Why Canada’s Top Broker is with the ‘No. 1 Brand’

At the beginning of his career, at the age of 18, Faisal Susiwala took a bus to the homes he showed clients. Now, as a billion-dollar real estate broker and the No. 1 RE/MAX residential agent in Canada in 2019, he pays for advertisements on the exterior of those same buses around Cambridge, Ontario.

“I was waiting for the bus downtown and I remembered that one of my father’s old friends was a broker who had a real estate office right across from the bus terminal. So, I went and knocked on his door and I asked [him] if he would consider licensing me,” shares Susiwala, now the owner of RE/MAX Twin City Faisal Susiwala Realty. “He gave me my first break and that basically changed the trajectory of my life.”

But as Susiwala told RE/MAX Chief Customer Officer Nick Bailey during “Good Morning RE/MAX,” it took another five years to find the right brokerage to truly launch his career. He says he was losing listings because he wasn’t a REMAX agent.

“I was at the top of my game at the other company, but I wasn’t with the No. 1 brand,” the Diamond Club Member explains. “At that point I made a decision that … I want to be associated with the No. 1 brand. Because that way, when I go into a listing presentation, I can say that I’m an affiliate of the No. 1 company in my region in Canada and internationally… I needed that association in order for me to drive my personal brand.”

Secrets to success

Now, with over $3 billion (CAD) in closed sales volume, Susiwala says consistency has been key in steadily growing business over time.

“The secret is consistency in everything you do so there’s no feast or famine,” he says.

Susiwala adds that real estate agents who want to succeed are smart to learn from other peoples’ experiences, have mentors, study their challenges, improve the industry, evolve with technology and harness the RE/MAX brand.

“A lot of it has to do with a mindset of abundance,” he says. “So, you’re coming from a place where you have enough and then you’re acting accordingly with your clients. If you’re doing the right thing, success will follow.”

Best advice

“I’m a firm believer in jumping in with both feet,” Susiwala says, especially when it comes to agents new to the industry.

He advises building a nest egg before going all-in. By doing so, one can fully commit to establishing their personal brand.

“Branding yourself is so important. Invest in your business,” he says. “Look, you don’t have to stock shelves. You don’t have to buy inventory; your inventory is free, so invest in your brand.”