Meet Melanie Piche, Broker/Owner

My Life Before Real Estate

I grew up in small-town northern Ontario. After getting a Commerce degree in marketing and human resources, I moved to Toronto and spent a decade working as an HR executive in the advertising industry before deciding to get my real estate license. Truth: I really didn’t intend on becoming a full time REALTOR, but I’d always been obsessed with real estate and was bored in my job. At the same time, I met and fell in love with a fun guy named Brendan- this was during the Brangelina days, so people started calling us BREL. We went on sabbatical and travelled around the world – until I got sick, had surgery in Greece and came home to Toronto. With 4 months left of my sabbatical and nothing to do, I decided to start selling real estate. I listed my first property on September 17, 2008 – the day that Lehman Brothers collapsed…not great timing, but I instantly fell in love with the industry. I set out to do real estate differently and to elevate the industry beyond the fridge magnets, same-same marketing, questionable ethics and stereotypes it’s known for.

My Role at BREL

Fast forward 14 years: I run one of the top real estate teams in Toronto with that fun guy Brendan. In a twist of irony, my career has come full circle: I’m responsible for HR, marketing and customer experience at the BREL team. I’m still obsessed with real estate.

What I Love About Real Estate

Every day, I’m in awe of our team and the client community we have built. I work with smart people who leave their egos at home and are willing to do whatever it takes to do the right thing for our clients…how many people can say that? I feel fortunate to have attracted so many like-minded clients who value our honesty and unique approach to this business…they get the trail we’ve been trying to blaze and have been with us every step of the way. I love watching our client families grow – every wedding, every baby, every job promotion – fills me with joy. I love the pace of this crazy industry and the fact that it challenges me – every single day – to show up, learn new things and be better.

My Life Outside of Real Estate

I’m a blogger, truth-teller, an SEO geek. A teacher; a learner; an influencer; a leader. I’m a saver of dogs. A cooker of things. A reader of books. A traveller. I’m a wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. My kids have 4 paws and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I like: Beach (not city). Sweet (not salty)/ Sun (not snow). Dogs (not cats). White (not red). Craft beer (not Bud). iPhone (not Android). Handmaid’s Tale (not Real Housewives).

Related: Read Mel’s Agent Spotlight