By: Jonathan Yu
In the realm of real estate, challenges often spark innovation. As the founder of INITIA Real Estate, I frequently encounter questions about the inception of our brokerage, and the motivations driving our mission. In this article, I delve into the intricacies of INITIA’s beginnings, the joys and challenges of being a broker, personal preferences, and our exciting expansion into Mexico and other new markets.
Why INITIA? Unveiling the Catalyst for Change
I decided to start my own brokerage because of my own past personal experience and frustration with having to pay monthly fees, franchise fees, marketing fees, and other monthly fees, which taken as a whole, hindered my ability to kickstart my real estate career. I started hearing of these same frustrations in other Realtors as well, and we collectively felt that having to pay all of these fees was taking away from our ability to run and grow our own businesses. Adding to the frustration was the lack of training and broker support that was being provided to myself and my industry colleagues.
With INITIA, I wanted to provide a solution that directly addressed these frustrations, and that has brought us where we are today.
The Broker’s Perspective: Embracing Challenges and New Faces
As part of my role as a broker, I enjoy the daily challenges and rewards that my agents face. I field many questions every single day and have to do a lot of problem-solving to handle new and interesting scenarios with agents. Working successfully with agents to traverse difficult situations is very gratifying, as is seeing my agents grow and thrive as they develop their businesses and experience with INITIA.
In addition, meeting new faces, meeting agents who are new to the industry, and meeting agents joining our brokerage, is always very exciting.
Challenges: Addressing the Public Perception
One challenge in the profession, I think, is the public perception that realtors often receive. I think part of starting INITIA was — at a small-scale level —trying to provide a solution to some of those issues that consumers were seeing in the industry.
By starting INITIA, I wanted, in my own little way, to try to improve public perception, by providing good brokerage services to agents, who could in turn provide better service and results to their clients.
Condo Living: A Personal Preference Rooted in Convenience
I personally like condo living. I live in a condo myself, and I like the convenience that it offers. I don’t shovel, I don’t mow my lawn, and I can just pack up and go when I need to travel.
Leisure Beyond Real Estate: Running, Traveling, and Culinary Adventures
In my free time, I like going for runs with my dog. I can run many kilometres with him in a day. I also like to travel and explore new places. I additionally like to try new restaurants and cook at home, exploring new recipes.
Goals for INITIA: Nurturing Growth and Success
Moving forward with INITIA, I’d like to see the INITIA family continue to grow. We have added a lot of wonderful new faces, and lots of great agents and teams have joined the brokerage throughout Canada and Mexico. I’m excited to see that success continue to grow.
Why Yellow? The Color of Joy and Positivity
Yellow is a colour that just brings happiness and joy. It brightens people’s moods and I see that reaction every day when people walk into our office, see yellow, and see our yellow hallways and walls. It just brightens their day!
Favourite Travel Destination: Exploring Europe’s Rich Heritage
My favourite place to travel is Europe at the moment. I like all the historical places in Europe; there’s a lot of art and culture in Europe, so that’s top of my list right now.
INITIA in Mexico: Seizing Opportunities and Expanding Horizons
INITIA Real Estate expanded to Mexico a little over a year ago. We saw a lot of opportunities there because lots of Canadians do purchase in Mexico. With the way the real estate market has been, lots of Canadians are looking at Mexico as a possible investment or living destination. So I think INITIA Mexico has started strong, and I think we’re going to see a lot of growth there as Canadians continue to consider Mexico as another real estate destination.
At INITIA, our journey is one of dedication, innovation, and commitment to transforming the real estate landscape. Follow us for more insights, advice, and updates, as we continue to empower the real estate experience. Join us on this exciting venture of growth and success.
Initia Real Estate is a full-service Canadian-based real estate company with operations that span across Canada and Mexico. Founded in 2016, Initia Real Estate was formed to make business simpler for agents while providing them with the resources they need to succeed. Through fee transparency and the provision of marketing and training resources, Initia Real Estate empowers its agents to achieve their maximum potential. The success of Initia Real Estate is rooted in the success of the brokerage’s agents. Initia Real Estate presents an innovative business model built on partnership-focused relationships with its agents. To learn more about Initia Real Estate, please visit www.initia.ca.
