(Diana Hoang is the winner of a 2024 Canadian Women in Real Estate Award, presented by Connect Canada CRE. To read about all of the winners, go to our special CWIRE Awards section.)

Diana Hoang is the owner and managing director of Toronto-based Spear Realty.

Operating with the motto, “Never give up,” Hoang has built her career in commercial real estate on resilience and vision, focusing on growth despite high interest rates, economic uncertainty, and market challenges. At Spear, she leads a team that transacts across Ontario and Buffalo through collaborations with brokers there.

Hoang is working to build Spear into a global boutique commercial real estate firm. In addition to providing brokerage services, Spear has moved into property management and development.

Hoang’s journey into commercial real estate began in analyst and communications roles before she discovered her passion for working with clients directly. Her initial experiences led her to transition into brokerage. She worked as a sales representative and associate vice-president with Colliers in Toronto before founding Spear Realty in 2021, a decision she regards as the best of her career.

Starting with only Hoang and a receptionist, Spear quickly grew into a team of about 18, with plans for further expansion in Canada and the U.S. through targeted hires.

Her vision for Spear involves meticulous planning and incremental improvements, guiding her team to enhance their roles through innovative strategies like utilizing artificial intelligence in market research. Hoang believes in fostering a dynamic and inclusive workplace, exemplified by Spear’s one-to-one male-to-female hiring model to ensure balanced diversity and equality within her team.

A dedicated leader in the industry, Hoang has also served as a co-chair of the Commercial Mortgage Lenders Association (COMLA), often speaking at industry forums and teaching the next generation of real estate professionals, particularly young women. Hoang emphasizes learning from trends and from a broad range of sources, and she mentors new industry talent to be adaptable and skilled in navigating shifts in the market. Hoang sees advancements in artificial intelligence as key to delivering better client services and believes that professionalism, ethics, and gender equality will be critical to the industry’s future.

Hoang is also active with CREW Toronto and volunteers in her community.

These are just some of the reasons why Hoang has received a Canadian Women in Real Estate Award.

(To read about all of the winners, go to our special CWIRE Awards section.)