BY ALYSSA MAHADEO
The decision to purchase a home is no small feat. Buying a home is an investment, and there are many factors that come into play through the home buying process. The process can be an arduous task for many especially if they do not have the knowledge or professional guidance to point them in the right direction. Being informed, and understanding your options can make the decision to purchase property much easier especially with the help of a professional realtor leading the way.
Born and raised in a small farming village in Guyana, Toronto Real Estate veteran Jay Brijpaul immigrated to Canada in January 1984 initially landing in Winnipeg before relocating and settling in Toronto shortly after. Jay is a family man, with deeply rooted family values putting his wife and children first, spending the time to make memories that will last a lifetime.
Known as The Brij, he is always giving back to the community. He is the founder of the Caribbean Children Foundation (TCCF) providing medical treatment for critically ill children from the Caribbean whose needs cannot be met in their home country. The charity works closely with the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the Herbie Fund.
Jay has always been passionate about real estate, and after his first experience in the real estate market, he found that the service he received was less than what he had expected. This initial experience is what prompted him to dive into the market, becoming a member of the Fellows of Real Estate Institute of Canada (FRI) in 1994. Joining the FRI gave him an additional five years of real estate training beyond what most agents usually receive.
As an agent in the industry for so many years, Jay knows the importance of building relationships with his potential clients, inviting them for free one-on-one consultations to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of what is involved in the home buying, and selling process before any decisions can be made.
In order to effectively attend and service his client’s needs, Jay put together a team of passionate realtors who share a common goal, and hold the same values when it comes to servicing the needs of the community.
“I strongly believe that what you put out is what you will get back,” Jay explains. “If you attract like minded people with exceptional customer service skills, who are passionate about the work they do that will found the basis of a productive team.”
The Brij Team is comprised of a team of about fifteen real estate experts whose main goal is to empower the community through education. Jay is very selective about the agents that join the team as it is mandatory for them to be people who are team players, dedicated to service, and have not been affiliated with any other real estate brokerages in the city.
“In order to be a part of my team, I need the personalities that come to me to be fresh-faced agents with open minds that I can train under my own mission,” Jay says.
Integrity is an important part of Jay’s philosophy explaining that “integrity is what you do when no one else is looking, and that is exceptionally important for an agent to be permitted to join the Brij Team.” If you don’t fit the criteria, you won’t make the cut. Jay’s high standards can attribute to the success he has had in the industry over the years.
Jay believes in constant training and constant evolution to propel yourself to be better in every new undertaking. Everyone who is a part of the team specializes in some aspect of real estate, and as a result, they collectively make the entire process easier not only for themselves but for their clients as well.
Brij Team Agent Amit Kanhai and Marketing Director Sanga Selvakumar spoke to their own personal experiences joining the team and working under Jay learning how to invest their money and inevitably work toward building wealth.
“I was working in banking when I met Jay, looking into purchasing my first investment property, and he provided me with some great insight on how I could purchase these properties, provide affordable housing, and explained how it would help me to make money down the road,” Amit says.
A year later, seeing great results from his investment through Jay’s advice, he quit his job, became an agent and joined The Brij Team seeing value in the knowledge that Jay had to offer.
“Working in marketing and advertising, I was introduced to The Brij Team through the community initiative that they were involved in, and their message really resonated with me,” Sanga added.
“In the past, my parents had, unfortunately, experienced agents who had taken advantage of them; and so to see an organization where everyone was treated with respect I could see they were in it for the right reasons and it sparked my interest in wanting to join them and I saw a lot of opportunities for them in things that they could do differently, or even improve upon.”
The Brij Team really focuses in on business development, organizing content and doing research for monthly workshops they host to ‘Empower through Education.’ By hosting free seminar workshops every month and providing information to the community they are providing access to useful information on investing, providing families with peace of mind.
“The thing that really impresses me about the team is the amount of education and energy that goes into helping people in the community whether they are new to the country or have no finance experience, The Brij Team provides guidance so that people won’t be taken advantage of,” Sanga says.
With over thirty years of experience in Real Estate, Jay Brijpaul has been instrumental in over 3,000 real estate sales representing both buyers and sellers. As one of Canada’s top Real Estate Agents, he is a proud member of RE/MAX Elite Circle of Legends and is the leader of one of the top real estate teams in the city working to educate and empower the community.
The Brij Team is comprised of people from all walks of life, they operate as a unit, and welcome all of their clients as part of the family. Much of the team is very involved in community work surrounding the Caribbean Children’s Foundation, and they are focused on their goals and receptive to feedback from the community. They work to get the job done as efficiently and effectively as possible, with people dedicated to specific responsibilities to make sure that every sale is a smooth one.
The Brij Team is here to service your needs! Their staff and agents work to understand and take care of your real estate endeavors. The market is always changing, if you’re in the market the to buy or sell your home make sure to get informed!
