I have dedicated a significant portion of my professional journey to extending a helping hand, particularly to realtors. Whether it’s offering strategic advice, lending an ear, or providing mentorship and 1 on 1 coaching. My aim has always been to make a positive impact on the lives of those around me. However, I’ve learned to acknowledge a sobering reality: despite my best intentions, I will inevitably fall short in helping many.
At 27, I was given the opportunity to become the youngest manager on the Toronto Real Estate Board, despite my limited experience in management. Setting a personal goal of assisting one agent each day, I strived to offer support from a fresh, emotionally detached perspective, and try to have agents take this new thing called “Facebook” seriously. This was all in the hopes to contribute to their own business growth. In an industry where approximately 86% of agents closed 1.5 deals or fewer last year, the odds are undeniably stacked against me. I quickly learned that not only would I likely fail often, but I actually would also be blamed for their failure. I took every one of these to heart. I would often ask myself, what more could I have done?
A very trusted mentor left me with this quote:
“You can lead the horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink.”
Every conversation, every act of kindness, every gesture of support—no matter how small—contributes to creating a ripple effect of positivity. Even if my efforts only impact a small percentage, I believe they represent steps toward fostering meaningful change, one person at a time, within the industry. There is no better feeling in the world to watch success unfold and receive messages filled with gratitude that you were part of it.
Despite the challenges, remain focused on your goal, never give up, and always remember despite your best efforts, you cannot please everyone.