Royal LePage® broker Stacey McDonald shares how technology and a thorough mentorship helped to pave the way for her industry success.

Finding success in any industry is never a one-person feat – standing on the shoulders of giants, or soaking up knowledge from our successors, is often how many professionals springboard their careers to new heights. A successful foundation of mentorship was how Stacey MacDonald found her way to the top of the commercial industry. 

Stacey, a broker with Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty, began her nearly 18-year career with the help of two mentors who guided her along the path of the commercial community. She now leads a team of skilled and technology-focused agents specializing in commercial real estate throughout Kingston, Belleville and Brockville in Ontario. 

We chatted with Stacey to uncover what key factors helped her get her start in the industry, and the strategies that allow her to keep achieving success. Here’s our conversation:

Congratulations on being an award-winning Royal LePage commercial agent. Tell us more about your best day as a REALTOR®. Was there a day or a moment that stood out to you where you reached a professional milestone, or helped a client achieve their dream?

I have many stories of clients achieving their dreams, and that is one of the best parts of my job. However, truly I think my best day in real estate was day one — the day I decided to quit my salaried job to pursue commercial real estate. Without that day one, there wouldn’t be a year 18 milestone coming up to celebrate.

My mentors really helped me develop into the agent that I am today, and overall, it’s been a career I have thoroughly enjoyed with the support of all I have come into contact with. 

What are some of the toughest challenges you’ve faced in commercial real estate, and how did you overcome them?  

Being a female in our industry will always be a challenge, as there are just less of us working in the brokerage side of the commercial industry. There is not a robust network of females you can network and collaborate with, which is why oftentimes female commercial agents are so connected with other females in adjacent real estate markets. 

What’s one piece of advice you would share with an up-and-coming agent looking to build a successful career in commercial real estate? 

Find yourself a good mentor. That mentor may not be everything you eventually become as an agent, but you will find the things that work for you and apply them to your own business.

I attribute much of my success to my two mentors, who I worked with for 14 years. A high-quality mentor will guide you through the industry and have your back when it comes to tough negotiations and, to be frank, when you make a rookie mistake that needs correcting. With the help of a mentor, you can use this learned knowledge to start building up your client base, and become confident in going through the industry independently. 

I strongly believe that success comes from your choice in both a knowledgeable mentor and someone that compliments your working style. Now, it’s my turn to give back to our new agents and become someone’s mentor. 

How has technology impacted your day-to-day operations and decision making in commercial real estate?  

We use various technologies to streamline our daily processes, which makes it easier to connect with my team and check in on the status of various tasks while not having to be over someone’s shoulder non-stop. We have some pretty phenomenal back-end processes in place, and rely on Microsoft Teams extensively to monitor processes, assign tasks, stay in communication, and so on. On the front-end, we use multiple processes to plan out our social media content in addition to all of the media we produce, such as flyers and pitches.

With the help of technology and our high standards of professionalism, we ensure our clients are always kept up to date. They will never experience radio silence. When the client has to reach out to you to understand what’s going on with their property, you’ve lost the trust of the client.  

Commercial real estate can be demanding. How do you manage work-life balance? What hobbies or interests do you pursue outside of work?  

You must have a solid team in place that’s well trained and can make necessary decisions on your behalf if you are not available. An efficient team allows me to be away from the office for appointments or to take time off. 

Outside of work, I love golfing, travelling with my spouse, watching my nephews play football, and following my step-daughter around with her rep hockey team. I have two French bulldogs, Miguel and Oliver, that take up lots of my attention as well. Meditation and working out also gets me through my tough weeks. 

What trends do you see shaping the future of commercial real estate in Canada?  

If you aren’t reviewing technology, both on the back-end or in the forward-facing side of our world, you are behind and will continue to be behind. The integration of technology in commercial real estate is fast-growing, and the industry needs to realize that this is the way of the future. Clients are looking for it. They are asking what systems we are using and it is now expected in any of our sales pitches. 

Ready to launch your real estate career? Joining Royal LePage gives you the opportunity to grow with a national brand that sets the standard in Canadian real estate. Learn more about joining our team.