From Hockey to Homes
Mark Faris’ journey into real estate began when he purchased a student rental property in high school with his mom and sister. Throughout the years, real estate remained a keen interest. “The first thing I saw when I walked into Mark’s room was the real estate section from a local newspaper,” says Joanna Faris, who was dating Mark at the time.
As newlyweds, Mark and Joanna moved to Texas to further Mark’s hockey career. Just six weeks later, Mark was waived from the team and the couple returned home to Canada. Without a place to call their own, Joanna’s parents welcomed them into their home.
“It was a humbling experience, being newlyweds, living at my in-laws’ house and not able to work due to my injury”
Mark was eager to find a new professional hockey team to join. In the meantime he worked construction and played for a local hockey league, only to separate his shoulder soon after joining. “It was a humbling experience, being newlyweds, living at my in-laws’ house and not able to work due to my injury,” remembers Mark.
Since he was five years old, hockey was Mark’s future. During a discussion on what the next steps were for the couple, Joanna expressed to Mark, “You know, you don’t have to play hockey.” Right then Mark had a moment of clarity. “I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in Real Estate,” says Mark, who signed up for the real estate course the very next day.
Mark became a licensed Realtor in July 2007 and joined the Royal LePage family. “I was very intrigued by the professionalism, quality and the fact that Royal LePage was a Canadian owned company – also the largest national real estate company in Canada,” says Mark. Mark and Joanna crafted a strong marketing package that would deliver value to their clients. They developed a solid brand and added complimentary services such as professional photography and home staging early on. Soon after, Mark and Joanna found out they were expecting a baby. “I remember being pregnant and not being able to afford milk,” says Joanna. With just a few deals under his belt, there was no question that the journey into real estate would require both hard work and determination.
An entrepreneur determined to succeed, Mark made numerous cold calls and knocked on many doors that winter, resulting in 8 sales in 2007, and 38 sales by 2008. In 2009, Mark and Joanna hired their first office employee. They had reached their steep goal of 100 deals that year. But in order to achieve exceptional service, they knew it was time for the team to grow. Sales Partners, administrative and marketing staff were added to the team.
The Destination:
Best Real Estate Experience
Faris Team sold 813 homes in 2015, achieving National Chairman’s Club status for Royal LePage and ranking #1 Team in Canada out of nearly 20,000 Realtors®. “We sell small town homes right up to multi-million dollar waterfront properties, attracting a wide range of purchasing clientele for our listings,” says Mark. The Faris Team has sold over 3000 properties to date.
“Reaching the Chairman’s Club when I first started seemed literally like reaching for the stars or making it to the NHL,” reflects Mark. “Being the top team at Royal LePage in Canada seemed impossible in our relatively small marketplace and competing with real estate teams in locations like Toronto and Vancouver.”
The team’s slogan, “Full Out For You®,” sums up the philosophy and drive that has led Faris Team to their success. They believe in going full out for their clients, full out for the community, and full out for the team. Giving back is a huge priority for Faris Team and they are involved with many charities and organizations.
“Joanna and I set out to create a company that offers the best real estate service in Canada. Each member of the team has been carefully selected and brings an abundance of professionalism, experience and passion to their role. We want to honour Jesus Christ by leading Faris Team to world-class success and are thankful for everything,” says Mark.
