Terence Tait has learned that a successful career in real estate depends as much on perspective as it does on market knowledge. More than 15 years in the industry have taught him to treat setbacks as lessons, avoid making decisions in the heat of the moment, and remain steady when clients are navigating the stress that often accompanies a major transaction.
Those lessons were developed through experience. Tait entered real estate after working as a new car sales manager, carrying with him an understanding of sales and customer relationships while learning the complexities of a new profession. Over time, he discovered that some of the most important skills were not strictly related to property. Patience, adaptability, emotional discipline, and the ability to learn from difficult situations became central to how he approached his work.
Today, as owner of Yukon’s Real Estate Advisers, Tait is thinking about how those experiences can inform what comes next. His goals include helping others pursue financial freedom while continuing to expand his own horizons, potentially into development projects and international markets.
In this Q&A, Tait discusses the career change that brought him into real estate, the lessons he has taken from failure, the advice he would give his younger self, and why he believes there is still plenty of room to grow after more than a decade in the business.
Seven Questions with Terence Tait
Q: How did you make the transition from automotive sales to real estate?
Terence Tait: I was working as a new car sales manager when a friend of mine told me I should come sell houses with her because I was wasting my talents selling cars. That suggestion ended up changing the direction of my career. I made the move into real estate, and I have never looked back.
It turned out to be a natural transition because many of the skills I had developed in automotive sales carried over. You have to understand people, listen to what they actually need, communicate clearly, and help them make a major financial decision. Real estate gave me the opportunity to use those skills in a different way and build a career in an industry that had already been part of my life in one form or another.
Q: Where did your connection to real estate and housing in the Yukon begin?
Terence Tait: Real estate was around me growing up, even though I didn’t necessarily think of it as a future career at the time. My mother was vice president of the housing department for the Government of Yukon, and my father was a contractor who built and renovated houses. Housing, construction, and property were always part of my life.
Growing up off-grid at Marsh Lake also gave me a perspective on the Yukon that you can’t really learn from studying market statistics. I understand the territory because I grew up here. Eventually, I realized that real estate was a natural fit for my background and for the knowledge I had accumulated over the years.
Q: How have you learned to deal with setbacks during your career?
Terence Tait: I had to understand that failure is really a learning tool. It gives you the opportunity to get better at what you do or learn that you need to do something differently, both in business and in life.
Real estate teaches you that pretty quickly because there are so many factors you cannot completely control. A deal can become complicated, and circumstances can change. Something you expected to happen may not happen. You can either take those experiences personally or look at what they can teach you.
Over time, I’ve learned to focus more on what I can take from a difficult situation and how I can use that experience the next time I encounter something similar.
Q: What skills do you consider essential for succeeding as a REALTOR®?
Terence Tait: You need to learn not to take things personally. Buying or selling a home is very stressful for the clients you work with. For many people, it is the biggest financial experience they will ever have, and you are there to help them when something goes wrong or becomes difficult, which it usually does at some point.
That means a REALTOR® needs to stay calm and understand where the client is coming from. If somebody is stressed or frustrated, your job isn’t to react emotionally. Your job is to help solve the problem.
Clients need someone who can keep perspective when a transaction becomes challenging. Being able to separate your own emotions from the situation and remain focused on what the client needs is a very important part of doing this job well.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self?
Terence Tait: I would tell myself to take the time to process all the information and wait 24 hours before making any decisions.
There is value in not reacting immediately. Earlier in your career, it can feel like every situation requires an instant answer, but experience teaches you that sometimes the best decision comes after you have had time to think.
That applies to business opportunities, problems, negotiations, and life in general. Gather the information, give yourself some space to process it, and then decide what makes sense. You can save yourself a lot of unnecessary trouble that way.
Q: What continues to motivate you after more than 15 years in real estate?
Terence Tait: I want to help others achieve financial freedom, and I also want to build a future where I can be happy and have the freedom to do what I want.
Real estate can play an important role in that for people. A property isn’t only a place to live. Depending on someone’s circumstances and goals, it can also become an important part of their long-term financial picture.
For me personally, motivation also comes from continuing to build something. I’ve been fortunate to have a long career in the Yukon, but I don’t see that as a reason to stop looking for the next opportunity. There is always something else to learn and another direction in which you can grow.
Q: What do you see as the next chapter of your career?
Terence Tait: I’m looking at starting developments and sales in a different market and a different country. Ultimately, I want to work all over the world.
The Yukon will always be an important part of who I am and how I built my career. At the same time, after more than 15 years working in this market, I’m interested in seeing how that experience can translate elsewhere.
Working internationally would give me an opportunity to learn different markets, work with different types of developments, and continue expanding what I do. For me, the next chapter is about taking the experience I’ve built here and seeing how far I can take it.
Follow Terence Tait’s Journey
Who is Terence Tait?
Terence Tait is a REALTOR® and owner of Yukon’s Real Estate Advisers (SellingYukon.com), serving buyers, sellers, and developers in one of Canada’s most distinctive property markets. Over his career spanning more than 15 years and hundreds of transactions, Tait has contributed to the pre-sale marketing of developments including Silver Flats. A bilingual Francophone, Tait works with clients in both English and French. Outside real estate, he enjoys fishing, hockey, fitness, and spending time with his family.
