There’s a reason Andrew Galvin’s team at RE/MAX Eastern Realty Inc. Brokerage in Peterborough has been the brokerage’s top team in closed deals for the past two years: his clients enjoy the unique strengths of four realtors, not just one.
Andrew formed his team after more than a decade in the industry, when he was busier than ever and realized he needed help to maintain the high-quality service he had been delivering. Rather than hire another realtor just like himself, he used a strength-based approach to build his team.
“You have to hire people who are better than you at something,” he explains — a concept that seems sensible, but is often overlooked.
In 2003, 16 years into his real estate career, Andrew hired Sharon Ford (his first team member) to update his website and work on marketing.
When it was clear Sharon had an aptitude for real estate, Andrew supported her through her certification so that she could reach her full potential (she became a licensed realtor in 2011).
That supportive, strength-based approach has shaped Andrew’s award-winning business — now known as The Galvin Team — ever since. Andrew expanded his team with the addition of realtor Lorrie Tom in 2013, followed by Eric Mickee in 2015.
A licensed realtor for almost 10 years before joining Andrew’s team, Lorrie has an eye for detail and a background in community work that has given her excellent interpersonal skills.
“Lorrie is really, really patient,” he says. “She’s really good with telling buyers what she thinks they need to know. That’s a huge strength in our team.”
Eric, who grew up and went to school in Peterborough, brings strength to the team as a home-grown realtor who knows the area well. As the owner of a rental property, he’s also knowledgeable about income property sales and student housing issues — both important in a region with a major university and college.
The Galvin Team
With its four licensed realtors, The Galvin Team can essentially offer round-the-clock service to any of its clients — spelling off one another, for instance, if a team member has another commitment and a client needs attention.
Andrew says he’s proud of his team, with their skills in economics, business, and marketing contributing to their continued success in closing deals. And no small part of that is due to Andrew himself.
Real estate has been part of Andrew’s life ever since he was a child. His late father Doug was a respected real estate lawyer in Peterborough who also served one year as Mayor in 1971-72 (he was the driving force behind the development of Peterborough Square in downtown Peterborough).
While in high school, Andrew worked in his dad’s office researching titles and closing deals. After graduation, he dabbled in a teaching career, but turned back to realty as a career choice.
Andrew is humble when talking about himself, but his team-mates are happy to point out his strengths as a leader.
“The reason I’ve stayed working for Andrew for 13 years is that he’s such a genuinely nice person,” Sharon says. “He treats every single person who buys or lists through us — whether they’re doing a million-dollar property or they’re a first-time buyer with a limited budget — the same.”
“He has a really good read on people,” Lorrie adds. “That’s a huge strength. But for me, joining the Galvin team came down to the fact that Andrew is ethical. It’s as simple as that.”
Eric echoes those sentiments: it was Andrew’s reputation that drew him to join the team.
“Everyone I spoke with said nothing but very positive things,” he recalls.
High energy, a strong work ethic, loyalty, and dedication are key values for any realtor, Andrew says, but it’s also important to give back to the community.
Andrew has also coached sports and taken part in Relay for Life — among other causes — but it’s community health care where he has invested most of his spare time.
“My dad always said to me, ‘If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything,’ Andrew recalls. “So I thought, ‘what organization can I give back to where I can make a huge impact on my family and everyone else’s family?'”
As a result, Andrew has been a member of the Peterborough Regional Health Care Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2009. He was instrumental in the foundation’s Closer Campaign that raised $3.4 million for local cancer care.
It’s this kind of leadership and commitment that makes The Galvin Team so effective. In fact, Sharon likens the team to the crew on a cruise ship.
“Unless you have everyone on board, you’re not going anywhere,” she says, crediting Andrew with keeping up with marketing trends, technology, and the global future of the industry — and encouraging his shipmates to do the same.
For those who watch the industry, the business of buying and selling real estate in Peterborough is about to change dramatically with the extension of Highway 407 to Highway 115 in the next few years. The new commuting option, combined with exorbitant real estate prices in the GTA, means people will increasingly look to the Peterborough area as a place to live.
Whether you’re buying your first home, moving up, transitioning into retirement living, or looking at an investment property, you want a strong team of professionals on your side — especially in a competitive market.
When it comes to The Galvin Team, that’s what you get: when you hire one of them, you hire all of them.
