Mentorship METROCITY MEANS

by Dan Lalande

“Success is a journey,” maintains Steve Alexopoulos, one of the co-founders of MetroCity Property Group, the fullservice real estate agency that’s become Ottawa’s go-to resource for key industry insights and professional best practices. “Find someone who can guide you along; a mentor who can help you through the process.”

For Alexopoulos, that person was Tarek El Attar, the hardworking Ottawa-based business leader. El Attar, a longtime friend, had parlayed both his International MBA in Sales and Marketing and Doctorate in Business Administration with a Real Estate specialization into an award-winning career as one of Canada’s leading realtors. Possessor of finely honed residential, luxury, investment, and commercial real estate acumen, the unstoppable El Attar was selling over 350 properties a year. 40% of it was new and pre-construction developments. Needless to add, he had become a hero to largescale builders across Ontario, especially in his hometown of Ottawa.

The swarthy Alexopoulos, meanwhile, was a national sales manager at NCH, a world leading Fortune 500 interest dealing in specialized maintenance products (grease, oil, fuel, water). Inspired by the success of El Attar, he opted for a change of career, turning his sideline in investment into a full-time occupation. “I saw the success Tarek was having and decided to take the leap into real estate. It provided me with the opportunity to help people and families to buy and sell their dream homes and aligned with my passion for investing.”

In 2016, the duo pooled their resources to form the MetroCity Property Group. In no time, it would become one of the largest real estate teams in the National Capital Region and collect enough industry awards to cover half of Bank St. Says Alexopoulos, “It was one of those things with perfect timing. It was beneficial for the both of us.”

In this spirit, El Attar, Alexopoulos, and the thirty like-minded professionals who share their offices work hard to keep the founding principle of mentorship alive. MetroCity offers invaluable guidance to every citizen of the real estate landscape, from sellers and buyers to developers and investors. The company’s website is teeming with databacked research and other forms of insider knowledge. You’ll find up-to-date listings of a variety of properties, statistical insights on the status of Ottawa’s residential, retail, and commercial markets, and helpful courses aimed at orienting first-time buyers and aspiring agents.

That last demographic— those looking to get into the brokerage game—is of particular interest to MetroCity. Having established the gold standard for occupational protocol, the company is indefatigably committed to grooming Ottawa’s next generation of real estate professionals.

Explains Sara Khoury, MetroCity’s Director of Operations, “We look for agents and encourage them to grow their own business within our organization. We attract them through our approach to coaching. Ideally, we look for people willing to follow our proven systems to get the best results.”

El Attar, Alexopoulos, and their business partner Cris Karson, are constantly reshaping the local industry, stocking the city with the class of dedicated, informed, and savvy professional it takes to successfully negotiate such a unique and difficult market.

Karson came to real estate from his own highly successful civil construction group. The Ottawa U Business and Geography major, now MetroCity’s entrepreneurial President of Commercial Acquisitions and Sales, is particularly encouraging to those looking to crack his area of specialty: “Gain as much knowledge regarding the specific field you want to target,” he advises up-and-coming commercial brokers. “If you’re diligent, competent, honest, and fair, and truly want to assist people in their ventures, there’s plenty of opportunity and unlimited potential for Commercial Real Estate professionals in the marketplace.” That said, he offers this cautionary advice when it comes to the entry-level skill of evaluating development projects: “Uncover all the stones. Be holistic in your due diligence. Look for all the pitfalls and evaluate the worstcase scenario. If it’s still a viable deal, then it’s likely worth it.”

As for residential and other types of investment, the knowledgeable Alexopoulos is more than happy to weigh in on that one: “It’s okay to start small,” he offers newcomers. “Save up enough money and buy your first property. Over the years, you can use it as leverage to scale up and/or buy larger properties or more units or multi-unit properties.” metrocitypropertygroup.com

There’s more, of course, a lot more, online and in person. You can expect nothing less from the members of the mentorminded MetroCity.