10 Questions With Andrea Thon
Managing Broker, North Shore Region
Meet Andrea Thon, Managing Broker of Macdonald Realty’s North Shore region. A lifelong local of the area, Andrea lives just fifteen minutes away from where she was raised, with her husband David and their two sons. Get to know Andrea in this 10-Question interview:
How did you get into the real estate industry? My husband and sister-in-law were a brother-sister real estate team, and so real estate was a family business for sure. Unfortunately, we lost her to cancer and as they had built a business for two, I got my license and went to work.
What led you to become a managing broker? My Managing Broker, Pat Place, asked me to take on the role of Sales Manager with a future eye to becoming a Managing Broker. It wasn’t something I had given much thought to in the past, but when I did think about it, I really liked the idea.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you first got into real estate? I wish I knew how easy it is to become distracted by all the outside influences and how hard it is (sometimes) to do the things that need to get done, in order to be successful. A routine and systems are very important. It can give you a framework for success.
What is your advice to someone who wants to become an agent? My advice would be to take an agent out for coffee and grill them with questions. Try to find out the good and the bad of the business so you can evaluate if this is for you.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received (related to real estate industry)? The best advice I was given was: to BE IN REAL ESTATE, do something real estate related every day; if you don’t have clients you are currently working with, go to the office, go on tour (in North Van, we have 3 days of agent tour and 2 days of public tour), attend a class, take a webinar, treat your business LIKE A BUSINESS.
Why do you enjoy working in the real estate industry? I enjoy being around people and helping them be successful with their business. Real estate is a hard, tricky and sometimes lonely business, so I hope to be able to help agents be successful and stay out of real estate Jail 😊
What is your favourite thing about working at Macdonald Realty? My favourite thing about working at Macdonald Realty is the education, support and Managing Brokers. I love the fact that we are corporate-owned (not a franchise) and can get things done when needed. We have pivoted from in-person training to online training, and have amazing continuing education. We have even been successful in writing our own courses when needed. The support we have for our agents is fabulous, we make ourselves available and they really appreciate it. Most importantly, for me, is the support I feel when I need to get something clarified, I have the support of many other Managing Brokers and staff that help to make my job more successful. My success means the agents’ success, and both mean success for Macdonald Realty.
What is a fun fact about yourself? A fun fact would be my happiness for September 1st every year. I feel like it is the beginning of a new year and I look forward to it every year! A chance to start new things, build new routines and traditionally in real estate it is a busy season.
What is your favorite quote? One of my favourite quotes is ascribed to Dr. Seuss: “ Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”.
What is a book that everyone should read? A couple of books everyone should read is our very own Mark Winter’s “A Different Conversation” and our very own Owen Bigland’s “Along for the Ride: Getting Your Money Working for You”. We have pretty talented people within our organization that are very willing to share their knowledge to make your journey more successful.