MICHELLE KIRWIN

When Michelle Kirwin was ready for a change after working at a hotel chain, she made a career shift. With her experiences in investment properties and home renovations, coupled with the ability to take classes to get licensed in her free time, real estate became the obvious pivot. Now five years later, Michelle could not be happier with her career path! Serving the Oxford County region in Ontario, Canada, Kirwin anticipates completing anywhere from 50-60 sales in her sixth year as an agent.

Kirwin calls upon her breadth of knowledge and experience in owning, flipping, and renting properties in order to have a niche in the market. Over the years, she has made many connections with local tradespeople in the renovation world, so she is a great point of contact for her clients even beyond purchasing their homes. “I’ve never sold a house because I need a paycheck,” she comments, “I come from a point of looking out for the clients’ best intentions.” The genuine relationships that she cultivates with her clients have resulted in a repeat and referral business percentage of over 80%. Kirwin estimates that only about 15% of her clients come from open houses or through cold calls.

Michelle works as a solo agent, but is “blessed to work with lots of other agents,” either on co-listings, or inter-brokers listings. She takes advantage of social media to both stay in touch with past clients and share her new listings. She uses Facebook primarily to push her listings, but also is connected with Facebook groups in her area where Realtors can publish their listings. Aside from the digital landscape, Michelle loves connecting with people in real life. She loves hosting open houses, and will host multiple in a weekend, which she believes is a great way to get people through the doors. Kirwin also hosts many community events and is a big part of her community, whether through an annual pumpkin drive, the Realtors Care Food Drive, or even personally volunteering with Meals on Wheels. She also hosts the Kirwin Cares Charity Golf Tournament, which is now in its 3rd year, in support of Easter Seals Ontario. “I have a 5-year goal to raise 100,000 for this organization,” she explains. Kirwin is deeply connected with the people in her area who she serves both through her work and in her volunteer efforts. “I don’t know how to say no,” she laughs. “I’m not a good no-person.”

Earning the title of the top producer in Oxford County during her third year as an agent, Kirwin is “still loving what [she does] as much as [she] did three months into the job.” She thrives off the excitement the buyers get when they get what they want, and feels like it is a privilege to be a part of those transactions with her clients. Outside of work, Michelle is raising her teenage son and tries to spend as much time with him as possible. She also loves to play golf and baseball, and keeps an active social life through sports, which in turn, helps her business. She strives for more of a work-life balance, and would love to take time to travel. She sees herself eventually having a partnership with like-minded agents, but “[she] hasn’t quite learned how to delegate yet.”