Board Recognition Award: Matt D’Orsay on Leadership, Integrity, and the Future of the Industry

For Matt D’Orsay, recipient of the 2025 SIOR Canada Central Chapter Board Recognition Award for Industry Leadership and Impact, recognition from peers carries particular weight.

“It’s a tremendous compliment,” he says. After more than 25 years in commercial real estate, and having grown up around the industry, being acknowledged by respected colleagues is, in his words, “personally and professionally very meaningful.”

But when D’Orsay reflects on his career, he doesn’t point to a single transaction or milestone. Instead, he speaks about relationships, evolution, and responsibility — to clients, to colleagues, and to the next generation.

Leading With Substance

D’Orsay entered the industry at a time when technology was still in its infancy and transactions were often evaluated narrowly. Over the past two decades, he has watched commercial real estate become dramatically more sophisticated.

“Real estate is one component of a much bigger picture,” he explains, noting that today’s advisory work extends far beyond lease rates and sale prices to include labour analytics, infrastructure, power availability, transportation costs, incentives, and long-term business strategy.

“The whole industry has leveled up.”

That evolution has reinforced his belief that brokerage must be rooted in integrity. For D’Orsay, client service means offering advice that is genuinely aligned with a client’s best interest.

“Providing advice in a client’s best interest sometimes doesn’t benefit you financially,” he says candidly. “It’s a long road. But if you lead with real relationships and a broader perspective, it matters over time.”

Community, Mentorship, and Paying It Forward

Early in his career, D’Orsay found SIOR and the broader commercial real estate community to be welcoming and supportive. That experience shaped his own approach to leadership.

“I’ve been fortunate,” he reflects, “and I try to pay that forward.”

He believes strongly in encouraging younger professionals to put themselves forward, to speak publicly, to take on visible roles, and to embrace discomfort as part of growth.

“Encouraging young people to be in the room matters,” he says. “Make mistakes. That’s how you grow.”

Just as importantly, he emphasizes authenticity. “Be true to yourself and you’ll be far more successful.”

For D’Orsay, industry organizations like SIOR play a critical role in that development, not only through education and standards, but by creating a platform for professionals to build credibility, form global relationships, and elevate the profession as a whole.

“The majority of the value comes from the relationships formed within those associations,” he says.

Looking Ahead

As commercial real estate faces rapid change driven by technology, artificial intelligence, and shifting professional service models, D’Orsay sees both opportunity and responsibility.

“We need to put aside individual aspirations and focus on the betterment of the industry,” he says. “Evolving what we do, expanding services, and remaining leaders — together.”

Above all, he hopes the industry continues to prioritize collaboration and respect.

“Being good to each other matters,” he says. “It always has.”