TCS Highlights
We hope you caught Simon’s recent article on Forbes.com about building a successful referral-based business (if you didn’t, you can check it out here). In it, he underscores the importance of knowing your value proposition and getting comfortable with asking current clients for referrals. TCS has been powered by client referrals for almost 20 years, and we have sustained these relationships by delivering on our promises.
Right now, we are in a period of modest growth and have some promising new developments in negotiation. If you know someone who is seeking to expand their investment portfolio and learn more about our program, please contact Simon directly and we can schedule an introductory call. We are looking to add only a select number of new clients to our roster and would be pleased to connect with individuals from your professional or personal networks who have shown an interest in what we offer.
Our CMO, Rich Kuypers, was recently featured in real estate publication Livabl.com. Rich discussed his background in sports and entertainment, specifically the golf industry. Rich also detailed some of his conventions for marketing products and services and delved into the human-centric approach he is employing here at TCS.
We are excited to have Rich on board, and if there are any clients who want to hit the links this summer, get in touch and we’ll schedule a date and be sure to bring your “A game”.
Scholarship Program.
TCS is extremely proud and grateful to give back to the education sector through student scholarships and awards, especially during a time when traditional learning has been upended. Since launching the program in late 2020, we have partnered with three of the top business schools in Ontario to provide scholarships to students studying real estate and investing.
TCS and its founders, Simon S. Mass and John Mehlenbacher, believe in supporting the next generation of thinkers, innovators and leaders in the real estate investment industry. We look forward to telling you more about our exceptional scholarship recipients in the coming months. It has undoubtedly been a tough year for these university students who have had to grapple with distance-learning and campus closures on top of everything else.
We are thrilled to be partnering with these schools and programs, and we hope to make a positive impact on the lives of students through our scholarship program. Below are a few statements from faculty members of these institutions.
The Condo Store Community Builder Award, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University
“We are grateful to TCS for its generosity and we’ll remember this award not only for its contributions to our wonderful students but also for boosting our spirits in a year that will be remembered for all its challenges forever. I am sure that this award will add further energy to the competitive and community-minded spirit of our Real Estate Management students.”
- Dogan Tirtiroglu, Program Chair, Real Estate Management
The Condo Store Real Estate Appraisal Group Scholarship, Lang School of Business, University of Guelph
“Industry support is vital for an applied program such as the Real Estate major at Lang. The generous support of The Condo Store furthers a strong connection to the industry for our students and the program.”
- Roger Holtermans, Assistant Professor of Real Estate Finance
The Condo Store Leadership Award, Schulich School of Business, York University
This award is intended to benefit incoming Master of Real Estate and Infrastructure (MREI) students or MBA students specializing in real estate and infrastructure at the Schulich School of Business. The award will recognize students who exhibit exceptional leadership through the submission of a one-page essay that showcases and speaks to their leadership principles in the real estate and infrastructure sector, and show demonstrated financial need.
Two great examples of this TCS community initiative in action are: Simon appearing as a guest lecturer in a second-year Real Estate course at the University of Guelph’s Lang School of Business in March 2021 and helping an entrepreneurial competition at the University of Bath. With the Lang School, Simon discussed his path to the real estate investment sector and had a great discussion with current students and faculty about the fundamentals of leverage, time, quality, and other principles that TCS uses widely when evaluating investment opportunities for its clients.
Secondly, Simon volunteered his time with his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Bath, in February 2021, to assist in its Bath Entrepreneur program. This included a keynote address to the students and other participants, as well as multiple rounds evaluating and judging innovative entrepreneurial proposals brought forth by various teams of future entrepreneurs. This all culminated with awards in several categories and the participants’ concepts being taken to faculty and other alumni for market feasibility.
BlackNorth Pledge.
In early February, our CEO Simon S. Mass signed the CEO Pledge with The BlackNorth Initiative. The pledge is a commitment and confirmation that TCS will always strive for an inclusive environment that is free of racism and discrimination. This is an important step for us and all those we do business with, but there is much more that needs to be done in order for progress to occur. At TCS, we understand that our industry’s workforce isn’t as diverse as it should be. Through our hiring practices and internship program, we will continue to expand opportunities for women and BIPOC communities. Diversity and equity are top priorities for us, and we encourage others to make this pledge and join the initiative.
Speaking about the initiative and TCS’s commitment, Simon had this to say, “It was great to speak with Wes Hall (Executive Chairman & Founder of BlackNorth) about how TCS can be a part of spreading the word and initiating real change for the betterment of visible minorities.”
Simon has also been in discussions to aid and support the efforts of the BlackNorth real estate sub-committee, including meetings with Ene Underwood (CEO, Habitat for Humanity GTA). “If we can use our company, its people and it's market position to help bring more and better housing to underserved communities within our community, we are going to help wherever and whenever we can”.
15th Anniversary Program.
Are those the sounds of spring or the purring engine of a 2021 Jaguar F-Pace? In March, our participating clients began coordinating the arrivals of their gifts, which are expected to reach North America in the coming months. These luxury vehicles are being actualized in real-time, rather than at the date of closing.
Overall, we are elated to announce that through this program we sold just shy of 200 units at 181 East and Reserve Collection, and 100 clients qualified for the Anniversary gift - which shows how amazing our clients are and how incredible and powerful this 15th Anniversary program is! There may not be another real estate program or company that will spend literally millions of dollars on an incentive program for their clients. (Each qualifying client had the option of receiving the car or the equivalent in cash back at closing).
It may be many moons before we see a program of this size and scale again, and we are confident that you will never see this from any other real estate company. But as we look forward to 2021 and beyond, maybe there is something else cooking as we look to continue to differentiate our company from those that only can claim to be like us. You will have to watch us closely!
We are thankful for all our clients and value those relationships above all else. Guiding you to and through these real estate investment opportunities is our pleasure and we could not have been doing this for over 15 years without your continued support.