REALTY EXECUTIVES Regional Office
Most real estate agents — especially the real estate agents at Realty Executives — see their career as a way to help people. There’s just something special about helping a family find their dream home or getting someone the best price on the home they’re selling when it’s time to downsize.
Some agents take that passion a step further and focus on a particular niche market. That is, in addition to their general real estate practice, they pay special attention to a certain neighborhood, type of home, or homeowner need and become experts in that area.
At Realty Executives we encourage our agents to pour their passion into their career. When one of them chooses to focus on a niche market we’re 100% behind them and help support their work. It’s just one more way Realty Executives lives up to our reputation as an agent-friendly firm.
Truly, a niche market can be anything our real estate agents feel passionate about pursuing. They see a need, whether through their experience as agents or from their own lives, and know they can help.
One of our agents, Bruce Nemovitz, devotes his practice to helping seniors and retirees right-size their living situations. He realized he could help when he saw firsthand that older members of the community were often not being given the level of care they deserved when it came time for them to sell their homes.
Knowing that saying goodbye to a home can be a difficult process, Bruce devoted his real estate practice to helping make the transition as easy, respectful, and caring as possible. He’s built a successful real estate business that’s built on compassion and his commitment to serving others. (He’s even written a book about it.)
Melissa Walker is following a similar path with her practice. She’s committed herself to serving communities that have been historically marginalized and excluded from home ownership. Her goal: to help 100,000 people of color leave a million dollars in assets to their descendents or an organization that benefits people of color. It’s ambitious, bold, and a goal the team at Realty Executives supports her in wholeheartedly.
Deciding where to focus your efforts, if you want to specialize, doesn’t have to be complicated. Just think about your own interests, communities, families, or experiences and how they connect to real estate.
For example, maybe you have a passion for old homes and want to focus on historic neighborhoods and buildings. Or you might feel strongly about helping people become first-time home buyers, and make that your area of expertise. Have an interest in rehabbing and house flipping? Make it your specialty focus.
Take the time to explore what makes you feel excited about real estate. Chances are there’s a niche market waiting for you to serve it. If you’re an agent with Realty Executives, you’ll also have a team of people to help you shape your passions into a successful real estate business.
Interested in more info about joining Realty Executives? Request info & learn more. Request info & learn more.
Summer is all about making the most of your free time — especially when you live somewhere like Wisconsin where summer feels all too fleeting. Why spend a minute of this precious time trudging toward someone else’s sales goals?
There’s a better alternative out there. Just ask Realty Executives agent Stephanie Pero.
Stephanie started her career in real estate about five years ago. A hard worker, she built her network and saw some good successes. But it wasn’t until she switched to Realty Executives that she finally experienced the kind of freedom she knew this career could offer.
Stephanie and her husband knew they wanted to be parents. And Stephanie wanted to spend as much time with their little one as possible, while still running her real estate business.
“My main priority is family. Building my family and growing my family, alongside helping my clients,” she explains. “I didn’t see that as a real possibility at other firms, unfortunately.”
Although supportive on the surface, she says it always felt like there was some underlying judgment about her ability to hit certain goals or how she wanted to spend her time.
“Some agents want to get out there and hustle like crazy all the time, and that’s great if that’s what they want to do! That’s just not my dream for my business. At Realty Executives I feel like I’m supported in what I want to do for my family, and what’s great is the people who want to sell tons and tons of homes are supported here too. We’re seen for who we are, not treated like a number,” Stephanie says.
These days, Stephanie is almost always working with her baby daughter at her side, whether she’s working from home, meeting with clients, or headed into the Realty Executives office.
“Everyone has made working the way I want and need to so accessible,” she says. “There’s absolutely no issue bringing her along to meetings or holding her while on a client call. There’s a lot of respect for one another from agents and from clients here.”
That includes how she markets her business, too. Unlike firms where the company takes the lead, Realty Executives offers agents the freedom to bring their ideas and personalities to their work. “I want to be the face of my business, and I can be. That isn’t the case in other firms where the company name comes first and the agent is an afterthought,” she says.
The goals Stephanie has for her business aren’t the same as another agent’s, and at Realty Executives, that’s totally valid and supported. “Everyone I talk to here — even other agents — listens to what I want to accomplish and helps me figure out a plan that’s right for me. I feel good, because what I’m doing is successful and works for me.” It’s an approach to a real estate career she feels was only possible thanks to Realty Executives supporting her dreams.
And as for how she’s spending her summer?
“My daughter and I will be taking calls at our favorite coffee shops, or at the park this year and enjoying our time together.”
Interested in more info about joining Realty Executives? Request info & learn more. Request info & learn more.
Real estate agents know that this career is what you make it. While it’s true that what you get out of it depends a great deal on what you put into it, where you build your career matters too.
Here’s what we mean: Large firms may offer name recognition to potential clients, but not a lot of personal attention for individual agents competing with one another for leads. Smaller, boutique agencies can definitely feel more like a family, but may not offer agents the kinds of opportunities to build a career on their own terms.
If you’re an agent feeling a little out of sync with your current firm, maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at what’s possible with a career at Realty Executives.
Some firms have a lot of rules and red tape that agents need to navigate in order to be successful. What’s more, there can be such a big focus on achieving the company’s goals that agents start feeling like they’re losing touch with what they want to achieve for themselves.
That’s when a lot of people start wondering if they should give up on real estate all together.
At Realty Executives, we call our agents “executives” because they are in charge of their career. Here, you’re encouraged to build your business the way you want to. That could mean focusing on another job or your family most of the time while letting your real estate practice be a way to earn supplemental income. Or, you might want to go big and work towards leading a team of agents at your own brokerage. Maybe you’re somewhere in between.
Agents here don’t just shape their own hours. They have control over how they market their business, how they cultivate leads — even how they can incorporate passion projects or personal missions to help people into their practice.
No matter what kind of real estate career you want to have, you’re free to build it at Realty Executives.
Behind all that freedom is a lot of support for our agents. Most firms offer occasional training or networking events, and some standard marketing materials for their agents to use. That’s a nice start, but as far as we’re concerned, it’s not enough.
Realty Executives offers a wealth of professional development opportunities to agents all year long no matter how new or experienced they are in the industry. We work closely with them to identify their personal goals for their business and create a plan to meet them, including working with them on creating marketing materials that reflect who they truly are.
While some other firms can be fiercely competitive among their own agents, we’re proud to be an organization that truly values collaboration. It’s not at all uncommon for our seasoned Executives to introduce newer agents to their network, for mentorships to spring up across different brokerages, and for advice to flow freely among agents at our events.
If you’re putting in the hard work of building your real estate business, you should keep more of what you earn. It’s a simple idea, but it’s still not the norm at lots of real estate firms out there.
Realty Executives uses a compensation structure that allows agents to keep more of their hard earned commission. As the original 100% company, your expenses to the brokerage are capped at a very reasonable amount. So, the more commission you earn, the more you keep.
After all — being able to earn a good living while helping other people is a big reason a career in real estate is so appealing in the first place.
Interested in more info about joining Realty Executives? Request info & learn more. Request info & learn more.
Homeowners and real estate agents want to get top dollar for the property they’re selling. One way to help get there is to make sure the home looks its best in online photo galleries and in person. Staging a home is an important part of getting the right kind of attention from buyers. Kerri Kane, a certified home stager and Broker Associate with Realty Executives, offers her top tips for staging your space.
If homeowners have a strong emotional attachment to the property, this step may wind up being the hardest. But, it’s important to try to see the home the way potential buyers will. Real estate agents who have a passion for staging can really help assess the situation and offer recommendations.
“I walk into a client’s home and right away my mind starts figuring out what works, what we can work with, and what we should update,” Kerri says. “Sometimes the conversations aren’t easy, but my job is telling you the truth about what needs to be done to get you the selling price you want.”
Outdated wall colors, a scratch on the woodwork, that one bathroom tile that keeps popping out from the wall — all the little things people get kind of get used to living with over time — will definitely stand out to buyers.
“I always want my clients to stay in their homes while they’re on the market if possible,” Kerri says. That’s because a lived-in home is more inviting and warm than an unoccupied property. The downside: clutter. According to Kerri, that can be the difference between having a nice property and a showcase property.
“Sometimes it’s really that simple. Just getting organized and decluttering your home can make a huge impact. Store things in neat containers, clear off counters, stash your kids’ toys in bins under the bed — take things off site if you really need to. The goal is to make the home feel like an easy, comfortable place to live,” she explains.
Part of Kerri’s initial assessment includes suggesting improvements clients can make to their homes. Some may be as simple as fixing a leaky faucet or giving the rooms a fresh coat of paint. Others might be more extensive such as updating flooring or retiling a backsplash.
“If a client can do the work themselves well, and they have time to do it, I’ll suggest making those bigger home improvements,” Kerri says. “It’ll only add more value to the home which is our ultimate goal.”
If you aren’t exactly handy, don’t worry. “Everyone can do something. Adding a few well-placed mirrors to the home, for example, can do wonders,” she says. Updating light fixtures, painting cabinets, or creating an accent wall can all help make a home look and feel more appealing.
It goes without saying that a clean home is more likely to appeal to buyers, but keeping a house in a show-ready state isn’t always easy — especially if you have little ones in the family. “If you don’t do things like wipe down appliances or keep windows clean, people looking at the property will wonder what else you haven’t taken care of,” Kerri explains.
Her advice: “Hire someone if you need to. Get your windows cleaned, have a professional deep clean done — whatever you need to do to get your property looking immaculate.”
In winter make sure you take care of any snow or ice on the walkways right away, and keep a basket of shoe coverings near the door so visitors aren’t tracking slush in. And don’t forget to keep the heat on during colder months if you aren’t staying in the house. You don’t want to deal with a burst pipe!
You’ve probably heard about baking a batch of cookies before a showing to make the home smell, well, homey. While that example is a little cliché, it’s all about establishing the right mood for visitors.
“I recommend using an oil diffuser with a light lemon or other citrusy scent,” Kerri says. “It’s pleasing and it suggests a clean environment without being overwhelming.”
Other things to consider include tasteful seasonal décor, fresh flowers, or adding some simple accents like cozy throws to the sofa or a simple statement throw pillow on a bed.
When time is a factor — as in you don’t have a lot of it for staging — there are virtual staging tools that help make the property look great in online photo galleries. “Virtual tools are a great option. I’ve used them a few times when it wasn’t possible to bring in furniture. There’s no reason to rule it out, especially when it could help sell your property at the price you want,” Kerri says.
Kerri Kane is an agent with Realty Executives Cooper Spransy
A career in real estate isn’t just another job. It’s an opportunity to work on your own terms while you build a business that helps other people. Your success is in your hands. That’s both exhilarating and a little intimidating, especially when you’re just starting out.
If you’re new to the business, or are looking at making real estate your career in 2022, read on for some insights and advice from two of our experienced agents: Melissa Walker who has been with Realty Executives for three years, and Deparish Cole who is celebrating his first year as an agent with us.
The first thing you’ll need to do is decide which brokerage you want to partner with. “When you’re new you might think you have to work with the agency that you got your real estate license from, but it’s not true,” Cole says. Both he and Walker recommend looking at several brokerages to find the one that feels right for you.
“I did a lot of research, read reviews from agents online, and interviewed several brokerages when I was first getting started,” Walker says. She asked about everything from the lead-gathering process to professional development, agent expectations, compensation models, and more. “Some places I interviewed really didn’t want to reveal much to an ‘outsider,’” she says. That alone told her a lot about how the organization operated and whether she wanted to be a part of it.
What clicked for her was attending Realty Executives’ regional conference. “It was the polar opposite. People had a wealth of knowledge and they wanted to share it,” Walker recalls. For Walker, knowing she’d be pushed to succeed in a collaborative environment made Realty Executives the right fit.
The first year as a new agent is almost always tough. You’re building your client network, learning the ins and outs of contracts, and learning the ropes at your brokerage. On top of it, you’re hungry for success, so answering a late night call or email might feel like something you have to do.
“When I first started I thought I should be ready to go at all times,” Walker says. “I was exhausted every day.” Something she learned and has passed on to Cole is that setting a realistic schedule — which includes time to rest and relax — is important. After all, if you’re becoming an agent in part to have a schedule that lets you spend more time with your family, working 24/7 will not help you do that.
Cole adds another important piece of advice he’s learned during his first year as a real estate agent: it’s okay to say no. “Don’t be afraid. Not every client is right for you. It has to be a good relationship on both sides, and if it’s not a good fit that’s ok. You can refer them to someone else who is. The last thing you want is to dread working with someone or vice versa.”
Just because you’re independent doesn’t mean you need to go it alone. Cole and Walker highly recommend finding a mentor in the business, or joining a team that understands agents are people, not numbers.
“Having Melissa here for me has been amazing. Every transaction is different, so having someone to answer questions is really appreciated,” Cole says.
A supportive network or a mentor can give you advice, like reminding new agents to budget well (especially in the early months when there may be a lag between your first sale and your first payday), and take breaks when you need them.
As a new agent you’ll spend a lot of time learning, taking classes and workshops, and soaking up as much information as you can. But it shouldn’t stop once you’ve celebrated your first year.
“There’s always something more to learn,” Walker says. Realty Executives, in addition to informal peer-to-peer collaboration, offers a wealth of professional development opportunities to agents all year long no matter how new or experienced they are in the industry.
The last piece of advice Walker and Cole have is to find your “Why.” The reason you’re in this career in the first place.
“It’s hard work. Especially that first year, it can be a grind,” Cole says. “I don’t have kids yet, but I’m doing this to build a good foundation for the family I will have someday. This is a career where I can do that and be successful without having to spend years in college. And, I can show people there’s more than one path to success.”
Walker, too, sees her job as much more than a way to earn a paycheck.
“My goal is to help 100,000 people of color to leave a million dollars in assets to their descendants or an organization that benefits people of color. So when I put it in that perspective, when I'm tired and I don't really want to get up, it's like, ‘Melissa, this is not about you. This is not about a sale. This is not about one transaction. This is about your bigger goal.’ And if I’m moving the needle toward that bigger goal, that's what matters.”
Melissa Walker and Deparish Cole are agents with Realty Executives Integrity Northshore
As your Realty Executives Agent, my sole focus is to give you the executive treatment you deserve. From listing at the right price to making the best offer, I will be there every step of the way. I am immersed every day in all aspects of the process - comparable home price analysis, property surveys, credit reports, open houses, HOA agreements, lenders, title companies, homeowners’ insurance, walk-throughs, terms of sale or purchase, repairs, concessions and closing documents and much more - and I will put that expertise to work for you. I know buying or selling your home is a big decision and my job is to help make it as easy, stress-free and successful as possible.
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