Competition in Vancouver’s lucrative real estate market doesn’t only take place between buyers ferociously bidding on a home or sellers biding their time looking to sell at the highest price. Real estate agents also compete fiercely against one another to rank among the top of the top, and to see who comes away with the biggest slice of the real estate pie. 

Data scientists at ROOMVU combed through MLS (Multiple Listing Service) information to see which realtors have started to pull away from the pack so far through the first six months of 2020. Despite economic challenges posed by governmental responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, several prolific real estate agents have managed to weather the storm. 

Based on MLS data, there were more than nine thousand realtors actively working either as a buyer or seller agent in the Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Northern BC regions throughout the first six months of 2020. 

A parallel study conducted by ROOMVU found that 13 thousand agents were active in 2019, with active agents totalling in excess of 13 thousand in 2018—a number that was higher yet in 2017. This reduction in the number of active agents began before the Covid-19 pandemic, but like many other trends, the novel coronavirus outbreak has accelerated the reduction. 

ROOMVU’s analysis revealed that each realtor listed around four properties on average. Of course, the agents who figure at the top of the list in terms of activity far outpace the average. The top 0.5 per cent of agents in Vancouver accounted for 4 per cent of all sold properties in 2020. So while the average realtor was involved in around four deals, those at the very top were involved in upwards of 34 on average, despite slower market activity as a result of Covid-related lockdown measures that impacted the second-half of March, and the entire months of April, May and June. 

Who are these agents who have managed to overcome economic adversity and come out on top? ROOMVU listed the top 50 agents in the Vancouver area from January to June 2020 based on sold price to find out. Each of the top 50 has sold more than $34 million worth of property so far this year. The top 11 realtors sold upwards of $52 million per agent, while the top 29 sold more than $41 million. 

Rank	Name	Office	Featured
1	Rob Zwick PREC*	Stilhavn Real Estate Services
2	Maggi Thornhill PREC*	Engel & Volkers Whistler
3	Pete Shpak PREC*	Oakwyn Realty Ltd.
4	Sarah Toop – PREC*	Century 21 Creekside Realty
5	Paul Eviston PREC*	RE/MAX Select Properties
6	Lee Bryant PREC*	Oakwyn Realty Ltd.
7	Clair Rockel PREC*	Macdonald Realty
8	Ken Cui PREC*	Nu Stream Realty Inc.
9	Layla Yang PREC*	Dracco Pacific Realty
10	Peter Saito PREC*	Sutton Group-West Coast Realty
11	Vivian Li PREC*	Sutton Group-West Coast Realty
12	Salina Kai PREC*	Rennie & Associates Realty Ltd.
13	Patrick Weeks PREC*	RE/MAX Select Properties
14	Dave Robles – PREC	RE/MAX Treeland Realty
15	John Ryan PREC*	Whistler Real Estate Company Limited
16	Danny Gerbrandt PREC*	Royal LePage – Brookside Realty
17	Jeremy Kalenuik – PREC	Macdonald Realty (Surrey/152)
18	Michael Xu PREC*	Sutton Group-West Coast Realty
19	Tom Gradecak	WESTSIDE Tom Gradecak Realty
20	Karley Rice PREC*	Macdonald Realty
21	Derek Grech	Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
22	Elaine Wu PREC*	LeHomes Realty Premier
23	Claudio Sartore	Royal LePage – Brookside Realty
24	Navid Behroyan PREC*	Behroyan & Associates Real Estate Services
25	Henry Wu PREC*	LeHomes Realty Premier
26	Tracy Niu PREC*	Nu Stream Realty Inc.
27	Leo Ronse	Royal LePage – Wolstencroft
28	Tracy Hu PREC*	LeHomes Realty
29	Eric Christiansen	Angell, Hasman & Associates (Eric Christiansen) Realty Ltd.
30	Goldy Kang – PREC	Sutton Group-West Coast Realty (Surrey/120)
31	Austin Kay	RE/MAX Austin Kay Realty
32	Kelsie Struch PREC*	VPG Realty Inc.
33	Gary Geng PREC*	LeHomes Realty
34	Mike Marfori – PREC	RE/MAX 2000 Realty
35	Jason Soprovich	Royal LePage Sussex – Jason Soprovich
36	Shannon Vrlak PREC*	WESTSIDE Tom Gradecak Realty
37	Tracey Bosch – PREC	Royal LePage – Wolstencroft
38	Fraser Elliott PREC*	Faith Wilson Group
39	Faith Wilson	Faith Wilson Group
40	Haneef Virani PREC*	Dexter Realty
41	Carole Lieberman PREC*	RE/MAX Westcoast
42	Shafik Ladha PREC*	Engel & Volkers Vancouver
43	Mike Rampf PREC*	Homelife Benchmark Realty Corp. (Branch)
44	Edith Katronis	eXp Realty
45	Rohit Jindal PREC*	RE/MAX Rossetti Realty
46	Tony Rossetti	Dexter Realty
47	Luana Robertson PREC*	Sutton Group – Vancouver First Realty
48	Winnie Lam	Macdonald Realty (Surrey/152)
49	Ryan Sidhu	RE/MAX Little Oak Realty (Fort Langley)
50	Amy Brattebo – PREC	Re/Max Little Oak Langley

Sarah Toop is the most active realtor to date in terms of overall transactions with 104. She ranked highest among overall transactions in 2019 as well, with 196. Rob Zwick listed 70 transactions in 2019, putting him in 23rd place. Now, so far in 2020, Zwick has managed to lead the top 50 list in terms of sold price.

To be sure, the coronavirus pandemic has destabilized almost every sector of the economy—the real estate market included. Real estate agents have therefore had to adjust to new safety precautions like maintaining adequate physical distance and increased sanitization. These precautions have also helped virtual selling tools like 3D tours and virtual open houses gain prominence. The top 50 realtors have certainly availed themselves of some of these new techniques, which, in combination with their own work ethic and passion, have helped them achieve an impressive level of success.