CENTURY 21 ^® HERITAGE GROUP RAISED $18,211 DURING THE GOLDEN HEART VIRTUAL CHALLENGE FOR EASTER SEALS

The company marked a new milestone for the commitment to Easter Seals.

Century 21 ^® Heritage Group team raised $18,211 during the Golden Heart Virtual Challenge for Easter Seals. This is the first time the firm raised the most among the Century 21 ^® system members in Canada Ontario during an Easter Seals fund-raising event.

Easter Seals Ontario partnered with Century 21 ^® to bring back a Virtual Challenge to raise funds for accessibility and mobility equipment and virtual camps. This was an opportunity for participants to get out and move in any way they chose, whether it was running, walking, cycling, rolling, swimming, or even working out. The challenge was to move 221 km over 45 days.

“The funds go a long way into helping change the life for Easter Seals children and youth” said Andrea Peterson, Development Officer - Easter Seals Ontario .  “Whether it is the opportunity to attend our remote camping program, or it is able to purchase much needed equipment, both help the Easter Seals kids gain independence, freedom and dignity in their every day lives. It is giving the Easter Seals kids the chance to be kids too.”

“Everyone was motivated to help the Easter Seals kids/youth,” said Debbie Bekker-Fawcett, Agent Services Manager. “It was a great win-win campaign. Participants benefitted from the physical activity we needed during the CoVid-19 lockdowns, and we raised large funds for Easter Seals during these challenging times. Thank you to all participants, donors and supporters. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“We are proud of our achievements. We look forward to participating again,” said Eryn Richardson, vice president of the company.

The Event by Numbers:

• $50,195: The total amount raised by Easter Seals Ontario (100% of goal, goal of $50,000)
• $18,211: The amount raised by Century 21 Heritage Group (36% of the goal)
• 182%: The achievement by Century 21 Heritage Group compared to the company’s own goal
• $2,550: The amount raised by Prescott/Kilius Team, the highest fundraiser of the company
• 63 km: The distance walked by Merilyn McCart, the highest mover of the company
• 5: Century 21 Heritage Group Golden Heart Award Achievers from the event

 

ERYN RICHARDSON, GENERAL MANAGER

After Partnering at Century 21 Heritage Group in 2020, Eryn Richardson looks back on the journey that brought him to this moment, and looks forward to the challenges brought by the everchanging landscape of Canadian real estate.

The year is 2005, and the fresh-faced REALTOR® is about to make the first sale of his new professional career. “I had stopped by to see my Brother, who was having dinner with his boss and a good friend,” says Eryn. “I found out that the boss and his friend were both looking to purchase, and I was eventually able to close both deals. It was a very early lesson on the importance of networking and making connections.”

While that was the first sale he made in Real Estate, his love of sales had been cultivated for ten years prior, working as both a Salesperson and Manager for several big-box retail stores, including family-owned National Sports. “I like to joke that I sold Connor McDavid his first pair of skates. He would have been the right age and he grew up in Newmarket, so it’s definitely--okay, maybe--possible.”

Eryn quickly rose through the ranks, managing stores for both National Sports and Toys R Us. However, after a particularly tumultuous holiday season, Eryn found his limit for the Retail world. “I wanted to do something more entrepreneurial. I asked myself, what industry could I be in where the effort I put in could have more potential?”

Eryn knew that potential he was looking for could be found in Real Estate, an industry that goes back generations in the Richardson family. His Grandfather, Jim Richardson, was Ontario’s registrar in the 1960’s, and his father, Don Richardson, had an incredibly successful career as a broker and owner, eventually retiring as the CEO of TRREB in 2014.

Eryn was determined to forge his own path. “I didn’t even tell my Dad I was getting my license until I was almost finished.” He chose Century 21 in part because “they had a reputation for knowledgeable agents and an extensive training program”, but also because they were family-owned and operated, something he had experienced with Norm Clements at National Sports. “It’s an environment where you can really tell they care about people and it’s not just about the numbers.”

For over 30 years, Century 21 Heritage Group has been operating in Canada, and Founder and President Pamela Prescott knew there was something special about Eryn right away. “He has a compassion to help everyone, clients and REALTOR®. He possesses a tireless work ethic, and there is no challenge he’s not well-suited for.”

“I’m so grateful to Pamela Prescott and her guidance,” says Eryn. “The agent-first platform that she’s built, I’m just thankful for the opportunity to be a part of a legacy.”

What impresses Pamela most, however, is his technological prowess. “He is a technical wizard. He puts everything together using technology and is able to put it in perspective for both the REALTOR® and the client. He takes everything to the next level.”

Technology, Eryn says, is the key to developing better and smarter training programs for REALTORS®. Through his podcast “Living the Dream”, he looks to inspire those in Real Estate to achieve the same success he himself has enjoyed. He provides detailed digital presentations for both REALTOR® and client, allowing for that user experience he knows is so vital in today’s digital age.

As he looks to the future of Real Estate, he wants to see more brokerages going back to the fundamentals of agent-centric training. “I want to empower more Brokerages to provide better service to the REALTORS®. I see too many Brokerages worrying about their ‘numbers’ and not enough worrying about properly training their REALTORS®.”

Eryn hopes to lead by example. “It’s all about the REALTORS®. I want to see them succeed, because when they do I’m taken back to that feeling I got when I made my first sale. Helping people during one of the most important times in their lives...now I get to experience that on a daily basis.”

For those who are just entering the Real Estate business, Eryn Richardson wants them to embrace a return to the old-school foundations of Real Estate, back to the days of his Grandfather. “I’m reminded of a quote from Brian Buffini, Real Estate coach and motivational speaker: ‘At any cost you have to do the right thing for your client. I love what I do and I want to do it right’.

“I take that to heart every day”.