WINNIPEG - When you talk about Ralph Fyfe and his direct involvement in the real estate industry you cannot do it without including family. It is family in more ways than the immediate one that includes his wife and long time business partner Wendy and his two grown-up children – Richard and Janice.
Upon graduating with Bachelors of Commerce degrees at the University of Manitoba in 2005 both siblings joined the Fyfe & Company team. They work under the Century 21 – Bachman & Associates brokerage banner and refer to it as a ‘home away from home’. Ralph Fyfe has worked alongside many dedicated real estate professional associates since he joined the company from its very beginning in 1982. He has served as Director and Alternate Broker for Bachman & Associates, now one of the top producing Century 21 franchises in the country.
Starting his real estate career in 1977, Fyfe has always made St. Vital, the area he grew up in and resides now, the focus of his marketing efforts.
“In addition to knowing so well all the different communities within this southeast Winnipeg area, what I have always been impressed with over the years is how diverse and mixed the housing types and styles are to meet the unique needs of discerning buyers,” said Fyfe. “It really runs the gamut in the housing continuum from old fixer-uppers and starter homes through to the typical 1200 square foot post-war bungalow to large executive and more expensive homes. In fact, a house sold this month in my St. Vital MLS® area for $1.7 million.”
Taking the extended family one step further, Ralph has made a real commitment to getting involved in organized real estate by volunteering at all three levels – local, provincial and national. You might say it is part of his DNA.
“Ralph has a real passion and heart for organized real estate and volunteerism,” said Darlene Clare, WinnipegREALTORS® 2008 president and the broker/manager of Century 21 Bachman & Associates.
Locally, Fyfe has headed up and served on a number of WinnipegREALTORS® standing committees and task forces. He was on the executive committee the past two years; as treasurer in 2009 and president-elect last year.
He has also served as a director of the Manitoba Real Estate Association and president in 2001. A year later he went on to be the Manitoba regional director for the Canadian Real Estate Association.
His active participation in organized real estate has without doubt complemented his real estate career. This is exemplified by Fyfe being a consistent recipient of WinnipegREALTORS® Medallion Awards for top sales performance and a Centurion Award winner from 1998 to 2009. He was inducted in the Century 21 Hall of Fame in 2003.
As the saying goes, give a task to someone that is busy because they know what it takes to get things done. If all of this is not enough, Ralph Fyfe has the distinction of being the first recipient of the WinnipegREALTORS® Community Service Award in 1996.
“It is with a lot of pride and some emotion knowing you are taking the helm of a 108-year old venerable institution of Winnipeg and the longest running real estate association in the country,” said Fyfe. “Our founding members were leaders in the community and very much concerned about setting high ethical standards for its members to uphold.”
In memory of their esteemed colleagues who perished when the Titanic sank the morning of April 15, 1912, the Winnipeg Real Estate Exchange, as it was called then, sponsored the furnishing and equipping of a new 16-bed ward in the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital. The three members who died included 1906 president Mark Fortune, 1907 president John Hugo Ross and Thomson Beattie, a distinguished serving member. A plaque was erected in commemoration of their heroic and inspirational memory.
Nearly 100 years later, WinnipegREALTORS® is proud to give back to the community and through its membership to date has contributed over $1.4 million to the emerging Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
What are we in store for 2011? Without wanting to take away from the WinnipegREALTORS® annual forecast breakfast later this week, Fyfe is confident the Winnipeg real estate market will do more than hold its own given such strong immigration numbers, favourable interest rates and continuing growth momentum based on solid economic fundamentals.
“One thing I will be making a top priority in 2011 is communicating and listening to our 1600 members,” said Fyfe. “From rolling out a new MLS® platform last year including new security measures, undergoing a complete renovation of our REALTORS® building, and dealing with new industry requirements, its critically important our members, the lifeblood of our organization, understand and appreciate how their leadership is working in their best interests to provide them with the latest tools and applicable resources.”
He has already got the ball rolling this year by attending standing committee meetings and letting the volunteers know how valued they are in ensuring a successful 2011.
Established in 1903, WinnipegREALTORS® is a professional association representing over 1,600 real estate brokers, salespeople, appraisers, and financial members active in the Greater Winnipeg Area real estate market. Its REALTOR® members adhere to a strict code of ethics and share a state-of-the-art Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) designed exclusively for REALTORS®. WinnipegREALTORS® serves its members by promoting the benefits of an organized real estate profession. REALTOR®, MLS® and Multiple Listing Service® are trademarks owned and controlled by the Canadian Real Estate Association and are used under licence.
For further information, contact Peter Squire at 786-8854.