In the following interview, Tom Blanchard, III, president of Blanchard & Calhoun Real Estate, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE), in Augusta, Ga., discusses the firm’s history.
Region Served: Central Savannah River Area (CSRA)
Years in Real Estate: 22
Number of Offices: 2 main offices and 2 satellite offices
Number of Agents: 180
What do you like most about the region in which you work?
Recently, the CSRA has seen a lot of growth with the Cyber Command Center, Plant Vogtle, Fort Gordon, the Savannah River Site, Augusta University and surrounding medical communities. This has changed the landscape of our community and has allowed us to serve a wider range of people.
How do you stay flexible and relevant in today’s ever-changing real estate landscape?
We believe in educating our employees and agents on the latest tools, trends and best practices. We do this through the various educational resources provided to us through platforms such as LeadingRE.
How have you benefited since joining LeadingRE?
As a member of LeadingRE, we’re able to deliver more to our agents, staff and leadership. Whether it’s through tech tools, education, networking or relationships, we provide our team with what they want and need to be successful.
What is the biggest obstacle you’ve overcome within the last year?
We’ve focused our efforts on increasing the awareness of our real estate institute and training efforts for our agents and staff. We want to attract new agents and continue to support current agents by being innovative and dedicated to their success.
As the company celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, what factors have led to its continued success over the years?
Our people and our culture. Even 100 years ago, these fundamentals were ingrained in our core business practices. Today, we continue those practices in our day-to-day, and we do not veer from them. Our business is made up of our people. They will always be the core basis for our success. In our century of service, we’ve amassed a collection of stories that highlight how our success and the success of our community and those we serve are intertwined. These stories can be found at www.100years100stories.com.
Final Questions…Â
What’s your best advice for new agents?
This is a people business. To be successful, you have to be able to serve the needs of your clients and continue those relationships after the closing. Real estate is a business that has no limitations on success. If you put in the work, you’ll reap the rewards.
What’s your top tip for staying ahead of the competition?
Take advantage of the various tools, platforms, educational material and trainings that your broker provides. These tools are there to help you be successful and focus on building your business.Â
For more information, please visit www.leadingre.com.
Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at paige@rismedia.com.
