When you’ve been in real estate as long as we have, your collective heap of horror stories about lousy neighbours begins to topple. Trust me, we’ve heard some doozies.

But rather than focus on the negative, we thought it better to look at the opposite. If real estate is all about location, the neighbourhood in which you live is a big part of that. As a resident within that neighbourhood, you play a key role in making it good, bad or just mediocre. So here’s to those long on friendly smiles, doing good deeds and exercising simple and helpful acts of kindness.

Here’s to being neighbourly:

Say hello – It helps to show you’re human. Wave, say hi or smile to your neighbours. This goes a long way toward building a pleasant environment. At the very least, it shows you’re extending a kindness to your neighbour and that there is some kind of expectation for a mutual greeting. It doesn’t mean you’ll be fast friends but it should earn you a few brownie points.

Keep the volume down – Eighties metal band Metallica might still be number one in your heart but not a favourite on your neighbours’ playlists. Keep the volume at a whisper. If you’re having an outdoor party, be sure to inform your neighbours, or better yet, invite them over. Be considerate of neighbours who are sick or at home with a newborn. Don’t mow your lawn at god-awful hours and if your dog is a barker, pay close attention and let him inside once the yowling begins.

Think beyond your four walls – Be considerate. If you share a wall with a neighbour, try not to place noisy appliances or electronics on the common wall. Be mindful of where you park your car. Don’t over-rev your engine or slam car doors too loudly early in the morning or late at night.

Get to know your neighbours – Do they have kids? Pets? Where do they work? How many actually live in the house? While acquiring this info may seem intrusive, knowing about their lifestyle helps you be a good neighbour. Knowing that you live next someone who works shifts, for example, helps you keep your outdoor noise level down during certain times of the day. It also arms you with the info needed to keep your neighbourhood safe. The recent discovery in Cleveland of a homeowner who imprisoned three women inside his house for nearly ten years is an extreme example of the segregation and mile-high fences we often build in neighbourhoods. Try reaching out instead.

The sign on her salon says Studio 976 but everyone on the block knows her as Mary the Barber.

A fixture in the Annex for 34 years, Mary Vinci is a barber, hairstylist, confidante, major Leafs fan – you name it.

“I’ve watched people grow from when they were babies,” says the follicle goddess of her one-woman Bathurst Street empire that’s smack in between Dupont and Bloor. “I don’t do nails, sun tanning, pedicures. I strictly do hair. Because I’m a one woman operation here, it’s hard to do everything. Besides you’ve gotta stick with what you do best and do it well.”

The 55-year-old Italian-Canadian has groomed some great heads in her time. And she doesn’t discriminate – male or female, young or old, Muslim, Christian or Jew – she’s worked her aesthetic talent on them all.

Our family – my grandparents, my father, my uncle and my son – have surrendered to Mary’s charms: her capable hands, her colourful stories and her never-ending wit.

In 28 years, she’s been witness to my slow and regrettable hair loss, but having Mary tend to my crowning glory has somehow made it a little more bearable. She’s great for a laugh or to find out what’s going on in the neighbourhood.  A diehard Leafs fan, her clients know it’s the holiday season when Mary puts up her beloved blue-and-white Christmas tree.

About 70 per cent of Mary’s customers are men. Haircuts for men are $20, while for a women, it’s $25.

She’s proud of her 22 year-old daughter, who is following in her footsteps and currently apprenticing at a separate salon. Mary thought her daughter’s training in the business would be best done outside of her shop.

Thinking back on her early days, she recalls working for a lawyer after studying legal administration but she hated the office atmosphere because it was simply “too boring.”

“This is so much more fun,” she says of her 500 square foot salon. “I get to play around with people’s hair and make them look good and hear all their nasties.”

Had Mary not followed her heart we’d all be the lesser for it.

A lot can happen in the 41 year lifespan of a business. Today, I’m writing my inaugural blog via my computer and you’re reading this thanks to the internet. When my father Barry Freeman started Freeman Real Estate Ltd. in 1972 the concept of a digital world seemed like a far-off notion heard about only in sci-fi films. A blog was, well, it was unheard of.

The span of time we’ve spent on this corner of Toronto has been good to the Freeman family. I like to think that goodness funnels back to the customers we’ve acquired in real estate and other family businesses as well. Prior to launching his real estate company my father worked in the sofa manufacturing business. During the 1950s, ‘60s and into the 90’s, my grandparents, Max and Sarah Hartstone owned and operated Steven’s Milk, a neighbourhood variety store on Bathurst Street well known for its great products and located right next to where Freeman Real Estate Ltd. operates today.

To say the Freemans love real estate might be a bit of an understatement. My father started out in 1966 and my mother really immersed herself into the business in the mid 1980s. Given those genetics, I guess my fate was sealed in a way as I entered the business in 1989.

Those family ties shape the bonds we maintain in our business. What keeps our clients coming back after decades is owed in part to our strong sense of integrity and personalized, friendly service. As a medium-sized, family-run business we offer that unique something – call it tradition, personal care, pride and community – that real estate franchises can never replicate. Freeman’s growing team of 30-plus agents shares our vision as they seek to promote those same ideals in their day-to-day work.

Unlike the consumer of the 1970s and ‘80s, today’s buyers and sellers are overwhelmed by the massive amount of online information that’s available. There’s just so much to process. And that’s why the services of a professional realtor are so indispensable. Whether you’re a buyer or seller, the real estate sales process is a complex web of directions, decisions and choices best made with the guidance of experienced and caring professionals.

Let a four-decade history of sales success help you with your next transaction.