PAUL BOURQUE

Paul Bourque of Ottawa, Ontario, celebrates a successful real estate legacy built on simplicity, interpersonal connections, and an unwavering dedication to client satisfaction. “I just like helping people – it’s what I’ve always done, and it’s what I’m good at. I’m fortunate because now I get to help newer agents as well as my clients, and when they come to me talking about interest rates or market fluctuations, I tell them, ‘You’re not in the interest rate business. You’re not even in the real estate business. You’re in the people business – keep going forward with that, and you’ll never look back.’”

Forty-three years ago, at the age of twenty-two, Paul was inspired by an unlikely source: his girlfriend’s mother! “I was in college at the time, kind of sitting around her living room every other night sort of thing, and her mother was working as a REALTOR®. I decided then and there, ‘You know, that’s what I want to do.’ So I got my license and started selling houses.” After spending the first twenty years of his career working as a solo agent, Paul signed on with Keller Williams in 2002 and enjoyed a meteoric rise in North America. He steadily recruited a team of agents and diligently built a database of contacts, and at the pinnacle of his career in 2008, Paul was ranked #3 in all of Canada and #44 in all of North America. “I’m not a hugely religious person, but I do believe that God gives everyone a gift, and if you go out there every day and use it then money will come your way.”

With his position as an agent cemented in the industry, Paul presently enjoys the challenge and nuance that comes with the mentorship, multi-generational client service, and new home construction that falls under his purview as the leader of Team Bourque. “My business is run almost entirely through referral,” he exudes, “so I do a little bit of everything. Most of my homes are luxury listings, but not everything – I have children of clients who are becoming first time home buyers, and I still love making deals, so I get to keep one foot in the world of coaching and one foot under the negotiation table.” In addition to his sphere of influence (which includes a database of over 5800 individuals), Paul leverages the robust digital footprint of Keller Williams to competitively market his listings. “We really have an A-to-Z marketing plan. Social media, open houses, door knocking, flyers – we do it all. And I’ve got a team of about ten builders who I do a lot of work for, doing new builds and in-fills; connecting all of these people is the heart of my work.”

In addition to growing his ever expanding professional networks, Paul is excited to continue supporting the greater Ontario community. “My sister passed away at the age of forty-two – she had breast cancer – so I’m constantly raising money for research or donating to help build new machines, and we built a library in her name at the biggest hospital here. That’s my focus for improving my neighborhood, but reality, it’s what I do every day. To be a great REALTOR® is a lifestyle – I embrace and enjoy it.”