Rom Houtstra

Your Relocation Specialist for Western Canada

ROM HOUTSTRA is an experienced licensed Realtor for Century 21_®. As a specialist in INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION, Rom significantly increases benefits to both INTERNATIONAL BUYERS AND LOCAL SELLERS. 

Rom Houtstra is the visionary and creative mind behind ReloCan Holdings Inc., a company devoted to meeting the administrative and real estate needs of families and businesses leaving and entering Canada. By combining foreign property sales with access to fast-track immigration services, and a network of relocation mortgage and financing partners, Rom has been able to ease and accelerate transitions for his international clients. Rom’s work at ReloCan brings amazing results to local Real Estate sellers as well, who benefit from European exposure, which can substantially increase their opportunity for a sale!

Rom was born into an entrepreneurial family in The Hague, Netherlands.  After graduating from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, with a degree in Corporate Law, Rom expanded his entrepreneurial knowledge and expertise by working as a legal spokesperson on environmental and marketing issues for over 400 businesses, including Crown Packaging, Unilever, Basf, Philips and Heineken. In 1991 he accepted a position as substitute Director of C.M.H.R., representing the window and doorframe manufacturing industries of Holland, where he supervised and monitored bidding procedures for various construction projects.

After researching the North American market and lifestyle Rom immigrated to Canada in 1993, to establish his own manufacturing company in Kelowna. As an independent entrepreneur, Rom developed, patented and marketed a unique retractable canopy for pick-up trucks which was sold to dealerships and distributors in both Canada and the United States.

In 2002, after more than 20 years of skill development in sales, negotiation and customer service in Western Europe and North America, Rom decided it was time to consolidate his talents and make the “ultimate” career change - to Real Estate. 

The following year, Rom added his experience as an entrepreneurial immigrant to the mix. In April of 2003, he launched ReloCan Holdings Inc., a One-Stop Relocation Centre, catering to international clientele. His knowledge of immigration proceedings, global markets, business and law give him the range he needs to facilitate smooth, efficient international relocations. Rom’s clients appreciate his ability to communicate fluently in Dutch and English, and his basic knowledge of German and French.  

 In 2004 Rom chose to partner with Century 21_®, in order to give his clients the widest possible market exposure.  “Century 21’s global referral network provides maximum exposure to both buyers and sellers, and better, faster results.”  says Rom, “I chose Century 21 because it is the largest real estate company in the world, with over 7,800 offices in 45 countries. Century 21 also has a robust presence on the World Wide Web, attracting 3x more online visitors than its nearest competitor. It is, in fact, the largest referral network in the world.”

Rom’s legal, marketing and sales background, his knowledge of European and North American markets, and his genuine interest in people bring success to both his business and personal life.

Rom is happily married to Sandy. They have 3 children Alex (13), Marnie (6), and Maaike (5). When Rom is not busy serving real estate clients, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis, golf and (sometimes) the piano.

Please feel free to visit his other websites at www.okanaganrealty.com and www.relocan.net

Rom would be pleased to help you, your friends or relatives with any relocation needs or questions.