This is the part of my website where I tell you what an experienced and knowledgeable individual I am. This is where I assure you that you’d be crazy to let anyone else help you though your next real estate transaction. This is where I say things about my commitment to you to get you the best price for your home in the least amount of time, and how I take my time when working with buyers to ensure we find the right house at the right price. This is where I offer you the best service and the best results.

Choosing a realtor who has the tools, skills and experience to make your dreams come true can be as challenging as the home buying or home selling process itself. You need a great communicator. Good communication is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. That’s all true and I am completely committed to my clients and their needs. I’m here to help you. All I have to offer is the great service and the knowledge I have. My goal is to take the stress and mystery out of buying or selling your home. I’m a good realtor. I know what I’m doing and I do it well. I work for you.

But this page is about me.

Who is Keith Marshall?

Growing up, I never lived in the same house for more than four years. I’ve lived on both sides of Canada but have spent most of my time in the middle.
My wife and I bought our first house in Taichung, Taiwan We lived there for six years. Our second house, we bought in Waterloo. We’ve lived in it for nine years.
I have a beautiful wife and two teenage daughters. I often wonder how I got so lucky.
Before becoming a realtor, I worked about 15 years in advertising. First I made advertising, then I sold advertising. Then I lost my passion for it.
I like being a realtor because real estate is very personal. You don’t get the same feeling of connectedness in the corporate world. We are all going through life, experiencing many of the same things only at different times. I always think about this when I meet new people.

Other stuff about me

My old passport had over forty stamps in it. If I could do it all again, I’d do it all again. Hanging around in remote corners of the world is really underrated. I love Paul Theroux books about riding around on trains, looking out the window, reading, talking, observing, killing time. From 1986 to 2000, I mostly lived abroad in Europe and Asia. I did a lot of traveling, saw a lot of places.
At Feng Chia University, in Taichung, where I started to learn how to read and write Mandarin, I was in a class with mostly students from other Asian countries. The guy from Okinawa was probably the worst speaker of all of us. We elected him class president. After that, I went to the Taipei Language Institute and learned how to speak. I got as far as the “Reading the Chinese Newspaper” book before deciding to continue on my own. I read a couple of Sherlock Holmes mysteries and then a biography on Gandhi translated into Chinese. Then I got a job that involved translating newspaper articles into English. That was smart. Getting paid to learn Chinese.

Short sentences

I met Bob Hope once. I talked to him briefly.
I used to like to jump from high places, but I don’t anymore.
I prefer spelling words the American way.
I’m a minimalist. I have a clean desk policy.
I like round numbers. I like to say I trust them, but I don’t.
I trust people to do what’s in their best interest.
I’ve kept a blog for more than ten years. Keeping a blog is like being famous, but on a really low level, without the celebrity and everything that comes with it.
I have a switch in my house that doesn’t do anything. Every once in a while I turn it on and off. On and off. On and off. One day I got a call from a woman in France who said “Cut it out!”. I like stupid, ironic, sarcastic, sardonic humor. That was Steven Wright.
I’ve never failed at anything. Perhaps I should set my goals higher.
I met my best friend in grade six. My first memory of him, we were in my basement throwing ping- pong balls at each other. He went to Ireland. I went to Turkey. He went to Africa. I went to India. He went back to university to study finance. I went back to university to study Mandarin. I lived with him in Paris. He lived with me in Taipei. I sold him a watch I found for three dollars. He sold me a Belgian coin I couldn’t spend.

I usually don’t talk about myself this much

I don’t collect hubcaps, bottle caps, receipts or anything.
Thelonious Monk is my favorite jazz musician.
I like all sports but can’t find the time to become a fan of any. I coached U16 girls winter soccer (footsal) last year and had a blast. We came in third but it just could have easily been first. We all had fun and equal field time and that’s the important thing.
I have great timing. I’m lucky. I enter the building before the downpour. I cross the intersection before the accident
But I’ve been shipwrecked twice.
Life is random. I keep my ipod on shuffle.
I like to keep lists.
I enjoy helping people. I enjoy meeting new people. People are really interesting, much more interesting than animals or plants.
I like small words and short sentences.

What are people saying about Keith Marshall?

“Keith is a fantastic Realtor to work with.  We had first met him looking for our first house back in 2008, and enjoyed the service that he provided so much that we didn’t hesitate to contact him again when it came time to look for our second house.  Buying and selling a home is always a very stressful experience, but having Keith as our Realtor made the entire process quite a bit easier. He was always willing to go the extra mile for us to guarantee that both the sale of our first home, and the purchase of our second home happened with as little trouble as possible.  So now, if any of our friends ever mention that they are looking to buy or sell their home, we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Keith Marshall.” — RJ

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“As the new owner, I can say you’re right, it is a great house!

Keith I think you did a wonderful job in marketing it. I’m not sure if it was your warm greeting or the smell of scented air fresheners at your open house that inspired us to make our largest purchase within 3 minutes. We knew we wanted this house, and we hadn’t even seen the second floor. You did a great job! It was your You Tube video that made us want to see the house originally.” — Christine S.

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“Keith. Thank you so much for being so involved in selling my sister’s house. You took the time to get to know who she was and how much she loved this house and how much the entire family loves this house.  We will especially miss the built-in bay window; it was a common gathering area for everyone. We have many, many wonderful memories and I hope the new family will enjoy this home as much as we will miss it. We are looking forward to making new memories at her new home you helped her find. Thanks again, Keith you are the best.” — Barb and kids

Maybe there’s a better way

Homebuyers: Why are you spending your valuable time on weekends visiting open houses? Are your lunch hours and evenings spent hunting through the MLS? Are you getting lost, wasting gas, chasing down houses that don’t fit what you’re looking for? Don’t you think there is a better way? I’m available to help you now and it won’t cost you a thing.

Home sellers: Get an “over-the-phone” evaluation of your home. Call me and I’ll tell you what homes have recently sold on your street and in your neighborhood and for how much. This includes private sales as well as homes sold through our MLS. I aim to take the stress and mystery out of the home buying and selling process by giving you the information you need.

If you are looking for a straight shooter, contact Keith Marshall today.

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