Ms. Ginny Brown, interview.

Ginny Brown, had recently retired from her her real estate career and from her real estate office, Royal Lepage Top Producers.  I had asked Ginny if she would be willing to have me interview her about her real estate career.  And, she said yes.  Here is a little insight on a real estate career from a successful Realtor:

Q.)  What motivated you to embark upon a career in real estate and what year did you become a member of the Winnipeg Real Estate Board/Association?

A.)  I took the classroom version of the course and was licensed April, 1994.  The course was eight weeks, four nights a week, seven to ten PM, while still working full-time.  I was a bank employee seeking a new career that would afford me more flexibility in my job and allow me to hopefully make more money.  I also wanted to get out from under the glass ceiling.  One day my sister, Cathy Sutton, said to me " you've been kissing butts for over twenty years, why not become a Realtor and get PAID for it?"  Haha.  Very true, as it turned out.

Q.)  How long did you work at the bank, or as we like to say...in your previous life?

A.)  Over twenty years in banking.  I ended as a Loans/Mortgage Manager.  Yes, twenty years with BMO and a few horrific years with HSBC.

Q.)  I know you have a love for music.  What are your all time favourite Top Five bands?

A.)  1 - The Beatles, 2 - Steely Dan,  3 - Oingo Boingo,  4 - Pink Floyd,  5 - Gorillaz...many more!

Q.)  Do you remember what your first few days, weeks and months were like as a new Realtor?

A.)  My first days were exhilarating!  Meeting so many great people, getting settled, wanting to set the world on fire.  My first few weeks was writing letters, making lists, phone calls, etc.  The my first few months I had a reality check.  Rome wasn't built in a day, a week OR a month.  I kept a positive attitude and forged ahead.

Q.)  What are your Top Five movies of all time?

A.)  1 - The Graduate,  2 - Midnight Cowboy,  3 - Glengarry Glenross,  4 - Gold Member,  5 - It's a Beautiful Life, and about five hundred more.

Q.)  What advice would you have for a new Realtor to help them become established sooner and productive faster?

A.)  Let the world know you are a Realtor!  Many good avenues I used are now closed like cold-calling, contacting expired listings, etc., but you can still send mailers with info likely to be of interest to the recipient.  Spend money on ads and self-promotion.  Give a stack of cards to friends and family.  Get your name and face out there on the Internet, blog, Facebook, your Royal Lepage website, Free Press and Winnipeg Real Estate News.  Consider joining organizations, volunteer.  ABC = Always Be Closing.  Treat every person you meet as a potential customer, but resist the urge to hand out business cards at social functions unless someone asks for one.  Be sincere.  Don't assume your smarter than your clients (and if you do, don't let it show).  Very important - market yourself to your fellow Realtors.  Treat them with respect and consideration.  A good reputation with your peers will pay you dividends over your whole career!

Q.)  Do you recall your very first sale and the clients you helped either find, or sell their home?

A.)  Yes!  A couple of friends getting married.  I sold them a big fancy house in St. Andrews, plus each had a nice house in Winnipeg to sell.  So, after nearly three zero months, I struck gold on Canada Day!  So glad I hung in there and stayed positive.  Their marriage eventually ended, but I survived.

Q.)  What is your favourite restaurant and what is your favourite meal there?

A.)  Local - Sing Fe Chinese restaurant in Winnipeg Beach Hotel, the breaded shrimp and lemon chicken (tongue in cheek, but it is good in a pinch).  Whytewold Emporium - chili cheese fries to absolutely die for!  In Winnipeg - far too many to list, too many favourite meals to recall!

Q.)  Throughout your career you were a consistent recipient of numerous local and national awards.  What was it within you that gave you the motivation to "go to work" each day and to be so successful?

A.)  A sincere desire to help people.  A love of houses.  Not turning my phone/pager off at six in the evening.  Not taking weekends off in the summer.  Saying "No" as seldom as possible.  I was not motivated to win awards, for me, it was the people more than anything else, but everyone is different.

Q.)  For many years you were a volunteer on committees and as a Board of Director at the Winnipeg Realtor Association.  I believe this is where I had first met you.  What do you feel was the contribution to our members that you are most proud of?

A.)  Nothing specific, just happy to be of help on committees and make my voice heard.  I believe I made a suggestion to the Board of Directors that a Real Estate dictionary would be a good thing, which actually was implemented.  The bonus, it was great to meet Realtors from other companies and offices.  Marketing yourself to your colleagues can reap rewards.  (Actually we first met at a WREB baseball tournament!)

Q.)  Is there a client, or transaction, that you often look back at because it was very memorable for you?  Can you share with us that story?

A.)  Yes, some nightmares and some fairy tale endings!  Early in my career, I stumbled upon a small, but valuable trick.  My buyer client finally wrote an offer on a home.  We got into a money tug-of-war with the seller, and at some point, my buyer dug his heels in.  We were talking on the phone.  He said, "you tell them I'm not going to go up another $2,000.00, they can keep the house".  I said, "are you sure?"  He said, "yes, call the agent".  I said, "okay, but I can't contact the listing agent for about twenty minutes, I have to make a few other calls".  We ended our conversation, and I waited.  Sure enough, fifteen minutes later he called me back and said, "I don't want to lose the house over a lousy S2,000.00.  Don't make the call, I'll accept the counter-offer".  I told him he was a wise man.

I suspect he used the time to cool down and think rationally, which was what I had intended.  Sometimes intuition can guide you to do what needs to be done.

Q.)  If you gazed into your crystal ball, where do you see the real estate industry going in the years ahead?

A.)  I'm a bit concerned for the future of organized real estate in Canada.  I strongly support the "other occupation" rule in Manitoba (wherein Realtors cannot have another job).  Some other provinces, as well as the USA, have no such limitations where you can sell real estate in your spare time (oxymoron?).  Relaxing, or eliminating this rule is bound to diminish the public view of our industry.  We would command less respect as part-timers.  Other concerns?  1.)  There is some talk of lawyers being licensed to complete real estate transactions for their clients, including writing offers and negotiating.  That would reduce the services we offer and thereby reduce our value.  2.)  Consumer protection is important, but some of our changing rules are making the job a lot tougher, for example, a seven day cooling-off period for condos, tougher competition laws, also limitations on where/how we can market ourselves (do not call list, email consent, etc.).  3.)  Risk assessment of clients via new Fintrac requirements.  Do Realtors need to be qualified to do this?  Not in my opinion.  Perhaps this is just perspective of a veteran.  Our industry is ever-changing and we need to keep up, or stand aside.

Q.)  If you could travel to any place in the world, where would that be and why?

A.)  Winnipeg, 1967!!  Seriously, I'd say Western Europe, especially England where there are still green-grocers, butcher shops, bakeries, etc., as opposed to our big-box, big parking lot society (but things are changing there, too, unfortunately).  Secondly I'd say New York City for more than two weeks and really get immersed in it's many cultures.

Q.)  If you had to do real estate all over again, what would you do differently knowing what you know today?

A.)  As soon as I could afford to I would hire an assistant to take care of office details and sundry duties, freeing me up to deal with clients and customers.  Not to mention allowing me more personal time to stay in shape!  Looking back I worked hard, but not always smart.

Q.)  Was there anything that disappointed you in your real estate career?

A.)  Not much, besides occasionally realizing not all people are loyal.  Being a loyal type myself, this was a hard truth to learn.  That, and occasionally losing a listing to the competition - especially if it was because of price. 

Q.)  What was your outlet when you were not busy serving your clients in real estate?

A.)  Initially, running with my running club pals.  Later, being active in a Toastmaster's Club, volunteering with various charities like Taste of Nation (fundraiser for child hunger), and some much needed quiet time (Realtor's always have to sparkle; always be 'up' when on the job).  Sometimes we get peopled out. 

Q.)  What's next in Ginny Brown's life?

A.)  Making it up as I go along.  Some extended winter travel.  One hundred different projects.  This winter I am committing to restore our beautiful quartered oak dining room table with six leaves and twelve chairs!  I'm looking forward to getting creative, working with my hands, etc.  Maybe I'll try writing.

Q.)  Anything I haven't asked you, or that you would like to say to the people reading this interview?

A.)  I think you covered everything!  My only closing thoughts are to state emphatically that the last twenty and a half years has gone by in a blink of an eye!  I couldn't ever imagine working for a different company.  For me, it's always been Royal Lepage Top Producers.  Throughout the years I've been secure in knowing my brokers have my back, my colleagues are my friends, and the office climate is warm and friendly.

Our support staff is THE BEST, we are so lucky to have Sandy and Sheena.  Although I've never worked in any other brokerage, please believe me when I say, not all offices/brokers/colleagues are created equal.  we are the lucky ones, so don't take this for granted.  Lastly, I've enjoyed the ride immensely.



On behalf of all of us at Royal Lepage Top Producers, thank you Ginny for sharing some of you and your thoughts with all of us.  Wishing you continued success and we hope you will stop by at your second home every once and a while.