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Biz of the Month - Valente Real Estate
At the Valente Real Estate anniversary celebration, the company was thrilled and honoured to celebrate 50 years with many of their “Valente family” members, past and present. The night was filled with genuine love, not only for the industry and for what they do, but for the people they collectively share their success with. From left: Ida Sproule, Office Manager; Fernanda Valente (Remo’s wife and mother of Peter, Gabriel and Amy-Lynn), Amy-Lynn Valente-Sarkis, REALTOR; Peter Valente, Broker of Record and Gabe Valente (Broker). Photo by Julianna Bonnett.
Valente Real Estate . . . 50 Years Of One Great Sale After Another
On September 22, 2023, Valente Real Estate in Windsor held their 50th anniversary celebration. But before we get to the present day, let’s dive into the history of how this milestone came to be.
Remo G. Valente, the founder of the company, was born in a bomb shelter in Sora, Frosinone, Italy during World War II, on March 28, 1944, the youngest child of Pietro and Emilia Valente
Times were tough for the Valente family, as three months after Remo was born his father suddenly passed away and the family had to pull together to make ends meet.
In 1955, Valente departed from Naples aboard the Saturnia ocean liner. He left with his mother and his sister Lina, but they had to leave his older brother Mario behind as they did not have enough money for him to come with them, at that time.
They arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where they boarded a train to Toronto.
When they arrived in Toronto they were greeted by Valente’s uncle who drove them all to Windsor — their final destination.
Valente’s first job as an adult was as a tool maker for International Tools and Binder Tools, but he decided this wasn’t the career for him. So, in 1970, he obtained his real estate licence and put his whole heart into the job that he was born to do.
He first worked for Mann and Martell (United Trust) and then became one of the “Pedler People” at Bob Pedler Real Estate and was an instant success, earning the “Lion of the Month” (Top Producer), month after month and always yearning for more.
By 1972, Valente was the ultimate Top Producer for Pedler, selling an astonishing $1,139,693, which was far above any other sales person in the company.
In 1973, Valente decided to take the ultimate chance and open up his own company, Remo Valente Real Estate Limited
He rented an office at the corner of Howard Avenue and Tecumseh Road East in Windsor, and his rent was $235/month at the time. Eventually, he recruited six people to join him in his new office, but before long they outgrew the building as approximately 20 people joined the Valente Team. They then moved their offices to the Angileri Brothers building.
In 1979, Valente purchased a donut shop at the corner of Dougall and West Grand and that became Valente Real Estate’s new home, 2985 Dougall Avenue.
The company eventually grew so large in size that they had to add two extensions to the existing building, which is still the current home of the company.
In 1990, the company was so successful it became a corporation: hence the name today, Remo Valente Real Estate (1990) Limited.
Valente Real Estate is also one of Windsor and Essex County’s largest residential developers.
Remo Valente and his associates have been responsible for the development of over 200 condominium units and over 1,500 building lots, throughout the Windsor and Essex County area.
The following is a partial list of Remo Valente’s and Valente Real Estate’s projects . . . South Place condominiums, Navy Yard condominiums, Wildwood Park condominiums, St. Genevieve Place lofts, Huron Estates subdivision, Spring Garden town homes, Kenilworth Gardens, Southwood Trails, Victorian Crossing and Hillside town homes, Pierella Park Estates, Treeline Court of Forest Glade, The Enclave of Tuscany Oaks, Banwell Shores, Townsview Estates, The Preserve of LaSalle (future), Hunt Club Creek of Amherstburg (future), Big Creek of Amherstburg, Victorian Gardens of LaSalle . . . and many more!
In 2001, Valente decided to let the second generation take over the company, handing the reins to Pietro Valente, Gabriel (Gabe) Valente and Amy-Lynn Valente-Sarkis.
Pietro (Peter) became the Broker of Record/President of the company and has continued to grow the success of Valente Real Estate. Under his direction the company has grown by 33% and became Windsor’s first one-stop real estate source, with the addition of the company-owned The Mortgage Centre franchise.
Currently, the company has four full-time employees, two part-time employees and 70 real estate professionals (composed of brokers and sales representatives).
“We would be remiss to not also mention that the dedication and enthusiasm of our sales team and office staff, led by our extraordinary Office Manager Ida Sproule, also sets us apart and is what makes us ‘The Best in the Business’,” according to Peter. “They are all our extended family, and our connectiveness, camaraderie and friendships are what make our office feel like a second home for all.”
When asked about the secret of the company’s success, Peter comments: “The secret isn’t a huge secret at all — it is our father, our mentor and the founder of Valente Real Estate — Remo Valente. His passion for the industry and the knowledge and experience that he instilled upon his three children over the last 50 years, is the true secret.”
Amy-Lynn and Gabe (also a Broker) are now real estate agents and hope to attain even a fraction of the success of their father (who sadly passed away in June 2022).
So what lies ahead?
“Our plan for the future is to continue the legacy created by our father, but with a mind to the future of real estate using the latest technology, marketing platforms, and sales approaches to service our clients over the next 50 years,” Peter expresses.
For more information about the brokerage visit: ValenteRealEstate.com.
