First-Time Homebuyer Seminar — Team Playbook

A repeatable process for planning, promoting, running, and following up on a first-time homebuyer (FTHB) seminar. Based on the June 4, 2026 session at the RLP Bank St office.

1. Purpose & Goals

• Primary goal: Lead generation — capture new first-time buyer prospects and move them toward a buyer consultation.

• Secondary goal: Nurture existing contacts and deepen relationships with current clients/leads.

Ideal attendee: First-time buyers, roughly 25–40 years old, anywhere from "just learning" to "ready to buy in the next few months."

2. Headline Lesson (Read This First)

The June 4 session had ~30 registrations but only 1 attendee showed up. The root cause was a weak reminder sequence — only a single reminder email went out.

Do differently next time:

• Build a multi-touch reminder sequence, not one email. Suggested cadence:

  • 1 week before (email)

  • 3 days before (email + phone call)

  • 1 day before (email + follow-up phone call to each registrant)

  • Morning of (email or text)

• Phone calls matter most. A quick personal call before the event dramatically improves show rate versus email alone.

• Consider a light "confirm your spot" ask so registrants self-select and feel committed.

• Consider a small cost to register & secure your spot (perhaps $5-$10, donated to charity).

Everything below is the process. This reminder gap is the one thing that most determines whether the room is full.

3. Timeline & Milestones

Start planning 1–2 months out. Key milestones, in order:

1. Confirm the professionals — lock in availability of the mortgage broker, home inspector, and lawyer first. Everything else depends on their dates.

2. Create the Eventbrite event — set up registration (see fields below).

3. Promote & do outreach — email blasts, social, and personal client outreach.

4. Order food & build slides — finalize catering and each presenter's deck.

4. The Panel (Roles & Recruitment)

The "You don't ride alone" framing works well: introduce each pro in the order a buyer meets them through the process.

Recruitment note: Reach out to trusted partners in each trade you already work with. Confirm them early (Milestone 1). Have decks in by the food/slides milestone — leaving a presenter to prep last-minute is workable but not ideal (see inspector segment below).

5. Segment-by-Segment Content

What each pro actually covered, so a future presenter or partner knows the scope of their slot.

Mortgage Broker (Chris Allard):

• Role of a mortgage broker; not all mortgages are the same (fixed vs. variable; banks vs. credit unions vs. mortgage companies; the fine print).

• Where a borrower starts: preliminary call → application → proof of income → pre-approved → approved → satisfy conditions → instruct lawyer → fund.

• FTHB financial benefits: FHSA, Home Buyers' Plan (RRSP), Ontario Land Transfer Tax refund, First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit, GST/HST rebate on new homes, 30-year insured amortization.

• Local market snapshot (Sagen / Ontario / Ottawa stats).

• How to pick the right broker (credentials + traits).

REALTOR® (team member):

• Searching solo vs. hiring a REALTOR® (representation, coordination, off-market access, cost to buyer).

• Showings: needs vs. wants as a process of elimination; location strategy; tools (REALM/Matrix/HouseSigma, CMHC, GeoOttawa, City of Ottawa Development Applications Search).

• Offers: deposit (1–5%), conditions (financing, inspection, status certificate).

• Negotiation & due diligence: managing buyer emotion, market data, keeping the buyer focused without overpaying.

Home Inspector (Mark Hodgson):

• Came in last-minute with no formal deck — spoke conversationally, which worked fine for this segment.

• Covered: what an inspection actually looks at (the ~8 major systems of a home), what to watch for when viewing homes on your own, inspection cost and how long it takes, tips and tricks, and how home age affects what to look out for.

• Takeaway for future events: the inspector slot can run well as a talk rather than slides, but confirm this in advance so it's intentional.

Lawyer (Adrian Taylor):

• Role of the real estate lawyer ("REALTORs negotiate the contract; lawyers enforce it").

• Purchaser timeline from agreement to closing day.

• What to include in an offer (conditions, warranties, action items).

• First-Time Homebuyer LTT rebate + qualifying rules; legal fees & disbursements; FTHB GST/HST rebate; closing-day expectations.

• Standard legal disclaimer at the end.

6. Agenda (Run of Show) — 6:00–8:00 PM

Core message: "By the end of the workshop, you'll understand the buying process, what it costs, where buyers get into trouble, and what your next step should be."

7. Venue & Room Setup

• Location: Royal LePage Bank St office, 1500 Bank St.

• Booking: Call the office for availability, or email Hoda at the Bank St office.

• Cost: Free.

• Room prep is on you. The office does not set the room up. Arrive ~2 hours early to arrange seating, AV, food, and signage.

8. Costs & Cost-Sharing

• The broker, lawyer, and inspector agreed to split the cost three ways.

• For the June 4 session, the realtor absorbed the cost solo because only one attendee showed.

• Standing plan going forward: split costs across the partners as originally agreed.

9. Promotion & Registration

Channels used:

• Eventbrite — the central registration hub.

• Email blasts — strong performer.

• Social media outreach — strong performer.

• Word of mouth — mentioning it directly to clients.

Best performers: social media and email blasts.

Eventbrite registration fields to capture:

• Name

• Email

• Phone number (make sure this is required — it's essential for the reminder calls)

• How they heard about the event

• Buying timeline (0–3 months / 3–6 months / 6–12 months / just learning)

Extra promo idea: short social clips of each pro naming the most expensive mistake buyers make.

10. Event Logistics Checklist

• [ ] Food and drinks ordered (see below)

• [ ] Cooler packed for drinks

• [ ] Room set up (arrive ~2 hrs early)

• [ ] Client event signs placed outside

• [ ] Trade-show banner

• [ ] Phone + tripod + microphone set for recording

• [ ] Printed Buyer Guide to hand out

• [ ] Pens to hand out / for note-taking

• [ ] A few sheets of blank white paper for attendee notes

• [ ] Giveaway incentive (e.g., a free home inspection) tied to a feedback sheet

• [ ] Feedback sheet asking readiness: (A) ready to start, (B) 2–6 months away, (C) need financing info first, (D) still exploring

Food & drinks:

• Order from Farm Boy through their website.

• Place the order at least 3 business days in advance — earlier is safer, so order sooner if you can.

• The fridge at the Bank St office is small — bring a cooler for the drinks.

Signage (day of):

• Put out a few client event signs outside to direct people to the right entrance/room.

Video:

• No videographer needed. Set your phone on a tripod and bring a microphone to pass around to the presenting pros.

11. Post-Event Follow-Up

What was done, and the standard process:

• Follow-up email to attendees with resources: the First-Time Homebuyer Guide, presentation slides, and (where available) an event recording.

• Offer one-on-one bookings / buyer consultations. (On June 4, one registrant reached out to book a meeting about the buying process.)

• CRM entry & tracking: input every attendee, track where they are in the buying process, and keep in contact (e.g., Level 2 invites to client events).

• Next step: set up direct buyer consultations for anyone who's ready.

12. Quick Reference — Master Checklist

~6–8 weeks out

• [ ] Confirm broker, inspector, lawyer availability

• [ ] Book venue (1500 Bank St - call the office)

~4 weeks out

• [ ] Create Eventbrite with full registration fields

• [ ] Launch email blast + social + client outreach

~1–2 weeks out

• [ ] Order food & drinks from Farm Boy online (min. 3 business days ahead — earlier is safer)

• [ ] Finalize all decks; confirm inspector's format

• [ ] Print Buyer Guides; pack pens, blank note paper, banner, giveaway, feedback sheets

• [ ] Start multi-touch reminder sequence (emails + calls) ← the big one

Day of

• [ ] Arrive ~2 hrs early to set up the room

• [ ] Bring a cooler for the drinks

• [ ] Put out client event signs outside

• [ ] Set up phone on tripod + microphone for recording

• [ ] Run agenda; collect feedback sheets

After

• [ ] Send follow-up email (guide + slides + recording)

• [ ] Enter all attendees into CRM

• [ ] Book consultations with ready buyers