What made you decide to get into real estate?

I had been working a marketing/sales job with my sales territories being in the US when the recession hit in 2007/2008. I started looking at what my options were. My mother worked for a prominent and highly respected Broker in the Sudbury Real Estate market, and he approached me about getting my license, and offered me an opportunity to be mentored in the business. Having grown up around it, albeit at arms length, I felt it was a natural transition. It was an opportunity to continue to grow the marketing and sales skills I had developed, and put them to use in a new industry. It just seems like and natural fit, and it was!

What do you love about working in real estate?

I love that every day is different. Every house is different, every client is different. The needs of each client are never exactly the same, and  i enjoy building those relationships with my clients, getting to know them, and then tailoring my approach to each of their unique circumstance. But, what I really love is the joy and excitement when we find that house for a buyer, or we sell their house. I love how appreciative the clients are! The comments about how they feel I went above and beyond, and exceeded their expectations never fail to put a smile on my face, and warm my heart! The truth of that is, I’m just doing my job, I’m following a process to get the job done! It never gets old!

What part of the process makes you feel the most accomplished/happy?

I touched on it before… The appreciation from clients! The best hugs I have gotten that weren’t from my kids were when I delivered the good news to a client that we sold their house, or their offer on a house was accepted! In particular, the first-time home buyers when we find them their first home. I don’t measure success in this business by the number of houses I sell, or how much money I make. The real success story here is satisfying the clients, and exceeding their expectations fo what a real estate experience should be.

Which location are you an expert in, and why?

As a life long resident of Sudbury, I am comfortable with most areas within the City of Greater Sudbury. I would say I am most experienced in the Rayside Balfour (Chelmsford/Azilda) and Valley East Markets though, having grown up and lived in those areas pretty much my entire life. I also have a lot of experience with the particulars of rural and waterfront properties, and the unique challenges that you can encounter there. It’s important to know about flood plains, and zoning restrictions, shore road allowances, and all the unique little quirks you come across with these types of properties. I have also focused about 1/3 of my business on rental/investment properties, and am very adept and financial/cash flow/equity analysis of these properties. I’ve also taken seminars on fire compliance to be able to offer my clients an opinion on what to expect for a fire inspection of a property.

What makes Lake City Realty different?

Culture!!! After 10 years in real estate, I decided to make a change, and started looking for a new firm. After reviewing all the firms in the city, I kept coming back to one name… I called Dave, and we met the same day, and it was clear within minutes this was a good fit. It’s the business philosophy here, the attitude of putting the client first in all aspects, and fostering those relationships. I wanted to work in a place and with people who shared my values about the business. At Lake City Realty, we’re not happy to be idle, and Dave is always pushing us to learn new skills, and find new tools and techniques to market properties for our clients. It’s not good enough to be better than the competition. He wants us to be better tomorrow than we were today, and even better the day after that! We are always learning in order to stay ahead of the competition. Think outside of the box, and create solutions for clients where other see nothing but challenges. Evolve or get left behind!

What can we find you doing in your spare time?

HAHAHAHA! Are you serious? Ok… LOL Sometimes it seems like we don’t have a lot of free time! I’m a single father of 2 boys, and I enjoy spending quiet time at home with them, and cooking healthy home-cooked meals with them (I’m currently teaching my 12 year old a few things in the kitchen!). When I’m not with my kids (2 boys), I enjoy sports (football and hockey in particular), I’m a bit of a cinefile, and I enjoy taking road trips to wine country, or Manitoulin Island. I know there are so many beautiful places around the world, but there are some beautiful places right at our doorstep too! It’s nice to hit the open road, and discover!