Every journey in real estate looks different, and Connie Buna’s is a story of reinvention, resilience and growth. From corporate sales to building a successful real estate business, brokerage and team, her path has been shaped by hard work, meaningful relationships and a commitment to doing things her own way. In this conversation, Connie reflects on her nearly two-decade career, sharing insights on leadership, authenticity, community and what it truly means to build a business with purpose.
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Flash back to the beginning of your journey in real estate. What did that look like?
I was always in sales. Before getting into real estate, I worked in corporate sales, and the transition felt like an amazing opportunity to start something new.
At the time, I had a bit of financial security through employment insurance and a severance package, which gave me something I hadn’t really experienced before: a cushion. It allowed me to launch into a completely new career without the immediate pressure of needing to go back to work.
I completed my real estate coursework while living in Ontario, challenged the BC exam from there, and then moved back to British Columbia. I promptly dove into cold calling out of the phone book because I didn’t have an established network here. It was really about recognizing an opportunity and going for it.
How did your previous experience in corporate sales prepare you for a career in real estate?
There were so many transferable skills. I worked for Bell Canada in corporate sales, which was a very structured environment. I had no fear of cold calling because that’s what I had experience doing.
My corporate experience taught me the importance of structure and discipline. I understood that I needed to block time for lead generation and make it a primary activity. I was always looking for opportunities to sharpen my skills and fill my calendar. I took every class available to me and hosted every open house I could, often multiple opens over a weekend. I still love hosting open houses today and consider them a successful lead-generation strategy.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the entrepreneurial side of the business. Understanding monthly budgets, managing expenses, and allocating commission income so that everything was covered when you might not get paid again for one, three or even four months was a completely different learning curve.
I also had to shift my mindset. I needed to stop thinking of myself as someone working for a brokerage and start thinking of myself as an entrepreneur. I don’t work for the brokerage; I work for Connie. The brokerage is the place that houses me, supports me and gives me the tools to succeed.
That mindset shift was a game changer.
After nearly two decades in real estate, how has your definition of success evolved?
One of the things I’m celebrating right now is my ability to take a holiday without working every single day while I’m away. I experienced that for the first time in almost 20 years!
Historically, I defined success almost entirely through income, gross commission income (GCI), and units sold. I still have ambitious targets that inspire me and make me want to work hard, but I no longer see those numbers as the complete picture of success. I’ve experienced the other side of it: working constantly, making a lot of money, but having very little life outside of work. Eventually, that becomes exhausting.
Today, success means having positive transactions where clients walk away feeling happy. It means buyers moving into their new homes feeling excited and sellers being delighted with how everything unfolded, even in challenging market conditions.
It also means being able to enjoy my life, have dinner with my family, take a holiday and give back to my community.
That’s success to me now.
You’ve built a successful real estate business, brokerage and team. What have you learned about the difference between building something successful and building something meaningful?
I think you can absolutely build something successful that lacks meaning. That became really clear to me during my brokerage journey. We built a very successful brokerage, but I struggled to find my personal “why” within that business.
My purpose continued to be heavily rooted in my transactional real estate business. That was such an important part of what nourished me professionally.
The brokerage was an enormous commitment, and while it was valuable, it was also overwhelmingly all-consuming. I’ve come to recognize that what I have in my real estate business is incredibly meaningful to me. I genuinely love the work and the people I connect with.
I’m really proud of our small team. Many of the people who come to work with us are repeat and referral clients. They’re choosing us because they’ve heard about the experience we offer and understand the kind of support our group provides. That makes the relationships feel reciprocal. We’re invested in them, and they’re invested in us.
There’s also something incredibly meaningful about the personal connection people have to real estate. Most of my clients are buying for personal reasons. Even investor clients are often building a portfolio for their families. There’s always a human connection to the idea of home, and that’s something I find incredibly fulfilling.
What has leadership taught you about helping other people find their own versions of success?
I’ve always been someone who enjoys helping others. Even when I was younger, I loved mentoring friends and having people come alongside me. For me, leadership isn’t about holding a position or having a particular ranking. A proper leader is someone who genuinely cares about the people around them and works to remove obstacles so they can succeed.
With my current team, I’m focused on empowering people to learn the craft, take pride in the quality of their work, and build meaningful relationships with their clients. Real estate relationships can last a long time, especially in challenging market environments. You can’t always predict how long a transaction will take, and you may be working with someone for a year or more. You really need to be committed to that relationship. It’s about helping your team members build the skills and confidence to deliver an experience they can feel proud of.
How important has representation and visibility been throughout your career?
It’s been incredibly powerful, right from day one. When I first entered real estate, I specifically chose a brokerage because of its female leader, who was the general manager at the time. I was so impressed by her professionalism, her skills, and what she had built. That experience showed me how important representation is, not just for women in leadership but for diversity in leadership more broadly.
I’m naturally drawn to different perspectives, and I believe having diversity at the leadership level empowers everyone. When people can see themselves reflected in leadership, it can change what’s possible for them. Different experiences and perspectives make our industry stronger.
Real estate can sometimes feel transactional. How have you stayed committed to leading with humility?
I always try to come from a place of gratitude. I never take an opportunity for granted. Whether it’s a $300,000 transaction or a $3 million transaction, my clients receive the same response time, care, service, and support. That’s extremely important to me. I’m also very mindful of what I call the “hero to zero” concept in sales. You can have an incredible year, but on January 1, the board gets wiped clean, and you’re back to zero.
I still get what I call the January scaries! I think that keeps me grounded. It reminds me not to take anything for granted, including the beautiful place I live, the business I’ve built, and the fact that clients continue to share my name.
Gratitude also needs to be something you put into action. I make a point of calling or writing to people to say thank you. I want them to know how much it means to me that they think of me and trust me with their business. That appreciation extends beyond me. It makes a difference to my team and our families, too.
You’ve been involved in advocacy, mentorship, and inclusion within the broader real estate community. Where do you think realtors have the greatest opportunity to create positive change beyond their businesses?
I think the greatest opportunity is right in our local communities. You don’t need to look much further than where you live. Are you supporting your local family centres, community centres and schools? Even if you don’t have children in those schools, there are people and community members who need care and support. It doesn’t have to be an enormous donation. A small contribution can make a difference. You can volunteer your time, sponsor local events, or support organizations doing important work. There are so many ways to get involved.
I’m also very passionate about being engaged and aware of what’s happening at the municipal level. I’m not shy about talking about that. It’s not about partisanship. I believe municipal representatives should represent all people, and we need to think about the broader ecosystem within our communities. We have extreme wealth and extreme poverty in many municipalities throughout the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.
We’re in an industry so heavily rooted in the security of home and housing. That allows us to contribute in a meaningful way through community engagement, support, participation, and amplifying important local issues. There are so many ways we can make a difference.
As your business continues to grow, what are you most intentional about protecting?
My reputation. That’s the most important thing to me.
I’m known as someone who has integrity, is trustworthy, and is honest. Those three principles are things I simply will not compromise.
They’re my touchstones and my compass for every interaction and decision. I’m quite mindful of the fact that our industry can move quickly, and that your reputation is built through the small decisions you make every day.
I often think about how an interaction would look if someone were recording it and putting it on social media. Whether it’s a negotiation or even something like road rage, it helps remind me to stay grounded. We have control over how we choose to operate. We can be honest and clear in our negotiations. We can act with integrity. Ultimately, you should be able to say and do what you mean, and mean and do what you say.
How has becoming a parent changed your approach to business, ambition and time?
My children are still relatively young and elementary-school-aged, so I’m becoming increasingly aware that they’re only little for a very short window of time. Over the last five or six years, I’ve become much more intentional about time blocking and protecting certain parts of my day. Real estate can take you out of the house at all hours, but there are things that are non-negotiable for me.
I will be home for dinner; rarely, I’m not. I participate in the morning routine, whether that’s making breakfast or dropping one of the kids off at school. I want to be there for the important concerts, recitals, and special moments.
I’ve also learned the importance of having clear conversations with my children. Sometimes they’re disappointed when I’m not able to go somewhere with them. For example, if they’re upset I can’t come to Playland, I tell them, “I wish I could be at Playland, too. Have so much fun for me. But if I wasn’t going out to work, there would be no Playland!” It’s about helping them understand that work allows us to create those experiences, while also making sure they know how important our time together is.
What do you think people who are new to Vancouver sometimes miss about what makes this city so special?
I’ve travelled all over the world and have been fortunate to experience so many different cultures. Every time I come back to Vancouver, I’m reminded that we have world-class experiences in almost every category. We live in a vacation destination. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth.
If you want cuisine from almost any culture in the world, you can find incredible versions of it here. We have beautiful diversity within our communities, and I genuinely believe that, at a fundamental level, Vancouver is a place that welcomes and embraces diversity.
Of course, there are challenges, and we can all do better. But I believe we have a community that is welcoming to so many different people. That’s something really special.
For someone entering an established industry and wondering whether they can truly be themselves, what advice would you give?
There’s no one like you. You’re the only one out there, so lean into that.
When I first started in real estate, I look back at my first headshot and laugh. I genuinely thought I needed to wear makeup, put on corporate-looking outfits, and present myself in a particular way because that’s what I thought professional businesswomen were supposed to do. Over the last 20 years, I’ve really grown into my own identity in a way that feels empowering.
My advice to someone starting out is to be your quirky self. Be as interesting and unique as you want to be.
After everything you’ve built, what are you still curious about or excited to explore next?
I absolutely love learning. It’s something that genuinely excites me.
Right now, I’m spending a lot of time learning about how our professional body operates. I’m a volunteer on the Professional Standards Committee, and I’m getting into the details of our constitution, bylaws, rules of cooperation and code of ethics. I’m really interested in understanding the framework of what a professional organization looks like and learning more about it on a national level. I feel there’s still so much room for participation and support within our organization and our profession more broadly.
It’s a new area for me, one I haven’t fully explored yet, and I’m excited to see where that curiosity takes me.
RAPID FIRE
Coffee, Tea, or Other?
Coffee. All day!
A book or voice that’s influenced you?
Atomic Habits, James Clear
First-ever job?
Home Hardware Cashier
Go-to celebration meal?
Steak
What’s something people might not expect about you?
I’ll cry at the drop of a hat. Happy, sad, excited. I feel it all through my eyes 🙂
What are you most proud of?
My children. They’re absolutely delightful people.
Purpose or profit?
Purpose.
Strategy or intuition?
Both. My strategy is supported by intuition.
Build or buy?
Build.
Solo work or collaboration?
Collaboration.
Stability or opportunity?
Opportunity.
Big vision or tiny details?
Big Vision.
Personal brand or company brand?
Personal Brand.
Work hard or work smart?
Hard Work.
One huge win or one hundred small wins?
100 small wins.
