Military wife turns TV star

You can follow Vanessa Roman on Twitter at VanessaRomanTV

Vanessa Roman is used to seeing her husband Major Jason Roman fly off in his Sea King helicopter with the Canadian Armed Forces. But now she’s doing her own bit of moving – to the small screen. The mom of three and Halifax real estate agent hosts “Reno vs Relocate” which will begin airing on HGTV network in May. In the show, Vanessa helps families decide whether they should renovate their existing home, or find a new one. But for military families, the decision is often far more straight forward: which house will be home in a new community. The complications come from the short window in which to find property and the unique requirements for service families.

Vanessa says being a Forces wife gives her first-hand experience making these moves go smoothly, and she puts in the effort to make sure that’s the case. “I come from a military family, I’m married to a military guy – so if you’re coming to Halifax, I’m the agent you need to have for your house hunting trip,” says Vanessa. “I understand the challenges of moving to a new city and integrating the family within an existing community. There are a lot of hoops to jump through and you generally get just seven days to find a house.”

Military transfers are a unique way to move, she says, and the process can be time consuming and complicated. Vanessa is a registered real estate agent with Brookfield Global Relocation and has been through the relocation process herself. She is also an active member of the Nova Scotia Association of Realtors® and a member of the Canadian Real Estate Association. She holds degrees in Economics from Dalhousie University and Journalism from the University of King’s College. That mixed background, combined with the flair you need on TV and her military family experience, means Vanessa knows what these moves demand. “I dedicate myself fully to the family for the week they are here,” she explains. “They get exclusive access to me.” “Having grown up in Halifax, I’m extremely familiar with the area and its amenities, with particular focus on the military lifestyle.” “I saw that other agents were not able to understand the unique prospect of buying a home for a military family. This is your single biggest investment as a family and you need to select an agent carefully or you will lose money.”

So do you want a TV star as your real estate agent? “In Nova Scotia you can become a licensed real estate agent in only three months,” says Vanessa. “That’s why it’s extremely important for you to interview agents.” 

“Mistakes in real estate are costly, so if you are ill advised it can cost you thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars. So even if my advice just helps people to pick a better agent, I think it’s worthwhile.” She adds, jokingly: “Hosting a national TV show hopefully means someone thinks I know what I’m talking about when it comes to buying and selling real estate.”

“Reno vs Relocate” will start airing on the HGTV network in May and you can contact Vanessa through her website at www.vanessaroman.ca.