In Focus | Mike Bishop of Royal LePage Kelowna

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Mike Bishop

What do you always find yourself saying?
“Why not?” - I’m great at getting people outside their comfort zone or to try something new. Usually if can I get them to think about the reason they don’t want to do something it comes down to nervousness. Once you get over that you can do anything. I also say “It depends” a lot (see “What is your mission?” below).

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
Bill Gates. Most people know him as the rich CEO of Microsoft but few people know about all the philanthropy work he’s done since his retirement. From starting “The Giving Pledge” (in which over 100 billionaires signed to give away the majority of their wealth to charitable causes either in their lifetime or in their will.) to organizing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which tackles global problems mostly in 3rd world countries. I think he would have a lot of knowledge and advice on life in general.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Royal LePage Diamond Award for being the top three per cent in sales.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
Albert Einstein. I want to hear about his crazy theories that he never wrote down.

Who inspires you?
My parents, Gary and Elaine Bishop. The amount of hard work, determination, and dedication they put into being successful while still maintaining a balanced social life as well as being active in the community is nothing short of amazing.

What are three things on your bucket list?
Bungee Jumping, visiting all seven continents, and starting a charity.

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
Official Business, so I can tell people I’m out on Official Business. I feel that one sentence describes me perfectly. That’s everything you need to know about me right there.

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
Feb. 29, 2024

What are you passionate about?
Helping people in tough situations. We've all been in a situation in need where one small act made a huge positive impact on us. It's a great feeling knowing that the tiniest effort can drastically change someone for the better.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
The day I moved to Kelowna. The sun was shining, everybody seemed so friendly, my neighbour stopped by to say hi and helped me move a few things. Then later that evening I drove up to the first lookout point on Knox Mountain and looked over the city while the sun set. It was a perfect day and I knew I made the right decision.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Losing over 50 lbs and deciding to lead an active lifestyle. It has definitely had the biggest impact on my quality of life and well-being. I also won a prize in one of those claw arcade machines once. It’s a close call.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
I do a lot of healthy cooking at home but I am 100 per cent addicted to Kelly O’Bryan’s Pachos.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
Definitely hiking! There are so many trails within a 10-20 minute drive from any point in Kelowna and the views are spectacular! I try to go on at least one hike every week. It’s a good way to disconnect and forget about everything else while enjoying the calmness of nature.

What is the name of your business/organization?
Royal LePage Kelowna

What does your business/organization do?
Royal LePage Kelowna is committed to provide you the best possible real estate experience. With five offices, located in Peachland, West Kelowna, Kelowna, Lake Country and Big White, you are guaranteed an exceptional level of service and knowledge, whatever your real estate needs.

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.homesinkelownaforsale.com

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
Michael Bishop Real Estate Agent

What is your Twitter account?
@MikeBishopAgent

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
Mike Bishop84

What is your mission?
It depends. If I’m representing the seller my mission is to get them the most money for their home in the shortest amount of time. If I’m representing the buyer I’m trying to find them the perfect home and negotiate the lowest price for them. I always strive to reach my clients’ goals and build lasting friendships along the way.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
I came from a technology background so I would like to one day build an app/website/tool that changes the face of online real estate. I’m not sure what that is just yet. I have a few ideas floating around. If anyone reading this has any feedback on things they like or don’t like about searching for real estate online please send me an email. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
Hopefully I’ll have my own team and assistant as well as a development team to build related real estate tools and programs that analyse data to find patterns in the real estate market.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
Wade Webb is one of four managers at Royal Lepage Kelowna, and co-owner of the brokerage, who does a lot to train agents on cutting-edge marketing and how to add valued services for our clients. A lot of great ideas are thrown around the table whenever he is in the room.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Support, knowledge, and teamwork.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. If you have a new idea, try it. Don’t do what everybody else does or you’ll just be average.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
Royal LePage has its own charitable foundation - The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women's shelters and violence prevention programs. 100% of the funds raised go directly to helping the more than 30,000 women and children who are served each year by the shelters and support programs that are funded.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
Technology and renewable energy. I would talk to them about how long they think the oil/gas industry will remain dominant and what new advances in renewable energy they see coming in the near future as well as how it would affect the Canadian economy as a whole.

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
I would change the name to East Kelowna. Of course I’m kidding. Honestly there isn’t anything I would like to change about Kelowna. Maybe the highway.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
It’s the perfect mix of small town and city living. Whether you want to go shopping, hiking, biking, skiing, boating, golfing, dining out, wine touring… there’s something for everybody and for every season.

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Wade Webb at Royal LePage

Some general comments I would like to share are:
Don’t always try to time the market. Sometimes the right time to buy or sell is just whenever you are ready, whether that is today, next year, or several years from now. If you have any questions about real estate please don’t hesitate to give me a call at 250-878-4670.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!