Welcome to my very first blog!

If you know anything about me, you know that I have a lot to say. Always. Like all the time. So a blog is probably the best medium for me. Or the worst, depending on how you look at it.

For those who don’t know me, you will.

In all seriousness, I am a licensed Realtor here in Winnipeg and I specialize in residential resale. I started on my journey to becoming a real estate professional about a year ago. I’m actually writing this from the Starbucks I used to sit in only one year ago cramming (mostly people watching) for my exams.

So why real estate? Why join an industry that is completely saturated with agents? Have you noticed that? Everyone in this city knows an agent. There are 1,700 of us, after all. I did know this number going into it; I wasn’t blind-sided by that. So my honest answer is this: “Because I can do it, too. And I want to do it better”.

I’ve really adopted the “why not me?” mentality which looks like this: there are so many people in so many different fields of work, but when you pick the one you’re set on and you consider all the successful people who have walked before you, you have to take a step back and ask: “why not me?” It also helps that I come from the most supportive family in the World. So supportive, in fact, that if I told them I’d like to run away and join the circus, they’d smile and reply warmly: “we believe in you.” I’ve actually contemplated saying this to them just to prove this point and have that story to tell at family dinners.

I’ve veered off - I tend to do this.

Now, back to my decision of becoming a Realtor. Not only did I view this as a ginormous challenge that I just had to take, I also have an extensive background in the people industry (I call it this because there is no better word) and when I really sit back and consider what makes me happiest it’s helping and working with people. I love meeting new people, I love connecting with people from different walks of life, but most importantly, I love figuring out how I can help people.

Everyone needs help. Usually it isn’t obvious; usually it's something terribly simple like a smile or a kind word. I remember sitting in an assembly when I was 9 years old and there was a presenter who came to speak about bullying. I’ll always remember what she said which was that everyone goes through their day with their own problems and suffering  and the best thing you can for someone is to pay them a compliment to help make that day better  – something genuine of course. She made this big spectacle about complimenting kids on their shoes and hair and I remember thinking “that’s what I need to do: I need to help more people have a better day.” There are many, many things that contribute to why I feel the way I do about helping people, but this always stood out to me and I have personally seen how much people benefit from a kind word here or a warm smile there creating a small human connection that will stick out amongst the sh*t people go through every day.

So what better way to help someone than to help them make one of the biggest decisions of their lives and help realize their dreams? As a kid we moved around a lot due to family circumstances and I remember dreaming about what “home” felt like. For everyone that’s a different feeling, but everyone has it and everyone deserves to fulfill that feeling and expectation. I understand that; I understand the emotions that go into these huge transactions and I think that’s what sets me apart from the pack. Working with mostly first time home buyers, I can feel the emotions my clients feel and their happiness becomes my happiness. I understand the emotional lead up to possession date and the rollercoaster that has led to achieving their very first home and just how much that means to a person.

So that’s me and why I’m here, and this is my blog. The types of posts you can expect to see are going to have a lot to do with real estate and the Winnipeg market, but you can also expect a mixture of other things that have to do with living in Winnipeg. I’ll talk about upcoming events, things you should do in the city and the businesses I support and why. Yes, I’ll have an opinion, and no, you won’t have to agree with it. Even though you should.

I hope you follow me along this crazy, fun, and challenging journey. I hope you learn something from me and I hope I can learn something from you.  Above all, I hope to help you, brighten your day, and maybe even work with you one day and help fulfill your real estate dreams.