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The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton (RAE), founded in 1927, is a professional association of real estate brokers and associates in the Greater Edmonton Area and beyond.
Welcome to the RAEdio Podcast brought to you by RAE, the REALTOR's Association of Edmonton. So that's the RAEdio Podcast. We deliver easy to understand market insights, some homeowner tips, perspectives from industry experts so that you can feel informed and empowered wherever you are in your home ownership journey because better decisions start with better information. Hello, everyone, and welcome to the RAEdio Podcast. RAEdio Podcast REALTORs Association of Edmonton, and we have an award winning realtor joining us.
Mark:Alex Ward of Maxwell Devonshire Realty is the Edmonton Realtor of the Year. Hello, Alex, and congratulations.
Alex:Thank you so much, Mark. It's an honor to be here.
Mark:Now I understand you weren't able to make it to the award ceremony. You had to send someone in your place to accept the award. Are you kicking yourself now that you didn't reschedule?
Alex:Well, if it wasn't for the fact that I was in Kelowna for a retreat, I probably would be kicking myself. But have to say Kelowna wine tours
Mark:Absolutely.
Alex:Other it was with a bunch of other associates and industry members across the country. So and it was booked a year in advance. So, no, not kicking myself. I would have loved to be there to be able to celebrate in person.
Mark:Now for people outside the industry, what does being named realtor of the year represent?
Alex:For those not as part of an industry, it really represents just a dedication and a longevity. You have to be licensed for a minimum of ten years and definitely show some giving back to the community and supporting it through board work and other initiatives. So it's really the highest distinction and highest award level that we have within the REALTOR's Association of Edmonton. So it's a true honor to be nominated and then even a bigger honor to be able to win.
Mark:Absolutely. Well, let's take us back a little bit. Tell us how you decided to pursue a career in real estate.
Alex:So that would be going back back to 2015, and I had just recently left a position as a bank manager for one of Canada's largest financial institutions. Was making the career change and figured out that I love real estate, and a lot of my coworkers at the time had transitioned to either mortgage brokers or investment advisers. So I thought I would complete that triangle by becoming a realtor. Through that process, joined at the time Realty Executives Devonshire Realty, which transitioned into Maxwell Devonshire Realty in June 2017. And, yeah, it's been a really great career ever since.
Alex:I purchased the brokerage in September 2018. So I'm not only an a realtor. I'm also a broker, and I was fortunate enough to win broker of the year back in twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three. So it's been a real wonderful journey, and giving back has always been a big part of who I am in real estate.
Mark:Now do you think that background in finance, does that come in handy for you, or did it give you, like, a pretty solid background about what people are facing when they're buying a home?
Alex:It certainly helps instill trust right away with everyone, and it's really good to be able to explain how the back end piece of it works. A lot of people can understand writing of the contract, but they don't necessarily understand what a bank will be looking at or the process of getting approved for that mortgage. So definitely having that financial background is a big leg up, and it really helps explain to other associates when they're explain experiencing a problem that it might be normal or this might be a little exceptional, might be the right word to put it, to conventional lending or something like that.
Mark:And, course, that would have given you also a background in in client services, dealing with clients, and that sort of thing. I'm I'm sure that was advantageous to becoming a realtor.
Alex:100%. Being able the training provided by any large financial institution is probably second to none. So being able to go through that and experience all the different levels that I had and seeing it in people management too and understanding how to properly communicate and go from step a to step b. Yeah. It's been invaluable.
Mark:So what do you think that exceptional realtors, someone who's maybe got cut above, because you certainly are. You have to be to to be the award winner you are. What do you think they do that maybe the average person isn't aware of or maybe takes for granted?
Alex:It's definitely giving back to the REALTOR's association and looking at being able to improve not just themselves, but the community and the industry as a whole. There's lots of really good associates, associate brokers, and brokers out there that devote their time. Unfortunately, only one can be recognized each year, and so it's an honor for me to be that one for this year. But there's lots of really good ones, and how they do it is by giving back, plus creating exceptional experiences for the clients that they represent.
Mark:Now creating those experiences, because I'm sure that's something that you have to work as broker with your associates on. You're bringing people into the industry. How do you impress upon them the kind of steps they need to take to become that person who's gonna be an exceptional realtor?
Alex:That is a very good question, Mark. And a lot of it has to do with just the internal culture within the brokerage. And then second would be living it each day. Yep. Right?
Alex:Showing by example, showing how we treat and support them is then a way that they should be treating and supporting their clients, and really just creating the structure in place that they don't have to try and reinvent reinvent the wheel, but go out there and just execute what they know best. Internally, I think a lot of people, when they join this industry, have the desire to really help people. That's why they get into it. They love houses. They wanna help people buy that biggest assets of their life until they buy their next house.
Alex:It's just they don't understand necessarily the steps to be able to do it, but everyone pretty much comes in with a good heart. So it's taking that good heart and focusing them in on the right steps to be able to go out and execute.
Mark:I think it's a really interesting point you make too about how you, as the owner of a brokerage, with employees, how you treat them reflects how then they will treat the customer, and you make that connection. Because, you know, there's a lot of people in businesses, sometimes they're not always treating their employees well, but they expect their employees to treat the customer well, And that seems to me to be a disconnect. That seems to be something you obviously think is important.
Alex:Yeah. I would say going outside of just being the realtor of the year, the brokerage perspective is the realtor is our client. So how we treat the realtor
Mark:Right.
Alex:Is how they're gonna be able to treat their clients. So really being grateful every day that the ones that choose us have chosen us and really making them feel appreciated and going out and doing everything we can so then they can feel appreciate their clients then can feel appreciated because they they know it's coming from the top down.
Mark:Right. Now in all your years of being a realtor and dealing with customers, can you share a memorable story of someone you work with, something that maybe was difficult at the time or something that turned out really well? Maybe a story that you often tell that maybe demonstrates kind of what you think really works for a realtor?
Alex:I always go back to the very fur my very first client. So I met them at an open house, first ever open house I did. We bonded really quickly, and we were able to we wrote an offer on the house. Wasn't my listing. I got to represent them.
Alex:That offer didn't go through, but then we ended up looking at 56 different properties together and wrote four different offers. But it was really good because that was my first client experience, so it really gave me an opportunity to learn a lot and be able to learn how I was communicating and change my communication style depending on the house, have a great appreciation for how long and how big of a purchase it is for someone and important of a purchase it is for someone. Right. Because finding that right house is hard. Right?
Alex:It's not when you're going and buying a car and you just pick the model and you pick the accessories. This has such uniqueness to it that each house is different even if it's you look at them from the outside and they look the same, but each yard is a little different. Each how it's facing on the sun, each finishing is slightly different. So finding that right one is so, so difficult. And those first clients really helped me go through that journey and learn a lot about house buying.
Mark:And I would think, by the way you describe it too, that there's no perfect house for anyone. Every house is gonna be have something different about it, but, you know, if you mainly connect with it, and you think, I can turn this into my home, that's maybe the house that makes sense. Because not everything every house is gonna have everything you ever dreamed of, I would think, for most clients.
Alex:Yeah. Even if you're building custom. As soon as you move in, you're like, oy, I should've done that instead of this. Right? Usually, you're swearing, but in this case, we won't make that.
Alex:But yeah. So, like, even if you build custom, you're always going in, and there's always something that you could have changed. What I say is it's the largest purchase of your life, again, until you make that next one, but it's still the most emotional purchase of your life. Because you'll walk into a house and you'll just feel connected to it instantaneously, and then it's just figuring out, k. Does it make sense for your budget?
Alex:Does it make sense for your way of life? Right? Like
Mark:Mhmm.
Alex:But ultimately, that personal connection to the home when you walk in is still overtakes everything else. And you're it's not a a though people use their houses as long term savings and retirement savings, especially in today's world, it's still an emotional decision and purchase at the beginning. And no one wants to overpay. Everyone wants to get it for value, and sellers wanna sell for the most, but ultimately, it's still that emotional purchase.
Mark:And even if you compare it to something like car, which might be the second most, let's say, you're spending a lot of money, say, on a pickup truck that's $80,000. Yeah. That's a you gotta give some thought to it, but then when you buy and sell another one, it's different. When you buy and sell a house, that's your home. All kinds of things happened in that place to you and to your family.
Mark:Your memories are locked up into it. I think that's the emotional part of it that is different from any other purchase.
Alex:100%. I I just helping some clients right now. They've lived in the home for twelve years. Their kids were born in the home. They've grown up in the home.
Alex:To the parent, it's just so full of memories that they like, when they're walking through it, they see their kids in the moments from when they were toddlers to now preteens, and now they're moving. And so it's an opportunity now for the whole family to create memories because a lot of the big memories for the parents are from the toddler stage that the kids don't necessarily remember, but that new home is going to be memories that they can all share and all remember together and laugh about in fifty, twenty, thirty, fifty years from now.
Mark:Absolutely. Now back to a little bit about the the industry and whatnot. I'm sure over the time, and I mean, it's not like you've been in the industry for thirty years, but even the last ten years have been an interesting time in business generally. How have you seen the real estate, the REALTOR's sort of industry change over that time, and what things have remained constant?
Alex:Constant is associates wanting to help people buy and sell and do the try and do the absolute best job for them. Where it's changed is a little bit on the competition side. So there were definitely some opportunities within the industry for us to collaborate a little bit more and be more open that doesn't matter the brand that you're representing. Ultimately, we all have the same goal, and maybe having a little bit more understanding when we're working with each other about that.
Mark:So when you interview someone to come on to join your brokerage, they wanna be a real real estate agent, They maybe they've already started out. Maybe they have a couple years experience. What are the qualities you look at in that person?
Alex:If they're brand new to industry, what I always warn them is people you know know you for what you're doing today. Everyone knows five, six, seven other real estate professionals, and they're gonna see you in the light of what your current career is. So that's gonna be your biggest challenge is overcoming that and helping them see you in your new light in your new career. Right? Everyone faces it when they start.
Mark:Right.
Alex:For existing people, it's kinda seeing what their reputation is within the industry. Are they willing to collaborate? Are they known for being customer driven and customer centric? Are they really focused on the right things that we believe to be in the industry and not focused on just the quick buck?
Mark:Now as part of this award, they talk about leadership and mentorship being a big part of it. How do you embody that? What role do you think that plays in in how you go about your workday?
Alex:It's the huge part of my workday. Right? I'm always trying to lead by example, not only within the brokerage, but whenever I'm dealing with helping an associate or not an associate, a client buy or sell a property, It's that collaboration with the other side, understanding that we have a win win scenario that we're trying to achieve. So leading by example. Number two is creating coaching opportunities open to all industry members.
Alex:Example, we have by the time this airs, it'll be in June, but on May 26, we're doing a midyear review in partnership with Scotiabank that's open to all industry members to talk about Scotiabank economists. We're talking Canada Guarantee, first Canadian title. And we want it to be open to everyone because we truly believe education is power, and we believe that everyone should benefit from knowledge and professionalism. And together, then we can create a better industry. Being part of boards, audit committees, awards committees, marketing, gov gov pack, right, to try and install the change at the higher levels of political or federal and provincial politics to be able to get our voices heard from our industry so that we can have someone voicing that at the bigger table for us.
Alex:Right? All of those are very key things that we I focus on every day.
Mark:And it sounds like, you know, all those things go towards the reputation of REALTORs. And then when you say, you know, I'm a REALTOR, you want that to represent something, and and for the people you're dealing with to feel like, yes, this is a reputable person doing a job that I need. And I mean, that's obviously a very important part of part of all of this.
Alex:Couldn't agree with you more.
Mark:Yeah.
Alex:Yep. Professionalism is one of the most important things, and making sure that when you say you're a realtor, it means you're a true professional.
Mark:What do you think the hardest thing is for for folks who are part of this industry? Where where do the difficulties lie that people have to overcome?
Alex:Part is what I said before of people view you from your previous life. So if you were not a nice person, they're going to view you as not a nice person. If you're untrustworthy
Mark:Right.
Alex:That's how they're gonna view you. If you are known as that rock and that very trustworthy person, they're gonna and you're gonna have buy in a lot easier. Number two is just the continuous need of selling yourself and finding new leads. Right? And just always be looking out for how you can generate that next conversation.
Alex:There's a lots of different forms to do it. Online leads is one method. But at the end of the day, anything that you're looking at doing, the goal is to create a personal connection. So then that way you can bond, and then that's how you can then go forward with them and help them whether it's their selling or buying. The other big challenge that we have is nonstop fees within the industry, and that is just one thing people don't necessarily realize when they come in is that it is an expensive industry to be.
Alex:The public doesn't understand that it's an an expensive industry to be a part of. And so that is unfortunately one of the reasons why people leave. They're not able to earn the income to out to make a bread a great income to out earn the costs to do it.
Mark:The expenses that are there. Yeah. Now when you look at overall, say, in the greater Edmonton area per se, do you think that that REALTORs and and the industry itself is on the upswing? Where are we right now, you know, when you look back in your ten years?
Alex:The in the agent count has certainly increased drastically since I first came. When I ten years ago, I believe it was right around 3,000 REALTORs in Edmonton, and now we're up to 5,500. Wow. So that's quite a big increase over that ten years. The sales part is also grown quite a bit, and there's still it's funny because the still average sale per realtor is probably about the same, but the city itself continues to grow, and we're one of Canada's best markets for homeownership.
Alex:And so I don't see that changing anytime soon. So if you're a realtor in Edmonton, get ready. You are going to be working, and you're going to be busy for the foreseeable future.
Mark:Now when you talk to young realtors, do you do you ever tell them that they should specialize in one thing or the other? In other words, maybe you like new builds. Maybe you're doing infills. Maybe there's one area of the city where you really know that well, and you wanna stick to that. Is that something you would encourage?
Mark:I mean, I've seen it kind of happen with people I know who I I'm I work in the university area. That's kind of my area. Is that is that pretty common?
Alex:It's fairly common, and that's completely individual specific. Right? I don't have an area that I work in. I cover off the entire Edmonton area, Saint Albert, Showitt Park, Spruce Grove. I'll I'll help anyone out there.
Alex:I help my friends and family, and then their referrals, that's how I work. But there's some that just wanna work only in that university area. You'll see a lot of St. Albert or Shoig Park associates only wanna work in those because that's what they know, and they know better, and that's who they know. Right?
Alex:So it's, yeah, it's completely based on the individual.
Mark:Well, have we answer your we ask one question of all our all our guests on the podcast, which I hope that you'll be able to answer very well, I'm sure. It is, when you think about it, what do you think makes a house a home?
Alex:Oh, there you go. Wow. That is a good finishing question for everyone on this podcast. Yes. What makes a home?
Alex:I'd say it's who you have in the home is what makes a home. You can make anywhere your home if you feel comfortable, you feel loved, you feel appreciated. And there's people even if you're by yourself, if there's stuff in there that reminds you of good times and good memories, that's a home.
Mark:Alex, great answer. It's awesome. We thank you so much for joining us today. And once again, congratulations on being named Realtor of the Year.