{"id":1126,"date":"2016-08-08T06:30:47","date_gmt":"2016-08-08T13:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/?p=1126"},"modified":"2016-08-09T09:27:26","modified_gmt":"2016-08-09T16:27:26","slug":"caitlin-sudduth-a-real-estate-agent-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/caitlin-sudduth-a-real-estate-agent-to-watch","title":{"rendered":"CAITLIN SUDDUTH: A YOUNG REALTY EXECUTIVES AGENT TO WATCH"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Caitlin<\/a>
\u201cI know that there is nothing stopping me from being the
best, and that\u2019s what I strive for everyday.\u201d ~ Caitlin Sudduth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Caitlin Sudduth sold almost $2 million worth of real estate during her first year as an agent. At the time she was just 18 years old, going to college and also holding down a job at a bank. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaking my first sale was incredibly hard. It took about five or six months. I worked open houses every weekend and followed up with every buyer,\u201d reveals Sudduth, an Executive at <\/span>Realty Executives Sudduth Realty<\/span><\/a> in Augusta, KS. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEventually, I found a buyer for a small home with no central heating and air! It was a tough sell and very stressful putting it together, but I finally got it to closing and made my first paycheck, at which point I was hooked!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sudduth started working when she was just 11 years old, mowing her neighbors lawns to cover her portion of the family plan cell phone bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started mowing lawns with a $20 push mower. I bought it with money I had borrowed from my dad, which I had to pay back with my mowing money. Then when I got to high school and started playing competitive soccer year round, I didn\u2019t have time for an hourly job and didn\u2019t want to work at a fast food place, so I increased the amount of lawns I was mowing by knocking on doors and asking for business,\u201d Sudduth explains. <\/span><\/p>\n

She eventually had over 30 customers at $30\/week and was able to comfortably get to them all in a day or two because she used some of her earnings to buy her own riding lawn mower.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile all my friends were working long hours, I\u2019d only work a couple of days a week while making bank and getting to play my sport,\u201d she adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

This was also when she realized that she didn\u2019t want to be tied down by an hourly rate. \u201cI had a taste of the good life and knew if I just worked hard I could make my own hours and never have an income cap.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sudduth was exposed to the real estate industry at a very young age. According to her father Mark Sudduth Sr., Broker\/Owner at the same firm, she used to follow him around as a little girl, accompanying him to showings, open houses and Realtor\u00ae monthly meetings. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Caitlin<\/a>
Cailtin Sudduth with her father, Mark Sudduth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIf she got sick at school I\u2019d pick her up and bring her to work because I couldn\u2019t quit and go home, so she would sleep under my desk while I worked. I still have medicine and Scooby Doo Band-Aids in my desk drawer,\u201d says Sudduth Sr.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since joining Realty Executives Sudduth Realty, Sudduth has excelled. Last year she closed 52 transaction sides and sold over $7 million worth of real estate, more than doubling her numbers from 2014 (20 sides and $3 million in sales).<\/span><\/p>\n

She attributes her success to taking a very personal approach to the business, particularly when it comes to relationship-building, saying, \u201cI do a lot of door knocking and writing letters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Sudduth says she also utilizes <\/span>Facebook <\/span><\/a>for lead generation and has fully integrated the social platform into her marketing strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve sold a lot of houses by reaching out to people who have liked and commented on photos on my page, following up with them and answering any questions,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sudduth also uses Facebook to market listings and share client testimonials and reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n