Steve Jelenic
SAGE - Sales Representative
Real estate is not just my career, it’s my passion which has translated into a lifestyle. Fortunately, my family landed in Toronto when we first came here from Europe. I still remember being 6 years old in Chinatown on Spadina with my father and feeling the energy flowing through the neighbourhood. It was at that moment that I knew Toronto was a city I would live in for the rest of my life. Buying and selling real estate in one of the most competitive markets in the world, it is not easy. Innovation, dedication, trust, integrity and a “tell it how it is” attitude is the foundation of my business… and something my clients appreciate!

Many years ago in the City of Toronto, families had the opportunity to live in specific neighbourhoods, close to family and cultural influences. As time and urban intensification continued, it has become more challenging for families to stay connected. Geographic regions generally dictate the value of a property and with the intensity and pace our city has grown, it’s becoming ever more difficult to stay in a specific location, and connected to loved ones and community.
With this reality in mind, my approach to the Toronto real estate market is one I like to view as boots on the ground coupled with a bird’s eye view.
Crafting and creating solutions to clients’ specific needs and requirements is something I take great pride in. My career has been a winding path that has come across many bumps in the road. Having the privilege to work on a high number of transactions per year equips me with a specific set of skills to avert disaster. Highly intrigued by the legalities, building/zoning regulations and realities that propel our marketplace, Im forever curious about our residential marketplace and city. Experience enables me to see a problem before it arises and position a client for success within a situation that could certainly become a significant dilemma.
Being active in my personal endeavors in the Toronto residential marketplace means I have skin in the game. I like to believe I approach a client relationship with an objective viewpoint of “what would I do in this situation”. Of course, I then take into consideration the client’s specific wants, needs, and requirements to try and align myself with their best interests. As a fiduciary agent, your interests are placed well above mine. One transaction is not going to make my career and I would prefer to have a client walk away from the wrong deal than to transact just for the sake of production.
I come from a hard-working middle-class family. My father was an entrepreneur and antique carpenter. My mother was a social worker. I learned the powerful lesson and value of hard work at a very young age. This persisted through high school where I regularly had an after-school job throughout. Memory recalls summers painting houses, after-school evenings in a local Italian butcher shop, or making sales calls for a local lawn care company.
Post high school, I decided to bring my minimal handyman skills to the residential concrete forming world, where I worked on high-rise condominium construction for 3 years. Realizing my keen interest in residential construction and knowing I wanted to transition to being a licensed real estate advisor in the City of Toronto, I took a unique path to position myself for the transition by packing my vehicle with my belongings and driving to Western Canada to work on the oil rigs.
I spent 2 years working on the oil rigs in Northern British Columbia as I saved the money I would require to take the plunge into my new career, selling residential real estate. A journey that brought many good lessons through working in extreme conditions for 12 hours at a time and oftentimes for 20, 30, or even one time, 72 days straight. Often in -40 degree temperatures.
Upon arriving back in Toronto in 2016 the journey began. Since then, I’ve been active in the residential real estate market assisting clients to position their real estate holdings and portfolios. A great joy of mine.
While active in the residential markets… I find it very important to continue to give back to a city that has given me so much. I am an active member of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto Program along with an active volunteer and donor at my local Food Bank. Through community involvement, I aim to stay connected to our community. Having these outlets are very important and I would encourage everyone out there to find ways to participate and give back to the community.
Thank you for stumbling upon my “about me” page on my website. If you’ve read to this point I’d like to thank you for your time and I hope we have the opportunity to connect or work together one day soon. Be well