What it takes to be one of Quebec’s top real-estate brokers
While most real-estate brokers are conducting business online, often managing up to 300 listings at a time, Carly Fridman’s approach is a little different — but clearly working. At 31 years old, she’s already one of the 10 top-selling real-estate brokers in the province.
“When I became a broker, I worked with someone who didn’t do much advertising, but she was very successful,” Fridman said. “From her, I learned that real estate is about personal relationships as opposed to volume.”
While Fridman sold fewer homes than her top 10 peers last year, she focused on more high-margin luxury homes and condos. To be successful without hundreds of listings, Fridman has had to take the time to really get to know each and every one of her clients, and help them every step of the way.
“Whether a client is buying a $300,000 home or a million-dollar home, they need the same kind of help,” she said. “It’s our job to guide and educate our clients.”
Fridman’s journey into real estate started after a dream job in advertising resulted in a burnout and a shift in focus. After her father suggested that she get her real-estate licence, Fridman realized that real estate combined a lot of her interests: communications, marketing and law from her time at the University of Ottawa, and sales from working at Betsey Johnson while attending school.
Fridman had planned on going back to school to specialize in copyright law, but her career change made her realize that you need to be prepared for anything — a lesson that’s definitely applicable to real estate.
To that end, Fridman helps her clients be prepared by telling them about the things they might not be considering — like school zones, for example — instead of just focusing on the characteristics of a particular home.
“Real-estate brokers don’t just sell homes, they broker transactions for their clients,” she said. “My clients trust me to not put them in the wrong home, a house they can’t afford, or something that just isn’t right for them.”
After nine years in the business, Fridman knows that what’s important to her clients isn’t her online exposure. It’s the fact that once she’s made a connection with her clients, it becomes a lifelong relationship because she has their backs and understands their needs.