Prior to entering her real estate career in late 2014, Julie was employed as a Vancouver Police Officer for 14 years. Julie’s experience dealing with all different types of people and situations in her policing career has proven to be a very useful tool when handling negotiations and potentially difficult situations for her clients. In her real estate career at Macdonald Realty, Julie has collected a multitude of accolades: Rookie of the Year award (2014); Macdonald Realty’s Award of Excellence and Sales Achievement Awards (multiple years); Medallion Club Awards (multiple years); President’s Club Award (2022); and was even voted Best REALTOR® in the 2018 and 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards for the Squamish Chief Newspaper.
Learn more about Julie’s real estate career below, as well as her top tips for maintaining a work-life balance in this demanding industry.
Real estate can be a competitive industry. What do you think sets you apart from others? I like to take a personal approach to this career. By that, I mean that I take the time to get to know my clients, and not just on a surface level. I ask them lots of questions that help me dig deep and really learn their motivation behind why they’re moving and what they’re looking for. Sometimes there is a lot that isn’t said so being able to read people is very important. Being personally/emotionally involved can definitely be more stressful and (sometimes) all-consuming energy-wise, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This career has allowed me to meet so many fantastic people and make lasting relationships that I wouldn’t trade the personal approach for anything.
Above: Julie was a Vancouver Police Offer for 14 years prior to becoming a real estate agent.
How do you stay motivated in the real estate industry? Staying motivated can be tricky at times but each interaction and transaction is different, and I love being able to bring joy to clients in what can often be a stressful situation for them. Seeing them happy at the end of the day is what motivates me to keep going.
In your opinion, what is the most crucial skill for an agent aiming to become a top producer? For me, there are two crucial skills to being a top producer — attention to detail and being able to prioritize. In my previous career as a police officer, attention to detail was at the very top of everything we did and I feel this skill has transferred over well into my real estate career. We are often juggling many people and transactions at a time, so creating to-do lists and being able to understand how to prioritize tasks is key.
How do you maintain a work-life balance in a demanding industry? Maintaining a work-life balance has been something I’ve struggled with from the get-go because I’m an “all-in” kind of person. Some tasks in real estate are extremely time-sensitive which means that, no matter what you have planned, sometimes you have to drop what you’re doing and deal with it right then and there. With the evolution of technology and being accessible essentially any time with cell phones, etc., we have to learn to set boundaries. I’m getting better at this by scheduling “appointments” for myself. For example, I’ve started hiking the Sea to Sky Gondola on Saturday mornings and I’ve blocked that time off on my calendar. That’s not to say I won’t take a call or answer text messages while I’m out there but it’s a start. I also put my phone on Do Not Disturb at 10:00 pm and unless I’m in the middle of a contract, I do my best to put the phone aside after dinner. Again, I’m still working on this but it’s a start. Thankfully, my family is very understanding and supportive.
Above: Did you know that Julie used to race mountain bikes? Here she is, biking on a trail called Lord of the Squirrels in Whistler. Check out the custom jersey with her logo on the arm and the little houses and sold signs!
Can you tell us about one of your most memorable deals? My most memorable sale was in 2021 during the craziness of COVID. In the spring of 2020, right when COVID hit, I had a lovely townhouse listed. As everyone knows, the world basically shut down and real estate came to a crashing halt for a short time. As we were unable to sell, we tried a price reduction, and the townhouse still didn’t sell so the listing was cancelled. About six months later, we found an amazing home for the owners of the townhouse and, fortunately, they were able to purchase the home while carrying the townhouse at the same time. They put renters in the townhouse and I figured that was it, I wouldn’t be selling that one. I was wrong.
A year later, the owners of the townhouse called me up again and decided they wanted to list their townhouse again. By this time, the townhouse market had gone crazy so we chose to have a delayed offer presentation. On offer day five days later, we received 15 offers and the townhouse sold well over asking. My clients were ecstatic as they hadn’t anticipated achieving the price that we did and it allowed them to move forward with some renovations they had planned on the house. They have now been in their home for four years and have a lovely little family as well. This was a year and a half of roller coaster emotions for everyone but my clients were loyal to me, made smart decisions, and in the end, it paid off for them. It was so rewarding to be a part of this and to watch this family grow and prosper.
Above: Julie is a part of McGillivray Trusted, a program offered by the McGillivray Group, which offers Canadians a carefully curated hub of real estate agents, experts, and professionals across the country.
You work primarily in Squamish, what is unique about this region? Working in Squamish is unique because it’s a small town where the agents are a very tight-knit group. We have excellent communication channels amongst our group and we often have the ability to find homes for our clients simply through word of mouth. We attend REALTOR® Tour each week — this is where we have an opportunity to tour new listings and sometimes listings that haven’t come to market yet — and it’s a great opportunity to network and promote our listings. Being a close group, we know each other quite well and we communicate efficiently and effectively. We welcome agents from outside the area, of course, but it’s really great when we get to work with those in our community as well.
Squamish is also a community with a diverse offering of housing options. We range from a condo downtown all the way to large, off-grid acreages. Surrounded by mountains, lakes, and the ocean, Squamish attracts the adventurous types who are all about quality of life and “work-to-live” rather than the “live-to-work” mentality.
How has Macdonald Realty supported your growth as a REALTOR®? Macdonald Realty offers a wide range of educational opportunities for new agents and seasoned vets. I’ve been in real estate for 10 years now and from day one, I’ve had many opportunities to enhance my education and Macdonald evolves to ensure we all have the resources we need to become knowledgeable, successful agents. My managing broker has not only been an excellent source of support and encouragement but also a great friend and mentor.
Visit Julie’s website to learn more and to get in touch!
Interested in learning more about working at Macdonald Realty? Connect with one of our Managing Brokers here.
