Kim Smith
Broker/Owner
Weichert, Realtors® — Team Metro
Hickory, North Carolina
https://kim-smith.teammetro.net
Region served: Western Piedmont region of North Carolina
Years in real estate: 25
Number of offices: 1
Number of agents: 33
Key to attracting top agents: It’s all about having a collaborative office culture based on teamwork, fun and results. Agents want to know that you’re there to support their success. Top agents respect that and want to associate themselves with that type of office.
What’s your secret to staying relevant in today’s ever-changing real estate landscape?
We’re relevant because we’re always evolving. We know that our clients are no longer walking through the front door of our office, but rather, they’re looking for homes and agents online. For us to meet clients, we have embraced social media platforms. We have agents utilizing Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but we also blog and use TikTok.
How do you stay in touch with your clients?
We build relationships for life through constant follow-up by using myWeichert, a CRM powered by kvCORE, which allows us to set up customized campaigns for each type of client. We can email, text or video message them through the platform. One of the great things about myWeichert is the fact that each morning we get a list of who we need to reach out to that day. This is based on tasks we have created as well as the client’s behavior. Better yet, we can do this directly from an app on our phones, which keeps us on the top of their minds when they are ready for their next move.
Where does your market stand in regard to reopening in the midst of COVID?
In North Carolina, most businesses are open with limits on indoor capacities. Thankfully, real estate-related services have remained essential, and we’ve been able to operate safely. During the initial stay-at-home order, we did experience a slight slowdown, but it was brief and only lasted a couple weeks. We rebounded and have remained strong, with our market seeing a 9.3% increase
In what ways have you helped your agents cope with the challenges associated with the pandemic?
We’re fortunate to be part of a franchise that is forward-thinking. At the start of the pandemic, we were given resources to turn our business virtual. Not only did we begin holding virtual open houses and showings through Facebook Live, but we also started doing listing presentations and buyer consultations through Zoom. Additionally, we implemented procedures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help keep our agents, staff members and clients safe.
Where do you see your business in five years?
I see our firm being No. 1 in our market. We have grown consistently every year that we’ve been in business, even during the Great Recession. Our continued success is based on yearly planning, setting goals and taking the necessary actions to achieve them. Not to sound cliché, but we know that teamwork makes the dream work.
For more information, please visit www.weichert.com.
