The Inspiring Story of Maxime Drolet-Gauthier, a Real Estate Broker Committed to Accessibility
In the real estate world, accessibility challenges are often overlooked, but one man has decided to change that. Maxime Drolet-Gauthier, a real estate broker at groupe sutton - synergie, turned his personal experience into an ambitious project to make real estate more accessible for people with disabilities. His journey, vision, and concrete actions make him a key player in promoting inclusion in the real estate industry.
A Journey Shaped by Personal Experience
At 19, Maxime Drolet-Gauthier was involved in a car accident that radically changed his life, leaving him quadriplegic. Now 31, he moves around in a wheelchair and has overcome one challenge after another. Rather than giving up, he actively committed himself to improving the lives of people with disabilities. For five years, he led a nonprofit organization supporting the disabled community by organizing fundraisers and raising public awareness about the specific issues they face.
Over time, he became aware of a troubling reality: people with disabilities face major challenges in finding housing adapted to their needs.
He recalls, “I spent 13 months in a rehab center, and that’s when I realized there were no real estate options for people with disabilities. I also discovered a huge lack of resources and information on accessible housing in Quebec. That’s what led me to create Immo Accessible Québec, a company specializing in supporting people with reduced mobility in all aspects of housing.”
Real Estate Brokerage in the Service of Accessibility
Now a real estate broker with groupe sutton - synergie, Maxime Drolet-Gauthier combines his real estate expertise with his personal commitment to provide a unique service. Working with a team of brokers, he helps people with disabilities find suitable housing while managing the administrative and organizational aspects of the buying or renting process. His goal is simple: to help each client find a home that meets their specific needs. Maxime highlights the main barriers faced by people with disabilities during their housing search: “In Quebec right now, only 15% of housing is considered accessible. That basically means 1 accessible unit for every 7. And with around 850,000 people living with a disability in the province, that boils down to just 1 accessible home for every 2 people who need one.”
“Already, finding a suitable home isn’t easy, but when you add all the complexity that comes with a newly acquired disability—adapting to a new reality, understanding your rights, learning about available grants, planning home modifications—it becomes a complete puzzle,” he adds.
As if that weren't enough, the average income of people with disabilities is about 10% lower than that of those without limitations, according to the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec (OPHQ). With rent prices constantly rising, it's easy to see why access to adapted housing becomes even more difficult for this community.
A Platform Dedicated to Accessible Housing
To meet these unmet needs, Maxime Drolet-Gauthier created Immo Accessible Quebec, a website dedicated to helping people with disabilities find accessible homes. The site lists only truly accessible properties, with detailed information about modifications such as door widths or ramps, ensuring that users won’t be disappointed during visits.
He even invites real estate brokers to create a free listing on his platform when selling a property that offers a minimum level of accessibility or has on-site adaptations.
He criticizes traditional real estate search sites, which he says offer search filters that don’t reflect the real expectations of people with disabilities. “For example, some homes are labeled as accessible, but the modifications are far from meeting actual needs,” he explains. The main issue, according to him, is that many brokers lack the knowledge to distinguish what is truly accessible from what is not.
A Valuable Support for People with Disabilities
Maxime’s website also offers a wealth of resources to guide users in their housing search: guides on universal accessibility, information on adapted building codes, and connections with specialized professionals. Having collaborated with architects, occupational therapists, and contractors, Maxime has gained significant experience to ensure every real estate project aligns with the needs of people with disabilities.
A Partnership with His Real Estate Agency
Joining groupe sutton - synergie was a pivotal step in his journey. “A friend recommended Yvon Cousineau (owner of the agency), and with his advice, I was able to develop my project within the agency,” he says. The agency allows him to combine his real estate skills with his personal mission while providing a supportive environment to bring his ideas to life.
Progress Made, but Still a Long Road Ahead
While Maxime Drolet-Gauthier acknowledges significant progress in accessibility—such as the 2019 Régi du Bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) law requiring accessibility standards for new buildings with more than 15 units—he believes much work remains. “Compared to other countries, we’re still far from ideal, but more and more initiatives are heading in the right direction.”
As the only real estate broker in Quebec (to his knowledge) living in a wheelchair, he uses his position to raise awareness among other brokers and developers about the importance of accessibility. He has even created a training program specifically designed to help brokers better understand the needs of people with disabilities. This initiative has already been approved by the Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ) and the Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) and will be available by the end of summer 2025.
A More Inclusive Future for Real Estate
For Maxime Drolet-Gauthier, the future of real estate lies in collective awareness and industry transformation. His goal is to make the sector more inclusive, more diverse, and more attuned to the needs of people with disabilities. “I want to raise awareness among my fellow brokers about the specific challenges this community faces, encourage developers to incorporate universal accessibility in their projects, and help evolve the industry toward greater inclusion,” he concludes.
Through his work, Maxime is giving hope back to a long-overlooked clientele, opening the doors to a more inclusive real estate world—one project at a time.
