The founder of Canadian Real Estate Forums, George Przybylowski, attended his last event in his professional role this month, prompting an outpouring of support from many speakers at the Toronto meeting.

But the panel on the apartment market took it a step further when moderator Aik Aliferis, senior managing director of Marcus & Millichap, presented a gift carving engraved with a tongue-in-cheek message from the panelists at the event last Thursday.

"This man needs no introduction. Most of you know this is George's last conference," said Aliferis, speaking to the packed room that was part of a sold-out conference of 2,000 people. The conference's beginnings can be traced back to Przybylowski organizing conferences for the government.

"We can't thank George enough for everything he has done over the years," said Aliferis.

Przybylowski said he had a year of semi-retirement and mentoring his replacement.

"Today is the end of big conferences," he said. "I was asked to do one conference, and then you can leave. I got my letter of retirement five days ago."

He has been organizing conferences across the country for 31 years. Przybylowski said it wasn't just a job and became a passion.

"I really appreciate this, but I was doing my job bringing people together. If my job didn't work, this wouldn't have happened," he said. "I really wanted it to be a successful annual event where people would come together."

To laughter, Aliferis jokingly told Przybylowski his sold-out event was being resold on Stubhub. "Now you know you made it," said Aliferis

It was not the only time Przybylowski was feted from the main stage, with Blake Hutcheson, the president and chief executive of the Ontario Municipal Employees' Retirement System and former president of CBRE Canada, taking a moment to acknowledge him on the main stage earlier in the week.

"This is his last year. He's been doing this for 31 years, and God bless you," said Hutcheson.