Meet Irina Popova | Real Estate Broker and Managing Partner at The Agency Ottawa

We had the good fortune of connecting with Irina Popova and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Irina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Craving financial and scheduling freedom is what inspired my to start my own business and be my own boss. Of course I quickly realized that these goals would take years to achieve but is has been well worth the initial hustle.

When I first got my real estate license I started working under a large corporate brand. Shortly after, I met my now business partner Max Damour, who was running a successful real estate team at the time with a focus on urban condominium properties.

After a couple of years of working together we decided to open our own brokerage with a more progressive business model and design style. There was no high-end boutique agencies in Ottawa at the time and it turns out we weren’t the only ones looking for that type of brokerage environment – our company grew to over 40 realtors during the last few years. With focus on design, agent branding and developer sales we filled a niche in the Ottawa market.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a real estate broker and managing parter at The Agency Ottawa, a boutique high-end brokerage with a global reach.

I started selling real estate in my early 20s and have since become on of the top agents in the city. I moved to Canada from Russia when I was 14 years old with my mom and my sister. Over the years following our move we found ourselves living in a homeless shelter and subsidized housing, while trying to land on our feet. These experiences made me appreciate the feeling of home and security. Making a smart financial investment while also finding a place that feels like home is just a no-brainer in my opinion, and being the one to assist my clients with that goal has been a dream come true.

My business journey hasn’t always been easy – starting in the business at such a young age and with a very small network of potential clients was a big challenge. It took me 6 month to make my first sale. Discouraging at times, but even more rewarding at the end of the day. In order to make up for the lack of connections I had I worked more hours than anyone else around me. Time is money – I had a lot of time and no money, so outworking everyone else was my only choice. After three years of working overtime I saw a shift in my business: referrals started rolling in and I could finally breath a sigh of relief. What I’ve learned is that to be referred you need to be referable. Meaning that you need to do an excellent job for your clients, going an extra step at every opportunity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ottawa has many wonderful places to see. It offers a great balance of nature and entertainment. I would spend the mornings hiking in the Gatineau Hills, going for a bike along the Rideau Canal, or a stroll by the Ottawa River. Le Nordik is worth a visit – it’s the largest spa in North America! Restaurants that are definitely worth a visit in my opinion are Datsun, Fauna, Mati, Evoo, Moon Room, Tennessee Willems, La Bonita.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my mom – she is an immigrant in Canada who has been able to build her own successful sustainable business. She teaches kids and adults sustainable sewing, giving them the skills required to give an old article of clothing a new life. Despite her struggles with the language, my mom has become a well-respected teacher and business owner.

Website: irinapopovarealestate.com

Instagram: @irina.pops

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ottawarealestatesales/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irinapopovarealestate