Cheryl Jenkins is proud to announce a major milestone in her real estate career: she has earned the Designated Member In Good Standing — 2026 designation from the Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC). This recognition reflects Cheryl’s commitment to professional excellence, ongoing education, and the highest standards of service for clients.

A sincere thank you to colleagues, mentors, and clients for their support — Cheryl looks forward to applying this added expertise to every transaction and client relationship.

Today, we’re raising a toast to Cheryl as she marks an incredible 80 transactions on the Bedford Waterfront alone! This milestone is a testament to her unparalleled expertise in this area.

Congratulations to the Halifax Life Real Estate Group who were awarded the prestigious Keller Williams Triple Gold Award for sales in 2018!

Indeed has announced Keller Williams Realty as one of the Top-Rated Workplaces with BEST CULTURE!! We are so proud of our company and firmly believe in sustaining a good culture!

“At number one is Keller Williams Realty, the world’s largest real estate franchise. Keller Williams, who also topped this year’s work/life balance rankings, prioritizes employee education by providing in-person and online classes as well as coaching opportunities.

They also invest in local communities by dedicating an entire day each year to volunteering and community service. The company goes out of their way to support employees during hard times as well — through a charitable branch called KW Cares, the company offers financial assistance to agents and their families going through sudden hardship

Cecil and Cheryl were referred to us by a friend who was a retiring real estate agent. They arranged to meet with us promptly and reviewed the firm, their bios, marketing strategies, and the offer of a one-hour consultation by a professional stager. We felt very comfortable with Cecil and Cheryl and decided not to interview anyone else. They encourage open houses and one or the other of them attended each one. They provided detailed updates after each one and, in fact, our home sold as a result of one. A detailed update was verbally provided each time. At each decision point, the pros and cons were provided with the ultimate decision left to us. They ensure confidentially and did not share any private information about us to any prospective buyers. Thirty days after the home was listed, we went to Florida for the winter and felt totally comfortable leaving the property in their hands. In fact, our home sold while in Florida and all the details were handled electronically. We have, and will, recommend Cecil and Cheryl as the best in the business.

Richard and Cheryl Ramey

Cheryl and Cecil helped to find us a home when we first moved to Halifax. They were knowledgeable and highly efficient yet approachable and intuitive to what we needed in a home. What was a dream for us became a reality with their help. When it came time to sell our home we trusted only Cheryl and Cecil to support and guide us. As difficult as it was to let go of our dream home Cheryl and Cecil expertly navigated the entire journey of selling our home with professionalism, advocacy, and empathy. They made it so we were able to move on to the next stage of life with excitement.

by D Capito

In buying or selling real estate, you need the advice and guidance of a real estate professional who has experience and additional knowledge in areas such as market analysis, real estate law, and financing.

You also need a real estate professional who will look after your interests and whose business ethics are unquestionable.

Experience, commitment, honesty, and exceptional service are qualities you will find when dealing with your FRI (Fellow of the Real Estate Institute) real estate professional.

As a Fellow of the Real Estate Institute of Canada, Cheryl’s FRI credential is a mark of her professionalism, ethical decision making, competence, leadership, and commitment to lifelong learning. Of the more than 1452 real estate professionals in Nova Scotia, only 43 individuals hold this designation.

What does a REALTOR® with an FRI have to offer?

• A minimum of five years of creditable real estate experience
• Additional professional knowledge and expertise above licencing requirements
• Commitment to serving you in realizing your real estate goals
• Dealing fairly with all parties and is committed to the highest standards of professional conduct
• Adheres to the REIC Code of Professional Standards

About real estate and the FRI professional – FAQs

Q: What is the FRI?

A: Education, experience and reputation are important components when selecting a real estate professional for your real estate sale or purchase. The FRI (Fellow of the Real Estate Institute) is an elite national designation awarded to real estate sales practitioners who have met our rigorous education, experience and membership requirements, and have agreed to adhere to the REIC Code of Professional Standards.

Q: What does the FRI mean to the industry and the public?

A: The FRI designation is the public’s assurance that they are dealing with an individual who has made a career commitment to real estate. They are professionals with additional expertise, above licensing requirements, in market analysis, property sales, leasing and marketing, and for their knowledge of real estate law, financing, valuation and property analysis.

Q: Who holds the FRI?

A: FRIs work for local and national real estate brokerages across Canada or manage their own brokerage business. They are leaders in their profession and hold many of the senior positions in the private and public sectors. FRIs benefit from support and networking with like minded professionals locally and nationally.

Q: What is the benefit of working with an FRI

A: The FRI is a tremendous business asset and an outstanding source of contacts and seasoned council. In the eyes of the public, the FRI speaks to the real estate practitioner’s professional standing in the community, maximizing consumer trust and confidence in the individual’s ability and ethics.

Every renovation project should pay back well in terms of adding to the quality of life in your home. After all, a newly remodelled kitchen can bring untold joy – especially if you love to cook!

However, as a homeowner, you’re also hoping that you’ll get some of those remodelling dollars back when you eventually sell.

Which projects are most likely to give you the highest monetary return?

Recently, Remodeling Magazine did its annual survey on this very topic. Their focus was on the U.S. real estate market, but the results likely approximate what you would expect to see here in Canada. Are you thinking of sprucing-up or remodelling your kitchen? If so, according to the magazine’s survey results, you may be able to recover up to 79% of the costs when you sell your home. That’s not surprising. A great looking kitchen is a top selling feature in most homes.

Another remodelling job with a high Return on Investment (ROI) is the bathroom. The survey says you may get back up to 70% of the dollars you put into new countertops, fixtures and accessories.

Have you turned a room in your home into a functional and awesome-looking home office? That kind of remodelling project may pay back about 49% of the cost upon sale, according to the magazine. That’s an excellent return on your remodelling dollars considering that there are so many other benefits to a home office (including possible tax deductions.)

Of course, these are just guidelines based on a survey. You never know for sure how much a renovation or remodelling project will add to the market value of your home – until you actually sell it.

If you’re looking for a professional assessment as to the value of your home, call us today.

Summer is here with late night walks all the time. Most of us love our home, even though we always want to make a change, like a new deck or better yet a fenced in yard so me and my pals can run and be safe.

As your neighbourhood REALTORs®, Cecil and Cheryl can provide tips on which improvements are likely to increase your property’s value. Contrary to what some HGTV shows would have you believe, you don’t always increase the value of your house proportionately to how much you spend renovating. Put in a $50,000 kitchen? Sorry, but your house didn’t just go up by $50,000. Buy a new tap at Home Depot for the kitchen? You didn’t just add $139 of value to your house.

In fact most renovations won’t give you the ROI or payback that you probably expect. When you’re faced with making the move or improve decision, give Cecil or Cheryl a call and learn what a recovery rate is and which projects you can expect to get the best return on your investment.

Aloha and keep the tails wagging!

Ohana

 

You may have heard of speed dating. It’s a recent trend where you meet with several potential dates all in a single evening. The idea, of course, is to cut the time it takes to find a match.
Well, you can take the same fast-track approach when searching for a new home. Say, for example, you’re busy at work and on a tight schedule. You want to minimize the time it takes to view homes and find the right one. Here’s what you can do.

• Create a specific profile of the kind of home you want. Identify the size, type, number of bedrooms, special features, etc.
• Determine how much you can afford, based in part by how much you can expect to get for your current property.
• View only those properties that closely match the above criteria.
• Be prepared to be flexible. Don’t expect to find the perfect home. Expect to find the right home, given your timelines and budget.
• Work with great REALTORS® like us. That, more than anything else, will make the difference.

By following these tips, you can accelerate the home buying process and still find a home that’s right for you. Need help? Contact us today!