“Don’t underestimate the importance of everyone working together as a team,” says Sandra Wilken, the License Partner & Designated Broker with Engel & Völkers Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz. In the following article, Wilken offers insight to winning big in real estate.
Region served: Scottsdale and Phoenix, Ariz.
Years in real estate: 39
Number of offices: 1
Number of agents: 18
Favorite tech tool you can’t live without: My iPad.
Best tip for finding success in today’s market: Don’t underestimate the importance of everyone working together as a team. Every new person I hire has to compliment the culture of our team. Not only are we looking for top producers and charity-minded individuals, they need to be able to work well with our team.
What are some of the current trends you see in your market right now?
In Scottsdale, we’re no longer in a buyer’s market as far as the good deals, and prices are slowly but surely trending up. While the market isn’t what it used to be, the good news is that we’re holding steady. In addition, we’re working with sellers so that they understand the importance of coming onto the market strong with a home that’s fairly priced. When homes are priced correctly, we tend to see buyers make a move sooner rather than later.
What is driving your business today?
Since I’ve worked in the industry for 39 years, I have a great referral network, so that’s always been the base of my business. Another thing that’s driving our business now that we’re part of the Engel & Völkers brand is the fact that each of our agents has their own area of specialization. When we’re called for a listing presentation, it’s crucial that the agent be able to talk knowledgably about the neighborhood while I discuss the benefits of working with our company.
Please describe your best marketing strategies.
One of our core values centers around spending extra money on really good photography that’s included in all of our marketing pieces. Since the Engel & Völkers name is fairly new to Scottsdale, we’re doing a lot of branding ads so that everyone knows who we are.
What are two fundamentals that you feel are essential to your company’s continued success?
There are many things that contribute to our company’s success, but the areas of specialization I mentioned above are one of the most important. I also believe that recruiting will not only help build our business, but keep us on the path to success.
How does your company stay flexible and current?
By attending seminars, being out in the marketplace every single day and meeting with my core team once a week to discuss exactly what’s going on in the market, what we need to change and how we need to be more flexible in certain areas. Our business is a little more seasonal (we work nonstop from October through May) since we cater to winter visitors because of our location, so we always regroup during the summer to discuss what we’re going to do next. This way we can hit the ground running once fall arrives.
For more information, visit http://scottsdale.evusa.com.
