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COVER STORY: 30 UNDER 30 JEFF KITCHEN RE/MAX Professionals Saint John, NB
Jeff Kitchen is living proof that you don’t need to be in a big market to put up big numbers. Kitchen has been able to increase his sales each year in a continually soft Saint John market. This admirable feat can be traced back to his ability to give clients what he calls a “big picture approach to their investment”. Kitchen’s degree in construction management and the work he has done with Vantage Build, the construction company he founded, provides clients with a level of insight into both home buying and home building they wouldn’t get with most agents. “It’s a unique service and perspective we’re able to provide,” he says. Kitchen is currently working towards building his own niche real estate brand, where future clients will be sure to receive the same solid advice and thoughtful service that has already made him a fixture in the New Brunswick real estate industry.
MICHAEL DOIRON Exit Realty Associates Moncton, NB
SHAHIN BEHROYAN RE/MAX Masters Realty West Vancouver, BC
REP was caught off guard when we saw two Behroyans pop up in our 30 Under 30 research, but after looking at both Shahin and Nazanin Behroyan’s sales figures, we knew we had to make room for both. Shahin originally got involved in the industry to assist his family in their own real estate matters, but before long his tenacity and persistence had turned him into one of the leading agents in the highly competitive Vancouver market. He describes himself as more of “an information provider rather than a sales person”, an approach that helped him sell over $200m worth of real estate in 2015. The awards have started piling up for Behroyan, and he has already been listed among the top five commercial/residential RE/MAX agents worldwide. Not bad for someone who never considered becoming a realtor.
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After three years working in sales for Telus, Michael Doiron had experienced a tantalizing taste of commissions, but what satisfied him most about the position was something more. “I enjoyed working with people and filling their needs and wants,” he says. One day, when an agent he was assisting told Doiron, “You would make a great realtor,” Doiron wisely decided to follow his advice. Six years later, Doiron says he has “seen a lot of agents come and go. Being a young agent can be difficult starting out and making a name for yourself.” But Doiron’s commitment to customer satisfaction, honesty and energy have allowed him to build a solid reputation in the Moncton market. “I’ve learned that to be a successful realtor, or successful entrepreneur of any kind, you need to be your own boss – hire yourself and constantly be improving.”
VINCE PONTALETTA RE/MAX Treeland Realty Langley, BC
Vince Pontaletta was 19 when he first got involved in real estate. By the time he was a licensed agent at 20, he had fallen hard for the industry. “I would lose track of the hours that I put in,” he says. “I eventually stopped counting them and focused on productivity. The enjoyment I felt after finding my clients’ dream home or selling their biggest asset was addictive. That’s when selling real estate went from being a job to being a lifestyle.” Balancing that lifestyle with the demands of being a father has taught Pontaletta a critical lesson about productivity: “Aside from communication, the biggest thing in this industry is time management. If you can allocate your time for different aspects of your business and eliminate tunnel vision you will be able to see your success.”