Thanks for tuning in today. Today I have a really special guest for you. His name is Chris Ramatar. So he is an amazing customer service focused realtor, local in Windsor here, who's big in helping to give back in the community and he's going to share his story today. Chris, welcome.
Kris Ramotar:Hey. Thanks, Scott. I really appreciate it.
Scott Dillingham:Yeah. No problem. Thanks thanks for for coming on. So I think we should get off or start by letting everybody know a bit about you and your story. Where would you like to start with your story?
Kris Ramotar:I'm Chris Ramatara. I have three daughters. My wife's name is Maloney. I live in Lakeshore, Ontario. I was born in Guyana, South America.
Kris Ramotar:Came to Canada in 1987. Lived in Toronto up until 2003, then came to Windsor, drove a truck, worked at different many different places, and then here I am, something is always been a passion of mine is helping people and real estate give me the opportunity because personally coming as an immigrant from Guyana and not knowing the whole process how to buy a home. So I'll share my story what happened to me personally. Yes, it's something I love doing, helping people, and it's an amazing opportunity if you do it right for the right
Scott Dillingham:Yeah, no, I fully agree. So, how did you because I'm curious. So, how did you get started in real estate?
Kris Ramotar:When I just came to Canada, my dad had a condo and he sold the condo. So, the agent said to me, hey, you should look into this. And at that point in time, I just came to Canada. I'm like, I don't know real estate. That's not what I wanted.
Kris Ramotar:I always wanna be like a police officer. So, that was part of my dream. Got to where I wanted to be and then that avenue opened another door to me, door for me. So, I was at the gym one day 2016 and my buddy said, Hey, I'm going to become a realtor. I'm going to join, take the course.
Kris Ramotar:I'm like, Hey, I'll do too. I'm going to go home. So, I signed up and he still hasn't signed up yet. That's right. And I'm doing well, I believe, in my eyes and opinion And here I am today.
Kris Ramotar:Four years later going on my fifth year.
Scott Dillingham:Yeah. That's funny. So now that your friend has still not signed up, does he regret it? Does he wish he did?
Kris Ramotar:Or I really haven't seen him too much since COVID, and he's been busy working shift work on myself. Yeah. And I'm doing the real estate gig as well. Real estate is very time consuming. A lot of people doesn't realize all the work you have to do.
Kris Ramotar:Now, I just put in a sign on the lawn and put it on the MLS. I am very big on marketing people property because I feel it's very it's a passion of mine. So, I look at your home. It's my home. Your money is my money because that's how I view your probably one of the most valuable asset financially Yep.
Kris Ramotar:In life.
Scott Dillingham:No. For sure. And you actually said something interesting. You have you really focus marketing. Now without giving out your secrets, but say somebody listening to this, how would that benefit them?
Scott Dillingham:What do you do that goes above and beyond what somebody
Kris Ramotar:I first, I use professional services. I have a professional photographer. He does a drone picture for me, professional video, three d virtual tour. And then I just thought that don't put on the MLS. I put it on social media ads.
Kris Ramotar:So I have laser targeted niche to the perfect avatar or clients. So when you're looking to sell your home, I'm looking to for that one person that's gonna be the ideal person for your home. And I sell a neighborhood, not just a home. A lot of people sell the home. I don't sell the home alone.
Kris Ramotar:I sell the neighborhood. This is a lifestyle you're expect when you're buying a home in this neighborhood.
Scott Dillingham:Yep. Make sense because, yeah, the house might be great, but if there's no schools nearby and you have children, like, I agree. I think it makes sense to sell the neighborhood. That's really smart. Now another thing that I like about you is that you do like to give back in the community.
Scott Dillingham:So would you be able to touch on that? What you do to give back?
Kris Ramotar:Yeah, so because my daughters go to Lakeshore and Belle River High School. So every time I just two years now I started this, I sponsor one student whoever's graduating and will be attending post secondary education. There's a bursary award of $500 would like to do that until forever. That's going to be my little giving back to the community that I live in as well as I sponsor a local cricket team in Windsor that I played for. Cricket's been like my number one sport.
Kris Ramotar:I grew up with that and it's in my blood. So it's something I'm very passionate about. And the least I could do is now I'm probably financially more stable than I was years ago. I could give that back and it's not so much the expecting anything in return is something I'm very passionate about.
Scott Dillingham:No, I love that. Now, just going back to your beginning. So you came to Canada and how was that experience when you were young just coming here?
Kris Ramotar:It was like culture shock in a way because I had no friends. I left all my friends behind in Guyana and then we're here. My dad was here three years before us so we were three years without my dad so coming here and the climate is cold so that's now one of my favorite thing the weather the winter is now my favorite I like summer given the heat but it's it was different you needed a car to go everywhere you had to pretty much bundle up in the wintertime the people was always nice because I live in Toronto I would it was very diverse most of the people living in the buildings who was very like was immigrants so I didn't feel any differently so because of a big hospitality city yeah.
Scott Dillingham:Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. No. Canada is a great place to live.
Scott Dillingham:So welcome. But it's funny because you said it's cool and we live in the warmest part. So imagine living other places. I wouldn't want to. That's awesome.
Scott Dillingham:So now you've been a realtor for how many years?
Kris Ramotar:Four years going on my fifth year.
Scott Dillingham:Okay. And what is something that's, you know, for just a regular buyer? Like, what's one of the most common questions that you have and what would your solution be to someone who's getting out there to buy?
Kris Ramotar:It seemed to be my niche is first time home buyer. Okay. So classic examples, Chris, we don't know what do we do. I said the first thing I do is get a pre approval. And when you get a pre approval, I want to talk to your mortgage agent or your banker.
Kris Ramotar:I need a letter of commitment. Yeah. That letter of commitment and we're good to go. Then, I I perfect example. I said, give me a hand.
Kris Ramotar:I was like, what? I said, give me a hand. This was one of my client last week and I, she give me a hand and said, I'm gonna hold your hands from here till this transaction's over and then when your family's ready, I'm gonna still be here to hold your hands. I said, this is just the starting of our relationship. You're stuck with me.
Kris Ramotar:You can't get rid of me.
Scott Dillingham:There you
Kris Ramotar:go. I said, I wanna sell your child, your grandchildren, a home down the road if I'm still alive. That's what I wanted.
Scott Dillingham:No. That's awesome. I love you do that. Like, how do you give so someone buys a home, how do you still help them after the fact?
Kris Ramotar:So, example, we put in an offer. Okay, what do I need to do next, Chris? Okay. First, we're gonna I walk through the whole process. Yeah.
Kris Ramotar:You need to get insurance on a home while your offer is accepted. You have a home insurance. I tell them, you're gonna need a here's a copy of all my list of people. You need a plumber, you need electrician. Whatever you need, here's a list.
Kris Ramotar:This is your resources. That and then, they will call me for anything that I think, oh, we have some leak. Who do we call? Hey, I need a mechanic. Who do I call?
Kris Ramotar:A lot of times the relationship personally Yeah. My agent, what I used in the past, he sold me a home and he sell my home and I bought a home from him at crickets. I never heard back
Scott Dillingham:from him.
Kris Ramotar:Yeah. The money is in the follow-up. The money is building that relationship over time not expecting anything. A phone call, touching base and said, hey, Chris, how are you doing? How's your family?
Kris Ramotar:That's it. Just stay in touch. Keep in touch with your friends or family and don't ask for anything in return. Yeah. Treat people like the way you want to be treated.
Scott Dillingham:Yep. No, it may it makes sense. You're right. I remember I one of the first houses I bought. I never heard anything from the realtor again.
Scott Dillingham:I'm an investor so I have multiple ones and so the next one I bought, the realtor sent me like a gift basket and he called a year later and just said how was the property going and little things like that. So I think it does make a big difference to continue Yeah. Which is great. And it made me feel good because I'm like, wow. This person really cares.
Scott Dillingham:Because someone who doesn't care is probably not gonna do that. But someone who does will. So I love that. Now we do have to take a quick break, but when we come back, Chris is gonna go into how he was almost bankrupt and then how he bought a home 10 later. You're gonna wanna hear it.
Scott Dillingham:Alright. Welcome back. Okay. So, Chris, I told everybody before we started at the break that you were going to explain how you were pretty much bankrupt and then you bought a home in ten months. How does that work?
Kris Ramotar:Because I believe if you have the drive and the mental capacity to do anything, it's possible and it has support. So back in 2010, I'll back it up to 2007. Sure. My dad passed away in Toronto the day he was supposed to move. He passed away to come to Windsor or Lakeshore And with my then a month later, my mom and my brother moved November in 2007, came to Bell River, four houses away from me.
Kris Ramotar:And then my mom went to Guyana on first time ever after twenty something years, came back with a infection. And then couple months later, Christmas Eve, 12/24/2008, she passed Oh, man. So that's two tragedies in, I don't know, fourteen months. Then four months later, I went into work. Hey, Chris.
Kris Ramotar:We don't need you anymore. So this is 04/01/2009. And then one month later, my ex said, hey, I'm not happy. And I said, okay. Then she said, I have a boyfriend.
Kris Ramotar:I said, Alright, what else? Then we had two daughters. They were pretty young, like less than five years old together. There was a lot of struggles, things that happened before that. I'm not going go into detail.
Kris Ramotar:And then we had a trucking company, which were going well. Then three to four months into it, a truck crashed, driver quit, people not paying the bills on time and the money start what we had to run the business right up pretty quick. So at that point in time the business folded, I got a job at a local company with Asherx Food, Champion Products. Thanks to them. They helped me and they're still helping my brother today.
Kris Ramotar:They both employ my brothers. Wow. Still work there. So, I left there and there, my brothers are still there and then laid off for five months. A high body University of Windsor.
Kris Ramotar:Thank god. So, it's a great opportunity there for my kids and myself. About a couple months later, I had an opportunity to go back to Toronto, Toronto Police and I declined. Yeah. So, I owed, we owed over $126.00 in collections and debt from the truck and the company and everything and I the house was sold.
Kris Ramotar:There was a $40,000 lien on the property. So, 20,000 was given to us. 20 was held in my ex name. We took the money split. I said, here you go.
Kris Ramotar:I took my $10.00 straight to the bank, pay RBC collections. I caught up everybody's, hey, I have some money. Can we negotiate a a release or a deal or some sort of a thing? And they said, yeah, I said, okay. So, I made a release letter.
Kris Ramotar:This is what I can afford and everybody say, yes. So, that's was back in 2009. 2010, I went to the bank to get a loan. It was tight but it worked out. So, what I did was I took a credit, a car loan at 30% interest but I knew for me to get where I want to be, I had to make sacrifices.
Kris Ramotar:It was not a big loan. It was only $5.00 but I paid it on time. Yeah. I took it a capital one credit card and a $500 credit limit. I paid it on time.
Kris Ramotar:I had some RSP from FedEx about $15.00.
Scott Dillingham:Yeah.
Kris Ramotar:Which helped me and then working at the University of Windsor, I see save over $20. So, I went to the bank. I said, hey, listen, this is what I have. I have everything lined up and yeah, I got a mortgage for 197. Bought my townhome in East Windsor and never looked back and I always tell people, if it's meant to be and you work hard, you could get anything in life and don't say, oh, make any excuse that oh, it's not possible.
Kris Ramotar:Don't wait. Just do it and you'll find a way of getting where you wanna be.
Scott Dillingham:Nice. Yeah. Thanks. So that would be your best lesson is just do it.
Kris Ramotar:Do it. Yeah. Don't wait. Jump in and go.
Scott Dillingham:Yep. No. I love it. And that's interesting too about the the debt that you had. So I think that's valuable for people listening because if they're in the life stage that you're at and you have debt and you just wanna get past it and move forward.
Scott Dillingham:So how does that work? So say you have debt and you can't pay it. What did you do to get them to settle or reduce the amounts for you?
Kris Ramotar:I just called them and said this is what I could afford. Either yes or no and for some reason they just say yeah we'll do it to God for that maybe God was looking up on me.
Scott Dillingham:Yeah very well it could be.
Kris Ramotar:From 126,000 to 40 to 50,000 but settlement I can't complain.
Scott Dillingham:Yeah. No, that's great. That's great. That's really cool. So he's saying you just call them up, is great.
Scott Dillingham:So anybody can do that. I love that. Now your home that you bought, because one of the things that I thought of when you told me that was the interest rate really high or was it?
Kris Ramotar:I think it was around five, four something, five. It was pretty low.
Scott Dillingham:That was in 2010, right?
Kris Ramotar:'10, yeah. It wasn't too high. It was pretty low. Still affordable. I can't remember exactly how much it was.
Kris Ramotar:Okay. Yeah. Yeah. But it was I did it by myself on a single income. Yeah.
Kris Ramotar:A single dad. Yeah.
Scott Dillingham:Was it with 5% down or was that with 25. Wow. So that's really good. That's really good. Because I know CMHC is tough.
Scott Dillingham:So good for you. That's awesome. So you went from bankrupt to buying a home. And then so what happened after that? Obviously, you started the real estate in 2016.
Scott Dillingham:What was the the middle like there?
Kris Ramotar:In between, I was always operating in in the red and it's true paycheck to paycheck.
Scott Dillingham:Yep.
Kris Ramotar:I'm the least think that brought me to my knees, but I took a chance because I said if I sit at home with my brothers which we live in my brothers, my two kids, myself and a nanny. So we had pretty much four adults and two kids in that home and we all get along together. I said if I take a chance now I could do it because if I sit here and wait it's not gonna happen. Yeah. And I said, I know where my money is going and I'm broke, that's okay.
Kris Ramotar:Whereas if I am broke and I don't know where my money is going, then something's wrong. Yeah. And I sacrificed and I built equity and it was a great risk.
Scott Dillingham:That's awesome.
Kris Ramotar:Great risk.
Scott Dillingham:Oh, good for you and I know you're doing really well. I see you all the time out there and you're doing a great job. I realized or saw that you had a recent brokerage change. What was the benefits of going to the new brokerage?
Kris Ramotar:Where I was, this is my Ford brokerage. I went to Tom Thomas, opened the door, was grateful to Century twenty one. Great things swat in, but I wanted to grow. Yep. Then I went to Aussie Platinum, wanted to grow, and then I saw eXp and the model was awesome.
Kris Ramotar:Tools, technology, training, support but what I found and this is from my personal experience. There was no camaraderie and collectively team environment. Everybody pulled their own separate ways. Yeah. And when I call say, hey, Scott.
Kris Ramotar:It's Krish Ramatar from eXp. Like, where? Who? Okay. So, I'm trying to sell myself on a brand.
Kris Ramotar:You know, right now, it's not a big brand here. Windsor, SS County, the balloon. Everybody know it's synonymous. REMAX is synonymous with real estate in Windsor, SS County. So, you wanna go a place where when you say, hey, it's Chris from REMAX and you sell my balloon.
Kris Ramotar:It's already trusted. I don't have to sell the brand. Yeah. I just have to sell to show you what I could do. Yep.
Kris Ramotar:It's only been two months but the camaraderie to support to have a physical office in my opinion is huge. You have you become more trusted when somebody's hey meet me in my office. You call the staff and hey, can you do this for me? Whereas, where I was before, who do I call? I had to, I had some people on my team but they were not hungry.
Kris Ramotar:Yeah. I I give leads out and you call. No, I'm gonna call this afternoon. Hey, the lead just came in. Call now.
Kris Ramotar:I'm spending money.
Scott Dillingham:Yeah.
Kris Ramotar:But it's not your money so why you know work your Yeah. And I'm very passionate what I do. I love what I do but the brand I think by itself and staff and the professionalism and the camaraderie and the support, it's second to none. Plus with a big global brand, you couldn't ask some more.
Scott Dillingham:No, that's awesome. Good for you. I'm excited. Yeah, I saw the post on Facebook. You go, Chris.
Scott Dillingham:Perfect. So we do have to wrap up, but for anyone who's listening today, what would be the best ways to reach you or how they could find out more about you when they're considering choosing a realtor?
Kris Ramotar:I think my biggest place is on Google. Just Google Chris Ramotar, k r I s R A M O T A R and you're probably gonna see a 100 stuff pop up about me. So, every time, everywhere there's a medium, you're gonna find me, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, everywhere you can think of this, you'll find me. Yeah.
Scott Dillingham:Okay. Okay. That's perfect. That's awesome. Thanks so much, Chris.
Scott Dillingham:Have a great day, everyone. Take care.