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: Randa Salib
Areas of Focus: Ottawa and surrounding areas
Personal Channels: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website
Years of Experience: 10
THE INSIGHTS
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the GTA and moved to Ottawa about 14 years ago.
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 Ottawa. My husband and I originally planned to stay here for three years (and only three years) while he attended law school, but we never ended up leaving! I often joke that it would be a dream to live somewhere warm with fewer taxes but honestly, I can’t imagine actually living anywhere else.
It has always been our dream to have a bit more land and we just recently moved to a beautiful property on just over 2 acres (also so close to family), and it’s perfect. While I’d love to be somewhere warm year-round, nothing compares to where we are now. I also took up skiing a few years ago (I took lessons at the same time as my oldest kiddo), and it gave me a newfound appreciation for the snow.
How did you end up becoming a real estate agent?
My dad was a custom home builder in Toronto, and he always encouraged me to get my real estate license so we could work together. I resisted for a long while but after moving to Ottawa and being on maternity leave, I finally got my license (the irony being that I wasn’t of much help to him, being 4.5 hours away). While I couldn’t work with my dad in that early season of my business, his influence and encouragement remained. He and my mom are huge cheerleaders of me and my business. The best part is that they are now also loyal clients as they ended up moving to Ottawa a few years ago.
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?
No two days are ever the same! I love the diversity of tasks and flexibility this job offers, even though it requires constant adaptability. While it’s not as structured as some careers, that’s what makes it so exciting for me.
What’s the single best advice you have for sellers?
Do it right. Prepare your home properly before listing. I do multiple walkthroughs with clients before we go live with their listing to identify what needs to be decluttered, rearranged, or removed. 99% of the time, homes will also need a fresh coat of paint, re-caulking, and a deep clean. These are the lowest-cost improvements with the highest return. We will also discuss the ROI of bigger upgrades such as changing flooring, light fixtures, kitchen/bath renos, etc.
A well-prepared home feels cared for and helps buyers picture themselves living there. It’s a lot of work to prepare your home for sale but if you do it right, it is always worth it!
What’s the single best advice you have for buyers?
Be prepared before starting the buying process. Step one is to get your pre-approval in place. Once the pre-approval is in hand, I always have a big initial meeting with my buyer clients to review the offer process, discuss what the market is doing in that moment, and review the what-ifs and contingency plans. It’s my job to ensure they know what’s going on through the process and to really understand it. A proactive approach ensures confidence and clarity.
What made you choose to work for your current brokerage?
JP Chartrand, the Managing Broker/Owner of Sutton Ottawa, was the reason. After my previous brokerage closed, I explored my options, but JP stood out immediately. His depth of knowledge, willingness to go the extra mile, and unwavering support are unmatched. No two deals are ever the same and inevitably, agents run into situations that are complicated and unique. JP never sends a boilerplate answer when we reach out; he takes the time to comb through the intricacies of the particular scenario at hand and gives specific advice that is legally sound, wise, and protects our clients. I love that our mid-sized brokerage offers the perfect mix of infrastructure and personal support.
What is one professional goal you have for the next year? What’s one that you have for the next 10 years?
This year, my goal is to take Sundays off. After working every single day last year between March to September, I realized the importance of rest and taking time off from work to maintain my energy to serve my clients. I’ve never been one to plan out my life years in advance, but one thing that I hope to keep doing for the next 10 years is to serve my clients well, humbly and quietly, and with care and integrity.
Tell us about your favourite (or most memorable) sale, and why it stands out to you.
This is a tough one; I have so many great clients and memories to look back on. I will say that recently, the process of buying and selling my own homes served as a great reminder of what my clients go through every day. I treated the sale like I would a client’s home and took all my own advice; we painted, updated light fixtures, swapped out some kitchen hardware, re-caulked, purged, cleaned every square inch of the place, put in all the work… and it was a lot of work! This truly gave me new empathy for how exhausting but rewarding the process can be for my clients. A very healthy and important reminder indeed.
What are the three words you hope your clients use to describe you?
Kind. Loyal. Expert.
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.
