A Different Standard, Built on Values and Refined Through Practice
Some brokerages are built around production.
Others are built around people.
LIV Real Estate has been very clear about which side they’re on.
Based in Edmonton and led by Sheldon Johnston and Sara MacLennan, LIV was created with a deliberate intention: to build a brokerage that reflects how they would want to be treated, both as clients and as professionals.
That sounds simple.
It isn’t.
Because it requires discipline.
It requires turning away from the easy metrics that dominate this industry and focusing instead on something more enduring. Relationships. Trust. The quality of the client experience.
That philosophy didn’t come from theory. It came from experience.
Sheldon built his early career chasing production and achieving at a high level, only to realize that results alone weren’t creating lasting relationships. That shift in perspective became foundational to what LIV is today.
And it shows up in how they build their team.
Agents are not simply recruited. They are selected. Chosen for their character, their ethics, and their desire to approach the business differently, with more care, more humility, and a genuine commitment to doing right by their clients.
That creates a very specific kind of culture.
One where collaboration matters.
Where professionalism is expected.
And where growth is not assumed, but pursued.
I had the opportunity to work with the entire LIV brokerage through the AREN program in December 2022, and it was immediately clear that this was a group willing to engage at a deeper level. Since then, many of their agents have continued that work through ongoing training, reinforcing something that is already embedded in the culture.
They don’t see development as an event.
They see it as part of the work.
That mindset is consistent with how the brokerage operates more broadly. From a strong foundation in customer service to a sophisticated understanding of online marketing and positioning, LIV has built a model that allows them to compete at a high level while staying aligned with their values.
It’s also part of what led them to align with the Aventure network, surrounding themselves with other independent brokerages that share a similar commitment to professionalism, collaboration, and long-term thinking.
It has been a privilege to work alongside Sheldon, Sara, and their agents and to see how that philosophy translates into practice. Not just in how they show up in a course, but in how they approach their clients and their business.
In a market that often pulls toward speed and shortcuts, LIV Real Estate stands as a reminder that there is another way.
One that is built more carefully.
Refined over time.
And ultimately, more sustainable.