BIC Nov2014 - Barclay Street Real Estate profile

Celebrates

10 Anniversary th

The team at Barclay Street Real Estate.

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isible from the busy bullpen corner office of Bar Barclay Street Real Estate headquarters in Calgary is the street that inspired the company name. After existing for decades under a different calling card, the company rebranded 10 years ago as Barclay Street Real Estate, choosing a name that represented the local community.

Gregarious, passionate and animated, David Wallach was one of the founding partners who helped engineer the

Barclay Street recreation. Today he is the Owner and President, leading a commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in leasing, investment sales and property management. As the company celebrates its 10th anniversary, Wallach credits his team as the reason for the success. “Our team members care about one another and our clients. We call ourselves the Barclay Street Family. We pull together when things need to get done and work to ensure every client is happy. I am proud to say that the team cares about the client relationship beyond the sale.”

While it can be tough to find just the right people to fit into a corporate family, Barclay Street has excelled in this facet. Potential recruits to the Barclay Street team go through an extensive hiring process including online brokerage tests. Not just anyone can work for the well-known Calgary company – they need to be top in their profession with a constant focus on serving their clients to the best of their ability. The company’s reputation is always on the line – most of Barclay Street’s clients have been with them for years and the majority of their new clientele comes from referrals.

www.paragon.ca | 403.235.3860

Congratulations, Barclay Street Real Estate, on your 10th Anniversary!

We wish you continued success.

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“We hire personalities, not bodies,” says Wallach.

“That is something that we are doing right. People stay here for two main reasons – they like our culture and the way we do things.”

Over the decade, the team has doubled in size, while the office has expanded geographically. Approximately 50 people work in three different locations operating under three divisions – property management; administration; and the brokerage for investment sales, industrial, retail and office leasing. Barclay Street has an office in Edmonton and recently opened a second location in southeast Calgary focused on industrial leasing and sales.

As with any growing entity, change is inevitable. The economic climate of 2009 led to restructuring of the company which formed a stronger and smaller closeknit team of professionals. This also resulted in the future expansion of all of its services and divisions. In a half-decade, Barclay Street has added its property management division and now manages about two-million square feet of commercial space. The company previously had very minimal presence in the industrial and retail commercial markets, but now boasts two of the strongest retail and industrial teams in town.

Three years ago, Barclay Street broadened its global presence by joining the international commercial real estate organization, TCN Worldwide. The commercial network provides affiliation between privately-owned brokerages. With this association, Barclay Street can service clients in over 200 markets while still providing local expertise through the consortium. As a member of

David Wallach, Owner and President.

the world board, Wallach recently attended their biannual conference in September. “It’s sharing information, referring business to one another as well as joining forces to pursue international business,” he explains.

According to Wallach, Alberta is a good place to be.

“Not all silos work simultaneously as well as the others,” says Wallach, reflecting on the current market and dif different departments within Barclay Street. “For example,

Congratulations to Barclay Street Real Estate on 10 Years!

Wish you continued success in the future.

Yankee Valley Crossing, Airdrie

West Winds Square Suite 203, 5112 – 47 Street NE, Calgary, AB T3J 4K3 403.250.5650 | bri-mor.com Barclay Street Real Estate • 3

“We like to connect with our clients. We don’t text them or tweet them or what’s up them. Go and meet them face to face, belly to belly. That’s how you build relationships and get deals done. There’s nothing that can replace body language in negotiations.” ~ David Wallach office is a little bit slower today than industrial. Retail is OK – if we had more inventory, we’d do more deals. Investment, from time to time, slows down. You have some silos that work strongly enough to maintain the others and it is always a shuffle as the market changes. We have to work a little harder. Tough luck,” Wallach laughs. “Not every year is 2006 and 2007, when we got spoiled.”

He’s a big believer in human connection to build client relationships. “We like to connect with our clients. We don’t text them or tweet them or what’s up them. Go and meet them face to face, belly to belly. That’s how you build relationships and get deals done. There’s nothing that can replace body language in negotiations.”

This client-centred focus is obviously paying off as Barclay Street Real Estate received the 2014 Consumer Choice Award for Business Excellence in Southern Alberta, in the Commercial Real Estate category. The award is determined through a third-party market research company and presented to an elite group of business owners and entrepreneurs. It is considered the most distinguished award for business excellence in Canada.

“We were not even aware that there was such a survey,” says Wallach. “It’s a very humbling experience, but it is probably the best way to know that we are marching forward in the right direction and keeping our clients satisfied.”

1.888.318.6485 | 1720 Bow Trail S.W. Calgary, AB | www.gslchevcity.com

Congratulations Congratulations to Barclay Street Real Estate on your 10th Anniversary!

We wish you continued success.

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www.ronmor.ca

Coming soon: The Infinity at Marda Loop

Congratulations to Barclay Street Real Estate.

Wishing you continued success.

Congratulations Barclay Street Real Estate, on your 10th Anniversary!

We wish you continued success!

www.steckmar.com

calgary 403.698.3333

www.klrid.com

Altus Group Altus Group congratulates Barclay Street Real Estate on their 10th anniversary.

We are proud to provide decision making analysis and property tax management to support Barclay as they continue to grow.

> Property Tax Consulting

CONGRATULATIONS Barclay Street Real Estate!

> Research, Valuation and Advisory > Cost Consulting and Project Management > Geomatics > ARGUS Software

altusgroup.com info@altusgroup.com

project management

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interior design

graphics/branding

In the hushed conference room overlooking the bustle of Stephen Avenue, water is served in a glass with the slogan “Local Expertise Matters.” Barclay Street is one of the largest locally-owned commercial real estate businesses operating solely within Alberta.

“I think the advantage we bring, being locally owned, is we can make decisions on the spot. It’s a small ship, easier to manoeuvre. You don’t have to go to Toronto, to Montreal or to Chicago to make a decision.”

Ironically, Wallach has travelled thousands of kilometres to appreciate the value of local business ownership.

Born and raised in Israel, 15 years ago he realized he didn’t want to live there any longer, even though he had his own company – an insurance brokerage – and was the President and General Manager of a professional basketball team.

“We’d rather watch CNN than be on CNN,” he says with a wry smile.

With no ties to Calgary, he chose to move to Alberta, along with his wife and three children, after researching the globe for the best locations for business opportunities.

“When we got here, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to open a business.”

Wallach meticulously planned his immigration to Canada with an advance scouting trip, making sure he was doing everything by the book. But when he officially moved to Wild Rose Country, he wasn’t legally permitted to hold a job. The government had lost his medical exams.

“I had a period of time, 10 months, where I couldn’t work. It gave me an opportunity. I remember I told my wife that the real estate here is really booming. I should look into it.” He immediately decided to take his Realtor’s course and get a Broker’s license.

Not only did he have no real estate experience whatsoever, he had other things working against him. “The way I speak now is probably like Shakespeare compared to how I spoke 15 years ago. I had a terrible accent, much worse than today. My thinking was in Hebrew and I had to translate it. Now I think in English. When you come here, the first few years, you think in your old language.”

As Barclay Street has flourished, so have the company’s efforts in the community. Barclay Street contributes to Canadian Fallen Heroes, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Calgary’s Sled Island and Heart & Stroke’s Big Bike Ride, among others.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations Barclay Street Real Estate on being part of Calgary’s collaborative energy for the past 10 years

Barclay Street Real Estate on your 10th Anniversary; we wish you many more decades of success.

403.262.9200 | millarforan.com

403.243.4020

Congratulations to Barclay Street Real Estate on their 10th Anniversary!

www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com

Congratulations to Barclay Street Real Estate on this 10 year milestone. Wishing you many more decades of success in the industry.

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gdiservices.ca

Looking back at Barclay Street’s history.

“It’s important to give back to the people who are not as fortunate as you are. It makes the community we serve stronger.”

In the future, Wallach’s eyes are on a bigger market share, but he has no plans to expand beyond Alberta’s borders. Instead he wants to focus on growing

his departments already in operation and one of his top priorities is to expand the Barclay Street office in Edmonton.

“We’ll focus on what we know, focus on what we do best, improve all the time, hire the best people and grow as opportunities come.” •

info@barclaystreet.com

HH

www.barclaystreet.com 403.290.0178

Congratulations on celebrating your 10 Anniversary. We wish you continued success and continued growth. th

HH

nwhp.ca | 1.888.366.NWHP

Congratulations to Barclay Street Real Estate!

HARMIN HOLDINGS LTD.

Commercial & Industrial Property Management Leasing and Development

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Local Expertise Matters When it comes to the real estate of business, local expertise matters.

We have been helping hundreds of Alberta of businesses maximize their real estate investments and make smart investment decisions.

• Office, retail and industrial leasing & sales • Investment sales • Property management

When it comes to your next real estate venture, trust the local team.

info@barclaystreet.com | 403.290.0178 www.barclaystreet.com