When Entrepreneurial Spirit Shines

Anyone who works in commercial real estate knows that it’s a difficult vocation. A successful broker needs to have attributes that are often difficult to find in one person; they need to be dynamic and relationship-focused, but also detail oriented. And then there is the impact of their corporate environment. To be successful, they need to work for a firm that encourages and promotes entrepreneurialism by its structure, support and compensation framework.

We recently caught up with Yvan Repka, Director of Mortgage Origination in the Calgary office. Yvan gave us his perspective on what makes the entrepreneurial spirit shine at Canada ICI.

“There is not a single path to being a successful advisor in this industry,” Yvan begins. It’s not like you get a manual which outlines all the ingredients to becoming a leader in the industry. Everyone’s approach is different, but what is consistent throughout our organization is the entrepreneurial nature that’s in each of our brokers here.”

“The company has established an institutional infrastructure with all the necessary tools, but it’s up to each of our advisors to apply those tools. We have the flexibility and scope to be able to put together a strategy and execute it within the company’s vision.”

When the company started in 1993, Dale Klein was deliberate in how he structured the broker role and how the company would support that role. Although brokers were compensated by the transactions they completed, they would need to be part of a team that works together collaboratively. This is truly unique to the marketplace.

The support would come from the decades of experience and relationships built within the company, but also from a strong back office that allows brokers to maintain focus on customer needs. As Yvan mentions, the role allows for flexibility and range, and a high degree of autonomy; in the end, brokers are able to leverage the company’s investment in infrastructure. In Yvan’s experience, it seems difficult to strike a balance between independence and the right amount of support and structure, but Canada ICI seems to have the right blend of both.