The truth is that real estate isn’t about property. It’s about people.
Adina Dragasanu is the type of realtor that instantly makes you feel like you’re in safe hands. A quick conversation with her reveals not only a deep knowledge of the Vancouver housing market, but also the realization that she truly wants what’s best for her clients.
We first met this superstar realtor last summer when she appeared in a RealTours pilot episode exploring the Cambie neighbourhood. She did such an incredible job that bringing her back for Season One was an easy decision, this time exploring super-trendy Mount Pleasant.
When you know, you know.
Adina got into real estate straight after university. She was studying marketing and had some big internships lined up in that field. But something kept drawing her away from marketing and towards real estate.
“My parents weren't so keen about the idea,” she remembers. “They put a lot of effort into getting me to university. But what I found when I was working in marketing was that I wasn't as connected to the people I was working with as I wanted to be. Real estate really offered that opportunity and it's so interesting to me because real estate is how we live our lives.”
Adina’s journey eventually landed her in Mount Pleasant, one of her favourite neighborhoods in Vancouver.
"I was a resident of Mount Pleasant for many years,” she says. “Now I'm just on the edge of it. But what I really love about it from a real estate perspective is that I think it's one of the most strategic areas of the city. If you're looking to get into the market and work your way up in the market, I think it's one of the best places to start."
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Real estate is all about how we live our lives and prioritize our time.
Planning for the future.
Over her 14 years working in real estate, Adina has helped countless first-time buyers find their perfect home. But she knows that a perfect home now might not be a perfect home in five years. That’s why she plays the long game with her clients.
“To me, a good realtor is someone who really knows the community and can help show you some of the positives and opportunities, but also some of the pitfalls that you might need to be aware of,” she says.
Right now, Adina’s advice to her clients, especially first-time buyers, is to look at areas with a lot of planned infrastructure growth in the coming years. In Vancouver, you don’t need to look further than Mount Pleasant, where the City plans to bring in tens of thousands of new jobs, which will create more demand for housing.
“A great realtor will help you assess your options, understand the trade offs and really understand which of those options are going to best help you get to where you want to be,” she says. “Not just now but in three, five, ten years from now."