We were lucky to catch up with Kyle Christie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kyle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?

For fifteen years I worked as a journalist before leaving to focus on my business. I learned that a career in journalism sets you up really well for business. Here’s a couple reasons why.
1. Time Management. As a broadcast journalist, you have to be quick, accurate and hit your same-day deadline. By bringing this into the business, we are able to promise a quick turnaround and work fast under a tight deadline.
2. Storytelling. People always respond well to a great story. We approach every video shoot we do as a story. Whether it is one of our real estate shoots, video for a large manufacturing company or content we create for local hospitals and medical facilities, we know a well planned story can evoke an emotion and grab the attention of your intended audience.
3. Video Production. I minored in film studies at the University of Victoria and then learned to shoot and edit video during my post grad. Starting my journalism career I worked as a videographer. These two skills are what sparked the start of the business. We were purchasing a home in 2012 and I was shocked by the lack of high quality photography, video and other marketing materials in the real estate space. I asked our Realtors if I could demo a marketing package for them, they loved it, told others in the office and then the company quickly grew.
4. Writing. Writing is something that really sets our company apart. After fifteen years of writing broadcast news, I brought that into the real estate space. Whether it’s a promotional video for a realtor, a “how-to video” for a manufacturing facility or a “news style” story for a client, I draw on my experience as a broadcast writer and bring that into the business. Writing for tv and video is different than an essay. It can take time to develop that skill and our clients appreciate that past experience being part of the company.
5. Social Media & a Multi-Channel Approach. Being able to take one piece of content and repurpose it for various online platforms is something that quickly became popular in news. We do the same thing in our business. A larger 3 minute video plays well on YouTube and the website but our team makes several versions that are appropriate for various social media channels.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

You know how there are thousands of real estate agents, and the profession often seems really crowded? My company provides online training to real estate professionals who want to stand out, generate leads and sell more homes. We do this through our signature real estate marketing and mentorship program, “Relevant”. https://www.thelistinglounge.com/
In addition to our online training and workshops, we provide high-quality real estate videos and real estate photography in Waterloo Region, one hour west of Toronto.

I worked as a journalist for Canada’s largest private broadcaster CTV, for fifteen years. During my time as a journalist, I started my company (See Your House Now) as a “side hustle”. Slowly through word of mouth, the company began to grow and I left TV in 2018. We quickly expanded our local offerings to online training and workshops. Today, it is a multiple six-figure business serving real estate professionals online and in person.

In addition to See Your House Now, my wife and I are the creators of BUFFnation, an online fitness and lifestyle company that launched in 2010.

Before embarking on a storytelling career, I worked as an extras talent agent in Toronto, casting major motion pictures such as Chicago, Cinderella Man, and X-Men.

I am a graduate of the University of Victoria with an honours degree in Art History and Film, and a graduate of Sheridan College’s Journalism New Media Program.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I am constantly reading a new book about Entrepreneurship. One that helped me build my team and grow is Good To Great by Jim Collins. I’m also part of a book club with other like-minded entrepreneurs. It was started by Amy and Stu McLaren. Amy is the author of Passion to Purpose and Stu is the creator of The Membership Experience and co-founder of Searchie. The couple also runs a charity called Village Impact which provides access to education in rural Kenya.
In our book club, we read a business book, meet halfway through and then interview the author at the end. It is fantastic. We started with the game-changing book Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell and then went on to What’s in it for Them? by Joe Polish. The group and these books have been amazing in helping me navigate my entrepreneurial journey.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I’ve worked under a few different management styles. I’ve seen ego try and rule a workplace which is never good. I’ve had fantastic managers and some who were very weak, and looking back, just lacked the proper training.
Something that has worked well for me is understanding each person’s goal, whether it relates to my company or not. Supporting each team member on their journey provides a mutual respect and respect is key. If your team feels respected, they will respect you, your clients and your business.
And listening is key. For years I watched great ideas get shot down around me. Now, when a team member makes a suggestion for the business, I’m all ears. I tell everyone to create the job they want. If there is a product or service they want to bring in, I’m game and we can share a piece of the pie.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thelistinglounge.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seeyourhousenow/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeeYourHouseNow/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylechristietv/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kylechristie_tv
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ4_rj6DcLxifMWd-5_nAkg

Image Credits
Real Estate Photography – See Your House Now
Headshots – Camilla Pucholt | Hilary Gauld