Vic Simjanoski

PROVING IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START SOMETHING NEW

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Stylish Detroit

At age 40, Ivica “Vic” Simjanoski made the bold decision to leave his 20-year position in manufacturing for an entirely new career. When his father — who was also his business partner — retired from the family company, Vic decided it was the perfect time to make a change and try something new; something that would reward his hard work without relying on numerous other employees. “In manufacturing, no matter how great my work ethic and drive were, I had to rely on others to achieve success,” Vic shared. “If the same work ethic wasn’t shared, I could never advance. I wanted to advance.”

Vic’s family is no stranger to taking risks. When his father was 20 years old, he came to the United States from former Yugoslavia with just $20 in his pocket and a suitcase of clothes. He didn’t speak the language and knew nothing about the country. He started his own company and — with the help from another family member — he built a business that eventually employed 30 people. “My dad’s courage to chase after his dream was so inspiring to me,” Vic said. “It’s something that I admired growing up and model myself after today.”

While taking a year to consider his options, Vic traveled to Ireland on a golf trip. There, he met Simon Thomas, CEO of DOBI Real Estate. During that encounter, Simon offered helpful insight into the real estate industry. Following the trip, the two stayed in contact and bonded over their mutual admiration for golf and continued their real estate conversations. After researching all his options, Vic decided to get into real estate because of the limitless opportunities for career advancement, schedule flexibility and earning potential.

In 2016, Vic decided to join forces with DOBI Real Estate because of their fearless approach to business, technology and training – all of which aligned perfectly with Vic’s vision for his future, resulting in his decision to join the real estate group. “I was attracted to the group’s work ethic and desire to be the best of the best, but more significantly, I quickly developed trusting relationships and support that was essential to the launch and growth of my business,” Vic said.

Since entering the marketplace, Vic has a career volume over $60 million and achieved seven Top Dog awards for the highest sales volume at DOBI. Vic was also recognized by the group as a top agent with the highest GCI in 2017 and 2018.

Over the past year, Vic has built a team of agents who share a common goal of winning and a combined mentality of being better than yesterday. This dynamic team is known as The VS Group and, together, they play off one another’s strengths and uniqueness. Vic and his team members — Ursula Mullen, Jaimie Seitz, Vladimir Dimcevski, Joanna Tuttle, Jenna Kaltenburg, Joanna Rojas and Nancy Haller — are passionate about helping their clients and doing their best work while still finding time for team-building activities.

In addition to building his team, Vic is focused on becoming a top agent in the Rail District of Birmingham, which is centrally located to DOBI’s office. “We’ve partnered with great builders, amazing architects and we’re bringing exciting new construction to the area,” he shared.

Treating everyone with respect and building relationships with people are the most important details to Vic’s business. “I’m really good at staying levelheaded, even in stressful situations,” Vic said. “I’m solution-oriented and always looking for ways to go above and beyond my client’s needs and expectations.” Furthermore, Vic is dedicated to helping new agents — who would otherwise be lost in the process — navigate their way into the real estate world. “Having strong relationships with other agents and mentoring younger, newer agents are just a few aspects of what I love about real estate. Because networking is a huge part of real estate, there are always opportunities to share ideas and gain new perspectives.”

“IF THE SAME WORK ETHIC WASN’T SHARED, I COULD NEVER ADVANCE. I WANTED TO ADVANCE.

In addition to helping at his office and at church, Vic supports Project Feeding Kids, which aids in providing meals for nearly 16 million children in need across the country. “Kids didn’t choose to be here, so it’s our responsibility to support them until they can support themselves,” he said. “I want to freely give my time and knowledge to others and help as many people as possible.” Vic said he finds success in the number of people he’s helped and in the legacy he’s creating for his family.

Along with his wife, Jeanine, Vic’s highest priority outside of business is creating memories with his family. They have two boys — Lucas, 5, and Isaac, 3 — who love all things boys, going to the pool, playing outside, watching Disney movies and cheering for the Michigan Wolverines with their daddy.

“I changed careers at age 40,” Vic said. “I want people to know that fear is normal, but you can’t let it stop you from who you want to be in life. I was able to overcome that by knowing and understanding that as long as I put in the work and believed in myself, the business would come.”

Just like any new agent, Vic recalled his initial challenges of cold calling and building up his business. “It’s okay to make a change and pivot to who you’re destined to be,” he said. “I’m proof that it’s never too late to start something new.”

Vic Simjanoski - Rising Star