Where construction ends, marketing by the"Condo King" begins

By Jean Sorenson

By Jean Sorenson

Thirty-four year old Vancouver realtor Jason Craik has risen to become Canada’s “condo king”, with sales for 2005 of $438 million outstripping any other realtor in Canada. Ask him how he rose to the top of an industry he was nudged into and he will tell you the essence of good salesmanship is a blend of attitude and energy focused upon the buyer. It takes only a little time and a bit of energy to make a connection with the buyer but the really tough part is doing it everyday and in all kinds of market conditions. The trickle down effects are huge, in terms of gains and revenues.

“Clients want to deal with someone who they feel can help them and who they trust,” he says. His first lesson in connecting with clients came out of the skinny days of real estate in the l990s, long before today’s octane-fueled market. It was difficult to find a real estate salesperson or anyone in the industry who worked with a smile on their face. Craik says he made it a point of walking into a room with a bright outlook and smile. “First impressions are everything,” he says.

That first impression or connection was strengthened as he engaged in small talk with clients, finding out about their lifestyle and likes, and getting a picture of what the client wanted. “The further the display suite was away from the office, the better it was for me as I had more time to connect with the client,” he says. “I would always look for something to break the ice.”

The second strategy that has fuelled Craik’s rise to the top has been a thorough knowledge of the project being sold. “Know everything about the project,” he says – every detail as well as a full rundown of the developer plus the warranty in place. Also, what the competition has to offer and how the project compares. When the client leaves, he or she leaves with the impression that the sales team on site has created an impression of knowledge, expertise and assurance.

Craik says he came to the art of salesmanship naturally, and to the industry through family connections. Father Les Craik is a long-time White Rock, B.C., developer and it was inferred that the younger Craik would follow his trail of “For Sale” signs into the industry. Craik says he always been able to talk his way through situations – with his parents and the occasional meeting with his high-school principal. But, Craik didn’t really enjoy school or a structured environment. So, at age 18 when he dropped out, he took the real estate exams as a gesture to appease family. He didn’t study for the exam, received a grade that was one mark short of a pass and felt relieved. “If I had passed I knew I would have had to act upon it and go into the family business.” Instead, he did what 18-year-olds do – hung out with friends, played rugby, moved around and odd-jobbed it. By the time the early 20s hit, he had decided to enroll in college taking business administration courses. But, once again, back in the structured environment, he was not in his element.

This was during the dog-days of the condo crunch in the 1990s and his father had a condo project that was stalled. He was dealing with some re-sale realtors for the White Rock development but their focus was not “100% in his direction”. The senior Craik made a pitch to his son – challenge the real estate exam and come sell the property. Craik did just that, dropping out of college to sell his first major property. He sold the 45 units, followed by a 300-unit development. Working for the family has its mixed blessings, says Craig. There is the wealth of knowledge that is freely passed onto the family member but there are ramped up expectations. It was a learn-and-earn your way experience. But, Craik also saw it as something else. Staying with a family business is a safe place, never really testing an individual.

After three years, he left the family business. He had no idea of whom he was going to work for but wanted to explore. “It was the best and the scariest move I have ever made,” he says. The security blanket – his father – was no longer there. If anything went wrong, Craik had to fix it himself. Fate had a way of intervening and it was also about this time that Craik met his wife, who was his largest fan and boistered his self-confidence. “She said – you can do this, you are a heck of a salesman. Let’s get to work and start looking for a job.” Craik assembled a sales package outlining his experience and projects he had worked on and sent it to marketing firms in B.C. and Alberta.

Fifth Ave. Real Estate Marketing replied and hired him. The first project was definitive if not rosy. It was a tough sell project as condos were taking a pelting over the news of leaks and mounting repairs. The developer wanted results. If Craik didn’t sell three units in the next 10 days, the project was being pulled from the marketer. “It was by no means walking into a gold mine or a slam-dunk deal, “ he recalls. Craik sold the project, outselling others in the field as condos were the market drag. He half expected to be rewarded with an easier project, but Fifth Ave. introduced him to another condo developer with slow-moving condos. Again, Craik moved the units while competitors project signs collected dust. That first year he had cleared two projects with 50 condos in them and he getting attention. It was during these days that he honed his skills, engaging clients, learning about the project, and understanding the client’s concerns and needs. By 1999, he received his first Gold Georgie Award in recognition as the leading salesperson for new construction in B.C. by the Canadian Home Builders’ Assciation (B.C. branch).

Craik’s work had recruiters eyeing him. Western Canada’s largest developer Amacon-Onni Developments (the DeCotiis family) hired him. In 2000, he was again nominated for a Gold Georgie for the leading sales person of the year, but lost out. Then, in 2001, he won again. As luck would have it, Cameron McNeill was the company’s brilliant vice-president of sales and marketing but he decided to leave the firm to establish his own company. Craik was offered the job. He talked with McNeill repeatedly about the opportunity to move up but as the pair talked they found they admired each other’s talents. They realized they meshed perfectly. Maybe, they should work together?

“This was another crossroads for me,” says Craig. “Write my own ticket or get a prestigious business card with one of the largest firms in Western Canada.”

Their company MAC Real Estate Marketing Solutions was born and headquartered in Vancouver’s trendy Yaletown four years ago. They are now setting up branch offices in Calgary, B.C.’s Okanagan (Kelowna), and Toronto. The company’s fourth anniversary has been marked with success.

“In the four years, we have sold $1.5 billion in real estate and over 4,000 condominium,” says Craik. While sales tabulated by various provinces for multiple listing sales indicated he was the top 2005 sales agent in all of Canada, MAC’s ability to work as a team is really behind his personal success. McNeill, he says, is a creative force setting out marketing campaigns that bring the projects to the attention of the consumer while his sales team is instrumental with networking with the client. “Every dollar that is spent on marketing has to be translated into sales,” he says and that marketing only works if there is a dedicated sales staff standing at the door to greet customers with a ready handshake and a smile.