JESSICA VENABLES

Former CPA turned Central Vancouver Island Realtor

Roots in a Small Coastal Town, Built for Real Estate

Jessica grew up in Powell River, BC, a small coastal town where the ferry is your only way in or out and the community is your whole world. That upbringing gave her a genuine understanding of what it means to put down roots somewhere, and what it truly costs, emotionally and financially, to make a move.

She originally came to Nanaimo for university with plans to head to Vancouver after, but the Island had other ideas. She is grateful it did. Life here offers everything she was looking for: the close-knit feel of the small town she grew up in, with the energy of a city always within reach. A ferry, a seaplane, a short flight away whenever she wants it. This is home.

Eight Years as a CPA (Chartered Accountant) Before Making the Leap

Before real estate, Jessica spent eight years as a CPA (with a chartered accountant legacy designation), and that background shapes everything about how she works with clients today.

She began her career at Grant Thornton LLP. That work put her at the center of some of the most financially and emotionally complex situations a family can face, managing the financial affairs of an estate, working with executors, navigating tax implications, and helping families bring order to an overwhelming process. She then moved to Purtzki and Associates, where she focused on tax planning and financial year ends, before finishing her accounting career as Controller at Aspengrove School in Lantzville.

Leaving was not easy. Six years of schooling and a career built from scratch, but she felt pulled toward something more personal, where the numbers she loved were in service of people's lives rather than spreadsheets. She made the leap in 2021 and has not looked back.

Eight years of that work gave Jessica something most realtors do not have: the ability to read a financial situation clearly, ask the right questions, and help clients make decisions that are both emotionally sound and financially smart.

How Jessica Works With Clients

Jessica brings a different kind of presence to every file she takes on. Whether she is guiding a family through the sale of an inherited home, helping a first time buyer navigate one of the biggest decisions of their life, or working with someone ready to move into a higher-end property that matches where they are in life, she shows up the same way every time. Patient, precise, and genuinely invested in the outcome.

When it comes to estate files, she understands that this kind of transaction requires a different pace and a different kind of listening. There are memories attached to every room. There is grief woven into the process. Her job is to make sure families feel supported, informed, and never pressured, while making sure the financial outcome reflects the true value of what their loved one built.

For first time buyers, her CPA background is an unexpected advantage. She has a natural ability to break down the financial side of a purchase in plain language, help clients understand what they are actually committing to, and make sure they feel confident rather than overwhelmed.

For higher-end residential sales, her eye for detail, renovation experience, and financial precision make her a strong advocate for clients who expect a higher standard of service.

Her roots mean she treats every client like a neighbour. Her accounting background means she will never let emotion override a sound financial decision. And her renovation experience means she can see past the surface of a property in a way that most agents simply cannot.

Jessica works alongside her partner Chase Salisbury as part of Annex Real Estate Group, serving Nanaimo and Central Vancouver Island.

A Full Support Network for Every Estate Sale

At Annex Real Estate, estate sale clients have access to everything they need in one place. Jessica leads these files with care and sensitivity, and the team works with a trusted network of professionals they know personally, including estate cleanout services, cleaners, stagers, painters, contractors, and sub trades. All vetted. All focused on getting the home presented in the best possible light for the market.

Nothing is outsourced to a stranger. Every referral is someone Chase and Jessica trust with their own clients.

Why Estate Sales Require a Different Kind of Realtor

When Jessica and Chase launched Annex Real Estate Group, it became clear that her estate background was going to be one of the team's most meaningful specialties. Selling a family home after the loss of a loved one is not a typical real estate transaction. There are executors to coordinate with, legal timelines to navigate, decades of belongings to sort through, and family members who may all have different feelings about the process.

Jessica understands all of it, not just from a real estate perspective, but from years of sitting across the table from families in exactly that position during her accounting career.