Establishing Genuine Connections - Ari Shams

Ari Shams is a great guy. The type of person you call for a reason and then find yourself chatting away and sharing about other things going on in your life. He is truly someone you just can’t help but like.

That zest for people combined with his history in the trades is impressing clients, and he brings his established career in real estate to the Chamberlain Group with a goal and a plan to help more people.

We are so happy to have Ari as part of the Chamberlain Group, and we sat down for a video call with him to learn more about him, and his unique perspective on helping his clients buy and sell their homes.

You’ve been established for quite a while. What made you decide to switch brokerages?

Yes, I have been a REALTOR® for five years and came to the Chamberlain Group in August of 2021. I really like that they offer a team environment without being a typical team, and the system is also amazing. I’d worked with other teams and brokerages and found that the support just wasn’t there. I really wanted more than a desk, and I wanted to be able to work with and rely on the people around me.

Several other teams had reached out to work together, and then I had a conversation with Randi Scheuerman. She brought a buyer to one of my listings, and I asked her how she liked the Chamberlain Group. She had nothing but good things to say and had also done ten deals that month.

I called Jared Chamberlain and talked to him for hours, then went through a fine-toothed comb and saw the value. Since moving over, I can absolutely say that the service is a million times better, and the leads are amazing. Rebecca Chamberlain is also really inspiring. She makes it look so easy to have a really successful business. I am almost at double-digit transactions already, and I want to keep growing and be on her level.

What has the learning curve been like?

The biggest difference is all the systems Chamberlain Group has in place. They embrace the digital age, whereas there are still so many brokerages operating on physical paperwork. Getting started, there is a learning curve as I learn a different style of managing my admin work, though I look at it as growing pains.

If I plan to get busier and work with more clients, I need to have the systems to support them to make the process easy and flow smoothly. I’m working hard on improving this side of my business right now.

Do you have a target market or an area you really want to focus on?

Coming from the home construction space, I love to work with builders. There are still so many clients who don’t realize that they should have a REALTOR® to represent them when they buy from a builder. Even though they are purchasing a brand-new home, builder properties have their own unique set of headaches, and you have to bring your own agent in before you even talk to the builder, or they won’t allow them to negotiate on your behalf!

Of course, I still work with buyers or sellers with other property types as well. I have naturally transitioned to work primarily with sellers over the last while, as selling a home requires a different skill set than buying one.

There is a big emotional piece to selling a home, and I also love using my knowledge to make sure my sellers are aware of any structural considerations that might affect our negotiations with a buyer. It’s all about preparing them in advance so that we are working toward the same goal.

Do you have any interesting client stories?

I’ve had a few interesting ones, but I think the most memorable one was a builder home sale. The lady came to an open house and made an offer on the spot – which is very rare. Everything looked great during the home inspection, and when she moved in, she found a bulkhead was leaking.

We immediately went into troubleshooting mode and found that a tiny seal on a valve had failed. Luckily, because we caught it early and because she had made the purchase through a real estate agent versus directly through the builder, we were able to get everything fixed with no long-term damage and no costs to her.

It's quite rare for me to have moments like that because I do a full diagnostic upfront, so there is no real room for the unexpected. After more than a decade in the trades and as a salesperson, I know what to look for in most areas of the houses as well as how to break down some of the marketing and sales tactics for my clients.

I’ve done it all, so when I go look at a house, I’m listening to my clients and their comments, but I’m also looking for key components that might be hard to fix. Are there water stains, is the framing plumb, are there any cracks, what is the age of windows and the quality of the seams?

My experience allows me to look past cosmetics. My mentor said, “You’re the quarterback for both teams, so you need to make sure everyone is doing what they should, plus you still need to be there for the clients and manage the process for them.” I feel like my job is to really make sure I don’t give room for the unexpected as much as possible.

What is your superpower?

My ability to emotionally connect with people. My whole life, people have always been drawn to tell me things they wouldn’t usually tell strangers. Random people tell me about their relationship problems, traumas, etc. They say I’m very easy to talk to.

I’m emotionally very open, intuitive, and empathic. I just like people. I genuinely do. So, in real estate, my superpower would be emotionally connecting with buyers and sellers on a much deeper level than just the transaction and providing unparalleled service.

Like Ari, we are passionate about each individual client’s journey and making the experience of reaching your homeownership dreams an amazing one. If you’d like to connect with Ari, or any of our other REALTOR®s, reach out to book a virtual coffee today.

The Chamberlain Real Estate Group specializes in working with agents who have an existing business. They want to add leverage to what they are doing to help more families transition in Calgary.

Learn more and find out how you can be a part of our team!