GETTING TO KNOW: CHRIS MOCHRIE,

Realtor

IF YOU’RE FROM GUELPH OR HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH THE CITY IN THE PAST YEAR OR TWO (OR ARE A FAN OF THIS MAGAZINE), YOU’LL PROBABLY RECOGNIZE CHRIS MOCHRIE’S FACE. AFTER ALL, HIS MUG IS EMBLAZONED ACROSS EVERYTHING FROM LARGE BILLBOARDS TO BUS SHELTERS TO THE PAGES OF TOQUE. HE’S THE HANDSOME BEARDED REALTOR WHO PROMOTES CHARGING ONLY A ONE PERCENT LISTING FEE. IN JUNE I SAT DOWN WITH CHRIS TO DISCUSS HIS REAL ESTATE JOURNEY – AND WHAT MAKES ONE PERCENT SO APPEALING. LISTEN HERE:

WHEN DID YOU GET INTO REAL ESTATE? AND WHY?

I got my real estate licence in 2018 after selling my previous business where I developed, branded, and imported electronics to retailers like Canadian Tire and Costco. At first I looked to real estate as a form of investment by initially purchasing and converting single family homes to duplexes. In the process I realized that I could be a real estate agent myself. I’ve always had a knack for customer service, which, combined with a great value proposition, has been a key to my success.

WHERE IN THE REGION

DO YOU WORK?

I work primarily in Wellington County and Waterloo Region. Having grown up in Guelph and attended university at Laurier, I am more than comfortable in both regions – although it really is a pretty big area. When I first started out in real estate, I was living in Centre Wellington so I have a soft spot for Fergus and Elora. I now live in the family farm property where I grew up on the north side of Guelph, so I’m currently focusing most of my energy in Guelph. Hence all of the bus shelters with my face on them.

DO YOU WORK ALONE OR WITH A TEAM?

I work with an amazing set of colleagues I rely on regularly. There’s Mary McEachern, born and raised in Guelph, who makes extraordinary efforts on behalf of clients. I actually went to primary school with Mary’s son – it’s funny how life works. And Mitch Myers, who recently started with us after moving on from a past career as a powerline technician at Hydro One. Mitch’s work ethic is second to none – and he really knows his stuff. And there’s Laurie Adams – my full-time stager. I’ve worked with a lot of great stagers and Laurie is the best, as well as a super important component of our operation.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS?

This is a tough question, as everyone has their own set of preferences. I’d suggest that first-time buyers head north to smaller towns (if possible), as this can provide great value and more home for your money if a person doesn’t mind a bit more of a commute into town. There are so many great towns north of Guelph. The most important thing is to get your foot in the door. In my opinion, it’s better to get a starter home than to wait for something bigger or better down the road.

AND FOR INVESTORS?

If someone is looking to invest, say, two hundred thousand dollars in real estate, I’d advise purchasing a duplex that will pay for itself and hanging on to it for the next couple decades. If someone wants to invest ten million dollars, I’d advise purchasing industrial space along the 401.

THERE ARE MANY REALTORS IN OUR REGION. WHAT DIFFERENTIATES YOU FROM THE REST?

I provide an extremely high level of customer service, along with all the services you would expect from a top performing realtor – including free staging – for a one percent listing fee which is considerably less than the average realtor. While there are a lot of great realtors in our region, M1 Real Estate Brokerage is the leader when it comes to bang for your buck. Since the brokerage opened in 2022, we’ve saved our clients over one million dollars in commissions, and we’ve done this while providing excellent customer service – and selling a lot of homes. On average, a client of mine will save over ten thousand dollars in commission – which means a lot to them.

YOU'VE BEEN BULLISH ABOUT YOUR ONE PERCENT STRATEGY. WHAT ARE SOME OF ITS ADVANTAGES FOR YOU?

My strategy is simple: I would rather sell more homes and charge my clients less. I’m extremely lucky to have everything I could ever need in life, so providing amazing value for my clients gives me real purpose. I could never look my clients in the eye if I took more equity out of their home than I thought was fair. For me, the process is the reward. I do have to credit Parker Coulter Realty out of Barrie for my strategy; they really proved to me that a one percent commission listing fee works.

WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS AND HOBBIES WHEN YOU'RE NOT REPRESENTING CLIENTS?

I have two daughters, four-year-old Addy and two-year-old Ava, and a beautiful wife, Lauren. As cheesy as it might sound, they are my main interests. My hobbies? Frequenting playgrounds across Guelph and Centre Wellington with the girls. On Wednesdays I manage to get out to Whistle Bear Golf Club for Men's League. I have about seven acres of grass to cut, so I also list that as a hobby now, and I think it truly qualifies me as a dad because it’s become the most relaxing part of my week.

LAST QUESTION – WHERE'S THE BEST SPOT TO UNWIND AFTER A BUSY DAY?

I live next to Wellington Brewery, so I pop in there for a couple takeaways and head to the swim spa in my backyard. Until the girls are a little older, I’m keen to stay close to home. After all, it’s never easy to find a sitter.