By Adriana Ermter
As a broker for 16 years, Steve Bailey was happily doing well as a top agent, running his own team and brand under a big banner. Then, he met The Agency. “The Agency just fit my personality. It has such a strong family vibe. It sounds a bit corny, but at The Agency, we are a big family. Everyone stays connected with each other and wants to learn. There’s something very compelling about that.”
“I REALLY LOVE WHAT I DO HERE, WHICH MAKES THE TIME AND DEDICATION I PUT IN FEEL SIMPLE.”
It was certainly gripping enough that, after his wife, Katia Bailey, expressed interest in joining the Los Angeles-based billion-dollar brokerage and asked if he would explore their options within the company together, Bailey agreed. The couple connected with the luxury real estate firm, flew to LA, met with the founder and CEO Mauricio Umansky and signed on. That was three years ago. Now, Bailey, alongside his wife, is a broker and managing partner for The Agency and has offices in the Waterloo region, Brantford, Oakville, Muskoka, Toronto West and York Region. “We’re adding spice to a typically stuffy market,” says Bailey of The Agency’s presence in Ontario and worldwide. The global boutique-style company boasts more than 90 offices in 10 countries, including the United States, Mexico, Turks & Caicos and The Netherlands. “We feature really cool listings, and our corporate website actually has videos and blogs. If you’re looking, even if it’s aspirational, you want to see gorgeous houses. People love looking and it doesn’t hurt that our CEO is a celebrity on the television show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Buying Beverly Hills. It’s made our brand easily recognizable,” he says. “I really love what I do here, which makes the time and dedication I put in feel simple.”
Not all of Bailey’s career has been as straightforward, though. As a former manager of a once-popular tech store, putting in 60- to 70-hour work weeks was par for the course, as was aligning with corporate rules that included micromanaging his team. A straight shooter and natural communicator, this form of interaction did not come easily. Instead, Bailey preferred team building, trust and autonomy. It was what he excelled at when it came to connecting with his sales team and with the public, and it worked. Honest in his approach, colleagues and customers alike trusted Bailey, earning him solid relationships and repeat business. Later, Bailey and Katia purchased their first home in Cambridge, Ont., shortly after the birth of their first child. While their new place met their expectations, the experience with their realtor did not. It did, however, shine a light on new possibilities. “I was underwhelmed by the experience,” explains Bailey. “We got the house we wanted, but throughout the sales process, I kept thinking I could do a better job than the realtor we were working with. The human connection just wasn’t there.”
This inspired him to change the trajectory of his career. Bailey signed up for a course in real estate, received his license and jumped into the industry. Building his new brand and business took time, perseverance and dedication, but the foundational skills were already there. By following a personal philosophy to “be a good human,” relationships with his clients flowed organically, while his level of expertise continued to grow. Now, 20 years later, as an expert frontman with a supportive team behind him, Bailey continues to focus on a plethora of strengths he’s honed over his years. He is a big believer in connecting with clients on a personal level, and spends time navigating them through an ever-changing housing market and into their dream homes and investment properties — he’s certainly mastered helping people build wealth through real estate. “I’m a people person first and foremost, but I’m also a numbers guy,” he says. “Real estate happens in waves, so I research what’s happening in Dallas, where the market is going crazy, or by watching how sales are down in LA, because of the new taxes combined with national and regional nuances. If I know what’s going on in the world — and close to home — with banks and in real estate, I can talk about it. People respect that I have this knowledge. It’s part of the service I provide. I will always be an open book with my clients, and I will always get the job done.”