As a realtor, we wear hats of many different sizes and styles.
One day, our hat might be that of an investor or accountant, the next it might be confidante and counsellor. During a particularly nasty transaction, you might don the hat of or divorce attorney. You just never know.
Geoff Mundell, a residential real estate sales rep here at Freeman Realty for the past six years, is used to the drill thanks to an eclectic career that has seen this renaissance man dig for gold in a northern Ontario gold mine, mix drinks for affluent personalities at the A.C.C. and deliver parcels for UPS.
The Platinum Club, where Geoff still works part time during the hockey season, is a great spot to market his real estate services. Staff and clientele are quick to accept his business card. Next to having a trade that lets him sell his practice, Geoff loves the fast pace of working at a bar.
“I like the action,” says the 57-year-old Toronto native who loves to cook in addition to mixing drinks. “It’s nine to 10 hours of complete mayhem and it’s nonstop. A day disappears so fast and 10 hours blows by before you know it.”
He’s served cocktails to a who’s who list of celebrities, from Michael Douglas and J. Lo to Jon Bon Jovi and each venture capitalist on the Dragon’s Den.
His bartending skills, which involve a level of sales proficiency, tie in with his career as a realtor. Much of his real estate work is repeat business. Since about 50 per cent of his practice focuses on first-time home buyers, many are now looking to upgrade to a bigger and better home to accommodate their growing families.
Geoff, who’s married to a chiropractor, enjoys showing young couples potential digs. As someone who specializes in the first-time home buyer market, he knows his condos and is not shy about steering clients to well-built, quality buildings versus poor lay-outs and badly built lesser models.
“It’s an education,” he says simply. “Some are terrible and some are fantastic. I take them to what I consider a good product and they usually end up in a place I think they should be.”
Over the years, Geoff’s encountered some weird and humourous situations as a realtor. Like the hand-wringing first-time sale to a young couple that was bankrolled by two rich aunties. One lived in Toronto and the other was in England, which made consulting each other on the merits of each potential possibility somewhat labourious. Fifty properties and six months later, the couple finally got a great condo. Frustrating, admits Geoff, but worth it in the end.
Or the countless times he’s found the vendor of a listing in bed or in the shower after being told that no one would be home.
That’ll redden your cheeks.
