Longtime Ladysmith realtor Cheri Mactier is celebrating 20 years as a realtor by bringing on her daughter Brianne to join the family business.
Cheri obtained her real estate licences in 1999, and has worked in Ladysmith that entire time. She said that over time, both the town, and her business, have seen extreme growth.
“The development both north and south of Ladysmith has been exponential over the last 10 years for sure,” Cheri said.
Looking back on her time in Ladysmith, Cheri said she’s most proud of having helped so many families find the home of their dreams.
“I was an army brat growing up, so I moved a lot. It was very important for me to help people find their forever home.”
Aside from her work in real estate, Cheri took an active role in Ladysmith organizations and service clubs. She served as secretary and coordinator for the Festival of Lights, she served on the committee for the Ladysmith Ambassadors, and served as president for the Ladysmith Celebration Society. She currently sits on the board of directors for the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce.
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“She’s always been heavily involved in the community, and she’s done a lot for the town,” Brianne said.
Much like Cheri did, Brianne is looking to join Ladysmith service groups and organizations to increase her involvement in the community.
Growing up in Ladysmith, Brianne joked that she used to dread going to the grocery store because her mother knew so many people. Overall, she said that community involvement made her life a lot more fun.
“It was fun. We were always involved in a lot of fun events. Realtors as a whole are pretty fun, social people, so growing up in that environment was great.”
Brianne said it was those experiences that led her to seek a career in real estate. She moved away from Ladysmith, and has been working in online marketing for the past 10 years. Recently, she found herself wanting to change careers, and decided real estate was the ‘natural’ next step for her.
“It’s a very unique situation that we have a relationship that allows us to work together,” Brianne said. “We have a really special relationship. It’s exciting, and it feels like we’re doing the right thing.”
With both Mactiers working together, they hope to blend Cheri’s decades of expertise in realty with Brianne’s technological prowess and online marketing expertise.
Brianne’s focus will be on first time buyers, whereas Cheri will be focusing on people who are looking to move up to their next home, or are retiring and downsizing. According to the Mactiers, Ladysmith is the perfect place for both demographics.
“Ladysmith is such a beautiful community. It has a lot of community spirit. It’s also affordable by Victoria and Mainland prices,’ Cheri said. “People come here for a more relaxed lifestyle, and Ladysmith offers all the amenities.”
Going into the future, Brianne will take on more clients as Cheri begins to slow down a bit, but Cheri doesn’t plan to stop any time soon – if ever.
“I don’t know that I’ll ever stop selling real estate,” Cheri said.
“She’ll be selling real estate until she’s in her 90’s,” Brianne added. “One thing I’ve always admired about my mom is that her clients become her friends, so it’s very telling of how she conducts herself in business.”