The A-Team: Putting Families First, Theirs & Yours - How a Top-Notch Team of REALTORS® Balance a 24/7 Schedule

When Tom and Breanna Albrecht teamed up in life as husband and wife, they also had dreams of teaming up in business. One drone and dozens of eye-catching marketing videos later, the two put themselves in the forefront of the real estate market.

“It was an exciting time,” said Tom. “As the clientele grew, we required administrators and agents. At first, we taught. Now, we learn together. It’s a creative, innovative and exciting team. We all work within a common structure of process and we are all committed to professionalism and learning.”

Today, the Albrechts are proud to have found a family of agents – Aaron Chalmers, Aleaha Frigon, Erin Ogren and Denise Hildebrand – who act as a support team to one another. And Tom said he’s an “extremely fortunate guy to have Breanna and all these talented colleagues and friends.”

When they work, their drive is to bring their clients the best results, but this group of six has a soft side, too. They help people buy and sell their homes, all while putting their families first and keeping their clients’ families a close second.

Aaron Chalmers

A-Team Specialized Listing Agent • Tel 780.788.9915

Aaron Chalmers has lived in Fort McMurray for 29 years, moving from Calgary in 1989. Today, he and his wife, Kristen, are raising their young family of two boys: Hudson, 2, and Benjamin, 8-months-old.

Chalmers’ role on The A-Team is solely dedicated to helping people sell their homes. He values the community for how it adapts and strengthens through every battle that comes its way.

“Whether it be floods, fires, tragic story after tragic story of travelling Highway 63, or even personal struggles, I do not know another community that will still recover and have the incredible opportunities to better the lives of yours and others,” he said. “Fort McMurray really is in a class of its own.”

A Day in the Life of Aaron

Chalmers dedicates the first hour of every day to his family breakfast, where he enjoys his “so needed” first cup of coffee. Though his career is demanding, he makes sure it’s 50/50 with his wife and children.

“Work is sporadic and unscheduled. Most days consist of meeting some of Fort McMurray’s incredible people and helping them prepare to sell their home,” he explains. “I can probably speak for all of us when I say that at least five days a week, the average work day is about 16 hours long.”

It took a curve of learning for Chalmers to smoothen out his skillset to best manage his time. He gives all the credit of his balanced life to his wife.

“Kristen is the one that will reel me in and make the big picture clear again when days get long and muddy,” he said.

The A-Team Experience

“It’s like Thanksgiving dinner with your own family,” he said. “It can be hectic and high intensity, but at the end of the day, we are all like-minded and care for each other and our families. We work together to innovate and raise industry standards, along with getting involved in the community.”

Aleaha Frigon

A-Team Specialized Buyer’s Agent • Tel 780.742.5722

Aleaha Frigon has lived in Fort McMurray for 13 years, moving from Edmonton with her husband and five children: Mia, Coy, Reed, Riley and Yvette. Active in the local theatre community, Frigon loves Fort McMurray for its people and their willingness to help support others’ dreams.

“I’ve never lived anywhere like this,” she said. “And although the weather isn’t always ideal, the warm heart of the community is a perfect trade-off.”

A Day in the Life of Aleaha

Frigon describes her regular week as the same, yet ever-changing. With her children in school full days, their mornings start early. After the loss of their Saprae Creek home in the 2016 Wildfire, the Frigons kept their children in their same school to create normalcy.

“We are living in Eagle Ridge. However, I drive the kids to school in Beacon Hill as it was their school pre-fire and I wanted them to have some ‘normal’ and go to the same school,” she explained. “I show a lot of homes and am on the ground often with clients driving here, there and everywhere.”

Their routine is jam-packed with dance classes for her daughter and hockey for her boys, which Frigon’s husband coaches two to three times a week. She’s thankful for her husband and his flexible schedule to mastering the work and home life balance.

The A-Team Experience

“I love being able to have had the opportunity to be trained by some people who are technical wizards and I have the daily pleasure of working with my best friend, Erin Ogren,” she said.

Erin Ogren

A-Team Specialized Buyer’s Agent • Tel 780.788.0143

Originally from Cranbrook, B.C., Erin Ogren first moved to Fort McMurray in 2005. After a short stint in Airdrie from 2007 to 2010, she made her way back and now has a family of two children: Zach, 9, and Ashlyn, 7, with her husband, Ryan.

“The city of Fort McMurray is different than any other city I have lived in,” she said. “The people are warm and welcoming. They are ambitious and hard workers. You won’t find a more generous community and everyone comes together to support when there is need.”

Ogren has been a licensed realtor since 2007, but she said that each time she hands someone the keys to their new home, it feels like “the very first time.” As an A-Team Specialized Buyer’s Agent, she knows purchasing a home is one of the largest investments her clients will make.

A Day in the Life of Erin

Ogren’s regular week consists of a fine balancing act between her husband, children and two dogs plus work and extracurricular activities. They are on-the-go every weekday, excluding Tuesdays, with her son’s hockey and daughter’s competitive dance.

“We make a solid effort to eat dinner as a family together every night. We aren’t perfect and it doesn’t always work out, but one of my main goals between the hustle and bustle of everyone’s busy schedules is that we gather at least once a day – altogether without distraction to reconnect.”

The A-Team Experience

“There are six strong personalities coming together to provide incredible and innovative ideas,” she said. “Many hands make light work – there is no way it would be humanly possible to have work/life balance and accomplish all that we do as a team.”

Denise Hildebrand

A-Team Specialized Buyer’s Agent • Tel 780.742.6208

Denise Hildebrand is a mom to three children and grandmother to two grandsons. When Hildebrand moved to Fort McMurray from Winnipeg, M.B. in 2011, she soon discovered its strong sense of community. She believes people here are proud to be residents and sees their dedication to make a difference.

Hildebrand has been a part of The A-Team since June 2016, after meeting Tom Albrecht in a grocery store parking lot.

“I was a relatively new agent when I ran into Tom and chatted with him briefly,” she explains. “Since that day, my business has grown. My knowledge of how to be a great agent has increased and being part of an amazing team that is leaps and bounds ahead of the real estate world of marketing is second to none.”

A Day in the Life of Denise

Hildebrand says the work-life balance is a little different at her age because her children are grown adults. Her week starts with an open agenda and said it quickly changes with a phone call, text or email. She’s in the works of transitioning from being a listing agent to a buyer’s agent.

“My clients are looking for the perfect home, so I am busy helping them find it,” she explains. “My favourite part of the job is taking people out house-hunting and knowing the moment they realize they’ve walked into the home that is perfect for them.”

On the side, Hildebrand is also busy as the lead host for Diner en Blanc Fort McMurray, which is an annual worldwide event that hosts guests dressed in white at a secret local location. She said the planning, meetings and ensuring their event is a success keeps her extra busy. On weekends, she ensures family-time is on her list to end the week.

The A-Team Experience

“We are a family and truly care about the people we help to buy homes and those we help sell their homes,” she said.