BC B U S I N E SS NOVEM B ER/ D ECEM B ER 2025 | 29
THE KICKOFF:
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.
ACTION PLAN:
Today, William Wright Commercial has grown into a prov-
ince-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 commis-
sions 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.
CLOSING STATEMENT:
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, Wil-
liam 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.–M.A.
Cory Wright
FOU N D ER AN D MANAG I N G D I R ECTO R,
W I LLI A M W R I G HT C O M M E R C I A L
FINALIST
Proudest moment in
business so far?
Hitting our 10-year anni-
versary. 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 be-
tween 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.
RAPID
FIRE
