Interior Properties Real Estate has had incredible success in just a short time.
Co-founded by Carol Ann Taphorn and Susan Colgate last November, the company has now expanded to four agents with the additions of Adrian Kreis this past March and Shirley Marcotte in June.
“Our numbers have been astonishingly good and are continuing to grow,” said Colgate.
The company is excited about the real estate market in Williams Lake and there is definitely a feeling of optimism as they are keeping very busy.
“The market has been great — people are constantly upsizing or downsizing and we’ve really noticed people buying up a lot of vacant land of late,” said Taphorn. “And don’t let people say nobody comes here from out of town because we’ve had a lot of people coming here with their families.”
The agents at Interior Properties know how important it is to keep their clients happy.
“Williams Lake is a small town and you’re always working on referrals so you want to make sure you keep the clients happy,” said Taphorn.
“Things like being honest with the client and integrity and trust will keep them coming back. We have many repeat customers.”
Colgate, who arrived in town 15 years ago from Vancouver, started working as a realtor eight years ago with Taphorn as her mentor.
“I have always dreamt of opening up a real estate office, with Carol’s experience and professionalism she is the perfect fit as a managing broker,” said Colgate.
Taphorn has been a mainstay in the Cariboo since she moved to Horsefly in 1964, then Williams Lake in 1965.
She has worked in real estate now for 42 years and remembers back in 1973 when she sold her first home.
“It was the tail end of the hippy era and I sold some property out in the Knife Creek area to a couple of kids from Colorado and they paid cash,” recalls Taphorn.
Kreis who moved to Big Lake from Switzerland in 1996 with his wife and three daughters, came to the Cariboo for the wide open space.
“In Switzerland we have eight million people living in a country the size of the Cariboo and it was getting to the point we were feeling hemmed in,” said Kreis, who has been a realtor name for almost four years and loves the diversity of the profession.
“Everything is unique, you have different clients and different properties which require new challenges, Kreis said.
“You can easily get bored doing the same thing but this career is always something new and exciting.”
The latest addition to Interior Properties is Marcotte, who has lived in the lakecity since 1975 and recently became a licensed realtor.
“I was always interested in the field but the timing was finally right when the kids left home,” said Marcotte.
“I’m very pleased with my decision to join Carol, Susan and Adrian here at Interior Properties.”
Branching off into a small company is not quite as daunting as it once was in the past thanks to the internet and online marketing.
“You don’t need to be one of the big franchises anymore to get business and it’s easy to get your name out there with the internet,” said Taphorn.
“We have people contacting us from France, Germany and places all over.”
No matter what your real estate needs, someone at Interior Properties can help you as they have all corners of the market covered to meet any specific needs.
“Between all of us we have somebody who specializes in commercial, recreational, ranches and acreages, new construction, residential you name it,” said Taphorn.
The company is in no hurry to expand but Colgate notes that there is always a spot here for the right person.
“If the right person comes along and is a good fit for our group we would expand,” said Colgate.
“We have a lot of mutual respect for one another and great relationships which is important.”
For more info you can contact Interior Properties at 250-398-9889 or view their homes for sale online at www.interiorproperties.com or visit their office located at 25 South Fourth Ave. across from Safeway.
