Who is Saghar Darabnia, could you please introduce yourself?

My name is Saghar Darabnia, I am a Realtor with Royal Lepage Canada and a member of Dan Cooper Group a leading Real Estate Team working in the west of GTA.

What is your business and when did you start?

I started Real Estate over ten years ago, I help clients achieve their Real Estate Goals either they want to sell, buy, invest or lease. I love educating my clients so they would always make an informed decision.

What inspired you to start your business?

When I moved to Oakville from Toronto, I was already thinking about Real Estate, even though I had a diverse background in Drama, Stage and Interior Design, Teaching and eventually Human Resources. I enjoyed the process of the purchase thanks to my Realtor in Oakville that I decided to take the courses and give it a try! I have never looked back and this has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life!

What were the challenges in the initial stages of your business and how did you overcome them?

When one finishes the courses and learns how to work in the field, he/she only obtains a lot of knowledge about the technical and legal aspects of the profession but not real Sales Skills and Prospecting for business! That definitely was a challenge as a new Realtor of how to prospect for clients. I am happy that I chose to join Royal LePage. A Canadian company that is a leader in training, support and helping their Realtors to succeed.

What motivates you about your business?

The fact that every day is a new and different day because we are constantly dealing with People! You have to be a great listener and cater your services to the specific needs and goals of your clients! My clients’ satisfaction and happiness about making the right decisions is a great motivator!

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?

Take charge of your business from the beginning, work on your business as well as your personal skills. Make sure your Business and Personal accounts are separate from the start and that you allocate a percentage of your income aside for taxes and unforeseen circumstances and do not touch that portion for anything else!

Interesting fact most of the people do not know about you?

I graduated from Drama at university! I chose to major in Stage Design but my professors were against that choice and wanted me to pursue Acting! I sometimes look back and feel like it would have been a fun different route if I had actually pursued Acting!

The best business advice I ever received was…

to always put my clients first and no matter what the outcome, only give them the advice based on the utmost of their interest in my mind.

My definition of success is…

feeling that I have done the best I could have done and tried my best in always exceeding expectations. Success is when you know you have been better than yesterday in Life, Personal Improvement, Business and all Relationships.

If I could go back in time when I started my business, I would tell myself to…

block off  a few weeks on my Calendar in the beginning of each year to travel with my family and spend quality time with them.

Three books I recommend for entrepreneurs are…

“Think and Grow Rich” by  Napoleon Hill,

“Twelve Pillars” by Jim Rohn,

“You 2” by Price Pritchett.

My personal tagline is…

Never expect anything from anyone and you will never be disappointed or hurt.