Broker Tawnya Gvoich has created a new endeavour: WomenUP Real Estate, a one-stop solution for women who prefer to buy and sell real estate with the help of a professional female Realtor in their community.
Gvoich, of Red Brick Real Estate Brokerage in Guelph, Ont., has been in real estate for about five years. She got her broker’s licence a year ago.
“I always wanted to specialize in something but could never quite put my finger on what,” she says. However late last year, she noticed a trend. More women were setting a new standard: they were building each other up.
Gvoich decided to create a program that targets women in her community by offering them a premium service that is more “experiential than transactional,” one that helps them feel more comfortable and helps them to enjoy their buying and selling experience. “Our interests include uplifting women, empowering women and supporting women in business and in real estate, which is where the name WomenUP came from.”
Ideal for anyone who has ever felt pushed aside, treated like a number rather than a person or been made to feel less than knowledgeable about real estate, WomenUP strives to offer top-level service in a comfortable, helpful and non-judgemental way.
Gvoich also recently created an annual award, the WomenUP Scholarship, through the University of Guelph She’s Got Game program. The program was created by the university’s Department of Athletics to engage women of all ages in sport and help facilitate the tools to succeed in both life and sport, she says.
WomenUP works with everyone from first-time buyers to seasoned veterans. In addition to helping buyers and sellers of resale housing, the broker can also help clients buy new homes or those who need help with staging.
The new venture serves Guelph, Eramosa, Puslinch, Kitchener-Waterloo, Milton and the surrounding area.
“It’s unlike anything that’s been done before especially in our area. We’ve gained a lot of traction on social media already and the response has been favourable,” Gvoich says.
She spent the last year creating a polished website and a professional commercial about the WomenUP concept for the site. “We’re getting good feedback.” Now the goal is to spread the word and gain traction.
Connie Adair is a contributing writer for REM.
