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Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean bet- “I realize it can be a lot of nights and week- have come to rely on.
ter is a philosophy that resonates at ends, but you can also make your own Technology and the latest trends were al-
Howie Schmidt Realty Brokerage Inc. schedule and make things happen,” says ways embraced by Howie.
Christina. “I remember my mom never miss-
Founded in 1981 by the late Howie Schmidt, ing out on any of our school field trips or ac- “He loved the newest toys,” says Christina,
the Cambridge real estate brokerage is a tivities.” referring to her papa. “He always knew what
family business that prides itself on fairness Her uncle agrees and says family commit- the latest gadgets were and was excited to
and going that extra mile for its clients. be ahead of the curve using them.”
ments become priority in terms of schedul-
“I think we’re known for putting good ing. But a solid business reputation has been an
quality homes on the market in an ethical even more important asset and Teri says her
way,” says realtor Tony Schmidt, seated in “But it can be difficult sometimes because father’s legacy in the local real estate indus-
the company’s Westminster Drive office in some things can be very last minute,” says try has been a benefit.
downtown Preston. “We’re known for being Christina.
fair when we negotiate.” “In our family business, we have each oth- “Dad showed us how to treat a client,” she
says.
Schmidt, who joined his father in the busi- er’s back. We can depend on each other in
the event there’s a time conflict. We work Tony agrees.
ness in 1995, grew up in the real estate
business as did his sister, Teri Vincent, who together and do what we need to do to “You always have to respect the person
make it happen,” says Tony.
joined a few years before him in 1989. you’re working for or working with,” he says.
“Back in the day, dad was involved man- The “team or family” concept was always an That same dedication the family has to their
clients also reaches into their community
integral part of the brokerage’s philosophy.
aging the largest real estate office in Cam- Besides juggling schedules, all three have involvement.
bridge, but he decided to step away from it faced different challenges in their real es-
to open his own brokerage and to get back HSR has been involved and continue to sup-
to selling homes – something that he loved tate careers. Market changes and techno- port a variety of charities and causes, includ-
logical changes never stop.
to do,” says Teri. ing ALS, Kids Can Play and cancer research.
Opening your own brokerage was a leap of While Teri and Tony experienced a time Tony is the past president of both the Cam-
when housing prices dropped, Christina on bridge and Kitchener Waterloo Associations
faith and Howie’s perseverance and good the other hand has had to navigate a land- of Realtors and is the current chair of the
business practices were lessons well noted scape of skyrocketing prices and bidding Preston BIA.
by his children. wars. Teri says giving back to the community was
When Teri was first approached by her fa- Christina’s first offer presentation involved always important to their father.
ther to join him in the business, she says she 11 offers.
didn’t hesitate because she knew what to “A lot of the times you see a need in the
expect. “That means that there’s going to be 10 peo- community and you just jump in,” she says.
“We were exposed to the business all our ple who will be leaving without anything,” “It’s important to do our part for a com-
munity that has been good to us over the
says Tony, adding it can be emotionally tax-
life and we knew what our time commit- ing for both the client and them. “When years.”
ments would be like,” she says, noting their someone misses out on a house, due to
schedules can be very flexible. “We learned multiple offers, we take it just as hard.” Besides staying true to their community in-
to use our time well!” volvement, the family also remains firm that
“It’s certainly great for the seller right now, their sales team will not be expanding.
Tony started working for his father deliver- but not always for the buyer,” adds Teri.
ing fliers door-to-door on roller skates at 11, “We’ve been approached by larger broker-
and then moved up the ladder to the sign Besides market forces, he says the expec- ages on a regular basis, but it was never
division when he had his own truck at 17. tations of clients have changed over the dad’s motto that bigger was better,” says
But that was as far as Howie would permit years when it comes to finding their “dream Terri. “We’re a boutique brokerage. Dad
his son’s involvement until he felt Tony was home.” always encouraged us to resist the temp-
ready. “Affordability has made people adjust to tation to add more salespeople. Instead,
“‘Never race a horse before it’s time’, he what they can actually fit into,” says Tony, he encouraged us to focus on our business
staying ‘family’ and to continue to grow the
would say,” says Tony, explaining his father adding Cambridge is on par with the latest business with satisfied clients who were
felt it was important that there was some housing trends with other communities. treated like family. A job well done always
real-world experience dealing with people As well, Teri says clients have also changed has the ripple down effect of friends and
prior to entering the real estate profession. in terms of what they are willing to invest in. family referrals.”
When Tony was 25, his father asked him to “Before, we had clients who were ready
get working on his licencing courses. to do a lot of renovation work,” she says, The family says the brokerage’s storefront
A third generation, Teri’s daughter, Christina adding that staging properties has become window embraces this message: Let Our
Hunke, joined her mother and uncle in the an important factor in closing a deal. The Family Business Look After Your Family’s
brokerage in 2016. popularity of the HGTV programs have had Business.
an impact on the buyers’ expectations for a
Hunke, a mother of three young children, “move in ready” home. PHOTO: Howie Schmidt Realty Inc. has been a staple
in the local real estate industry for decades. The family
says she also knew what she was getting business includes, from left, Teri Vincent, Tony Schmidt
into after being surrounded by real estate Staging, social media and the use of drones and Christina Hunke.
are just a few of the valuable tools realtors
her whole life.
www.cambridgechamber.com 29
Spring 2019