In the following interview, Mickie Andrews of The Andrews Group with Weichert, REALTORS® in Nashville, Tenn., discusses the importance of culture in recruitment and retention, the local market, and more.
Region Served: Nashville and its six surrounding counties
Years in Real Estate: 21
Number of Offices: 2
Number of Agents: 80
What do you like most about the region in which you work?
Its Southern charm and hospitality, the level of diversity within our communities and businesses, and the growth we’ve experienced over the last five to 10 years
In what ways do you use technology to better serve your clients?
We believe that technology only works with follow-up and follow-through. The Weichert® Lead Network is a great example of technology and follow-through coming together to create exceptional results. Not only does Weichert drive internet traffic to weichert.com, but our sellers’ listings are prominently displayed. Incoming leads are screened and connected immediately to an agent via our call center, providing superior service.
How does your company make its agents’ jobs easier?
Our leadership team and support staff consider our agents’ success to be our No. 1 priority, guiding our decision-making when it comes to the services we provide, some of which include:
- A full-service, in-house marketing department
- Preparation of property-specific customized listing presentations and individualized buyer consultation portfolios
- A paperless transaction management system
- Coaching and accountability
- Weekly educational sessions simulcasted between offices
- How-to videos
How does your company stay current and flexible?
Through our culture. Our offices are designed and laid out with open spaces for agent, management and staff collaboration. Around our ping pong/conference room-style table, agents discuss what is and isn’t working. The latest tools and techniques are organically discussed and implemented, ultimately becoming part of our company’s program (or not) based on the experience of our agents.
What is the biggest challenge your market currently faces, and what are you doing to overcome it?
Our biggest challenge is our lack of inventory. With homes selling within days of being listed, our goal is to find listings before they come to market. Our strategy is to educate homeowners before they start thinking about selling. If we capture their attention before they go online or call a friend for a referral, our agents win. We do this by searching our databases for people experiencing life-changing events and neighborhoods with high market demand. We pride ourselves on doing the hard stuff, like canvassing neighborhoods by knocking on doors and providing a face-to-face market/neighborhood update. We also make cold calls, which works when you’re calling with valuable, useful and timely information.
For more information, please visit www.weichert.com.
Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at paige@rismedia.com.
For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.
