Tristan Kong, a REALTOR® with the Tristan Kong Group at Keller Williams Real Estate Associates Brokerage, is reducing barriers and championing the Deaf community in the Greater Toronto Area through his volunteerism, sponsorship, and social outreach.
<iframe width="100%" height="385" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C7FbnVv9KlQ?si=PbZHLlF8pgxPbYKn" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>As a shy youngster, Tristan learned how to come out of his shell and find his voice at the Sign Language Summer Program (SLSP) run by Silent Voice Canada. The annual day camp operates entirely in American Sign Language (ASL) and provides a fun and supportive environment for youth who are Deaf, hard of hearing, children of Deaf adults (CODA), and their siblings. For Kong, the camp was a life-changing experience that highlighted the impact positive Deaf role models and mentorship can have on youth. It was the beginning of a lifelong journey to provide that same opportunity for others.
“Giving back to the Deaf community is deeply meaningful to me as my success and who I am today wouldn’t have been possible without the support I received from the Deaf community, and I am so grateful for that,” shared Tristan. “I believe it’s now my turn to pay it forward, offering support and opportunities to the next generation.”
Building on his transformative experience at SLSP, Tristan has continued to support Silent Voice Canada in various capacities. In addition to their summer program, Silent Voice Canada supports Deaf and hard of hearing children and adults, and their family members, with services that include immigration integration support, after-school programs, language education for individuals and professionals, and provisions of food and necessities for a population that faces chronic underemployment and societal barriers.
Today, Tristan supports their efforts through directed donations, social media and marketing support, presentations, and as a public advocate for the organization. He was also a key sponsor and supporter of Silent Voice hosting the Canada Deaf Games in 2024, bringing Deaf athletes from across the country to Toronto to compete and vie for spots in the Pan American Games for the Deaf and the Deaflympics. His brokerage also sponsored the games.
“Canada Deaf Games is important because it allows Deaf athletes to be recognized and compete in an accessible way that they don’t have the opportunity to if they were competing strictly with athletes who aren’t Deaf,” shared Tristan.
Tristan’s commitment to the Deaf community extends beyond Silent Voice Canada. East of Toronto, at Durham Deaf Services (DDS), he is equally dedicated to the senior population and the small but impactful agency that is at the heart of the Durham Deaf community. Tristan began volunteering for the organization by providing workshops to seniors in ASL on a host of real estate topics. For many, this was the first time they had heard real estate information in their first language, providing a more secure and sound understanding of how they could utilize their properties to best support themselves and their families in the future. The success and impact of the program led Kong to accept a position on the Board of Directors and later the role of President, supporting the organization’s move to a new and safer location and helping build its strategic growth plan.
“Tristan is a key player on the Durham Deaf Services board,” shared fellow board member Connie Russell. “Nowadays it’s challenging to get younger people involved in their communities, Tristan stands as a role model and shows the importance of volunteerism and giving back to your community. Hopefully, future generations will see that and follow his example.”
The onset of the pandemic brought new challenges, particularly for Deaf seniors who relied on in-person communication and had little experience with technology. DDS was forced to close its physical programming, leaving many seniors isolated with little to no ability to communicate with grocery stores and pharmacies for necessities. To help keep them safe and informed, Kong began translating COVID-19 protocols and health guidelines into ASL. At the same time, thanks to the support of donors and board members like Tristan, DDS staff began delivering adaptive technology to seniors’ homes, helping them learn to use it, and connecting them back to the wider community.
In addition to his direct work with local charities, Tristan focuses on supporting the Deaf Ecosystem, a term that describes investment in Deaf-owned and operated businesses, professionals, and schools. Having experienced firsthand the barriers that Deaf job seekers face in finding traditional employment opportunities within the hearing community, Tristan works with other Deaf business owners to mentor them through the experience of building a client base. He uses his social media platform as a REALTOR® to promote their work and grow their business. He also hires and contracts within the Ecosystem, building a better business community and helping with poverty reduction in the process.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3GhNB6xiJE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3GhNB6xiJE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3GhNB6xiJE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Tristan Kong • Deaf Realtor (@tzkong)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>“It was really touching for Tristan to post about my business,” shared Dallas Boyd-Zagozdzon, owner of Zago Creations “It’s been a difficult journey for me, and one that was filled with a lot of doubts. Seeing that Tristan was willing to share the word about my business and help me achieve success as a business owner really meant a lot to me.”
Since he committed to lifting others up at a young age, Tristan has continued to inspire and motivate those who cross his path. Whether through his business, at local charities, or supporting youth through mentorship, this Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2024 nominee is empowering the Deaf community, and its allies, across Canada.
REALTORS Care® Spotlight shares stories of how featured nominees of the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award are working to make their communities a better place for all.
