The Switch

Sorry for the day's delay in releasing updates about my whereabouts, but having a Real Estate license in “limbo” with the Real Estate Council of Ontario, forces one to measure their steps quite carefully. But that said, yes, it’s official, The Watty Way has embarked on a new venture, and decided to “hang his hat” with a new brokerage, after just over 9 great years with the Coldwell Banker brand.

I did enjoy working under the “Big Blue” and though the brand presence was good, I found the value of the brand to be in the people that I had the fortune of meeting. Especially the tight Canadian contingent that was religiously at every conference and networking event. It is no wonder that these same Realtors are leaders in their own respective marketplaces – I will miss them all, but still hope to stay in touch.

What I will miss most is the home “nest” of Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty. I’ve heard so many experiences of new bright eyed Realtors starting their career at other brokerages and seemingly just thrown into the fire and expected to produce results. I knew from the moment that I sat down with Scott Mills 9+ years ago, that Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty was going to be my home. They preached customer care right from the start, when other brands were simply preaching to make the sale. The hardworking support staff handled most of my paperwork (thank heavens), marketing design and layouts for my ads, and also even stuffed envelopes, if need be. All of these things were necessary to keep me from getting bogged down with tasks that countered my strengths, and enabled me to just get out there and help people. In addition to the work support, the physical building was an ideal spot to call home. There was Pete’s café with decent coffee, sandwiches and treats from Norris Bakery, that were always perfect to grab when you were tight for time for the next appointment. The movie theatre was a great spot for client events and training seminars, plus the grounds made for tons of space for the annual Trees for Toys toy drive, that always signified the start of the Christmas season for me. But what I might miss most is the gym in the basement, that I only wish I began to use earlier, but would help me refocus and relieve my own day to day stresses, plus get my health back to where it needed to be to handle a taxing career Real Estate. Peter Benninger definitely understood what it took to build a real estate home for a growing realtor, and no other brokers I’ve ever met have cared to provide their Realtors with the services and lifestyle that can offer a semblance of balance, the way Peter Benninger provided for us.

I also had the huge honor of making it half way through a year feeling my production was actually competing in sales versus the legendary Mary Bales. I will never forget the smirk that she gave me when she said: “Darryl, I see you’re doing pretty well this year…” Then she proceeded to string together deal after deal, after deal, after huge deal, to leave me stunned and gazing at the glowing dust particles of the taillights of her 5 speed Nissan pick up truck (truly, Mary was kind of hardcore). Now that I have matured somewhat in this business, I think back to what Mary did, and how she did it, and am still in complete awe in how she was so ahead of her time. She would call homes handsome, but tell me to “save my watches” – granted, I was just happy that she was talking to me. However, I believe she was well aware that I was paying close attention to what she was doing; how she would describe her homes, how she priced the homes, how she would be so meticulous on how the home was to be presented and also how she would protect her clients like a mother bear to her cubs. She had a confidence, patience and trust in the marketplace, that may seem foreign these days, but cannot be forgotten. Thank you Mary.

I also had the pleasure to watch the one and only Peter Benninger in action, and though I never got to know what deals he was doing, the truth was that man works his tail off – More high paced hours than I have ever seen, and it’s not like the man is 30 any more. Not many people that I know could ever have the right to tell me to work harder, but Peter Benninger could make that call, and I would have no choice but to buckle down and get back to work.

In fact, I don’t think that I will ever meet two people that worked as hard as Mary and Peter. So did they work for their successes, or did success just follow them? I know me - to this day I still get scared of “easy money”.

I will miss all of my Coldwell Banker PBR Realtors, but I will name a few names that I will miss a whole lot, starting with Gaye Males (when my maturity was an issue, so was her name) who is easily the most professional Realtor that I have ever met, but still sweet. Tracey Appleton, who is the Ying to my Real Estate Yang – as the same kind of clients that would drive me nuts, seem to flourish under her tutelage and strategic approach. Horace Coelho, who brought me in to the fold, cared for me like a father, and always looked out for me… there were times when business was slower than I would have liked, and Horace’s door was always open to sit down and chat, and remind me to stay customer centric and have faith that things would work out. Susan Raymond has an amazing work rate, and I remember her coming in to grind out deals late in the evenings when I was doing my interviews. Dean Widdifield was my role model as soon as I pulled up to the Brokerage on my second day and saw him hop out of his shiny Bavarian Motor Works after playing at the golf course. Dean never seemed to be in a rush, and probably had seen it all – rarely irritated, unless Rogers messed up his billing (***livid***). Tim Ingold is a residential redevelopment genius, but to me was more of a friend and social/workout buddy, and that was a good thing, because a competitive industry like this, sometimes that’s exactly what you need to remove yourself from the dwelling and self torture that can happen when a listing just isn’t selling. Last, but definitely not least, I’d like to thank Megan Bell, who helped me grow my business over a 5 year span, while she was also maturing into the polished Resale and New Homes Realtor that she is today. I wish her nothing but the best.

Not unlike all the other CBPBR Realtors, I always had great managers, starting with Scott Mills (who was picked off by Coldwell Banker Canada) and also Bev Hepburn. But I definitely will always hold a deep spot in my heart for Peter Kritz. I just wish he was a few decades younger and I would definitely carve a spot for him in The Watty Way. Sharp, kind and calm, with a quirky sense of humour, Peter has a heart of gold and was always there for me. A man who drives back and forth from Hanover every day to look after his Realtors, and to defend them whenever they needed him, could not be doing it for the money. He taught me that when lived properly, Real Estate is a lifestyle. If things are slow, then go Uptown and talk to people – otherwise to make the phone ring, you need to call them first! To me, Peter Kritz was the soul of the residential brokerage… Great, I’m crying… I’m really going to miss you PK ☹

But I was told once (and I believe it) that elements of life happens in 9 year spans. I sold cars for 9 years with Crosby VW and Audi, then I had the pleasure of growing a Real Estate career with Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty for 9 years (almost exactly). During that time, I went to a Coldwell Banker Conference in New Orleans. There, I had the pleasure of getting to know Zan Monroe (coach extraordinaire and all out great guy) and sharing a few heavy beverages with the one and only Beverly Hill Luxury home specialist Christophe Choo. I also got to know William Nelson, easily the most interesting person in Ontario – and supreme story teller to boot. But there was one breakout session at that conference that shifted the way that I looked at the role I played in Real Estate. That was the session on Lifestyle marketing. “A room with a fireplace” does not evoke the same emotions as “a fire-lit room”. Immediately I was hooked.

The fashion in which Mary Bales wrote her descriptions began making more sense, and I started to understand what made them so effective. The next 4 years I continued to look a Real Estate through a lifestyle lens. Then last year it hit me… homes were selling for what seemed to be ridiculous money, but the Buyers were still thrilled when they go it. Those Buyers were not excited about merely the square footage, but the Lifestyle that the home would afford them to live. Breaking this down, I truly believe that in Canada, any 4 person family can perfectly co-exist in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment – everything over and above that, I know they are purchasing for Lifestyle reasons. So when I was introduced to Chestnut Park and Christie’s, who have been selling Luxury Lifestyles for the past 25+ years, it just seemed to be a natural fit, that was in line of what I believe Real Estate to be.

Really, who’s to say what Luxury is? For some it might be marble countertops and heated floors, for others it might be as simple as a little extra space in their bedroom, so they can quietly read and not wake up the children. It's completely subjective, but still up to me to take the time and effort to find and attract that ideal Buyer with that ideal home. Its also up to me to help my Buyers understand that they should share all of their wants, so that I can help to find that proper fit. In the case of Sellers, help them to understand that was makes the home so special for them will most likely be what helps us get the top dollar, as well.

I look forward to operating The Watty Way of Real Estate out of this new Chestnut Park Boutique Brokerage in The Shops of Uptown Waterloo, which feels like the perfect place for a customized Real Estate experience, not the classic get’r done “list with me now” “ready to buy or sell” mantras of many department store “one size fits all” brands. That, and the fact that our location is just steps away from the LRT stops, with plenty of lunch and shopping options as well, makes the allure of this location just that much greater. This business model will be different than anything that I’ve done yet, and yes, a lot of this change is out of my comfort zone, but they say that’s where growth occurs …and there’s another saying that I cannot disagree with either:

“Either you’re growing, or you’re dying”.

I’ve made my choice and now it's time to live with it, and try to help as many good people live well, along the (Watty) way.

Thank you for reading,