Profiles of Success

Doubling Up on Success

By Kate Richardson
Photography by Rob d'Estrubé
Sept. 2005

When Guy Crozier and Scott Marchant were working side by side at McDonald's in Victoria, B.C., during their teens, they were impressed with the business systems that drove McDonald's success and, with each other's work ethic, competitive focus, and team spirit. Over 25 years later, they are again working side by side in a real estate partnership that owes its phenomenal success to the same mutual drive, understanding of business principles, and respect for clients and each other that they learned as teenagers.

Born and raised in Victoria, Guy and Scott lived and worked in other parts of Canada before returning to the area that they believe is the most beautiful spot in the world. Guy is a fifth-generation Victorian and knows every corner of the lower island, from Sooke to Fairfield, and from Oak Bay to Sidney. Scott considers Victorians to be lucky to live in one of the best countries and arguably one of the best cities in the world.

In the late 1970s, both Guy and Scott joined McDonald's corporate rank, and started to build careers with the company. Guy, however, was keen to be in business for himself. He was interested in the entrepreneurial style of employment that real estate offered, and looked forward to being rewarded based on his performance. He earned his license in 1991 and joined Royal LePage. Within four months, he won a sales award for the year, and in his first full year, won the President's Gold Award. "I succeeded so quickly because of the direct carryover from McDonald's," Guy explains. "I focused on service above all, used the marketing expertise that I had developed, and the work ethic that had been instilled in me. It was a natural progression."

Guy decided to move to RE/MAX in 1994 to launch himself into an even more competitive environment. "The top producers go to RE/MAX," Guy explains. "The RE/MAX market share is more than twice that of its closest competitor. Its continuing education is second to none in terms of legal, technical and operational development in the real estate business. My connection with RE/ MAX allowed me to offer my clients the best marketing, negotiating and technical advantages possible."

Meanwhile, Scott continued with McDonald's moving further away from Victoria as he climbed the corporate Ladder, His responsibilities increased to include management training, business operations, project management, franchising, commercial real estate and customer service. His business travels, however, kept him away from his wife and three small children almost three weeks out of every month. He had kept in touch with Guy and finally, in 2002, decided to move his family back to Victoria to partner with Guy in real estate.

Friends of both Scott and Guy could not decide who was crazier. Guy, a successful realtor was partnering with someone who had never been in real estate. Scott was giving up a solid corporate career for the uncertainties of business ownership. Guy is creative and free-spirited; Scott is a detail-focused planner. Even their families were different, with Guy's children almost independent, and Scott's children not even teenagers!

But both men believed that the synergistic effect of their partnership would outweigh any other concerns. "We knew our partnership would require excellent communication skills and tremendous trust," Scott says. "But knowing that we had been able to work together successfully in the past made the decision easier." Specifically Guy and Scott understood that the way to be successful was to have an unparalleled work ethic, be knowledgeable in every aspect of the business, recognize and fulfill the needs of customers, and surround themselves with winners. With those factors firmly in place, they launched their real estate partnership.

Today, Crozier and Marchant is a well-known brand in the Victoria real estate business. The two men support their business with proven business practices. Each year they review the previous year, break it down piece by piece, and determine the source of their success. Then they develop a fall business plan for the upcoming year, detailing not only sales targets, but also customer service goals, marketing strategies and even vacation time, to ensure stellar customer service. They review their plan quarterly, and to stay on top of it, hold daily "power meetings" to update each other before heading out separately to handle the day's work.

Their marketing strategies form an important component of the business plan. Scott and Guy worked to develop a brand that would not only make them instantly recognizable to current and potential clients, but would also acknowledge the expertise of other realtors in the area. Their slogan — 'Victoria has a lot of great realtors ... why not hire two of them!' - exemplifies these principles. "We know that our fellow realtors have professional expertise and experience," Guy says. "We wanted to acknowledge that, and at the same time differentiate our business by offering two top-producing realtors to each client."

One of the secrets of their success is their commitment to stay in touch with their clients, constantly offering added value. "We send quarterly newsletters outlining home maintenance tips, seasonal suggestions, and ever-changing market conditions," Scott says. "We supplement the newsletters with phone calls, e-mails, letters and even personal visits so that we connect with our clients numerous times a year. As a result, over 90 percent of our business is now by referral. Our clients like our enthusiasm, and of course they remember us when they need a realtor because we've probably just dropped by in some way to say hello!"

When meeting new clients, Scott and Guy both attend the initial orientation meeting. "It's relaxed and informal, and really gets us all heading in the same direction," Scott explains. True to form, they have a complete marketing checklist that they work through in that initial meeting. Besides listening to the real estate needs of the client, they also assess the client's personality. At the end of the meeting, they know that one of them is more suited to being the prime contact for that client. But since they have both met with the client and understand the real estate goals, they can each fill in for the other at a moment's notice. The client has the benefit of a prime contact for consistency, with comforting knowledge of a second realtor being available if necessary.

After the orientation meeting, Scott and Guy discuss the marketing plan together and customize it for that particular property. They represent all types of properties, from waterfront estates to townhouses and condominiums in all parts of Victoria. They are currently marketing properties in a new subdivision for a developer. They treat each property as unique, knowing that even a similar type of property on a different street may require a different marketing strategy. "We customize each marketing plan, from pricing, timing, areas of exposure, right to the offer stage," Guy explains. "There is no such thing as a 'one size fin all' marketing plan. Being able to trade ideas with each other helps us offer double the expertise to our clients."

The Crozier and Marchant success, however, owes more to the attitude of personal commitment and focus on relationships than to technical knowledge. What sets them apart is the ability to focus on the future while paying detailed attention to the demands of the moment. They respond to the needs of clients and conduct the transaction from beginning to end smoothly and efficiently, with minimum disruption to the client. "Ifs how you conduct yourself through each part of the deal that will give you the opportunity in the future," Scott says.

Successful realtors also have great relationships with other realtors, Guy believes. "We find realtors are keen to sell our listings because they we know we accommodate their time, respect their offers, and speak highly of them to our clients," he says. "As a result, they will bring their clients to our listings with a high degree of comfort. That confidence is an integral factor of our success." Guy and Scott also share their business plan format with many individual professionals, including other local realtors. "We love to see others in our profession succeeding," Guy explains.

Positive and upbeat, with a love of community and an exemplary philosophy of giving that pervades both their business and private lives, Guy Crozier and Scott Marchant offer their clients double the expertise, experience, support and fun. Their soaring success is the result.