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Upcycling Your Home Decor
Upcycling Your Home Decor
Give a China cabinet new life
Turn an old bar stool into an end table
Bring an old dresser into the kitchen to create an island
Find new life for old fabrics in throw pillows
Turn cans into planters
Century 21 Assurance Realty Ltd. Expands Into Creston, BC
January 2025, Creston, BC – Century 21 Assurance Realty Ltd., a leading residential, commercial and property management brokerage in the BC Interior, is excited to announce their expansion into Creston. BC. The expansion reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to providing the BC Interior with excellence in real estate services with local market expertise.
Over 50 years ago, Gordon & Ruth Veitch started their family-owned real estate brokerage in the Creston Valley. In the early ‘90s Scott Veitch joined his mother and brother in the business which evolved into a Century 21 franchise 3 years later. Scott and Shannon Veitch have run Century 21 Veitch Realty since 2003. The Veitch’s have always upheld traditional values, are community-oriented and strive to be a service-first brokerage.
In January 2025, Century 21 Veitch Realty merged with Century 21 Assurance Realty from Kelowna. Assurance Realty has offices in Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, Castlegar, and now Creston. “With 125 plus Realtors® in the region, our expanded team, with its broad experience and expertise, is better positioned to satisfy our communities real estate needs including residential, commercial, agricultural, recreational, property management and advisory.
We are now even more connected and intend to be around for future generations to deliver the Gold Standard’ in Real Estate “, said Scott Veitch, Associate Broker of Century 21 Assurance Realty in Creston.
C21 Assurance Realty’s office in Creston is centrally located at 1131 Canyon Street offering personalized services to meet the unique needs of individuals and businesses in Creston and the surrounding area.
“Clients can expect the same trusted guidance, service and care that have been the hallmark of Century 21 Veitch’s history in Creston”, said Max Carbone of Century 21 Assurance Realty Ltd.
About Century 21 Assurance Realty
Century 21 Assurance Realty helps consumers buy and sell real estate in the BC Interior. Our mission is to defy mediocrity and deliver extraordinary experiences. By consistently striving for excellence, giving 121% and always elevating the CENTURY 21 brand, we help our agents to be the first choice for real estate consumers and industry professionals.
Century 21 Masters Expands Reach to More Alberta Communities
January 2024, Edmonton – Century 21 Masters is proud to announce its expansion as a brokerage with offices strategically located in Edmonton, Calgary, Airdrie, Drumheller, Strathmore, Stony Plain, and St. Albert. These locations enable the brokerage to provide exceptional real estate services to the majority of Albertans, reaching out from the province’s key population centers to over 50 outlying communities.
A Legacy of Leadership and Collaboration
The leadership of Century 21 Masters brings a wealth of experience and vision to this expansion. James Mabey and Geneva Tetreault, whose roots in ownership date back to 2004, are joined in by Bob Sheddy, who became part of the ownership and leadership team in 2024 (previously co-owner of Century 21 PowerRealty.ca which has been with the brand since 1980). Together, they are setting a new standard for what a traditional franchise brokerage can achieve.
“The goal of creating a brokerage that serves the majority of Albertans is not a new one, but we’re excited to bring this enhanced value proposition to agents,” said Geneva Tetreault. “We found that agents across Alberta wanted to join Century 21 Masters, not because of a physical office in their community, but because of the cohesive culture we’ve built—focused on education and excellence.”
A New Era in Real Estate
James Mabey, who is also currently the 2024/25 Chair of the Canadian Real Estate Association, shared his excitement about the direction of the brokerage. “Our goal has never been to be the biggest brokerage, but rather to measure success by the quality of the people we attract and retain. This expansion is a testament to the incredible agents who share our vision.”
Bob Sheddy reflected that the decision was an easy one and emphasized the organic growth in collaboration and referrals among agents. “Over the past 15 months, we’ve seen over $100,000 in referral business to the Agents which is directly attributed to the networking and camaraderie within our team and allows them to provide seamless assistance for their clients’ real estate needs. These connections have only strengthened as we move forward with this merger.”
Century 21 Canada Supports the Vision
Century 21 Canada’s Vice President, Todd Shyiak, shared his thoughts on this milestone: “This expansion demonstrates the innovation and leadership that Century 21 Masters embodies. Their commitment to fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration is exactly what the Century 21 brand stands for.”
Looking Ahead
With over 180 agents serving communities across Alberta, Century 21 Masters is poised to redefine what a franchise brokerage can achieve. This expansion marks the beginning of an exciting chapter, with an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction and agent success. The Company is excited about the growth and continues to focus on having an exceptional group of agents who offer a high level of service and strive for greatness in the moment.
Award winning Oakville REALTOR®/Broker rejoins the CENTURY 21 Canada family
November 2024, Oakville – The CENTURY 21 Canada network welcomed back one of its star members this month – Shireen Preksta of Oakville, ON.
Former Broker/owner of CENTURY 21 Dreams Inc. in Oakville, Shireen sold her Brokerage in 2022 in pursuit of new opportunities. Shireen’s desire to return to her former brand was sparked by her familiarity with the industry-leading systems and technology. She is once more a member of the 11,000 strong network in Canada, now joining CENTURY 21 Miller Real Estate Ltd. in Oakville, ON.
“It was always important to me to be a part of a global brand,” Shireen explains. “With CENTURY 21 Canada, I get the strong global brand recognition alongside a family-like culture, providing the ideal environment for the next chapter of my career. Since coming back I’ve had the chance to familiarize myself with the latest technology and tools that C21 provides.”
Shireen, the owner of her Brokerage since 2004, was focused on serving the Oakville, Burlington and GTA markets, offering a welcoming environment and personalized service for everyone who walked through the door. It’s that same people-first attitude that led her to choose CENTURY 21 Miller. “I love my local community, and I look forward to helping people with all of their real estate needs. I want to continue to give back and make an impact on the community I am proud to be a part of.”
Shireen has dedicated her time to supporting Oakville through various charitable initiatives, including Easter Seals (CENTURY 21 Canada’s official charitable partner), local police and fire department charities, and the Dog Guides of Canada where she has been helping to train future service dogs since 2000.
“Shireen is an exemplary member of our C21 family, and we are so proud to have her back,” says Todd Shyiak, Executive Vice President of CENTURY 21 Canada. “It speaks to the value we provide our agents that after exploring the landscape of the industry, anyone can see that C21 is where owners and agents will find the right balance of tools, reputation and the personal support we pride ourselves on. We know Shireen will always go above and beyond to meet the needs of her clients, and that’s the people-first philosophy that we encourage throughout our network.”
As a member of the CENTURY 21 Canada network from 2004-2022, Shireen was a consistent CENTURION® award winner, and currently serves on various real estate board committees, including serving as a past director with Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board to advocate for professionalism in the real estate industry.
“This being my 40th year in the industry, it feels great to be back!” says Shireen.
CENTURY 21 Canada makes Eras Tour dreams come true and raises thousands for accessibility camps
November 21, 2024, Toronto – Some lucky members of the nationwide CENTURY 21 Canada network are heading to Rogers Centre to attend Taylor Swift’s record-smashing Eras Tour, thanks to a fundraiser put on by the brand that raised just over $10,000 in support of Easter Seals Canada.
The opportunity came when Rogers Centre opened up more space for concert hopefuls, nearly one year after Swift announced her Toronto dates. Executive Vice President Todd Shyiak explains how lucky timing led the team at C21 Canada’s head office to seize the opportunity to bring some lucky network members to one of the most anticipated events of the year. “We were working with Rogers Centre on a different event when they opened more space and offered us the tickets. It was a quick decision, but we jumped at the chance to do something fun and exciting for our network, and we knew that this would be a great opportunity to do something good for our partners at Easter Seals Canada. The overwhelming generosity of our network proved us right!”’
Every CENTURY 21 Canada network member had one no-cost opportunity to enter the nationwide draw for ten pairs of tickets, but they had the option to sweeten the odds with extra entries for $21 each, with proceeds going to Easter Seals. Over $10,000 was raised, and the ten lucky winners were notified by a personal phone call from Todd himself.
“I am so excited to tell my daughter!” said winner Gurpreet Srah from CENTURY 21 Miller Real Estate in Oakville, ON, when she got the big call. “She was so sure I was going to win, but I told her there were a lot of C21-ers trying to get to the concert, so this has made my day. Thank you so much and thank you CENTURY 21 Canada!”
Outside of the draw, the C21 Canada team also gifted tickets to some special VIPs in the network, among them their 2024 Sales Associate of the Year, Kristie Cavanagh from CENTURY 21 Northern Choice Realty in Kenora, ON. “Excited is an understatement!” she says. “I’ve been trying to buy tickets to the Eras tour for several of the US, Australia, and Canada dates for the past two years and haven’t had any success. When I saw that CENTURY 21 Canada was doing a fundraiser for Easter Seals, I was so excited – a chance to win tickets and raise money for a good cause? Amazing job CENTURY 21 Canada, you’re making REALTOR’s dreams come true!”
The money raised will go towards helping the Easter Seals ‘Kids to Camp’ club, which sends kids and teens living with disabilities to fully accessible summer camps. Over their forty-year-long partnership, CENTURY 21 Canada has raised over $15 million in support of the work done by the charity.
CENTURY 21 New Concept returns to the CENTURY 21 Canada brand after a decade with Royal LePage
November 2024, Mississauga – A former CENTURY 21 Canada franchise has returned to the brand’s fold after a decade with Royal LePage. CENTURY 21 New Concept is once again under black and gold colours, bringing with them 150 agents to the legacy brand’s network.
“We love the technology ecosystem that C21 Canada has built up over the past few years,” says brokerage owner Richard Cho. “When coming back into the brand, we were reminded just how much they prioritize providing value for their brokers. They’re constantly searching for ways to broaden their scope of tools offered, and it’s a huge game-changer for our agents to have a CRM, a Marketing Centre and personalized websites all provided from head office.”
Besides the tools on offer, a big part of Cho and his team’s decision to return to CENTURY 21 Canada was the support offered by the brand’s leadership and Operations team. “We have been welcomed back with open arms and we really appreciate the personal support that we have been given every step of the way,” Cho explains. “It’s been a real homecoming for us and we’re so glad to be back with a brand that understands our needs so well.”
“Other real estate brands offer only half of this, and it’s made our transition back onboard C21 Canada as smooth as possible. It’s important to us that our agents don’t feel any disturbance in their day-to-day business, and we’re excited to see them flourish with this change.”
Once settled back into the brand, CENTURY 21 New Concept will look to continue building their presence across the Greater Toronto Area where they have had offices since 1990.
CENTURY 21 Canada Executive Vice President Todd Shyiak is thrilled to see the franchise return. “Since CENTURY 21 New Concept was last part of our network, we’ve gone through a full rebranding and completely revamped our technology and tools, so it’s great that they saw the value that we provide all our brokers and agents. But what hasn’t changed is the personal and constant support we have, and will always, offer each of our brokers so that they know that we have their backs. It’s what we pride ourselves on and it’s what sets our brand apart in this industry.”
CENTURY 21 New Concept brought all three of their offices in North York and Mississauga to the CENTURY 21 Canada brand.
Faux Fireplaces for Your Living Room
Faux Fireplaces for Your Living Room
If your home isn’t set up for a fireplace but you’d still like to get the look, a faux fireplace may be just the thing for you! These facades give your living room a classic, traditional feel, but also allow you to be creative with textures and colours. Give your stockings a place to hang with care and pick a fake fireplace to make your home merry and bright.
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Create a mantle frame with a shelf
Since you don’t have to fuss with the mechanics of a working fireplace, you have the freedom to create a simple mantle that frames the area where a fireplace would be. The result is a simple but effective cross between a large picture frame and a fireplace, not too big or intrusive, but elegant enough to give a room character.
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Cover the fireplace interior with a pattern or décor items
If you decide to create the full façade of a fireplace, you still won’t be lighting it so take advantage of that empty interior to add some décor pieces. You might like florals in the spring, a tableau of different sized candles for a cozy feel or go more traditional with a pile of fake wood.
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Make it an art space for kids
If you’ll be using a mantle frame around your wall, consider painting the ‘interior’ with chalk paint. They’ll be able to play inside without fear of getting messy and you’ll be giving your kids the one place in the home where they can draw on the walls!
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Want it to look real?
If you can’t install a real fireplace but want the look of a real one, you can accomplish that with some small steps. Find a fireplace frame with depth and paint the interior dark. Then, find a fireplace screen to cover the front and some stylish andirons to place inside to complete the look.
Monthly Features
DIY Project: Make your own Christmas laundry wreath
If you want a different kind of wreath, this adorable DIY project will give you a piece of décor and a space for Santa to dry his suit! Stock up on some felt, twine and your favourite Christmas ribbon to pull it all together.
Recipe: Christmas Trifle
This classic holiday dessert almost looks too good to eat! Be warned, this recipe takes time and care, but the results are well worth the effort. Featuring the flavours of sweet custard and fresh berries, its Christmas colours will stun your guests at your holiday party this year.
New survey from Century 21 shows younger buyers prioritize community ties
Are agents prepared for the next class of clients? Our friends at Century 21 in the US conducted a survey to see what was top of mind for prospective homebuyers in the Millennial and Gen Z generations. As more younger buyers begin to think about buying their first home, they’re looking past the house, prioritizing community ties and looking to work with agents who have deep links to the communities they serve.
Read the full report from the study here.
Spots in Your Home You Definitely Need to Organize
Spots in Your Home You Definitely Need to Organize
You know that one spot. The one closet or corner where things are piling up. We all have it. But don’t worry, these easy tips will help you tackle those spots in your home where the clutter is becoming too much and help you get more organized in no time!
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The cupboard above your fridge
You probably don’t think about this cupboard a lot, it can be hard to reach so you save it for the things you don’t need day-to-day. But it can become where you shove miscellaneous kitchen items until it all falls out on your head one day, so get ahead of it and look at what might have built up over the years. If you’ll never use those floral teacups, a trip to a donation centre might be in your future.
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The hallway closet
This catch-all space is where your vacuum is crammed in next to your wrapping paper and winter coats buried by boxes of old sports equipment. By virtue of being a storage space in a high-traffic area, a closet hallway can be where things go when the rest of the home needs to be organized, only to become a mess. Give it a once over and see what you find!
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The chair in the corner of your bedroom
Once, you had dreams of spending lazy afternoons curled up in a cozy armchair with a good book. The reality is that life gets busy, and the chair now holds a couple of purses and some clothes from when you couldn’t pick the right outfit. Take the time to get everything back into place, you’ll be surprised at how it frees that corner of your bedroom and makes the space much more inviting.
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The bottom of your bathroom vanity
A repository for the clutter you need out of the way so that your vanity can stay clear for daily use, if your bathroom vanity features drawers for storage, the one on the bottom can fill with junk over the years. Take an afternoon to clear out the moisturizer gift sets you’ll never use and reclaim more storage in your bathroom.
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Your home entryway
This one is a bit odd – how can you overlook a spot in your home you see every time you enter it? But the reality is that our home entryways see us pass through very quickly, either in a rush out the door, or looking forward to relaxing at the end of the day. It can be very easy, especially if you have a family, for shoes, umbrellas, and backpacks to end up in a hodgepodge, but that’ll just create a tripping hazard so invest in some storage solutions and make sure everyone has a spot for the items they grab when they leave.
Monthly Features
DIY Project: Make Fabric Organization Boxes
This fun project can be done with kids to create organization boxes that are great for smaller trinkets so that nothing gets lost. As a bonus, they’ll look great on your shelves!
Recipe: Chili Mac in One Pot
The best of Mac and Cheese and the best of Chili, all in one-pot for minimal clean-up! A warm and hearty mix of two staples, you’ll have folks begging for leftovers.
The Best Décor Ideas from Each Generation
The Best Décor Ideas from Each Generation
No battle of the generations here! From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, each age range has trends that have come to define them. Take a page from each book to create a space that stands the test of time – at least until Gen Alpha comes along to shake things up.
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Earthy, neutral tones and entertainment spaces are a staple of the Baby Boomers
These folks decorated their homes in the 70’s, when brown paneling was in vogue, and they’ve carried that through the years. Earthy tones are warm and grounding and a throwback that can easily work in modern homes. Baby Boomers like to entertain (who remembers a good conversation pit?) so look to their homes for seating layouts that spaces that allow for a great night with friends remembering the good old days.
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Millennials bring sleeker aesthetics and a favourite shade of grey
You may have heard the term ‘millennial grey,’ referring to the common shade found in many homes over the past decade. The hue might seem boring, but Millennials have an eye for sleek, curated spaces and are great at accenting grey walls with bright pops of colour. Homes have gotten smaller, and the generation is great at finding compact furniture and making the most out of storage spaces. They might also feature fruit bowls to store their avocados.
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Go fun and bold with Gen Z
As Gen Z is by and large coming into the adult world, they’re finding spaces to make their own, and being young, these spaces have a lot of bright and fun features that could be borrowed. If you want to shake up your home lighting, consider LED light strips that you’ll see in a lot of younger people’s homes, and try unconventional colours to see what you might like! You’ll also find younger generations love plants and aren’t afraid to overload their living rooms with greenery, which often makes the air feel fresher and is a great trend to incorporate.
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No, we didn’t forget about Gen X
We just saved the best for last! Gen X have been parents for a while and their kids are growing up quickly, so you’ll find their homes are filled with pieces that are built to be reliable and long-lasting and withstand the needs of a family. They grew up with the bright design trends of the seventies and eighties, so look for bold colours that are incorporated in sophisticated ways. Gen X are known to be sensible and reliable, and their homes reflect that, with rooms meant to be comfortable and functional.
Monthly Features
DIY Project: DIY Plant Ladder Shelf
Show off your plants in a cool way with a rustic twist! This plant ladder will fit into a corner of your home, keep your plants in one place and make taking care of them a breeze.
Recipe: Baked Spicy Chicken Tacos
These delicious tacos are an easy weeknight meal that cook quickly and are packed with nutrients. Store the toppings, chicken, and taco shells separately and you’ll be able to keep the leftovers for a few days to give yourself less to worry about.
