Coquitlam REALTOR® · Burke Mountain

Craig Johnston — Coquitlam's Move-Up Specialist

A Burke Mountain resident for 9+ years helping Tri-Cities families think clearly about the biggest move of their lives. Strategy first. Pressure never.

9+ years on Burke Mountain Medallion Club Team Member since 2021 Top 2% Royal LePage Nationwide The MACNABS · Royal LePage West
Craig Johnston, REALTOR® on Burke Mountain, Coquitlam
Local · Lived hereRaising my own family on Burke Mountain
9+ yrsBurke Mountain Resident
Top 2%Royal LePage Nationwide
2021Medallion Team Member Since
Tri-CitiesCoquitlam · PoMo · PoCo
Craig Johnston, REALTOR® on Burke Mountain, Coquitlam

Photographed on Burke Mountain — the neighbourhood my family and I have called home for nearly a decade.

Who I Am

I'm a Burke Mountain dad first, a REALTOR® second.

My wife and I bought our first Burke Mountain home in 2017 when most of this neighbourhood was still a construction zone. We raised our kids here. I've walked these streets in every season, watched three subdivisions go from raw lots to finished communities, and learned the small things that make one block feel completely different from another two minutes away.

That's the experience my clients actually pay for. Pricing data is everywhere now. What's harder to find is a Realtor who has lived through the school catchment debates, knows which builders cut corners on insulation, and can tell you why one Burke street commands a premium and the one next to it doesn't.

I specialize in move-up sellers — families ready to trade a starter condo or townhome for a detached home, or detached owners ready to scale up to a view lot. It's the most emotionally and financially complex move most people will ever make. My job is to make it feel quiet, sequenced, and survivable.

— Craig

Meet Craig — 90 seconds

Hear it in Craig’s own words.

Before you book a call, spend ninety seconds with Craig. You’ll know in the first thirty whether he’s the right realtor for your move.

Why Move-Up Sellers Hire Me

Four things you won't get from a generalist agent.

Most Tri-Cities Realtors are competent on either the buy side or the sell side. Almost none are built for the simultaneous move — selling the home you live in now while buying the next one before the market shifts under you. That's the work I do every week.

1

Hyper-local read on Burke, Westwood & Heritage

I can tell you in one call why a townhome on Smiling Creek Drive lists higher than an identical floorplan two streets over, why Heritage Woods catchment moves prices faster than Heritage Mountain, and which Westwood Plateau cul-de-sacs hold value through a slow market. That kind of granularity changes pricing strategy.

2

Move-up math, not just listing math

Listing your home for the highest possible price is meaningless if your buy-side timing leaves you carrying two mortgages or scrambling to bridge-finance. I run the full sequence — sell price, buy price, possession dates, deposit logistics, tax windows — before we set a list price, so the whole move clears cleanly.

3

Quiet negotiation, no theatre

You won't see me hammer-bidding above asking on a property that doesn't deserve it, and you won't see me chase ego wins on listings. My clients tend to be analytical buyers and sellers — accountants, engineers, executives — who want a Realtor who matches their tone. Calm, evidence-based, no drama.

4

Backed by The MACNABS team

I work inside a top 2% Royal LePage team across Canada. That means I have negotiation peers I can pressure-test strategy with, an in-house marketing and photography pipeline that doesn't depend on freelance availability, and a referral network across the country when clients are moving in or out of Tri-Cities.

Where I Work

The neighbourhoods I know street by street.

I'm deliberately narrow on geography. I'd rather know six neighbourhoods deeply than thirty superficially. These are the areas I work in week-in, week-out — every page below is a guide I wrote, not a template I bought.

How I Work

Three distinct frameworks for three different moves.

I run different playbooks depending on whether you're selling, buying, or doing both at once. Here's the abbreviated version of each — the full breakdowns live on the dedicated pages.

Selling

  1. Pre-list walkthrough with ROI-ranked recommendations (paint, lighting, staging, repairs).
  2. Strategic pricing modeled against three comparables tiers, not a single average.
  3. Marketing pipeline through The MACNABS — photo, drone, video, copy, MLS, paid social.
  4. Showing schedule designed around your family's reality, not the agent's calendar.
  5. Offer-day strategy: subject removal, deposit handling, and seller concessions handled clearly.
  6. Possession + completion sequencing aligned with your buy-side or rental bridge.

Buying

  1. Strategy call to map your real priorities (catchment, commute, terrain, future resale).
  2. Custom search aligned to the priority map — including off-MLS exempt listings when available.
  3. Property tours with structural, layout, and lifestyle commentary, not just a sales pitch.
  4. Comparable analysis before every offer — including last-12-months trend and active competition.
  5. Offer construction with proper subject windows and deposit terms (no "clean offer" pressure).
  6. Inspection, appraisal, and conveyancing coordination through completion.

Move-Up (Both)

  1. Trade-up math: net equity, transaction costs, mortgage stress, future tax windows.
  2. Sequencing decision: sell-first, buy-first, or concurrent — with bridge financing modelled.
  3. Pre-list prep on current home while buy-side search runs in parallel.
  4. Coordinated negotiation on both sides — including possession date matching.
  5. Deposit choreography across two contracts (the part most families don't realize they need help with).
  6. Move-week logistics: cleaning, conveyancing handoffs, key transfers, and utilities.
Sellers Who Worked With Craig

5.0 stars across 30+ verified Google reviews.

★★★★★

Verbatim quotes from Craig’s Google Business Profile.

“Craig sold my property in just 6 days, which is an incredible feat. After receiving one offer, he quickly reconnected with all the other realtors who had viewed the property, and before I knew it, we had multiple offers—all over asking price!”

Heather Fox Seller · August 2024 · Google Review

“Craig was there with us everyday. Guiding us to our next step we were kept informed daily sometimes multiple times a day as to what was happening… Our home sold in only 6 days with multiple offers.”

Gerry & Aline Howitson Sellers · November 2025 · Google Review

“Craig is a true professional and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell their home. His approach is clear, data-driven and resulted in multiple offers for our sale.”

Robert Shin Seller · July 2025 · Google Review

“Craig Johnston recently sold my townhouse in West Vancouver in less than 6 days for over asking price!!!!! Craig is one of the most prolific and highly motivated realtors I have seen in the Realty business, and I have extensive experience buying and selling properties of all sorts.”

Riverplate Equities Seller · November 2023 · Google Review

“Craig absolutely delivered on his promise of selling my condo, exceeding my expectations. Craig met with me prior to listing and gave helpful advice for making my home shine to potential buyers. The media and internet exposure, salesmanship and presentation were all top tier.”

Rich & Andrew Seller · August 2025 · Google Review

“My West Vancouver home was staged to sell, and it did indeed sell in 14 days in a declining seller’s market. Craig’s marketing tools are amazing. The photographer he hired for the stills of my West Vancouver home and the video that was done of my home and the surrounding area cannot be beat.”

Roberta Shaw Seller · February 2023 · Google Review

“He went above and beyond what was required and managed to sell our condo at one of the slowest times of the year! From helping with the staging to being available to show to the unit at any time, Craig managed to sell our place when other comparable units nearby had been sitting for weeks!”

Alex Kadhim Seller · February 2023 · Google Review

“No matter value of the property, Craig puts great care into preparing high-quality marketing content, ensuring each listing is presented at its absolute best. Craig presents very professionally and is very responsive with his communications.”

Allan Liang Seller · March 2025 · Google Review

“Two of the transactions were house sales… both houses were sold for over asking and within the one week of going on market. Craig analyzed the market accurately and advised on a selling price that was fair and saleable.”

Ann English 3 Transactions · March 2024 · Google Review
Credentials & Recognition

Licensed. Vetted. Recognized.

The boring-but-important section. Every claim below is supportable and on file with the relevant authority.

B
BCFSA Licensed REALTOR®
BC Financial Services Authority Licence V99960
G
Greater Vancouver REALTORS®
Member in good standing
M
Medallion Team Member
Royal LePage West, since 2021
T
Top 2% Nationwide
Royal LePage Canada team ranking
R
REALTOR® Designation
Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA)
A
The MACNABS Team
Royal LePage West Real Estate Services
L
9+ Year Burke Resident
First-hand neighbourhood expertise
S
Move-Up Specialist
Concurrent sell + buy transactions
Frequently Asked

What buyers and sellers ask before our first call.

If your question isn't here, ask it on the strategy call — we'll cover it before any commitment is on the table.

Are you actually a Coquitlam resident, or do you just work here?

I've lived in the Tri-Cities for over 44 years. I was born in Port Moody, grew up here, and now live on Burke Mountain — where I've raised my family for the last nine-plus years. My roots in this market aren't a marketing line; they're my actual life.

I drive these streets every day — not as an agent prospecting, but as a resident running errands. That's deliberately different from a Vancouver agent who covers Tri-Cities as a side market.

What does the first call look like?

30 minutes by phone or Zoom. No PowerPoint, no slide deck, no sales script. I ask about your timeline, the move you're trying to make, what's already been tried, and where you're stuck. By the end of the call you'll know whether I'm the right fit — and whether the timing makes sense at all.

If the answer is "wait six months and revisit," I'll say that. I'd rather lose the listing than push someone into a bad-timing move.

Who do you NOT work with?

I'm not the right Realtor for investors chasing pre-sale flips, for sellers looking for a discount listing service, or for buyers who want an agent to validate emotional purchases without pushback. My work is structured around families making strategic move-up decisions — that's where I add real value, and where I'm honest enough to refer out when it doesn't fit.

What's your commission structure?

Commissions are always negotiable and disclosed in writing on the listing or buyer representation agreement before anything is signed. I'm not the cheapest agent in Tri-Cities and I don't try to be — the marketing, photography, video, and team support that come with The MACNABS represent real costs. We talk about the number on the strategy call so there are no surprises.

Do you work outside the Tri-Cities?

Yes. The Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam) is where I live and where my market knowledge is deepest — but I regularly help clients buy and sell across Metro Vancouver and beyond. Recent transactions have included Vancouver West Side, Bowen Island, Langley, and the Okanagan. If you're making a move I can run properly, I'll drive.

Where I'd refer rather than take the file is when the geography genuinely demands a specialist — say, a North Vancouver acreage with septic and well, or a Whistler resort property. In those cases, Royal LePage's national network gives me vetted referrals across Canada, which is part of the value of working with a brokerage-backed team rather than an independent.

How is The MACNABS team different from working with a solo Realtor?

You still work primarily with me — I'm your point of contact, I do the strategy work, I attend the showings and offers. The team adds depth: a marketing pipeline that doesn't depend on freelance availability, photographers and videographers who know our system, an admin function that keeps paperwork from slipping, and peer Realtors I can pressure-test strategy with on hard transactions. Solo agents can be excellent — but they're also a single point of failure.

What's the Medallion Club, and does it actually matter?

The Medallion Club is Royal LePage's annual recognition for the top-producing teams across Canada. The MACNABS has been a Medallion Club Team Member since 2021. Practically, what it tells you is that the team has done enough volume year-over-year to know how to handle the unusual transactions — multiple-offer scenarios, subject-to-sale buyers, divorce sales, estate sales, off-market deals. Volume isn't the same as quality, but quality without volume usually means a Realtor who hasn't seen enough edge cases yet.

How do you handle the move-up sequencing problem?

The honest answer: case by case, with math first. There are three viable paths — sell-first with rental bridge, buy-first with bridge financing, and concurrent (both contracts running with matched possession dates). Each has different risks. The decision depends on your specific equity position, mortgage flexibility, rate environment, and personal risk tolerance. The strategy call covers this with real numbers, not a templated answer.

The first conversation costs nothing and commits to nothing.

30 minutes. No pressure. We'll talk through your timeline, your goals, and whether the math actually works right now.

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