Ten years ago, I found myself at a crossroads.
A family law matter had resulted in the sale of my share of the rental side of our family business. At the time, it wasn’t something I felt like celebrating. It felt like an ending, one largely outside my control.What I couldn’t see then was that it would become the beginning of one of the most rewarding journeys of my life.
That journey started in my living room with three people: myself, Peter and Ray. Looking back, I don’t think any of us could have imagined where the road ahead would lead. For my part, I feel incredibly fortunate to have been included on that journey. I will always be grateful that Ray chose to chase a vision that was larger than any of us could see at the time, and that I was given the opportunity to contribute to what has become Xceed today.
It seemed that before the dust had even settled, Ray was already thinking about what came next. He had identified an opportunity to purchase another business. It was the second acquisition on what would eventually become a path of growth that none of us could have imagined. With that acquisition came a team led by Daisy.
I still remember meeting Daisy for the first time. If I’m honest, she probably thought I was a complete tosser. At that stage of my life, I still carried some of the ego that had accompanied earlier success in business. The humility that I value so deeply today was something I was still learning.
Thankfully, Daisy saw beyond that.She brought a calm confidence, operational discipline and maturity that gave life to Ray’s vision. The moment Daisy arrived, the pieces began to fall into place. Together, Ray and Daisy started laying the foundations of a business that could become something much bigger than any one person.
In those early days, we were all deeply involved in the day-to-day work. Every problem was our problem. Every client was our client. Every success and every setback was shared.As the business grew, so did we. When I look back at the people we were ten years ago, I see the difference in all of us. I see better leaders. Better listeners. Better decision-makers. Better mentors. The business didn’t simply grow around us. We grew alongside it.
Over the following decade, that shared vision resulted in 28 acquisitions and a property management portfolio of more than 5,700 properties.
But numbers don’t tell the real story. The real story is the people. Every acquisition brought talented individuals who contributed something unique. New ideas. New perspectives. New relationships. New friendships. Piece by piece, they helped build a culture that people wanted to be part of. A culture that rewards learning, encourages excellence, celebrates contribution and challenges each of us to be our best every day.
The reality is that no founder, leader or business owner builds something like this alone. This milestone belongs to every person who has been part of the journey.
It belongs to every property manager who cared deeply for a client.
Every salesperson who earned the trust of a seller.
Every team member who stayed back to solve a problem.
Every leader who invested in another person’s growth.
Every member of our support teams who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure things ran smoothly.
Every person who joined us through an acquisition and chose to contribute their experience, talent and passion to a shared vision.
Quite simply, Xceed is the sum of thousands of contributions made by hundreds of people over ten years.
Alongside our property management growth, we also began building a sales business. What started with a handful of talented people has grown into a team of more than 30 sales professionals completing over 400 sales each year. I firmly believe the strength and stability of our property management business created the platform that allowed our sales division to flourish.
For me personally, one of the greatest privileges of that growth has been the opportunity to teach, mentor and support others. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone reach a level they once doubted they were capable of achieving. Yet when I reflect on the last ten years, I don’t think our success is measured purely by the number of properties we manage, the acquisitions we’ve completed or the sales we’ve achieved.
I believe our success lies in our commitment to redefining the real estate experience. Growth was never the objective in itself. The objective was to create something better for the people we serve.
A better experience for landlords.
A better experience for tenants.
A better experience for buyers and sellers.
A better experience for the people who choose to build their careers with us.
To us, redefining the experience means treating people as people, not transactions. It means listening before speaking. It means improving constantly, even when nobody is watching. It means creating opportunities for our team to grow and develop. It means using every challenge as an opportunity to become better. Most importantly, it means never forgetting that trust is earned one interaction at a time.
Ten years ago, none of us could have imagined arriving at this point.Today, I know I speak for Ray, Daisy, Petr and myself when I say that we feel incredibly humbled by what has been built.
Not because of the size of the business. Not because of the milestones we’ve achieved. But because of the people we’ve had the privilege to work alongside.
To our clients, thank you for trusting us.
To our team members, both past and present, thank you for your contribution.
To everyone who has played a role in this journey, thank you for helping shape who we are today.
If the first ten years were about building a business, then the next ten years are about continuing to redefine the experience for our clients, our people and our community. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s still to come.
