#45: Embark on an extraordinary journey with Jonathan Meads, VP at Streetside Development, a cornerstone of the venerable Qualico legacy. From the charm of English pub gatherings to the corridors of boarding schools, we trace Jonathan's path, exploring his childhood dreams of aviation and the unexpected twist that led him to Vancouver's vibrant real estate scene. As we unravel the layers of Qualico's 73-year-old history and its affiliated vertical companies like Foxridge Homes, Streetside, and more, Jonathan unveils the strategic brilliance behind the vertical integration approach. Discover how Streetside stands out with its commitment to end-user satisfaction, sustainability initiatives, and the groundbreaking 10% deposit offer that's revolutionizing home ownership in Surrey. Join us in exploring Streetside's visionary outlook, featuring Net Zero townhomes, innovative carbon-consuming concrete, and a dedicated focus on community-centric development. Jonathan Meads takes us on a captivating journey through the ever-evolving landscape of real estate, offering a deep dive into the industry's past, present, and Streetside's pioneering role in shaping its future. • 00:00:13 Start time • 00:01:14 Jonathan's life in England • 00:02:54 Private pub parties in England • 00:03:51 Boarding Schools • 00:04:24 A banker for a father • 00:05:13 Are the schools in England like Harry Potter? • 00:07:04 Jonathan was blazing the trail for his siblings growing up • 00:07:15 The wooden spoon method • 00:09:48 Jonathan's current family • 00:11:01 Jonathan's journey to real estate • 00:11:12 Started the journey wanting to be a pilot • 00:11:42 Building Surveying • 00:14:50 UK infrastructure planning • 00:18:04 The rat race • 00:19:46 London lifestyle: Going anywhere at any time and always finding something to do in London • 00:20:39 The first career opportunity for Jonathan when he landed in Canada • 00:21:19 The power of coffee and connects • 00:22:27 Jonathan's first project in Osoyoos • 00:24:06 Old school recruiting • 00:25:43 Union pension funds at Concert Income Properties • 00:27:54 Culture within the Union side • 00:31:15 Commuting • 00:31:58 Working on lifes distractions • 00:32:50 The importance of being face-to-face with your peers & manager • 00:33:31 Streetsides in office policy • 00:35:43 Qualico is amazing • 00:36:02 History of Qualico • 00:37:41 Verticle companies attached to Qualico: Foxridge Homes, Streetside, etc. • 00:38:53 Journeying across Canada • 00:40:56 Functions of Qualico: Star, Rancho, Qualico Properties • 00:44:32 Pros of the verticals approach • 00:48:23 Pros to a buyer using this approach • 00:52:14 Learning from the mistakes • 00:53:22 Using reviews to improve • 00:58:58 The Family Home Dream • 01:00:17 Competitor scores • 01:02:15 Choosing Surrey • 01:03:43 Sustainability in the real estate industry • 01:04:11 KEY’s Google review • 01:05:25 Rancho's involvement • 01:10:41 Juno amenities • 01:10:57 360 views in Surrey • 01:11:56 The Boroughs • 01:13:10 The benefits of truly focusing on the end user • 01:15:29 Junos offerings • 01:16:29 Offering 10% vs 15% vs 20% and what it does for the end user • 01:20:52 10% gives a chance for people to get on the property ladder • 01:21:20 How could Streetside get the 10%? • 01:23:08 Construction lender's role and what they need to consider • 01:26:34 Juno is not just a cliche deal • 01:28:45 Vision for Streetside • 01:30:44 First Net Zero townhomes • 01:31:35 Addressing carbon • 01:34:17 Carbon-consuming concrete • 01:37:27 Selling induction • 01:42:56 Level 5 leader
#44: Dive into Rocky Sethi's 25 years of real estate, development, and construction expertise in this immersive podcast. With a rich background spanning land acquisition, construction, and sales—ranging from high-end custom homes to master-planned projects across Western Canada—Rocky shares a vibrant tapestry of insights. Rocky's stories transcend the traditional real estate narrative, delving into the intricacies of rental affordability, policies, and the allure of Penticton. His enthusiasm for Penticton's potential and the Stryke and Tien Sher masterplan community offers a glimpse into a burgeoning real estate phenomenon. Exploring Masstimber's potential to transform construction and design, Rocky envisions BC's role as a leader in this space. From fractionalizing real estate to fostering digital neighborhoods, Rocky's discussions paint a holistic picture of community building within real estate projects. His insights encompass technological advancements, family anecdotes, and a forward-thinking approach that bridges innovation with the essence of creating thriving spaces. In this podcast episode, Rocky Sethi's journey unfolds as a testament to the power of industry relationships, multifaceted experiences, and a forward-thinking approach. Listeners gain insights into the evolving realms of real estate, technology, and community-building, leaving inspired to navigate change and create vibrant, innovative spaces, with a special focus on the promise held in Penticton's real estate landscape. • 00:00:50 Family • 00:01:24 Growing boys and their deeper voices and mustaches • 00:02:21 First cars & jobs • 00:04:15 Rocky’s first time in the Okanagan • 00:05:18 Born in England, but grew up with an immigrant mentality • 00:06:12 Rocky's first career in Real Estate: Bad coffee, mustard-colored suit jackets, and typewriters in a Centry 21 office • 00:07:06 How Rocky got his license • 00:07:33 Building his first house realizing he liked building much more than selling • 00:12:54 Rental affordability & policies • 00:13:39 Policies across the country • 00:14:36 Calgary & Edmonton market • 00:16:34 The vibe in Alberta vs Vancouver • 00:17:44 Why love Penticton? • 00:18:56 The beast of real estate that's coming to Penticton • 00:20:36 The ethos for the Penticton site • 00:20:56 What exactly is Stryke bringing to the masterplan site • 00:22:42 Kelowna has the highest crime rate in Canada • 00:25:02 Starting Stryke, connecting the dots • 00:25:46 Leaving a CEO job for a new company • 00:27:04 Getting into mass timber • 00:27:43 Dimensional framing to TGI • 00:28:56 Building better buildings (decrafting the business) • 00:29:38 Wins when working with Masstimber • 00:30:08 Is CLT the same as Masstimber • 00:31:43 Designing with Masstimber, the right way • 00:32:26 Benefits of Masstimber to a Buyer • 00:33:24 What the spread with Masstimber in a woodframe project • 00:34:43 Will BC be a leader in Masstimer building • 00:35:15 Seagate Construction • 00:35:29 Current leaders in the Masstimber space • 00:36:58 Loving the opportunity in Real Estate • 00:37:56 KEYprize • 00:39:24 Fractionalizing Real Estate • 00:41:54 Enginuity of young people • 00:44:44 Logo tournament • 00:45:32 Building custom ChatGPT • 00:46:27 Gemini AI system • 00:50:55 Plugging a brain into an AI system • 00:51:15 Blue Zones documentary on Netflix • 00:53:17 Fear of the future in technology • 00:56:31 Creating a Digital Neighbourhood/Community • 00:57:26 Embedding community • 01:00:39 How to create a great community with a presale project • 01:03:38 Balancing work and family • 01:06:04 “Never shy about telling the why” Sahil Bloom
#43: Join Cory Wright, the driving force behind William Wright Commercial, as he explores the evolving landscape of Commercial Real Estate. From his daring start in Yaletown to leading 7 BC offices, Cory's journey underscores the power of people as the ultimate business asset. He delves into office models, client priorities, and the reasons behind his brand, emphasizing the importance of hiring for passion and attributes while fostering a culture of success without traditional titles. Discover Cory's insights into organic growth, AI's impact on Real Estate, and the client-first approach that defines William Wright Commercial, offering listeners a wealth of leadership and strategic innovation lessons. • 00:00:13 Start • 00:00:22 Cory’s start in the biz • 00:01:25 Working at Prompton • 00:02:20 Getting a lease with no credit in Yaletown in 2013 to 7 offices in BC • 00:03:19 People are your biggest asset • 00:03:42 KEY’s first office space • 00:04:34 What does the future office model look like in 2023 and onward • 00:05:24 Do clients care about a good-looking office? • 00:05:54 Why start your own brand? • 00:07:04 Entitlement in the Commercial Real Estate space • 00:08:30 Hiring on passion and attributes upon hire • 00:09:29 Communication is KEY in business and personal relationships • 00:10:54 Looking at the next market and increasing boots on the ground • 00:12:12 Not playing catching up with COVID • 00:14:44 Highlighting mentorship • 00:15:12 Smother people with leadership • 00:16:07 The people at William Wright Commercial • 00:17:19 Cam’s family within Lee & Associates • 00:19:11 Only being as good as your last transaction • 00:19:30 Growing organically • 00:20:10 Is Alberta next for William Wright? • 00:21:09 Generational wealth exchange • 00:22:35 Getting to know the Commercial Real Estate industry better (multinational, regional, local, resimercial) • 00:25:09 What are multinational companies offering to brokers? • 00:27:08 Opportunities in the office vs. not • 00:28:19 Why leave multinational • 00:28:38 Creating a broker's first brokerage • 00:30:41 Becoming complacent • 00:32:26 Creating a culture of winnings • 00:33:47 Why so many VPs?? • 00:34:10 Creating a level playing field, William Wright doesn't do titles • 00:36:26 Looking at the long game • 00:39:06 People buy what they know • 00:40:46 Revenue sharing model within William Wright • 00:45:04 50% of a watermelon is better than 100% of a grape • 00:45:35 How did the revenue model come about • 00:47:45 Cory's family • 00:49:39 People who make shit happen vs the people that have shit happen to them • 00:50:02 Who does Cory admire • 00:50:28 The book Execution • 00:52:26 Company values • 00:53:01 How to choose the right people • 00:54:01 A lot of people do not know how to be successful • 00:57:53 Innovating • 00:58:17 AI • 00:58:31 AI in commercial real estate • 00:58:58 What AI can do • 01:00:15 Development Land Sales • 01:01:32 Getting the list back • 01:04:26 Presale experience • 01:07:10 Current presale projects • 01:08:55 Putting the client ahead • 01:12:53 Is there a conflict of interest? • 01:13:25 End
#41: Uncover the enigmatic world of property management with the remarkable Michelle Farina, the driving force behind Advent and VADA Property Management. With over 20 years of expertise, Michelle takes us on a journey from her early days as a receptionist to becoming a licensed Rental Property Manager and leading her two successful companies. In this episode, Michelle shares her invaluable insights into property management, from the importance of robust systems to maintaining a leveled perspective in leadership. She also delves into the fiercely competitive property management industry, finding the right staffing solutions, navigating rental rates, and the challenges landlords face in today's ever-evolving market. But that's not all – Michelle's entrepreneurial spirit extends to VADA Property Management, a company dedicated to enhancing livability and functionality in investment properties creating vibrant communities. Join us for a rollercoaster of property management wisdom, future trends, and shocking success stories that will leave you inspired and eager to connect with Michelle and her dedicated teams at Advent and VADA for all your property management needs. 00:28 Rental Management right now 00:50 Advent 1:23 What is VADA 1:40 Who is VADA’s target market 3:00 Tenants who take advantage 3:44 Finding equipt staffing in the rental management industry 5:30 Starting Advent 5:56 Dealing with micromanagement 6:59 The timing of starting Advent and its instant success in the development space 8:49 Outperforming expectations 9:04 What does it take to be a property manager 9:59 Property management is crisis management 10:29 Michelles systems on how to find good property managers 11:30 Having really good systems in property management is key to success 12:29 Approaching management from a leveled perspective vs a boss 14:30 Ways Advent has gotten good brand recognition 15:00 Has Advent considered selling 15:23 Cam’s journey selling KEY Property Management to Tribe 16:08 Working with family 18:10 What does competition look like in the property management industry 18:36 How to not have negative competition within the staff 19:00 Salary vs contract employees 20:00 How Advent services their clients better 22:48 Today's vacancy rates 23:30 Does the holiday season affect vacancy rates 24:09 Where is the best place to get rental data 25:51 Things and markets change very quickly. Data from the last quarter will not be applicable to today 27:50 Do people really want long-term tenants 30:10 Can you negotiate rental rates 33:54 What does a property management company usually charge to landlords 35:33 Bill 44 & short-term rentals 36:43 Do you like the short-term rental industry 37:00 What is considered a short-term rental? 37:46 Affordable housing in the condo market 38:45 The average rent in Canada 39:00 How to find filtered data 39:23 What is a premium a tenant would pay new vs used? All things equal 40:14 Where do you think rents are going 41:35 The US rental culture 42:16 Is Vancouver’s rental culture slowly headed toward the US’s rental culture 43:00 Deciding if landlords should be advertising square footage or not 44:00 Do tenants care about amenities, and will they pay more 45:30 It’s hard being a landlord in 2023 49:30 The idea of being young and never being able to own a property in today's market 51:00 The mindsets of different generations in 2023 in a quick-to-reward society 54:00 The long game reward 56:49 Twitter or X 57:02 WeChat 58:15 What is Michelle reading these days 59:45 KEY’s Bookclub 1:04:33 How to get ahold of Advent
#40: In this episode, we delve into the incredible quarter-century partnership between Bart and Jason, a dynamic duo whose journey has been marked by adventure and business growth, notably within their company, Bucketlist. From beer shotgunning and invigorating ice baths to their shared passion for bucket list adventures, their camaraderie has been at the heart of their story. These two "work husbands" have come a long way, transitioning from weed-picking for the Coquitlam School District to building thriving businesses such as Tidal Multimedia, Advisor Websites, and Bucktlist, an innovative approach to employee recognition. This engaging conversation celebrates the power of enduring partnerships and the pursuit of business successes and life's remarkable adventures. • 00:00:13 Start • 00:00:51 Shot gunning beers to ice baths and electro lights • 00:01:15 Sauna and Ice baths routines • 00:02:19 Deep sleeps with aid sleep, the water bed 2.0! • 00:05:06 Bucketlist • 00:05:29 Testing bucketlist • 00:06:20 Cam’s experience testing Bucketlist and how it led to Skydiving with a colleague • 00:07:10 Bart & Jason have been “work husbands” for 25 years (since 1997) • 00:07:29 Picking weeds after school to starting a business together • 00:09:25 Creating videos together at Tidal Multimedia • 00:10:54 Advisor Websites • 00:11:45 Advisor Website first website gig • 00:12:08 ABS • 00:13:50 What’s it like implementing monthly fees into your business • 00:14:11 Moving to the SaaS model • 00:23:47 Navigating with Bucketlist during COVID • 00:25:19 Implementing the rewards and recognition platform within Bucketlist • 00:26:00 Peer-to-peer recognition within the Bucketlist program • 00:26:59 Interesting requests that have been asked for within the program, such as the CEO calling your mom, days off, skydiving • 00:27:52 Creating an Employer Brand • 00:29:10 Bart's first run-in with employee recognition and how his idea of celebrating was not the same as his teams • 00:30:39 KEY x Veritree • 00:31:51 Looking back on bumps in the road • 00:32:21 How to make partnerships work • 00:33:05 The importance of defining core values between partners • 00:34:09 Weekly partnership meetings • 00:34:41 Speaking your truth and speaking your truth with compassion • 00:36:40 Growing old together: Business partners & friends • 00:37:33 Funny stories • 00:42:37 Bart’s originating story • 00:42:50 Immigrating from Poland to Canada • 00:45:00 Bucklists future plans • 00:47:07 How to capture value • 00:50:11 End