A discussion with Brent Stapleton, Broker, on real estate and Thompson Real Estate

Brent Stapleton, Broker, discusses his relationship with Coldwell Banker Thompson Real Estate over the past thirty years, and what has changed in real estate. This is the first in a series of Q&As.

How long have you been in the Real Estate industry? And what made you choose Real Estate as a career choice? 

I have been a licensed Realtor since Feb 1992, joining my parents Ken and Chris at Thompson Real Estate Brokerage. In December 1995, the three of us purchased the Coldwell Banker franchise. I think my interest in a career in real estate started in my late teens, as my Mother was a Realtor, and so I had first-hand exposure to what a career in real estate entailed.  

You recently sold the business…….. have you retired? 

No, I have not retired……I am still working as a full-time Realtor with Coldwell Banker Thompson Real Estate helping people buy & sell real estate. In June 2022 I sold the business to my son Brandon Stapleton and his business partner Dave Leslie. I felt it was time to pass on the family business to the younger generation after owning the Brokerage for 27 years. As a full-time Realtor, it’s a 24/7 business – add to that running a very successful Brokerage with multiple Sales Representatives and offices and I was working in excess of 80 hours a week. It was time to simply focus on sales and get back to giving 110% to my clients. 

You would have witnessed many changes in the Real Estate industry over the course of your career – how would you sum up those changes? 

The highest waterfront sale price was $445,000 for 475 feet of frontage on Fairy Lake – that property is now worth $2.5M

Starter homes were valued at $60,000 – they are now $400,000 to $500,000. The average 3 Bedroom subdivision home was valued at $130,000 – they are now selling at $700,000 to $800,000 

When I started my real estate career, computers were just starting to come into office settings. Fax machines were new and not everyone had access to one. The Internet was not even a thing and cell phones were very rare. We used pagers to stay in touch with the office. When we received an offer for a residential or cottage property we would drive to the owner’s home to present it in person. I can remember spending a lot of time in the car driving to Oshawa, Tillsonburg or Burlington just to name a few places, to meet with my clients. Fast forward to today and we have so much technology, some of this technology has made our job much easier while other technologies have made our workload enormous.

Other changes I have seen: 

• Interest rates – have fluctuated greatly over the past 30 years

• Education – standard requirements to become licensed have increased

• Competition – many more realtors have entered the workforce

• Government regulations – more standard practices required since 9/11, legal implications, foreign investors and AirBnBs.

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