By Lesley Geary
RISMEDIA, April 19, 2008-According to Naomi Louvier, owner of Prudential Jack White Vista Real Estate, building long-term relationships is the most important thing-both internally and externally with buyers and sellers. Here, she reveals what it takes to accomplish this by building a positive, team-spirited environment where the office is both a place to work and a place to have fun.
Naomi Louvier
Owner
Prudential Jack White Vista Real Estate
Anchorage, Eagle River & Wasilla, Alaska
Years in real estate: 17
Career path: I became self-employed at 23 by investing in real estate, and did well. Then, in 1990, I decided to get my real estate license.
Number of offices: 3
Average sales price: $328,000
Number of agents: 300
Average time on market: 122 days
In my spare time: I have four sons who I love to spend time with, and my new passion is traveling.
Describe your current market conditions.
Alaska has had 19 years of continued growth, but it has been slow and steady. In 2007, we still had an increase in value of 5%, but a 12% decrease in the number of units sold. On average, we feel it is a balanced market.
In your opinion, what differentiates your brokerage from others in the marketplace?
Our leadership team is deep and experienced. We have one-stop shopping for the ultimate home-buying experience with mortgage and title services under one roof. We are the market leaders with approximately 30% market share. We represent much of the new construction, which gives our associates many opportunities.
What are the three biggest advantages to being affiliated with Prudential?
The name recognition is very important and the broker networking is invaluable. And also key: Prudential has just rolled out “TeamBuilder,” which is a recruiting incentive program, and DreamBuilder for medical insurance. This means I will be able to offer my associates medical benefits, which they are very excited about. And it will also help us recruit and retain agents.
How would you describe the demographics of your clientele?
We cover all price ranges. We sell condos, million-dollar homes and commercial buildings.
What is your philosophy for a successful life in real estate?
Building long-term relationships is the most important thing-relationships both internally (our agents) and externally (our buyers and sellers). Also, you have to build a positive, team-spirited environment where the office is both a place to work and a place to have fun. And last, but certainly not least, we stress the importance of home/life balance and we’re passionate about community service. I think it is critical to give back to the community that supports you.
