Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work with Damir Strk when buying, selling, or investing in real estate in the GTA? There’s no better way to find out than by talking to longtime clients who have conducted multiple transactions throughout various market conditions over the past 20 years. To learn more, we chatted with Denise Nunez and Stephen Irlam about the results they have achieved with Damir’s help. 

Want to stay up to date with the GTA real estate market? Subscribe here to get the latest stats and exciting new listings delivered straight to your inbox.

Why did you choose Damir as your real estate agent?

Denise: “Damir was actually recommended to us by a Realtor® friend who was not available to help us at the time. We were thinking about a foray into real estate investing and looking for our first rental property. It was something we had been planning for a while and really needed the support of someone knowledgeable and willing to guide us through this first step..

Right from the very beginning, Damir proved to be invaluable.. The process of finding a property that fit our needs took several months and Damir was patient and just as excited and engaged in the process as we were every step of the way.

Many transactions later, we are still with him, and we will never use another Realtor® as long as Damir is available. Over the years, we have bought, sold, and rented many properties, and Damir has opened our eyes to possibilities we didn’t even know existed. He has been amazing every single time.”

Stephen: “What impressed me the most from the get-go was how knowledgeable Damir was and how he really worked to understand our needs. Here’s just one example: When I finally came around to the possibility of owning my first property instead of renting, Damir sat down with me to get to know who I was and what type of property would both suit me to live in and be a good income property. Damir got right to work and lined up several options that closely met my criteria and he was certain I would like. He was right!  

We found the “one,” and with confidence I made the offer and secured the property. Although I no longer live there, it was a great starter home for me and I still have that house in my real estate portfolio today!  

Damir is never just about getting the transaction. He is the type of person that cares about people and looks after his client’s needs first. Even today as we are considering a bigger home, Damir ensured we were considering all our options like renovating versus buying and dealing with today’s market. 

Looking for more informative posts about buying a home in the GTA? Here is some related reading you may enjoy:

What was your first transaction like?

Denise: “Even before we bought our personal home, we bought a few rental properties with Damir.. The first time we worked together, we were students with limited funds to get started. Not only did Damir treat us professionally and make us feel like we were his only clients, he supported us through the whole process even beyond finding the property and making an offer.

It took over six months and many rejected offers to finally find the right property. I’m actually surprised that Damir didn’t fire us as clients. He was incredibly patient and worked with us every step of the way. We ended up with a triplex that produced strong rental income. Even after the transaction was over, Damir was still looking out for us and helped us through the rental and property management process.”

Stephen: “Damir also took us outside traditional real estate investing and showed us possibilities we never even dreamed of. There is so much more to it beyond buying and flipping or even just renting. He got us thinking about land developments, property management, and other creative real estate investing strategies. 

His level of expertise and ability to explain things clearly meant the world to us, especially for me. Denise has always been into real estate investing, but I was on the fence. I needed to better understand the returns and risk factors. Damir got us started, guiding us through all the details and helped us push ourselves out of our comfort zone.”

Curious about real estate investing? A good place to start your research may be with our post, “Should You Invest in a Freehold or Condo Unit?”

What major obstacles did you face that Damir was able to help you overcome?

Denise: “When you’re buying investment properties, you tend to need a lot of hand-holding, especially in the beginning stages. And Damir was always there, no matter what. He has never let us down.

However, his expertise really stood out when it came time to buy our personal residence. Damir made it a point to understand what we wanted and what we could afford in a competitive market. 

When Stephen and I finally found a house we both loved, we were dismayed that it went into multiple bids. During that time, Damir spent many long days talking us off a ledge and keeping us grounded. 

It was an emotionally charged situation, but he wouldn’t let us go over our maximum budget. Without Damir, we would have almost certainly lost the deal. He refused to let that happen, nor did he let us overpay for the house we wanted so badly.

He negotiated with the seller and managed to secure the home below the asking price even though there were multiple offers. When that happened, I thought Damir must be some kind of miracle worker! But it’s just his personality. 

Not only did know what we wanted, he made it a point to know what the seller wanted, and he found common ground between us that sealed the deal. He’s meticulous and never misses a beat.” 

Stephen: “After our offer was accepted, Damir said the seller wanted to meet us. The sellers told us that he was the reason we won the deal. He had told the homeowners about us and our future plans for the home  and they wanted us to have it. Real estate transactions might be about numbers, numbers, numbers, but at the end of the day, it can be just as much about personal connections. And that’s just one more area where Damir shines!”

Looking for more information about how to make an offer that appeals to the seller? Read How to Make Your Offer Stand Out.

Were there any other unique challenges you faced when buying your home?

Denise: “I don’t know if you’d call them “unique” because there are always so many challenges! One of the worst hurdles in real estate, either as an investor or buyer, is working with the banks and getting financing. 

When we bought our personal home , the banks turned us down because we owned investment properties, which meant we already had a few mortgages. Here we were with this house that we loved, and the bank didn’t want to lend us any more funds. 

We felt so stuck, but luckily for us, Damir was not out of miracles. He has so many connections in the industry. He made a few phone calls and managed to secure financing for us just in time to close our transaction.”

Stephen: “Damir kept reassuring us, ‘Don’t worry. We are going to make this work.’ And he did! We were worried we would lose  the house, but Damir’s network made it happen for us. We couldn’t have been happier.” 

Finally, what are the results that you are most happy with?

Denise: “We owe so much to Damir. He has completely changed our lives and helped to  catapult our real estate investing dreams  to a level we never would have dreamed of. We are now active investors continuing to build a strong real estate investment business and it all started with that first triplex. And with Damir’s help we are also  living in a home we love in the city and neighbourhood I’ve always wanted to be in.”

Stephen: “When we first met Damir, we didn’t even know what we wanted or what we were looking for. He has since helped us become successful real estate investors with multiple properties in our name. All of this started with Damir, and none of it would have been possible without him. For anyone thinking of buying, selling, or investing, we recommend him 1000%.”

Do you have questions about the many real estate opportunities within the GTA? Reach out to damir@damirstrk.com or call 416.884.7925 to start a conversation today.