A Day in the Life of PropertyGuys.com Franchisee, Shannon Gavin
Shannon Gavin, a 14-year veteran franchisee and owner of PropertyGuys.com Halifax, reflects back on the journey that led her to join Canada’s largest private-sale real estate company. After working for a number of years in the airline industry and then in sales and marketing, Shannon realized that despite the work hustle (which she loved), decent pay and creative challenges that these roles presented to her, “something was always missing.” Little did she know, at the time, that the answer to this void would be found during a conference that her husband attended wherein he heard a presentation about an up-and-coming Canadian company called PropertyGuys.com.
Shannon reflects on the fact that she and her husband had previously purchased a home privately and that this experience had a lasting impact on them. Therefore, after learning more about the company’s model and alternative approach to real estate…everything just clicked. She explained that owning her own PropertyGuys.com location has, “given [her] the control that comes with entrepreneurship without having had to start from scratch.”
Fast forward to the present day – after a decade and a half in the business, Shannon has managed to check so many boxes for her franchise including operating a brick-and-mortar location, serving as Chair of PropertyGuys.com’s Franchisee Advisory Committee (PFAC), winning many national awards and, most recently, becoming a fully licensed Realtor® through the company’s partner brokerage, PG Direct Realty. However, even after all this time and all of the achievements and accolades, Shannon’s true love for her business comes in the form of her day-to-day reality.
Fast forward to the present day – after a decade and a half in the business, Shannon has managed to check so many boxes for her franchise including operating a brick-and-mortar location, serving as Chair of PropertyGuys.com’s Franchisee Advisory Committee (PFAC), winning many national awards and, most recently, becoming a fully licensed Realtor® through the company’s partner brokerage, PG Direct Realty. However, even after all this time and all of the achievements and accolades, Shannon’s true love for her business comes in the form of her day-to-day reality.
Owning Her Time
Despite working full-time hours at her business each week, the freedom of choosing when and how these hours are allocated is one of Shannon’s greatest joys. She reflects that while she does like to work from and plan out her schedule each day, the fact that she can “pivot and adjust” as needed is the ultimate liberty. As an entrepreneur and self-proclaimed ‘girly girl’ at heart, she recognizes the importance of self-care and scheduling time out of her workweek (for things like appointments or donating blood) to take care of herself and the people around her.
Being Able to Put Family First. Always.
When Shannon first started her entrepreneurial adventure, her youngest son was a toddler. She explains that over the years and as a result of being her own boss, she’s been able to “go to the school concerts, do sick-day pickups, volunteer for [her children’s] activities and work from home when I need to.” She explains that being in control of her own life and business has ensured that she does not have to schedule or ask permission to have specific time with her family or herself. In addition, Shannon’s two sons have “grown up with the brand and now they give back to it when they can too…..it has come full circle.”
Having a Trusted Voice at the Table
After many years with PropertyGuys.com, Shannon has become one of the most experienced and respected franchisees in the country. One of the factors leading to this title is the amount of time she dedicates to supporting and guiding newer franchisees. She states, “I love people and believe you get what you give, so I don’t mind sharing my experience to help others find their way to success.” In addition to leading PFAC and assisting in the training of the newest franchisees at PGU, Shannon also regularly shares tips, tricks and best practices with her fellow franchisees and makes herself available to anyone looking for peer support. The best part of being fully submerged in the company? “I have made a ton of lifelong BFFs at PropertyGuys.com,” she states.
Although family, lifelong friendships and flexibility have been woven deeply into the marrow of her business since Day One, Shannon won’t deny that one of the greatest perks of her career is really being able to work from anywhere. Since the pandemic, Shannon has spent many days working completely from her home or cottage. However, when asked about her very favourite office spot, she easily states that “there is nothing better than going to an appointment near one of our beaches. I’m a salt-water-happy girl and [my favourite place to work] is an hour or two from a beach chair!”
