- Words by Angela Cowan Photography by Lia Crowe

Bronwyn Bertles has used her strong entrepreneurial roots, her determination and her natural ease with people to build a successful career in real estate over the last decade.

Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Bronwyn received a soccer scholarship to Concordia University of Edmonton, paving the way to her future career.

鈥淚 paid for school on my own, so the scholarship was really important,鈥� she says. Given the choice between studying English, the sciences or business, Bronwyn jumped into business management and quickly thrived. She became president of the students鈥� business association in addition to keeping up with demanding soccer commitments.

Bronwyn had always had an interest in real estate, going to see open houses with her mom from an early age, but the prospect of leaping into a fully commission-based career when she graduated at 21 was a little intimidating, she admits.

鈥淧roperty management gave me a lot of the tools I needed to start in full sales,鈥� she explains.

Bronwyn soon moved out of her hometown to Calgary, where she spent three years building up her network and successes in real estate circles. But, when the opportunity to come to Vancouver arose, she jumped at the chance, despite it meaning she鈥檇 have to start from the bottom again.

鈥淲hat you can sell here is so different from the rest of Canada. There鈥檚 so much variety. It was a fun challenge for my career,鈥� she says.

Now with Engel & V缨lkers since 2017, Bronwyn has built a connected network of friends and professionals through her membership at the Terminal City Club; through BNI Summit, the downtown Vancouver networking group she co-founded; and through myriad relationships within and beyond her community.

鈥淭o have that mentorship with like-minded, high-performing people that pushed me but also gave me confidence really propelled my skills,鈥� she says, and adds that she pays that forward with her own clients. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really about guiding people through and giving them that one-on-one concierge service. You end up connecting deeply with clients and finding what they鈥檙e looking for.鈥�

The 7 sins

Whose shoes would you like to walk in?

My mom, or her mother. Not out of envy, but because they鈥檙e strong, intelligent and resilient women, and because there have been so many changes for women in such a relatively short time. I would love to see the challenges they faced and put mine in perspective.

Gluttony:

What is the food you could eat over and over again?

Fresh and authentic Mexican food, of course with a salty lime margarita on the side. My mom sacrificed a lot for my sister and me, and when she retired recently, she moved to Mexico on a complete whim. It鈥檚 completely out of character for her, and it鈥檚 actually made us so much closer. Visiting her new and exciting life, I鈥檝e fallen in love with the family-oriented, relaxed and expressive culture, and the food is the cherry on top.

Greed:

You鈥檙e given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?

Oceanfront property. There鈥檚 only so much habitable land in BC and I would love to own a piece of it, even a smaller oceanfront lot. I鈥檇 love to have somewhere private and peaceful, perfect for friends and family. In BC, however, $1 million might just be my down payment.

Wrath:

Pet peeves?

Using the excuse that you鈥檙e 鈥渂usy.鈥� Everyone is busy. It鈥檚 just part of life now that there are always a million things we 鈥渟hould鈥� or 鈥渃ould鈥� be doing. Saying you鈥檙e busy is basically saying you鈥檝e chosen something else, which is fine! Just tell the truth鈥攖hat you have other plans, or that something slipped your mind. Just tell it like it is. I appreciate that.

Sloth:

Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?

I love my bed. I鈥檓 a natural extrovert. I enjoy doing things, meeting people and going to social events, but to that same extreme, I can literally spend the whole day in bed. One of my favourite things is lying around with my best girlfriends, catching up on life, venting about our issues, reminiscing about our favourite memories and planning our future ones.

Pride:

What is the one thing you鈥檙e secretly

proud of?

My experience as a real estate advisor in three major cities is something I鈥檓 proud of. Not only that I鈥檝e moved and started over, but also my success in each market compared to agents who have more connections and more experience. I had to navigate learning the intricacies of new products and new communities, making and earning the trust of new clients and creating a network of trusted people. In the end, I couldn鈥檛 be happier to have landed in Vancouver. And I can tell you for certain, I鈥檓 not moving again, unless it鈥檚 for retirement.

Lust:

What makes your heart beat faster?

That first night on vacation with my man. I love that feeling of vacation excitement, the looming adventure and the amazing food and drinks away from responsibility. Whether the vacation is to busy and bustling New York City or a lazy beach getaway, there鈥檚 nothing better than that first night of freedom.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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