Our Journey

Our journey together begins in Kingston, Ontario. It was 2003, and Katie moved from Lakefield to go to Queen’s University. Jeff, who is from Kingston, was a newly minted real estate agent and Katie had recently entered the industry. Quickly realizing we shared professional values and goals, we became partners and worked together selling real estate in the city for 15 years.

Our Story

2004

Katie graduated from Queens University and became focused on a career in Real Estate. After falling in love with the city of Kingston during her time at Queen’s, she decided to stay and start her career there. She landed her first job as a Real Estate Administrative Assistant to Jeff Sands, a young and already successful Realtor who had earned his license in 2003. It was not love at first sight, but over time, a strong connection built between Jeff and Katie.

2010

Jeff and Katie tied the knot and settled into a happy life together in their charming country home in Kingston, Ontario, accompanied by their two English Bulldogs. As they enjoyed their personal life, they also thrived professionally, watching their successful real estate business grow. Both their careers and lives were on an upward trajectory.

2015

Life took an unexpected and challenging turn. After privately beginning to struggle with addiction and substance use disorder a few years prior, they began to speak openly about their struggles and made a few unsuccessful attempts to get into recovery. This period was marked by immense turbulence and a sense of being out of control. They often describe it as though they were watching from the sidelines as their careers, personal relationships, and the financial successes they had worked so hard for slowly unraveled.

2017

After failed attempts at rehab centers, detox facilities, and recovery programs, they found themselves depleted of resources and possessions, facing financial hardship, and struggling with severe physical and emotional health. In 2017, they hit their all time “rock bottom”. In that moment, both Jeff and Katie knew this wasn’t the life they were meant to live, and together, they embarked on their journey to recovery. They immediately recognized the need for a profound change and a fresh start.

2018

The duo moved back to Katie’s hometown of Peterborough, Ontario. They joined a wonderful, close-knit brokerage, Ball Real Estate, and set up their own office on Hunter Street in downtown Peterborough. One day at a time, they started to clean up the “mess” created during their addiction. Little by little, they began putting their lives back together and learning a completely new way to live. This was a remarkable period of deep self-reflection and personal growth. They both gained a great deal of humility and felt gratitude for even the smallest of life’s pleasures.

2020

Shortly after celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary, Jeff and Katie were overjoyed to welcome their first child, Mitchell David Sands. Then, in May of 2022, they were further blessed with the arrival of their second son, Charlie Henry Sands. As their family grew, so did their real estate business, which continued to thrive and expand.

2024

Recognizing the need to expand their team, Jeff and Katie brought on their exceptional listing coordinator, Quinton Green, and acquired their own staging warehouse, fully equipped to stage clients’ homes. Since then, their social media coordinator, Alexa Robinson, has become a licensed Sales Representative and an invaluable asset to the team. More recently, they welcomed Amanda Myrvold as their friendly and highly experienced Manager of Operations and Administration

Today

Jeff and Katie are thrilled to offer their valued clients ‘full-service’ real estate. With an upbeat and hardworking team, they collaborate to handle every detail. Their goal remains to help alleviate the stress for both sellers and buyers, managing each step of the process with precision and dedication!

Change happens. We know how to embrace it.

Navigating Transition

While we both enjoyed successful real estate careers in Kingston, we eventually experienced intense personal difficulties as we endured a battle with addiction which led us to put our business on hold in 2015.

In 2017, we got ourselves into recovery and became committed to rebuilding ourselves and our careers. This inspired us to relocate back to Peterborough in 2018 for a fresh start, where we’d be closer to family.

The move brought us closer to our much-loved cottage in The Kawarthas, and the community we missed so much. With the support of our family, friends, and each other, we rebuilt our real estate business, created a family of our own, and are now helping others in transition.

No matter what you’re facing—professionally or personally—we understand challenges are a part of life, and we’re here to help you make the life you want to live a reality. We love being in Peterborough, and are excited to help others discover how great it is, too.

Our Community

Embracing Change

Moving into your dream home, resizing after retirement, or relocating to a new community can be exciting—but the factors pushing you to buy or sell may not always be positive.

Whatever you’re dealing with, we’re here to make your transaction and your experience manageable and as enjoyable as possible; clearing any doubts and removing any obstacles to an exceptional experience.

We’re more than your real estate agents, we’re companions on your journey.

We know the motivations that people have to buy and sell homes can oftentimes be difficult, overwhelming, or emotional.

After relocating to Peterborough years ago, we created a fool-proof, step-by-step process to help our clients efficiently navigate the transition with peace of mind, and a shoulder to lean on.

“We were relocating from Hamilton and couldn't have asked for a better person to help find our dream. Jeff is knowledgable of the Kingston area and helped us find our place in Stone Mills. The process was seamless with lots of advice and guidance from Jeff."

 

Charlie Gandt
"We met virtually in the middle of the pandemic when I was living halfway across the world. Without a physical meeting, he made arrangements for me to settle in my rental once I arrived. Jeff is a great person; reasonable, and dedicated to meeting his clients needs.”

 

I.T. Olatunji
“I moved from Toronto to a rural property that Jeff helped me find. He was exceptionally patient until I decided. His staff are helpful and professional. It was a pleasure to tour properties with Jeff and to learn so much about them, thanks to his broad knowledge about homes and systems. I also enjoyed his sense of humour!”

 

Janet McKay

Better Than Before

Through resiliency and shared goals of helping people navigate complex life changes, we grew our business to a five-person team—with an in-house listing coordinator and marketing coordinator—and an expansive warehouse with proprietary staging inventory. While our team has evolved, our dedication to client care and real estate excellence has remained constant.

Our Team

Meet Our Experts

We’re a people-first real estate team with endless knowledge of the Peterborough area.

Learn More