It has been a long time since I wrote like this.
As the year ends and Christmas approaches, we naturally find ourselves looking back on the past year.
Rather than what I have done in the time that has flown by busily, it is also a time when I reflect again on which direction I am heading.
Looking back on my career, I think I can say that this year was the most intense and best year of my career.
The team I was a part of was ranked 9th in Canada by Royal LePage this year. Starting at 129th in 2022, 52nd in 2023, 18th in 2024, and up to 9th in 2025 — We have steadily climbed up one step at a time every year.
What was more meaningful than the result was that this rise was the accumulation of standards and execution, not short-term luck.
Nevertheless, at that very point, I came to ask the question again. Will the current approach remain valid for the next 10 years?
Therefore, this article is not intended to list achievements, but, what thoughts I came to have in the midst of that achievement, and it is close to a record of why I chose this direction now.
These days, when talking about the real estate market, most people start with the same thing.
The market is bad, trading has decreased, so now is the time to wait. That is not wrong. However, I do not think that statement represents the whole picture of the market.
Looking back at history, capital has always moved one step ahead of public perception. Not when the market is at its noisiest, but rather at the moment when everyone feels they have taken a step back, so-called smart money quietly begins to take direction.
It does not move much, nor does it take a noisy position. Establish standards, inspect the structure, and prepare for the next cycle.
I believe the current real estate market has also entered that phase. Trading volume decreased and the atmosphere cooled, but within it, assets with solid structures and prepared opportunities are gradually being consolidated. It is not open to everyone, but it is becoming increasingly clear to capital with standards.
Amidst this trend, I, too, have come to reconsider my position and role. And currently, as Senior Vice President of Sotheby's International Realty Canada, I, we focus on more structured asset advisory services, centering on luxury residential and commercial/multifamily assets.
This change is not merely a simple job change or a change of title, but rather, this was a summary of the criteria I want to use to manage my assets.
I started my real estate career in 2020 at a relatively small team.
In his first year, he stepped into the industry as the Royal LePage Rookie of the Year, and subsequently, the Royal LePage Chairman's Club, or the top 1%, was recorded consecutively from 2022 to 2025.
These numbers clearly have meaning.
However, what became clearer as time went by was, the fact was that the standards and processes that made the achievement possible were far more important than the achievement itself.
Once it exceeds a certain level, what the customer wants is it is not simply a result of “buying well” or “selling well.” What they are really asking is this question.
What significance this decision has within the overall asset structure, how accurate and smooth this process was, and whether trust was maintained at every moment of judgment. If you cannot answer this question, even if there are results, the relationship will not last.
The Luxury Residential I am talking about is it is a little different from the 'high-end housing' that you commonly think of. It is not a matter of price, this is a story about how assets are handled and the buying/selling process.
A luxury deal is not simply about buying an expensive house, accurate judgment is made with uncertainty eliminated, and decision-making is sophisticated, and it means that the entire process of the transaction proceeds smoothly.
On the sell-side, without exaggerating the value of assets it is to interpret accurately and position in the market, while not excluding opportunities on the buy side it is to design the structure so as not to incur unnecessary risks.
So, I do not insist on only houses in a specific price range.
However, there are clear standards.
Wanting definite results based on trust, I want to work with clients who value the smoothness of the process and the accuracy of judgment.
When moving on to Commercial and Multifamily assets, this standard becomes even clearer.
In this area, there is almost no room for emotion or taste to intervene. Only the structure tells the whole story.
How cash flow is generated, where risks accumulate, in what order do losses occur when a problem arises, and whether the exit is clear.
So these days, I [are looking at] Commercial and Multifamily real assets I am looking into it even more deeply.
Rather than short-term price changes or market sentiment, sustainability of cash flow, robustness of asset structure, and we evaluate assets based on their durability to withstand cycles.
The question I consider the most important in the market right now is this.
It is not about how much this asset can shine during a boom, in what order are protections received during uncertain times?
Whether it's luxury, commercial, or multifamily, assets that fail this question become a burden over time.
Conversely, assets that pass this question are inconspicuous but last a long time. And smart money always looks at these kinds of assets first.
So, I am working right now in this position, based on this standard.
Rather than short-term trading, the work of creating standards and structures together to prepare for the next cycle. At Luxury Residential, precision processes and trust, in Commercial and Multifamily, the focus is on structure and risk it is about looking at assets.
Finally, what I consider most important right now I would like to leave three things behind.
Focus.
Structure.
Durability.
I will handle assets based on this standard. Only to those who need it, with the necessary depth.
Quietly, but preparing for the next phase.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who read this.
Christmas is always a time of busyness, even amidst the hustle and bustle pause for a moment to look back on the year, it seems like a time to organize the direction ahead.
Those with whom I formed a connection this year and to everyone who has quietly watched over this space I hope you have a warm and peaceful Christmas.
In the upcoming New Year standards over speed structure over conviction and considering the process more important than the result I intend to move forward calmly, one step at a time.
Merry Christmas and I hope you have a warm end of the year.