Real Estate had never been an option. Originally from Toronto, I had a few dealings with real estate agents in the buying and selling of various properties of my own, but if I thought about that field at all, I imagined a world of scrabbling licentiousness where the power of the dollar ruled. That's not me, I thought. Then one day I met a broker in Waterloo who changed my perception.

He explained that the primary reason he loved real estate after 30 some years was that he liked to help people, (yes, his exact words).  Watching him work, I could see that a sense of honesty and integrity permeated all of this actions.  This started to shake my paradigm.  After years as a teacher and a counsellor, I knew one of my biggest thrills was helping people to achieve their goals, especially self-defined ones.   What could better, I thought, than uniting a buyer with the ‘perfect' property or helping a seller get the best price?

I learned that the profession can be approached from different directions. For some, making a lot of money is the paramount goal.  If you are ‘good' I was told, you can become rich.  I can see that. However, I have watched some of these high-rollers and although they are enviable in a way, their style is not my style. Some of these brokers have become institutions in themselves, working in such large teams that the personal contact may be restricted to the marketing  pitch at the start of a listing and a few intermittent phone calls.  And if they are working with buyers, they only want to spend limited time showing houses.  It's the sale rather than the perfect fit that is most important.

I like to get to know my clients.  Once, I remember, I actually started to shake when I entered a house because I knew it met a specific couple's criteria exactly. Likewise, when a client's house sells, I get a vicarious buzz.  My marketing plan involves a sequence of steps that I personally deliver or at least personally guarantee.  Barring irresolvable conflicts, for example, I like to do my own open houses.  That being said, I am big on feedback.  I depend on my colleagues here at RE/MAX  (and there are a lot of them here in my office!) to give me their opinions and assistance as needed. 

So, the personal relationship aspect of real estate I like. I also like the free-form schedule and never knowing what is coming around the corner.  It's never-ending learning.

The definition of a what makes us feel at home shifts according to individual taste, but the link between each individual and real estate, either the obtaining or the releasing of it, that's something I feel privileged to be part of.