In the following interview, Allie Beth Allman, founder and president and CEO of Allie Beth Allman & Associates, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE), in Dallas, Texas, discusses the advantages of LeadingRE, the luxury market, marketing and more.
Region Served: Dallas and North Texas
Company Founded: 2003
Number of Offices: 2
Number of Agents: 350
Best Advice for Agents Starting Out in the Luxury Market: Don’t expect anything instantly. If you’re not willing to give it your all, you will not make it.
Key to Real Estate Success: Being ethical. I don’t care if you lose money—but don’t lose your reputation. You only have it one time—if you ruin it, you can’t get it back.
How would you describe current market conditions?
The million-dollar-and-under market is very active, and up to $3 million it’s active. Over that, people are resistant.
What are the biggest challenges in serving the luxury market?
The biggest challenge is finding the buyer. You must have patience, and you have to hang in there a long time, sometimes a couple of years. The stakes are high, and you really have to make the seller understand what’s happening in the marketplace.
What are some of the most unique things you’ve done in terms of marketing?
We have a good rapport with the person at the Dallas Morning News who does all the real estate stories. They call and ask for all sorts of information since they know we cover all the high-end properties. Since January, our firm has been responsible for selling the majority of high-end properties in the area.
How does being part of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® benefit your firm?
One really wonderful benefit of being part of the network is that they’re international. Even though we don’t get many international buyers, everyone wants to know that their house has been advertised internationally. Another thing I really enjoy about LeadingRE is the cooperation with other brokers. Everybody is very generous in sharing their ideas, and I feel honored to be a part of it.
How would you describe your firm’s culture?
We’re really family-oriented. People will leave the company and then come back to us because they didn’t experience the same caring attitude elsewhere. We really support the community and are very involved. We always emphasize that you have to give back. We had one agent whose house burned down, and the team immediately started a campaign online, raising $24,000 overnight.
How do you maintain balance in your busy life?
Real estate is my hobby! I’m not a golfer or tennis player, but I do love what I do. And what I love most is the amazing and wonderful people I’ve met over the years who have become friends. That’s the biggest reward you can have in any business.
For more information, please visit www.leadingre.com.
Maria Patterson is RISMedia’s executive editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at maria@rismedia.com.
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