Brad J. Lamb
Encyclopedia
Brad J. Lamb is a Toronto
-based real estate broker and developer. He is one of the most well known figures in the Toronto real estate industry, and has a reality television show named Big City Broker on the HGTV
network.
Lamb was born to middle class parents in Vancouver. His father was an Air Canada
pilot and his mother a registered nurse. In 1967 the family moved to Montreal where they settled in the Beaconsfield
neighbourhood. He attended Queen's University
where he obtained a degree in engineering. Lamb worked as an engineer for a few years, but also began to pursue investing in property. He bought his first townhouse in London, Ontario
in 1984, two years later selling it for enough profit to purchase three other townhouses. While profiting from these transactions Lamb also noted how much his real estate agent was making on his property deals. Also bored with engineering, Lamb obtained his real estate license and began working as an agent in 1988.
He went to work for Harry Stinson
's real estate company and became a specialist in selling condominiums. He quickly became one of the most successful agents in Toronto, prospering in the late 1980s property boom. In 1995 he left Stinson to start his own firm, Brad J. Lamb Realty. While remaining a small agency, it rose to become the most prominent seller of condominiums in Toronto. In 2007, at the height of the property boom, his company's agents sold some 2000 condos worth about $700 million. The market slowed considerably in 2008, but the firm still moved about $550 million in real estate. His company has specialized in selling entry level condos with a focus on first time buyers.
In 2001 Lamb founded Lamb Development Corporation. It has specialized in smaller condominium projects, such as Flatiron Lofts, Glas, Mondrian, and One Six Nine. It has built, or is building, some 1400 residential units. The company has also spread beyond Toronto to build structures in Ottawa, Montreal, and Philadelphia. Lamb has consistently advocated in favour of urbanism
and for quality design and urban planning. Unlike most Canadian development companies Lamb Development Corp. has not entered the lucrative suburban subdivision business. Lamb has also criticized the suburbs for their ecological and social effects.
Lamb rose to prominence in part from his ubiquitous advertising in Toronto. His firm has long advertised through billboard
s, and the ads have focused on Lamb himself. The best known of these ads was the 2007 campaign that depicted a lamb
with Lamb's head and the slogan "This Lamb Sells Condos." His ostentatious lifestyle has also attracted much attention, including traveling about the city in a Rolls Royce
or Bentley
. He is also physically imposing, being 6'5" in height.
A "fictional manifestation of Lamb" was the subject of a song "This Lamb Sells Condos" on the 2006 Polaris Music Prize
winning album He Poos Clouds
by Canadian songwriter Final Fantasy
.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based real estate broker and developer. He is one of the most well known figures in the Toronto real estate industry, and has a reality television show named Big City Broker on the HGTV
HGTV
HGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...
network.
Lamb was born to middle class parents in Vancouver. His father was an Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
pilot and his mother a registered nurse. In 1967 the family moved to Montreal where they settled in the Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield is a market town and civil parish operating as a town council within the South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies northwest of Charing Cross in Central London, and south-east of the county town of Aylesbury...
neighbourhood. He attended Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
where he obtained a degree in engineering. Lamb worked as an engineer for a few years, but also began to pursue investing in property. He bought his first townhouse in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
in 1984, two years later selling it for enough profit to purchase three other townhouses. While profiting from these transactions Lamb also noted how much his real estate agent was making on his property deals. Also bored with engineering, Lamb obtained his real estate license and began working as an agent in 1988.
He went to work for Harry Stinson
Harry Stinson
Harry Stinson , born in Toronto and educated at the University of Toronto Schools, is a high-profile real estate developer from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is president of Stinson Properties, Inc. He has been called Toronto's "condo king"...
's real estate company and became a specialist in selling condominiums. He quickly became one of the most successful agents in Toronto, prospering in the late 1980s property boom. In 1995 he left Stinson to start his own firm, Brad J. Lamb Realty. While remaining a small agency, it rose to become the most prominent seller of condominiums in Toronto. In 2007, at the height of the property boom, his company's agents sold some 2000 condos worth about $700 million. The market slowed considerably in 2008, but the firm still moved about $550 million in real estate. His company has specialized in selling entry level condos with a focus on first time buyers.
In 2001 Lamb founded Lamb Development Corporation. It has specialized in smaller condominium projects, such as Flatiron Lofts, Glas, Mondrian, and One Six Nine. It has built, or is building, some 1400 residential units. The company has also spread beyond Toronto to build structures in Ottawa, Montreal, and Philadelphia. Lamb has consistently advocated in favour of urbanism
Urbanism
Broadly, urbanism is a focus on cities and urban areas, their geography, economies, politics, social characteristics, as well as the effects on, and caused by, the built environment.-Philosophy:...
and for quality design and urban planning. Unlike most Canadian development companies Lamb Development Corp. has not entered the lucrative suburban subdivision business. Lamb has also criticized the suburbs for their ecological and social effects.
Lamb rose to prominence in part from his ubiquitous advertising in Toronto. His firm has long advertised through billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s, and the ads have focused on Lamb himself. The best known of these ads was the 2007 campaign that depicted a lamb
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
with Lamb's head and the slogan "This Lamb Sells Condos." His ostentatious lifestyle has also attracted much attention, including traveling about the city in a Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
or Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
. He is also physically imposing, being 6'5" in height.
A "fictional manifestation of Lamb" was the subject of a song "This Lamb Sells Condos" on the 2006 Polaris Music Prize
2006 Polaris Music Prize
The inaugural edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize presented on September 18, 2006, at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre. The winning album was Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds.-Nominees:...
winning album He Poos Clouds
He Poos Clouds
He Poos Clouds is the second album by Canadian indie rock artist Final Fantasy, released June 13, 2006 on Blocks Recording Club in Canada and Tomlab internationally....
by Canadian songwriter Final Fantasy
Owen Pallett
Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist from Toronto, Ontario. He won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds....
.