Natasha Phipps: Most people investing here in Calgary right now are having a long-term buy and hold strategy in mind, which is what you want. We are not in a market right now.
Laurel Simmons: Welcome everyone to another REITE Club podcast, and I've got Alfonso here with me, Alfonso Salemi, hi Alfonso.
Alfonso Salemi: Hey Laurel, how you doing today?
Laurel Simmons: I'm doing great. And what's going on in your part of the world? Not that we're that far apart, but what's going on?
Alfonso Salemi: You know what? I am super excited cause at the time that we're recording this, I think it's a day that we just moved the clocks ahead and there's still a little bit of glimmer of daylight at just about quarter after seven on a Monday night.
I'm super happy the days are getting longer, you know that the sun is always a good inspiration and all parts of the year. But hopefully that sun gets a little bit warmer as we get the days longer. So I'm super excited. The team is continuing to grow the REITE Club and we have so many amazing people that we're bringing on so that we can really serve our amazing community in so many different facets. I'm on top of the world these days. I'm feeling really good and yeah how about you? What's going on with you Laurel?
Laurel Simmons: You know what? Same thing I'm really enjoying the sun. I'm watching, my garden is starting to grow in the backyard. Yeah. I live in Niagara, in the lake. I know that guy.
It's just the way, it's it's just the climate here. But things are starting to come up. I have garlic this up about three or four inches, honest to goodness. And things are poking up all over the place. So it's spring I think has sprung here. And soon it'll be summer and we'll be all be out and enjoying life. Looking forward to it, like outside.
Alfonso Salemi: Yes, absolutely. And I know we've been super busy, busier than certain people that hang certain things, but paper hangers maybe. But we've been super busy, super excited for all of you in the community to get onto thereiteclub.com.
If maybe listening to the podcast, check out the forums. We have all of our recorded over the last year. I'm starting a new project. Going through stuff that we recorded over a year ago now, and it's really interesting. And today we actually, one of the amazing things that we were able to do throughout this pandemic is reach a further span, a further across the country.
Today we have Natasha Phipps, who's on the podcast. So she's from Calgary, Alberta. She's been in real estate for over 20 years. Her family business been built over 40 years that she's been in and around with us. She's a realtor, she's an investor herself. She's a mother of two children. Wife of a chef, which, that's amazing.
That's just a cool stat. And and she's been amazing with her time today, giving some information on how to invest in Alberta, where in Calgary, certain pockets, certain areas, maybe where to stay away from. And she helps so many. And, our REITE club community now is working with Natasha, helping each other grow our portfolios, our reach of where we could be successful. Super excited for the podcast. What do you say, Laurel? To the show.
Laurel Simmons: Listen. Hey everyone. Welcome Natasha. It's great to see you here and to hear you here, I guess I should say. Cause this is a podcast. Yeah. After all. So Calgary, Alberta.
Natasha Phipps: Yes. Let's talk all about it. I'm excited to be here. Excited to be on the podcast. So thank you so much for having me.
Laurel Simmons: What's happening in your part of the world? I know it's pretty what's crazy everywhere, right? But tell us what's going on in your fair city.
Natasha Phipps: I think the last year has really been pretty similar across the country in that, the beginning of this pandemic, we were all feeling super uncertain, no idea what was gonna happen with the world from a Real estate in investment perspective. Obviously we need real estate to make money and so there was a lot of fear around that. But the last year really has been Pretty good for Calgary. We have seen, rents be stable if not increasing in Calgary, depending on where and what we're talking about.
The market has now moved into where we're at now, which is a seller's market in the average priced home for like just single family. Real estate, which I haven't used the word sellers market in Calgary in quite a many years here. It's a real big shift for buyers and investors alike here in Calgary.
Overall there's been a lot of confidence in the market moving into the Calgary market. There is still, things you wanna avoid of course, and we can talk about that. And things you wanna reduce your risk with depending on the strategy. Overall, I think we've outperformed what anyone could have dreamt of, into the last year for sure.
Laurel Simmons: My understanding is that, correct me if I'm wrong, because Alberta is a oil-based resource-based economy there, there was a lot of fluctuation because of that. But now am I right, I remembering that there's a lot of high tech going into Calgary, into Alberta, and then that's really fueling.
Natasha Phipps: There is a few growing industries here that are exciting to see. We all, reflecting back, obviously wish we would've focused on diversifying our economy a decade ago. There is more confidence in the oil sector now as well as oil prices have risen a little bit as well. But aside from that, The medical sector is a great example as well.
Like we have a huge cancer center here under construction. It's gonna be a great medical hub for all of Western Canada that's under construction right now. And then, yeah, for tech, I mean our downtown is really a great Spot for these up and coming companies to consider Calgary as a whole.
We have a very well-educated, well-paid workforce to fill these types of jobs. We have plenty of vacancy in our downtown when it comes to finding a good commercial space. And the stat that I recently read was that Calgary has the highest concentration of high tech workers per capita in the country. So it's good to see those things popping up and other industries starting to fuel our city's.
Laurel Simmons: Wow. So that, sorry, Alfonzo, I just wanted to follow up on that one. That there's actually, that per capita Calgary has more the most high tech workers. That's amazing. There is, even though they're like, Ottawa and Toronto traditionally are the huge high tech or, and I guess I should say kitchen and Waterloo area, but they're huge in high tech.
Natasha Phipps: We're seeing good growth there. We're seeing companies relocating to Calgary, period. I Not just in the tech sector, Our downtown has really taken a beating over the years. And in times of turmoil, that is an opportunity for someone else. And that's what we're seeing. Aside from that, tourism, agriculture shipping, receiving, logistics, all of those things that a big city has an employees are also sectors that are growing here as well in Calgary.
Alfonso Salemi: You've been on at least one that I remember on our panels. No, they're a local market to Western Canada. We're definitely gonna, we have to have you on our national national events as well too, so that the whole country can hear. Expertise and we always talk about, the team that we're building, the people that we want to work with. So if I, wanna start investing out in Western Canada, I've never done that.
I've been out there, I've enjoyed it. Said, I'm looking to invest out there. It's so important to have that that somebody that has that experience and with your background, and I know you know your family history as well too with new construction. You've been around it at a young age, a really close and intimate relationship with the oil and oil industry, oil and gas industry through the marketing side of the background that you have the na the real estate was like a really good progression for you to actively creative.
When someone's working, in that market, having that background, knowing that area, that industry or multiple industries in your case now, what are some of the advice that is a brand new span? I heard it's a great opportunity. You mentioned all these few things. Where do I start? Natasha you're a great source, but what should I prepare myself to know?
Natasha Phipps: This is great advice no matter where you're looking, right? You wanna build the team on the ground that is going to be able to serve you the best. Also tell you what to avoid, because like you said, you may not know the area or you have visited as a tourist that is very different than investing into a community. In the past several years, our team, we have become extremely specialized in working with outer province investors because there has been such great demand from outer province. But you need to understand that there's a lot of variations.
Investing in other provinces or cities, things like local bylaws can affect you greatly. Something you would have no clue from across the country. If you're interviewing your team, just, find out that information, make sure they're investors themselves, make sure they are on the nose to where growth is, where development is, and that they're in the mix with these types of things.
It's not just about buying a property. You really wanna make sure, especially in our city where. You're not seeing super high appreciation, but there is ways to stack the cards in your favor when you're working with a local expert to improve your appreciation rate bigger than what j just the average rate is. And the only way to do that is for someone to be really in tune with what's happening here on the ground.
Alfonso Salemi: I wanna dig down just a little bit because you have a lot of experience right? From, I think I heard it on an interview that you literally picked up the phone book and started calling for more business.
Lands some amazing business for your family. Yeah. And so taking control, leaving, an industry so that you could full-time invest right. Is about 12 years, 13 years ago that you became a realtor. What are some of the options, the actual tactical advice? Is it multi-family? Is it single family? Should I buy commercial? What are opportunities that are you seeing kinda rise to the top these days?
Natasha Phipps: Most people investing here in Calgary right now are having a long-term buy and hold strategy in mind, which is what you want. We are not in a market right now where I would say you can get in and get out in a couple of years and farewell.
Long-term buy and hold. And then from there you wanna. Look at the area the suburbs is where the security is at, in my opinion. It's also where the cash flow is at. So you wanna look in areas where you have high demand per rents and a lower purchase price. You can maximize cash flow. So in the suburbs, the most popular strategy for investors especially, that are getting going in that zero to five properties is anything with secondary suites will make good sense In almost any Sudbury here in Calgary you're maximizing cash flow.
You're also providing a solution to a very big problem here in Calgary, which is our city is cracking down on the illegal secondary suites. And so let's be part of the solution. Let's add the type of inventory that we know our city needs but isn't short supply. So secondary suites is really for residential real estate, the name of the game here.
Laurel Simmons: What about like condos and apartments in the downtown core? Because I was out in Calgary a few years ago visiting a friend and we spent a lot of time just playing around in downtown Calgary. Those were in the days when you could visit people and all that and what about buying and the buy hold strategy in the downtown core because it's just quite a vibrant downtown.
Natasha Phipps: Sure. Our downtown is a beautiful downtown. There's no issue there where the issue lies today and for the last few years. It really comes down to numbers for us real estate investors and the numbers just are not there to make me feel secure in telling you to go buy a condo downtown.
The reason being is we have just too much supply on the condo market downtown. We're oversupplied on the rental market and on the sales side, and so you're gonna see much higher vacancy. You're gonna see like a lot of competition for rental rates. And then the third issue, which is a pretty substantial one in our downtown market.
A lot of these condo developers that, maybe five years ago started a project were intending to sell condos are now actually renting out towers of condos. And so if you or I own, 2 doors, 3 doors, 4 doors, 5 doors downtown, how can we compete with the guy who has hundreds across the street when it comes to marketing and incentives and prices and all of that.
There is an opportunity to buy low downtown? Absolutely. Like a hundred percent. But if you're relying just on the generalized rental market to fill that vacancy for you, I would feel nervous for you. And so that's a flag that I'm waving right now. Cause there is some groups that are marketing these opportunities and I think they are, very misleading. I would avoid the downtown, unless you're purchasing this for maybe a child or someone you know that is gonna live in the property for you, or you just care simply about.
Laurel Simmons: That's what I was thinking, oh, it sounds like it would be a great place if my husband and I wanted to move there and we wanted a nice place downtown and we were gonna ask you to move in and live there, that cause the prices are low. That's what you wanna do when you're moving into a place and buying it for yourself.
Natasha Phipps: Absolutely. And we're starting to see that now too. Even in the last year, people are moving around all over the place. I've had, I think this year, half dozen of my own clients who've had their children or themselves keeping their jobs in Ontario and are actually moving to Calgary. They can still work from wherever and they're taking advantage of being able to buy something they can actually enjoy here that maybe they wouldn't be able to afford back home.
Alfonso Salemi: As a sports fan, when I think of Calgary, I think of the flames, right? They play at the Saddle Dome. That's where the Olympics were held back in 1988 in Calgary Anding that came with that. Now, that's a few, maybe almost a handful of decades. Ago. And your partners in there at Alberta, your counterparts not to upset the Arians in Edmonton had a big revitalization when the Rogers Arena was built.
For the Oilers and everything else. Concerts, things that brought to it. And just from an outsider's point of view, the city, the province, and then the feds get involved as well too. There's all that. Is there any humming or noise about that stadium? Being redone, rebuilt, brought to the downtown, revitalizing that area, and then what industries would drive the people to live there, because I know for few personal friends have moved for healthcare and for better opportunities as well too. I know that was a big question, but We'll in a little bit.
Natasha Phipps: That's a great example, right? Comparing Edmonton's downtown to Calgary where the Saddledome is located right now is on the eastern side of downtown. Most likely. That is where it will be rebuilt. There's been, talks for years of maybe putting it in other parts of the city. But that is where it's going to be now, that is going to be a huge change to that whole sector of the downtown. And will drive a lot of business. And, people who wanna live near that because that's a big part of our kinda cultural beat of our city, right? Is hockey. And the stampede, right?
You got the Calgary Flames and the Stampede, everything is located down there. So that won't change. I don't think that's ever gonna go away.
The issue today though is we're just still even around where the current settled home is and where the site next to it is, where it would be is just surrounded by condos that have been built in the last, five to seven years that are, there's just too much vacancy there. So that's the concern. I think. Long run thinking, long run picture, absolutely. That is going to turn around, but it's gonna take some time.
Alfonso Salemi: I appreciate you answering that as the local there. And and it's great insight as well too. You know a little bit about yourself and, it's quickly how you just discerned that question and we're able to understand, the needs, wants. Okay. What's needed, it will be demanded. But that's because you've had this experience by going through it and doing it. And I know you have big goals about making this investing, less intimidating or more accessible to really everybody, right? And helping whether it's outta province or local investors.
So tell us a little bit about the things that are furthering those goals for yourself and for the people that you're working with. It's not only about the ROIs and the actual brick and mortar, right?
Natasha Phipps: Why I love my job is about the relationships, right? It's about having a tangible impact on, in someone's life that is gonna benefit them and their kids, right? It's really giving someone a way to take control of something. When I first became a realtor I didn't know what I didn't know before that, obviously. And just a great example for me is, I bought and sold real estate a lot in my early twenties. Got into this young, but I didn't, I was just lucky because pure luck that I made money cause I didn't have the knowledge.
Once I learned it, I was almost, I was a little ticked off that no one had told me that, number one, I could refinance a property as an example. I didn't even know that was a thing back then. I just didn't know. And so right now what I love about just how accessible all the information is I'm so impressed with young people, particularly right now, buying their first property, and they are thinking about it from an investment perspective.
That is so impressive to see a 26 year old, individual buying their first place and they're wanting a second stream of rental revenue in this property like that. I couldn't be more proud. But it can be intimidating as well, right? So many podcasts and groups. And if you hear someone talking about how they have 200 plus doors and you're just getting started oh my god, that's very scary.
Maybe that's not your goal and that's okay too. So the framework of how I work with people is just really being that mentor on the ground of someone who has done it. I don't own 200 doors. We've shuffled between eight to 12 doors up and down and done short term projects and here and there, but I'm really focused on being a realtor as well.
That's okay too. And everyone has their own journey, right? I started doing a weekly livestream just in my group with real life people who are just getting going, right to tell their stories and how they're getting started. And that's really what I wanna do is to make it more accessible and a little less scary getting going.
Laurel Simmons: What would you say was the biggest? I guess the biggest fear I don't really know how to articulate this question, you're talking to people. What's the number one thing that people are afraid of or that they don't know what to do right now?
Natasha Phipps: The thing about real estate is there's no shortage of naysayers out there, right? There's no shortage of people in your family or outside of these circles that that we're a part of that will scare you. And the first thing I always tell people is find a community. Find a group that you like, be a part of it.
Get involved, and you will very well see. This isn't a small little world here. This is a huge part of our community in this entire country. And usually the fear is based around just not having the knowledge and not knowing anyone who's done it before. Like why start from zero, take all of what we have learned, don't do what I did when I was 24 and didn't know I could do these things.
I didn't know. But now I know, and also, at least here in Calgary, we have been through cycles in my career. I'm only 38, but I've been through the real estate cycle like a textbook now, several times. And so the biggest thing that's taught me is what makes sense at what time and when we're empowering someone with data and education and facts and this is what makes sense when, and this is how it's proven, in the past, that takes a lot of the fear out of it. And then having those circle of people that you trust and no one like to help, bring you through with your team on the ground, like that's you feel a whole lot more secure.
Alfonso Salemi: I love that. And we see every day almost, sometimes twice a day within the REITE club of that community feel that giving of, I made that mistake. So let me tell you how I did it. So you don't have to, right? Let me save you some pain. And the more success, however that is defined by each individual is around more people are tending to do that and sharing that information. So we don't get that, get that hurt, right? Without feeling that.
Natasha Phipps: Yes, the real estate investing community, I feel is incredibly like generous with time knowledge, like it is easy to find the information you need to compared to, what it was 10 years ago. Like it's, there's so much.
Alfonso Salemi: You mentioned something and I just wanted to hit on and then I'll throw it to Laurel for, cause looks like she's got a question and you said, there's plenty of the naysayers, outside of that real estate community.
I almost wanted to take a shift on it and you said, depending, I don't want 200 doors. That's not your goal. So some people are listening to different, this podcast, other people on our podcast. That have done different things and you have to identify what that why or what your own trophy. And I'm sure we'll unpack that a little bit to get to know what yours are and more about that. But that, that is the true thing, that path that you wanna take.
Natasha Phipps: Not the same for everyone. And it doesn't have to be. And whatever it is right for you. Let's just look at it tangibly and figure out what that is.
For some people, I just need to own, two properties, pay them off in the next 20 years. And that's good, and great. If that meets your goals, then we can get you there then let's absolutely do that.
Laurel Simmons: That's a great. I just wanted to hop in here and say that, even with all the real estate deals that Danielle and I have done, which, and I don't know, I think I've lost track, whatever, 66, it doesn't matter. Like you up and down, we own some, we lose, we sell, we normally don't lose them. We sell them. It's, and even to this day, I still get family members saying to me, oh, that's a scam.
Natasha Phipps: Oh yeah.
Laurel Simmons: Are you ? I just cannot believe it. Oh my bank manager says, what you're doing is a scam. Oh my God. You just wanna, oh I'm not kidding. Every time I hear this from people, I just go. Wow. And you know what? I still feel that little twinge inside because it's a family person saying that, I'm wrong. And stating it so other people can hear. And even though I have all that experience and I have this whole background, like I have all these people, this world of support, I still get hit with that.
Natasha Phipps: Of course, and it's still hard to hear and especially when you hear it from the people you love and you care about, it's difficult, it's difficult to move past to finding that community is huge. It is absolutely fundamental to moving you forward.
Alfonso Salemi: That's the part of it looking at it from the business side, right? Again, back to picking up the phone book, calling and doing, putting the work in, you always hear about the great deal, but you don't hear about the other 99 that didn't work out or didn't pick up the phone or didn't pan out, and all those types of things.
When we do get to the business side of the numbers of it, with the team that you're working with you've developed a system and, a strong business to help investors across the country, within the Covid province putting their capital to work. So how can maybe listeners that are potentially interested get, get informed or how can they put that capital to work with things or projects that you're working on?
Natasha Phipps: For out of province investors, this has been something that's been really exciting actually in the last few years. Beccause if we were talking five years ago I wouldn't have had like really good turnkey opportunities designed specifically for our real estate investors. Like you said, picks up the phone book. I met with every builder in town. 99% of them told me I was nuts. Again, real estate investing is not a big enough industry for them to care about or whatever.
It was like, who's gonna wanna. But I found, and I worked through all of those people to find the right people, and now we're at the point where we're, designing opportunities from the ground up. Whether it's a there's a couple of condo projects in Calgary I like not in the downtown but in Calgary that I like, where we're designing, incentives programs, making it as easy as we can to give security, but also help just run the thing from start to finish.
People tend to either want condo or not condo. So we have both opportunities. My favorite kind of bread and butter thing here on the ground, like I said, is secondary sweets. So we've designed purpose built. Investment properties, so semi-detached properties, usually with a legal secondary suite in them.
Everything you need included start to finish, you can get into that for the high fours, which compared to the rest of the country is pretty affordable to get two streams of income. and brand new construction, warranty, everything included. So we're packaging up as much as we can and then even from day one, like it's goes to me, to the property manager and into your next set of services. So you don't even have to sit foot here. We've got the process set up from start to finish. You're welcome to though we would love to have you always good to see people fly.
Laurel Simmons: How I know you said you're really busy. We were chatting just before we started and that you were busier than you could even cope with. I like to say, busier than a one-arm paper hanger and I'm not discriminating against one armed paper hangers. Honestly, but I have to throw a little anecdote here. I came home one day. That's true. I had, I was renovating my bathroom. This was years ago.
I walked into my bathroom and honest to God, there was a one armed paper hanger in my bathroom standing on the edge of the bathtub. Actually he wasn't paper hanging was putting mud up on the walls for the tile in one arm. He was just balancing his the, not the travel but the plate, whatever it is. He took the mud up. On the stump of his arm. So when people say than a one arm paper hanger, I've seen it.
Alfonso Salemi: I just had to Google that cause I didn't know what that was.
Natasha Phipps: Busy is I love to be busy. Absolutely. And it's all relative a little bit for us here in Calgary, what we're seeing right now is extremely busy. It's been like this for years in other markets. So it's a little relative. But yes, our team is very busy. There's six of us in our team and we're flying each and every day right now. So it's been really great. And the majority of those clients they're working with are all from outta province. Like significantly close to three quarters of our transactions this year have been outta province.
Alfonso Salemi: For those like yourself that have that team, you've put the things in place, you've made the ups and downs, you've learned all those ways. What are some tips that you can give to, maybe a new-ish investor that's been doing some information, been on thereiteclub.com, getting a whole bunch of info.
Listening to you on panels what are some of the tips that they can be productive because you don't want them just picking up the phone and be like, Hey, Natasha, send me a good deal. First of all, why do you want that? All that. So what are some of the tips that they can do just so that they can be prepared when they do get you on the phone and now you're ready to go and they hold that, ready to make that actual investment. Whatever product fits their needs, right?
Natasha Phipps: I think step one for anything is you need to figure out what your goals are. I work with a mortgage broker, Ryan Bond, who's actually been on some of the REITE club events as well. But you need to make that plan. And this is can sometimes take the wind out of your sail a little bit cause it can feel a little bit intimidating and it doesn't need to be, you don't need to get too crazy with this, but we do need to number 1 get your finances in order.
We need to know what we are working with here and then actually create a mortgage plan as well. So what I love, what Ryan does is we're not only creating a financial plan to get you where you wanna go. And he's so good at giving you something tangible so that it's not like some unattainable goal.
Then combining that with a mortgage plan because as we all know how you do your lending and in what order is very critical. So why not do that right now? Let's plan for that right now. If you're newish, zero to a few properties. Let's start there. And then from there, the next thing really is talking about, strategy and what the expectations are.
Expectations are a huge thing to manage and make sure that they're realistic in any market. So that would be where we take them next, and talking about timelines and extra strategy and what can we expect on a month to month basis. And then just getting really real with your numbers. I'm super conservative on my numbers. Almost everyone meets, or most of the times outperforms our performers because I like to be conservative and plan for that. Rainy day as well.
The other thing I would add for out of province, no matter what province you're going to, is you do need to get a little familiar as well with what is different in a province, right? Like a lot of what we're comparing is Ontario and Alberta and just our landlord laws are very different. Is, and that's a huge.
Huge driver right now for investment in Alberta, cause there's many frustrated investors out there who are, just looking to another province for that reason alone. But even things like taxation land transfer taxes are, different in different provinces. And even things like new home warranty on new construction products per province is different. So take your time and educate yourself a little bit on what those differences might be, cause they will definitely. Way into your choice.
Laurel Simmons: I have a question about Calgary because I know that this differs all across the country, it's not province wise, it's municipal specific. Does Calgary have any, or are they having any plans for having a land what landlord, not landlord tax, but a landlord licensing that's it. Because in, in some private, some municipalities, not just in Ontario, but there's other places where, cities say you gotta get a license.
Natasha Phipps: The only thing they've done here is if you're running Airbnb, you need a license with the city of Calgary. So that was the city's kind of first like baby step into getting into managing the Airbnb industry. I expect that's probably the first step and there's probably future things to come, but as of now, that's it. So the, tenancy laws obviously for all of Alberta, apply for the whole province, but for Calgary specific, that's the only one that's a little different.
Alfonso Salemi: Got it. You know what, Natasha we've had a really great chat and a lot of information about the market and definitely you'll be I think a regular with the REITE club with so much information that you've been able to provide, but I think it's time we get to the lightning round laurel. Are you ready, Natasha?
Natasha Phipps: Let's do it.
Laurel Simmons: Okay. I'll ask question one. What is the best advice you've ever received from another investor or at a networking event?
Natasha Phipps: The best takeaway I've ever had from a real estate event, and this was probably going back maybe six years ago or so, was realizing my value when it came to a joint venture partnership. And just the way it was explained to me actually by another member, just really opened up my eyes and made me feel a lot more confident in what I was offering and the value that I knew I had to give and to share. But wasn't quite, almost convinced myself, if that kind of makes sense, and so that has been huge.
That has been a huge value for me. I love working with joint venture partners, but I really needed someone to show me that, or tell me in the right way that made sense for my brain. So that's my absolute number one.
Alfonso Salemi: I want to give a shout out to Daniel St. Jean, another co-founder of the REITE Club. He, there's several networking events that I ran into Daniel, and he always said is, you're not selling a deal. You're providing an opportunity, right?. And that was, a changing of mindset. Along those lines.
Natasha Phipps: Absolutely. It's a change of mindset.
Alfonso Salemi: Awesome. Okay, so question number two of the lightning round. What is your favorite resource? For real estate investing. And that could be anything, books or a certain podcast or certain things that you listen to get some resourceful information.
Natasha Phipps: There's a lot out there. But my probably most used resource that I am constantly looking at is, And I'm a bit of a data person, is the data, is the statistics and the numbers, and I wanna look at the trends. So I'm constantly looking at things like Stats Canada, the Calgary Economic Development websites. That's obviously specific to my area, but I'm on there several times a week. That's my most used resource I would say.
Laurel Simmons: Wow. You know what? That's a really good point. I'd never even thought of going Stats Canada. I've gonna go sta Canada myself for other things, but Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't you?
Natasha Phipps: That's great. You can get lost there. You can get very specific in there. It's quite cool. But, and then you can export the graphs and use them when you're talking to people about, whatever. You can get super specific. So I quite like it.
Laurel Simmons: All right, question three. So what's the one attribute that you think has made you successful? Just pick one.
Natasha Phipps: I don't give up really ever . I'm pretty stubborn. My parents for whatever reason were able to really instill that in me. Even my dad today, he checks up on me all the time, see how I'm doing. I've always wanted to reach a certain level of success, and it wasn't given to me, it wasn't handed to me.
I've worked very hard for it, and just being able to persevere and push through, I think has been my absolute, number one game changer for me. It doesn't mean it hasn't been hard, but it just never given up one foot in front of the other.
Alfonso Salemi: Love it. It's never over if you don't give up. You keep going. That's great. And to get to know a little bit more about you on a typical Sunday morning, you're not going through the Yellow Pages anymore for dad's company. Maybe you're talking to dad on a Sunday morning. I don't know. But what's a typical Sunday morning look like for you?
Natasha Phipps: I really try hard not to work on Sundays as of the last kind of year or two. So I have two kids at seven and nine, so Sunday mornings we like to hang out, be lazy, have the coffee in bed, hang out, snuggle talk. And then my husband is a chef. We are very spoiled and he always makes us brunch every Sunday. We're very lucky.
Laurel Simmons: Wow. That's all I can say is wow. To hear the envy. Extremely talented. So where can people reach you, Natasha? How can they reach you?
Natasha Phipps: A couple different ways. Our website is Phippsgroup.ca. That's my last name. I also have my own group specific to Calgary Real Estate. It's called Calgary Real Estate Investing on Facebook. And if you're looking for any Calgary resources deals, off market opportunities really anything I come across that's of note, that's where I put it all. So that's a great place as well. And then, you can Google me and find me pretty well anywhere as well.
Alfonso Salemi: Awesome. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time, getting so much information and letting us know not only about you, but the market. Any last words of advice or anything that you'd wanna share with the REITE Club community.
Natasha Phipps: Honestly, I'm just so excited to be a part of the REITE Club. I love that it's expanding across into the Western world. I'm very excited to be a part of that and just take advantage of everything that's out there. Everyone. I don't think there's been a better time in really history to get an education out there and use the people who have come before you.
Take their advice, take them up when they say, give me a call. I had a gentleman call me earlier. You told me three months ago to give you a call and I just kept putting it off and putting it off. He's I'm finally doing it today. Just put one foot in front of the other and use the resources that you have in this incredible community.
Laurel Simmons: That's great. And that's really good advice. And we should all like, take that to heart, right? It's just reach out and connect with people. Cause hey, the bigger the pie grows, the more there is for all of us.
Natasha Phipps: Absolutely. And my story earlier, if I wouldn't have been going to those events, if I wouldn't have had that kind of light bulb moment when it came to joint ventures, like how many opportunities would I have missed? Like you can use someone else's perspective or even, like they say, borrow someone's confidence to get you to the next level. You're not gonna get there alone. So use what you have here with this awesome group.
Alfonso Salemi: Thank you so much, Natasha. Appreciate your time.
Natasha Phipps: Thank you so much.
Alfonso Salemi: Wow. What a great conversation, Natasha. I think it's something that she just has that great personality just interested to share first one to say it wasn't easy along the way. All the different steps that she had to take to get to those successes, but that persistence. Along the way that gets you there. Yeah. Laura, what were some of your takeaways things that For that podcast?
Laurel Simmons: For sure. Just the fact that she kept on going and she's said she just keeps on going one foot in front of the other. And also, I thought it was really telling when she said that it hasn't been that long actually, since she's realized that she really does, she brings a lot of value to the table and I think for investors, and I don't care what stage you're at in your in real estate investing career. I think a lot of us sometimes forget that we bring value, cause there's always more than one person at the table, right? But everyone brings value because if you didn't bring value, you wouldn't be there.
Alfonso Salemi: Very well put laurel, and I know a lot of our investors, a lot of our listeners today you consider yourself your job. You're this, you're that you do a certain thing. But really as a real estate investor, it's really an entrepreneur mindset. Having that business mindset, that creativeness and what brings that special value is only you can think like you and have only had the experiences that you've had.
That is unique, that is dynamic and how you can filter that out and distill it so you can help others right. As well as yourself along that journey along the way. And yeah, definitely Natasha is a great example of that. And another quick stat too that I just wanted to throw out there, if the listeners dunno if you caught that, but the stats can and Stats Canada and Economic reports from both those websites.
She's looking at that for her specific markets. But wherever you are investing, that's good data. That's good information, right? And really looking at the true facts, not just opinions. Don't just listen to somebody that was on a podcast telling you that it's great. Go and do the research too, right? And she's right up front with that and letting us know that those are the ways to be successful longer term.
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