Gail Kendall
Special to Niagara Now/The Lake Report

Crystal Simons is a longtime resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Davids in particular.

Having managed the Avondale at the corner of York and Four Mile Creek roads for 13 years, she is now following her passion and delving full-time into the world of real estate.

The store opened August 2007 and Simons started working there February 2008, taking over as manager about a year and a half later.

She is now in her fifth year as a realtor and has been juggling both jobs all that time, but feels now is the time to move on.

Feeling she grew as far as she could at the store, she knew that if she truly wanted to succeed, she had to let go and focus full-time on real estate.

Simons says she didn’t realize the impact she has had on people who frequent the store.

“This has been an emotional few weeks as I head into my last few days,” she says as she prepared to leave last week.

“To say I’ve made friends is an understatement. Anyone who frequents the store often knows they are family.  I’ve been through marriages, divorces, births and deaths.”

Simons struggles to explain the satisfaction she gets from connecting people with their dream home, thriving on the friendships she has made and the support she has received.

She has connected people she knew as kids who are now adults purchasing their first home. Some of her older customers have chosen to downsize and she’s helped move them out of their homes into senior facilities.

Not only will she be available to buy and sell homes, she is also going to be a mentor at the agency.

She describes herself as stubborn and someone who will fight for her clients.

Simon’s early morning coffee group surprised her with a socially distanced farewell with champagne and a gift of a beautiful charcuterie board.

She began working out of the Revel Realty office in Virgil on April 1 and, when restrictions allow, she invites friends to drop by for a coffee. (They even have a wine bar and rooftop patio.)

Rob Cole is taking over the reigs as manager at the Avondale. Cole is a familiar face who knows the basics of the store and, while he has large shoes to fill in Simon’s departure, he is definitley up for the challenge.

Simons may be leaving Avondale, but she still will be a familiar presence in St. Davids and can often be seen walking with her two boxers, Winston and Willow.