By Joanne Goneau, Broker of Record and Owner, RE/MAX Absolute Realty
On December 1, 2026, I will celebrate 40 years in real estate. When I earned my licence on December 1, 1986, I was 18 years old. I couldn’t have imagined the people I would meet, the families I would watch grow or the business I would one day build alongside my daughter.
As that anniversary approaches, what comes to mind most is gratitude. My career has grown through the trust of loyal clients, their repeat business and their willingness to recommend me to friends and family.
This November, our annual Client Appreciation Event will also be a celebration of those 40 years. For me, the two belong together. There would be no milestone to celebrate without the people who helped make it possible.
Taking a chance at 18
When I finished high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I had always enjoyed working for my father and loved sales, so I thought, why not give real estate a try?
At the time, the course took three months. I was nervous, but I felt I had nothing to lose. If it didn’t work out, I could always go back to school.
About one month into my career, I made my first sale: a small condominium garden home in Ottawa’s south end. I remember the sale price being around $60,000.
That first transaction was the beginning of a career that would teach me far more than how to sell a house.
Eight listings and an early lesson
My first two years were at Campanale Realty. We were expected to come into the office, make calls and work to generate our own opportunities.
Some days, that meant making as many as 200 calls. We used a reverse directory that listed addresses and telephone numbers. We would choose a street and call homeowners to ask whether they were thinking of selling.
Within my first month, I had secured eight listings. That sounds impressive until I admit that they were all overpriced. I had taken them at the prices the sellers wanted, and I believe only one of those first eight actually sold.
It was an important lesson to learn early.
Those listings taught me how to stay in touch with clients, have difficult conversations about price and maintain relationships while working toward a sale. I began to understand that enthusiasm needed to be matched with honest advice.
Finding my place at RE/MAX
In 1988, at age 20, I joined RE/MAX Metro City in Bells Corners.
I saw RE/MAX as a place where successful, established agents built their careers. After two years of learning how to generate listings and make sales, I felt ready for that next step. Having a recognized brand behind me also gave me confidence as I continued growing my business.
I never looked back. RE/MAX has been part of my professional life ever since.
I had also earned my broker’s licence at 20, and owning a brokerage remained a long-term goal. In 2010, I took that step and opened RE/MAX Absolute Realty.
My ambition was never to have the biggest office. I wanted to build a brokerage where I could use my experience to help other agents develop their businesses and create lasting careers. I remain proud of the agents who have chosen to be part of it.
Learning through difficult markets
Over four decades, I have experienced strong markets and very difficult ones.
I remember 1994 as an especially challenging year. I took on three jobs to make ends meet, and the home I had recently purchased had fallen in value. I was experiencing some of the same financial pressures as my clients.
That experience gave me a personal understanding of the uncertainty people can feel when the market changes and their plans become harder to achieve.
By the late 1990s, my business was gaining momentum again. But the lessons from those difficult years stayed with me.
Real estate keeps changing. Markets shift, processes evolve and new rules affect how we work. I have learned the importance of adapting, continuing to learn and explaining changes clearly so clients can make informed decisions.
From carbon copies to electronic signatures
“Press hard, the bottom copy is yours!”
Anyone who worked in real estate in those early years may remember that line. Our offers and contracts were handwritten on carbon-copy forms. There were fax machines, countless trips across the city and plenty of rushing to collect signatures before a deadline.
We drove buyers to showings and sometimes waited in our cars outside homes while offers were being presented.
Electronic signatures changed so much. Tasks that once required hours of driving could happen much more quickly, giving us new ways to communicate and work with clients.
But through every technological change, relationships have remained central to my business.
Staying in touch, following up and taking an interest in people’s lives still matter. I want clients to know they can call me whether they are ready to move or simply need someone to talk through their options.
Growing alongside generations of clients
One of the greatest privileges of this career has been helping the same families over many years.
I have helped clients buy and sell several times, then helped their children find rental properties or purchase their first homes. Children I remember from earlier transactions have grown up and become clients themselves.
I have even sold the same home four times.
Those experiences remind me how much history can exist within a professional relationship. A phone call can bring back years of memories, and catching up with someone I haven’t spoken to in a while can feel as though no time has passed.
Every referral is meaningful to me. When someone recommends me to a friend or family member, they are placing their own trust behind that introduction. I have never taken that lightly.
Sometimes the best advice is to stay put
Looking after clients includes being willing to give advice they may not expect.
I have advised buyers against purchasing homes when I had concerns about the location, price or suitability for their needs. I have also encouraged clients to remain in their homes when I believed staying was the better choice.
A lasting relationship depends on people knowing that their interests come first.
Negotiating strongly is part of that responsibility. So is working respectfully with the agent on the other side. Over the years, I have built relationships with colleagues throughout Ottawa, and I value how cooperation and clear communication can help clients through a demanding process.
The people beside me
Real estate can ask a great deal of a family. There are evening appointments, interrupted plans and celebrations you cannot always attend.
My husband, George, has supported me throughout our life together. He understood the demands of my career and made the decision to leave his work as a chef to stay home and raise our son, Panagiotis. His support has meant so much to me.
My daughter, Jordyn, was practically born into the business. She began as my assistant, earned her real estate licence and has grown into an exceptional REALTOR® and my business partner.
I am proud of the career she has built while raising four boys. She brings her own ideas, strengths and ambitions to our work, and she has helped me keep pace with technology and changes in the industry.
Without Jordyn, my career would not be what it is today. Having her beside me as both my daughter and my partner is something I treasure.
Looking ahead with gratitude
If I could give my 18-year-old self advice, I would say: give it a try, but be prepared to work hard.
Be organized. Be proactive. Build relationships. Remember how much it means to someone when they receive the keys to their first home and you have helped them get there.
Even after nearly 40 years, that part of the work still excites me. No two days are exactly alike, and there is always something to learn.
When I look around the room at our celebration, the words I most want to say are simple: thank you.
Thank you for trusting me, returning to me and introducing me to the people you care about. Thank you to my family, team and colleagues for being part of this journey.
It has been an incredible career, and I look forward to the relationships and experiences still ahead.
Please join us on November 22
Our Annual Client Appreciation Event will also celebrate my upcoming 40-year anniversary in real estate. I would love to share the occasion with the clients, friends and REALTOR® colleagues who have been part of this journey.
- Date: Sunday, November 22, 2026
- Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
- Venue: Bellagio Restaurant + Kitchen on Richmond Road
- Enjoy: Wine, cheese, cocktails and canapés
- RSVP: RSVP online using our registration form or email admin@joannegoneau.com
With appreciation,
Joanne Goneau & Team