The new carlycarey.com is now live! 


And just in time too! Carly Carey (Realtor®) is now Carly Carey Real Estate Team! 

I am so excited to announce that not only has Jayda Mclauchlin joined our team, but we've also launched our new brand and new website!


What I am most excited about for this new website

  • New MLS Search features (search for any home on Vancouver Island) Including a special waterfront search option. 

  • Sold Home Search! Curious about what a home sold for? Maybe your neighbor just sold? Check it the sales history! 

  • Property Valuation Tool: Curious what the current value of your home is? (You never know it might be worth more than you think!) 

There are so many great features I love about the new site. And of…

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One of the main benefits of using me for your listings is that my marketing is powered by Real Estate Webmasters inc (REW).

Not only is REW the world's largest custom website marketing and lead generation platform, it is also locally owned and operated right here in Nanaimo. My husband Morgan Carey is the founder / CEO. It's because we own Real Estate Webmasters that I am able to generate literally hundreds of buyer inquiries every month and provide more exposure for your luxury waterfront listings than any other Realtor®

Introducing ListingsByLocation.com - The Global MLS

Speaking of global exposure, I have some exciting news! Recently (as featured on last month's cover of Real Estate Magazine) our company has launched a new Global MLS…

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Nanaimo in the Summer, so many things to do!

If you're looking for some fun and relaxing things to do in the summer in Nanaimo, British Columbia, you're in luck! Nanaimo is a beautiful city on Vancouver Island that offers a variety of indoor and outdoor activities for all ages and interests. Here are some of my personal favourites:

Hiking and Biking in Nanaimo

- Go for a hike or bike ride on one of the many trails in the area. You can enjoy the scenic views of the ocean, mountains, and forests, and maybe spot some wildlife along the way. Some popular trails are the Nanaimo River Trail, the Parkway Trail, and the Harbourfront Walkway.

My favourite spot to go hiking is just up above Jingle Pot road where the waterfalls are (it's called Ammonite…

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Hi there! I'm Carly Carey, owner of CarlyCarey.com and VanIslerealstate.com 

Recently we've decided to consolidate our websites into one website to help us ensure we are providing the best-of-breed real estate tools for our customers. CarlyCarey.com is our flagship website and is much more powerful than the older vanislerealestate.com you were signed up with before (I own both websites). 

As such we've moved all of our customer accounts to CarlyCarey.com. 


Next steps: (action required) 

We've moved your client accounts to our new site and you should be able to log into a new dashboard here (just use your email address on file). 

After you login, you will see it change to "Dashboard" and this is where you can manage your preferences.…

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Nanaimo British Columbia, an EPIC Coastal Town

Nanaimo is a vibrant and growing city located on the east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. With a population of over 90,000 people, Nanaimo is the second-largest city on the island. It is known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and a strong sense of community.

Nanaimo's History

Nanaimo has a rich history, with roots dating back to the Snuneymuxw First Nation, who have lived in the area for thousands of years. The city was named after the Snuneymuxw Chief, Nyiname, and was originally a trading and fishing village. In the mid-19th century, coal was discovered in the area and Nanaimo became a major coal-mining town.

Today, Nanaimo is a popular tourist…

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Are you thinking of relocating to mid-Vancouver Island? I’ve lived on Vancouver Island my whole life. As a mid-Vancouver Island real estate agent I’ve helped so many people relocating to the area learn about neighbourhoods on mid-Vancouver Island. Whether it’s Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Chemainus, Nanoose, Parksville or Qualicum, the mid-island has something for everyone.

How do you choose a Vancouver Island neighbourhood that’s right for you?

Vancouver Island has a neighbourhood that’s right for just about everyone. It really comes down to what you and your family are looking for. Here is a video I made recently on choosing a Vancouver Island neighbourhood:

Some examples I gave of neighbourhoods I love are neighbourhoods like Chemainus, Nanaimo,…

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How to Buy a House in Lake Cowichan or Youbou, Vancouver Island

Thinking of buying a house in Lake Cowichan or Youbou on Vancouver Island? You’ve come to the right place. My family is from Youbou (pronounced You-Bow) and my husband and I have a home on Lake Cowichan- so this is one of my favourite topics!

Youbou and Lake Cowichan then and now

Historic photo of my grandparents in the mill town of Youbou BC

The area was originally a mill town (my grandfather and uncle worked at the mill!) but over the years it’s grown into a really fun seasonal town.If you’d like to learn more about the history check out this timeline of the History of Youbou going back to the early 1900s. 

These days Youbou and Lake Cowichan have a combination of year round residents and vacation home owners. If you’re looking to…

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Looking for a waterfront home with great exposure on Mid-Vancouver Island? You’ve come to the right place. I’m a mid-island waterfront real estate agent and a lifelong resident here on Vancouver Island. I love helping people determine what is the best waterfront home and community for them. Here are the things you need to consider when looking for a home with great exposure.

What is great exposure?


I define great exposure as a South or West facing waterfront property in order to maximize sunlight and be able to watch the sunset every evening. I love a good exposure and totally I find more often than not, my clients want that too!


The way this part of the island faces, we face east, so we just don’t always get the sunsets or sometimes not even…

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Are you thinking of moving to Vancouver Island? As someone who has lived on Vancouver Island pretty much my whole life I’m used to answering questions about what life is really like in Nanaimo and beyond. While everyone moves to Vancouver Island for different reasons I answer a lot of the same questions over and over again. 

What is it like living in Nanaimo, British Columbia?


Nanaimo is a wonderful small city, located on central Vancouver island. Having been raised on Vancouver Island I love Nanaimo. Questions I often get asked are, will I like living here? Will the lifestyle suit me? And what can we do here? 

Well, first of all, Nanaimo has many wonderful schools, including private schools, french immersion and english speaking public…

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Are you looking for waterfront properties on mid-Vancouver Island?  As a Vancouver Island real estate agent one of the most common questions I get is,

"Where can I find the best waterfront properties on Vancouver Island?” 

People mean different things when they ask to see waterfront homes, so I’m going to share the different types of waterfront properties we have on Vancouver Island (in particular mid-Vancouver Island) and where you can find them!

What kinds of waterfront properties are there on mid-Vancouver Island?

When it comes to waterfront on the island your choices are oceanfront, lakefront, and riverfront. What I love about central Vancouver Island is all the different options when it comes to ocean front, lakefront and riverfront homes…

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