As I stand in the middle of this empty office — a little like Will before the end of the Fresh Prince era — I’m flooded with memories of the last 12 years… and excited about what’s next.
Before 450 Bronte Street South, we worked from home. I used to work out of Claire’s bedroom before she was born. Melissa and our young admin (who is now a client with a beautiful family) worked from the den on the main floor. She would walk upstairs and knock on my door to let me know someone was calling for me.
Eventually, we finished the basement for “dual use”, and our movie room doubled as a team meeting space. It worked for a few years, but when we had kids… the sound of tiny footsteps meant we had to re-evaluate and look for other options.
When it came time to invest in an office of our own, we wanted something different than what we could get at the main brokerage branch — something that felt personal.
We explored spaces in the downtown core that didn’t feel like us. Then, we heard about a new “green” commercial building that had units for sale… with features like geothermal heating, solar panels and lots of parking.
We signed the paperwork and got the keys to an empty shell.
Next… we had to create the office that we would want to visit, if we were clients.
Thanks to the help of a professional designer and some excellent contractors, this was the space we built.
We put our hearts into it.
And so did our clients and our team.
Hundreds of people walked through the door and saw our “Welcome” sign, were offered a drink from the Beverage Menu, and sat down with us for beautiful, messy, and difficult conversations about life, moves, and everything in between.
There were many days where I was the first person to arrive at the building and the last one to leave.
Our teammates shared their dreams, their successes and their many challenges under this roof. We confronted hard truths about ourselves, and we lifted each other up.
It became a place where people popped in for a coffee, a chat about the market, or just to say hello.
It also became the space where we levelled up our business — celebrating the annual milestone of being one of the top real estate teams in the country, year after year.
But when COVID hit, things changed.
The agents weren’t using the space as often.
Our staging business (Home Styling Advantage) needed more capital to grow.
And slowly, we felt more disconnected from the incredible leadership team at Royal LePage.
Over time, it just didn’t feel the same.
Meanwhile, the brokerage was planning a major renovation. And we knew that it was time to return to the mothership.
Now, in 2025 — after more than two years of planning and renovations… we’ve officially moved into our new home at 475 Main Street East, right in the front window of the state-of-the-art Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty office (a.k.a. the “Glass Menagerie”).
There’s still some work to do on the building, but the office is fully functional with internet and phones, and we’ve got our desks and cabinets set up.
That is our space, front side to the right of the entrance.
Wave at us when you drive by… but don’t honk. It startles us.
As for our old space? That’s now an investment property, with a long-term lease and a fantastic tenant we really like and respect.
As of June 1st, Quantum Wealth Management will be building their own relationships and memories at 450 Bronte Street South.
We even left them the furniture.
Back to the new space… our team and clients now have access to brand new tools, incredible people, and upgraded spaces to serve you better than ever.
Come visit us. Say hello. And watch your inbox — our first Client Event in the new space is coming soon (once we finish unpacking!).
