Mary Zontanos, Real Estate Broker, Toronto
112 Ossington ave, M6J 2Z4 Toronto, ON, Canada

However you celebrate - I hope your heart is full, your health is great and your spirit is happy And remember - today is Winter Solstice - ONLY lighter days ahead

Another home found! My clients were originally working with another agent. Over time, they noticed that the agent wasn't paying as much attention to the market as they were. That the agent was not familiar with the buildings and communities they were going to. That they were not always available. That they were not open to negotiating. That they were losing in offer presentations. ... They let that agent go - as they well should have. To be a great Broker or Agent, you need to be on top of ALL things. You need to know communities. You need to understand the situation. Yes, market knowledge is very important in terms of what pricing makes sense HOWEVER price can be influenced by a number of factors that both pertain to the property itself and not. Real estate is a much more dynamic industry than it seems. Case and point, they were referred to me by a friend and within 3 days of working with them I zeroed in on this listing. My clients were looking for a larger updated home that had all the frills with a large balcony and view. They also wanted to be in a building with show stopping amenities. Why was this listing perfect? It ticked all their boxes and it was in a building that at the time had over 20 listings! Why? Because a good portion of the building was being used for Air Bnb purposes and air bnb for Toronto is at present not a viable business. It was listed over their budget, but, due to circumstances and the priorities of the seller, I was able to negotiate an incredible deal for my clients. I could learn and explain all this because I DO THE WORK! This is the value of working with a Broker that gives you the attention you deserve. A Broker that understands purchasing a property is not just a transaction - it's likely one of your biggest investments and needs to be handled with swift precision. #homeismorethanaplaceitsyourlifestory #torontorealestate #lovethiscity #condoliving

Think outside the big box! You may have heard that last week small business' protested outside their storefronts about unfair lockdown measures that give big box shops all the latitude and small business' the shaft. A huge contributor to what makes Toronto unique are small business'. They are a big part of creating communities. They employ people, they contribute culturally, they contribute to local initiatives. It's our time to show up for them more than we ever have.... As I've said before, I promise you, anything you need, you can find at a local shop. Here are some ideas. All of these stores are offering safe curb side pick up or delivery! Valley Farm Produce Mellah - Moroccan Rugs The Swag Sisters the workroom Suetables Wild North Flowers Lilliput Hats Propeller Coffee Co. secrets from your sister.... It's the Icing on the Cake ++++ Why is a Real Estate Broker advertising another business? What makes neighbourhoods feel like communities? Our ability to support each other in good and challenging times. For the next while, I'll be channelling most of my advertising budget to showcase your and my favourite things available at small local business' - they need us now more than ever. Want to tell me about your favourite local business? Comment below or write me at [email protected] #shoppinglocalishowcommunitiesthrive #toronto #supportlocalbusiness #communityvibes #thinkoutsidethebigbox

I had these vintage diner chairs that were a bit worn and damaged. They were really sturdy chairs though, so, instead of replacing them, I had them upholstered by James. Just like that, I have refreshed chairs, I reduced waste and most importantly I supported a local business! James has a studio space in the west end - he is a Toronto original, having worked his way from small residential projects to pre-covid large restaurant projects. Lately, as you can imagine, things have changed and business has slowed. If you have something you need freshened up bring it on over to him - you won't be disappointed! #jamesarlow #upolstery #toronto #supportlocalbusiness

Community news: A Bloorcourt bar/restaurant has subleased it's mornings to help a community member stay on her feet. Nancy lost a lot of work due to the pandemic and had to find a way to survive. She reached out to Wenona - Craft Beer Lodge and a beautiful business was born, Two Hot Babes Coffee Co. Love this so much. Way to go Toronto.... https://www.blogto.com//toronto-bar-lending-space-jobless/ #communityvibes #peoplehelpingeachother #torontoisthebest

Another home found! Finding a home is sometimes as much about the house itself as it is about the neighbourhood. My clients weighed them both pretty evenly in our search. We didn't zero in on Roncesvalles per se, but we did find ourselves always coming back to it. It is a very special neighbourhood - super friendly, very community oriented, lots of great food (cough cough @Café Polonez), the most coffee shops and dogs per capita and of course, the crown jewel High Park.... This of course makes the competition pretty fierce. On offer night, 7 offers were received but but but only 1 was the winner! This home marks the beginning of what I think will be a deep history for this family. I'm so grateful to be a part of it. #matchmaker #toronto #roncesvalles #community #dogs #highpark

Shopping local is how communities thrive! *GIVEAWAY ALERT!* Another Story Bookshop is my favourite place to buy books. I am an avid reader and prefer it to tv any day. Everyone in the shop is so helpful and knowledgeable. They have a great 'staff picks' selection for when I don't know what I want to read and when I do know and they don't have it, they bring it in. ... They highlight Canadian authors all the time and host book readings (pre-covid of course). They use their store window as a voice for change too. They are much more than a bookshop, they are a community anchor. I'm giving away a $50 gift certificate - for you to buy the book of your choice. All you have to do is give me a great page turning book recommendation below! Winner will be selected at random. If you have the means and the time, they are open for online sales with curb side pick up or local delivery too. #books #read ++++ Why is a Real Estate Broker advertising another business? What makes neighbourhoods feel like communities? Our ability to support each other in good and challenging times. For the next while, I'll be channelling most of my advertising budget to showcase yours and my favourite things available at small local business' - they need us now more than ever. Want to tell me about your favourite local business? Comment below or write me at [email protected] #shoppinglocalishowcommunitiesthrive #toronto #supportlocalbusiness #communityvibes

Community news: After more than half a year into the pandemic, Doug Ford wants to help restaurants. It's no secret that a lot of small business' have been suffering during the pandemic. One of the most hard hit are restaurants, who, as it is operate on very thin margins. As they scrambled to figure out how they could survive this pandemic many of them opted to offer delivery service through apps that charge 30% delivery fees which is just astonishing if you are aware of how ...thin the profit margin is at the average restaurant. The city tried to mitigate this through working with Ritual (https://ritual.co), a lesser known delivery app. There are also other companies, like Ambassador (https://ambassador.ai) that offer a different system. But at the end, they just don't get the same traction. Now, after more than half a year in to this pandemic, Doug Ford has announced he's going to make these delivery services reduce their fees. A bit late no? https://tinyurl.com/yxchh33k If you know me on a personal level, I have a huge problem with these types of services that take almost the entire profit margin from small business' with one hand, while serving up poverty level wages with the other. The best way we can support small business if we have the means to is by going directly to them, or, if you are not comfortable with that, having them come directly to you. #votewithyourmoney #supportlocal #supportsmallbusiness

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This year, I am more thankful than ever for the referrals, clients and business I've received. Thank you for keeping my small business running

Some days of this year you just feel like...