Jeffrey Jolicoeur
Broker/Partner
CENTURY 21 Surette
Waterville, Maine | https://surette-realestate.com
Region served: Central Maine
Years in real estate: 20
Number of offices: 1
Number of agents: 18
In your time with the CENTURY 21® brand, what has been the most valuable resource or tool that has positively impacted your business?
I’ve been with the CENTURY 21 brand for 20 years, and I used THE GOLDEN RULER® quite a bit early on. It allowed me to consistently keep in touch with my seller clients and update them in regard to how much activity their property was getting online. It was a simple way to stay in touch with them, and by setting up that automated system, it was pretty much hands-free once I established the timeframe for the graphs and the data to be sent.
At a time when inventory is so tight, how are you and your agents locking down listings?
We’re focusing on our referral network, our sphere of influence and making sure we’re active in the community. We let people know that we’re in the community and successful, but more importantly, that we’re engaged.
What market trend has been most beneficial to your business?
For the past year, inventory has been the biggest driving force, but I think COVID has also been a huge factor. Many people are finding that employers are allowing their employees to work remotely, and that Maine is a beautiful place to live and work. Being able to work from home has expanded a lot of business to Maine.
How have you and your agents approached the client experience?
My philosophy is that real estate is a service industry, not a sales industry, and when we bring agents on, we want to make sure they share that same mindset. If we provide quality service to our seller clients—marketing the property well and pricing it appropriately—then the property will sell. Likewise, we’re providing quality service to buyers. We’re listening intently to their needs and finding homes that fit what they’re looking for rather than trying to sell them a home we know isn’t going to be a good long-term or short-term investment.
Considering the current housing market and economic changes on the horizon, where do you see the biggest opportunity for you and your agents to win?
I think our focus on service is going to come into play because once the market tightens up, sellers are going to want experienced agents with a proven track record of success. Sellers understand that even agents with less experience can sell a home with marginally good advertising. I think the agents we have and the experience they provide is a “cream rising to the top” kind of thing where we’ll begin seeing people reach out to us. Buyers are going to be looking for agents who have the skill and experience to guide them properly. Right now, they’re forced to make rash and quick decisions, but there’s going to be a time when they can be thoughtful and diligent in their thinking, so in situations like that, we’ve positioned ourselves by educating our agents to be the go-to source.
For more information, visit https://www.century21.com/.
