Patricia Lok

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BUSINESS BASICS

Started as a Realtor in: 1989 – 25 years in the business.

Specialization:  Vancouver and Pre-sale properties. I live in Vancouver and have worked with many developers selling pre-sale properties in all areas of the lower mainland for some of the top established companies including: Bosa, Mosaic, Polygon, Listraor and Qualex. I understand floor plans, homeowner warranty and inspection requirements.  I read all the documents for my clients and make sure they are aware of the building, strata council and investments fund details.

One-piece of advice for your clients: Buy in the location you really want to be in.

Why RE/MAX? It’s a good brand and my office has a great manager.

Q & A

1. What differentiates you from the 11,000 licensed real estate agents in the Greater Vancouver area? For buyers, I understand my client’s and their motivations. I tell them the truth. For sellers, the sales presentation is key.  It needs to be beautiful and with a comprehensive overview of building details, neighbourhood features, recent sales in the area. I have provided a few pages of my client presentation outlining my marketing plan and real estate tips.

2. What was your most interesting client story? Over 25 years you have a lot of stories, but recently I just bought a house for one of my clients who has never stepped foot in the house.  She’s from overseas and I provided her with all details, inspection and iPhone video of the 80 year-old home.  There were 4 offers on the table and I delivered my client’s $1.55 million offer to the seller in person, noting that the use of the home was not to tear it down, but to own and enjoy.  When it comes to peoples homes, I find it can be a very personal process, so taking the time to make an in-person offer is important to me and for my clients.  In this case, I think it played a big role in my client’s accepted offer.

3. What do you think clients look for in a realtor? To be honest, I don’t think many clients know what to look for.  I have many clients say to me, “I didn’t know you would do that?” Many don’t know what they should expect, but there is a level of service that I provide and it’s above and beyond.  I make sure they informed and know the details of what they are buying and for sellers, I present their home so others can see the value.

4. How do clients describe you and what’s your best feature? I’m honest and tuned into what they are looking for. My best feature, I ask a lot of questions and listen well.

5. What inspired you to be a Realtor? Ever since I was little I loved houses and property.  Now it’s about the people and understanding them.  How they are going to live and their motivation.  Some times their ideas are not realistic, but I help them to find something that works within their expectations.  Actually, many of my first clients still own and live in their original properties I helped them buy – that’s over 23+ years in some cases!

6. What do you love most about your job? The people and learning about their lives – If find that they are all so interesting

7. What is the hardest part of your job? Making sure all of the little details are right.  There are so many moving parts in buying and selling real estate and no deal is ever the same.  There are constant stressful feelings because I care so much for my clients.

PERSONAL SNAP SHOT

About: Patricia and her husband live in Kitsilano and have a busy house with three teenage kids.

Interests: She enjoys walking her dog, shopping, being outdoors and getting active in sports such as: boot camp, kayak and paddleboard. She’s also a foodie and wants to try every restaurant in town.

Likes (If you had more time, what would you do more of):  Traveling

Loves (can’t live without): Family, friends, dessert and coffee. She is addicted to sugar, but offsets this with her vitamins and kale smoothie intake.

A couple of things unique about Patricia: 1. If she wasn’t a Realtor she believes she would be a Psychologist 2. When she’s driving, she thinks about what she might have forgotten to do, who she should call and makes sure to catch her good friend, Ray Grover, DJing the afternoon show on 103.5 QM/FM.

Contact Patricia

Jennifer Dupuis

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BUSINESS BASICS

Started as a Realtor in: 2011

Specialization:  The community she lives in, South Meridian, White Rock.

One-piece of advice for your clients: Talk to a mortgage broker and get a pre-approval.

Why RE/MAX Fraser Elliott Group? I am very proud and excited to have joined the Fraser Elliott Group as the Designated Buyer’s Specialist. The Fraser Elliott group is a group of energetic professional Realtors that motivate each other to succeed in this business. The group is the number one Real estate group in Delta. We are in the top three ranked teams in the Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board and in the top 100 in the world for Remax. Our Team is a part of Remax Progroup Realty (Delta).

Ongoing real estate education: Beyond the industry standard training, Jennifer uses Twitter and other social media avenues for research and to read up on new stories Attending trade shows and speaker series, keep her current on the latest industry trends.

"Jennifer is dependable, accountable, very creative, energy to spare, has great enthusiasm, is always available, loyal, friendly and the most important gets results.  Our experience with Jennifer was great – she will be our realtor again.  Anyone who hires Jennifer will not be disappointed". -Jacqueline Farmer, Client

Q & A

1.    What differentiates you from the 11,000 licensed real estate agents in the Greater Vancouver area? I have a marketing degree, which is the education to back up my work, but it’s my customer service that’s the key differentiator.  I work with my clients molding my services and personality to their expectations and needs.  I’m workaholic, personal, and approachable, but I also incorporate a number of other things that impacts my client’s experience:

• I focus on research.  I want to dig everything up on property that I can, for both buying and selling. The research allows me to ensure I am negotiating the proper pricing for a purchase or sale.
• I’m not afraid of competition and I want to build relationships with other Realtors, which helps give an overall smoother experience for the client(s).
• I appreciate my clients with appreciation events.  I’ve hosted a breakfast, winery tour, and given great prizes like trips to whistler and massage packages.
• I build strategic partnership with other professionals in the industry to support and connect with people in my community and provide quality referral for my clients.

2.    What was your favorite success story? Every single client is a mini success story.  In some cases, you can search for a year to find the perfect home.  Home is sanctuary and I can help my clients find it – that’s success.

3.   What inspired you to be a Realtor? I have always been in sales and worked in entrepreneur type positions.  I was an event and wedding planner and worked in the tourism industry as a consultant.  When I made the move to real estate, it was because it was the right time for our family for me to take the jump.  It’s been great ever since.  I love it and I’ve proven I can do it.

4.    How do clients describe you and what’s your best feature? I believe they see me as very diligent, hardworking, and passionate person.  My best feature would be my confidence.

5.   What do you love most about your job? I love looking at homes.  Seeing the different designs and character and what people put into their home to make it theirs, all the creativity.  I often come home and tell my husband all the things we need to incorporate into our home.  I love being a buyer’s agent.

6.   What is the hardest part of your job? Right now, it’s finding the perfect home when there are not enough listings to match the demand of the buyers.  I had to flyer areas where my clients wanted to move to see if anyone would be interested in selling, and its disappointing when there’s no interest.

PERSONAL SNAP SHOT

About: Jennifer is married and a young mother of two kids, a girl (7) and boy (5). She loves to act and dance, be a “show boat” as she describes it.  She’s passionate about her community and getting involved in a variety of levels. When it comes to real estate, Jennifer doesn’t have a typical client, but she really enjoys working with out of town clients; visiting the homes on their behalf and composing a full report on each home with photos.

Interests: Dance, acting, supporting her kid’s school, getting involved with the people in her community, and aspires to get involved with the White Rock Players Club.

Likes (If you had more time, what would you do more of):  Travel.  I would love to go away twice a year to an exotic destination and travel Europe.

Loves (can’t live without): My family, wine, and music.

Something unique about Jennifer: A couple of things:

1. If she wasn’t a Realtor she believes she would be an outside sales rep for a tour operator
2. When she’s driving, she loves to blare Hip Hop and R&B.

Contact Jennifer

Evan Ho

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BUSINESS BASICS

Started as a Realtor in: 2009

Specialization: Westside Vancouver and detached homes.

One-piece of advice for your clients: Trust the real estate market. Vancouver is a good market. We’re only in the second inning of a nine-inning game.

Why RE/MAX? It’s a global brand with an international market reach, which is a good thing here in Vancouver.

Ongoing real estate education: Evan gets his reading done from 5-9am. He’s used to it from his days as an investment advisor.

Q & A

1. What differentiates you from the 11,000 licensed real estate agents in the Greater Vancouver area? At Wilson Ho, we truly care. Our business motto is “We treat everyone like our own family, and it’s true.”

2. Who has been your most interesting client? We met an 86-year-old teacher with no remaining family. She had an acre lot on West 2nd. The home was built by her grandfather, and was in the family for three generations. She didn’t want to leave, but the house was aging and the insurers would not renew; she was forced to move for other reasons. We sold her house & helped her find a safe place to move to. It was a difficult time in her life & she was having a hard time coming to terms with this life change, but we were able to gain her trust & got to know her quite well during the process. It was a great relationship that we were able to build.

3. What was your favorite success story? Finding the right buyers for our most interesting client. It took a lot of auction-style negotiating, but we managed to get the right Buyer to purchase the one-acre lot at west 2nd Ave, at the very highest price.

4. What inspired you to be a Realtor? My desire to help people achieve their lifestyle goals by selling their homes & buying their next perfect property. I enjoy being around people.

5. How do clients describe you and what’s your best feature? I am extremely knowledgeable. My best feature is that I’m not emotional so I remain objective. I call it like it is.

6. What do you love most about your job? The people and stories. Learning so much from different people.

7. What is the hardest part of your job? The hours and dealing with emotional buyers and sellers.

PERSONAL SNAP SHOT

About: Evan was born and raised in Ottawa after his family moved here from Taiwan for university 55-years ago. He sees himself as a bridge from Asia. He is proud of his heritage and he knows he provides a great service to help transition new immigrants to the Canadian culture. Evan’s ability to speak Mandarin also assists many of his immigrant clientele make the shift to their new community.

Interests: Golf, Politics.

Likes (If you had more time, what would you do more of): Travel the world.

Loves (can’t live without): The superficial stuff like coffee and cell phone.

Something unique about Evan:

A couple of things:

1. If he wasn’t a real estate agent he would love to be Ari Gold (from Entourage)
2. When he’s driving, to pump himself up, he likes to listen to Duran Duran, Reflex.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oDnNF5cHCdo?feature=oembed

Contact Evan

Dale Mcgauran

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BUSINESS BASICS

Started as a Realtor in: In 2004 after moving from Toronto, Ontario where she produced television and corporate video for 30 years. Dale started in real estate with only three contacts in Vancouver. She set a goal to find one buyer or seller at every open house she hosted. Selling 27 homes in her first year, Dale has been a member of the medallion club ever since, recognized as the top 10% of all realtors in the Greater Vancouver area.

Specialization: Dale lives, works and plays on the North Shore (North Van & West Van) and is very knowledgeable about the Downtown market as well.

One-piece of advice for your clients: The realtor you work with is a huge investment on your part. Make sure you can trust them, they are experienced, knowledgeable, reputable, know the market and most importantly – that you like them.

Why RE/MAX? It is a Global real estate franchise network that spreads across more than 80 countries and 8 territories on 6 continents. The RE/MAX “balloon” logo is one of the most recognized business logos in the world. “RE/MAX is the only company that I interviewed with. I never have to explain which company I am with. It has connections and referrals worldwide. It’s #1 in my eyes.”

Dale’s ongoing real estate education: She stays current in the market through the traditional training requirements with the Real Estate Board, CREA and RE/MAX, but is also working with the Richard Robbins Coaching program and is a member of REIN (Real Estate Investment Network) . Her experience with REIN has been unbelievable. Headed by Don Campbell, he uncovers details on local and worldwide markets, and educates with a behind the scenes tour of what’s really going on in real estate; knowledge that Dale continually applies to her personal and professional investing strategies.

Dale’s team: This past year Dale and Dan Pigott partnered under the branding of “Vancouver Best Homes”. Dale feels blessed to be working with such an amazing person –Dan has very similar morals, values, ethics and goals. Between the two of them they cover every possible client need.

Q & A

1. What differentiates you from the 11,000 licensed real estate agents in the Greater Vancouver area? I’m interested in building the relationship well beyond the sale. I truly do care and I go way beyond…It’s important for me to have meaning in what I’m doing and it’s the relationship that’s important to me. I’m dedicated to personal service, but with a personal touch. But easy for me to speak about myself – I think my testimonials speak for themselves!

As a previous television producer, I have an eye for how things photograph and present. I provide complimentary de-cluttering and staging advice and I have a storage locker full of “fluff” that I use to help stage my listings. A picture is worth a thousand words and I do provide professional photos and high-quality marketing materials. My clients can clearly see the value in my services to convey my message of “class act” representation.

2. What was your favorite success story? I had a client that bought a pre-sale in 2010 (without me & 2 years before it was complete) and then asked me to sell her current condo in 2012 before she took possession of the new condo. The market had taken a down-turn and for 5 months I did not have any interest in her condo. If I could not sell her condo, she would lose her healthy deposit on the pre-sale, which was her only savings! After a lot of stress and with a possession date only 1 month away for her to complete on her new home, I received a low-ball offer. Unfortunately, the bank would not approve her on the new condo as the offer was too low. I re-negotiated with the buyer and dealt with the Developer to make it all come together for a successful, happy ending. It was an extremely memorable, gratifying transaction and my client still thanks me every time I see her.

3. Who has been your most interesting client? At an open house in West Van, I met a Producer/Director I had worked with at CBC in the 70’s. He is now producing Feature Films. We re-connected, have become friends and I helped him find a prestigious penthouse condo in Downtown Vancouver . It was a fun, interesting and challenging adventure to work with him again.

4. What inspired you to be a Realtor? Even with 30 years of experience in broadcasting, my age posed challenges/limitations to finding the right career in Vancouver. But I was determined to find something that I was passionate about and once I decided on real estate, there was no looking back. I did not have a network in Vancouver but with a lot of hard work, I was able to grow my network and combine all of my previous experience in service, sales and marketing to provide my clients with a positive, memorable and successful experience in real estate.

5. How would your clients describe you? I would say that they would describe me as a professional always working on their behalf; doing what it takes to be successful in the purchase or sale of real estate. I believe my best features are how well I listen to my clients and my attention to detail – truly going above and beyond.

6. Least favourite part of the job? Dealing with the technology components, however, with Dan as my partner – well, he just excels in that department.

PERSONAL SNAP SHOT

About: Dale has a son and daughter, both with children of their own who live in the Metro Vancouver area. She has three greatly adored grandchildren (6, 4, and 2) with one on the way. Her son was her real estate partner for some time before he switched careers to the police force.

Giving back is not a choice but a moral obligation. She takes pride in donating a portion from every transaction to the Children’s Miracle Network and has recently joined Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver as a volunteer at the North Vancouver ReStore.

She likes to stay active through sports like hiking and skiing, but her biggest interest is in cars. She is a car nut and has a MX5 Miata to prove it, and you might just find her racing at the track.

Likes (If you had more time, what would you do more of): Travelling, time with the Miata club and mostly spending more time with her grandchildren. She would love to take them on a trip to Disneyland!

Loves (can’t live without): Spending time with her grandchildren – she describes it as her precious time and gives her life balance. The mountains and the ocean are also on the top of her list -loves finding new hiking trails or just walking the seawall in Kits, Stanley Park or West Vancouver.

Contact Dale

Alya Avram

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BUSINESS BASICS

Started as a Realtor in: February 2012, but she started investing in real estate at the age of 20 and has also assisted her family manage a number of real estate investments.

Specialization: Surrey and Langley

One-piece of advice for your clients: It’s a process, not an event. I would rather you make a good decision than a fast one.

Why Sutton Premier Realty? Sutton has an excellent education program and support system and in great proximity to my house, but mostly, it was more of a feeling than anything. Interviewing with a number of brokerages, others just didn’t have that feeling that Sutton did.

Q & A

1. What differentiates you from the 11,000 licensed real estate agents in the Greater Vancouver area? My personal approach. I take my clients on 100%. I worry about what they worry about. In this business it is easy to over look the seriousness of a property purchase or sale when we do it every day. I try to really grasp and understand their personal needs.

2. What was your favorite success story? My clients unfortunately experienced one of the worst transactions that a home seller/buyer could experience, which was completely out of our control. My client’s buyer ended up breaching their contract, which in turn made my clients breach their contract with their next purchase. It was a cascade effect that put a great deal of pressure on them and actually impacted the husband’s heath severely; he had a stroke. The buyer eventually rectified their breach and covered all the costs my clients incurred. We were also able to make new arrangements with our purchase contract.

I just visited my clients the other day and they are so happy now. It was an experience, which caused a great deal of stress, but my client’s came out on top and we gained a deeper relationship because of it.

3. What inspired you to be a Realtor? My family has been investing in real estate for 15 years, which sparked the real estate interest for me. It’s such a huge experience in a person’s life, especially as a first-time homebuyer. I felt my first purchase was lacking something. I knew I could do it and do it better and give better client care.

4. Thoughts on the current market?  The market is subject to so much. Her speculation is that eventually the market will go up, but suggests that buying a place for anything less than a 5-year investment is not a good option. It is too uncertain right now and in a lot of areas the market is too saturated, particularly areas of Surrey.

PERSONAL SNAP SHOT

About: Ayla is from Richmond and now lives in Surrey, but has lived all over the lower mainland and BC. She has a deep passion for dogs and dedicates time and fundraising efforts to L.E.A.S.H Animal welfare society.

Likes (If you had more time, what would you do more of): Rescue more dogs, camp and travel.

Loves (can’t live without): DOGS, her dogs…and her “fablet” (phone tablet).

THE EXTRAS

Ayla believes her clients see her as a genuine person, “I hear that a lot,” she says, “I believe my best feature is that I am honest and humble.”

She thinks clients are looking for one of two things from a realtor: 1. Someone that can show they can do something for them financially or, 2. Someone that will put their needs first and listen to them.

Ayla doesn’t have a typical client. She deals with everyone such as investors, families, singles, couples and first-time homebuyers. “It’s not about the age or type of client, it’s about a common ground,” Ayla says. She believes strongly in what she offers and the relationships she builds with her clients that’s why she provides an easy and simple exit agreement for all her clients so they don’t feel restricted. Their happiness in the process is the most important.

She stays educated through the usual broker and Real Estate Association training, but she also likes to talk to others in the industry to understand the various opinions. Ultimately the she gains the most from her clients and the experience she gets out of each deal she completes.

If Ayla weren’t a Real Estate she would she would be running an animal rescue, such as the L.E.A.S.H Animal Welfare Society. That said, her career as an agent gives her the flexibility to spend time with her dogs, support animals in need as well as get time in with family; her three main passions in life. She loves being a Realtor and her favourite part is how she becomes such a big part in her client’s life, “It’s an honour to be one of the top people my clients call when they have something significant happen in their life.”

Contact Ayla