After earning a master’s degree in education, Melyssa Hollister spent 20 years an elementary school teacher before pivoting to a career in real estate. The transition was a natural and seamless one as Melyssa grew up in a family of builders and developers and has always had a passion for architecture and design.

Perhaps not surprisingly, there have proven to be several transferable skills that have enabled Melyssa to excel in both fields, most notably the fact that she is a consummate people person and an excellent listener who is always looking out for the best interests of others – first her students and now her clients.

Melyssa’s ultimate motivation for getting into real estate stems from the innate passion she has for helping people find the perfect just the right property – whether it be a family dream home or an investment opportunity. Her skillful negotiating skills and unending patience – perhaps honed on the schoolyard – ensure that she secures the best possible outcomes for her clients each and every time.

In 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Melyssa was diagnosed with breast cancer. As she does with any obstacle put in her path, she met the challenge with courage, resiliency, and grace. Now thankfully on the other side of cancer, Melyssa recently joined a University Health Network advisory board looking at ways people diagnosed with cancer can help navigate their treatment and recovery.

Born and raised in Toronto, Melyssa’s close-knit family is peppered throughout Rosedale, North Toronto, and the Annex, and, as a result, she is deeply familiar with all of those neighbourhoods. It is Leaside, however, that she has called home for the past 18 years. It is a community that she adores and one in which she has become deeply involved (serving as co-president of the South Leaside Moms Group, for example) and where she and her husband are raising their four beautiful children.

When she is not hosting an open house or updating her social media with beautiful listings (@melyssahollisterrealestate), Melyssa can be found day-tripping with her family, including their canine companion Linus, checking out local theatre, ballet, or discovering hidden gem restaurants around the city.