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Appointments at Jones Lang LaSalle in Montreal

Jones Lang LaSalle announced earlier this week that it had appointed two top professionals to its Montréal team, namely Robert MacDougall, Senior Vice President and Jeffrey Mayes, Vice President. They will be responsible for growing the firm's capabilities in investment sales and special projects.


Robert A. MacDougall is a thirty year industry veteran recognized for his leadership and team building skills. He is viewed by many as a mentor and visionary in the Québec real estate brokerage industry.

MacDougall first came to Montreal in 1986 where he joined First Quebec as Vice-President of Development. Following his tenure there, he branched out into a successful consulting practice that was ultimately bought by Colliers International in 1995. MacDougall stayed on at Colliers as the Managing Director of its Montreal office for the next 10 years.

Mr. MacDougall left Colliers in 2005 seeking new opportunities. He identified Sotheby’s International Realty as a great real estate brand that was lacking a Quebec presence. MacDougall approached Sotheby’s International Realty for Canada and together they created a joint venture that resulted in the opening of Sotheby’s first office in Quebec in September 2006. Robert became the President of Sotheby’s Quebec operations.

Over the next three years, the Sotheby’s International Realty brand became well renowned and a force in the Quebec market. Robert spent three years building the organization from the ground up into what is recognized today as an industry leader in the marketing and sale of luxury real estate. In 2009, MacDougall sold his interest in the company and decided to target Jones Lang LaSalle as his next project.

“I identified Jones Lang LaSalle as a company that possesses three important criteria: differentiation, platform and brand,” he recently told Le pied carré. “The Jones Lang LaSalle brand is a great brand. They have a strong international platform and they do work differently than others in the industry. One of the main challenges and principal mandate is to have our brand better recognized across Canada,” he said.

In addition to brand exposure and growth, MacDougall’s mandate will be to expand the investment sales and special projects departments. He intends to utilize his experience in marketing to service his clients in both the North American and International markets.

“Because Jones Lang LaSalle has offices around the world, we’re able to reach out to any of our managing directors across the globe. This is critical when it comes to responding to overseas requirements,” MacDougall pointed out.


Jeffrey Mayes specialises in project marketing and sales focusing on multi-residential condominium projects and resort developments. Recent assignments include Le 1200 de Maisonneuve, a twin tower downtown condominium development; The Private Residences at The Ritz Carlton, Montréal; and Kanata Tremblant a 1200 acre resort development situated in the Laurentians.

Jeffrey has over 25 years of business knowledge and has experience working in the United Kingdom, Europe, Hong Kong and the Caribbean. He also worked with MacDougall at Colliers and Sotheby’s.
"Both Robert and Jeffrey are proven real estate leaders who bring strong leadership skills and a keen understanding of unique and specialty real estate opportunities" said John Rosato, Managing Director, "their extensive global real estate experience will be an invaluable asset to our team as we continue to accelerate our overall Canadian growth strategy."


TECSYS to move to Place Alexis Nihon
TECSYS Inc. an industry-leading supply chain management software company, announced on Thursday that its Montreal operations, including the company's headquarters and its Enterprise Supply Chain Group, will be moving to Place Alexis Nihon as of April 19, 2010.

The new facility, a 22,000 square foot floor specifically designed to meet TECSYS' requirements, features a new open design work environment that facilitates better space utilization, workflow and improved communication and is equipped with IP telephony for more efficient and cost-effective telecom infrastructure.
"Following a ten-year tenure at our existing facilities and with our lease coming to its end, we took the opportunity to assess our current and future needs, cost structure and what the market had to offer. We decided that a move offers TECSYS and its stakeholders significant benefits; a more modern and efficient facility, better proximity to services and substantial savings of $600,000 annually," commented Peter Brereton, President & CEO of TECSYS.


Real Estate Sales in Montreal Area Reach 2008 Levels
February 2010 sales in Montréal Metropolitan Area hit the same level as sales in February 2008, which was just before the last recession. According to the Greater Montréal Real Estate Board's MLS® statistics, there were 4,465 sales transactions in the Montréal area in February 2010, a 45 per cent increase compared to February 2009 but only a 1 per cent increase compared to February 2008.

"It's important to remember that last year – in February 2009 – the Montréal real estate market was feeling the effects of the recession and posted a 31 per cent decrease in sales. This explains why when we compare February 2010 to February 2009, sales are up by 45 per cent," said Michel Beauséjour, FCA, Chief Executive Officer of the GMREB. "February 2008 offers a better point of comparison, since the recession had not yet started," he added.

In terms of sales, all property categories are back to levels similar to those of 2008. Condominiums led the way with a 5 per cent increase in February 2010 compared to February 2008. Single-family home and plex sales remained relatively stable compared to February 2008, with a decrease of 1 per cent and an increase of 1 per cent, respectively.

Source: Greater Montréal Real Estate Board by Centris®     
As for prices, the median price of a single-family home in the Montréal area reached $245,000 in February 2010, a 9 per cent increase compared to February 2009. The median price of condominiums increased by 5 per cent to reach $197,000, while that of plexes grew by 15 per cent to reach $378,500.

"The decrease in the number of homes for sale (-19 per cent) in the Montréal area in February 2010 explains why prices went up, especially in the case of plexes," said Beauséjour. "But it is important to mention that buyers still have a lot of choice with 22,528 properties for sale in the Montréal Metropolitan Area. Also, 7,694 new listings were entered in the MLS® system in February 2010, up 6 per cent compared to February 2009."
Geographically, the five main areas in the Montréal region met February 2008 sales figures with the exception of the South Shore, which posted a 2 per cent decrease. Sales in Laval increased by 6 per cent in February 2010 compared to February 2008, while the Island of Montréal, the North Shore and the Vaudreuil-Soulanges area registered increases of 1, 2 and 1 per cent, respectively, compared to February 2008.


Demerged Mayors not Satisfied with City Budget
According the The Suburban Newspaper, the Association of Suburban Mayors (ASM) is not satisfied with the city of Montreal’s 2010 budget and has tabled various recommendations through the ad-hoc budget committee that includes such issues as water taxation and the increased costs to pension contributions and public transportation.

Another significant request in the minority report is that the ad-hoc budget commission begin their work in April to prepare for the next budget as the 2010 budget had already been tabled before the ad-hoc commission began to deconstruct the city of Montreal’s budget as well as shared agglomeration costs.
Many West Island municipalities have sent resolutions to the city to fix the double water taxation as West Island residents buy their water from Pointe Claire and are also taxed by the city of Montreal.
“Beaconsfield, Kirkland, Dorval, Pointe Claire and Baie d’Urfe are paying double for their water,” Baie d’Urfé Mayor Maria Tutino told The Suburban. Because the city of Montreal charges 10 cents per cubic metre and its users are not charged for consumption, unlike the West Island municipalities whose properties are metered and therefore pay for consumption, “and the cost is at least 30 cents since no urban jurisdiction in North America could produce water at less than that cost,” said Pointe Claire Mayor Bill McMurchie, “18 cents, the balance of the cost, is charged to homeowners on their real estate tax. West Island residents are paying for Montreal’s hidden cost of producing water and they do not get a drop.”

“As it stands now, the city of Montreal has no earthly idea how much it costs to produce water or how much they’re losing which, by some estimates, could be as high as 50 percent,” McMurchie told The Suburban.
“Baie d’Urfé’s budget included a million dollars for water we don’t even get,” said Tutino. “We run our town on $6 million so there can be no more tightening of our belts. Seventy-one percent of all of our taxes go towards the agglomeration. We have to be more in the decision making process and we are asking the government of Quebec to get in on this. We are now running our town on the bare bones and there is nothing left for us to cut.”

Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau, who co-authored the report along with Westmount Mayor Peter Trent, said that there has to be more consultation on the budget process for the city of Montreal. “We have six days to go through a $4 billion budget and everything is rush, rush, rush. You wouldn’t run a business like this, let alone a town. There was a $91 million increase to pension payments this year without any details or calculations. We do not know if this will be recurrent or was that a one shot deal?”

Rouleau also found it frustrating that the city of Montreal told the commission that the 2010 budget would begin with an unexplained $30 million deficit. “These are accounting issues we are asking about and have nothing to do with demerged cities or not but something has to be done.
Private sector accountants who did work like this would find themselves out of a job,” Rouleau said. “The city also borrows money instead of paying down its deficit.  Hopefully the 2011 budget will be better.”
Bill and then subsequent Law 22 does make provisos for the ASM to contest the city on items and the Municipal Affairs ministry, then with Nathalie Normandeau as minister, began talks with ASM representatives that included McMurchie and former Westmount Mayor Karin Marks.

“The water agenda and central city were the two issues on the agenda but with the municipal election, the cancellation of the Genoa water contract, the change of minister and staff at Municipal Affairs, those two subjects have been left aside but we anticipate the work will start again shortly,” McMurchie said.
Jacques Cartier MNA Geoffrey Kelley suggested that “regarding the specific question of water, we have to create a water agency or bureau to deal with this issue. It will be hard work but it will be something on Minister of Municipal Affairs Minister Laurent Lessard’s agenda for 2010.”

Whatever the outcome of the recommendations made to the city of Montreal and government of Quebec, the demerged mayors agree that something has to be done to decide what the city should tax the ASM for its rightful shared expenses. “Right now there are basic flaws in the system and the ASM will not let this go unchecked as it is our obligation to make our opinions and suggestions known.”