BC NOTARIES WHAT WE DO AND OUR PROFESSIONAL FRIENDS
13,000 Conveyances To Date!
Patti Thomson with Eddy: He’s “a tad Bronky.”
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s a Notary Public, I’d have to say my favourite part of the job is closing real estate deals. My favourites are with first-time buyers—It’s so rewarding to be part of such an exciting time with people. At this stage of my career, I am seeing my clients’ children buying houses, so in many cases I know the family of the buyers. I have a good relationship with most of the realtors with whom I work. I’m always very glad when the clients choose to work with a realtor; I believe the realtor is an integral part of the chain of events. They do a lot of the groundwork. Many of our local realtors were born and raised here in the Cowichan Valley and have been in business for so long, they have probably sold the same house
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many times. I enjoy my work with all the firms. We have more than just a working relationship; we have a friendship that has been built over years. In the Summertime, one of the realtors takes his flatbed and his grandchildren to my home to help me do the hay for my horses. When I first started out as a BC Notary in Vancouver on Broadway, I didn’t have any clients. One of my marketing techniques was to check the newspaper for houses for sale, search the title, and send a nice letter saying I was a new Notary looking for clients.
I used to like to boast I was Notary to the loggers but I have also become Notary to judges, lawyers, realtors, and mortgage brokers. It’s a nice feeling to be trusted by other professionals for their real estate deals. I promoted myself as very flexible with appointments available after regular business hours. When I closed a sale, I would inevitably BC Notaries Association
Crumpet: The more sensible older sister
be asked to do the work on their purchase. Here in Lake Cowichan, my marketing technique was very different . . . yes, I did ride my horse to the local bar and buy the house a round. Notary Bob Lewis helped me get settled in the community and introduced me to several of his contacts. The community was not sure about me at first but, over time, they supported me and my business. I have just completed my 13,000th conveyance here. I found it very helpful to build friendships with many of the lawyers in the Valley . . . they are allies of mine. If my client requires a service I am not able to provide as a Notary, I can always find the right person for the legal job; I believe everyone appreciates that. I have also kept my friendships with old bosses from Vancouver law firms . . . people that I have always admired and respected. I used to like to boast I was Notary to the loggers but I have also become Notary to judges, lawyers, realtors, and mortgage brokers. It’s a nice feeling to be trusted by other professionals for their real estate deals. s Notary Patti Thomson practises in Lake Cowichan. Volume 30, Number 3, Winter 2021
