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Meet Wendy Bell…
I got my real estate license in 1987, so counting back from 2007 makes it 20 years. Now I’m shooting for another twenty! Seriously, both Nancy and I love the business--helping our clients buy or sell a home on a day-to-day basis is truly satisfying to us. There is something fundamental about home ownership—it really is central to happiness and well being. It’s not to be taken lightly, and both Nancy and I realize this. When we pledge to do our best to help someone buy or sell a home, we mean it. Tell us about your background… Both of us have legal backgrounds originating in real estate: I worked in a law office in my early career, then later became executive assistant to the president of a realty company; Nancy spent two decades as a legal assistant who specialized in real estate transactions. Add to that the hundreds of transactions we’ve done over a two decade period, the multiple referrals from past clients, plus our ongoing passion for the field--it adds up to a solid, forward-thinking partnership we believe is as strong as any in the business today. Any new Real Estate trends? In a word: Technology! It’s the magic of the Internet. Search engines now allow buyers to see multiple properties in one click. Seller’s properties go out to tens--or even hundreds--of thousands of people. This exponential expansion of the market has revolutionized everything we do. Agents can communicate with one click of a mouse. Buyers can scope out properties online in multiple neighborhoods without even leaving their homes. Sellers can market their properties not just locally, but to out-of-town or even foreign buyers. These technological advances have made it crucial to keep up with ongoing trends. I’m on the Technology Committee of the local real estate board here, and also a designated Keller Williams ‘eAgent’. I don’t mean to boast, but I truly am more tech-savvy than the average agent! What about the Ottawa Market? Ottawa has got stability and staying power. As Canada’s capital, there will always be a strong government-oriented community here. Industry is here. The tech businesses are here. Culture is here. The arts and history are here... the list goes on and on. Plus Ottawa’s not too big of a city. It doesn’t suffer from sprawl and overload, the way some cities do. We’ve got the perfect combination of cultural offerings and amenities, plus proximity to rural charm and recreation. The Gatineau Hills are a stone’s throw away, for example. We’re also close to cottage country, which will always be a Canadian tradition! Any down-time pastimes? I’m a Home Improvement champ. I love the focus on home improvement these days—the TV shows, the Home Shows, the books and magazines… Home improvement has become a mainstream media obsession, and it’s easy to see why: not only does it boost people's number one investment--their home--but it’s a major source of creativity to the point that it’s become almost an art form. I’m also the queen of self-improvement--as the pile of entrepreneurial books on my bedside table will attest! Plus I do love to travel, when time permits. Paris and the South of France are favorite destinations. Prince Edward Island golfing is another favorite. I love to golf, and the eastern Canada Oceanside setting is truly unique. I find golf peaceful, meditative, and invigorating… I actually do some of my best creative thinking when I’m on the golf course… Tell us about your parent agency, Keller Williams… Keller Williams has a firm philosophy: the customer always comes first. Trust is key. Teamwork is key, as are communication and creativity. The success of each and every KW agency is through its people—we’re very committed, and very family oriented. It’s a great environment to work in: people that really do care about their clients and each other. At Keller Williams, integrity is the real bottom line, and Nancy and I are proud to uphold that tradition. It’s a great place to be…  Meet Nancy Dellin...
What are some key buying or selling issues? I always ask if people have children, and if so, how old they are--so many decisions depend on what stages of their lives the kids are at. I also ask whether any family members have special needs. Moving is a sensitive issue in the best of cases—not to mention a lot of hard work! Plus questions arise: as a buyer, you wonder if the new home will offer as much (or more) as the old one, whether the schools or neighborhood will be a good fit. As a seller, you have to be ready when the “For Sale” sign goes up on the lawn. That starts the ball rolling: phone calls, visits, fielding offers… There are a lot of decisions to be made for all parties: buyers, sellers, agents… on both ends. Describe one top real estate priority... Acting quickly when necessary. Hot properties demand instant action on the part of an agent or buyer. Or in the case of a seller, it isn’t uncommon that multiple offers come in all at once. These need to be evaluated quickly. Working nights and weekends are often reality for a realtor. For example, this past holiday weekend I was at a client’s house at 11:00 p.m. drawing up an offer on a house that had just gone on the market. We didn’t want to let the property get away, and I gut-knew it wouldn’t last the weekend. Well, we got our offer in first and it was accepted. If we’d waited till the weekend was over or even until the next day, it would have been too late. Any personal challenges within the business? Juggling the long hours and weekends that the real estate business entails has been a challenge. I have a grown daughter who has been wonderfully understanding with this over the years. Wendy’s kids have been great as well. Now we’re both grandmothers--to Christie-Anne, Harrison, and Sophie. Having grandkids is awesome… it’s just so much fun! Any down-time pursuits? Like Wendy, I enjoy a good game of golf. It’s my getaway time. There’s something serene about it: I always come back refreshed and recharged. Travel is also a must. Fall pilgrimages to Eastern Canada with my husband are a longtime tradition. There’s a restaurant on the water in downtown Halifax called Salty’s that we go straight to every time. We dangle our feet in the water and look out over the ocean… The Maritimes are so easy going. The pace is slower, the people are friendly and being on the ocean is magical. ...Special causes or charities? I’m a cancer survivor, so of course the cancer cause is very important to me. So many families are touched by it; it’s actually hard to meet someone these days who hasn’t had a family member affected, or a business colleague or friend… I was blessed in that I was able to stay working during my treatments—I never missed a day. It was tough, but I made it a personal challenge to stay the course. They say that once you’ve been through it and come out on the other end that every day is a blessing… Well, it’s true: life is a gift, and I’ve come to realize how important it is to try to savor its beauty each and every day… Please Sign Up For The Latest Listings and the Latest Real Estate News
 NUMBER1EXPERT™ © Best Image Marketing and/or its clients. All rights reserved. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. |
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You and Wendy are sisters. How does that affect the Best Ottawa Homes dynamic?
