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Oakwyn Realty was built on an ambitious goal: To change the real estate industry from the inside out.
Founded in 2013, the agency humbly began in West Side Vancouver and now services buyers and sellers throughout B.C. - including Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Vancouver Island, Whistler, and the North Shore.
"As we open our doors on the beautiful North Shore of Vancouver, we are thrilled to witness the synergy between our team of expert agents and the vibrant community of West and North Vancouver. Our commitment to delivering exceptional service to our clients is unwavering, and we are excited to be a part of the continued growth and success of this remarkable region,” says Morgan Browne, co-founder of Oakwyn Realty.
With six storefront locations and nearly 700 real estate agents, Oakwyn distinguishes itself not just through stellar sales performance, but through an innovative people-first ethos that prioritizes both its own workplace community and the communities it serves.
At its core, the company “is an environment of collaboration over competitiveness,” explains Arlene Chiang, co-founder of Oakwyn.
In the fast-paced, results-oriented world of real estate, Chiang acknowledges agencies can sometimes foster an atmosphere that’s more adversarial than collegial.
"The typical real estate transaction is different, it is transformative and provides a positive change in one's life. Our purpose is to help the agent experience a positive change in their careers by being in an environment where they're more inspired, learning from their colleagues and collaborating to provide better, more innovative service to our clients,” Chiang adds.
Contrast that with Oakwyn’s people-first, culture-focused mantra. “I think that’s the magic of Oakwyn — agents are working together, trying to find ways to best serve the public and our communities, and it’s really a place for presenting your best work,” Chiang says.
“You'll see that throughout our marketing, the environment in the offices, the service you receive from staff, and the support agents get from managing brokers.”
That community-focused approach extends to the office spaces themselves. Oakwyn’s locations are modern, airy, and filled with community spaces where real estate agents can consult with teammates, meet clients over coffee, and join in on panels and industry events.
"Having an Oakwyn office in the heart of Edgemont is a dream come true for me,” says Cam Walker, a real estate advisor based out of the agency’s Woodbine Drive office. “I have spent most of my life in this community, and can't wait to see the positive impact that Oakwyn and its agents will have on the community and the real estate market as they continue to grow.”
Adds Chiang: “If agents are in a place where they're more inspired, and learning from their colleagues, peers and managing brokers, and all working together, they're going to get all those tips and tricks and inspiration to provide better, more innovative service.”
This approach has paid off in spades: Oakwyn has experienced stratospheric growth year over year.
The agency’s flagship location is the highest sales volume single office in the entire Greater Vancouver region, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s Brokerage Office Statistics (2022, 2021, 2020).
Oakwyn has also earned spots on The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies for three consecutive years (2020 through 2022).
In keeping with the company’s “work hard, stay humble” motto, Chiang is quick to call these milestones collective victories: “It’s that collective effort and mindset of everyone uniting and working together for that positive change.”
Oakwyn fosters that sense of collective achievement and community even further through additional initiatives – from taking part in local Pride festivities and hosting its annual Women Of Oakwyn bash honouring female entrepreneurs in real estate, to encouraging Oakwynites to give back throughout the month of November through its Kindness Challenge initiative.
And with even more territorial expansion on the way in the near future — Chiang says the company is getting plenty of requests to open offices in new areas — expect Oakwyn to become an even more prominent fixture in the world of Vancouver real estate.
