Modern Entrepreneur Profile: Corrie Harding-Keizs
In conversation with Corrie Harding-Keizs on why she made the challenging business decision during the pandemic and started CHK Real Estate.
1. After spending 20 years in the real estate industry, what led you to start CHK Real Estate?
I had always led my own team; however, in 2018, I partnered with North Group Real Estate, and over the next four years, we achieved so much together! Top Real Estate teams in all of Keller Williams Realty Canada and Awarded Most Innovative Team in North America by Inman, the authority on news, marketing and technology.
Our clients and community are vital to us, and I wanted to create a boutique Real Estate experience that was more serving, and CHK Real Estate was born! We’re a local company with a global reach. Our team offers a tailor-made, modernized real estate experience with a foundation focused on people and building strong communities.
2. As Broker & Founder, what excites you the most about this new chapter in your career?
I’m most excited to focus on what matters most. The client experience! I love helping people achieve their Real Estate goals, and with a focused boutique approach, we can offer our clients hands-on service, and I’m very excited about this!
3. What drives you as an entrepreneur?
Real Estate is typically people's most significant investment, and I take their trust in me very seriously. In addition, I want to help people achieve their goals, whether that’s to buy, sell or invest in Real Estate. It is so rewarding to make people's dreams come true, and I take great pride in being part of that journey.
4. It's rare in the modern world for someone to have the same career for nearly 20 years; what is it about what you do that's kept you here?
I like being my own boss with no cap on where I can go or what I can achieve. It’s all up to me what I do… I love that! It’s an exciting industry where no two clients are alike, so every client has a different experience. Never a dull moment, that’s for sure!
5. How do you create and sustain a work/life/family balance?
Is there such thing as balance? There isn’t, in my opinion, but I have a motto. When I work, I WORK, and when I play, I PLAY. I fit it all in, but I love what I do, so it doesn’t feel like work. I believe in boundaries because this is an industry with no off button, so it’s important to schedule time for yourself and with your family and friends.
6. What advice do you have for up-and-coming entrepreneurs?
Give it time! You can’t expect instant results. But, if you do the work and stay focused; the results will come! Hard work always pays off! I’d also suggest having a mentor you can call on when you need help or advice. It’s an industry with many moving parts, and our job is to make it a seamless, stress-free experience, so having the support of a brokerage or team makes a difference.