Peter Dagg (Photos by Mike Crane Photography)
By Susan Doran
Peter Dagg’s philosophy is, “Work hard first, then play hard as a reward.”
At this point in his life he’s well positioned to do both.
Dagg is director of the North Shore/Sunshine Coast/Sea to Sky (NSS) division of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV). He’s also president-elect of the Canadian chapter of FIABCI, the international real estate federation, which has chapters in over 50 countries. He will take the FIABCI reins in March 2013, and is keen to point out that the organization’s “global referral network” and unique world-wide marketing opportunities are huge benefits to member Realtors and others involved in the real estate business.
This is especially true in resort communities, where a large percentage of property owners are non-residents. Dagg, who’s with Sutton Group West Coast Realty, lives in the resort community of Whistler, B.C. He moved there four years ago from a small township about one hour southwest of Montreal, where he’d been both a Realtor and long-time mayor.
“I was heavily involved in local politics. I’m not now. That’s one stage of my life I was happy to retreat from,” he says.
Another was home repairs.
“My wife and I decided there was more to life than spending 20 hours per week maintaining our drafty 1840s farmhouse in Quebec,” Dagg says.
The draw of the healthy, West Coast mountain lifestyle had attracted many of Dagg’s family members to Whistler. So in 2008 he and his wife Patricia auctioned off their belongings, jumped into the car with their dog and headed cross-country.
“The market went right into the toilet as we were driving out west, due mainly to the U.S. market,” Dagg says, laughing. He’s had to work hard to re-establish himself in the Whistler area.
“I went from a rural, agricultural market to a resort market,” dealing with a high percentage of non-residents, he says. “In my old stomping grounds, my customers had often lived for three generations on the same property. They had deep roots.”
His affiliations with the Vancouver board have been beneficial in boosting his momentum on the West Coast. He’s been a director for a little over a year, and in that time – besides helping to spearhead professional development and educational and informational workshops for his electorate – he’s been involved in various charitable fund-raising efforts.
Last Christmas, REBGV awarded Dagg a Certificate of Appreciation for his teamwork on the board’s Christmas Classic Fundraiser, which pulled in $6,200 for the Lookout Emergency Aid Society, a Vancouver-based charity that assists the homeless.
Dagg’s involvement with FIABCI – he’s been a member since 2001 – also presents him with opportunities to help others while benefiting his own business, notably by increasing exposure to a wider network of markets.
Calvin Lindberg, current president of FIABCI’s Canadian chapter and 2012/2013 president of the Americas, formalized a new structure for the organization at its recent annual general meeting. Dagg anticipates that this will allow FIABCI to “be better organized.” (Sometimes organizing real estate professionals can be like “herding cats,” Dagg says.)
“There’s been restructuring. It was a way looser arrangement before,” he says. “I think in 2013 we’ll jump ahead.”
You’d think that between his work-related and fund-raising activities, Dagg would be run ragged. But he says that’s not the case. Asked how he’ll juggle becoming president of FIABCI’s Canadian chapter with all his other responsibilities, he simply notes that he doesn’t expect the time commitment to be onerous.
Taking time out to ‘play hard’ remains an inherent part of his philosophy. He feels blessed to live in an environment where there’s ample opportunity to pursue his passion for cycling and skiing.
Whistler Blackcomb has “over 8,000 acres of skiable terrain. That makes me happy!” he says.
A firm believer in the importance of balancing work and recreational activities, Dagg says that for him, the latter usually includes road biking, mountain biking and skiing. He often manages to combine his love of skiing and cycling with volunteer or charitable endeavours.
For over 20 years back east, he was a member of the volunteer ski patrol, providing assistance to injured skiers and snowboarders at Lake Placid, N.Y., which was just across the border from where he lived. Over the years, he helped save two lives and was subsequently awarded two Purple (merit) Stars from the National Ski Patrol.
One of the most important messages he can give to skiers and snowboarders who are injured, he stresses, is the necessity of getting to a hospital as quickly as possible. That “golden hour” (the time from ski hill to operating room should be within one hour, he says) is critical. People suffering head injuries or heart attacks are often in denial, he says, citing the tragic example of actor Natasha Richardson.
Now Dagg is a ski patroller on Blackcomb Mountain.
His volunteer work continues after the ski runs close. Dagg volunteers as a medic for the annual GranFondo Whistler, a mass participation cycling event. And in June last year he participated in the 260-km Ride to Conquer Cancer, which benefits the B.C. Cancer Foundation.
Bicycles for Humanity (BFH) is another cause he has taken on since coming to Whistler.
He says that BFH, which has chapters worldwide, “collects used and donated bicycles, dismantles them, puts them in shipping containers and ships them to Africa.” There, bicycles are an empowering means of transportation for many people, helping them to get to school, to work and to medical facilities, and allowing them to more easily carry everything from water and firewood to livestock.
Not surprisingly, given his penchant for community and professional contributions, Dagg says that when it comes to business, he views himself as a Realtor with patience and understanding.
“I have a ‘client first’ philosophy…This has always been my approach, and it requires me to continually improve my skills and ways of doing business,” he says.
