How To Overcome Adversity To Build One Of Canada’s Top Real Estate Teams
If you’ve ever wondered how far grit, creativity, and pure resilience can take you in real estate… this episode will stick with you.
Welcome back to episode 125 of Inspired To Invest. Click here to watch the episode.
In today’s conversation, I sit down with Shawn Getty, one of the most explosive success stories in Canadian real estate.
In just six years, Shawn went from broke, injured, newly divorced, and living on a mattress in a rented room… to becoming one of the highest-selling solo agents in the country with 186 deals in a single year — and now leading one of Canada’s largest real estate teams, closing around 500 transactions annually with eXp Realty.
And the best part?
Nothing about his journey was “easy.”
It was built on hustle, door knocking, social media strategy long before it was cool, and a level of belief in himself that outworked every disadvantage stacked against him.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
This isn’t a highlight reel — it’s the truth about what it actually takes to build a real estate business from nothing.
We cover:
🚀 How Shawn Got Started While Completely Broke
Shawn shares the raw story of being six months behind on bills, selling his furniture for food, hiding his car from repossession, and trying to break into real estate during one of Calgary’s toughest markets.
💡 The Exact Prospecting Strategies He Used to Get His First Deals
Including how he generated business from:
- Door knocking (up to 300 doors per day)
- Calling through his sphere with zero “salesy” tactics
- Hyper-local social media commenting
- Free Facebook Marketplace listing blitzes that produced 20+ deals a year
These are practical, repeatable, zero-budget strategies new realtors can use right now.
📱 How He Built Local Celebrity Status Through Social Media
Shawn breaks down his “Blitz Strategy,” how he reverse-engineered Instagram to get hyper-local exposure, and how he turned simple DMs and comments into thousands of followers and a consistent pipeline.
💪 The Mindset Shift That Finally Changed Everything
Shawn talks about the real reason most agents fail:
They set income goals instead of skill-building goals.
He explains the power of focusing on reps, not results — and why the first year should be dedicated to mastering skills, schedule, and strategy.
🤯 The Wildest Story From His Career (A Foreclosure You Won’t Believe)
From a nine-hour drive in a blizzard… to a homeowner chasing him outside barefoot… to selling a listing with no photos.
This one is unforgettable.
🎯 The One Piece of Advice He Wishes Every New Realtor Would Hear
If you’re building a solo business or considering growing a team, this segment is gold.
🌟 Why This Episode Matters
Shawn’s journey is a reminder that your starting point doesn’t define your destination.
Whether you’re a brand-new agent, an agent struggling to find momentum, or someone thinking about a reinvention — this episode will give you the roadmap, the inspiration, and the tactical steps to move forward.
🔔 If you enjoy conversations like this, make sure to hit SUBSCRIBE and tap the bell so you never miss an episode of Inspired To Invest.
Thank you to M1 Capital Connectors for bringing us this month’s episodes.
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Inspired To Invest proudly supports the Beyond Success Program, a not-for-profit financial literacy initiative for students, launched by More To Give & MAK Investments. Learn more at @more2give.ca.
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