| EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS
Kathrin Paek, SRES®
Real Estate Broker — Brick & Bloom Real Estate Group, Royal LePage
Designations: SRES® (Senior Real Estate Specialist)
Phone: (647) 339-1353
Barbara Franovic-Wilkins, SRES®, ABR®, SRS®, RESA® CSA™
REALTOR® — Brick & Bloom Real Estate Group, Royal LePage
Designations: SRES® (Senior Real Estate Specialist) • ABR® (Accredited Buyer Representative) • SRS® (Seller Representative Specialist) • RESA® CSA™ (Certified Staging Advocate)
Phone: (416) 898-4272
20+ years of experience
Specializations: Senior real estate transitions, family downsizing, estate sales, generational wealth, staging and property enhancement
Serving: Toronto, Etobicoke, and Mississauga
Website: BrickandBloom.ca • info@BrickandBloom.ca |
Downsizing is never just about square footage. It is a major life transition — one that touches identity, memory, family history, and the future all at once. For families navigating it together, the conversations often prove harder than the logistics.
In this conversation, they share two real-life client stories, the frameworks they use to help families communicate more clearly, and the practical steps that turn a difficult process into one families can move through with clarity and care. Their work includes an active partnership with Delmanor Communities — including Delmanor West Village and Delmanor Prince Edward — two of the Greater Toronto Area’s most respected retirement communities.
Meet the Experts: Kathrin Paek and Barbara Franovic-Wilkins
Together, they bring a combined background that spans real estate sales, project management, client services, marketing, and interior design. Their BLOOM Pathway system is a structured, end-to-end approach to real estate transitions — designed specifically to help clients move forward with confidence at every stage of life.
Brick & Bloom is active in the Toronto, Etobicoke, and Mississauga communities, running free information sessions, downsizing workshops, and educational speaking events for families and seniors navigating this stage.
Why Are Family Conversations Around Downsizing So Difficult?
For Kathrin and Barbara, this is the question that sits at the heart of almost every client relationship. The practical side of selling a home — pricing, staging, timing — is manageable. What is harder to navigate is the emotional weight that accumulates when multiple family members are involved, each with their own fears, priorities, and unspoken expectations.
| “The conversations around downsizing often matter more than the logistics. Every family communicates differently, and every situation carries its own emotional weight. Family dynamics can be complex — especially when decades of history, unspoken expectations, and old patterns make conversations feel heavier than the decisions themselves.”
— Kathrin Paek and Barbara Franovic-Wilkins, Brick & Bloom Real Estate Group |
Their approach begins with acknowledging that complexity, not simplifying it. Understanding what each person in the family actually needs is the foundation for any conversation that leads somewhere productive.
Real Story: When Adult Children Are Worried
| Client Scenario — The Daughters and Their Parents |
| A couple in their mid-80s — sharp, independent, deeply attached to the home they had lived in for over 40 years. Their two daughters visited almost every day, out of genuine love and growing concern. The parents felt the pressure, even though it came from care. The daughters felt the tension, even though their intentions were clear.
The result: a standoff, where concern was being read as control. |
Kathrin and Barbara used a structured communication framework — pause, ask questions, clarify intentions, and reaffirm autonomy — to shift the dynamic.
Once the parents understood the daughters were not trying to push them but were genuinely worried, the tone changed. Once the daughters understood their parents wanted to remain in control of their own decisions, the conversation softened.
From that point, the family moved forward together. The parents toured several retirement communities — comparing suites, amenities, social environments, and care options — and ultimately chose a Delmanor Communities retirement community, where they felt most at home. The Brick & Bloom team coordinated a professional organizer experienced in senior transitions, specialist movers, and the full sale of the family home.
| “Today, the parents are living in a beautiful retirement community, surrounded by friends, activities, and support. The daughters now visit on weekends with their own children — enjoying quality time instead of daily worry.”
— Kathrin Paek |
What This Story Teaches Families
- Concern is not the same as control. Name your intention early. When families understand why someone is worried, the conversation becomes less adversarial.
- Autonomy matters deeply. Seniors who feel their independence is respected are far more likely to engage in the process openly.
- A neutral third party helps. Kathrin and Barbara are frequently brought in not just as real estate professionals but as calm, experienced facilitators who hold space for difficult conversations.
Real Story: When Adult Children Don’t Want the House Sold
| Client Scenario — The Siblings and the Family Home |
| A brother and sister grew up in a memory-filled home in the west end of Toronto. Their parents, in their late 70s, were feeling the strain of maintaining the property. But their adult children didn’t want the house sold — to them, it held decades of family history.
The parents, meanwhile, were quietly worried about becoming a burden. They didn’t want their children spending weekends doing repairs. |
Kathrin and Barbara introduced a concept they return to often with clients: separating the memory from the object.
| “The home held meaning, yes — but the meaning lived in the stories, not the bricks.”
— Barbara Franovic-Wilkins |
Their organizer partner helped the family sort through decades of belongings without overwhelm. Then the family made a deliberate decision: rather than let the history disappear, they preserved it. The parents commissioned a custom painting of the family home. They assembled shadow boxes filled with childhood treasures — handwritten notes, school crafts, family photographs — so the next generation could carry the stories forward without holding onto the entire house.
Once the home was decluttered, Brick & Bloom’s staging partner transformed the space — highlighting its warmth, natural light, and character. In a challenging market, that preparation made a measurable difference. The family achieved an excellent selling price, and the parents moved into a home that suited their current lifestyle and energy.
What This Story Teaches Families
- Honouring the past does not require holding onto everything. Creating tangible keepsakes — photographs, commissioned art, curated objects — allows families to carry the emotional legacy forward in a way that feels intentional.
- The ‘stuff conversation’ is its own stage. Kathrin and Barbara treat the process of sorting belongings as a distinct, respected phase — not an afterthought.
- Staging changes outcomes. Professional staging is not cosmetic. In a competitive market, it directly affects the sale price and the timeline.
The Framework Kathrin and Barbara Use With Every Family
After two decades and countless client families, Kathrin and Barbara have developed a consistent approach to the communication side of downsizing. These are the principles they return to most often:
- Start early. Proactive conversations create more options, more time, and less stress. Waiting for a health event or crisis removes choice from the equation.
- Use ‘I’ statements. Sharing how you feel — rather than what you think the other person is doing wrong — changes the tone of the conversation immediately.
- Define roles clearly. Everyone in the family wants to help. Ambiguity about who is responsible for what creates tension. Clarity reduces it.
- Don’t take it personally if adult children don’t want your belongings. This is one of the most common and most painful moments in the downsizing process. It is not a rejection.
- Slow down to move forward. When conversations stall, slowing the pace — rather than pushing harder — is usually what creates the opening.
How Brick & Bloom Supports Families Through the Full Transition
Brick & Bloom is not a transactional real estate service. For Kathrin and Barbara, the sale of the home is one stage in a longer process — one that includes planning, preparation, family coordination, and the full logistics of the move itself.
Their BLOOM Pathway system provides end-to-end support across every stage of the transition:
- Family communication and expectation-setting
- Strategic pricing and market planning
- Property staging and enhancement
- Professional organizing and decluttering support
- Move coordination with specialists in senior transitions
- Access to a trusted network of financial advisors, legal experts, and community resources
- Concierge-level care throughout the process
For families working alongside Delmanor Communities, Brick & Bloom is a trusted partner in the full downsizing journey — helping seniors transition from a family home into retirement living with as little disruption, and as much dignity, as possible. That partnership is most active at Delmanor West Village and Delmanor Prince Edward, two communities in Etobicoke that share Brick & Bloom’s commitment to making this transition feel supported, personal, and human.
Memories Matter Vendor Fair: A Partnership in Action
Downsizing is often seen through the lens of logistics: boxes, floor plans, and moving trucks. But for older adults leaving a long-time family home, the harder question is rarely about furniture. It is about the decades of memory woven into everyday objects — and what happens to those memories when the home is sold.
This is the question at the heart of a partnership between Brick & Bloom Real Estate Group and Delmanor Communities — specifically Delmanor West Village and Delmanor Prince Edward. Together, they brought that question to life through Memories Matter Vendor Fair, an event held on April 18th, 2026 at Delmanor Prince Edward — focused on emotional preservation and helping seniors and their families find creative, meaningful ways to carry their history forward into the next chapter of life.
| “When a new resident joins us, they want their new suite to feel like home. This partnership allows us to show people that moving to Delmanor doesn’t mean leaving your history behind. It’s about curating your best life — and these vendors provide the tools to do exactly that.”
— Paula, Community Relations Manager at Delmanor Prince Edward |
Memories Matter Vendor Fair brought together specialists in emotional preservation — professionals who create legacy videos, help write memoirs, transform cherished items into memory quilts, and assemble shadow boxes that display a life’s worth of meaning on a gallery wall. The goal was not to help people get rid of things. It was to help them carry the right things forward.
| “More than anything, I’m looking forward to the peace of mind this brings to our residents, their families, and future residents. My goal is always to ensure our residents feel supported and cherished during these big life changes. Seeing them discover creative ways to keep their life stories alive — without the clutter — is so fulfilling.”
— Lisa, Sales Manager at Delmanor West Village |
For Kathrin, the idea emerged directly from the work Brick & Bloom does every week. “Our clients often feel a deep sense of guilt about getting rid of things,” she explains. “If we can help them transition those physical items into searchable, shareable, or wearable memories, the weight of downsizing disappears. It turns a goodbye into a see-you-in-a-new-way.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Downsizing and Family Dynamics
Q: What is Brick & Bloom Real Estate Group?
Brick & Bloom Real Estate Group is a Royal LePage real estate team based in the Greater Toronto Area, specializing in senior real estate transitions, family downsizing, and generational wealth planning. Led by Kathrin Paek (Real Estate Broker, SRES®) and Barbara Franovic-Wilkins (REALTOR®, SRES®, ABR®, SRS®, RESA® CSA™), the team brings over 20 years of experience and a proprietary system — the BLOOM Pathway — to every client transition. Brick & Bloom serves Toronto, Etobicoke, and Mississauga. BrickandBloom.ca
Q: How do you help families who disagree about whether a parent should downsize?
Kathrin and Barbara are frequently brought in as neutral, experienced facilitators — not just as real estate professionals. Their approach involves clarifying each family member’s intentions, reaffirming the senior’s autonomy, and creating a structured process that everyone can participate in at their own pace. A no-pressure conversation with an experienced team is often the most effective first step.
Q: When is the right time to start a downsizing conversation with a parent?
As early as possible. Families who begin the conversation before a health event or housing crisis have more options, more time, and far less stress. Kathrin and Barbara recommend treating it as an ongoing conversation rather than a single event — one that evolves as needs and circumstances change. Starting early does not mean making decisions immediately.
Q: What is included in a downsizing transition with Brick & Bloom?
Brick & Bloom’s BLOOM Pathway system provides strategic coordination and project management across every stage of the transition. Their core services include family communication support, strategic property pricing, negotiating, staging, and the full marketing and sale or purchase of a home. They also provide access to a carefully vetted network of professional organizers and declutterers, senior-specialist movers, and financial, legal, and community professionals. It is important to note that while Brick & Bloom coordinates and manages the process, decluttering and organizing services are provided by their trusted partner network and are not included in the Brick & Bloom fee — clients receive referrals to a range of vetted providers and choose the professional that best suits their needs and preferences. What Brick & Bloom delivers is the essential project management that connects all of these services into a seamless, stress-free experience for the older adult and their family.
Q: How does Brick & Bloom work with retirement communities like Delmanor?
Brick & Bloom and Delmanor Communities share a common mission: helping seniors and their families move through major life transitions with clarity, dignity, and support. Brick & Bloom handles the real estate side of the transition — the sale of the family home and the logistics of the move — while Delmanor Communities provides the destination: a thoughtfully designed retirement community where residents are empowered to live actively and well. This partnership is most active at Delmanor West Village and Delmanor Prince Edward, both located in Etobicoke and serving seniors across the Greater Toronto Area. Together, the two organizations co-hosted Memories Matter Vendor Fair, an event held at Delmanor Prince Edward on April 18th, 2026, designed to help seniors preserve their family history and carry it forward meaningfully into retirement living.
Q: How do adult children approach a parent who is resistant to moving?
Resistance usually comes from fear — of losing independence, of the unfamiliar, or of no longer being in control of one’s own life. Kathrin and Barbara recommend beginning not with a plan but with a question: what matters most to you about where you live? Understanding the parent’s core concern, rather than addressing the surface-level resistance, is what shifts the conversation.
Q: How can I contact Brick & Bloom Real Estate Group?
Brick & Bloom offers a free, no-obligation consultation for families and seniors beginning to think about downsizing. Kathrin Paek can be reached at (647) 339-1353. Barbara Franovic-Wilkins can be reached at (416) 898-4272. Email: info@BrickandBloom.ca. Website: BrickandBloom.ca
Taking the Next Step
There is rarely a perfect moment to begin a downsizing conversation. But most families who have been through it say the same thing: they wish they had started earlier.
Brick & Bloom Real Estate Group offers free, no-obligation consultations for families at any stage of the process — whether the decision is imminent or the conversation has not yet started. Kathrin and Barbara are available to speak with families, answer questions, and help map out what the transition might look like.
And for families exploring retirement living options in the Greater Toronto Area, Delmanor Communities — including Delmanor West Village and Delmanor Prince Edward — welcomes tours at any stage, with no pressure and no obligation. Both communities are designed for seniors who want to live actively, independently, and well.
