In Conversation with Rob Golfi on Navigating Business Failures to Real Estate Triumph

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

27 Mar 2025

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“I just wanted to be a millionaire. That was my main goal.” — Rob Golfi, founder of the Golfi Team, reflecting on the early ambitions that propelled him from General Motors factory worker to leading one of Canada’s premier real estate teams.

In North America’s competitive real estate market, Rob Golfi stands out with his RE/MAX Golfi Team having sold over $3 billion in real estate and more than 5,000 homes across Southern Ontario. His journey to this achievement wasn’t linear – it involved multiple business ventures, significant setbacks, and valuable lessons that shaped his approach to his now-flourishing real estate business.

Early Ambitions and First Steps

Before establishing his reputation in real estate, Golfi was a young twentysomething with ambitious goals working on the General Motors factory floor, but with a different perspective than many colleagues.

“From the age of 20 to 23 I worked at General Motors in the General Motors plant, and I knew I was going to quit there. I only took the job because I knew that was going to help me buy real estate,” Golfi recalls. This deliberate approach allowed him to use his steady income and overtime opportunities to build a property portfolio that would eventually include approximately 15 properties in just three to four years.

Golfi credits this early success to implementing unconventional strategies, attending “every no down payment seminar” and utilizing creative financing techniques available in that market environment. “I was that one percenter that went to the seminar and implemented everything they taught,” he explains.

While initially driven by the desire to become a millionaire – a mindset he’s significantly evolved from over the decades – this ambition provided the catalyst for his diverse business experiences.

Lessons Through Adversity

With fortunate timing, Golfi sold much of his real estate portfolio just before a significant market downturn, accumulating hundreds of thousands in the bank by his early twenties. However, this early success preceded a series of business ventures that would shape his future in real estate.

His entrepreneurial path included ventures in beauty supply, direct mail advertising, business magazines, import-export with China, and multi-level marketing. Many of these businesses struggled during extended recessionary periods, causing significant financial challenges.

“I took a beating. I took a heavy beating in the 90s, and I think it helped me now,” he reflects. “There’s nothing that stresses me out because in my 20s, I learned to swallow it, eat it up… So now, when something is particularly challenging, I’m like, ‘Okay, well, just another day at the office.'”

The Birth of a Real Estate Powerhouse

Despite his early success as a real estate investor, Golfi didn’t obtain his real estate license until his 30s. The decision came almost “by default” after his challenging experiences with various businesses during economic downturns.

His earlier ventures taught him a painful lesson about accounts receivable: “What happened was, I had to deal with accounts receivable. People didn’t pay me. People went bankrupt,” he recalls of his beauty supply business during the recession. Similar patterns emerged with his advertising business: “As much as I spent selling, I had to spend trying to collect my money. And advertising was a tough bill for many companies to pay, especially if they didn’t get any results from it.”

These experiences led to a crucial realization about what he needed in a business: “I had to find a business where I know if I did the job, I was going to get paid, and that is what it is with a realtor,” Golfi explains about his career shift. “99.9% of the time, we get paid… you can’t beat that.”

What began as a solution to his business challenges soon revealed itself as Golfi’s true calling. His genuine interest in people became fundamental to his success in real estate. “I love what I do,” he emphasizes. “I love people’s stories. I love listening to who they are, where they came from.” This authentic connection with clients, combined with business acumen gained through earlier ventures, helped him build a reputation for reliability and results.

As his client base grew, Golfi recognized the opportunity to scale by building a team that could maintain his standards while expanding their reach. He applied the lessons from his difficult business experiences – particularly the importance of surrounding himself with talented people and implementing systematic business practices.

The growth was gradual, but his expansion across Southern Ontario markets required a strategic approach. To ensure consistent quality across locations, Golfi established a robust leadership structure and implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) framework for his leadership team. His weekly Wednesday meetings became essential for maintaining quality control as the team expanded to new markets.

Today, the Golfi Team comprises 70 agents and approximately 23 support staff across five different offices serving multiple markets in Southern Ontario. The team has achieved significant milestones, with one of their best years approaching $900 million in sales.

Leadership Philosophy and Market Insight

What distinguishes Golfi in a competitive industry is his hands-on approach to leadership and client service. Despite the size of his operation, he remains deeply involved in day-to-day operations.

“I always have my finger on the pulse. I’m always involved. I talk to people. I’m not that guy that just works in the office,” he shares. “If there’s any problems or anything, I talk to the clients. I will go see them if there’s an issue. I’m probably more hands-on than most realtors at the level that I’m at.”

Looking ahead, Golfi compares current market conditions to his experiences in the 1990s, suggesting the current “flatlining” period will be shorter than historical precedents due to housing shortages, increased immigration, and the accelerated pace of information exchange via the internet. He predicts another market upswing within the next 18-24 months.

For potential real estate investors or homebuyers, Golfi maintains his belief in homeownership as a wealth-building vehicle, particularly for “basic homes” rather than luxury properties – wisdom derived from both his professional expertise and personal investment experiences.

From factory worker with ambitious dreams to the leader of one of Canada’s most successful real estate teams, Rob Golfi exemplifies how resilience through adversity, hands-on leadership, and market understanding can build a lasting business. His early experiences continue to inform his approach as he guides his team through today’s evolving real estate landscape.