Sonia's Real Estate Blog

Through hard work and dedication to my clients, I’ve been fortunate to receive many honours in my real estate career. While it’s not about the awards, I was truly honoured and humbled when I was notified that I have been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from REMAX of Western Canada, after just seven years in the real estate business!

The award is very special to me because it affirms that doing what you love is the key to success. What I love the most is helping my clients obtain the best results when buying or selling a home. It’s what I’m most passionate about in my work.

When I think back at my career as a REALTOR®, I have learned so much and I’ve met so many great people, but it has absolutely breezed by. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun!

I’m very excited for this honour and to share it with my family, who is so supportive of me. I also owe a lot of gratitude to all of my clients from Sherwood Park, Strathcona County and Edmonton.

Warmest regards,
Sonia

It’s almost easy to take the freedom we have for granted in Canada today. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the freedom of free thought. Everyone over the age of 18 has the right to vote and elect people who represent us. Thankfully, many Canadians have never lived in a world where it has been any other way.

It’s important to recognize those freedoms and it’s just as important to recognize the brave men and women who fought to help protect them. Since 1914, nearly 115,000 people died while representing Canada in the two World Wars, in various peacekeeping operations and in Korea and Afghanistan. Many of these people were very young, with much of their lives still ahead of them. On November 11, Remembrance Day, we have the opportunity to pay our respects to all of those who have served for the greater good.

In Sherwood Park, schools throughout the community will host ceremonies and observe a moment of silence to remember the fallen. There will also be the annual Remembrance Day service at Millennium Place on Nov. 11 starting at 10:30 a.m.

It warms my heart to see so many people in Sherwood Park who are proudly displaying their poppies in front of their heart. If we all remember the sacrifices that have been made, we can stop these tragic wars from happening again in the future.

Warmest regards,

Sonia

Whether you are a goblin or a ghoul, a princess or a pirate, I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween this year. Sherwood Park has been transformed into a spooky village so I hope you get just a little bit scared too!

I love Halloween because it allows everyone to show their creative talent. There are so many unique costumes and decorations! I admire the hard work, dedication and creativity that go into them. I love all of the cute kids excited to both dress up and to devour all of their hard earned candy! All of my kids love Halloween, especially my daughter Eva, who is going as a little devil this year!

As much fun as it is, it’s also very important to be safe on All Hallow’s Eve. Thankfully we live in a great community and there are many ways to Trick or Treat in a safe environment. Traditional Trick or Treating is hard to beat and going door-to-door is made possible from excellent support from our local RCMP, as well as the Sherwood Park Crusaders, who will be seen all around Sherwood Park wearing their jerseys and acting as citizens on patrol. Don’t hesitate to ask a Crusader for help if you are in need of any assistance!

The Sherwood Park Mall is also once again hosting Trick or Treating on Halloween from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. The stores in the mall have been offering this family friendly opportunity for many years and it’s an excellent way to enjoy the evening, especially if it’s chilly outside.

If you’re wanting to get properly spooked, Strathcona County will be offering a free transit shuttle from the mall to Gallery@501 on Festival Way, where there is a haunted house set up. The haunted house is $2 per person.

Savour the candy and enjoy the one night a year that you can be anyone your heart desires!

Have a frightful night everyone!

There are many tools in the REALTOR’s® toolbox and over the past year, I’ve been perfecting one of the most effective new tools – online video. They say photos are worth a thousand words. Well the impact of video is even greater!

I take my videos to highlight the best features of the homes I am selling. If the kitchen is the selling feature, I’ll shoot it there and show off the best the home has to offer. If I’m hosting on open house, I’ll shoot a video to give prospective buyers a sneak peak into the home and get them excited to come and view it. Sometimes my videos involve special contests too! They’re not necessarily real estate related, but they are community related and my audience loves it!

As Sherwood Park’s Real Estate Tiger, I have always put my clients first, ensuring their homes get awesome exposure which ultimately leads to awesome results. I allow people to see my true personality in life and I do the same in my real estate videos. A key part of the videos is the human element, so I try to keep them light, fun and engaging. So far, it has worked exceptionally well! The videos I post on Facebook always get thousands of views from potential buyers who are looking for their next home. These videos have helped me connect with many future buyers already and my audience continues to grow.

Ultimately, my goal is to help my clients sell their Sherwood Park home quickly and for top dollar. Personalizing my videos is just one of the unique ways I go above and beyond my competition to help my clients in the home selling process. Please visit my Facebook page and check out my most recent videos and give me a call if you’d like a video on your home!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

It takes a lot of hard word and dedication to truly excel in the real estate world. It’s one of those professions where you are always on the clock – evenings, weekends and holidays included. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world, for one very important factor – all of my incredible clients!

This week, I am celebrating 7 wonderful years in real estate where I have consistently ranked in the Top 1% Sales, an accomplishment I could never have even dreamed of if it weren’t for the fabulous people who have supported me since Day 1. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than finding the perfect home for my clients. Knowing that I helped them find the ideal property for them to raise their families in is extremely gratifying. Obviously, I love helping my clients sell their homes for the most money too! I’m never afraid to negotiate hard for my clients. Guess that’s why they nicknamed me “Sherwood Park’s Real Estate Tiger”.

I’m so appreciative of all the kind words I hear from my clients when I run into them around Sherwood Park, at our local chamber of commerce or anywhere else in the community. That’s the food that keeps this Tiger running!

Over the past 7 years, I have learned an incredible amount and met more lovely people than I could have ever imagined. I’m excited to continue on this journey and help as many people as possible when they need me to sell their homes and find them their dream homes too.

From my heart to yours, thank you for all the continued trust and  support!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

It has been an absolute pleasure to be involved in the Food 4 Food initiative, which is now in its second year in Sherwood Park. The campaign was started by councilour Dave Anderson and how it works is Sherwood Park residents drop into Save On Foods and make a donation to the Strathcona County Food Bank. In return, each donor gets a hot dog and a pop!

I’m very excited to be one of the corporate sponsors of this event. All of the donations are staying in the Strathcona County area, which is very important to me. With the economy the way it is in Alberta, the need is high and we all need to pitch in and help out when we can.

Last year Food 4 Food brought in more than 14,000 cans of food and $1,000 in cash. We’re waiting on the final tally, but we’re hoping we beat that this year. Thank you to everyone who has come out to Save On Foods to help our cause! We appreciate every donation!

Many thanks!
Sonia

Sherwood Park is a blast in the summer! From spray parks to bike trails to all of the great celebrations and festivals, there is so much to do and only so much time to do it!

Summer is my favourite time in Sherwood Park and I want to kick off the season with an incredible contest! I can’t tell you what the prize is just yet (that’s the surprise!) but I can guarantee you’ll love it.

All you have to do to enter is go to my Facebook page, Like my page and comment on this post by telling me what is your favourite thing to do in Sherwood Park over the summer.

I can’t wait to hear your answers! You might give me some new ideas too!

Thanks everyone and happy summer to all!

Sonia

As a longtime resident of Sherwood Park, I consider it a privilege to work, live and play in this awesome community!

Sherwood Park has been our home for over a decade now and I can still remember the excitement I felt the very first time I visited this place. I fell totally in love with it! It was as though something wonderful was about to happen. Well, it did! I met some of my most valued friends and clients right here at home, and for that I am eternally grateful.

My husband Eddy and I have three children; Alexa, Lennox and Eva. We feel blessed that they are growing up in a safe and happy community, attending good schools and have made some wonderful friends. Naturally, every parent wants to provide the best for their children and we certainly have found the best of family life living in Sherwood Park.

In following my passion for real estate, I decided to launch my business in 2009 and focused primarily on helping Sherwood Park residents. There was no question in my mind that it was the best decision I ever made. Having grown up in an entrepreneurial family, I had a strong business background and a proven track record in sales. My education was also in business and marketing. In addition, my branding with the use of animal prints was very unique to the real estate industry and my marketing plan for selling homes was very aggressive, which ultimately benefited my clients. Undoubtedly, clients knew when hiring me they would receive my “5 star service”. They knew that I cared about them and that I would work hard on their behalf to help them achieve the best results, whether they were buying or selling a home. Soon I became known as “Sherwood Park’s Real Estate Tiger”.

Today, I am fortunate to have worked with hundreds of clients selling hundreds of homes and helping peoples’ dreams of home ownership come true. Knowing that I have helped make that kind of contribution in someone’s life is incredibly rewarding for me on a very personal level. Having cultivated these client relationships is what keeps me focused and driven  every day to continue to help more and more people in the world of real estate.

I am extremely grateful and appreciative for the ongoing trust and support I receive from the Sherwood Park community. I must admit that it’s a lot of fun to drive around town in my animal wrapped “Sonia-mobile” and see people on the road wave and smile back at me. Sometimes I even get a thumbs up! It’s also pretty cool to be recognized by the kids when I’m shopping around town! I often laugh about it as I am just like every other mom out there.

Should you be looking to buy or sell a home in Sherwood Park, please feel free to drop me a line. I would love to hear from you! Many thanks and I wish you and your family a wonderful year ahead!

Warmest regards,

Still looking for ideas to keep your family busy this summer? Here are a few awesome ideas that your family will love! Whether it’s an indoor or an outdoor activity, be sure to check these out!

Summer in Sherwood Park
http://www.strathcona.ca/departments/recreation-parks-and-culture/activities-and-schedules/

100 Things to do with kids this Summer
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/05/100-things-to-do-with-kids-this-summer.html

Cooking with your kids this Summer
http://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/cooking-tips/summer-cooking-with-kids

Sherwood Park Spray Decks

Check these out along with the new Spray Park and Playground sponsored by Re/Max Elite
http://www.strathcona.ca/departments/recreation-parks-and-culture/parks-trails-sports-venues/spray-decks/

If you are looking to move before the kids get back to school, give me a call, (780) 707-6015 or send me an email soniatarabay@remax.net. I would love to help you! Happy Summer everyone!