Mentoring - Our Connections List

Our Connections list is a contact list consisting of a select number of experienced real estate professionals that are willing to answer questions from young real estate professionals who are wanting to gain more industry knowledge. This is a great way for professionals to be introduced to both the real estate industry and the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia on a more personal level.

Our professional RI's are waiting to hear from you! You can contact them at the emails provided below. Start off by telling them about yourself. Make sure to include all the important information like your name, and career interests. Indicate any questions you have or if you would just like to chat about what they do. Our professionals will do their best to accommodate your requests.

Tom Garvey, RI, FRI
Managing Broker
Century21 In Town Realty

A graduate of the Urban Land Economics program at UBC, he used his DULE background to sell both residential and commercial properties in the lower mainland. He established the Tom Garvey Prize in BUSI 101 - Capital Markets in Real Estate to acknowledge the value of UBC's DULE program and its benefit for people contemplating a career in real estate.

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Rick Turner, RI, AACI, P.App
Appraiser

Rick is an accredited appraiser and has been working in the West Kootenay area for the past 26 years. He provides a full array of residential & ICI services in the Rossland-Trail, Castlegar & Nelson areas.

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Ian Lindsay, RI
Sales Associate
Ian Lindsay & Associates

Ian has been active in the real estate industry for 30 years. He has developed a successful track record in residential sales, and project development as well as owning a real estate company. Ian has also been very active in many community endeavors and provides strategic planning to various charitable organizations.

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Drew Reidy, RI, SR/WA
Property Representative 2
BC Hydro

A Property Representative for BC Hydro, Drew reviews subdivision plans and compatible use requests, negotiates SRW agreements, determines compensation payable, and conducts property research. In the past, Drew worked for the Ministry of Transportation in Prince George, and was a property negotiator for the Ministry of Forests in Victoria.

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Mandy Hansen, RI, PMP
Principal
Insight Specialty Consulting

Mandy is a senior real estate consultant with extensive experience in strategic portfolio planning and project management. She has held a lead advisory role in real estate assignments including diverstitures, acquisitions, valuations, due diligence assignments, and strategic projects. Her work has a particular focus on the redevelopment and optimization of existing assets to leverage embedded value. Prior to becoming a consultant, she worked at BC Housing for four years, and was with BC Assessment for seven years before that.

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Joe Barbosa, RI
Appraiser
BC Assessment

Joe was a realtor in Terrace, BC from 1989-1999 until he joined BC Assessment as a temp Appraiser. His position became permanent in 2000. Joe is still with BC Assessment where he enjoys the challenges of the appraisal field.

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Dan McElheron, RI, FRI
Appraiser
BC Assessment

Dan actively sold real estate in the Lower Mainland from 1986 to 2001. He obtained an Agents license in 1993 and spent over six years as a selling office manager in a large real estate office in Maple Ridge. Since 2001 he has been a residential appraiser for BC Assessment in the Northwest office.

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Troy Abromaitis, RI
Development Manager
Bucci Developments Ltd.

Troy is the Development Manager at Bucci Developments. He oversees residential development projects including land acquistions, rezoning, conceptual design, planning, unit design, approval processes, managing of consultants and liaison with government authorities to ensure a successful completion of these projects. Troy has worked on the acquisition, development and disposition of a portfolio of real estate in excess of $145 million. Troy is also a top producing Residential and Commercial Realtor with Sutton Group - West Coast Realty and a Chapter Director with the Real Estate Institute of British Columbia.

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Daniel Chau, RI
Residential Appraiser
Canada Revenue Agency

Daniel is a Residential Appraiser currently working for the Canada Revenue Agency. He joined the Canada Revenue Agency in 1999 in the Finance and Administration Division, then transferred to the Real Estate Appraisal Section within the Audit Division in 2002, and eventually become a Residential Real Estate Appraiser. Prior joining CRA, Daniel worked as a realtor, agent and residential rental property manager.

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Brian Kennedy, RI
Former Vice President & Regional Manager-BC
Peoples Trust Company

Peoples Trust is a major lender in CMHC insured muti-family products including apartment buildings and senior housing. It provides specialized single family lending for difficult deals and limited commercial lending. Brian runs the BC Region of the company and has been lending for 30 years.

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Brian Meakin, RI, B.Comm, FRI(E)
Turner Meakin Management Company Inc.

Brian is the owner of Turner Meakin Management Company Inc. Turner Meakin is a small, boutique real estate management company specializing in the management of commercially leased property and conducting commercial lease negotiations from for small to large premises. Brian has over 30 years experience and has a thorough understanding of the various aspects involved not only in the property management and lease negotiation fields, but also in running a small business.

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Cheryl Wirsz, MCIP, RPP, RI
Project Manager - Forest Land Acquisitions
Forest Tenures Branch, FLNR

Cheryl Wirsz holds dual designations, an RI and an RPP, with a Master of Public Administration degree from UVIC and a BA in Geography from UBC. Cheryl worked as a planner in local and regional government on Vancouver Island for over 15 years. Cheryl now works for the provincial government in the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations as a Project Manager working on a wide variety of forest land acquisition projects for the BC Forest Service. Her projects range from the purchase of land and statutory right of ways for forest service roads, to land leases for wildfire management operations, weather stations, communication towers and tree improvement sites. Cheryl also advises on legislation/regulation/policy and treaty implementation relating to forest land acquisition.

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Neil Currie, PAg, DULE, RI, LAAS
Assessor, City of Medicine Hat

Neil was previously licensed in the Real Estate Industry and has worked for Assessment Agencies in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. He was the recipient of a Real Estate Institute of BC Scholarship in 2009 and is currently employed as an assessor with the City of Medicine Hat.

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