Corey McCloskey
President
John R. Wood Properties Christie’s International Real Estate, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®
Naples, Florida
https://www.johnrwood.com/christies
Region served: Southwest Florida
Years in real estate: 23
Number of offices: 21
Number of agents: 900
Favorite part of your job: Talking with and getting to know people
You’ve had an impressive career in real estate, moving from a listing agent through the ranks to your current role as president. What is one of the most valuable lessons you learned in transitioning to leadership?
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is to take a breath and sleep on it, as everything looks better in the morning.
As agents and as managers, we’re constantly running into challenges that seem insurmountable at the moment, but when you wake up the next morning, you think, “Oh, this is how we get that done.” Working in this business for as long as I have, I know that nothing is life or death. While we’re dealing with things that are obviously very important when it comes to the largest transaction in people’s lives, it’s also worth remembering that everything typically works out the way it’s supposed to. Even if it’s not in your windshield right now, it will eventually be there.
Another valuable lesson I’ve learned is to ask more questions. An agent will bring you a problem and say, “This is what I’m facing,” but if you’re not asking three or four follow-up questions, what they ask might not even be what they truly need. All of us in leadership have to bring a coach’s heart to the role because sometimes we need to dig in multiple times before we can ever really get to what they need. If you aren’t genuinely curious upfront, it can be challenging to help people in the way they need to be helped.
Having dedicated a lot of time to training and educating agents, what do you find they need the most help with—and how have you helped meet those needs?
Technology is the area in which agents often need the most help given that it’s constantly evolving. The way in which this business has evolved is challenging for those who may not be a digital natives to keep up with—and technology has forced that evolution. While technology is one of the biggest challenges for our agents, as brokers, it’s all about staying up to date with where it is right now. But you know as well as I do that every day it evolves into something different, with some new AI or something or other being introduced.
Your involvement with Realtor® associations spans many levels—from Florida Realtors® to NAR. What advice do you have for agents looking to get involved?
I always recommend getting involved, especially at both the local and state level. Information is incredibly important, and there are decisions being made every day inside those rooms. And if you’re in the room, you get to be part of the discussion, and you get to voice your opinion on how things should be handled. At the end of the day, I think everybody should be involved.
What attracted you to Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE®)?
LeadingRE is a wonderful network of independent brokerages like us, and it’s amazing when you consider the relationships we’ve been able to build and retain over the years through our work with other family businesses. I’ve cultivated amazing friendships with other owners, and as a third-generation real estate professional, it’s been fun to watch my grandfather, father and me connect with other grandfathers, fathers and daughters.
With the way the industry is going, it’s encouraging to know that we can reach out to this network of other large independent brokerages—and it’s all thanks to LeadingRE.
For more information, visit https://www.leadingre.com.
