Above, seated, Kim Ogilvie and Lynn Morris
It takes experience and a certain sensitivity to the world of the wealthy to be successful selling high-end properties. So notes Kim Ogilvie, who with partner Lynn Morris operates the Kim Ogilvie Group in Sarasota, Florida, which last year posted $350 million in volume.
That is impressive in that the team consists only of the two agents, Ogilvie and Morris, supported by two full-time licensed assistants and a social media marketing director.
Consistently ranked No. 1 at Michael Saunders & Company, the Kim Ogilvie Group primarily represents waterfront properties in an area boasting several offshore islands or keys and more than 40 miles of coastline.
But Ogilvie, with more than 40 years of experience in Sarasota real estate, and Morris, who most recently managed sales of a luxurious Longboat Key subdivision, have the skills and expertise to make it seem easy.
Barbara Pronin: Kim, what was your pathway into the industry?
Kim Ogilvie: I took a couple of years off to travel after graduating in 1980 from the University of Tennessee. I settled in Sarasota in 1983, and soon became fascinated with the work of a friend’s mom, a successful Realtor® who was sometimes on the phone at 7 a.m. or out closing deals well after dark. I got my real estate license the same year, willing to work hard and become successful. In 1989, I met Michael Saunders, who became my mentor, and I settled into her company.
BP: What about you, Lynn? How did you get involved in luxury sales?
Lynn Morris: I raised four kids in Sarasota before deciding to re-enter the job market, but I started by doing model home presentations for a prestige home developer, and then became a sales executive. That’s how I happened to meet Kim, who was representing a buyer, and since I admired what she was doing and had my real estate license, I decided to join forces with her.
BP: How long ago was that?
LM: About eight years ago.
BP: What did the two of you see in each other that made you decide to team?
KO: We both had a long history of working with exclusive properties and high-end clients, but we also had the same work ethic–a commitment to listening, negotiating and working long hours to more than meet the goals of our buyers and sellers.
BP: How are you organized as a team? Do you each have different responsibilities?
KO: No, but we are on the phone with each other at 6 every morning, so we start the day knowing each other’s schedules, and we talk several times throughout the day.
LM: And we’re blessed with support people who keep everything on track, so we are free to do what we do best.
BP: You work with high-end properties in mostly waterfront areas. What kind of properties are they, and what is the average sale price?
LM: We represent everything from condos to waterfront estates. The average sale price is $3.5 million, although the larger and more luxurious properties can range up to $40 million or more.
BP: So, what does it take to do consistently well selling multi-million properties?
KO: It takes someone who is smart, sophisticated and kind–someone who listens, is skilled at negotiating, and is not intimidated by challenges. You need to speak the language of luxury. That’s a skill that comes from years of experience dealing primarily with wealthy clients.
LM: Your life experiences shape who you are. It takes years of living well, growing, and developing. There are no shortcuts to getting there.
BP: With your deep roots in the Sarasota market, how do you choose to give back?
KO: Lynn serves on the board of Forty Carrots Family Center in Sarasota, a non-profit child and family-centered mental health counseling center, and I am past president of the local chapter of Girls, Inc., a non-profit group that inspires girls to be smart, strong, and bold.
LM: We also donate a portion of every commission to the Michael Sanders Foundation, which provides aid to more than 30 local charities.
BP: What do you do in the rare times when you are not showing property?
LM: I love reading, gardening, traveling and Pilates when I can fit them into my day.
KO: I like hitting the slopes of Telluride when we can, and the occasional weekend in New York City. I love spending time with my family and our two cats – and my real passion is the restoration of my family’s 100-year-old historic home. It’s an ongoing project, and so rewarding.
BP: And finally, what is the market like in your area now?
KO: Challenging, to say the least.
LM: But there are great opportunities for buyers right now – and we are fortunate to have the resources of the Michael Saunders company behind us. I think if anyone can do it, we can.
To learn more about the Kim Ogilvie Group and view their listings, visit https://kimogilvie.com/.
