East to Your Next Move

Your Next Move EAST TO

Table of Contents

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Buying and selling a home isn’t just a transaction.

For many of our clients, it’s the most impactful way they can increase their net worth and make a meaningful difference in their lives. It can be an exciting evolution to the next step, or it can be a move that is prompted by change.

We’ve made the commitment to be there for you.

We continually invest in our team of proven professionals and we are industry leaders in innovation. And we support the community in which we live and work.

We know how important it is for you to work with people who get it. Who understand what you’re going through and what you want. Because we’ve been there too.

You want people who will get you the absolute most for your home and find you the best place to live. For us, it’s not just a passion, it’s an obsession.

The Proof

We can talk all day long about how we are the best and why you should work with us. But let’s let the numbers do the talking first...

What the numbers say...

#1

- Toronto East

#2

- GTA Real Estate Team

RE/MAX Hallmark Team

#18 #11

RE/MAX in Canada

Top 1.5% Our agents rank as the

of agents of the Toronto Real Estate Board.

RE/MAX

- Worldwide

What the Media says

The homes we sell have a reputation for turning heads and get featured in major publications such as Toronto Life, Globe and Mail... and even the New York Times.

What the industry says

We’re recognized by the industry for how we do business and our innovation in real estate.

Most Innovative Real Estate Agency - GTA (BUILD MAGAZINE)

Real Estate Professional Magazine - Top Teams

What our clients have to say

The majority of our clients are repeat and referral. Find out why...

“They invest in the relationship with their clients and deliver service before, during and after the transaction. You can tell they believe in developing long term clients that will be repeat customers and they invest time, money and effort into those relationships. I also inherently trust their judgement and believe that I am getting market leading advice. Given that our home is both our largest asset as well as the place we raise our family, everything is built on that foundation of a trusted advisor.”

A. Fransen

“We have bought and sold about a dozen homes over 30+ years. Based on all our experience, the team at The Richards Group are the most professional agents with whom we have worked. Their market knowledge and read on fair house value was very beneficial. They are energetic, creative and responsive to client’s concerns. The fact that we got over our asking price in challenging economic times is proof of their winning formula.”

K. Bleau & G. Bleau

“They bring an unwavering commitment that makes every client feel special. Their team offers a unique combination of creativity and strong marketing flair with the diligence and attention to detail to ensure every step of the process is perfect and without compromise. Our agent’s calming influence and ability to inject excellent perspective to our thought process made the difference between a stressful move and one that we came away from feeling things couldn’t have gone better.”

M. Fowlie & A. Fowlie

Why Are We Right For You?

The Richards Group is a team of truly exceptional humans who are each uniquely talented in their own right and are a blast to work with.

We are not a one-man band or even a duet. We are not someone’s hobby, or someone who has just learned to play.

When you work with The Richards Group, you’re getting the full orchestra with the experience and outcome that only an orchestra can deliver.

RE/MAX Hallmark is quite simply the best brokerage partner out there. Their incredible resources, network and market reach empower us to do more for you.

• 1,600 exceptional realtors in 19 offices in Ontario gets you access to the top performing agents

• #1 RE/MAX real estate brokerage network in the world

• The largest market share in central and east regions of Toronto

• With 7,400 offices in 100+ Countries your home is listed on RE/MAX Global allowing people all over the world to search for your home in 36 languages and 45 currencies

You get the power of a team.

You get the power of RE/MAX.

We’re changing real estate

When our founders, Mark and Selene Richards got into the industry 15 years ago, they couldn’t understand how people were putting their home on the market without maximizing its value first.

What started as suggestions to clients on how they could get more for their home with staging and styling and improvements has evolved into a full-service design and project management approach that has changed how real estate is sold in our market today.

Their persistence and hustle in finding the right home for their clients was also key — they realized that you can’t wait for the market — you need to create it.

Their success is rooted in their vast neighbourhood relationships and commitment to the community. But they’ve also integrated all of their skills and invested more in client experience.

Today, they have attracted a team of truly exceptional and talented humans to join them in the journey to redesign real estate.

We have made a lifelong commitment to supporting our schools, local organizations and those in need in our community. And each time our clients make a move, we make a contribution to Shelter Movers — our charity of choice.

Shelter Movers

Those facing domestic abuse risk financial position, mobility, and safety when relocating from their current residence into a safer home. Shelter Movers provides moving and storage services at no cost to help survivors transition to a better, safer life.

Working with us makes a difference.

We take care of it all for you…

Our Design & Project Management team ensures your home commands the highest price with a design and improvement plan, managing every detail before our Property Styling team makes it even more irresistible to buyers.

Our next-level marketing exposes your home to the greatest pool of buyers. Then our expert agents bring their deep market knowledge, strong relationships and negotiation skills to deliver you the ultimate outcome:

An average of 7.5% more for your home in less than a quarter of the time.*

*Based on 2022 TREB data for E01/E02 combined: TREB avg. DOM 12 days, TRG avg DOM 9 days , TREB avg. List to Sale 108.5%, TRG Avg List to Sale 116%

How we get more for your home, in less time.

More by Design

Creating a wow-factor to sell for 13% over market average requires more than just staging. Masters of design, management and strategy, our team creates a custom plan that makes buyers fall in love with your home and ensures you command the highest price possible. Your home may just need some minor repairs and tweaks or a more substantial makeover. Either way, we take into account the big picture — timing, budget and what makes sense for you.

ROI by Design

We conduct a complete assessment of your entire home, inside and out to identify improvements, repairs and design elements that will give you the greatest return.

You’ll be presented with a custom project plan that provides room-by-room detail on the recommendations as well as a vision board that reflects design elements.

Total Project Management

Your Client Care & Design team will project manage the entire process — from a detailed project plan, getting estimates, sourcing materials, scheduling the work and trade management. We even facilitate storage and get you started with moving boxes to make everything as easy as possible.

The Home Inspection

We bring in our trusted inspection partner Carson Dunlop to ensure no stone has been left unturned before you list. If they find something of concern, we’ll help you remediate it.

The Final Staging and Styling

Now that your home has been optimized, our Staging and Styling team draws from over 5,000 sq ft of curated furnishings and accessories to layer your home and makes an emotional connection with buyers.

Your Design & Client Care Team

Samantha has an incredible creative edge that she brings to every listing –adding touches to a client’s home that buyers can’t help but fall in love with. Organizing every detail from the time you decide to sell to when your home goes out on the market for the world to see is her expertise and why clients also fall in love with her!

Jacqueline and Patricia’s dedication to the details and their ability to juggle all the moving parts allows the vision to come to reality as we transform your home. They balance the elements to ensure it resonates with buyers and the ultimate outcome of generating more for your home.

Creating the Buzz

Throughout the preparation stage, we’re already marketing your home, enticing our clients and buyers with progress shots and sneak peeks of the incredible home that’s about to come on the market.

“The Richards Group sets a best in class standard for the preparing and presenting of their properties for sale. We work with hundreds of real estate professionals and have toured thousands of homes marketed for sale. Without question, The Richards Group sets a best in class standard for home preparation and presentation. Our team is constantly amazed by their effort and attention to detail.

We unanimously agree that we all want to one day live in a Richards Group listed home.”

Kevin J. Klages-Planitar

With experience in the retail design industry, Bianca has harnessed her skills creating vignettes that make clients want to buy. Her experience is a natural extension to staging, creating spaces that connect with buyers on an emotional level, bringing even greater value to our clients.

Patience supports the Design & Project Management Team by managing all of the intricate details to perfectly execute the transformation of our clients’ homes before they go to market.

Samantha Davies

Design & Project Director

Bianca Zorzi

Staging & Styling Manager

Jaqueline Galang

Patricia Delli Colli

Design & Project Managers

Patience Okine Design & Project Management Assistant

Pricing and List Strategy

Once we’ve optimized your home’s value, we assess your competition based on our inside market knowledge. We develop a pricing and listing strategy to generate the greatest exposure and number of offers for your home.

Market Research

Our approach is different. Data driven, not just on recent comparable solds, but factoring in macro-economic and local influences, seasonality and demand.

Insider Knowledge

How we price and list your home is based on our inside knowledge of what is coming to market at the same time. Strategy can change when another home is being listed on your street. We also base the price of your home on our deep knowledge of what has sold off-market.

Our Motivation

When we tell you what your home is worth, it’s based on our combined experience of selling over $1 billion in real estate and expert market analysis. We don’t need to promise you an unrealistic number to win your listing.

After all, you deserve to plan your financial future based on honesty, not a sales pitch.

Your Motivation

This is an important part of your listing strategy. Our clients have a spectrum of reasons to sell. Our recommended timing, approach and process will completely serve your particular circumstances and goals.

Maximum Marketing

There’s a reason our homes sell twice as fast than average.

Thanks to our industry-leading marketing and in-house management, our homes have a reputation for turning heads and are routinely featured in major publications such as Toronto Life, Globe and Mail and even the New York Times. Combine that with our vast buyer network, our Re/Max Hallmark network and your home is assured to get the maximum exposure to high quality buyers.

Pre-marketing

Throughout the preparation stage, we’re already marketing your home, enticing our clients and buyers with progress shots and sneak peeks of your incredible home that’s about to come on the market. We’ve got an extensive list of buyers who are ready to make an offer.

Elevated Marketing

The higher the quality of your home’s marketing, the more buyers are willing to pay for it. That’s why we have our media content creation in-house. A bespoke website for your home, insta story teasers, lifestyle videos, stunning photography.

Reach with Intelligence

“The online presentation is excellent. I loved the interactive media, the description of the home, the floor plans and 3D virtual tour. Elegant, clean and head and shoulders above how your competition presents a home.” K. Philbrick

We don’t just post your listing on social media, we reach the people who will actually buy it. This means investing in AI and strategic buyer targeting through our industry leading marketing partners.

S. Hosaki

These are the biggest transactions in our personal lives... I would choose them every time.

Negotiating the deal

The art of the deal is real. In today’s competitive market, relationships, knowledge and skills can only be honed by successfully negotiating more home sales than 98.5% of Toronto agents.

That means having an agent performing in the top 1.5% of the Toronto Real Estate Board, backed by a team of equally experienced agents and the Re/Max Hallmark network. We consistently get more for our clients.

“They devised a smart and successful strategy to maximize our sale potential, and then executed it flawlessly.” - Colin

“I’ve worked with several agents over the years and in my experience The Richards Group stood head and shoulders above the rest.” - K.P.

“This is how a property should be marketed and sold. You guys really know what you are doing.”

- R. Nicolle

Moving in and moving on

We’re in it for the long game. That means supporting you through closing and beyond, making sure your next home is everything you want. You get inside access to our network and endless perks. You’re welcomed into our family and we’ll be there for any moment you need us.

When we began our house hunt we were adamant that we would not engage with an agent and would instead try to reach a private agreement with a seller. This attitude came from prior negative experiences with real estate representatives whom we felt were pushy and looked to close a quick deal to benefit them first. By a chance meeting, Mark restored our respect and faith in sales agents through his unmatched dedication to our needs. Mark’s patience, industry and market knowledge, outstanding negotiation skills, professional manner, great sense of humour, and extensive links into related services we used or considered (from legal and home inspection to home decoration and renovation) made him the complete one-stop-shop package. Even more importantly, by the end of our home-buying process, we felt we worked with a friend and not with an agent.

A. Gradek & P. Szabunio The Beach

Mark Richards not only helped us find our dream home, but now he and his expert team are guiding us through the renovation and design of that dream. With Mark Richards we feel we are getting more than just an agent, but are tapping into a whole series of resources that are enabling us to realize our vision. Mark and his team have exceeded all expectations of what we had come to expect from a client/agent relationship. We look forward to working with them again in the years to come. Mark Richards restores my faith in the real estate business…unmatched dedication and professionalism…and a whole suite of services beyond simply finding the right house…Mark and his team are assisting us in making our new home the house of our dreams.

I. Still & J. Flynn-Still Bayview

How you get your Dream Home

We give you the advantage of exclusive access. In today’s market, Realtor.ca is only the tip of the iceberg. As we sell more properties in Toronto’s east end, our clients get access to properties before they even hit the market. We don’t just wait for homes to come up for sale, we go out and find you the one you’ll love.

Whether it’s your first home or your fifth, your next step sets the foundation for your life. That’s why it’s so important to know what that looks like. We can help you navigate through the fun and the tough conversations to help you determine what your next move looks like.

What does your next move look like?

What does life look like in your next home?

Where are you walking your dog every single day?

Buying your groceries? The route to take to work if a drive or walk is part of your plan? Where do your kids go to school? (real or still imagined) What drives past your house?

What are the neighbours like?

What needs to work for you?

Brand new build and everything perfect, or something with potential? What do you have to invest in renovations if it’s not perfect and how far will your budget get you?

What does your home need to have that you aren’t willing to compromise on?

What’s motivating your move?

Just getting into the market, trading up, leveraging the equity to make an investment or to get your dream cottage? Managing a major life change? Downsizing?

Choosing the right agent

Who you work with matters. We know

Anything less than an agent who knows every nuance of the neighborhood, the sales history and the market, could cost you thousands or land you in the wrong house.

We have access

Choosing an agent who is part of a team that sells the most real estate gives you the advantage of access to exclusive listings and homes before they even hit the market.

We can deal

We have successfully negotiated and navigated through the choppy waters of multiple offers time and time again so you have a better chance of winning.

And you’ll love us

And someone who gets you, that you actually enjoy knowing as they help you to your next home makes the experience one to remember.

Preparing to Buy

The steps leading up to your next home lay the foundation for your future. That’s why we spend the time to help you well before it’s time to make an offer.

Connect to the Experts

We connect you with the greatest mortgage advisors we know — the ones we use for our own homes. Legal and tax advisors if needed And trade and design expertise to understand how far your budget can go to make your home what you want beyond your financing

Know The Market

Market education is key. Our buyers are fully prepared and confident because we’ve invested the time — sometimes years — in educating and showing them what they can achieve in the market.

Get Ready

The biggest reason buyers lose out on offers is because they are unprepared to make one. We take you through every step of the process well before it’s a reality so there are no surprises and you are fully poised to take advantage of the opportunities that come up.

Smart Searching

The market is like an iceberg... Realtor.ca is just the tip. When you’re looking for a home, you want access to as many properties as possible.

Exclusive and early access

We give you the inside edge. Between The Richards Group and our extended network at RE/MAX Hallmark, you get early access to homes before they hit the market, and exclusive homes that won’t ever see Realtor.ca.

The Hunt

Still don’t see what you love? We find it for you, reaching out to our network and homeowners. We call it the ‘drive around’... noting specific homes on particular streets, homes in certain school districts or within walking distance to your favourite place. It takes time, diligence and persistence but we’ll find out if that homeowner is open to selling to you.

The Potential

You’ve found the home in the right location, with the right bones, but it’s not quite there yet. Can it become what you want within budget? Before you buy, our in-house design experts can tell you what it’s going to take to make it the one you want.

Making an offer

It’s a jungle out there. Do you want a discount tour operator or Tarzan?

Master negotiators and savvy market insiders, our agents rank as the Toronto Real Estate Board’s top 1.5% performers because they’ve won more deals. In fact, they are who we trust to take care of our own family. They also look beyond price to make sure all aspects of the deal are working for you and your goals.

Our investment in education and preparation means you’re ready. Our experience and relationships means you have the advantage.

Moving in and moving up

Buying your home is just the beginning. We support you through closing and beyond, making sure home is everything you envisioned. You get the exclusive perk of a design consultation for your new home, and access to our endless network of trades and resources for your home. For the bigger projects, we even have professional services through our design company East Design House. And we love to stop by to see how it all worked out. :)

Partners & Community

Re/Max Hallmark

Where do we start? Every successful business and entrepreneur has an incredible network of partners and mentors. There’s no way we would be where we are without the guidance and support of the leaders and team at RE/MAX Hallmark. We’ve had the incredible opportunity to learn from the best RE/MAX brokerage in the world.

Through them, we’ve had the chance to develop a network of industry leading teams in North America and throughout the world for constant learning, improvement and inspiration.

Shelter Movers

None of this matters if our success doesn’t benefit those in need. In 2020, the call for help from women attempting to escape abuse doubled. That’s why we committed to ensuring every time we help you move, you help someone move away from abuse.

sheltermovers.com

East Design House

Clients said they fell in love with our listings after they had been transformed by our Design & Property Styling teams. Then they asked for our help with design and renovation projects at their next home. And so, East Design House was born.

Beaches Sandbox

The Beaches Sandbox is a vibrant community hub welcoming people of all ages and abilities to come together and take part in fun, creative indoor activities and inspiring programs and classes along with special community events. The programs hosted at the centre cover special needs, music, photography, the arts, cooking, coding, life skills and health and wellness!

beachessandbox.com

It has grown into a full fledged design firm that covers renovation and build management and every aspect of home design & decor and is known for creating beautiful spaces with functional design, meaning and connection.

We love that our vision for ‘home’ can be beautifully realized through their talents. And so, the journey continues…

eastdesignhouse.com

Testimonials

“My partner and I were so impressed on our initial meeting with them, we cancelled the other realtor meetings we had scheduled and have zero regrets. They will absolutely be our go to realtor team moving forward.”

- J Edelstein

“The support we received from the Richards Group team was phenomenal.”

- Bradley G

“Above and beyond what is expected of a realtor”

- Nik & Sally

“I was able to be ‘hands-off’ while the client care team looked after the myriad of details. Truly a unique service in Toronto.”

- M. Robertson

“You can tell they believe in developing long term repeat clients and invest time, money and effort into those relationships.”

- A. Fransen

“The bottom line is the house sold without a hitch in a short amount of time. No reason to look to at anyone else.”

- G. Honiball