Making a Difference in People's Lives - Max Barton

Max Barton is one of those unique people who always seems to be calm and collected, and one of the first things you’ll notice about him is that he loves using his intelligence to help people. That, and he has a really nice speaking voice.

Coming from the culinary world, Max has a great ability to translate that experience into valuable skills and lessons that are helping him become a powerhouse in his real estate career.

We sat down with Max on a Tuesday morning between client calls to learn more about how he is following his why and making a difference in people’s lives.

Moving from a professional Chef to real estate seems like a huge leap; are they more similar than most would think?

I think when most people think of being a Chef and being in the culinary world, they think it’s all about food and creating those romantic dishes you see on the food network, but it’s really about people.

As a Chef, the biggest thing I learned what that to be successful, you need to focus on supporting people and teams. It goes beyond making them better cooks; you need to help them be better people, and that starts with listening to them so that you can offer that guidance.

In real estate, it’s similar in that it’s not about the house, it’s about the people. It’s about finding out what people need and want and digging into what they think and feel so that you can help them make the right next steps to get to where they want to be.

How has the transition been? Has there been a learning curve as you changed industries?

A lot of it translates well, I find. Again, you’re trying to figure out what makes a person tick – what do those needs actually boil down to? As a Chef, I often found that I could get a more complete answer without asking a direct question.

I might be talking to a client planning a wedding and they might not realize exactly what’s in a dish until I start asking if they like certain foods, and then suddenly they tell me a guest has a food intolerance or dislikes a certain ingredient. I could have just left it as a high-level conversation, but to me, it’s more important that they get exactly what they want and need.

Learning a new skill is always a challenge, but I don’t think that should intimidate people. In the culinary world, learning a new recipe or technique was exciting. For me, it’s the same with real estate. I’m transferring the skills I do have, and learning a whole host of new ones, and that’s a lot of fun!

How does your past in hospitality translate when you’re helping people buy and sell homes?

One of the skills that have been really valuable is my experience speaking to tables as a chef. I can go in there and read the room and keep conversations engaging to make a strong impression. I like to help paint pictures for clients so they can see past the things they might write off as not liking, but that could be easy to change to make a home perfect for them.

For example, when I’m supporting a buyer who’s said they enjoy entertaining, I like to imagine hosting in the space and how I would go about it. My family is very focused on taking people in and they have that hospitality mindset, so I’m thinking about how the space will look with a group in it, or if the backyard could fit 25 people for a barbeque.

You’re a self-professed tinkerer; do you also notice potential DIY projects when you walk into a home?

I get excited when I can see myself doing stuff in a space. If we’re looking at fixer uppers, I can help the client see the possibilities, like maybe you paint a room or redo the trim. They might be overwhelmed at the amount of work, and when I get excited it can get them in that proactive, exciting project mindset where they’re talking pros and cons and ideas, which they really need if they’re serious about buying a home that needs work.

I love going in with that enthusiasm because people pick up on that quickly. It’s something I learned as a leader in the kitchen; it’s like in the movie Braveheart when he’s talking up the troops on the hill. He’s not quiet or unsure, he’s got the energy. Whenever you go into a situation with that energy, people start living it!

Do you have a Target Market?

You know, when I got into this, my intention was to help more people. I bought my first house at 19, and working as a cook a lot of guys would ask me how I did it. They’d say, “We’re just cooks”. I would sit them down and talk financial goals and putting aside money to help them own their own house, even if it meant sitting out of some nights out.

I was helping my peers so often, I thought I should just do this. My true passion is helping people grow and prosper and be something they thought they couldn’t be a month ago. When I think about my clientele, it’s that person who really needs help, whether it’s an elderly widower who is downsizing or someone who thought they’d never own a house but with a few right steps, he can.

Everyone loves a good client story. Tell us your favourite one.

My favourite client story is actually about someone who isn’t even technically a client! I’ve been talking to an 85-year-old man who needs a REALTOR®. Whether he ends up being my client isn’t the important part. It’s making those connections and having a positive impact on someone’s life.

As we’ve been talking, we learned that we have a lot of similarities, like that we both love music. It feels like I’ve made a friend, and that’s the best feeling.

Like Max, we love listening to what our buyers and sellers really want and need, so you can reach your homeownership dreams. If you’d like to connect with Max, 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!