Shane Clark, owner and operator of HomeLifeYK, has recently decided to shut the doors on the long running family real estate business and join Coldwell Banker YK.
His father James Clark started the company, then named Sunrise Real Estate, in 1992 with a 180-square-foot office in the Discovery Inn. Shane joined his father in operating the business in 1997.
Courtesy of Coldwell Banker YK
"It was a full family business, with my mother Cherie working with us as well," said Clark. "There were a lot of good years."
Clark worked with his father for 20 years, only taking relatively small breaks before he bought the business in 2008, renaming it HomeLifeYK, and worked with his father until his died of cancer in 2017.
"It was a difficult hit to our family, as it would be for any family, but especially " said Clark.
Clark continued on running the business with the help of some "excellent" administrative assistants.
"The past five years were a tough grind," he said. "Enjoyable but tough. Then my assistant left to pursue her dreams in Australia."
At this point the administrative workload only added to the already daunting task of running a business.
"It's certainly hard work to run any business, but with the way the Internet has impacted how businesses run with instant updates and always being connected, the work load was only increasing," said Clark.
He said he took a lot of time to reflect and with the support of his friends, family and community, he ultimately decided it was time for a change.
"I like to be a part of a team, I like to be social," he said. "So I decided to put a closure on things and having a fresh start."
Following the closure, Clark has started working for Coldwell Banker YK, once his competitors on April 1.
https://twitter.com/HomelifeYK/status/1112695915276656640
"I'm glad to still be working in the real estate business," said Clark. "There was a quick learning curve with a new team and different office policies, but I'll continue to do what I've always done."
"With the same car and same number, I'll continue to work with the people of Yellowknife. Joining this team really solidifies that I'm going to be sticking around here for a long time. It will be me retirement town."