From the Heart

I didn’t arrive in Canada into a beautiful, easy life. I came from Ukraine and landed in Toronto’s Bloor West Village in 1994 at 24 years old—a newly single mother with a five-year-old, no English, no status, and no savings. Everything I have now was built from that starting point, and the West End has been my home base ever since.

I said yes to every honest opportunity that could move us forward—modeling, acting, hosting a Ukrainian television program “Svitohliad”, and later studying Marketing Management at George Brown College. I still remember sitting with a 400-page textbook and a dictionary, translating word by word so I could understand what was being asked of me. Often I could see the solution, but first I had to decode the question. I graduated at the top of my class because I was determined and fully committed to standing on my own feet in a new country.

I’ve worked multiple jobs, raised my daughter here in Canada, and built a life one decision at a time. Hardship didn’t make me hard—it made me clear. I know what pressure feels like. I know what it means when every dollar matters and every decision has consequences.

That’s why respect and integrity are non-negotiables for me. They’re not branding lines; they’re how I live and how I work. When I represent you, my job is clear and serious: to help you reach your goals, protect what matters most to you, and move into your next chapter with as much peace and clarity as possible.

My Professional path

My career began far from real estate. I started as a teacher for children with learning challenges. That’s where I learned patience, precision, and how to really see people — not just their behaviour, but what they need to feel safe and supported.

When I arrived in Canada in 1994, I found a new voice as a TV host for OMNI’s Ukrainian news and arts program. I didn’t just read the news. I interviewed people, listened deeply, asked better questions, and helped my guests feel seen and heard. That experience taught me how to hold space and communicate clearly — skills I still use every day.

From there, I moved into marketing, high-end sales, and luxury automotive — BMW and Porsche. I wasn’t “selling cars.” I was building trust, reading people, understanding their priorities, and delivering with care and clarity.

The common thread through all of it: honest communication, strong relationships, and a calm, focused presence when decisions matter.

MY real estate chapter

Real estate was not a random pivot. It was a natural evolution. It brought together everything I already was: a teacher, a listener, a negotiator, a lover of beautiful, functional spaces.

As I moved through my own homes in Bloor West Village, High Park, and the South Kingsway areas, I experienced what it meant to be a homeowner in every sense—living in century homes, new-builds, and condominiums, renovating them, and eventually selling them. I know what it feels like to be on the other side of the table, making big decisions that change your life in a very real way, long before I became a real estate broker.

At one point, when I was preparing my own home for sale on Ellis Park Rd., the listing agent’s staging team walked in, looked around, and said, “Luba, if all clients lived like you, we’d be out of business.” That line still makes me smile. It reflected how naturally I see space, detail, and presentation—and how seriously I take the work of getting a home ready for sale.

Over the years I’ve also worked closely with architects and trades on century homes and newer builds—rebuilding, redesigning, and finding the balance between function, beauty, and value. Whether a home needs a full rebuild, a modest renovation, or just a focused clean-up and refresh, I have the eye to see what’s possible and what’s practical. These are the conversations we have as we tailor a plan to your property, your finances, your timing, and the pace that actually fits your life. I’ve lived through all of these stages myself and with my clients, and I have a strong team who can execute the projects we decide make sense. My goal is to keep you in the driver’s seat of your real estate decisions—together, we execute.

I started my real estate career with Tridel in 2008, one of Canada’s most respected condominium developers, where I was trained and mentored by some of the sharpest minds in the industry. Later, as an owner, I served as treasurer on the Board of Directors for One Old Mill Condominium Corporation, also built by Tridel. That experience gave me a clear, inside view of how a condominium is run from the ground up: governance, reserve funds, maintenance, and long-term planning. To this day, I advise clients on what makes sense when moving into condo living and point out the details that really matter—financially, in terms of privacy, convenience, and long-term comfort.

Over time I’ve also owned and managed multiple properties as a landlord—in Toronto and in Alberta. I understand investment property not just on paper, but in real life: tenants, timelines, maintenance, local rules, and what actually makes a rental worth holding. I lean on a trusted network of trades and professionals to execute work properly, and I bring that same investment lens to my advice, whether you’re buying a home to live in or a property to hold.

Since 2008, I’ve brought all of this—homeowner, client, investor, landlord, board member, and broker—into my work in residential real estate sales in Toronto’s West End and Etobicoke. It’s not theory for me. I’ve lived it, I’ve managed it, and now I use that experience to protect my clients and guide them into homes that truly fit the next chapter of their lives.

Languages spoken

English, Ukrainian, Russian, conversational Polish

I speak multiple languages so you and your family can ask questions, review documents, and make decisions in the language you’re most comfortable with.