My experience this year in Montreal.

Hello everyone!

I hope you are closing this 2023 in the best way. I want to take advantage of these days where we are wrapping up what has been an excellent year, to share with you an amazing chapter of my 2023.

This September, I had the incredible opportunity to explore the vibrant city of Montreal, Canada, and immerse myself in the world of art, culture, and the fascinating architecture of the city, where architectural styles that denote its French-influenced history and the modern architecture of an avant-garde city intertwine.

One of the highlights of my trip was a visit to the exclusive offices of Sotheby's International Realty Québec , located on majestic Sherbrooke St. surrounded by the city's most prominent museums and art galleries, the experience was simply unforgettable.

From the moment I walked through the door, I was greeted with a warmth that made me feel at home. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Johanne Turenne , the office manager, for showing me around her office and meeting some of the Sotheby's Quebec team and for her hospitality and dedication. Her leadership has created an exceptional office environment that exudes luxury and dedication to the individual, who is truly the most important thing.

To my surprise, my first day in their offices, Johanne, said they were overworked and felt they could not give me enough attention, the opposite of what I was feeling at the time! I was already dazzled by her excellent attention to me and I had already received more attention than I expected. Because of this, she invited me to come back to her offices to talk in more depth.

So it was that I returned the following week, where I was greeted with the same smile and got to know in depth the other people who make up the Sotheby's Quebec family. I have had the good fortune to cross paths with excellent people such as Anne Corbeil , Justin Law and the rest of the staff at the Sotheby's Quebec office, to whom I have nothing but words of thanks for their friendliness and generosity. Johanne was kind enough to show me how their CRM works, how they treat their clients, their marketing strategies, among many other things. She even gave me two books on real estate!

Fortunately for me, just that day the distinguished Don Kottick, CEO of Sotheby's International Realty Canada , was in the offices, with whom I had the opportunity to have a very interesting conversation about the differences and similarities between the markets where we work, about the Sotheby's family, about CRMs, the political and economic situation of the world, among many other things. I can say that Don is a very cultured person, with a vast knowledge of his profession and, above all, an excellent person.

When I really couldn't ask for more from my visit to Sotheby's Quebec, Don and Johanne were generous enough to invite me to a conference they were holding the following day on Ninja Selling.

This conference has given me the tools to be a better professional and, in turn, I have had the pleasure of meeting other colleagues from Sotheby's, whom I was able to meet in person. I met a wonderful fellow countryman Saul Ciecha , who has lived in Montreal for more than 30 years and whose joyfulness brings a smile to anyone's face. Excellent people like Carson Rafuse and Jihane Guettar , who also lived in Spain, was able to tell me about her experience in here. Finally, I would also like to thank the speaker, Ryan A. Secrist , who has nurtured me a lot with his teachings and his way of interacting with the attendees.

Truly, I would never have imagined, when I first walked through the door of the Sherbrooke St. office, that I would have received such distinguished attention from everyone. Undoubtedly, it is something that only a global brand like Sotheby's International Realty can allow us to do, forging bonds that will endure over time and transcend the workplace.

Personally, I believe that the best and most effective way to learn is through experience and this particular one has taught me more than a thousand books or lectures. The other person as a priority and empathy as a fundamental element in personal relationships.

To all those I have named and those I have left out, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful treatment you have given me and the way you have made me feel. Thank you very much for marking my year. I look forward to welcoming you in Barcelona soon.

To them and to all the readers, I wish you all the best for the coming year, continued success and a happy 2024!

Bautista.