I was recently featured in bcrea's "open house" magazine as a realtor spotlight! It was an honour to discuss my love for my community.
read the blog post here:
Since moving to Peachland in 2023, Niki Rose has made it a priority to contribute to the community.
(Photo courtesy of Niki Rose)
(Photo courtesy of Niki Rose)
How a Peachland REALTOR® turns her love of books into strong community ties
Growing up in a small town in northern Alberta, Niki Rose developed a love of reading early on. She just never learned to love the winters.So, after graduating from college, she moved to the coast before eventually landing in the Okanagan. She met her husband, Josh, in Kelowna, and became a REALTOR® in 2022.“I've always loved the idea of helping people find their perfect space to call home,” Niki says about making the career transition. “That’s what drew me in – making the impact and creating these relationships with people that have lasted.”In 2023, the pair moved to Peachland, where Niki has also strived to make an impact in the community. She’s become a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and – getting back to that love of reading – started a book club. We caught up with Niki to discuss these efforts and more. Open House: What drew you to move from Kelowna to Peachland, and how has that transition been for you? Niki Rose: I was ready for a change, to be honest, and Peachland felt like more of the right fit for me. My husband and I both grew up in small communities, and we were kind of just drawn out this way. Peachland's smaller, quieter, but still so full of life and opportunities. I would say the transition’s been awesome. People here have been so warm and welcoming, and it's been a huge pleasure getting to know everyone. What inspired you to start your book club? I've always loved books and reading, and Peachland didn’t have anything like that. I thought, “Why not have a space where people can come together? We can chat about something that's not just the usual kind of day-to-day, or work, or kids, or whatever.” So, I went on my community Facebook pages and did some posting: “If this is something I start, would people have interest in it?” The response was amazing, so I started my own Facebook page, and from there it’s just been word of mouth. What has the response been like? The book club took off much bigger and quicker than I expected it would, so obviously the community was looking for something like that. We have about 50 people on the Facebook group. Typical meetings range from 10 to 20, and we meet once a month. People love it. It's been amazing to see that people are just craving connection and want to meet others with similar interests, and we’ve got a really great group so far."People here look out for each other," Niki Rose said of the Peachland community.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
You’re also now involved with the Peachland Chamber of Commerce. Why was getting involved a priority for you, and what's it been like? I think it’s important to put energy back into the community. The community does so much to support me, so the chamber felt like a good place to give back. It's been really fun and rewarding so far. All of us board members get together once a month to brainstorm how we can help our community and help local businesses thrive. We also do something called “Business Made Social,” where we highlight one business per month and bring the community together that way. We also get asks from different places in town: “Can you guys help with this or volunteer for this?” So, different opportunities arise that way as well. Has your perspective on community changed at all since you moved to Peachland? Yeah, definitely. Peachland’s shown me how powerful a smaller, close-knit community can be. People here look out for each other in a way I've never seen anywhere else that I've lived. In bigger places, I think sometimes you kind of miss that sense of belonging. But here in Peachland, it’s part of our culture, and I love that. What advice would you give to other REALTORS® looking to get involved in their communities? First and foremost, just show up. This is all about being present. Be genuinely interested in the people around you and your community. Pick something that speaks to you or something that you have an interest in, like the book club or the chamber was for me. Don’t focus only on selling. Focus on building those real relationships in your community. You can get involved in local events, volunteer, start a club – whatever it takes to make those connections. From what I’ve noticed, people really appreciate the effort. It makes you a part of your community in a way that’s meaningful for everyone.(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
