In this edition of our newsletter we feature
Andrew Laurie from Jones Lang LaSalle.
Q: What area of real estate do you primarily work in?
A: Office Leasing with a focus on Landlord and Tenant representation in the suburban markets.
Q: Would you say it is a buyer or a seller’s market right now?
A: I would suggest that the current market fundamentals favor the Landlord as the demand for space currently exceeds the supply. With that said, this is the type of market that I enjoy working in because it forces me to get creative for my clients and look for solutions that may not be obvious in the market. This is the type of market that rewards those who work hard to understand their market.
Q: Do you work individually or as part of a team?
A: At JLL I am part of the office team which consists of 8 licensed brokers and an amazing support group in behind the scenes. From the top down, JLL’s mandate is to avoid internal conflict at all costs. This is not the norm in our industry and as such we have created an environment of trust. We sit in an open plan and on any given day you will find our whole team discussing a problem and debating the solution. This type of all hands-on deck collaboration is our key differentiator and makes for a fun environment to work in, it also ensures that I am always learning, which is important to my long-term success.
Q: How long have you been in the business?
A: 12 years
Q: Have you always wanted to be in Commercial Real Estate?
A: I feel very fortunate to work in this industry. I enjoy what I do and the people I work with.
Q: What’s your biggest challenge in the market right now?
A: Keeping up with the pace of the market and the quality of my competitors. The Lower Mainland is well served by an outstanding group of professionals and trying to stay a step ahead will be my lifelong challenge for sure.
Q: What do you like to do on your days off?
A: I am a young father with a 2-year-old girl and a little boy on the way in October. My day’s off consist of quality time with my family, playing at the local park and keeping up with the Paw Patrol.
Q: What’s your favorite part of Vancouver?
A: My favorite part of Vancouver is the 1-mile radius around my house. We live just off Commercial Drive and I couldn’t be happier with the neighbourhood, the local amenities and the direction that it is heading in.
Q: Favourite ice cream flavour?
A: Birthday Cake
Q: Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
A: I have a shoe named after me. It’s called the Guardian Angel Andrew and it is a top seller at Fluevogs. The shoe was made on my behalf for my role in protecting the Granville Street Fluevogs store during the 2011 Stanley Cup riots.
Picture: Andrew with his wife and daughter