Christa Duits (00:00:)
I think you have to be authentic. I think in this day and age, people do not want to be sold to. I think when you are fake, or when conversations or interactions are contrived, people can smell that, and they know that they do not trust it, and they are not going to want to work with you moving forward. Then I think a second part of that is that you really have to run your business from a place of honesty. You have to act with integrity.
Johnder Perez (00:25:)
All right, so here is a question for you. Can you be a successful real estate agent serving a small town or community? On this episode of Real Estate Strategies with RE/MAX Hallmark, we are going to find out what it takes to build a successful real estate business, no matter how big or small your service area is. Today’s guest is Christa Duits, a seasoned real estate professional with RE/MAX Hallmark Chay Realty in Ontario, Canada. And Christa has been helping buyers and sellers navigate the housing market since 2013, bringing over a decade of experience to every transaction. Born and raised near St. John’s, Newfoundland, Christa moved to Simcoe County in 2005 and now calls the region home, primarily serving Clearview and Stayner. Her deep local roots give her a strong understanding of the neighbourhoods she serves, making her a trusted resource for both buyers and sellers alike. She is a RE/MAX Hall of Famer, and today we are going to find out about the secrets to her success. Christa, welcome.
Christa Duits (01:18:)
Thank you. So great to be here.
Johnder Perez (01:20:)
It is our pleasure. Christa, let us start this journey by talking about how you got started in real estate.
Christa Duits (01:27:)
To be completely honest, it was really by chance. So I have two kids. My daughter was born in 2012, so she is 14, and my son was born in 2014, so he is 11. So I actually went through college to become a paralegal, and so I finished that program in 2011, in late 2011, and my daughter was born early 2012. And while on my mat leave, when I started to look at what going back to work would look like, minimum wage at the time was 10.25. Paralegals were just recently licensed by the Law Society, so the pay grade was still pretty low. And when I started weighing that against what daycare costs would run month to month, it did not really make a ton of sense to me. So a friend of mine that I actually had not seen in a couple of years, he was living in Brantford and he had gotten his real estate licence, and one day I got a random text from him and it was a picture of a cheque, and the cheque was for like $5,000. And he said, look what I just picked up, you should get your real estate licence. And so when I started to think about it, I thought maybe I could get my real estate licence. If I could sell a couple houses a year, evenings and weekends, working with people that I knew, it would allow me to still contribute while avoiding those daycare costs. I started the licensing process, I want to say late 2012, and then was a licensed Realtor mid 2013.
Johnder Perez (02:59:)
All right, so you are a new parent, a new mom, and you are exploring a new career, and then you see this cheque for $5,000, which by the way, today being 2026 is still a pretty decent amount of money no matter how you put it. And so what did you find was your biggest challenge when you first started out and how did you overcome it?
Christa Duits (03:20:)
It is really interesting. I remember starting and I thought that I had to be super corporate, and again, it is really just not who I am as a person. Again, as I am talking with my hands, I am fairly animated. I am professional, but not terribly serious. Again, I love to laugh and joke and to have fun, and I actually remember thinking, oh, I need to wear suits all the time and I need to wear heels all the time. And honestly, I have two left feet, so it is just dangerous for me and all of my clients if I was to wear heels. And so I remember just thinking that I had to be, I guess, somebody really that I just was not. And I really do think too though that people can see through that. So if you are uncomfortable in those clothes or in those shoes as you are wobbling in to try and show a house, I think that people can see that. So it was really just again, and I was younger. I was in my early twenties when I started, and so I think that there was definitely a little bit of a challenge with people taking me seriously given how old I guess I was. I think really just being able to lean into who I am authentically again, which really was a challenge I think in the beginning.
Johnder Perez (04:33:)
Right, and I think we find that a lot with, of course, especially our industry because we seem to have this, I guess this person or this thought that a Realtor has to be a certain persona and then fitting that to specific clientele and they can literally sniff you out and they can tell that you are not who you are. But is it not great that when you do discover that feeling of being authentic, whether it is on social media, and then of course when they meet you in real life, it is like, hey, this is the Christa that I was expecting to know. That is the fantastic feeling and being able to attract the clientele that you do attract. And so when we were doing our pre meeting about this, I was joking around saying, okay, this is going to be that small town Realtor doing very successful things, but give us an idea like Clearview and Stayner, how big is this market in terms of population, in terms of number of households? How would you paint a picture for those watching or listening to this in terms of how big that market is that you serve?
Christa Duits (05:33:)
So I think a lot of markets right now, the market is a little saturated here, so we did have a lot of new builds. So there is a lot of builder inventory right now, and it has really ramped up those numbers. In previous years where things were a little bit more balanced, if there were five or six houses for sale in Stayner, that was a lot.
Johnder Perez (06:08:)
Right?
Christa Duits (06:09:)
Where again, I know in some other markets that is not going to get you that.
Johnder Perez (06:13:)
That is a condo in Toronto, if you are looking for that.
Christa Duits (06:17:)
On the flip side of that though, and again, this has been kind of great for me and it is definitely a product that I like, we do also have the opportunity to sell a lot of rural properties like horse farms, or again, a hundred acre places with cash crops and that sort of thing. So on the flip side of that, again, we can have those higher price points, but the stuff in town is definitely
Johnder Perez (06:40:)
Right. I saw that because I was snooping around your social media in terms of looking at what kind of properties you were selling, and some of the videos that you did on your YouTube channel were very fantastic seeing how big a lot of the acreages are, the farms and the different large properties that you do market to. So Christa, take us through the process of how you built your business up, because Clearview and Stayner being, we are not talking Toronto here, we are not even talking like Barrie, the city here. We are talking about a bit of a smaller towns and smaller areas, and so you are a consistent award winner, and when you joined RE/MAX, you are consistently producing at platinum levels in the most recent years, and of course achieving Hall of Fame. So how did you build such a successful business despite, as you put it, your markets were saturated and six listings being a lot, and you are one of those agents? How did you carve your niche in your market and how did you build your business up to where it is today?
Christa Duits (07:38:)
So again, I mentioned that again, I have two kids. Both of my kids play a lot of sports. And again, as hectic as that all is, it has actually also afforded me the opportunity to meet a lot of people that I would not meet otherwise. So parents from their hockey and baseball teams, and again, those teams change year over year. So again, small town. So when we are hanging out at the arena every Wednesday night for two hours, I am getting the opportunity to meet people again in a very authentic environment and not professionally. So I feel like a lot of people get to know me personally before we ever have dealings professionally. And I think that is where that trust comes in again, and most of my business, those people are in the same season of life as I am. So they have young kids, they are sports parents, they are doing that juggling. They do not worry that if I come to evaluate their house that I am going to judge them for the dirty socks on the floor that their teen did not pick up. Exactly. That is what my house looks like too.
Johnder Perez (08:43:)
So
Christa Duits (08:43:)
I think really just kind of diving into that market, to be honest, when I first started, I really felt like I have to be in Barrie. Barrie is where I need to be, that needs to be my market, and really kind of missing out on the opportunity here. So I do a lot of community based things. So in terms of, I sponsor free public skating at our local arena every year, free public swimming at our outdoor pool, any of the kids’ sports teams. So there is Clearview Minor Hockey, there is Collingwood Girls Hockey that I sponsor. We have a Junior C team. So I think really just getting in there. I have two billboards locally. One is on the highway, it is more of that, again, maybe a little bit more of that corporate feel. The one in town I feel like I am able to lean into a little bit every year. I put our family Christmas photo on there. So from the Duits family to yours, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year. So I think really just really becoming a face and a name in this small community.
Johnder Perez (09:49:)
So just being that brand of that small community, being authentic because that is your lifestyle, that is your vibe, and you are just extending that. So was that true from the very beginning? So when you mentioned how you started, you finished your paralegal education and then you got enticed to get into real estate, how long did it take you to ramp up your business to the point where it was sustainable to be able to support your family?
Christa Duits (10:11:)
To be honest with you, it was a few years. My daughter was just over a year old when I first got licensed. And again, I really stayed true to again what that idea was coming in. So I will do a couple of deals a year.
(10:24:)
In 2018, so my son was just about to go into school full time, and I thought, okay, now this is very different. I do not have those childcare needs throughout the day. And I actually took, it was the Richard Robbins Master’s Academy, so RE/MAX held it at their office in Barrie and I did that program. And that program talked a lot about looking at real estate not as my job, but as a business and how do I grow this as a business. So it really kind of changed that perspective for me. And I feel like once my son was in school, it really gave me the opportunity to dive in more fully, I guess.
Johnder Perez (11:06:)
Right. Yeah, you eased into it. It was a transition.
Christa Duits (11:09:)
It was a couple of years. Absolutely.
Johnder Perez (11:10:)
Yeah, which is good because I mean, for those who are in similar situations, whether you are a new parent or you are just entering that part of your life journey, it does get challenging, especially being a mom and you have got two kids very actively involved in sports and in the community and education to be able to juggle all that around and handle a deal and handle closings and handle clients, the demands of real estate, sometimes it goes 24/7 and being a mom and being a parent is 24/7. So that is an inspiration to everybody who is listening to you and watching and hearing your story. So Christa, what would you say on a daily basis what you do? So we know you are busy, we know you have built a very good sustainable from start to finish of your day. What do you spend time doing and how do you maintain that discipline?
Christa Duits (12:01:)
As much as I can, I try and get up before the kids. So I will get the kids up at 7:00 a.m. to get ready for school. So again, if that is just an opportunity for me just to check my email, check the hot sheets, have a coffee, just respond to any emails I might need to, upload documents to SkySlope, that sort of thing. I will get them up then. So from seven to eight thirty, that is that getting ready for school routine. I drop them off again. So then, I mean, I really have from eight thirty to two thirty where again, where they are gone to school. So then it is going to be a lot of catching up on those client emails, making social media posts, the phone calls. Those types of things will happen throughout the day. I do also try and make it to the gym three days a week. I feel like real estate is demanding. Parenting is demanding. So if I can find one hour, three days a week for myself, then I feel like that keeps me grounded, it keeps me sane, right? So I do that a couple of days as well. And then again, my evenings are going to vary. That is going to be very different about whether or not I am dropping a kid off somewhere for practice or if we are watching a game or if I have showings. But again, it is nice because my clients right now, for example, I have a client right now, their daughters skate on Thursday nights, so I know you are not available until after six. I know you are a volunteer with Girl Guides on Monday night, so you are not available at those times either. And then we kind of just work around those things. So again, evenings will really vary just depending on the clients I have at the time and where those schedules are with the kids too.
Johnder Perez (13:40:)
And what is great about it is because you are living the same or similar lifestyles as the clients that you are serving, your schedules are jiving with each other, your kids are doing the same things, you are at the same places. So in a sense, you are networking, you are meeting, you are socializing, but at the same time, those showing appointments are not going to be when Girl Guides are on, or when skating is happening, or any other sports. So you have got a long journey ahead of you. In terms of the real estate business, especially since you started young, Christa, what would you say keeps you motivated to just keep pushing this no matter how challenging things get?
Christa Duits (14:14:)
I am going to sound super cliche, but it really is my family. My business has given me the opportunity to provide a sort of life for my kids. That again, is not really something that I experienced. It is incredible. So again, I grew up on the East Coast and I grew up in a very small town where everybody lived below the poverty line. So not really coming from that sort of financial security. I was 20 years old before I left the country for the first time where,
(14:46:)
So really just being able to do that, and not even just on the financial side, but even just kind of having that flexibility. My son has a hockey game tonight, so I have to have him at the arena at 5:15. If I worked a nine to five, how would I do that? Right, between having to leave an office and do a commute. So sometimes the schedule can be all over the place. Absolutely. And there are definitely times where maybe I have to step away from, I do not get all of my Saturdays off, but at the same time, it is really, really,
Johnder Perez (15:18:)
It is the price to pay, right? That is sort of the trade off. Yeah,
Christa Duits (15:21:)
Absolutely. It is really, it is really them.
Johnder Perez (15:27:)
Yeah, which is family. I mean, family, it is one of the greatest motivators because you are knowing that you have impacted their life, you are changing your lifestyle trajectory, and this is something that gets paid forward in the future. And something really important that you have touched on is that real estate as demanding as it is, and we are not kidding when sometimes it becomes 24/7 during especially busy periods, and there are those weekends that you give up, but imagine having to give up your kid’s hockey game because you are at work and you have to do overtime that day and your boss is not going to let you out. And so yes, there are those trade offs. You do not get your weekends all the time. Sometimes you do not mind, you get to go on vacations, you get to do whatever you want, depending how well you do. But at the same time, you have got that flexibility. So Christa, there are a lot of real estate agents that listen to this podcast and watch this podcast, and they are always looking for that secret sauce that, what is that one thing that a Realtor is doing that is making them so successful? In your case, what would you attribute, what would you say your secret to success is?
Christa Duits (16:34:)
I think two things. Again, I think you have to be authentic. I think in this day and age, people do not want to be sold to. And I think when you are fake or when conversations or interactions are contrived, people can smell that and they know that they do not trust it and they are not going to want to work with you moving forward. And then I think a second part of that is that you really have to run your business from a place of honesty. You have to act with integrity. Longevity is really the name of the game here. So I mean, if you do not treat a client fairly or maybe do not give them fair advice, again, sometimes somebody will call me to sell their house, and after having a conversation with them, I say, maybe it makes more sense to stay put. I am not trying to talk myself out of a job, but if that does not make sense for you to move, I would rather see you stay here and maybe work with the situation that you have. Whereas if they felt like I pressured them to move their house and then they find themselves in a worse situation, they are never going to refer me to other people again. It might not be a deal right now, it might not be business right now, but again, they will tell their friends, their friends, or they will call you when the time comes. So I think you just have to act with integrity and just be honest and act honestly.
Johnder Perez (17:52:)
Yeah, authenticity, integrity, honesty, and doing this as a long game, because as you have seen with your business, it is a compounded effect. So you started out slowly, you kind of built it up to a point that it is sustainable, but now it is compounded to the point that you have served enough clients that they are coming back to you, they become raving fans. They know you are going to do, and so they refer you. And then that is sort of what builds up a long standing successful real estate business. So Christa, you have shared such amazing stuff with us today. And of course, anybody that wants to connect with you and meet with you, we are going to share that information in a moment. We do have Realtors that are listening to this that maybe they are starting out, maybe they are in a position like when you first started out, or some that may have been in the business for a while, but maybe they have lost their spark and they need some inspiration. Christa, for anybody watching and listening to this in the real estate field, what would your advice be to them?
Christa Duits (18:46:)
Keep going. I think we have seen a lot of adversity over the last couple of years, and management from RE/MAX Hallmark has been amazing, really. And I think in letting the masses of us know that, I think it is really easy sometimes to get caught up in what other people are doing and what other people’s numbers are or that sort of production or what it looks like they are doing based on what they post on social media. And I think you have to stay true to yourself. And I think just kind of keep trucking along because it is, like you said, it is compounding. And again, I have had years over the last 13 years too where its production is not where I would have liked it to be. But again, I feel like if you are honest, if you are authentic, if you keep doing it, I do think that it will come back.
Johnder Perez (19:36:)
You stuck with it. And the perfect advice, especially in a challenging market like today, is just to keep going because a lot of Realtors find themselves idle. And what happens when you are idle and you start second guessing and you start thinking about all sorts of things and you start looking for that secret, but everything you have shared with us, just the authenticity of your message and who you are, I mean, it does not get any simpler than that for anybody in the real estate business. It is just be who you are. You are going to attract the people that you are going to attract anyway. And at the same time, the people that are not meant to do business with you may not end up doing business with you, and that is okay, but having the confidence to just be authentic, to be honest, to have integrity, and to just keep going, what a simple and perfect message of being successful. So Christa, Clearview, Stayner, anybody who wants to send business to you in Simcoe County, I know we have a lot of RE/MAX Hallmark offices all over Ontario. We are now in Florida as well, but some people listening to this might be coming from any part of the world. If somebody wants to send you business, how do they connect with you? What is your website, phone number, all that sort of good stuff so they can connect?
Christa Duits (20:44:)
Feel free to call or text at any time. So it is 705 279 6884. I am online at christaduits.com or christaduits@remaxchay.com.
Johnder Perez (20:56:)
Awesome. All right, Christa, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. It is such an inspiring and rejuvenating story about how you started out and how you continue to be successful. And for those of you watching listening, thank you so much for joining Real Estate Strategies with RE/MAX Hallmark. Like, subscribe, follow, do all that stuff depending on where you are at. And we look forward to seeing you in future episodes. Christa, thank you. And everybody else, thank you so much. Good to see you.
Christa Duits (21:25:)
Thank you.
