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BUSINESS BASICS
Started as a Realtor in: Early 2010
Specialization: Vancouver West, Vancouver East, Burnaby, New Westminster, and Richmond.
One-piece of advice for your clients: Hire the right Realtor. Do your due diligence and interview 3 or 4 agents; it will make or break your experience and your bottom line.
Why Dexter Associates Realty? Michael previously worked in the hospitality industry in boutique hotels. Dexter is a boutique brokerage so it was a perfect fit. He doesn’t see himself working for one of the larger companies.
“We had our property listed and went through two different Realtors without any success over an eight month period. Once we met Michael our home sold within a month. We were very impressed. He worked very hard and had a lot of action in a short amount of time.” -Ian Brown, Client
Q & A
1. Do you have a favorite client experience? I met this older couple who never felt comfortable with a realtor, but were considering selling their home. I spent some time with them to talk about it. We ended up listing their home and selling within two weeks. They had purchased their home 25 years ago and are now financially set to live comfortably through retirement. They stayed within their neighborhood, moving to a nearby senior’s home where they have full care services. I still visit them now.
2. What is your favorite success story? A client had their house on the market for the past year and a half with no adjustments or changes to the listing. When I took the listing over, I was able to market it properly, promote it through showings and sold it at their asking price within 45 days.
3. What inspired you to be a Realtor? I was in the hospitality industry and I would have had to move away if I wanted to move up. It seemed like a natural transition to move to real estate; another “people” job. I would have loved to start earlier, however, I feel the background I have has added to my success.
4.What differentiates you from the 11,000 licensed real estate agents in the Greater Vancouver area?
- Business skills to understand people’s needs and wants.
- Trust
- Follow up
I don’t just focus on the client’s immediate real estate needs, but provide solutions for the whole experience. For example, I had a client with lots and lots of stuff. They were very concerned with packing and moving it. I listened to their needs and I recommended a company I knew who could help organize and pack everything. They had no idea these companies existed. They were so happy with the referral. It only took four hours for them to complete; something the clients swore would have taken them a week to do themselves.
I stay in contact with my clients in various ways; this October I partnered with a landscaping company to do a pumpkin delivery – Fun things like that.
I also have a special interest in helping new immigrants, as I have been there myself. I have dealt with various cultures and customs and can help ease any of the challenges that can be experienced during the transition of being new to Canada.
"I have worked together with Michael at Dexter and have found him to be a very sincere honest guy. We worked closely on a specific project and he came across as one of the most hardworking realtors I know. Michael’s philosophy is building long term business relationships with buyers and sellers and making sure that they enjoy the whole experience from beginning to end. He’s a great guy!”-Kathrine Light, Realtor, Dexter Associate
PERSONAL SNAP SHOT
About: Michael is married and has a 5-year-old son. Michael spent nearly 14 years living in Halifax followed by 2 years working on a cruise line as administration staff before he moved to Vancouver. He has bought and sold many of his own properties within the Kits area over the past 17 years.
He volunteers with big brothers in Vancouver and mentors a 10-year-old within the school program. Michael also coaches soccer and has changed this year from his usual 12 to15 year-old team to working with a women’s team, The Westside Wild.
He’s Unique because…
- If he weren’t a Realtor, he would be playing right wing in the European First division football league.
- He listens to positive affirmation cd’s in his car, but more commonly has Team 1040 on to listen to the Canucks.
Likes (If you had more time, what would you do more of): Spending time with family and travel
Loves (can’t live without): Tim Horton’s and the Canucks!
THE EXTRAS
Michael loves meeting different people and understanding how he can help meet their needs. He enjoys the challenges each and every client presents. He prides himself on his resourcefulness to help provide options so that clients can make the best decision for themselves.
Beyond the regular real estate educational requirements, Michael is active in marketing; monitoring what has sold or been listed every day. Even though many people in Vancouver think they understand real estate, he cautions people to understand that professionals can help guide and support the process with correct and reliable information.
Michael believes clients are looking for a Realtor to solve their problems, eliminate the worry and to be proactive in the buying or selling process. He listens to clients and wants to ensure they know he has the capabilities and can be trusted to get the job done.
Contact Michael Learn more: Vancouver Sun Interview with Michael
