Carson Matthews
Senior Vice President and Broker
Dorsey Alston REALTORS®, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®
Atlanta, Ga.
www.dorseyalston.com
Region served: Metro Atlanta
Years in real estate: 12
Number of offices: 3
Number of agents: 240
Must-have technology tool: My smartphone.
Best strategy for staying relevant: Our job is to aid, assist and remove obstacles for our agents. If we do that, we will always be relevant.
What do you like most about the region in which you work?
Atlanta is a city that caters to people from all walks of life. The mild climate, combined with our proximity to the mountains and coast, make it an easy place to call home. Atlanta is the hometown of Fortune 500 companies, a booming tech hub, high-profile sports teams and the world’s busiest airport, all of which have created a thriving region where more people are moving in than looking to move out.
Describe the current consumer-confidence climate in your area.
Consumer confidence is high in Atlanta, and you can see that reflected in the real estate market. Homebuyers are way out ahead of the traditional spring market and are, in many cases, competing against multiple offers when new listings come to the market.
How does your company stay flexible and current?
We approach our business as a team, which keeps everyone from the support staff to the owner tuned in to the business of our agents. Through this effort, we know how the market is performing and understand the challenges our agents face each day. By being amongst it, we can move with the market and offer our agents the tools they need each day to provide the highest level of service to their clients.
What are some of the most creative ways you and your agents are using social media?
The world of social media is constantly evolving, but one thing remains the same: the connection. At both the company and agent level, we are trying to create a relationship between agents and consumers, and consumers and houses. Facebook and Instagram are where we are most successful engaging with our viewers, particularly through the Story feature. We love to share and repost our agents’ Stories, create videos and use the newest apps to keep our content fresh. Our viewers love that we are transparent, showing them a glimpse into our company life by posting highlights from events and meetings, along with tips from our agents.
Why is it so important to stay relevant online and make a strong impression on consumers?
Consumers are busy and studies show we have but a moment to make a lasting impression online. We strive to create relevant content that is striking to the eye and draws you in for more. The second layer is to place that content where the targeted consumer is spending their time and direct them back to our website where we feature homes listed for sale. In a saturated media world, staying in front of the consumer and offering fresh content is a daily task.
For more information, please visit www.leadingre.com.
Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s senior editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.