In Focus | Bert TerHorst

Meet Bert TerHorst! Bert immigrated from the Netherlands 20 years ago and is an all-encompassing Realtor based in the Okanagan.

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I am from the Netherlands and have lived here for 20 years.

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
My two children. Now that they live on their own and further away it’s important to get together whenever we have the opportunity.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
RW&Co because of my work, they offer casual business attire and my sizes tall and slim fit. And of course, the Mediterranean Market. They sell products from the Netherlands.

Describe yourself in one word.
Creative.

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
Tuscany, Italy.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
Quadding, boating, sledding, skiing, hiking, biking and dining.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
I do a lot of personal networking whereby I meet people at coffee shops. One time I had a meeting set up at a coffee shop but I didn’t remember what the client looked like. I saw someone sitting at the table and noticed that he was expecting someone. So, I approached him and asked him if he was Dale. He nodded and asked me if he could buy me a coffee. While we were ordering I noticed that our conversation was different then what I expected. We went back to his table and two other gentlemen showed up and they supposedly had a meeting with him. And then I realized that he was not the person I was supposed to meet. I apologized for the misunderstanding and let them know that I will find another table. When I went to another table, he said with a smile, enjoy your coffee. Finally, my contact showed up.

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
Becoming a Dad.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
Growing up in the Netherlands, we travelled every year during school vacations throughout Europe.

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I volunteer at the New Apostolic Church.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
Respect for each other and for God’s creation. That will go a long way.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
Walking along Okanagan Lake.

Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
Solving homelessness. Coming from the Netherlands, I have never seen so many homeless people on the street as I do here. There is a law in the Netherlands whereby the government’s mandate is providing a home for every citizen. I worked for a social housing association in a small town IJsselstein that has 34,000 residents. We managed over 3,000 social homes throughout the city. These homes were subsidized by the government and depending on their income, tenants receive additional housing benefits. The Real Estate in BC generates roughly $1.9 billion property transfer tax and $190 million foreign taxes plus additional 5% GST on new homes and land and Capital Gain taxes on Real Estate. There should be enough funds that can be allocated to social housing.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
This Four-Season playground makes this a great place to raise children.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
1. Taking flying lessons
2. Design and build a passive home
3. Build a Theme Park

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
After I finished my school in architecture, I served in the Dutch military for 2 years. I also worked as a civilian in the N.A.T.O. for 7 years in Germany. Currently I am a minister in our church.

How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bert-ter-horst-783955b/
https://www.instagram.com/waterhorst/
https://www.facebook.com/realtorBertTerHorst/
twitter@bertterhorst

What is the name of your business/organization?
Sage Executive Group in Commercial and Residential Real Estate plus LINC Development Services.

Why did you get into/start this business?
18 years ago I started in Real Estate after I was laid off while working for an architect firm due to the lack of new projects. After the Liberals were elected, they shelved most of the government projects. Unfortunately, local governments, airport and university are not always supporting local businesses but use architects from other larger cities or even outside of Canada. Because of my architectural background, I help clients in the rezoning process, provide project ideas and put a design team together to develop the project.

What is the goal of your business?
To be recognized as an all-encompassing Realtor who assists both Commercial as well as Residential clients. From land development to new construction, from selling a mobile home to an entire mobile home park. From selling or leasing a commercial space and any other Real Estate transaction.

What has been your biggest struggle either at work or in life?
Allocate time

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
Pursue a career as a pilot to travel the world.

What do you always find yourself saying?
“Sounds good”

Tell us your best piece of life advice.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Warren Edward Buffett. A business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. At the age of 89 he is still noted for his adherence to value investing and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth.

Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
Support local business owners and their employees. This will help the local economy and make us less dependent on products and services from outside our region and outside of Canada. We should be proud to be able to say:” Made in the Okanagan” or “Made in Canada”.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Immigrating 20 years ago from the Netherlands to Canada, together with my wife, Nancy and our 2 children.

Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
Erik Brouwer.

Some general comments I would like to share are:
I would like to see that the City of Kelowna will reconsider the plans for the old RCMP site in Downtown. Instead of selling to a condo developer, the City of Kelowna should create a vibrant culture development focused on entertainment and tourism centre that benefits the entire community and visitors. This opportunity will never occur again

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.

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition of the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great. Thank you, Kelowna!