Gordon Halkett

--Even after 40 years, It's still a thrill to help people find homes--

I was  born & raised in Nanaimo, my Dad was a teacher & Mom taught piano.

My initial career idea was to be a shop teacher in the school system, but instead I took a British Leyland mechanic-(MGB Jaguar etc) apprenticeship  and completed 3 years of the program.

In my spare time, I began buying cheap houses and renting them out, my first property was $6,300.00 in 1975. When you make $ 2.50 per hour-I NEVER thought I'd pay for the place.

The Realtor I worked with suggested that I take the real estate course, to get the knowledge of how the business works-so I did-never thinking that it would be my life's work.

I wanted to build and race cars.            One November day I was lying on my back - under an MGB, with water dripping down on my face & my hands frozen almost solid & I said to myself ---“NO"- --I will do something else in life!!!

Real Estate.              There were two out twelve people who passed the pre-licensing course that term, and suddenly I had a real estate license and a "bull pen" cubical at Block Bros Realty.                I had a red 1966 GMC pickup truck (good for the rentals) - and NO MONEY for advertising nor marketing, but off I went.                I did well-- very well, working many 16 hours days, to get money for clothes & a 4 door car.  In 1980 I was asked to join a group forming a new real estate company, with brand new offices & with a personal assistant. That was "Bowen Realty", which we built from 6 partners to over 30 salespeople in 3 years.   This was 1980 thru 1984 - when interest rates went from 10% to over 20% and the average price of housing went DOWN 52% over a 5 year period.

We grew into 40 plus salespeople, moved to Woodgrove mall & bought the Re/Max franchise.                I sold out and went independent for 12 years, and as we grow & learn in life I saw that the major worldwide brokerages -C21 --Re/Max —Royal Lepage were gaining more market share- because they can advertise more & small brokerages cannot compete in the internet age.                As much as people may grumble about multiple national companies-- in real estate brokerage game, it is the ONLY way to go.                Over the 40 years, I've been involved in over 4,000 residential transactions in Nanaimo, and still find it a thrill to do business.

I’ve owned and managed 3 brokerages, including a condo specialist company, a property management company, construction company and owned many rental properties.

Sometimes people say "Why don't you retire?"  "And do what??" I ask.

There is nothing in my life more interesting—for me-- than working (playing) in real estate.

Still love cars, and racing  but I'm not going back to lying under an MGB.

Let me know -if I can help you.

Gord