If you want to know the secret to real estate success, just look to Madonna. That’s who Tony Joe takes cues from. Not because of her dynamic media presence or keen business savvy – both qualities the “Queen of Pop” shares with the top-selling agent – but because of her constant push for reinvention. “I think about Madonna often,” Joe says. “She’s had many different personas over the years and wouldn’t be as successful today if she were still the Material Girl from the ’80s. In a way, that’s how we need to view our business.”
Joe pauses and glances out the window of his storefront office in Oak Bay, one of Victoria, British Columbia’s pricier postcard neighborhoods, where Madonna herself could easily own a multimillion-dollar waterfront mansion.
“I’m always on the lookout for something new,” Joe says. “By the time I find an idea, implement it and start seeing results, other people have started doing it, too. Then it’s time to move on and find something different.”
Finding something different is one of the traits that sets Joe apart. He produces podcasts, blogs, YouTube videos and his own app; he hosts PBS fundraisers on TV and real estate shows online; he organizes cultural festivals; and he works to eliminate homelessness in his community. He never stands still.
The Team Leader of Tony Joe & Associates has been with RE/MAX Camosun Oak Bay in Victoria since the early 1990s, and he has spent 22 years building a reputation as a real estate agent who cares as much about the community as he does about the bottom line.
Consider the advice Joe gives to new agents, despite his penchant for the new and fresh.
“Get out there in the community and serve genuinely and sincerely,” Joe says. “There is no easy way – no easy money. It’s just a matter of finding a way people can get to know who you are and what’s in your heart.”
GROWING IN THE GARDEN CITY
Bright, friendly, intelligent and socially engaged, Joe very much epitomizes the city in which he was born and raised. Located at the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island, equidistant between Seattle and Vancouver, Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia and one of Canada’s most desirable cities in terms of both climate and livability.
“Every time I fly into Victoria, I look out the window and think, ‘Man, I love living here,'” says the 44-year-old husband and father of two. “I have a great network of agents across the country, and virtually all of them refer people who are moving to Victoria. It’s hard to reciprocate, because so few people move away from Victoria.”
Having sold nearly 1,400 homes so far, Joe has made his luck the old-fashioned way: through hard work, strong networking and smart business moves.
“Tony’s a good example of what other successful agents need to do to stay successful,” says RE/MAX Camosun Broker/Owner Wayne Schrader. “He’s an outstanding citizen and a good family man; he leads by example. He’s quietly successful, and that’s really admirable in this business.”
Sonya Jones, who previously worked for the Victoria Real Estate Board and is now Operations Manager for Joe’s team, offers an insider’s perspective.
“Not only is Tony finding people great places to live, he’s also making sure Victoria continues to be a great place to live for everyone,” she says. “Knowing the city’s 1,300 Realtors, there are very few of them I would have left my job for. But when Tony approached me about joining his team, I couldn’t say no. He’s open to trying new things and finding what works best for everyone – not just for him. That’s a great quality in a team leader.”
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TEAM WORKS
Having an effective team helps Joe balance his community and realty activities. While Jones handles all the paperwork and scheduling, Joe focuses on finding new listings and looks to three other licensed agents to serve buyers.
“One reason I’m able to put a lot of time in the community is because I have people who take care of the most time-consuming parts of the job: driving people around, doing the paperwork, managing social media,” he explains. “I’m still an integral part of every client’s sale or purchase, but because my team is doing a great job, I can get out into the community more.”
RE/MAX Camosun Broker/Manager Ray Blender has known Joe for 20 years and describes him as “outgoing, sincere and dedicated.” In addition to praising Joe’s professionalism and client longevity, Blender notes the general high regard in which he’s held.
“Anybody who has done a transaction with Tony respects him,” he says. “Tony believes very strongly in the brokerage, and he supports it by leading a series of seminars for new agents about organizing their work. He’s an excellent leader.”
Case in point: Joe created a weekly business network a few years ago – a mix of 35 tradespeople and other professionals who have skills to help him better serve his clients.
“The trap other agents fall into is that after they make the sale, they drop the client,” Joe says. “On our team, we make sure our customers know we’re still here to help them out. Even though we’ve earned our pay, our job isn’t over.”
COMMUNITY BUILDER
Joe’s community mindset extends to everything he does, as evidenced by the awards blanketing his office walls. Most recently, he was the 2013 recipient of Victoria’s prestigious CFAX 1070 Community Leader of the Year Award. A RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Joe is also a perennial Platinum Club producer. He was the multiple award-winning President and three-term Director of the Victoria Real Estate Board, and a past chair of numerous local real estate committees.
Joe also holds membership in many service organizations, including Rotary International, the Knights of Columbus and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; plus, he’s a co-founder or board member of nearly a dozen local businesses, and cultural and social organizations. The organization nearest and dearest to Joe is the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, where he spent two years as co-chair alongside Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin.
“The strides we’ve made in eliminating homelessness in Victoria are stunning – and Tony has been an essential part of that team,” Mayor Fortin says.
For Joe, it comes down to dollars and sense.
“It costs $58,000 a year to provide services for one homeless person, which is a lot more money than most people need to live,” he explains. “Victoria would be very different if homeless people were able to get off the streets for good.”
Pointing out that Victoria is close to becoming the first Canadian city to end street homelessness, Mayor Fortin sees no coincidence in the fact that it was a Realtor who helped turn the tide.
“Tony made it his mission to get out there and engage businesses; his strength is straightforward, honest communication that allows people to see the benefits of what he’s proposing.”
Joe gestures toward people passing by his office, many of whom pause to look at his window listings.
“People think our business is all about houses, but it’s really not – it’s about meeting new people and finding ways to help them,” he says.
CHOOSING TO BE EXTRAORDINARY
Despite not yet achieving his dream of total financial freedom, Joe is clearly pleased with his life and career – even if he can’t quite put his finger on the secret to his success.
“For a long time, I attributed it to the fact I was born and raised in Victoria,” he says. “But then someone pointed out that there are other locals who haven’t been successful in the same business. What made the difference for me? I don’t have to sell myself. I put community first, and that tells people all they need to know about me.”
Mayor Fortin has a thought on that: “Tony is an ordinary guy who decided to do extraordinary things. He proves that one person can make a real difference. Even with everything else he does, he’s a true professional and one hell of a Realtor.”
TONY JOE’S PERSPECTIVE ON BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
“I’m the ethics instructor for new real estate agents, and while I joke about it, you can’t teach something and not operate that way yourself. In the course of business, if we ever bump into a situation where something is questionable, we take the higher road.”
FAMILY LIFE
“It’s very important to have a supportive spouse, and mine is fantastic. The saving grace in our household is date night. Sue and I have date night every Friday – that’s our commitment. There’s a number of non-negotiables in my life right now. I’m home as often as I can to bathe my kids, tell them a story and put them to bed. Then I might do some work afterward. It’s all about sticking to a schedule.”
TIPS FOR NEW AGENTS
“Service organizations like Rotary are a good place to start – not because they’re great places to get business, but because if you go in with sincerity and a desire to help people and participate in events, people will get to know you better.”
FINDING A COACH
“One of the things that really changed my business was getting involved with real estate coaching. I’ve been working with the same business coach for three years now. It’s pretty universal that high-level performers need a coach – even Tiger Woods needs one.”
SOAK IT UP
“I became a conference junkie a number of years ago. I go to events like the Realtors Conference, RE/MAX conventions and Richard Robbins International events. These events are amazing. There’s really great education and a lot of networking. If people ask me to find a Realtor in another city, it’s nice to be able to say, ‘I know this person, we’re friends, we’ve talked, we broke bread together, I know he or she has integrity.’ That’s a real value to customers.”
Written by John Threlfall
