When it comes to delivering consistent service to clients—both buyers and sellers—every company has their own method. In the following interview, George and Jim Wallce of Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace, REALTORS® in Knoxville Tenn., give us insight into their tactics for remaining reliable.
George Wallace
COO
Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace, REALTORS®
Knoxville, Tenn.
Jim Wallace
Broker/Owner
Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace, REALTORS®
Knoxville, Tenn.
Region served: Greater Knoxville area
Years in real estate: 30
Number of offices: 5
Number of agents: 280
What is one of the biggest challenges your market faces?
George Wallace: The challenge is on for broker/owners to keep up with and deliver technology, while at the same time, figuring out how to control our expenses. It’s also important that we continue to deliver top-notch services for our consumers.
Jim Wallace: We have two sets of customers: our agents and our buyers and sellers. Every company is challenged when it comes to delivering consistent service to both buyers and sellers. Therefore, we train our agents to be consistent.
What demographic segments are driving your business today?
GW: While our market has an average sales price of about $200,000, we rely on people to move up, around and even trade houses. When the market slowed down, we were penalized because people were no longer moving. Today, we’re encouraging more people to get up and build more houses, and they’re slowly coming back.
How is consumer confidence in your area?
JW: It’s improving, but it’s not as high as we’d like to see it.
How does The Real Estate Book and RealEstateBook.com work into your overall marketing strategy for your brand and listings?
GW: The Real Estate Book prints and distributes a magazine that includes each of our listings 10 times a year—a 30,000 copy run. We also do a quarterly previews magazine for high-end homes, which serves as both an image- and business-building piece.
JW: Working with The Real Estate Book has enabled us to combine our print advertising with texting and videos, helping to brand ourselves within the local market.
