Welcome to Meet the Agent, an ongoing series profiling real estate agents from across Canada. With more than 150,000 agents, brokers, and salespeople working in 75 different boards and associations across the country, we thought it was about time they had a place to properly introduce themselves.
If you or someone you know deserves the same chance, email agents@storeys.com to apply.
THE DETAILS
Name: Deanna Parrell
Areas of Focus: All of Toronto, with a focus in the East End
Personal Channels: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website
Years of Experience: 10
THE INSIGHTS
Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Toronto. I lived in East York and attended schools in Leaside.
Where do you live now? And what neighbourhood (in Canada, or worldwide) would you love to live in (that isn’t your own)?
I live in the Upper Beaches in Toronto’s East End. I love it and I’m so happy raising my family there. But if I could choose anywhere in the world I would love to live, it would be New Zealand. I was fortunate enough to travel there in 2012 and feel that the combination of the spectacular landscape and wonderful people would make it an amazing place to call home.
How did you end up becoming a real estate agent?
I had always been interested in real estate, loving all of the HGTV shows about buying properties and home design. After graduating from the University of Guelph, I started working in the marketing field. But I still felt drawn to real estate so I decided to officially give it a try. I got my license at 24 and haven’t looked back since.
In a few sentences, describe what a typical “day in the life” looks like for you. Does this align with what you expected before you became an agent?
A typical day in the life for me starts around 6:30 am. I love being able to spend a bit of time with my family (my husband and one-year-old daughter) before heading out to the office around 9 am. I find I get the most work done in an office setting so I like to spend a few hours at the office doing things like prepping for evening showings, doing market research, and answering emails. I’ll try to pop home for an hour or so to grab a quick bite and see my daughter before it’s off to buyer showings in the evening.
What’s the single best advice you have for sellers?
I think the best advice I can give sellers is to try your best to put yourself in the buyers shoes. It’s so easy to let emotions take over when selling a property. A seller may have a personal attachment to a small item in the home and feel like it’s worth extra, when in reality, it may not a big selling feature. Looking at the house from a buyer's perspective allows a seller to let go of some of that personal attachment, and start to think of the sale more objectively.'
What’s the single best advice you have for buyers?
The best advice I have for buyers is to make sure you are prepared prior to starting to view properties in person. Making sure you have all of your finances figured out, specifically having that pre-approval in place, as well as making sure to know your must haves on the wish list, is so important. When buyers start to view properties ‘just to look’, they can make impulsive decisions that they may later regret. They can also find themselves in a situation where they fall in love with a house that they aren’t able to offer on due to not having their approval in order. Being a prepared buyer leads to a successful purchase!
What made you choose to work for your current brokerage?
Having grown up in the Leaside area I would always see the Bosley signs and billboards around the neighbourhood. When I started interviewing at different brokerages, I spoke with large and small companies. Bosley was a standout because I felt like they truly cared about me as a person. It’s a family-owned company that lives and breathes real estate and provides excellent training and guidance. I’ve worked there for my entire career and have never felt the need to explore other options.
Who do you believe is making the biggest waves in the industry today? Is there anyone you recommend people should be paying attention to right now?
I always find Shaun Hildebrand to be an excellent source to pay attention to when it comes to the Toronto condo market specifically.
What is one professional goal you have for the next year? What’s one that you have for the next 10 years?
My professional goal for 2025 is to continue to grow and expand in my business. I was on a bit of a modified maternity leave last year, but as any entrepreneur knows it’s impossible to stay away from work, so it felt so great to still be able to service my wonderful clients during that time in my life. This year I’m hoping to continue to scale and help new clients as well as repeat business.
In the next 10 years I would love to gather a small group of dedicated real estate individuals to work hand in hand with me. This would include agents, support staff, tradespeople, etc. I don’t have a desire to form a mega team, but I think as my business continues to grow, having more dedicated and hardworking people join me would be a great way to further service my clients.
Tell us about your favourite (or most memorable) sale, and why it stands out to you.
One of my most memorable deals was actually one of my first deals ever! Ten years ago, I was fortunate enough to sell my parents’ house, the house I had grown up in. It was such a personal experience to me, but because it was one of my first deals I wanted to make sure I was as professional as possible with my family throughout the entire process. In the end all sides were very happy and another lovely family purchased it. It is an experience I’ll never forget!
What are the three words you hope your clients use to describe you?
Dedicated, loyal, and fun!
