Ian Charlebois (Photos by Ryan Parent)
By Connie Adair
Dressed in his trademark suit and crisply pressed shirt, Ian Charlebois glances at his wall of awards and degrees before sitting at his immaculate desk. The awards are not intended to intimidate or impress clients, but rather to motivate the young Realtor. “It gives me accountability,” he says. “This is what I’ve done.”
The 26-year-old broker at Re/Max Citywide Realty in Ottawa has done a lot. He ranks in the top one per cent in Canada with Re/Max. Previously with Royal LePage Performance, he garnered a Master Sales Award (top 20 per cent in Canada) and the President’s Gold Award (top six to 10 per cent in Canada).
Born and raised in Ottawa, he was 17 when he started his criminology and business degrees at the University of Ottawa. He intended to become a police officer, but during his studies he decided he would be better suited to business. Not one to start something and not finish it, at 21-years-old, he graduated with two degrees.
Not long after, he bought a house to renovate and sell. He bought the 1950s home in March for $248,000, did a gut renovation and sold it four months later for $374,000.
While overseeing the renovation, he took Ontario Real Estate Association courses, got his license and began his real estate career in October 2008. “Everyone thought I was crazy starting in the recession,” Charlebois says. “But it taught me to have resiliency and to tackle the unknown. It was a challenge. I thought if I could get through that, it would solidify my career in real estate.”
Along with sales awards for each of the four years he’s been in real estate, he says one of his greatest accomplishments was being featured in Canada One’s Business Entrepreneur Magazine in 2010.
Charlebois attributes his success to hard work, starting from his school days when he also played hockey five times a week. “There were late nights doing homework but I made it work,” he says. Graduating with two careers was also hard work. In real estate, he has maintained that work ethic.
Charlebois spends much of his time driving – about 40,000 km annually in his truck. “I don’t want to drive a (big) name brand (BMW, Infinti),” he says. “The very first thing a young successful Realtor thinks he needs to do is buy a nice car. I choose to reinvest my money into the business and my clients respect that far more than anything else. A car is a liability at the end of the day so I am content staying under the radar. The biggest compliment I’ve received from another Realtor was, ‘I did not see you coming but now I am hearing the noise you’re making’.”
One important fixture in his truck is a hanger for his suit jacket. “Thanks to Michael Paquin, my business coach from Paquin & Associates, I always wear a business suit,” Charlebois says. “Michael deals with top executives and he has truly changed my life. His stance is, ‘If you want to be a professional, (dress) like one.’ A few must-haves are my Re/Max pin on the left side of the jacket, polished shoes and ironed shirts.”
In addition to real estate, volunteerism ranks high for Charlebois, who has more than 500 volunteer hours. At his old high school, he taught students with learning disabilities about how to deal with stigma and how to empower themselves through education.
With his success as a Realtor, he is now able to offer financial support to the community. He came to the rescue of a Grade 12 class, offering his investment property so the class could have a hands-on renovation experience, working on a project for their full school year instead of spending it in the classroom. He footed the $70,000 bill to set them up and supply materials.
He recently donated $10,000 to the University of Ottawa to help students with learning disabilities. His goal is to donate $20,000 by 2014 to “local Ottawa institutions that actively pursue excellence through learning,” he says.
“Doing community services comes naturally,” says Charlebois, who has a sister who is a paramedic and another who is a teacher. “I do my community service (by) volunteering instead of as a job. Being a Realtor has allowed me to have a greater impact on the community and to do for others.”
When he’s not working or volunteering, Charlebois enjoys reading textbooks, which he says gives him the chance to continue to learn. He likes gardening and hits the gym five times a week. He also manages to play hockey twice a week.
Each day from 3 to 6 pm, he takes time for himself, having a healthy meal and working out at the gym. “I strive to keep a balance between my personal goals and work in sync,” he says.
After 6 pm, he’s back on the clock, working into the wee hours meeting with clients and doing paperwork.
Along with his hard work, he credits Pina Alessi, second in command at the office and of his team, for her contribution to his success.
Charlebois is the first Realtor in his family. His father owns Metric Homes, a custom home and development company. “I decided not to work with him after graduating from university because I wanted to make it on my own. I am so glad I did because success tastes more enjoyable when you build it from the ground up,” Charlebois says. “My father has always been a great business man. He is old school and a hard negotiator and those qualities I tweak and apply to my business.”
Ian Charlebois’ secrets to success:
1) Hard work: While growing up, Charlebois juggled school and playing hockey five times a week. It meant late nights doing homework, but “I made it work,” he says. It helped him develop a strong work ethic and he’s not afraid of hard work.
2) Seeing the opportunity in risk: Despite the risk of being a young man competing against more experienced agents, he took the challenge and became a successful Realtor. He also saw the opportunity despite the risk of footing the bill and having students renovate his property.
3) Surrounding myself with people who believe in me: Charlebois spends time with family, friends and colleagues and ensures people in his network allow him to succeed.
4) Aligning with the #1 brand.
5) Organize your time so you can be more productive: You can have a social life and do other things but you have to set priorities, he says.
6) Organize your space: Charlebois likes to have an organized and efficient work space because his office has “an impact on how I am perceived – as being calm, collected and (that I) know what talking about.”
