About

Darlene Reid - Four Key Advantages

After more than a decade in real estate, I can point to these four factors that help set me apart and benefit you:

1. Knowledge. You want someone familiar with every aspect of real estate, from home construction and permits, to contracts and market trends. You want access to a walking, talking real estate encyclopedia. This profession is my passion, and I’ve made it my mission to be exactly that. I became an Associate Broker just for the additional training (I can be a Broker, but choose to work as an Associate). Let me put my knowledge to work for YOU.
2. Ownership. I built my business from the ground up on my own, starting at a time when the market was slowing rapidly. I paid my dues, putting in the time and effort to help my first few clients. Thankfully, they were pretty happy with my service and started referring their friends and family to me. I am honoured to say that my business grew so much, based only on referrals, that I started my own independent brokerage; a brokerage that saw successful growth year after year even with all the ups and downs in the market. That independent brokerage became Realty Executives Vision and I am proud to be a key part of the ownership team. To me, ownership is not just a title or something purchased – I worked for it and built it. And because I own the business, your satisfaction with what we do for you means everything to me.
3. Experience. Starting from a single client, by 2011 I had hit the Top 5% of MLS® sales. I’ve been in the Top 5% every year since, just on my own (no team). I help more clients in one year than many associates will do in their entire careers. Put another way, it would take an average real estate associate almost 80 years to reach the level of experience that I was able to reach in less than 10. And the only reason I wish to highlight this experience is to point out how it can benefit you. That level of “been there, done that” experience can be critical when it comes to handling difficult situations and negotiating to get the best deal for you.
4. Attitude. As they say, attitude is everything. I’ve always been determined, but what motivates me is not my bank account or accolades. I got into real estate because of a series of bad experiences as a real estate client. My motivation stems from a desire to give my clients the kind of service I wanted for myself. In other words, my motivation is not my success – it’s yours. Why? Because I firmly believe that:

If you only focus on your commissions, you’ll have no clients. If you focus on your clients, you’ll never have to worry about money.

Darlene Reid – more than just a real estate Executive

In my previous career, I was an Executive Assistant in both the private and public sectors. This included working for the Mayor of Strathcona County, as well as Alberta’s Information and Privacy Commissioner. As an EA, I developed the kind of organizational skills, computer skills and attention to detail that have served me extremely well in real estate.

I am also the proud mother of two sons. The flexible schedule of real estate allowed me to get involved in all of their activities, including volunteering at their schools for field trips and fund raisers. I also volunteer with the Operation Friendship Seniors Society, providing assistance to Edmonton's homeless seniors. This is a cause near to my heart, as my father required a lot of assistance in the last years of his life and I want to help those who may have similar challenges but without a support network of their own.

Another way I love to give back is volunteering on the Member Services Committee at the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. I was elected to this Committee by my peers, and I enjoy providing advice and guidance to the RAE on the types of services that we need to better serve our clients.

A healthy balance of family time, giving back to the community and running my own business is what keeps my energy and enthusiasm up. To put it simply, I absolutely love what I do!