Patricia Schlosser
Broker/Owner
CENTURY 21 Morrison Realty
Bismarck, North Dakota
www.century21.com/real-estate-agent/profile/patricia-schlosser-P25324325
Region served: Central and Southwest North Dakota
Years in real estate: 11
Number of offices: 3
Number of agents: 120
Jordan Grice: As a second-generation family-owned firm, what has been the most valuable component of growing your company to its current level?
Patricia Schlosser: We had an excellent foundation. That is the key to it. My father-in-law and his brother built a strong company with a strong foundation. How we’ve purchased and grown since then is based on the core values and taking that to the next level.
JG: Your brokerage has been with Century 21 Real Estate since 1978. What are some of the most valuable resources the brand has provided you and your agents with over the years?
PS: It’s the support that comes with partnering with the CENTURY 21® brand. They have top-notch tools and are always looking for what is best for our agents and clients. I know I can pick up my phone and call pretty much anyone within the system and get support. They make it feel very one-on-one and personal.
JG: What is the most significant trend positively affecting your business right now?
PS: I would have to say it’s the focus on relationships. We keep hearing about fears in the market that we are going to be disintermediated, but the reality is that relationships are more important than ever—and people understand the value of that. We see that in the numbers, with referrals at an all-time high, even though it’s pushed on us that we need to buy leads. The reality is, it’s still about relationships.
JG: How have you and your team approached agent training and development over the years, and how has that changed in today’s evolving industry?
PS: We’ve made sure that we have a structure in place that helps our agents know what they are paying for and leverage it to make their business grow. We’ve had to switch things up a bit recently because people are busier and more mobile. All of our training sessions and meetings are not only on Zoom, but they’re also on our private Facebook® Live page, where agents can go back and look at it as a library of videos. We’ve also hired a marketing director and technologist to assist our agents.
JG: How are you and your agents approaching the client experience in new and innovative ways?
PS: The question we ask every day is, “What are the pain points in the transaction, and how do we alleviate those?” We can never remove all of the risks or hurdles, but we focus on what we can control to make this a good experience for our clients. In some cases, it’s focusing on the little things. We live in a small town in North Dakota, and we all know each other. At the closing table, we tend to chat with the closer and lender, and we sometimes forget why we are there, which is to focus on the client.
JG: As we continue through 2021, what are you most looking forward to in your respective market(s)?
PS: I’m looking forward to continued growth. The real estate market will continue to be a good market for sellers and buyers because of the demand. In July, we felt a bit of a shift to where it wasn’t as hectic in the sense of multiple offers, but I think that demand isn’t going anywhere. With rates continuing to stay low, we will see continued growth in our agents’ business.
For more information, please visit www.century21.com.
Jordan Grice is RISMedia’s associate online editor. Email him your real estate news ideas to jgrice@rismedia.com.
