In the following interview, Broker Dwight Price with Keller Williams in Maryville, Tenn. discusses the creativity with social media, the current state of real estate today and how you can prepare yourself—and your team–for the future.
Region served: Blount County and all adjacent counties, including Knox, Sevier, Loudon, Monroe and Anderson
Years in real estate: 20
Number of offices: 1
Number of agents: 60, with a goal of 100 by the end of 2016
Favorite part of your job: Helping people achieve their real estate goals
Must-have technology tool: The MLS and the related apps for our phones. We also use Zillow, Trulia and a multitude of other technology tools to enhance our marketing and help prospective buyers search for homes.
One thing people don’t know about you: My job is also my hobby. A noteworthy person once said that if you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life.
How do you see your market evolving throughout the next year?
Our market has been healthy throughout the winter months, and we currently have 21 pending transactions for the next 30 days (at press time), so I’m anticipating an even busier spring and summer. I believe that we’ll continue to see a very healthy real estate market throughout the next year.
What factors have the largest influence on the real estate industry today?
Low interest rates and superior technology. We utilize everything from publications like The Real Estate Book to multiple websites and apps that are beneficial when it comes to surfing for homes on the Web.
What are some of the most creative ways you’re using social media?
We use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to promote listings, and have had good success with prospective buyers finding our properties through these sources. We’ve also received favorable responses from the ads we place on various social media platforms.
How are you preparing your agents for the future of real estate?
Keller Williams is probably the most prepared when it comes to the future of real estate. We take pride in being named among the top training organizations across all industries, offering our agents cutting-edge training that focuses on websites, e-Edge technology and other Internet marketing and management tools, such as DotLoop.
In what ways are you and your team members using The Real Estate Book to stay top-of-mind in the communities you serve?
The Real Estate Book keeps our faces and our listings in front of thousands of readers in the area. We also send The Real Estate Book to people who inquire about our area and our services through the Chamber of Commerce. It has proven to be a great resource for us to continue marketing both ourselves and our many listings.
For more information, visit http://www.kw.com/kw/.
