ABOUT ME...
A little about me....(got 3 minutes?)
I never planned on a career in real estate. Does anyone, unless they're born into & succeed a family real estate practice?! I hadn't much idea about homes at all when I purchased my first home more than 2 decades ago.
I have, always enjoyed being around people though. I cut my teeth in the workforce when I was 10 years old mowing lawns in my late grandmothers neighbourhood. I did pretty good too - cutting 1/3 of the block at $5 a mow! What I really enjoyed was the smile on the elderly peoples face when I was done. It was gratifying. Plus, I earned some money to go to the record store and purchase some LP records and cassette tapes. What a bonus! I always dreamt of playing drums in a rock band & touring the world. I never really made it out of the basement playing music, but I did get a gig at a record shop which led to another at a major music store chain throughout the late 1980's to mid 1990's. Talking about music and earning some money while at it didn't feel like a job! It was a hobby. It put me through University where I had a major in Marketing.
After school, I knew I needed to get serious and embark on a career. Music is fun, but I eventually needed to carve out a path. I landed some great sales/marketing jobs - selling cellular phones (business to business) in the mid 1990's when mobile phones were a "business luxury" and not a necessity! I also worked as an account rep selling shipping/packaging supplies and safety equipment to large business for a short period. I learned a lot about others (and myself). A calling back to the music business came from the old K-Tel Records (marketing videos and DVDs) and then I hit the jackpot in the late 1990's working as a regional sales & marketing rep for the gigantic Warner Brothers Music Canada. There, I got to market artists such as Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Michael Buble, & Blue Rodeo, to name a few. Filling shelves with CD's at local record stores and "plugging & promoting" songs and artists at radio was a dream job (and I got paid) for a decade. Having a drink backstage at a concert with the legendary Neil Young & Kid Rock was what I did for a living... Pinch me! These artists had entrusted myself and my colleagues in carrying out their career ambitions (at least in the central mid-west area of Canada). What a privilege to be a part of!
It wasn't until I sold my own home (with the help of a Realtor) nearly 2 decades ago that I had even a thought about a career path in real estate. During the process, I became so engaged and interested, I decided to hunker down, study for a year and pursue my license in real estate. From there, I took a huge leap of faith and entered this exciting paradigm & haven't looked back!
A lot has changed in the world of real estate since I started over a decade ago. New technology, new rules, new ideas. What really hasn't changed (in my opinion) is that at the end of the day, people (home buyers and home sellers) just want to be helped, with the biggest transaction (in most cases) of their lives. The fact that people entrust me, to be a part of such a HUGE endeavour with them, is something I will never take for granted. AND, the most gratifying part of it all, is seeing their smile when we collectively succeed together. Much like the smiles I received when mowing lawns. The trust embedded in me with an artist who had a #1 hit song at radio or 100,000 copies of an album sold.
I've been lucky enough to have been a consistent top producer at my office and within the city amongst my colleagues. To have won multiple awards (including induction into the Century 21 Canada) Centurion "Halll of Fame" for volumes of homes sold. I never got into this business for those reasons though. Maybe I, my wife and mom would actually care! I enjoy being around people....Earning a living helping others seems like a hobby to me! I've been fortunate enough to have helped more than 1000 families buy and sell homes over the last decade. I hope we can meet one day...and help each other too!
If you've read this far, thank you! I can't wait to meet and learn more about you too!
