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
Victoria Veniez/Instagram
Name: Victoria Veniez
Brokerage:Right at Home Realty
Personal website: searchtorontohomesforsale.ca
Instagram | LinkedIn
Years of agent experience: 7
Areas of focus: Downtown Toronto
THE INSIGHTS
Where did you grow up?
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
What neighbourhood do you live in now?
West Queen West, Toronto
What made you want to become a real estate agent?
The opportunity to work for myself and to help people make the biggest purchase of their life!
What’s the biggest challenge you see facing the market today?
The housing shortage. There are simply not enough homes being built -- not only in Ontario, but across Canada.
What’s the single best advice you have for sellers?
Listen to your Realtor regarding pricing your home! They are the industry professionals who genuinely want you to make the most money possible.
What’s the single best piece of advice you have for buyers?
Make compromises. Your first home may not be your dream home, but it will help you get into the market so that you can begin building equity.
What’s the best thing a realtor can invest in for their brand (a bus bench ad, a solid Instagram strategy, etc.)?
Investing in past clients. Invest in the people that trusted you. Take your clients out for dinner, to a concert, to the theatre. It's great for building rapport and for networking. You are more likely to receive a referral from a past client than anyone else.
Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
My husband Marco who is also a Realtor and mortgage agent. He had years of knowledge in the Toronto real estate market along with experience purchasing and flipping foreclosure properties in the United States. He was an incredible mentor when I was newly licensed (and still is!).
Is there anything you wish people knew or understood about realtors that you think they’re constantly getting wrong?
YES -- we do not "overprice" homes to receive more commission. Most of the time, if you see a home listed way above market value, it's because the seller refuses to list for the price their Realtor had suggested.
Tell us about your favourite (or most memorable) sale.
My very first sale [was] my favourite. I helped the sweetest couple purchase their first townhome in Downtown Toronto during the popularity of competitive offer dates. We won the bid out of ten offers. A year later, they got engaged and are now happily married with a new puppy. It's an amazing feeling to watch your client's grow as a family in the home you helped them purchase!
What are the three words you hope your clients use to describe you?
Energetic. Understanding. Determined.
What’s your favourite thing to do outside of selling houses?
Dancing, going to concerts, and trying all of the amazing food Toronto has to offer!
This interview may have been edited for both length and clarity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of STOREYS.
