There is a temptation in franchising to assume that success arrives because of some kind of secret formula.
A hidden hack. A silver bullet. A shortcut here or there. The story of husband and wife team Toni Kennedy and Mark MacLellan, would probably disappoint anyone looking for that.
Listening to the couple behind the Canadian PropertyGuys.com franchise covering Colchester, Cumberland and East Hants Counties, the story sounds far less glamorous.
In fact, it centres around discipline, repetition, systems and, crucially, understanding exactly what problem consumers are trying to solve.
PropertyGuys growth built on habits
Kennedy says the decision to invest in a PropertyGuys.com franchise came after years of personally using traditional real estate brokerages and realizing there had to be a better alternative for consumers.
She says: “We had sold several properties in our lives using a traditional brokerage and had not realized how much commission we were paying! In 2022, we sold our home using the PropertyGuys.com system, got a private buyer, and it really struck us how much money we had given away in real estate commissions over the years. Then we ballparked how much this amount would have been if we had put it into our retirement investments and truly understood how financially beneficial the approach really is.”
Since then, the couple have become one of the stronger performers in the PropertyGuys.com Network (which includes PG Direct Realty), although MacLellan and Kennedy are quick to point toward the framework rather than any personal brilliance.
“Undoubtedly, being involved in the 12 Week Launch which is part of PropertyGuys training for new Zees,” says MacLellan. “We embraced the fact there is a system in place and were fully committed to following it. The 12 Week Launch showed us exactly how to do that from a boots on the ground perspective.”
That phrase, boots on the ground, tells you quite a lot about how they approach the business. Theirs is not passive entrepreneurship. There is little sense of sitting behind a laptop waiting for leads to magically arrive through digital osmosis.
Instead, the pair talk repeatedly about visibility, consistency and layering activity over time.
“Very important,” says Kennedy. “The 12 Week Launch program is all about integrating the Seven Habits into the calendar and making those Seven Habits actual habits rather than ideas. With consistency over time, these habits have a layering effect which has resulted in strong brand awareness in our territory. We are not sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, we are out there working our Habits daily and creating success.”
Building brand awareness in local markets
There is something slightly old school about the detail behind those habits too. Not old fashioned exactly, but grounded in physical presence and local recognition rather than abstract marketing jargon.
“Every day we are doing our Seven Habits,” she adds. “We start the year by fine tuning our Strategic Plan (we have one-year, three-year and five-year plans). On a daily basis, it might look like doing a Home Show or Community Event, knocking on doors or hanging door hangers, for every listing we do sign blitzing and also post card mail-outs, we have our car wrapped and take it everywhere (People think we have a fleet of wrapped vehicles but there is just the one right now), lots of social media marketing, touching base with our Circle of Influence. Our team does Open Houses so that we can do more sign blitzing and door hangers for added exposure for specific listings and our franchise. We focus on ensuring everything we do fits in with the layering effect of the Seven Habits.”
It is difficult not to notice the combination there. Hyperlocal physical marketing sitting alongside social media activity. Long-term planning mixed with daily execution is an approach that many franchise systems preach but fewer operators are able to sustain consistently.
As the business grows, the pair appear equally focused on protecting culture.
And their recruitment philosophy is refreshingly uncomplicated.
“We are looking for people with integrity, good attitude and a strong work ethic – everything else we can teach them,” says MacLellan. “We maintain the culture by having a hands-on approach which allows us to constantly be speaking to the team about the uniqueness of what we have to offer clients and customers.
“What we offer is truly special in today’s real estate market. We help homeowners explore more flexible selling options designed around their goals, comfort level, and desired level of support — not a one-size-fits-all approach. Being able to help people discover a better approach, is what makes this so rewarding for us.”
Why PropertyGuys resonates with homeowners
MacLellan and Kennedy believe the wider market is shifting toward buyers and sellers wanting more ownership of the process itself.
“We believe consumers are looking for control, choice and cost savings. We live in the information era now and consumers are looking to have all the information, control of the process and are more cost savvy then ever before. We provide that.”
And when they speak about what homeowners actually want, the answer is strikingly simple.
“They want to have a good experience and keep as much of their equity as possible.”
They also place great emphasis on relationships over transactions. Something many businesses say, but which here sounds less like a slogan and more like an operational philosophy.
“This is the most rewarding part of the business. The relationship is not just transactional, it’s like we are part of the family helping them through the process,” adds Kennedy.
The husband-and-wife dynamic appears to help provide balance internally too.
“One of us is focused on operations and financial management while the other excels at customer relationships and team culture. We trust each other’s strengths, communicate openly and make major decisions together,” she adds.
Looking ahead, growth is clearly on the agenda, but not growth at any cost. The couple operate across a large geographic territory and believe there is still substantial room to build market penetration.
“We have a large territory (geographically) and we feel as though we haven’t gained full market penetration in the further reaches of our geographic area,” says MacLellan.
“We believe the future of real estate belongs to modern platforms that deliver a better consumer experience and better financial outcomes. That is why we are actively recruiting people who share our belief that buyers and sellers deserve something better. For the right people, our platform creates stronger client engagement, higher activity levels, and more opportunities to generate business, build momentum, and grow alongside us.”
That final point perhaps explains why the business has gained traction.
There is ambition there, certainly, but it is paired with structure, patience and adherence to the system which yields consistent results and growth.
