When it comes to reaching success, flexibility is just as important as strength and commitment. For tips on solving challenges and staying flexible, read the following interview with Woody Warren, Principal Broker/Co-owner of Bluewater Real Estate, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® in Emerald Isle, N.C.
Region served: North Carolina’s Crystal Coast
Years in real estate: 35
Number of offices: 2
Number of agents: 31
Average sales prices: $278,686
What are the current market conditions in your area? Inventory is selling faster than it has the past couple of years, and prices are still low when compared to the bubble years.
What are some of the most difficult challenges buyers face today? Lenders now request extensive information and a paper trail for everything, so it’s harder for buyers to finance.
What are the most difficult challenges agents face today? We have a large number of buyers looking for second homes and investment properties, and since it’s a buyers market, they’re not in a hurry. In fact, some agents have been working with customers for as long as seven years. Today’s buyers are tough negotiators, and they want upgrades with like-new conditions, so time management with an emphasis on effective marketing is important. Connecting with past clients and staying ahead of leads is necessary, in addition to learning all the latest technology and being present on all social media platforms.
How does your company work to solve these challenges? We partnered with a mortgage company to help navigate through the changing regulations and assist with quick and on-the-spot answers and solutions. Our marketing department sends monthly emails with the latest real estate marketing trends, and we share tips related to time management and other topics. We also have an agent blog that’s managed by our marketing department for helpful tips and ideas on selling and acquiring new clients. And last but not least, we hold social media and email marketing workshops on a quarterly basis, as well as one-on-one meetings with our marketing team to help build templates for personalized monthly emails that can be sent to clients.
What is your team doing to stay ahead of the competition? In addition to being ready to change and committed to remaining flexible when something isn’t working, we’re enhancing our mobile platform so that the agent’s office is wherever Wi-Fi is available. We’ve increased lead-generating searches to our website and are managing those leads to ensure follow-up. We also manage the return on investment on various lead-generating platforms.
For more information, visit www.leadingre.com.
