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Kit + Coop are bringing back boutique and redefining luxury in Vancouver's real estate market.
Everybody knows Vancouverites are game for authenticity, action, and spicing things up. Whether it’s reinventing recreation and green living or global business and world-class real estate, the city is hungry for innovation with an eye on new trends and fresh ways to live the good life.
Over the past ten years, exponential growth in Vancouver, not to mention global events, has redefined exactly what “the good life” means. Wellness, connection, work-life balance and luxury are taking new forms, and thoughtful, discerning real estate buyers with an eye for quality are leading the charge.
Hugh Cooper and Kit Matkaluk have known this for years, and they wanted in.
While attending University of Western, Coop spent his summers tree planting. After completing his degree, he worked various career avenues—elementary school teacher, certified financial planner (to name a couple)—but nothing quite fit. Then he tried his hand at real estate.
“I don’t know exactly how I decided on real estate, but it stuck and boy, am I glad it did,” he says. “My first year as a realtor was very difficult and I had some huge learning curves, but I considered it successful. To this day, this job continues to challenge me, and I am continually learning, which keeps it interesting!”
For Kit, real estate was practically his birth right. His father was a commercial and residential developer, which fostered Kit’s interest in the field… and his entrepreneurial spirit.
“I knew I would be in the industry,” he says. “I just needed to figure out the best fit for me, which turned out to be people.”
He graduated UVic with a BA and then completed a diploma in Urban Land Economics at UBC, going on to work for the world-leading real estate program at the Sauder School of Business where he managed and developed academic materials, and then became a realtor.
The Early Days
Kit & Coop were both out there pounding pavement in real estate, eager to work when they realized an important opportunity.
“We had mutual friends starting to buy, so rather than compete for their business—and possibly make things awkward—we decided to team up and work together,” Coop says. “That’s how Kit + Coop began, and the rest is history.”
In 2016, they bought an office in Lower Lonsdale and have been the #1 agents in LoLo year after year ever since.
As partners, Kit + Coop push each other. They hold each other accountable, and they both work collaboratively with every client.
“Realtors needs to wear a lot of hats,” Coop says. “And while no one can be good at everything, we feel we have the combined skills that make us a great real estate team.”
They also don’t take themselves too seriously, which allows them to think outside the box with purchase and sale strategies and with marketing campaigns. “We like to put ourselves out there and have fun while we do it,” Coop says.
Coop excels with numbers, marketing ideation and helping clients navigate the emotional stresses of real estate. Kit has the background in construction, knows the legal side inside and out, and his social, outgoing personality fosters important connections with clients.
“It’s a marriage!” Kit says. “We have fun, and we are aligned on work ethic and goals, but we both possess strengths that allow our relationship to grow and thrive.”
They’d always wanted to open a brokerage, but quickly realized it was more difficult than anticipated because it meant aligning with companies’ mission and vision, which proved tricky.
“The Agency had just opened up in Victoria in 2018, and we wanted to learn more,” Coop says. “Upon peeling back the layers of the company, we were completely drawn to their brand, principles and core values. We loved how they represent properties, how they treat people and other agents, and how the culture is built within the company. The Agency is boutique and focuses on quality, not quantity. We loved this and it spoke to us!”
Claim to fame
The Agency earmarked its claim to fame early on with a clear founding vision—breaking away from tradition and creating a modern brand that speaks to today’s luxury consumer. It was an early adopter of social media, going all-in on Instagram and other digital platforms. This approach paid off as the home shopping and buying experience went increasingly online and mobile.
The Agency has also been featured on global television shows, like “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles” and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” This exposure has expanded the company’s global presence and brand awareness, which has proven invaluable for its agents and clients.
“Today, The Agency is one of the most followed residential brokerages in the world with over 370,000 followers on Instagram,” Kit says. “It doesn’t just share listings. It engages with a global audience. Beyond growing the brand presence, this approach has translated into success for agents and clients.
“Success for one of us means success for all of us.”
Home to Vancouver
In 2021, Kit + Coop brought The Agency to North Vancouver. Because it is one of the most livable cities in the world, Vancouver’s real estate market has experienced substantial growth over the past years and will continue to rise as it establishes itself as a “supercity.”
“Real estate in Vancouver is stunning and expansive and commands agents who set themselves apart in a very competitive industry,” Cooper says. “Vancouver has a lot of established brokerages but few are utilizing global exposure coupled with social media better than The Agency. We feel it’s going to make a lot of noise here and shake things up.”
There is growing demand for luxury listings in Vancouver—think 3755 Calder Avenue and the penthouse at #50-133 Keefer Street—but in a quickly changing, highly fluctuating market, luxury has become more than a price point.
“It comes down to the client experience,” Kit says. “That is how we define the word luxury. Every client, no matter the price point, receives the same level of concierge-style service. Every client feels seen, heard and cared for.”
Kit + Coop will be bringing The Agency to downtown Vancouver, opening a new office in Gastown in Q4 and working on opening another office shortly after.
“We are talking to some great agents and teams that will help grow the brand and the culture,” Coop says. “With them, our goal is to paint the town red.”
Discover The Agency and Kit + Coop today at theagencyre.com/vancouver and kitandcoop.com
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