Mr Karu Kandiah just about to close a listing.

Karu and Selva at the Mississagua branch office.

Mr Karu Kandiah in one of his corporate moments.

Doctor turned Realtor makes a mark in Canada’s top city – Toronto

Karu Kandiah, a doctor who ran two medical clinics in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, made a bold move in 1987. His move has proven to be an excellent decision as he now serves as a leading realtor in Canada. Can Indo Lanka-Times interviewed this remarkable individual. We are sure he story will be an inspiration to encourage new immigrants to reach the top as they face many challenges that come with moving into a new country. But as Mr. Kandiah shows in his own story, sometimes the challenges we faced with can be blessings in disguise.

In 1987 Mr. Karu Kandiah decided that it was time for him to make a move to the western world to give his family a better life. After practicing in Sri Lanka as a medical doctor, serving not only the Tamil dominated Jaffna peninsula, but also the Sinhala speaking areas such as Balapitiya, Galle & Ambalanthota , Karu decided that it was time for him to move. Although he owned two successful medical clinics, he saw there was not going to be much hope for him and his family in a town that was ruled by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). Unfortunately it often resulted in regular fighting between the LTTE and the IPKF.

The Challenges

As soon as Karu arrived in Canada he was anxious to practice medicine but the universities were not able to entertain his request of admission due to his residency status. He was advised to study as a foreign student. He knew that would have cost him a fortune and since he didn’t have the means to be certified and continue his practice in his new country, he took up telemarketing to support his daily living.

Karu was fortunate enough to be reunited with his family not too long after his arrival. His wife and 3 kids arrived in Canada in 1988 and they took up residence in Etobicoke, Ontario. Karu continued his life as a telemarketer but did not let go of his determination to do bigger and better things to support his family. Quick to realize that there wasn’t a future as a telemarketer, he searched for a career that would provide him with a decent income.

As a Realtor

It was during this time that he discovered the opportunities in real estate would allow him to earn between $30,000 – 40,000 in this industry. Under the advisement and the support of his friends, the young former doctor from Sri Lanka didn’t waste much time to pursue the idea. He began by enrolling himself in the OREA real estate course while keeping his telemarketing job to support his family. In 1989 Mr. Karu Kandiah was finally ready to serve his community as a knowledgeable realtor.

Karu’s first year was not easy although he pulled through it and made a decent income of $29,000. But nothing could prepare him for what was about to happen in the housing market. This shockwave hit him hard. In 1990, Canada entered into a recessionary period, and things were looking pretty glum. Because of this, people were hardly buying houses. His income was steadily declining, recording incomes only of $18,000 (1990), $12,000 (1991) and a low 6,000 (1992).

Although this was another hole in his bucket, this did not cause him to give up. Karu knew that he had to take steps to continue to help provide for his family. This forced the young Kandiah to find employment as a security guard while barely hanging on to his real estate career. While many realtors gave up and found themselves in other areas of business Karu was willing to stay there and somehow make it through the hard times of the dwindling market.

Determination Pay off

In 1994 the economy was slowly recovering and the young doctor turned up his realtor’s determination gage. This paid off , as he was extremely busy showing potential clients their new homes. With a comfortable income of $40,000 and a Sales Achievement Award from his brokerage, Royal Lepage, Karu was geared up to make his mark in the field of real estate.

A slue of performance awards followed as his income steadily rose, soon outperforming veterans in the industry. The recipient of the Master Sales Award, President’s Gold Award, Platinum Award, Member of the Chairman’s Club, he was soon in the top 1% of Royal Lepage realtors and also one of the top 10 in Royal Lepage in Canada.

Building a business to last

After serving 20 years and running a satellite office for Royal Lepage in the Scarborough area it was time for him to take on the next challenge in his career. In 2008, the veteran realtor left Royal Lepage and joined hands with a new real estate brokerage called “Red Carpet Royal Realty.” Although the company was new in Canada it had been in existence for quite a while in the USA and was founded by a brilliant entrepreneur, Mr. Andrew Cimmerman. With Mr. Cimmerman’s reputation of taking Homelife Realty from zero dollars to its present status of one of the best real estate firms in North America ,and his affiliation with Red Carpet, Karu met opportunity with determination.

Karu found himself with the right mix to make his dreams of owning his own business a reality. Soon he went on to hire the manager of his previous office ( Royal Lepage) to take on the affairs of his new business and was fortunate to have 25 of his realtors join him.

With an office of 4000 Sq ft in Scarborough, Ontario, the doctor turned realtor put his efforts in building his team and within a period of 8 months had 42 realtors enrolled in his firm.

Mr. Karu Kandiah has truly made his mark and he says that Canada is a land of opportunities. If you are willing to work and put your 100 percent in whatever you are doing, the sky is the limit. This marvelous country provides opportunity to succeed immaterial of the challenges put in your way. “Being here provided me with an opportunity to taste success although I had a drastic change in my career from a doctor to a realtor. “

The Family

Mr. Kandiah and his wife have three kids ages 26yrs, 24yrs and 22yrs. All are studying medicine and will soon serve the world as doctors. He went on to say that it was a blessing to be a doctor and is happy that his children are able to pursue their studies and serve in the field of medicine. As for Karu, he wishes to take on the roll as a lecturer and will devote his time to help new agents succeed in the real estate. His talents and skills do not end there, as Karu is also a dedicated actor, cricketer and a social worker.