REAL ESTATE PROFILE
VPG Realty
Disrupting real estate sales, one home at a time
“We’re not selling homes. We’re solving people’s problems,” says Eric Langhjelm, founder of VPG Realty Inc., a real estate brokerage firm with community-based offices in Vancouver and on the North Shore. VPG Realty technically does sell homes through the traditional real estate market, but purposefully makes sure their client relationships are anything but traditional. The Realtors on Langhjelm’s teams seek to serve their clients by prioritizing the human relationship over the sales transaction. This directional vision places each client ahead of the VPG brand.
We’re different. “We work with clients as individuals, with recognition that buying and selling real estate is about more than a house. We’re dealing with peoples’ lives,” says Langhjelm. “Whatever it takes to get the job done – we’re in. We provide the white glove service of a finedining establishment rather than assembly line, fast food drivethrough window.” Langhjelm created VPG to solve his own employment problem, wanting challenging and fulfilling work that was close to home and offered flexible hours to support family responsibilities. His initial experience as a realtor didn't provide the type of opportunity that he had hoped for - a chance to learn and gain invaluable experience – to really serve and help his clients – and didn’t provide the camaraderie he enjoys within team work environments. The hours were long with limited opportunity to seek mentorship from senior Realtors, and visual branding weighed heavier than communications strategy. “A turning point for me came when I was trying to sell a client’s house that was literally hidden from street view from a thick tree line. I decided to make a custom “for sale” sign with a photograph of the house, rather than use the prescribed company-branded sign,” says Langhjelm. “Short story is, I sold the house, but was reprimanded for the sign. But, the thought of custom selling strategies rather than cookie-cutter sales, stuck with me.”
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” – John C. Maxwell VPG started with Langhjelm and a dream, and has expanded now to four offices: North Vancouver headquarters, plus branches in West Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Yaletown. Team members are hired in part for their similarities e.g. goals, values, and part for their differences including past experiences, specific skills or knowledge. Working with an excellent group of people is a non-negotiable for Langhjelm: all team members must support the brand through impeccable ethics, commitment to serve others, and being an overall “good person.” In return, he’s set up the offices with resources and support to allow Realtors opportunities for career development, mentorship and teamwork. For example, marketing strategy is created in-house, with several people joining together to discuss a new listing and find the “unique” about it, using learnings from past sales and sharing ideas. Langhjelm is comfortable with VPG’s lesser reliance on a highly identifiable, prominently placed brand logo than traditional brokerage firms. Brand is sometimes mistaken for visual identity (e.g. a logo), when in fact it’s the feeling one has about a company when you recall experiences (first-hand or shared through friends or media). Instead of priority focus on slapping a logo all over town, the VPG group focuses on getting results for their clients, and being active members of their communities.
People first. The results show that Langhjelm’s decision to enter real estate for the relationships was spot-on. Four years in, VPG is in three communities, with four offices and a couple dozen Realtors plus support team. The firm will branch out to commercial real estate in 2018, and continue to grow its team of Realtors with strong values and ethics, who thrive in a collaborative and supportive workplace. “Realty is a people business, and that’s our differentiator: good people and great agents. We serve our communities by being active volunteers and citizens, and we serve our clients by providing the professional services needed to solve realty-related problems.”