Century 21 Heritage House is saying goodbye to one of its original leaders as owner David Thomas retires after forty years in the real estate industry.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Thomas worked in coal mining before making his way to Woodstock and joining the real estate business. In 1982 he joined Heritage House as a broker and owner. Over the next three decades, he cultivated hundreds of relationships with clients and agents, many of whom have fond memories of how his leadership helped them grow.
“He helped create a powerhouse brokerage that helped so many other people build their own real estate success story,” says Nick Lalli of Heritage House. “He still is a very encouraging and loud force when he’s in the building.”
Thomas’s belief in putting clients’ needs before a paycheque and his consistent work ethic helped drive growth, the company says in a press release. The brokerage has consistently ranked among the top 30 offices in the Century 21 Canada system and just last month was announced as the Franchise of the Year at the brand’s annual OneC21 conference.
“There are many ways to measure success, and David has been successful in every one of them,” says Lalli. “If you count houses sold, money made, David was very successful. But he was even more so if you count how many people he lifted up, comforted, and helped find success of their own.”
“We have so appreciated getting the chance to know David over the years,” says Brian Rushton, COO of Century 21 Canada. “He is a role model for what brokers should and can be: someone who knows what it takes to succeed in this business by making the time to support his agents every single day. He’s more than earned some time to relax with his wife and family, and we wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.”
