum of 75 minutes from the Oakville (or Breslau) training facili- ties. Puppies -- Labrador re- trievers, Golden Retrievers and Standard Poodles -- live with families for up to 16 months. Foster families train the puppies in basic obedience skills and social- ization and are supported by a team of puppy profes- sionals. Classes are held on- line and in person to help foster families with puppy development. All vet, food and training expenses are covered by the Lions Foundation. Dog guides are trained in the following programs: Canine Vision, to assist Ca- nadians who are blind or vi- sually impaired; Hearing, to assist those who are deaf or hard of hearing; Service, for people with a physical disability; Seizure Re- sponse, for people with epi- lepsy; Autism Assistance, for children on the autism spectrum; Diabetic Alert, for those with diabetes with hypoglycemic unaware- ness; and Facility Support, for professional agencies assisting individuals in traumatic situations. If you would like to foster one of 50 future dog guides, email puppyprogram@dog- guides.com. For more infor- mation and to apply, visit https://www.dog- guides.com/foster.html FOSTER FAMILIES NEEDED FOR FUTURE DOG GUIDES COMMUNITY FOSTER FAMILIES PREPARE PUPPIES FOR FORMAL TRAINING Dog Guides instructor Courtney Starr. Jim Craigmyle photo