VITALS:
JBGoodwin REALTORS®
Years in business: 51
Size: Approximately 850 agents in 8 offices
Regions Served: Austin and San Antonio, Texas
2022 Sales Volume: $1,169,306,678
2022 Transactions: 2,745
https://www.jbgoodwin.com/
On the day J.B. Goodwin graduated from the University of Texas in June 1972, he opened up his own real estate company. Over the last 50-plus years, the founder and CEO has led his team to complete more than 100,000 individual transactions and has grown JBGoodwin REALTORS® to eight offices throughout Texas, concentrating on Austin and San Antonio.
How did you first get involved in this industry?
J.B. Goodwin: My interest in real estate began when I was 15 years old. I was charged with cleaning up and preparing buildings my father owned and used in various businesses for sale.
What strategies are you initiating in 2023 as the real estate market resets?
JBG: We are increasing our efforts in marketing, recruiting, training, relocation and coaching. They’re really the same strategies we’ve employed since we began the company…keeping our team up to date with the latest training and the latest tools. We are concentrating this year on ensuring our agent partners receive the support they need to turn those tools and training into competitive advantages in the market.
How did the Austin and San Antonio markets fare in 2022?
JBG: Though we experienced the same slowdowns that everyone did in 2022, the Austin and San Antonio metros continue to boast active local economies that drive both population and job growth. Those factors continue driving the need for homes, so we’re quite confident in the prospects for the ongoing health of our markets.
What is your firm’s unique value proposition?
JBG: It boils down to the concept of trust. We’ve now been serving our communities for more than 50 years. We’ve built a reputation as an organization that develops top agents, possesses deep market knowledge and can be counted on to provide exceptional real estate service.
Do you have any growth initiatives on the horizon?
JBG: Our growth philosophy is to increase our agent population by 10% every year. We’re fortunate to serve extremely vibrant real estate markets and believe that if we continue to provide a high level of service while maintaining our “help people” philosophy, the growth will always follow.
What’s the secret for keeping your agents happy?
JBG: Ensuring that our agents’ success and well-being are always our first priority. That’s the not-so-secret way of maintaining happy agents and being successful as an organization. We feel it’s working, as we were recently named the No. 1 Top Workplace in America in the 500 – 999 employee category.
How do you ensure you are up to date on the latest technology?
JBG: We keep a sharp eye on what the latest tools in the market are, but probably more importantly, we listen closely to our team members for both what their needs are and what they’re hearing about themselves. We’re also fortunate to have excellent technology folks on staff who are always finding ways to employ and maximize the use of tech tools.
How important is a proper work/life balance in this industry?
JBG: We all know how easy it is to find oneself well out of balance, so we preach work-life balance to our team. It’s no secret that real estate agents often deal with somewhat unusual schedules, so finding that balance becomes even more important.
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