Jeff Krider
REALTOR®, Team Leader
The Columbus Agents, Fathom Realty
Columbus, Ohio
www.thecolumbusagents.com
Region served: Central and Northern Columbus
Years in real estate: 8
With Fathom Realty: Since 2015
Number of offices: 1 (Fathom is in 110 markets, with 4,544 agents nationally as of the end of Q2)
Number of team members: 2 agents and 1 full-time assistant
Biggest benefit in being part of a virtual company: The ability to run my real estate team as a business while being empowered to be exactly who I am.
Favorite part of your job: Helping other people. You have to focus on the people, because if you focus on the money, you’re not going to survive.
Please describe some of the current trends you’re seeing in your market.
Columbus has always been hot, and that hasn’t changed due to the pandemic. In fact, our spring market hit like normal back in March—and it hasn’t stopped since. Like the rest of the country, we’re experiencing a low supply of inventory, as well as low mortgage rates, but the upcoming presidential election has created a slight pause in market activity. That said, people still want to buy, and we’re seeing a lot of activity among those who are taking the necessary precautions to go through the process safely.
What initially piqued your interest in the Fathom Realty model?
Having come from a traditional brokerage model, I saw firsthand how the industry could stand to benefit from being approached differently, and after meeting with Ray Hustek—the brand’s state broker in Ohio—Fathom felt like the right fit in terms of what I was looking for. Another thing that led me to choose Fathom was the fact that they would let me be me. The Fathom model allows agents to invest in themselves exponentially more than they could if they were working within a traditional model. Fathom supports me building my brand and gives me full flexibility to do that.
How has being part of Fathom Realty helped you during this unprecedented time?
The team at Fathom has been really transparent, putting together social media groups and video conferences hosted by CEO Joshua Harley who has shared helpful ways to work with buyers and sellers as we learned to navigate how to conduct real estate in the midst of a pandemic. Not only have I picked up a lot of good tidbits through company-provided training, but also, I’ve been able to leverage the entire Fathom network by connecting with other brokers and agents in order to bounce ideas off one another. Their mentorship program has also been beneficial throughout this challenging period of time, as newer agents have direct access to a seasoned agent who can show them the ropes when it comes to buyer presentations, writing contracts, etc.
What role does social media play in your business?
Social media is a huge part of my business, as I get a lot of clients and referrals through the various platforms I utilize, specifically Instagram. People will follow me on Instagram for months or years at a time before reaching out, underscoring the importance of making sure you share content related to both your business and personal life. Being everywhere is critical, especially as more and more people turn to social media to disconnect and have a little bit of fun.
Looking ahead, what’s on the horizon?
I recently brought on another agent so that I can step back from the grind a bit more and offer my expertise and guidance in the areas where I’m truly needed. Having always focused on getting a lot of leads (and only being able to handle so many), I’ve come to the realization that I need to tweak my approach and not break my back by trying to work with every client that comes our way. It’s about the brand, and not necessarily all about me, so I want to be sure that I’m giving the agents I’m bringing onboard the power to be part of something that they are building together.
For more information, please visit www.fathomcareers.com.
Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to paige@rismedia.com.
