City's only self-proclaimed Indigenous realtor setting stage for success
- EFN Staff | June 08, 2017
Tanya LaRose is Saskatoon’s only self-proclaimed Indigenous woman realtor and she is making her name known as one of the city's busiest real estate professionals.
“It’s kind of surprising when you think of the ratio because there’s 650 agents so that’s one to 650 and when you think of the number of First Nation population in Saskatoon and surrounding area, there’s definite underrepresentation there,” said Tanya LaRose, the three year realtor who hails from Sweetgrass First Nation. “It makes me happy that we have some representation because I know it can be a very cutthroat industry because there’s a lot of risk and liability.”
In 2013, LaRose spent five months completing courses from the Association of Saskatchewan Realtors to be licensed in commercial, residential, and farm real estate. A year later, she was recruited to work with RE/MAX – one of the city’s largest agencies. LaRose was named to the 100% Club in 2016. That means she earned commissions between $100,000 and $250,000 in the calendar years. That means she’s busy.
“The award was a huge validation for me but I am on call almost twenty-four hours a day and constantly on the move,” said LaRose. “But I work hard to be a mom first to my son Diesel who is six. On a daily basis, I have to check myself and ask if I am being a good mother. He is more important to me than my job.”
LaRose is a realtor in Saskatoon but she has provided consultations to her clients in other cities such as North Battleford and has also provided real estate consultations to First Nations people and leaders from different communities in Saskatchewan. Her client list is growing because she makes an effort to get out in the Indigenous community and seek out potential home owners and educate people on the value of owning property. Within her time as a realtor, her clients had entrusted to her over $50-million dollars in their real estate.
“I’m proud to be able to offer my services to other First Nations people and confidently give them top of the line service that they deserve,” she said. “I want to see that same prosperity in terms of real estate with my own people.”
LaRose doesn’t focus her clients only on Indigenous people but other cultures as well. In her first year as a realtor, she recalls selling a tiny house to a woman who immigrated from Congo. It was a moment that she never forgets.
“When she took possession [of the house] she just cried tears of joy,” she said. “That’s one of the examples why I love my job.”
LaRose launched a staging company two months ago called Upstaging Interior Designs where realtors stage a vacant house to make it more appealing for sale.
“Staging definitely sells houses so I thought it was important to offer that service and it’s going well,” said LaRose.
This year, LaRose created a community outreach program for Saskatoon clients called Crystal’s Gift. The program was named after her late sister Crystal. Often her clients are looking for some one to donate used furniture to. LaRose takes that furniture and makes sure it serves a good purpose.
“Crystal always had a passion for helping single mothers of all types…this is to keep her vision alive,” she said of her community work. “Those items can be re-homed to improve the lifestyles of the children of single mothers.”
People can find out more about LaRose at www.tanyalarose.com.