Erin Lynn Lachance and Carol Love are finally on duty in person, welcoming drop-ins to their new shopfront.

Harvey Kalles celebrated the opening of its new offices on Picton Main Street earlier this month, after a year-long  renovation by Sage Design & Construction — which, conveniently, rents the offices upstairs.

The generous, light-filled space that fronts the 19th-century brick building represents just about a third of the ground floor, formerly occupied by Coach’s Pub and Grillhouse.

There is still a 1000-square foot back room, where the renovation continues.

Ms. Love and Ms. Lachance are planning an engaging community and collegial hub. A central kitchen will give  way to an event space that opens onto a stone-walled terrace.

They imagine a rentable space for everything from community events to brokerage gatherings, whether for seminars, movies, or parties.

A Bespoke Agency

Harvey Kalles is a small Toronto brokerage founded in 1957 by the now legendary Harvey and Elise Kalles.

“It survived every recession and endless competition from the big brokerages,” notes Ms. Lachance. “It was just a different thing, a family-owned boutique agency that went from strength to strength.

“It has a reputation for professionalism, attention to detail, and personal integrity. That is what drew us in.”

Ms. Love is clear. “Real estate agents don’t have such a great rep. Let’s face it. The current president of the United States was basically the worst real estate agent in history.”

“The only thing an agent has to offer is their reputation. You are judged solely on your past performance, your ethical stances, and what you do for your clients — no matter who they are.”

Harvey Kalles, for Ms. Love and Ms. Lachance, meant small, tailored, and personal. A good fit for PEC.

The Picton office has just 6 agents — including Holly Found and Miranda Miller, formerly of Hartford and Stein. They were personally escorted to Harvey Kalles by Lynn Stein, who was preparing to close the company after 40 years.

She thought the personalized agency would be the right fit for these born and raised County agents.

Meanwhile, Ms. Love and Ms. Lachance interviewed with every brokerage in town trying to find the right fit for their kind of practice.

“You have to be honest about the size of the market here,” says Ms. Love “This is a smaller, satellite real estate market, closely tied to the dynamics of the urban centres, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. It made perfect sense to me to partner with a boutique agency that has good connections to those buyers, but that is also able to establish a real community identity here.

“We want to be a part of the community. We do not want to bring Toronto here or make this a little Toronto. We want to create something authentic, to contribute to the fabric of this place.

Other agents include Ms. Love’s partner, Joe Martin, and Suzanne White.

Perfect Timing

It’s been a painful two years, both agree. For agents, as for everyone else.

“But, now, finally, the outlook — I might even call it rosy!” says Ms. Love.

While threats of tariffs and political turmoil loom south of the border, interest rates are dropping in Canada, and movement is coming back to real estate across the country.

In fact the market is preparing for  a bit of a tear this spring. If sales have been increasing since the first interest rate cut in May 2023, this past fall saw the strongest sales activity all year, not just up 10% over the summer, but one of the strongest sales seasons in 20 years outside the pandemic panic. Across Canada, sales were up about 20% over the same period in 2023.

The Canadian Real Estate Association’s Sean Cathcart notes the lowest interest rates in years will coincide with this spring’s market. “Sellers will be listing properties for sale in big numbers once the snow melts.”

Bill Rorabeck, of Century21, reports lively interest up and down Picton Main Street. The former Bank of Montreal building, on the corner of Main and Walton Streets, priced at $1.5 million, recently sold to a Belleville investor, who plans to renovate with commercial leasing in mind.

“Interest is strong,” he says. “Real estate in Prince Edward County represents a secure investment — investors here are confident about its future.”

Both agents are seeing many more families with kids and younger as well as older couples.
There is also a steady sprinkling of entrepreneurs, artists, and remote workers coming to the County.
“My last three clients were all people who had sought permission from their employers to work remotely,” says Ms. Lachance.
“They are coming here intentionally.”
She notes that the County has a well established queer community — a real draw for others.
“Not too many rural small-town situations feel as safe as the big cities,” she notes, “but PEC almost feels safer.”
“I never would have thought to have found such a beautiful community here in the country,” she smiles. “I’m a country girl at heart. I grew up in the Ottawa Valley, but I went to the city in search of a welcoming community.”
“And here I am.”

Spring in February

Spring starts in February when it comes to real estate, says Ms. Love firmly. “If you are planning on listing, I always say, the best time was yesterday. But, seriously, the rate cuts will have both sellers and buyers out. 

“You want to start planning now.”

Ms. Lachance notes, a buyer’s market. “I would say while the market has normalized post-pandemic, and is no longer at those highs, it might be leaning just slightly into buyer’s market territory,” she says.

“There is a tiny bit of reticence, that anxiety is there still, whether you are listing or buying, and that is keeping prices slightly lower.

“For now.”

Things could change, however,  if pent up demand really surges, or if rates continue to drop.

Entry level residential properties are in the $500-$700,000 range. What was $750k during the pandemic is now a much more reasonable $500-550k.

Midlevel prices, or most of the houses on the market, are at $700-$900k — well under the a-million-and-more prices of the pandemic.

“These are great prices compared to the last few years,” says Ms. Lachance.

Editor’s Note: The asking price of the BMO building on Picton Main Street has been corrected to $1.5 million.