- Story by Joe Leary Photography by Lia Crowe

He is featured in Who害羞草研究所檚 Who in Canada,

Who害羞草研究所檚 Who in America, BC and the US, as well as Louis Rukeyser害羞草研究所檚 Who害羞草研究所檚 Who. But the name Ozzie Jurock is synonymous with real estate. Ozzie has played a vital part in leading the real estate ranks over the years, including taking on roles as president of Royal LePage Canada and Royal LePage Asia, based in Taiwan.

He害羞草研究所檚 been chairman and CEO of NRS Block Bros. and has served on the boards of the BC Real Estate Council, the Vancouver Real Estate Board, the Quality Council of BC and the advisory board of BCIT, and done stints such as president of the real estate boards of Burnaby, Coquitlam and New Westminster.

He is also a best-selling author and an in-demand speaker, giving more than 80 speeches per year. He has appeared regularly on TV and continues to air on CKNW radio as he has for the past 26 years.

Ozzie is a fellow of the Real Estate Institute of Canada and is one of this country害羞草研究所檚 leading business motivators. And that害羞草研究所檚 just the thumbnail sketch. With such a loaded CV, one has to ask how it all began.

害羞草研究所淚 came to Canada in 1966, fell in love with it and became a Canadian as soon as I could,害羞草研究所� Ozzie says. 害羞草研究所淚 started in the hotel business as a waiter at the Hotel Vancouver and within a year I was the ma卯tre d害羞草研究所� at the brand new Devonshire Seafood House.害羞草研究所�

Here, he says, he saw people who were 害羞草研究所渄oing well害羞草研究所� financially.

害羞草研究所淭here was the head of a brokerage house who had a monthly lunch account of $400害羞草研究所攁nd I was making $300 a month. I thought to myself, 害羞草研究所榃hat does he have that I can learn?害羞草研究所� I didn害羞草研究所檛 have the education and I certainly didn害羞草研究所檛 have the standing, but I kept watching him.害羞草研究所�

When Ozzie asked the question 害羞草研究所淲hat is out there for me?害羞草研究所� people often suggested he get into the real estate business.

害羞草研究所淪o I got the license and became a realtor and through a series of very fortuitous events, I [eventually] became the president of Royal LePage Canada with 10,000 employees.害羞草研究所�

Next, it was time to go solo.

害羞草研究所淏y 1993, I decided that I wanted to go out on my own. I started writing a real estate newsletter and then went more into real estate investing,害羞草研究所� Ozzie recalls. 害羞草研究所淎round then, we [launched] two major conferences that we害羞草研究所檝e continued doing for 27 years害羞草研究所攐ne in the spring, one in the fall.害羞草研究所�

The one constant takeaway from a conversation with Ozzie Jurock is that he害羞草研究所檚 a visionary, as fully evidenced by his early forecasts.

害羞草研究所淚 wrote a book in 1998 called Forget About Location, Location, Location! In 1963, the average home price was $13,500. By 1998, it was $278,000 and if you extrapolated that for the next 35 years害羞草研究所� as I said in my book害羞草研究所攅very house in Vancouver would be worth $5 million. Everybody thought, 害羞草研究所榃hat are you smoking?害羞草研究所� But I never changed my view. Two years ago on the West Side, the average price clocked in at $4.4 million.害羞草研究所�

Ozzie says the current real estate market is a veritable hotbed.

害羞草研究所淩ight now the market is an absolute madhouse,害羞草研究所� he states emphatically. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 on fire in a number of different areas.害羞草研究所� As an example, he says, Etobicoke, Ontario is up 27 per cent in single-family home prices; in fact, there are nine areas in Ontario that are up over 30 per cent.

害羞草研究所淎nd we害羞草研究所檙e not talking Toronto害羞草研究所攚e害羞草研究所檙e talking, like, Barrie,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淭his is unusual, but it is exactly what I forecast.害羞草研究所�

His basic philosophy, he says, is: 害羞草研究所淚nflation is number one; number two is supply and demand, and number three is immigrant/migration. You read that on the basis of affordability, Vancouver and Toronto are the numbers five and six worst cities in the world, yet that doesn害羞草研究所檛 determine prices. Vancouver has never been affordable in over 40 years. If you wanted to live in Vancouver or Hong Kong or Manhattan or Berlin, you had to pay over 65 per cent of your income towards a mortgage. Vancouver is actually better off than most places, but it害羞草研究所檚 a worldwide phenomenon.害羞草研究所�

As active as Ozzie remains on the real estate circuit, his life is a split between work and play.

害羞草研究所淓very year I go for a three-month cruise with my wife,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淲e love cruising. I have a boat, and in the summer months we go to places like Secret Cove [on the Sunshine Coast], and in the winter we have a house in Kimberley and I ski. But in between, when we have our big events, I work very hard.害羞草研究所�

And for his personal philosophy on living in the current environment: 害羞草研究所淭his is a new world; truth is in, bluffing is out. As Jordan Peterson says, 害羞草研究所楾ell the truth, or at least don害羞草研究所檛 lie.害羞草研究所� When you look at the world right now害羞草研究所攕tay committed to yourself, stay committed to your family. I害羞草研究所檝e been married 53 years and I害羞草研究所檓 proud of it. My mother used to always say害羞草研究所攁nd it害羞草研究所檚 an old quote害羞草研究所敽π卟菅芯克鶚Your actions speak so loudly, I can害羞草研究所檛 hear what you害羞草研究所檙e saying.害羞草研究所� Just make sure that your actions are congruent with what you say.害羞草研究所�

That aptly describes Ozzie Jurock and by his own description of life, it害羞草研究所檚 been a charmed existence: 害羞草研究所淚 could not have written a scenario that could have been more exciting.害羞草研究所�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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