Entrepreneur of the Year 2025: Inside William Wright Commercial’s people-first playbook for real estate success

At just 21, Cory Wright was already acquiring and running pubs—an early foray into business that taught him the value of customer service, negotiation and risk. That experience put him on both sides of the table—as tenant and landlord—long before he ever became a broker.

In 2013, spotting a gap in the market for a more service-driven approach in the real estate industry, he launched the commercial brokerage firm William Wright Commercial. Drawing on his hospitality roots, Wright built the firm with a “client first” philosophy, betting that, in commercial real estate, relationships—and the service behind them—could be just as valuable as the deal itself.

Today, William Wright Commercial has grown into a province-wide player, with offices in Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Langley, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna and Kamloops. Rather than chasing only the high-profile downtown core, Wright deliberately positioned the firm to serve underserved and often-overlooked tertiary markets, where local knowledge and relationships can make the biggest difference.

Wright’s edge lies in a simple but often overlooked philosophy: “So many companies look at the bottom line to build their business—we took the approach of doing the people-first business.” By offering competitive commissions and full benefits, and by recruiting brokers who live and work in the markets they serve, Wright built a 50-plus strong team deeply embedded in local communities.

Even as competitors retrench, Wright is quietly laying the groundwork for new territory—targeting Alberta by 2026 or early 2027, with Toronto next on the map. He knows those markets will demand a different playbook: in Alberta, where buyers are scarce and sellers compete for attention, success means potentially flipping B.C.’s business model on its head. It’s a challenge he welcomes, but only with the right people in place.

The strategy is paying off—while much of the real estate industry stumbled in 2024 and continues to struggle, William Wright Commercial delivered double-digit growth and record sales. In a sector defined by cycles, Wright is proving that betting on people pays the best returns.

Proudest moment in business so far?

Hitting our 10-year anniversary. In our industry, that’s a big milestone. It speaks to the incredible team at William Wright Commercial, and getting there—through COVID and all the challenges—was huge for us.

An odd job you’ve had?

I once cut grass for a day… and got fired. I couldn’t tell the difference between real and fake grass and accidentally mowed someone’s green patio turf. It clogged the mower and sent patio furniture flying, and the manager just said, “Go home.” They never called me back—and still owe me $50.