12.13.2023
Thank you to everyone who attended our Vancouver Region holiday party at D6. We had a blast celebrating this past year of hard work and look forward to the new year together!
Arthur Ng, Managing Broker of Macdonald Realty’s Burnaby office, shares the story of how he got into real estate, his best advice for those looking to join the industry as an agent, and where you can find him in his free time – all in this 10 Questions interview.
How did you get into the real estate industry? I was attending BCIT in the administration program and enrolled in the real estate option. In one of my business classes, an instructor suggested I meet with his past co-worker in the HR field who operated a brokerage in West Vancouver. My eyes opened when I saw the real estate office operations.
On my initial visit to the brokerage, I was in awe with the activity that was buzzing in the office. Agents were at their desks on calls and making appointments. Listings and sales were being posted on the boards. Voice pagers and announcements over the PA system were frantic because all calls went to the office. It was like the stock exchange! The environment alone made me want to start right away in the business. This was the typical Monday morning meeting in the bullpen. My meeting with the MB only confirmed my decision to be in the real estate industry.
What led to you to become a managing broker? While doing some summer work for the brokerage, I saw how the business operated and the support offered to the salespeople. I was told that if I wanted to manage an office, I had to sell real estate first to understand what salespeople go through and the challenges they face. After 6 years in sales, an opportunity to manage an office appeared. I never looked back. My mentor and Managing Broker was one of the people who helped to develop the clauses used for today’s residential real estate contracts!
What is one thing you wish you knew when you first got into real estate? Don’t expect the phone to ring off the hook, nor should you expect a line-up of buyers and sellers waiting for your services once you get your real estate license. Leads are not provided; you have to secure the business on your own! The success of a top agent does not happen overnight.
Above: Arthur’s very first listing, circa 1992.
What is your advice to someone who wants to become an agent? Understand the real work involved before you decide to get into the industry. It’s relatively easy to get your real estate license (after spending $5k for the course and fees), it’s quite another to make a living and succeed. Is this the career you really want or just wanting to try it out? You need to be self-motivated and very, very disciplined. If you are financially strapped, commission sales may not be the right fit.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received (related to real estate industry)? Don’t spend your commission before the sale completes unless you have other firm sales in your pipeline and don’t forget to leave money aside for CRA! Stay humble and don’t let success get to your head. The market goes in cycles as does the commission.
Why do you enjoy working in the real estate industry? I like to say I’m in it to make a difference in our industry. I do my part by helping agents to be successful and doing the right thing, teaching new licensees via BCFSA and the APC (Applied Practice Course) program to help ensure agents understand their role and obligations. Being on the Professional Conduct Committee for the REBGV also helps me stay updated on compliance topics.
What is your favorite thing about working at Macdonald Realty? I enjoy the support that is available to staff and salespeople alike. While you are working independently within your office, you are not alone.
Above: Arthur’s Culinary Creations: a simple Sunday breakfast; healthy oatmeal cookies (complete wtih wheat bran/germ, hemp hearts, and oats) that he makes occasionally for office meetings; ancient sourdough bread; and sourdough bagels that his wife makes from scratch.
What is a fun fact about yourself? I’m a food lover (and can cook) but not really a foodie. I could spend hours in the supermarket and more time in the kitchen preparing the meal! I do let my wife bake her sourdough bread from scratch regularly.
What is your favorite quote? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” or “Treat others the way you want to be treated” – the Golden Rule.
What is a book that everyone should read? While I have no favorites (though cookbooks do come to mind), everyone should be reading something to keep their mind active and always learning. Most of my materials are technical in nature, dealing with rules and regulations, legislation, etc. (i.e., really dull stuff).
Get to know Tore Jacobsen, Managing Broker of Macdonald Realty’s Eastern Region, in this 10 Questions interview.
How did you get into the real estate industry? I had been working as a territorial sales rep for a national food wholesaler and realized that I was approaching the ceiling of growth. It was in a conversation with my dad that he suggested I pursue real estate with my abilities in communicating, connecting, and selling, and my comfort with it (given our family business of commercial real estate). So I ended up getting my license and joined another brokerage for a year in the Vancouver board, then ultimately transferred to Macdonald Realty in Surrey in 2010.
What led to you to become a managing broker? I went into Drew McLean’s office (he was my managing broker at the time and later became my mentor and broker partner) to get advice on a contract I was dealing with. After that conversation, he asked if I had ever given any thought to management due to the fact that I grew up in a business-oriented household and studied business in university. We started talking about it over the following three months and, as they say, the rest is history. I am so glad I said yes because I truly love what I do. The agents I get to serve each day are second to none, they’re inspiring, and I just find it so easy to get motivated to work each day.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you first got into real estate? I wish I would have known how valuable good managerial support and a collaborative office environment really is to setting one up for success. I had an amazing manager when I started, and then came to Drew, who was absolutely fantastic. But before joining Macdonald, there was a lot of time spent in the trenches on my own and unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of experienced agents who were willing to share their experiences with me and guide me. I had to figure out my own way and while it turned out great, it certainly made it more of a challenge.
Above: Tore with long-term mentor, colleague and friend, Drew McLean.
What is your advice to someone who wants to become an agent? I would really take the time and do the research to make sure the business is for you. A lot of people incorrectly assume you get your license and the next day you are starring on “Million Dollar Listing” on HGTV. The truth is: you see the glamourous part of the business but you do not see the hours and hours invested in doing the little things each day over and over and over before there is a transaction and ultimately a paycheck. Then you need to consider the commission nature of the job and the (often) irregular paycheck and being able to balance that with your personal financial needs. Ultimately this business is all about your ability and willingness to connect with people and it is surprising how many folks really struggle in this aspect. I think the reason is: when we are meeting new people or old friends with no “agenda” it is easy, but when we add the aspect of asking for business in the mix, then people get uncomfortable, hesitant, and unable to close and that often leads to an exit from the business.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received (related to real estate industry)? “You have to earn their respect (clients, agents, etc.) over time through consistent action and commitment to what you do. It is not just going to be given.” – Drew McLean.
Why do you enjoy working in the real estate industry? No day is ever the same and there is constantly something new to navigate through and/or learn. I love how important an agent’s role is in the home ownership cycle and I love being there to help guide and assist them as they navigate through that with their clients. I also love the opportunity to give back whether it’s by volunteering at the [Fraser Valley Real Estate Board] or by sharing my experiences and educating all of our agents through Macdonald Realty’s Connected Learning programs.
What is your favorite thing about working at Macdonald Realty? Ownership is second to none, my manager, colleagues and all the support staff are outstanding, and I tell everyone we have the best agents in the business in our company. They are dedicated to this business and are extremely professional, which makes what I do a lot more enjoyable. This really is a family and we care about each other and it shows in how we and our agents operate. I am proud to bleed blue and white!
Above: Tore volunteers on the FVREB’s Government Relations Committee.
What is a fun fact about yourself? I try not to take myself too seriously so I love to sing and dance and also make silly voices for my kids’ stuffed animals at bedtime.
What is your favorite quote? “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” – George Addair
What is a book that everyone should read? Power of 1 More by Ed Mylett. I am a huge believer in personal growth and the need to make it part of your daily routine. In order to be the best husband, dad, managing broker, friend, colleague, FVREB director, etc., I need to be the best version of me so I work at it and make it a priority. Ed Mylett is an individual I follow and listen to religiously and his latest book is so powerful, as often, the line between success and giving up is 1 more call, 1 more appointment, 1 more email, 1 more “I love you” and so on. It is amazing what you can achieve if you are willing to do 1 more than others might be.
10.3.2023
Thank you to everyone who joined us last week at Honey Salt for the Macdonald Realty Social – we hope you had a wonderful time! If you weren’t able to make it to this event, we hope to see you at the next one!
Learn more about Tim Russell, Managing Broker of Macdonald Realty’s Vancouver Region, in this 10 Questions interview.
How did you get into the real estate industry? My father had income properties and it was more affordable to have me fix up the homes to sell. Then I got interested in how the real estate industry worked and became an agent. And when I started, the area that I was covering was going crazy with prices going up and up with multiple offers everywhere.
What led to you to become a managing broker? I was tricked into it by a sly fox. My previous Managing Broker asked if I would be interested in talking about it. At the next wine and cheese he introduced me as a new member of the management team.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you first got into real estate? Time usage. When and how to affectively get the most out of the day. When I was an agent, I would bank time for different things — for example 10 am till noon would be set aside for lead generation and then I’d schedule appointments only between 3-6 pm. Anything that I had to do, I would fit in between or outside of those two time slots. It’s also equally important to note that I have kids. As an agent, YOU set YOUR schedule. So if you get a phone call and someone wants to see a place on short notice, you need to be able to NOT jump at those things. Set parameters on what time you should be doing stuff. Now that I’m a Managing Broker, I’m in the office Monday to Friday and have a set daily schedule.
What is your advice to someone who wants to become an agent? Organize your database and look into who is going to be able to bring in business.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received (related to real estate industry)? Consistency will build a business faster than anything you can imagine. After talking to a lot of successful agents, the one thing that they do is that they do lead generation EVERY DAY. Most of them do different types of lead generation but they’re successful because they do it every day. Consistency here is so important, no matter how you’re doing it. Find a method that works and make sure you do it.
Why do you enjoy working in the real estate industry? I love the product and people. This industry works with homes which is one of the greatest purchases that most people make in their lives. It is a big deal.
What is your favorite thing about working at Macdonald Realty? The agents and employees are the best! Very family oriented and driven to make the agents lives better. In addition to that, I enjoy the Monday Sales meetings here because you get to see everybody at the start of the week together, you get to kick the week off together. I love the in-person sales meetings but the Zoom ones are enjoyable too.
Left (above): Tim in his football kit (2017).
Right (above): Tim and his football team in action on the field (2017).
What is a fun fact about yourself? I tried out for the BC Lions in 2003 as a DB (defensive back). This is a quick story about how I got into football: I started playing hockey when I was four because we didn’t have football in my hometown of Williams Lake, in Northern BC. So I had to play hockey when I was little, until I left my hometown at 19. That was also when I went to my first real football game, got inspired by that and started a football camp. When I moved to Vancouver, my football coach (who coached me when I tried out for the Lions) introduced me to some teams and I finally joined a team that I’ve been with now for years.
What is your favorite quote? Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. – Babe Ruth
What is a book that everyone should read? Atomic Habits by James Clear. Something that stood out to me from this book is that habits are subconscious; they are not things that we think about and — good or bad — they’re very easy to create. I find it interesting that it’s not easy to recognize the fact that you’re creating a habit; it’s easy to do but not easy to recognize. One of the easiest things to do is habit stacking: when you have a habit that you’re conscious of and you already do this thing every day then it’s very easy to add another habit on top of that because, mentally, you’re already doing that one thing all the time, so by adding a second habit to that first one, it’s almost like you don’t have to work on it. It just gets done. Stack habits on top of good habits that you’re doing already. It makes it very easy to add on that new habit as long as you recognize your good habit.
Macdonald Realty’s East Vancouver office is now open to all! Managing Brokers and agents alike showed up to the Opening Party to see the venue and network with some drinks and small bites.
Located in the heart of Little Italy, our East Van office is steps away from a multitude of top-notch restaurants and cafes, McSpadden Park and Trout Lake Community Centre, local shops, and bus and subway stations.
Let’s connect:
2057 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5N 4B1
(236) 471-5707
