McClelland Minute - June 27, 2010

This is Canada Today

We get to meet a lot of interesting people in real estate requiring us to work with a number of ethnic groups, each with their own customs and preferred ways of doing business.  In my own practice, I am also in regular communication with clients currently residing in five additional countries. You can either see it as a challenge or an opportunity for personal growth.  I prefer to approach it as the latter.  Let me give you some examples.

In a previous career as a management consultant, I spent a considerable amount of time working with First Nations and tribal councils on behalf of major corporate clients like SaskTel.  At the conclusion of one lengthy negotiation, the team I led was invited to a celebration to “seal the deal”, and I was honored to be invited to share in a pipe ceremony overseen by community Elders. 

Ten years later I was asked back in my role as Realtor to advise a new Chief and council about property acquisition to support a proposed wind farm project.  So much time had passed and the players at the governing table had changed, yet I was still treated with respect.  In a break, one of the councilors leaned over and said that he was glad to see I was still “color blind”! 

It isn’t always easy to communicate intricate details with clients that have English as a second language, particularly when large sums of money are involved.  We are fortunate in our brokerage to have a skilled Realtor of East Indian descent.  She and I worked together on a land acquisition for a group of developers from out of province, some of whom I am sure felt much more comfortable discussing strategy and terms in Punjabi. 

I was charged with the responsibility of leasing a commercial building on behalf of a friend who had moved to Ghana in Africa.  The negotiations with a national firm got pretty involved, and at one key juncture, I really needed to seek his direction.  I caught him relaxing for the evening with a cold beer in a roof top patio overlooking the ocean; it was 8:00 in the morning for me.  We had a good laugh, and 15 minutes later got the job done.  My only wish was that I was there with him to have a toast!  Papering it all off took a little effort, but I guess that is to be expected.

We have several clients in Australia.  When they call Monday, the phone rings Sunday here.  Our winter is their summer.  The client in one of the Baltic states of eastern Europe will usually email ahead to warn us he will be calling; but even then the phone service may not always be that reliable.  A client in New York probably knows more about the economic pressures affecting western Canada, than many citizens here.  I am constantly amazed at the detail that analysts advising international investors have at their fingertips.

Sometimes our Group works with immigrants and their families.  The effort and sacrifice that many of these people have made to come here and make a new life is very humbling.  Once trust is in place, you likely have made a friend for life.

Canada is a constant weaving of residents with new comers.  I feel privileged to live here with all the freedoms that previous generations have established for us and the opportunities that lay before us.  July 1^st for me has always been a celebration of the uniqueness and strength of character that is our country.  In particular, please join me in praying for the men and women in our armed services who ensure that we are safe at home, and respected around the world.

Vern McClelland is associate broker with RE/MAX of Lloydminster.  If you have questions or comments on this article or other real estate matters, he can be reached at 780.808.2700 or through the McClelland Group website www.mcclelland.ca

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