Going Where the Business Is: Agent Goes Virtual with His Career, Talks about What It Takes to Succeed

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Online broker Allison James Estates & Homes rejuvenates agent’s spirit and business

By Beth McGuire

RISMEDIA, Oct. 10, 2008-When you think of the battered real estate market, one of the first places that comes to mind is Florida. Where many markets home price appreciation surged 30 percent year over year during the hey-day, are now grappling with foreclosures and increasing home auctions.

Twenty-year real estate pro Bill Kelly has lived through up and down markets, but for the first time in his career, he decided that now is the time for change. Buyers and sellers are online, there are deals to be made, he says, and a fresh approach was needed to succeed. Enter Allison James Estates & Homes Real Estate. The online-only brokerage offered the simplicity, autonomy and financial control that he was looking for-not to mention the entire kind of operation that is reflective of where prospects are today: online. Here, a Q&A with Kelly about his career and choices, his move into virtual real estate and the benefits in today’s challenging times.

How long have you been in the real estate profession?

bill_gbg.jpgI got into real estate at age 20 and have been in the industry for 22 years. I started on Eastern Long Island in summer rental sales in the Hamptons and ended up going into New York City and Brooklyn where I was working on foreclosures in the mid [19]90s. I moved into management with Cendant [now Realogy] and Century 21, which was what brought me to Florida. I worked for GMAC when they did the conversion to BH&G in the late 90s and then had the opportunity to work at the franchise level again with Century 21 where I got back into sales. Had great success with that and then had the opportunity to do a start-up for Prudential WCI in Venice, Florida. I moved then to Keller Williams and was back in the trenches again. It was all great experience. I learned about Allison James earlier this year, and the concept was refreshing and immediately caught my interest. Currently I am an associate broker for Allison James – they have a good presence here in Sarasota County and are starting to make an impact in surrounding counties.

How long have you been with Allison James?

I made the transition in the beginning of September. I have a team of three – myself, an operations manager and another partner. Our company is called Gulf Coast Real Estate Team (www.gulfcoastrealestateteam.com).

Why did you choose to join Allison James?

Allison James is very transparent. What you see is what you get. There are no hidden expenses. It is good for everyone. The leadership group provided me with a transition plan because not only are they working on the business of Allison James Estates & Homes, they have worked in the real estate business.

I’ve been fortunate in this business having gotten into it 20 years ago. Our market has changed, the industry’s changed. Today, brokers and agents across the country are cutting expenses, and agents are wondering if they are getting what they pay for. They are wondering, did I get the $21,000 worth of branding I paid for, or could I use that money for lead generation or other applications.

What attracted you to an online-only company?

It’s not just a fad. There are many indicators that lead me to believe online-only companies will play a major role in the future of real estate. It is cost effective for agents, broker/owners and buyers and sellers potentially receive the biggest benefit.

What are the benefits to you and to your clients from working with Allison James?

Working with Allison James, I have taken my business back. I do not have a commission split – I am compensated at 100%. The dollars I allocate back into my business increase because the dollars I earn per transaction increase. In turn, I am able to be more flexible with buyers and sellers.

How does the company benefit you relating to today’s challenging economic times?

Allison James provides web tools to help me manage my business. From contact management to transaction management, it is a very efficient platform for me to conduct business on a daily basis. If I do the activities to be productive, they can be managed on the platform. I’m also excited about the fact that this is my business and I can allocate dollars where I want. I also see that once this continues to grow, there will be more and more networking opportunities with other Allison James agents around the country. This will only help build confidence back into the market.

How does working online contribute to your success?

It is an efficient way to manage time and daily activities of my business. Not just for my business as an agents but for buyers & sellers as well. Our business isn’t always 9-5. Online business allows customers to communicate at their convenience. I am proactive and have systems and tools in place to communicate with customers with.

How do you manage office expenses and meetings with clients?

I have a home office set up that cuts my costs significantly. I bought a laptop and a laser jet printer, I have an 800 number and I use Vonage. I know there are people who like the atmosphere of working in an office, but I go out and meet clients at many different places and it works great. We meet at Starbucks over coffee, hotel lobbies, Panera Bread, there are a ton of nice places to meet people and they enjoy it because we can talk over coffee or lunch or at an interesting place they’ve never been to.

We also have partnerships with new home communities, title companies and others who are happy to share their conference room with our team. It’s really a win-win for everyone.

What system do you have for attending company meetings?

We have software that we can all log in to and for meetings we use GoTo Meeeting.

Is this approach to real estate for everyone?

Well, I would say it could be, but you definitely have to understand how to work more efficiently and be disciplined to work on your own and stay motivated.

Since joining Allison James in September, have you completed any home sales?

[At this writing] We did our first deal on a $300,000 house and made $9,000 in commission. In a different system you could have thirty percent taken right off the top, but with Allison James you see the immediate benefit. We are able to take that entire commission and apply it to the areas of the business we need to-operations, salaries, general expenses.

What are your monthly fees to Allison James?

It costs $295 a month for the first year, which includes E&O insurance and the second year, it’s $395 for the entire year. I looked at that and figured out how many deals do I have to do to break even, and it’s one – that pays for my phone, my computer, printer and signs.

What are you doing differently to win the business today?

I practice magic. Making good impressions, act with accountability, gathering the facts, interpreting them and closing in agreement. I am building relationships that focus on the customer and his/her needs. It is paying off with referral business. I find it more cost effective to do business like this. My customers know I am going to be a straight shooter with them – even if it means giving them facts they don’t like.

What is your territory coverage area and how is your market doing?

My market is Sarasota, Siesta Key, Venice, North Port & Lakewood Ranch, [Florida]. Our market continues to recover. Inventory is actually in balance in some neighborhoods while others carry excessive months of supply. Short sales are very common practice right now in our market but well priced homes are going into contract and closing. But there was 30 percent appreciation for three years and people with the lending institutions behind them, let homes be used as ATM machines. We’re facing big challenges but in the end – the market is what it is. Overall, I think we were the first market hit by the decline so we will be the first market to recover. Watch out for Florida. With change comes great opportunities.

To learn more about Allison James Estates & Homes, visit http://www.allisonjamesinc.com/.

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