April 9, 2020 TAKE THE FIGHT TO COVID A Message from our President, Ryan Lalonde

To our partners,

This is a message I am eager to share with those who know us best. It’s a note that is both timely and potentially long overdue. It’s a summary of our journey thus far, and a vision of the future we see in front of us. My intention is to provide a degree of clarity about the decisions we have made. It’s also my intent to share perspective and vision, while also acknowledging the work ethic of our organization to make it happen. Most importantly, it’s a message of confidence, in where we have come from, and the future that we are driving towards.

As you know, these are unprecedented times. Our markets are in a constant state of change. Loss and hardship dominate the headlines. While hope and concern for family and friends is ever present, our personal health and well-being are equally being challenged, in a way few of us have experienced before. And while changes across every part of our lives are being endured, there is a silver lining in the storm clouds. In some ways, CoVid has brought us closer, made us stronger and forced us to be adaptive. The way we connect, the way we support and the way we work, are learnings that will survive the storm. The time we give to family and the energy we give to those who need it most, all reflective of the real values we hold close to our hearts. We are still early in this journey, and yet it feels like we are already better for it.

Even in today’s climate, we continue to be ever focused, as we always have been, on our relationships, both within our organization and outside of it. This means listening intently to the perspectives around us, understanding other’s interests and finding alignment in values. We are committed to doing right by our partners and taking care of our people at every turn. During these challenging times, we expect more of ourselves than just survival. This requires resolve and strong leadership. Through these times, we are guided by our values and committed to those that share our vision. Today, that means thinking differently, embracing challenge and pushing up against the unknown.

With the deep support of our development partners and industry colleagues, we have thought about every aspect of how we support our clients through the storm. In the past 21 days, we have embraced new technologies. We have developed and launched software to support todays sales needs. We have adapted new working styles. We have reimagined the way we collaborate and connect. We have adjusted internal support roles. We have re-organized our sales platforms and re-evaluated how we structure and support the sales teams that drive them. We have put our smartest minds in the details of every project. The result, 100% of our organizations resources have been focused on the sales and marketing platforms we have been entrusted with. We are using this time to propel our business forward, tackling new innovations. We are thinking about the future of real estate and our role within it.

In some circumstances, all of the above would be enough. Today, we feel it is not. We must continue to bring the fight to CoVid. We must continue to do more than our share. This includes supporting essential services. Giving back to our health care workers. And minimizing our footprint on supply chain. We must continue to think seriously about the part we play in social distancing, while also fighting hard to avoid the economic losses many believe are an eventuality. We know this is a challenging time for all. It’s a time we must stand tall together, lean on each other and fight back in every way we know how. We expect more of ourselves and our partners. Gregory Williams said “On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it.”  We are ever focused on what comes next, confident that the future is bright for all that choose to see it that way. Like all storms, this one will pass, and we will all be stronger for it.

A Message from our President, Ryan Lalonde