CEO and Founder of Hammond International Properties, Jerry Hammond sits down with DOLCE for an exclusive interview.

Although he is best known for his multi-award-winning career as a real estate broker, that is truly superseded by his genuine candour, down-to- earth leadership and humility. Through a casual conversation, you wouldn’t know that Jerry Hammond is a three-time winner of the “100 Top Luxury Real Estate Brokers of the World” award and winner of “Best International Real Estate Agent 2024” … or that he is recognized by a diverse network of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net- worth clientele, notable personalities and industry professionals both locally and internationally.

He is a visionary leader in the luxury real estate industry, driven by passion and the relentless pursuit of excellence — embodying the precision and determination of a true champion. As a trusted authority, he is the go-to leader for insightful strategies, decisive direction, and the kind of refined expertise that defines success in high-end real estate. Time and time again, he steers those around him to success so that they can excel and thrive in the industry that has made his life passionately lived.

Q: What was it that pulled you into the luxury real-estate market? How did it all begin?
A: I knew real estate was going to become my vocation long-term. I knew that it could be rewarding if I could, essentially, put quality to the test in the real estate industry, and the only way I could do that was with the luxury housing business. Because luxury houses take on a whole essence of their own through architecture and design and overall landscape and location. So it gave me a path, and that created the journey to move forward.

Q: What has been the greatest life lesson you’ve learned?
A: Well, I do know this: I think that the life lesson is to constantly challenge yourself and that there are new lessons to be learned every day. That happens with time and experience and meeting with different people. Through that experience, you gain knowledge, and you can adapt to changes in different circumstances.

Q: Can you recall some of those early challenges you faced in building your career in the market that you were involved in and in the city that you were situated?
A: There are over 70,000 agents in the GTA that service the market. Unfortunately, there are not enough sales to service that market. So we have to stand out. To stand out, there must be perceived value to the clients, which can be in the form of name recognition, the quality of your work, or the historical records that you keep setting over time, creating trust and recognition in the marketplace.

Q: What do you think is your defining feature?
A: When I decided to open Hammond International Properties, I asked myself one single pivotal question, “How can I build a company with an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction and excellence?” That was the initial question. At the time, I didn’t have all the answers. But over time I realized that it wasn’t about the size of the team. It was about hiring the right people. Our success is rooted in assembling a highly skilled, dedicated workforce, united by a shared commitment to excellence and guided by what we define as our ethical credo, the golden rule.

Q: What do you love most about your team?
A: Well, we meticulously handpicked our team. In most of the industry, if you have a license and you’re willing to work, they hire you for the sake of hiring. So, they’re not getting quality, they’re getting quantity. Our approach has helped shape our service culture into a defining feature and a sustainable competitive advantage, making it a significant barrier to entry for others. As Hammond International Properties continues to expand, it remains clear that we set the gold standard in luxury real estate, continually redefining what exceptional service and client satisfaction look like in this competitive industry.

Q: What are some of the values you look for in someone who is being brought into the team?
A: One of the key service attributes is providing white-glove service. It’s our signature core value. It unfolds when clients seek and expect discretion, integrity, professionalism, responsiveness and personalized service. We teach this in our in-house master class — we have a full course that we share with our agents. One of the other attributes that we feel is extremely important, especially in residential housing, is emotional engagement. Emotional engagement means that you show empathy and you show kindness to people and respect for what they’ve accomplished and how hard they’ve worked to get to where they are today. Their homes reflect the hard work that they put into their own lives.

Q: Can you think of a defining moment in your career that shaped the brand and cemented it as what it’s known for today?
A: Actually, it has been an evolution. It didn’t happen overnight. However, I had to look outside the real estate industry to help define the company. And there were two primary focuses. The first was on the hospitality- business sector and what made it so successful; and second, the luxury market and what defines it and who represents it in the market — other services, other brands. And we looked at both and ultimately took the idea of combining the two and implementing that combination within the organization.

For Jerry Hammond, the company reflects his identity, truly stemming from his vision and passion. He emphasizes that maintaining high standards of discretion, quality, expertise and personalization has always been at the forefront of the organization.
Photo Courtesy Of Hammond International Properties.

Q: What’s on the horizon?
A: Our aim and our goal is to consistently do what we’ve been doing for the last 10 years. And we constantly grow and excel. There’s always room for what we define as kaizen, which is a Japanese term meaning constant and never-ending improvement in everything that we’re doing. We try to keep up with technology and the trends that are currently happening out there and then adapt those into our everyday business practice.

Q: What do you love most about the work that you do?
A: Well, it gets me up early every morning! So I’m enthusiastic and it keeps me thinking. That motivates me to try to inspire others in the organization and from the people that we meet to strive for an enjoyable and positive life.

www.hammondinternationalproperties.com
jerryhammondleadership.com
@jerryhammondleadership
@hammondintl