Decorator changed careers at clients’ urging
Adds ‘voice of reason’ to his stylistic flair
If anyone’s got the inside track to becoming a real estate broker, it’s got to be a home designer and decorator. Ample contacts in the industry, experience working in several different types of properties and a solid amount of contact with brokers meant that Alexandre Sebe knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he made the switchover from being a decorator and designer for high-end properties.
“My clients kept telling me that they enjoyed working with me in setting up their homes and urged me to go into the broker side of the real estate business,” Sebe said. “They told me that when they are ready to move in the future they’d love to have me sell their homes.”
After hearing it enough times, Sebe decided it was something he wanted to pursue.
“I had built such a comfortable professional network, so it really made sense to do,” he said. “I’ve loved every minute of it since I decided to make the change.”
Since 2002 Sebe has worked for Groupe Sutton Centre Ouest on Victoria Ave. in Westmount.
“When I started my career the biggest surprise for me was that I thought I could be a broker and maintain some decorating clients on the side,” Sebe said. “Boy was I wrong; this isn’t a part-time job, it requires full dedication at all times.”
When you have a listing, you have very little control over what time your clients will need your assistance, so having other professional commitments isn’t realistic, he added.
“There’s no middle ground, you’re either in it 110 per cent or you might as well not be involved,” he said.
Despite the heavy demands of day-to-day tasks in the real estate industry, Sebe has man- aged to maintain one side project. The news aficionado has created a website — www. montrealex.com — where he posts links regularly to news stories about real estate markets in Canada and the U.S.
“I did that because I consume so much news about this city and the market and it’s information that I felt could be useful for my clients and potential clients,” he said. “I want the site to serve as a database and an important resource for those looking to learn about the market.”
Sebe tries to link to one or two articles each day.
“But naturally the clients’ needs come first so when I’m extremely busy the website is second tier in priority,” he said. “But I always get back to my regular updates.”
Sebe mostly works in the downtown corridor in addition to Westmount and NotreDame-de-Grâce. He works with buyers and sellers and says the client interaction is his favourite part of the job.
“I love being out there talking to people, getting to know them and understanding their needs,” he said. “It’s a big responsibility to help someone find or sell a home.”
The industry can be very fun as a professional, but it requires a huge practical presence of mind, Sebe said.
“It’s very easy to get emotional and excited, but you have to be the voice of reason for the client in order to make sure they’re happy with the whole package before anything gets signed.”
Sometimes what clients initially tell a broker they want
“You’re either at it 110 per cent or you might as well not
be involved”
ALEXANDRE SEBE
to buy isn’t the type of property they end up getting.
“It’s my job to listen to them carefully and to point out potential needs they aren’t necessarily seeing in their assessment,” Sebe said. “For instance if a couple wants a one-bedroom condo but then tells me they’re planning on having children very soon, I need to work with them to make them see that maybe a one bedroom isn’t realistic for them.”
In addition to working so closely with clients, Sebe is also extremely attracted to the novelty offered by the industry.
“Every day you wake up and it’s a different day, new referrals come in, you get to explore new areas of the city and you never know which direction it’s going to take you,” he said. “One day can be quiet and the next you get home at 10 p.m., it keeps me on my toes and that’s how I like it.”