FEATURES
COVER STORY: 30 UNDER 30 MEGAN MOHR
DANIEL YU
RE/MAX Elite
RE/MAX Real Estate Services
Sherwood Park, AB
It has been a long time since Megan Mohr was scampering around her hometown of Sherwood Park hawking Girl Guide cookies, but her love of selling has remained intact. “I feel blessed to have found my passion so early in my life,” she says. REP can’t speak to Mohr’s cookie-slinging success, but she has been averaging a sale per week for the last two years in a soft Edmonton market. In a highly competitive industry, Mohr has an attitude to her competition that is Zen-like. “There is always enough business for everyone, so never be afraid to share your ideas with fellow realtors,” she says. “One of my most influential mentors told me early on: ‘You cannot lose what’s meant to be yours.’” Mohr’s down-to-earth approach has been central to her success in generating referrals, which account for over 80% of her business. “Our industry is engulfed with ego,” she says, “but I checked mine at the door in 2007.”
BILL LAIDLER RE/MAX Sabre Realty
Port Coquitlam, BC
Despite his youth, Bill Laidler is as traditional a realtor as you’re likely to meet. He is a man of few words who has no illusions about what has helped make him one of the top young agents in BC’s Lower Mainland. “I show up early every work day and follow a strict schedule,” he says. Laidler came to real estate in 2012 after having had his fill of administrative tedium. He wanted a business of his own, one that would allow his natural sales ability to shine. He says those skills are “the best way to help my clients and to grow my business”. Laidler actively avoids internet leads and the pressures to use social media, basing his business on the basics: customer service, knowledge and integrity.
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www.repmag.ca
Vancouver, BC
Daniel Yu’s parents turned him down when he asked them for a loan that would get him started investing in real estate. Well aware of his entrepreneurial spirit, they told him instead to invest in himself, to learn about the industry and build relationships with professionals. Yu’s fruitful dealings with talented realtors inspired him to get his real estate licence. Yu’s success has led to his evolution as a person. “I learned about flaws in myself through my interactions with others, whether it’s clients or colleagues, and how to improve on my mindset and personality to be a betterrounded person that everyone likes to work with,” he says. Yu feels the industry has made him more resourceful, creative and, most of all, persistent. “Rejections are just things I need to weave through to find business.”
CORBIN SELIGMAN Harvey Kalles Real Estate Toronto, ON
Corbin Seligman has been steeping himself in real estate for most of his life. As a kid, he sought out architects and dragged his parents to open houses; as a student at McGill he studied urban planning; after graduation he immediately started working with a Toronto builder. His multiple layers of experience have become the bedrock for what has already been a successful career. “I strike a balance between offering personalized, attentive service and a business-like approach to selling real estate,” he says. “Too many in this industry – particularly industry veterans – fly by the seat of their pants, while I run a business. That is my competitive advantage.” Even though Seligman’s dedication to professionalism and his reliance on processes help mitigate some of the daily insanity of being an agent, he is still adapting to the dynamic nature of the industry. ”Trying to predict how a transaction will play out only sets you up for disappointment. This is still a daily struggle for me as I like to be in control, but I’m learning to roll with the punches.”